The meaning of Morning Clarity in Taoism 什么是朝彻

Zhao means dawn; che means clarity.

Dawn clarity refers to the lucidity of the early morning sun just rising. Zhuangzi used it to describe the state of sudden illumination upon attaining the Dao. The term originates from Zhuangzi's "Great Master" chapter: "Having transcended life, then one can achieve dawn clarity." The key to cultivating the Dao lies in separating from form and departing from knowledge, practicing the method of sitting in forgetfulness, forgetting the world, then forgetting the myriad things, and continuing cultivation until one forgets life itself.

The meaning of Morning Clarity in Taoism

Neither delighting in life nor abhorring death, the mind becomes empty and still, reaching the realm of dawn clarity. After dawn clarity one can see the singular, like the first appearance of the rising sun—the mind suddenly becomes clear and open, all deliberation ceases, and one becomes one with the Dao. Knowing that past and present are without distinction, the self and the Dao share the same substance, following the Dao wherever it goes, and existing eternally with transformation, one attains longevity and immortality.