What is the Uncarved Block in Taoism? 朴是指什么

Pu refers to original nature, authenticity, and simplicity—identical with the Dao. It appears in Chapter 32 of the Dao De Jing: “The Dao is eternal and nameless. The uncarved block, though small, no one under heaven dares subdue.”

What is the Uncarved Block in Taoism?

Wei Yuan, in Original Meaning of the Laozi, comments: “As a thing, the uncarved block is uncarved and unhewn; its substance is subtle and invisible, hence it is nameless. Yet in the beginning of heaven and earth, all things depend on it for life.” All concrete things emerge from the uncarved block; “When the uncarved block is scattered, it becomes vessels” — vessels being all named things. With an empty and clear mind, free of thoughts and desires, one returns to simplicity and embraces the uncarved block, thereby uniting with The Dao.

Chapter 28 of the Dao De Jing states: “Know the masculine, keep to the feminine; become a ravine under heaven. Being a ravine under heaven, constant virtue will never leave, and you return to the state of an infant.

Know the white, keep to the black; become a pattern for heaven and earth. Being a pattern for heaven and earth, constant virtue will not err, and you return to the limitless.

Know honor, keep to disgrace; become a valley under heaven. Being a valley under heaven, constant virtue will be complete, and you return to the uncarved block.”

Zhuangzi inherited Laozi’s thought and regarded abandoning knowledge and desire to recover original authenticity as “pu.” The Pure Classic of Nanhua declares: “Being one with desirelessness is called plain simplicity.” This is the understanding of pu from the perspective of cultivation practice.

Later Daoists and scholars of Taoism developed this idea extensively. Huainanzi states: “The greatest uncarved block has no form; the subtlest Dao has no measure.” Pu is the Dao. In the beginning, before heaven and earth opened and all things were born, the world existed in a state of “chaotic simplicity as uncarved block.” After all things came into being, the uncarved block scattered into formed things.

When a ruler is tranquil and extinguishes desire, the people naturally become simple. One who follows the Dao discards cleverness, holds original simplicity, and returns to the uncarved block.

Xiang’er Commentary on the Laozi says: “Pu is the original qi of the Dao.” Practicing the Dao and returning to pu means uniting with the Dao: sincerely believing in the truth of the Dao, abandoning deviant knowledge, guarding original simplicity, free of extraneous thoughts, returning to simplicity and the Dao.

Ge Hong, in Inner Chapters of Baopuzi, interprets the Dao through “xuan” (mystery). Both refer to a state of preserving pure simplicity, without desire or form, abiding in peace and tranquility.

Later Daoist scholars mostly elucidated pu from the perspective of cultivation: cutting off thoughts, eliminating desires, and returning to simplicity and authenticity.