dr.sc. Jadran Zalokar – REVIEW OF LAO TSE WRITTEN BY WRITER KSENIJA PREMUR

dr.sc. Jadran Zalokar – REVIEW OF LAO TSE WRITTEN BY WRITER KSENIJA PREMUR

Ksenija Premur
LAO TSE
Edition Lara, Zagreb 2006.

The processes of planetary polylogisation are fundamental features of spirituality of our contemporary times, eo ipso of the spirituality of the third millennia. The opinion of a planetary polylogist in statu nascendi/cognoscendi is striving to articulate a phenomenon of polylogisation.

The origin of planetary polylogist’s thinking is a mental dimension of a philosophical mind, however it inclines towards incorporation into supramental dimension in terms of defining a human being as an Atmic divine being, not only as a mental/corporal. Supramental mind accepts all acquisitions of perennial philosophy and builds up a path of thinking towards a higher dimension as by predestination of growth of the existing mentality. An existing philosophical mind is being acknowledged, but it has not been spiritually sensibilised for the crucial point which comes through the spirituality of the third millennia, the dawn of the supramentalisation of earthly existence. Thus, for example, the mental mind reaches the consciousness only about the necessity of intercultural dialogue.
In aspectu et suo modo of polylogisation and supramentalisation dimension shows limitation / perenniality of all philosophical, religious and scientific antinomies and antagonisations of contemporary mentalisation thinking, mazing and meandering about “historical”, “chronological”, “cultural systems or circles” , etc, and so do all “poly-topics” around the “East” and the “West”, while insisting on denial or affirmation, contrasting or complementing, neoromantisation or apology and all those issues saturating the hunger of mental dimension.
It is really symptomatic to follow the invisible line Hegel-Schopenhauer-Jaspers-Veljačić and all related issues accumulating all kinds of mental options through akribia into the weaponry of philosophical and scientific mind. That, however, in ultima linea belongs to the 20 century, not the 21 and the upcoming ones.

In modo of «soft thinking» Ksenija Premur slides into that kind of thinking and elaborates it in fragments. However she takes on the place in the opposing field, feeling deeply the “futility” of such approach and quite rightly turns to taking the original texts. In this work on spiritual tradition of Daoism, she, in an absolutely brilliant way, philosophically hermeneutisises basic elements of Dao-spirituality and spreads out a new and fresh approach which articulates the possibility of not only re-reading and re-comprehending but also a conjecture of life.
And Daoism is life, just like Zen!
Not only “a philosophy that must live” but also a life of original and true spirituality of the cosmic in the mundane. The purpose of “philosophising” is not to live, philosophical is not ono proton, but to exist spiritually and to “philosophise” along the way (should there a need arise).
A philosophical mind shall continue to set questions what is Zen, what is Dao, just like a scientist shall analyse “blue colour of the sky” or a colour of a flower.
Spiritual experience does not truly come out of philosophy or religion / the creed, but it comes as a blessing into philosophical / religious mind. “Explanation” of ancient Dao life philosophy does not lie in the mental dimension.
Dao or Zen are neither a “topic” of a philosophical conceptualisation. Original experience eludes a philosophical mind. In the same way the issue of “cultural renovation” fails, just as do renovation of this or the other sacrality, “theory of patterns or circles”, “cyclism”, etc.

Daoism is not only an ancient spiritual tradition that is being turned into a subject of a planetary polylogisation, not merely a single ancient viewpoint or a pattern of a spiritual, real-life wisdom. Daoism is a living component of a planetary universalisation of perennial spirituality within a spiritual transformation of earthly existence. Dao is a law of cosmic Order / Rhythm incorporated into every process / form of earthly life. Every being, in their own world, has been harmonised with the Higher Order, cosmically balanced or, on the other hand, humanly misbalanced with the Great Dao. Dao is a Law of Heaven / Earth and a supreme measurement of every creature / phenomenon in their journey through a material “existence”.
That is the most profound life experience that spiritually complements / synchronises beings / man with the wholeness of the cosmic.
Poetic and philosophical utterances of ancient texts speak of that, but those are merely images, only apparitions and directions, perhaps even Jasperian “codes”.

A man is a creature urged by his spiritual essence to follow the Great Dao, i.e. the path of the Heaven / Earth, but not necessarily to contemplate over it.
A man, just like any other earthly existence, follows the law and the “game” of energy patterns of a cosmic existence.
For a mental mind, the Great Dao is a “principle” and that which does not submit to a definition. And the mind is therefore “unhappy”. For a supramental mind, Dao is a foundation of life each and every living creature pulsates and breathes with and operates, in terms of energy, in the harmony with cosmic laws and their own nature.
The most profound principle pays no attention whatsoever to the Dao for through it, it simply breathes cosmic Chi, just like the Moon follows its route up in the skies, or just like seasons change. The most Profound Secret is not a secret at all!
Dao is a nameless foundation, just as Zen mind: Great Dao-Great Mind.
Thus we do not operate in the spiritual meaning of proton pseudos; we do not describe nor “locate” that particular foundation in the mental one.

Deep connection and closeness of Dao and Zen does not submit to conceptualisation for “there is no mirror and there is nothing to attract dust”. The mental mind catches reflections of the deepest reality and uses them to devise its tricks and coats / layers. Dao and Zen are beyond its reach.
Only in the modes of growth / flow / change / development, when Yin-Yang polarisation dualisation / polarisation occurs, or when Zen path approaches the gate of an inferior mind, “comprehension” and “explanation” occur in the mental dimension. Thus we “enter” philosophy.
The nameless gets to become named, the experience is being conceptualised, and life attributed under the mentalisation measurement.

Ksenija Premur’s work on Daoism and translation of an ancient text excelled at nearing the subject to the readers. The author is among those few ones in our academic environment who has been systematically and in a scientifically correct way dealing with the subject issues and publishing works with translations of original texts.

PhD Jadran Zalokar