道魚 Tao Fish #1

Pattern: 8 Days Zen Guqin.

Larry Neal Gowdy

Zhong Yong promotes it, Da Xue illustrates it, and Daodejing relies upon it... thinking.

Think... to think... a very small word, easily recognized by most English-speaking people, but so rarely self-applied for most people. Think... thinking... to think... not known to be promoted within any modern culture, nor promoted within any known European history... not known to be permitted within any known ideology.

If, thinking were common — if, thinking was a thing that was done by most all people — then there would not exist writings of Confucianism, nor 大學 (Da Xue - Great Learning), nor of 道德經 (Daodejing). The writings exist. Repeat... the writings exist. The writings exist, because, thinking is not common.

The sensory quotient test — purposefully given the misnomer for the purpose of helping to prevent individuals from inventing answers that might occur if the participants knew that the test was a cognitive test — portions of the test presented to hundreds of thousands of people, proved that only about one person in ten-thousand is able to adequately describe anything. Cannot describe a thing, if cannot think. The cognitive ability, to think, is very uncommon.

The Daodejing writings — as well as many quotes allegedly spoken by Confucius — are quite good at pointing to things that most people are unable to think of. The thinking, ought to be easy... ought to be simple... ought to be obvious... but, most people cannot think the thoughts...

Daodejing sentence portion: 魚不可脫於淵. Quick, uncareful, draft, knee-jerk translation... 'Fish not able escape from deep-pool'.

Fish... surely an easy word... surely... but, maybe not for people who are unable to think. Fish... very simple word... known to most all people who have personally seen a fish in water, or memorized the word and also saw a picture of a fish.

Water... also, ought to be an easy word. Most people, cannot describe water, even though people must drink water to stay alive. Most people, cannot describe life's most important necessities... the people cannot think.

Fish and water... surely, ought to be a rational concept. Fish not able leave water... again, ought to enable a rational conclusion. Why are the words so difficult to some people?

Daodejing... 'fish not able escape from deep-pool'. Fish... not... escape... water... so very, very simple, but not easy to some people. And yes, it is true, that some fish can momentarily leap above the water's surface, but the fish also quickly fall back into the water. And yes, it is true, that a fish can be removed from the water, but the fish's life will end. Nevertheless, a fish, itself, self-willed, is not able to swim from a pool and then walk away and never need to return to water. Fish have no choice... fish must live in water, else end life. Similarly, humans not escape from air... Nature rules man... man does not rule Nature...

Describing a fish... describing water... describing, how the mind reasons why fish not leave water... each of the three, must exist, else, not able to recognize Daodejing's six words... not able to think.

Goddard translation: "The fish would be foolish to seek escape from its natural environment".

Legge translation: "Fishes should not be taken from the deep".

Suzuki translation: "As the fish should not escape from the deep".

The original text, has, six (6) words... only, six words. Goddard, twelve (12) words... Legge, eight (8) words... Suzuki, nine (9) words. Are people not able to understand 'fish... not... able... escape... from... deep'? Why need more words? Why unable read six words? Adding English sentence particles to Chinese sentences, destroys the meanings of the Chinese words. Forcing the Chinese language to conform to English grammar, always destroys the Chinese words' meanings... destroys the bone structuring... destroys the rhythm... destroys the heart... destroys reason for translating. Adding English sentence particles to the Chinese language, renders the translation to be incoherent... absent of mental durations... garbled dementia...

Glancing at over a hundred translations, none seen had only six words, nor only six concepts. Some translations completely omitted 'fish' and 'deep-pool'. Why are little words so difficult for some people? Not able to describe their sensory perceptions? Not able to observe their own thoughts? Not able to think? Yes.

One act of thinking, exceeds all spoken and written words of all languages of all cultures of all eras all combined into one moment. Most people cannot reason that, because, most people cannot describe anything... therefore, not know what a thought is... not know, what thinking is.

Necklace... a thing worn around one's neck, often having a clasp that can be connected, to hold the necklace around one's neck. Necklace... undo the clasp... the necklace 'string' is then open... connect the clasp... the necklace 'string' is then closed. Open... close... open... close... surely most people are able to mentally grasp what 'open' and 'close' imply. Some people, however, are unable to think... their minds are unable to reason for one's self... and the people are not able to rationalize the difference between 'open' and 'close'. Not able to think.

Grown adults, graduating from MIT, some have been reported to be unable to make light with a battery, bulb, and wire. The university graduates, are unable to think... not know necklace open-close... not able to cross-light memorized words... not able to think enough to self-create a concept of open-close. Neither a technology university degree, nor the highest grades in technology classes, infers that the graduates are able to think, nor able to mentally reason the difference between an open electrical circuit, and a closed electrical circuit.

To be granted a title of Confucian Scholar, does not infer that the individual knows anything about Confucianism. To be granted a title of Doctorate of Technology, does not infer that the individual knows anything about technology.

If an individual cannot self-observe how they know a necklace string is open or closed, then the individual cannot know what thinking is. Many people sincerely do believe that reciting a few memorized words is thinking... the people cannot think.

Fish not able leave water... easy? If easy, then why did all academic translations not understand? If the academicians understood, then the academicians would have also understood the following sentence portion that relied upon an understanding of 'fish not able leave water'... over one-hundred academic translations... none understood... no academic translation was able to mentally grasp, mentally hold, mentally retain, then mentally connect, and mentally relate 'fish not able leave water'... academic translations... not able to think.

All known academic translations of Daodejing absolutely and permanently prove beyond all doubt that all of the academicians could not think. Legge, Oxford professor of Chinese, not able to read Chinese... Legge, not lonely...

Laozi understood... Laozi, able to think.

If most people could think, then there would not exist writings of Zhong Yong, nor Da Xue, nor Daodejing. The writings exist. The writings exist, because, thinking is rare, and because the writings aimed to embarrass, and to prod, people into thinking.

道魚 Tao Fish #1 - Thinking

道魚 Tao Fish #1