BEING

BEING

In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang describes how opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another.

Being, in the context of Tao, means “something.”  Non-being, on the other hand, means “nothing.”

     They are existent in all things we know. Being is a manifestation of yin yang. It is a central concept of the Tao.

     To understand what the two words mean, look at a drinking cup.

     Being is the physical presence of the cup.  It is in the something that you can see, including the body of the cup, its handle, and so on.

     What we often overlook, however, is the non-being, because it is something we cannot see. Nevertheless non-being is the most important part of existence. 

     Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of a cup?”

     Most likely you say you want the cup to hold a liquid drink.

     A cup that cannot hold liquid is no longer a cup, right?

     Then, look closely at the cup.  In which part of the cup do you find the drink?

     It is not the handle. It is not the cup body. It is not the being.

     It is the space within the body.  Something you cannot see, and appears to be empty.

     It is the non-being.  

     So although the cup or the something is what you own, it’s the space—the nothing—that you use.  You own the being—the cup—for the non-being, the space.

     Now, consider the place where you live. The place is a being. It has pillars, walls, and furnishings.

     What's the use of the place?

     The use of the place is not in the being, the pillars, the walls, the furnishings. It is in the non-being, the space. A house, or an apartment, or a cave without space is useless, no matter how fine the furnishings are.

     To perceive the center of your life, and find the meaning of the things you do, don’t just see the being.  Be aware of the non-being.

     Being aware of non-being helps us to have clear minds. Non-being cuts through noises and goes to the core of reality.

     As Lao Tzu put it:

Spokes are connected to make a wheel;

yet it is the hole within the hub that moves the wagon.

Clay is molded to shape into a pot;

yet it is the emptiness within that makes it a utensil.

Doors and windows are cut to make a room;

yet it is the space within that makes it livable.

Therefore, advantage comes from what is,

usefulness comes from what is not.