15th Issue (Mar, 2010) Understanding Anattᾱ-Ethics Relationship through the Chinese Tao Philosophy Wong Weng Hon IntroductionMy personal experience in research in comparative religion unveils to me that if you know your own religion, you also comprehend the esoteric dimension of other world’s great religions. I also exuberantly discover that a thorough investigation of the esoteric dimension of other world’s major religions would deepen even our apprehension of our own religion esoterically. If you do not understand the religions of others because you do not really understand your own religion. It is risky and unjust to pass judgment on other religions when one has not immersed esoterically in one’s own religion and has not discerned it well. An expert on the exoteric dimension of religion does not even have the credential to pass judgment on the esoteric aspect of his or her own religion. Intuitive discernment of esotericism of religion requires inner witnessing and unveiling of the Truth through dwelling in the inner Heart. Unfortunately, the number of exotericists far exceeds that of esotericists. The root of the clashes of civilizations lie here. Let me share with you the esoteric wisdom of Chapter 40 of Lao-tzu’s Tao Te Ching (道德經) to corroborate my proposition:
The afore-stated Word of Lao-tzu in the Tao Te Ching mirrors the communal Truth of Wisdom promulgated by Gotama Buddha in the Buddhist Tipiṭaka, the Buddhist canonical Texts. The Tao Te Ching is the Chinese Scripture or Classic of the Taoists. Taoists are not only found in the East but also found in the West today. Many Chinese educated Chinese throughout the world are essentially Taoists without realizing that they are Taoist philosophically. They have been perfumed mentally and philosophically with Taoism because of the Chinese language studies curriculum in the schools. The Japanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese businessmen or corporate leaders have been Taoistically influenced through Neo-confucainism imported from imperial China during the Tang and Sung dynasties. Neo-confucianism affects the way they manage their businesses. The work and business ethics and QCC management sciences of the advanced Asian economic tigers, such as, China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan have been enhanced by Neo-confucian transcendental wisdom and the resultant system of sublime ethics. Neo-confucianism is the esoteric syncretism of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. Neo-confucianism is essentially perennial wisdom of process philosophy of Process Reality and dynamic Becoming characterized by the Wisdom of Chan or Zen Wisdom (Prajñᾱ) of Emptiness (‘Sῡnyatᾱ). The philosophy of Emptiness highlights the harmony and balance of systemic Unity and harmony of holistic work culture resulted from the equilibrium of the phenomena-Principle or multiplicity- Unity symbiosis. Psycho-EthicsThe Buddhist psycho-ethics of Abhidhamma unravels comprehensively and minutely that the external manifest of human ethical behaviour correlates with the state of human consciousness. Lao-tzu unravels to us that Tao is the eternal Absolute Reality of Unity. He expounds that the Mind of unmanifest Tao produces the manifest supreme virtue. Buddhitsly put, the Mind of Anattᾱ which is the Buddha-mind produces perception of sublime virtue rooted in the perfection of wisdom (prajñᾱpᾱramitᾱ). The perfection of wisdom is dependently co-arisen from right vision of a human personality (microcosm). Right vision is self-knowledge or Gnosis. Self-knowledge or Gnosis engenders the right view of the cosmos (macrocosm). Right view of the macrocosm in relationship to microcosm is the inner witnessing and unveiling of the Absolute Reality. The Absolute Reality is the Ultimate Reality of Tao. It is synonymously consonant with the process monotheistic concept of God expounded by Process Theist Philosopher, Whitehead and Sufi Ibn ‘Arabῑ. Whoever adheres to Tao or God applies the Gnostic mind of non-abiding of detachment that annihilates the self-centric ego. In selflessness of Chan or Zen Wisdom of perfection, potentiality becomes possibility and possibility is actualized into Reality. Reality is accomplishment, satisfaction and concrescence. Anattᾱ and TaoThe aforementioned message of Lao-tzu can be analysed and interpreted from the Buddhist perspective thus: Non-self (Anattᾱ) is the reversal or negation of self (attᾱ). Anattᾱ is synonymous with the Ultimate Reality of Tao. Anattᾱ connotes the Unity of Existence of Selflessness or Insubstantiality of no separate individual ‘self’. What is no ‘self’ is essentially the Absolute Reality of Unity of Anattᾱ. Anatta is is essentially Emptiness of self-identity (‘Sῡnyatᾱᾱ). Negation of self or individuation is apparently contrary to the notion of ‘self’ or ‘I’-concept conceived conventionally by us. The philosophy of Tao, like any world’s great religion awakens us to move against the direction of the conventional life travel and journey. If an individual moves in the conventional direction of self of ‘I’ concept, the secular life pulls one away from the inner Heart of Man. The inner Heart is where the Absolute of Tao or Buddha-nature dwells. Conversely, when one negates the self and reverses the gear to travel and journey in the direction contrary to the conventional direction, one is being pulled towards the inner Heart of Man. The inner Heart is essentially the Buddha-nature in Man. Therefore, the philosophy of Tao Te Ching concurs with Buddhist philosophy of the discovery of Buddha-nature by traveling and journeying inwardly or esoterically to redeem oneself. The inner Heart of Buddha redeems one Wisdom actualizing and manifesting sublime human virtue. The sole agenda of self-redeeming the Buddha-nature is to redeem innate supreme virtue in Man. Lao-Tzu’s conception of Tao is non-action. Non-action is the reversal of action. Non-action is NOT the extinction of action. It is the extinction of volitional action (kamma) directed and empowered by self-centric ego to produce non-volitional action (kiriyᾱ). Anattᾱ is also the wisdom of perfect