Therefore, in Heidegger’s existentialism, what is “Being”? We Chinese in the past often understood “existence” as existent beings, but this is actually a profound misunderstanding of “Being” itself. For our ancient sages, their understanding of “Being” was very clear. The “Dao” we mentioned earlier – the Dao beyond form – is Being. See? “The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name.” What is this “eternal Dao,” this “eternal name”? It is Being. So Heidegger uses a specific term: Dasein (Being-there). Humans are Dasein. See? In Being and Time, he discusses how humans are Dasein. But what is Being? What we Chinese often call “existence” usually refers to this thing existing – “it exists,” right? But all existent beings will vanish; only Being itself does not disappear. All existence apart from humans, even Heaven – enduring as it may seem, Heaven and Earth – its existence lacks the mark of time. Only human existence is marked by time.
Therefore, in Heidegger’s definition, he defines Being as what? To be, or Being itself. This is the true Being. Thus, Being is ceaseless generation. What the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) speaks of as “ceaseless generation” (生生不息, shēng shēng bù xī) is precisely this “generating the myriad things” within the beauty of life we discuss. This “Yi” (易) means change; this “Yi” means unending generation. “Ceaseless generation is called Yi” (生生之谓易). It is ultimately the same as this “is” (to be). And what does China say this “is” (shì, 是) is? It affirms a result, right? Its origin lies in the character depicting the sun at its zenith (日正为是), signifying the attainment of this result.
What we are truly inquiring into is precisely this flowing, ceaseless existence – this life. Alright, understanding this, you will then, within your creative work, within your writing, begin to perceive the beauty of life. You will feel the beauty of perpetual change, the principle that constant change is the unchanging constant.
There’s a Taiwanese scholar named Fu Peirong. Many mainland scholars refer to the Zhouyi as the “Book of Changes,” emphasizing its aspect of “simplification” (简易, jiǎn yì), right? He is reluctant to put it that way. He reverses it, calling it “Yi-Jian” (易简): “Yi” representing time; “Jian” representing space. I think this line of thinking, at the very least, has significance; it is thought-provoking and inspiring. We tend to simplify the Zhouyi when we first approach it – of course, we need to simplify it. Because “the single stroke opened Heaven and Earth” (一画开天地) – it truly is simple; “the mutual interplay of Yin and Yang is called the Dao” (一阴一阳之谓道) – it truly is simple. But within a system of genuine understanding, we must continuously build upon it, delving deeper to comprehend, interpret, and grasp it.
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