The meaning of Simultaneous Negation in Taoism 什么是双遣

The meaning of Simultaneous Negation in Taoism

Simultaneous Negation refers to the dissolution of attachment to both existence (you, 有) and non-existence (wu, 无).

The meaning of Simultaneous Negation in Taoism

The monk Kumarajiva (鸠摩罗什) of the Later Qin dynasty, in his commentary on the Laozi, first coined the term "Shuang Qian" to express the Madhyamaka thought of breaking through the dual grasping at existence and non-existence. Taoist Chongxuan (重玄, Twofold Mystery) scholars absorbed this Buddhist Madhyamaka idea, arguing that ordinary people either cling to existence or cling to non-existence; one should therefore advocate the Middle Way (zhongdao, 中道) of "neither existent nor non-existent"—"using a single profound mystery to negate the dual grasping." As Zhuangzi scholar Cheng Xuanying (成玄英) wrote: "Those who pursue learning cling to desire for existence; those who pursue the Way are yet caught in non-action. Though their depth differs, both suffer affliction. In order to treat these two attachments, the text employs successive reductions: the first reduction eliminates existence, the second eliminates non-existence—both extremes are simultaneously negated, arriving at the non-action of the One Middle." (Zhuangzi Commentary) Using a single profound mystery to negate the dual grasping at existence and non-existence—attaining the "Way of the One Middle"—is a crucial stage in the process of cultivating the Dao of the Twofold Mystery.

Building further on this foundation—dissolving attachment even to the profound mystery itself—is what constitutes "Chongxuan" (重玄, Twofold Mystery). The Benji Jing (本际经) states: "Being unobstructed by either emptiness or existence is called Xuan (玄, Profound Mystery); further negating this Xuan so that nothing whatsoever is attained—this is called Chongxuan (Twofold Mystery), The Dongzhen Section of the gate of myriad wonders."