- The Ruling God in Daoism
- 1 In the East, in Daoism, dao is known as “what is so of itself.” Dao is the origin of life and the path by which heaven, earth, and humanity change. And the God ruling over dao has been called Jeh or Sahng-jeh. Lao Zi spoke of dao as follows:
- 2 Dao is full of emptiness,
yet its well never runs dry.
I do not know whose child dao is.
Yet it seems to have preceded Jeh.
- 3 And Zhuang Zi wrote:
- The true Ruling God, Jeh, seems to exist,
yet it is very difficult to see His features.
I have always had faith in His deeds,
yet His presence is not to be seen.
Is it that He is hiding,
sympathizing with all things in the universe?
- 4 Dao is the world that can be opened
through faith and open-heartedness.
It seems to be doing nothing,
yet it accomplishes everything,
without shape or form.
It may be conveyed through the mind,
but cannot be given or taken;
It may be experienced,
but cannot be seen.
Dao is itself the root of all life in heaven and earth,
existing even before the beginning of heaven and earth.
It sanctified Jeh and the spirits in heaven,
and gave birth to heaven and earth.
Dao existed before Tae-geuk,
yet it does not wish to rise above Tae-geuk.
- (JSD Dojeon 1,4)
