Saturday 2 January 2010

How can I know it?

Know by not knowing, Wu know,
See by not seeing, Wu see;
Only in admitting knowing is dual,
can you be without trying to be.

6 comments:

Ta-Wan said...

Wu or Mu is a very special word and you should imitate a wise and stern Chinese master as you say it M(w)u!

It is supreme negation, that the question itself is void of merit.

Unlike no, which is the opposite of yes, Mu is devoid of duality and negates even the premise.

The trials and tribulations of QPR said...

Hi Ta-Wan,

I learn so much about Taoism through your 'words', both on here and through your Tao-Wow site; I was totally unaware of the meaning of 'Wu' for example.

So, 'Wu' means neither yes or no, but points to the question being incorrect in the first place? There is no merit in the question because it is born of ignorance maybe . . . and so the stern Chinese Master would be attempting to wake the student up to this fact . . am I getting close here?

Ta-Wan said...

Pretty close if not spot on, yes, indeed.

It can carry a few meanings mainly centered around negation. It is used for example in Wei Wu Wei, where Wei is action or doing. Action through non action. Done by not doing. As the Universe does so many acts of magic without doing a thing.

Also Emptiness, void, absence, but not absent of fullness, rather that we can not apply one label for inferring another.

Also the only answer to "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?"

Rizal Affif said...

Let me join! :D

Once, years ago, I suddenly thought that all things in the world, are, by nature, opposites and paradoxical. But I also thought that there is one that has no opposite, and thus, is the ultimate paradox, something that is unquestionable. That time I thought it as God. Could it be the same as the Mu you're talking about?

Ta-Wan said...

Mu!

The trials and tribulations of QPR said...

Thanks for the clarity Ta-Wan,

Yes, I can relate to your description of absence coupled to fullness.

In my own experience it was when I became free of the conditioned personalities willful interference, that I experienced the fullness of 'be-ing'.

The absence of one led me to the realization of the other and the realization of one led to the absece of the other . . ha, ha . . :D