Tao by Matsumoto

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42. One, Two, Three

[Chapter 42 / English Translation] - click the line to watch the related video.
Tao gives birth to One.

One gives birth to Two.

Two gives birth to Three.

Three gives birth to everything.

Everything carries on its back Yin (=shadow) and holds Yang (=light). It creates harmony with the middle energy.


What people don't like are surely "orphan", "less virtue", and "no good". And kings and lords use them to call themselves.

Therefore, things sometimes gain by losing them. They sometimes lose by gaining them.


There is something people teach. I teach it, too.

"A man who pushes down others and advance will not come to a natural end."

I definitely make this the father of teachings.


The Corresponding Part of Chuang Tzu
[Chuang Tzu Book 12 - 8]

At the very beginning, there is Nothing 無.

No existence. No names.

Where One rises up, there is One but it doesn't have a form yet.

Everything is born by getting this One.

This is called Attainment 徳/得.

There are divisions in the One not yet formed.

Without intermission, without in-between space.

This is called Life 命.

The One flows and gives birth to things.

Things are completed and have discerning lines.

This is called Form 形.

Formed bodies keep the spirit.

Each of them has its rules.

This is called Nature 性.

When Nature is mastered, it goes back to the Attainment.

When the Attainment peaks, it is the same as the beginning.

Being the same means being void.

Being void means being big.

It unifies people's noisy speeches.

When they are unified, it is unified with heaven and earth.

This union is so perfect that they even know they are together.

It seems stupid. It seems idiotic.

This is called Dark Depth Attainment 玄徳.

It is the same as Big Natural Flow or Tao's integration 大順.

(☞Watch the video 42-8 Chuang Tzu's teachings)


Rapid Decoded
"One" often means Tao (although sometimes it doesn't). So, Tao gives birth to Tao. Tao creates Tao. This is the basis of Tao's cycle.

"Two" means the sending end and the receiving end in Tao. In order to keep the cycle running, Tao has to emit and receive its energy.

When you have two, you are ready to exchange something in-between. The third is the fundamental energy Tao (=Love) like the other two. Tao emits Tao. Tao receives Tao. Then, Tao can recreate itself. For this exchange, "everything" exists.

"Everything" suggests all the holograms. They are created by the three and stimulates the exchange of the energy as catalysts. In the level of your hologram, you need something that is not your own self in order to stimulate you. It is non-you, or your "self" beyond your control. Your own self and non-you are both part of your hologram projected in your mind. A hologram projects both itself and something that is not itself.

Don't be misled by the words "Yin 陰" and "Yang 陽". Although the Chinese characters mean shadow and light respectively, you had better not think that they signify any particular states. They are neither you (=self) nor non-you. The important thing is that Yin and Yang, and the middle energy, which is the medium between them, create harmony. The world (=your hologram) is in harmony all the time because you project it. Do you think you project something disharmonious on purpose?


"Kings and lords" mean you, the master who projects your hologram (=the world). Be humble. Don't boast.

Therefore, it is wise to know that you may gain by losing some and lose by gaining some. In Taoism, increase is the beginning of decrease, and decrease is the beginning of increase.


There is an old Chinese saying.

"If you violently impose your way on others, you will not come to a natural end."

I think it is an excellent maxim.


Videos / YouTube playlist

- 42-1 One's birth
- 42-2 Two's birth
- 42-3 Three's birth
- 42-4 Birth of everything
- 42-5 Yin =Yang
- 42-6 No good
- 42-7 Lose = Gain
- 42-8 Chuang Tzu's teachings
- 42-9 Father of Teachings 1
- 42-10 Father of Teachings 2


[Related Articles]
-Yin Yang circle. This famous sign also means "One".

-Integration. As for how to integrate your own self with Tao, see the last paragraph of this chapter. Big Natural Flow (or Tao's integration) 大順 is discussed there.





Read Yama Uba the Zen play

☞Gennai Hiraga 平賀源内 was a samurai and is supposed to be the first Japanese man who made an electric generator, Erekiteru エレキテル. ☞Gary Zukav's «The Dancing Wu Li Masters» is an easy guide to the concept of relativity. The West fascinates the East. And vice versa.
  1. Tao

 2. Hologram

 3. The floating world Ukiyo

 4. Play

 5. Gate

 6. Dark Depth

 7. Dark Depth Female

 8. Do nothing

 9. Body soul and Spirit soul

10. You and non-you

11. Yin Yang circle

12. No judgement

13. Resistance

14. Satori

15. Act without acting

16. Colour