execution of non-action. Non-action is non-volitional action (kiriyᾱ) which is kammaless. Thus, Anattᾱ is ontologically and theosophically synonymous with Tao. Anattᾱ or Tao operates through non-action, the extinction of anthropocentric action. The non-action is the transformation of self (attᾱ) to Non-self (Anattᾱ). It is the wisdom of Anattᾱ that converts Kamma into kiriyᾱ. Kiriyᾱ is the action of will of willessness. It is non-action of all actions. Non-action does not mean death of all actions. Non-action is the extinction of kamma and the redemption of kiriyᾱ. The pure mind of kiriyᾱ perfects human moral behaviour benefiting oneself and others. Theosophically, one dies before one dies. The Buddha-mind replaces the mind of a sentient being, thereby consummating human virtue rooted in the perfection of wisdom. Furthermore, the world is the multiplicity. Conversely, Anattᾱ or Tao is the Unity. Multiplicity is contrary to Unity. Pradoxically, they are inseparable and complementary. Thus Anattᾱ or Tao is the reversal of reality of the world. Paradoxocally, the world and Tao co-exist reciprocally and complementarily. The world is the manifest multiplicity of the Absolute; the Tao is the unmanifest Unity underlying the multiplicity. The world of multiplicity is phenomenal and Anattᾱ or Tao is the eternal Principle of Unity. The integration between the phenomena and Principle leads to the creative advance of the world. The unification principle of Dependent Co-arising of Anattᾱ or Tao creates and sustains the accomplishment, satisfaction and concrescence of the world. Man must be heedful that human vices or evils are toxic contigent conditions that eliminate the balance and harmony of the flow of Tao. The flow of Tao is the process Reality of dynamic process becoming. The process becoming is the unity of the contigent causes and conditions. Though Anattᾱ is paradoxically contrary to the conventional realties of the world of individuations or egoes, it actually governs the creative advance of the human civilization and preserves the sustainable development of human civilization on the planet earth. Sadly, it also destroys the world if systemic risks are created by human toxic vices or immoral behaviour. In actuality, the mercy and wrath of God should be comprehended in this manner. The esoteric dimension of all world’s great religions can be reconciled internally thought outwardly they differ. Different roads and highways lead to the same city. It is the mind of Anattᾱ or Tao that dentological ethics of human beings are invested to bring about novelties in the world. The Unity of the multiplicity moulds the creative advance of the human civilization evolving from primitive civilization to a post-modern one today. The post-modern civilization will continue endlessly because of the unlimited potentialities of Buddha-nature. Man determines and imposes the necessary contigent conditions of the multiplicity. When wholesome contigent conditions are introduced through the mind of Unity, the unifying Principle of Dependent Co-arising produces creative novelties, such as inventions or infra-structure of modern science and technology. Conversely, if toxic contigent conditions are introduced, the systemic risks will produce chaos or crises or even catastrophes, such as the financial meltdown, economic recession, eco-crisis, wars, terrorism, extremism and so forth. The global crises striking us today are serious warning to us that the process becoming of the world is being impeded by human toxic behaviour. Human beings only need to change the minds in order to escape future catastrophes. The best spiritual tablet is perfection of wisdom resulting in the manifest of sublime virtue. Wholesome mind is the mother of wholesome virtue. Virtuous wisdom is our Saviour. Virtuous wisdom is the Attribute of the Absolute Reality. The mind of Wisdom begets virtues; the mind of ignorance begets vices. ConclusionThe epi and dire clashes of civilizations within the community, society, nation, and world are resulted from the clashes of human egoes or attᾱs which negate the wisdom of Anattᾱ (Non-self or Egolessness). Anattᾱ is the Essence of the Absolute Reality which governs and sustains the world. Conversely It destroys the world if Man is ethically unco-operative. The absolute Reality is the dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality of Anattᾱ. Anattᾱ is Theravᾱda concept of Unity of Existence. It is synonymous with the Mahᾱyᾱna concept of ‘Sῡnyatᾱ (Emptiness). Emptiness is unity of existence too. In Islam, the intrinsic unity of existence is the Absolute Unity of Tawhῑd. Vedᾱnta designates the inherent Unity as the eternal Dharma (Sanᾱtana Dharma) of Advaita (Non-duality). In Christianity, Anattᾱ is the Holy Spirit of God or Jesus Consciousness. It is conceptualized as ‘Ming Te’ in Confucianism . It is the eternal Tao of Taoism. Besides Buddhism, all world’s major religions, shepherds us to travel and journey towards the awareness of the Absolute Reality of the Unity of Existence or of the Oneness of being through the redemption of our inner Heart. As the wise dwells in the inner Heart of pure, infinite consciousness of the saved believer or liberated practioner, the mind of complete awareness of the Absolute redeems our innately possessed sublime virtue of great altruistic compassion for others. Buddhist compassion rooted in wisdom is parallel to the Monotheistic non-discriminative love of the neighbour as we love ourselves. Anyone who is other than our family’s members is our neighbour. Love of neighbour is arisen only from the Love of the Truth of the Absolute Reality. The Absolute Reality is Anattᾱ or ‘Sῡnyatᾱ. The Love of Truth is psychology. The Love of neighbour is human ethics. Psychology and Ethics are like man and his shadow which are inseparable. Whoever possesses the mind of Anattᾱ or constant awareness of the systemic Whole of holistic living in every area of activity or work is harmoniously and sublimely virtuous. The mind of attᾱ is trouble. I pay homage to the nameless Lord References:
   
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