comic-genius.jpg

Comic Genius

Good students hear about Dao and work hard, but they follow it. Average students hear about Dao, some remember, some forget. Bad students hear about Dao and laugh at it.

If it wasn't so hilarious, it wouldn't be Dao, so here are some of the jokes it plays.

退 Observing Dao obscures it, proving Dao refutes it, sorting Dao scatters it. Praising De degrades it and preaching defiles it. Developing De depletes it, supporting De demeans it and believing denies it.

A school with no lessons, a method too subtle to learn, a lecture too faint to hear, a metaphor with no meaning, Dao is a riddle with no answer, and Dao is only as convincing as it is a good sport.

Notes

This poem makes sense to me as bad puns to keep normals and nit-pickers on board.

The following Kroll vocabulary notes are meant to support my solution to what I take as two distinct puzzle grids.

In the expressions, joins a descriptive complement to an introductory verb phrase.

The and punchline expressions all describe Dao.

  • big method, technique has no niche, corner
  • big implement, vessel late to finish
  • big sound, voice faint message
  • unifying patterns that underlie variegated phenomena have no shape, structure
  • Dao is reticent, obscure, has no names
  • Dao is good at both absolving, forgiving and causing to conform, reconciling, accommodating

I'm not sure what to make of . It's a modern saying for something like, "Great talent takes time to mature," but that's out of sync with the irony of the other expressions. Cook's Guodian footnotes cover alternatives , , , , and , and summarize the use of in Lushi chunqiu as, "An analogy of how great men undertake great things only after a long period of preparation and observation, ... [and] that undertakings of great forethought are unappreciated until after their benefits are realized."

Vocabulary

shàng
1 + 2
top; superior, highest; go up, send up
xià
1 + 2
under, underneath, below; down; inferior; bring down
1 + 3
no, not; un-; negative prefix
qiě
1 + 4
moreover, also (post-subject); about to, will soon (pre-verb)
zhōng
2 + 3
central; center, middle; in the midst of; hit (target); attain
zhī
4 + 3
marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; go to
wáng
8 + 1
death, destroyed; lose, perish
9 + 3
by means of; thereby, therefore; consider as; in order to
tōu
9 + 9
to steal, burglar, thief
miǎn
10 + 5
spare; excuse from; evade
qín
19 + 11
industrious, diligent, attentive
20 + 2
must not, do not; without, never
míng
30 + 3
name, rank, title, position
wéi
30 + 8
only; yes
shàn
30 + 9
good, virtuous, charitable, kind
30 + 13
receptacle, vessel; instrument
shì
33 + 0
scholar, gentleman; soldier
37 + 0
big, great, vast, large, high
tài
37 + 1
very, too, much; big; extreme
37 + 1
man, male adult, husband; those
37 + 3
ancient barbarian tribes
cún
39 + 3
exist, live, be; survive; remain
50 + 4
rare; hope, expect, strive for
guǎng
53 + 12
broad, wide, extensive
jiàn
54 + 6
build, establish, erect, found
xíng
59 + 4
form, shape, appearance
60 + 12
ethics, morality, virtue
màn
61 + 11
slow(ly), leisurely, sluggish
chéng
62 + 2
completed, finished, fixed
66 + 5
ancient, old; reason, because
fāng
70 + 0
a square, rectangle; a region; local
míng
72 + 4
bright, light, brilliant; clear
mèi
72 + 5
obscure, dark; darken
wǎn
72 + 7
night, evening; late
màn
73 + 7
long, extended, vast; beautiful
yǒu
74 + 2
have, own, possess; exist
85 + 9
change; chongqing
wèi
86 + 5
do, handle, govern, act; be
86 + 8
negative, no, not; lack, have no
bái
106 + 0
white; pure, unblemished; bright
zhēn
109 + 5
real, actual, true, genuine
xiào
118 + 4
smile, laugh, giggle; snicker
màn
120 + 11
plain silk; simple, plain
lèi
120 + 15
knot; blemish, flaw, wicked
ér
126 + 0
and; and then; and yet; but; Kangxi radical 126
wén
128 + 8
hear; smell; make known; news
shēng
128 + 11
sound, voice, noise; tone; music
ruò
140 + 5
if, supposing, assuming; similar
xíng
144 + 0
go; walk; move, travel; circulate; Kangxi radical 144
yán
149 + 0
words, speech; speak, say; Kangxi radical 149
150 + 0
valley, gorge, ravine; Kangxi radical 150
xiàng
152 + 5
elephant; ivory; figure, image
dài
154 + 5
lend; borrow; pardon
zhì
154 + 8
matter, material, substance
157 + 0
foot; attain, satisfy, enough; Kangxi radical 156
161 + 3
humiliate, insult, abuse
退
tuì
162 + 6
step back, retreat, withdraw
jìn
162 + 8
advance, make progress, enter
dào
162 + 9
path, road, street; method, way
170 + 9
corner, nook, remote place
yǐn
170 + 14
hide, conceal; hidden, secret
yīn
180 + 0
sound, tone, pitch, pronunciation; Kangxi radical 180