Page 402 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

DDNG AND JING

dong and jing

movement and quiescence

In Chinese cosmology, both movement and quiescence originate from the
Great Ultimate (*taiji) or the Original Pneuma (*yuanqi), where they exist in
a latent state but are merged without distinction. Movement is Yang and is
roughly synonymous with expansion, while quiescence is Ym or contraction.
Movement and quiescence alternate; each one at its extreme turns into the
other in a cyclical way. Each, moreover, is both the substance and the function
(*ti and yong) of the other.
In Taoism, movement and quiescence are equated with change and per-
manence: movement is perceived as birth or taking form out of formless
emptiness. This vital movement is characterized by growth and decay, and is
a movement in time rather than in space: the changing of place of the hexa-
grams or the celestial bodies metaphorically figures the changes in one's life
or mind. Quiescence is the norm of the world; it is akin to non-interference
(*wuwei) and to feminine compliance that overcomes masculinity through
quiescence. But it is not immobility, which does not pertain to our world and
cannot be paired with movement.
On psychological and ethical grounds, the human inner nature (xing '/:t;
see *xing and ming) is perceived as naturally quiet; stimulated by things, it is
set in motion and emotions (qing 't1!f) arise; then the distinction between good
and evil occurs, along with the danger of losing one's life energy (*qi). If one
moves and acts in a balanced way, responding in accord with circumstances,
one's action is universally pervading (tong -@). In Taoism, the state of quies-
cence, where the mind is not moved by mental or affective stimuli, is closely
connected with clarity and enlightenment, and with stability and correctness;
the *Zhuangzi compares it to still water or a brilliant mirror. *Wang Bi says that
quiescence is the "master" (zhu .3::) of movement, but most Taoist authors
opt for a balanced appreciation of movement and quiescence. The issue of
whether the saint (*shengren) has emotions is similar: some say that he has no
emotions, others that he has emotions but accords with the circumstances
without being trapped by them.
Movement and quiescence are equally good if they are anchored in the
Dao, their common source, or in *wuji (Ultimateless, Infinite), the state prior
to any distinction between movement or quiescence, and if they are linked