Water as a Symbol of the Great Dao: Literature, Philosophy, Science

Words are used as tools in literature, and literature is a form of art. Writers use different types of literary styles and various artistic organization of words in their texts to realize their thoughts. Different types of Chinese literature were popular in different dynasties, such as Han rhapsodies (fu 賦), Tang poems (shi 詩), Song verses (ci 詞), Yuan opera (qu 曲), Ming novels (xiaoshuo 小說), and more. All works not only provide historical accounts but also offer valuable insights on the worldview, values, and sentiments of the people. The intention of all these literary works is to express or present the will of the author, provide portrayal, satire, explanation, or reasoning through textual interpretation. Many of them use water as a key image in various modes and dimensions.

Looking at the beauty of the various states of water from the outside, one finds that it is supple and graceful. Going beyond that, it also inspires people’s imagination and the expression of emotion. Writing with water metaphors can induce readers to have associations of flow and harmony. Not only is there a dynamic feeling, but the volatility of water can affect people’s thinking. For example, the quiet surface of a lake may provide a peaceful and broad outlook, a sense of wholeness that yet also expresses unfathomable mystery and deep wisdom. A glass of ordinary boiled water offers relief to a dry throat or mouth and may feel like honeydew. A bowl of clear water, as a blessing to relatives and friends in faraway places, lets the steam float into infinity with the power of prayer. A dynamic stream or other forms of running water chase along the great Dao toward the end. Falling snow like light rain may have the texture of cotton wool and lead to associations of softness and peace.

Definitions

The Han dictionary Shuowen jiezi 說文解字 (Illuminating Phrases and Explaining Characters) defines water (shui 水) as “level” or “standard” (zhun 準) and says, “The phase of the northern direction uses as its image all kinds of water and flow. In its midst is the qi of subtle [lesser] yang.”¹

“Level” here refers to the function of water and indicates a balancing tendency, a standardization of measurement. The level ruler is an essential tool for construction, and to the present day, levels work with a bubble of water in their midst—as the character zhun is also marked by the “water” radical. The reference to the north connects to the system of the five phases: water is born in the north and marks this the phase associated with north, winter, black, and so on. Water here is a phrase of action, which indicates the appearance and functioning of the north. Although water as such belongs to the force of yin, in fact, symbolizes the height of yin, it yet contains the kinetic energy of qi of micro-yang.

The character for “water” is understood variously. One position is that the basic image shows a straight line of flow in the middle with various eddies of water to the right and left. These may represent streams beside the main flow. Others think that water itself represents disaster, mainly because the Yellow River was (and is) prone to flooding, causing loss of life and property.

The ancient Chinese were also very much aware that water did not just appear as flow but evaporated and froze. They knew that water vapor rises and accumulates into clouds, and that rivers, oceans, and mountains are the largest sources for this process.

The Shuowen jiezi defines “cloud”: “Mountains and rivers give rise to qi which coagulates then falls as rain, changing shape in an ongoing process.”² Similarly, the pictogram for “lightning” (dian 電) shows “rain in the sky extending to the ground.” The word here rendered “extend” (shen 申) originally meant “lightning” all by itself, showing its characteristic zigzag shape. Lightning descended from the sky and brought rain. Therefore, the word “rain” was added to it. The Shuowen jiezi says, “Yin and yang stimulate bright light, it comes with rain and extends [to the ground].”³ The...