#15 Beyond Subjectivity
See through the perils of personal views and attachments. Restructure the relationship with the self for clarity and purpose.
When the season of the autumn foods came, the hundred streams flew into the Yellow River. Its racing current became so large that, looking from the river bank, it was impossible to distinguish a horse from a cow. The Lord of River was pleased with himself, believing that he had possessed all the beauty of the world.
Following the current, he traveled east all the way to the North Sea. When he saw no end to the water flowing east, he shook his head in confusion, sighing in front of the sight.
He approached the Sea God Ruo and said, “The proverb has it, ‘he has heard the Tao a hundred times, but he thinks he is better than anyone else.’ It applies to me. Moreover, some time ago, I heard those who belittled Confucius and disparaged the righteousness of Bo Yi (a legendary figure who relinquished his kingdom to his brother and later chose to die of starvation rather than serve a ruler he considered unjust, was regarded as a model of righteousness in the Confucian tradition.), I did not believe them. Now, I have seen your unfathomable immensity with my own eyes. I realize that if I had not come to your gate, I would have come to grief. I would be forever laughed at by the masters of the great method of the Tao.”
North Sea Ruo replied, “You cannot discuss the ocean with a well-frog — he is limited by the space he lives in. You cannot discuss ice with a summer insect — he is bound to a single season. You cannot discuss the Tao with a cramped scholar, for he is shackled by his doctrines. Now that you have come beyond your banks and borders and seen the great sea, you realize your own pettiness. From now on, it will be possible to talk to you about the Great Principle.”
North Sea continued, “Of all the waters of the world, none is as great as the sea. Ten thousand streams flow into it. I have never heard of a time when they stopped, yet it is never full. Spring or autumn, it never changes. Flood or drought, it takes no notice. It is so much greater than the streams like the Yellow River that it is impossible to measure the difference. But I have never, for this reason, prided myself on it. I take my place with heaven and earth and receive breath from the yin and yang. I sit here between heaven and earth as a little stone or a little tree sits on a huge mountain. Since I can see my own smallness, what reason would I have to pride myself?
“Compare the area within the four seas with all this between heaven and earth — is it not like one little anthill in a vast marsh? Compare the Middle Kingdom (ancient China) with the area within the four seas — is it not like one tiny grain in a great storehouse? When we refer to the things of creation, we speak of them as numbering ten thousand— and man is only one of them. We talk of the Nine Provinces where men are most numerous, and yet of the whole area where grain and foods are grown and where boats and carts are used for transport, a man occupies just one place among these. Compared to all the myriad things, is he not just like the tip of a tiny hair on a horse’s body!
“Bo Yi gained a reputation by giving it up; Confucius passed himself off as learned because he talked about it. But in priding themselves in this way, were they not like you a moment ago, priding yourself on your floodwaters?”1
The fatal flaw of subjectivity
The Lord of River is joyful and complacent, and he has all the beauty in the world. The implication is that he assumes he has seen all the marvelous scenery in the world. Naturally, he would be surprised to hear that there can be other great things to see and experience. What is notable about the Lord of River is that he has the courage to admit he was wrong before seeing the splendid view of the North Sea.
I find myself in the same position as the Lord of River before rediscovering the wonder in Chuang Tzu. Such an attitude and fixation with my narrow understanding of things manifested in many ways, such as favoring one particular way of doing things instead of another (perhaps a better way), or selecting one school of thought over another (or even favoring a few interpreters of a thought system over others). The underlying psychological predicament is the same: I am trapped in my subjective view. In doing so, I have unwittingly prescribed myself to limited experiences and narratives.
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