从“以实见虚”到“以虚观实”——老子“虚”“实”思想刍议

From“Seeing the Virtual from the Real”to“Viewing the Real with the Virtual”——On Lao Tzu's Thought of“Virtual”and“Reality”

“虚”“实”是《老子》用以描述道体及道物关系的重要概念,但学界历来重“虚”而轻“实”。事实上《老子》中隐含着其从存在论、认识论、修养论三个向度深入探析“虚”“实”内涵,并从“以实见虚”到“以虚观实”着手对虚实关系做了系统梳理,揭示其“虚实并重”之真意的内在逻辑。就存在论而言,“虚”并非一无所有之真空,而是寄寓于“实”并与之结合才彰显并发挥其效用;就认识论而言,以“为学”认识万物之“实”之后方能“以实见虚”,即“为道”;从修养论而言,通过“观”,进而以具有“致虚”功能的心“涤除玄览”,去掉一切指向“实”的经验、知识,方能“以道观之”,最终实现“以虚观实”,关照人生。

“Virtuality”and“reality”are important concepts used in Lao Tzu to describe Dao and its relationship with things,but scholars have always attached more importance to“virtuality”than“reality”.In fact,Lao Tzu implied that it deeply explored the connotation of“virtuality”and“reality”from the three dimensions of ontology,epistemology and self-cultivation,systematically combing the relationship between virtuality and reality from“seeing the virtual from the real”to“viewing the real with the virtual”,and revealing the internal logic of its true meaning of“attaching equal importance to virtuality and reality”.As far as ontology is concerned,“virtuality”is not a vacuum of nothing,but a vacuum that lies in“reality”and combines with it to reveal and play its role;As far as epistemology is concerned,only after knowing the“reality”of all things by“learning”,can we“see the emptiness by reality”,that is,“being the Dao”;From the perspective of self-cultivation theory,only by“observing”,and then“eliminating metaphysics”with a mind that has the function of“making the virtual”,and removing all experience and knowledge that point to the“real”,can we“view it with the Dao”,and finally realize“viewing the real with the virtual”.