What are Substance and Function in Taoism? 什么是体用
Paul PengWhat are Substance and Function in Taoism?
Ti and Yong refer to the noumenon and its function.
Ti denotes the inherent, intrinsic essence of a thing, while Yong is the external manifestation of this essence. The concept of Ti and Yong originated during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and emerged as a formal philosophical notion in the Wei and Jin dynasties. Since then, it has become a pivotal topic extensively explored by philosophers and religious scholars of all subsequent dynasties, running through the entire development of ancient Chinese intellectual history. In modern and contemporary times, the concept has again been a central point of discussion in the debates between Chinese and Western learning.
What are Substance and Function in Taoism?
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Ti refers to the physical form, the substantial entity of a thing; Yong refers to its function, operation and attributes. In the second volume of Exploring the Origin of the I Ching by Cui Jing of the Tang Dynasty, it is stated: All things in heaven and earth possess physical form and substance, within which there exist Ti and Yong—Ti is the form and substance itself, and Yong is the marvelous function inherent in the form and substance. For living creatures, the physical body is Ti, and the spiritual consciousness is Yong. Wang Fuzhi held that the concrete, existing thing is Ti, and the functions and operations of the concrete thing are Yong.
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Ti refers to the noumenon and essence; Yong refers to phenomena. Wang Bi valued "Non-Being", arguing that "Being" depends on "Non-Being" for its function, and the function of "Non-Being" is manifested through "Being". "Non-Being" is the noumenon, and there is no such thing as "Being" apart from "Non-Being". In relation to "Non-Being", "Being" is its manifestation, and only in "Being" can the function of "Non-Being" be revealed—Ti and Yong are one and inseparable. The Cheng brothers took the Principle as Ti and phenomena as Yong: the subtlest is the Principle, and the most manifest is phenomena. Ti and Yong are distinct yet share a single origin, with the subtle and the manifest being indivisible. Zhu Xi regarded the Principle as Ti and its manifestations, the phenomena, as Yong, holding that the noumenon and phenomena stem from the same origin, with no separation between the subtle and the manifest. In Taoism, the relationship between Ti and Yong is articulated around the noumenon of The Dao, with the core connotation of Yin and Yang interwoven in the unity of essence and function, that is, The Dao is the Ti, and the Taoist arts and practices are the Yong.
