What is the Expressible Way in Taoism? 什么是可道
Paul PengWhat is the Expressible Way in Taoism?
The term originates from the opening of the Dao De Jing: "The Dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dao". Based on this statement, Wang Xuanlan of the Tang Dynasty divided the The Dao into two major categories—the Expressible Dao and the Eternal Dao—to illustrate the relationship between the Dao and all things (including all living beings).
What is the Expressible Way in Taoism?
The Eternal Dao and the Expressible Dao differ in their creative functions: the Eternal Dao gives birth to heaven and earth, while the Expressible Dao gives birth to all things, as the adage goes: "The Eternal Dao is inherently ineffable, yet the Expressible Dao is impermanent. The ineffable begets heaven and earth, and the Expressible Dao begets all things."
Heaven and earth endure for all time, thus the Eternal Dao is eternal and unchanging; all things come into being and pass away, thus the Expressible Dao is in constant flux. Wang Xuanlan further argued that the Eternal Dao is the quiescent essence, the true Dao, whereas the Expressible Dao is mere appearance, a false Dao, a profane Dao: "This Dao that can be expressed is a profane Dao, this spirit that can be conceived is a profane spirit—such profane spirits and profane Daos are inherently impermanent."
Yet there is no absolute separation between the Expressible Dao and the Eternal Dao, between the profane Dao and the true Dao. The Expressible Dao, after all, is still a manifestation of the Dao. Though distinct from the Eternal Dao, it is unified with the ultimate Dao in essence. Hence, the two are inseparable and interdependent: "Not only is the Expressible Dao expressible, but the Eternal Dao is also expressible; not only is the Eternal Dao eternal, but the Expressible Dao is also eternal."
