Is Go, and the I-Ching Part of Understanding the Dao

[wizanda]

Clearly from the way the structuring of the Dao is presented, the I-Ching is interwoven into its symmetry, Lao Tzu would be well aware of it's logic, and understandings; so do you feel it is a part to truly understanding what Lao Tzu presents as the Dao?

Same within the way of the Dao, and the essence of being Dan at Go; are the same principles we see being discussed within the Dao Te Ching, and the Taoist's philosophy after....Such as being minimalist in battle strategy, not over extending, recognizing the natural order of things, etc.

What do you think, and have you studied either of these, to see the Dao Te Ching uses these principles within its logic?

 

[Brendan Crumrine]

I like Go, it's a fun game and I have read the I Ching out of curiosity. I think in the sense that these exist within the Tao and within it's duality of course they relate to it. There is Go and there is something that is not Go. There is the I Ching and something that is not the I Ching. Other than that I don't think they particularly discuss or try to illuminate any feelings towards Tao.

I can see where this comes from though in the governing aspects of the Tao Te Ching. I think if you look at The Inner Chapters by Chuang Tzu (which I feel are a much more in depth conversation on what it means to be Taoist rather than to try to affect things within the Tao or to label the Tao) that to try to divine the future or essentially what the Tao always was and will always be that you are trying to ignore the truth of it being unknowing. We cannot garner insight on the Tao beyond knowing ourselves and even then we cannot know where we are within it. This is discussed by Chuang Tzu in the story of The Butterfly And Chuang Tzu and in the story of The Mustard Seed And The Boat.

Though now that I think about it when you refer to the I Ching you may not be referring to its purpose as a book of divination but more so as a book of comparison.

 

[wizanda]

Though now that I think about it when you refer to the I Ching you may not be referring to its purpose as a book of divination but more so as a book of comparison.

Thank you for the reply...

Yeah wasn't referring to the divination aspect of the I-Ching; yet the 64 hexagrams having a mathematical Taoist symmetry to them.

The understanding of yin and yang having a perfect balance, that is mathematically formulated...

Thus the wisdom involved in the myriad of things, coming from this same logic.

An advanced Go player, is like a master at Kungfu, there is a knowing of the flow of all things; similar to what the Tao is discussing... It would be great to play Lao Tzu at Go, you'd learn so much about life.