DAODEJING: THE LANGUAGE OF VARIABILITY

The aim of the article is to discuss the term “dao” as it appears in the Daodejing. As many contemporary researchers point out, Dao could not be interpreted in terms of “One behind the many” metaphysics and substantive ontology. Daoism reveals the reality in terms of process, dynamic, fluidity and openness to ever-new possibilities. I argue that Daodejing not only presents this view, it develops a language that fully corresponds to the fluidity and variability of reality. This poetical and aphoristic treasure is a real speaking with wu-words conveying wu-meaning. It reveals that the meaning is not within the fixed words exactly as the “things” are not within the boundaries of our rational discrimination. In addition, the meaning could not be only one just as (maybe) there is not only one Reality. Taking out one single meaning of Daodejing is not only impossible, it is incorrect. The language of Daodejing is just as full of different meanings as the reality(ies) is(are) full of possibilities of different unfoldings. Therefore, I offer to rethink some fixed kinds of Daodejing translation and to apply the view and language of variability when interpret this text.