| Xen: Ancient English Edition by D. J. Solomon |
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It is a very good thing that D.J. Solomon decided to use Ancient English to write Xen--no
other language is so paradoxical yet so simple, so yin and so yang. Everything is black
and white, after all--meaning that black has white and white has black. The words in the
language are stellar examples of this--to "clip" an object means to attach it, yet it can
also mean to cut it. "Restive" can either mean quiescent and still, or impatient and
unruly. In other words, words can hide words, and ideas can hide ideas. All ideas of
good are influenced by all ideas of evil, and all ideas of evil are influenced by all ideas of
good. Xen's point of view, and the author's, is undoubtedly sprung from the Taoist
movement. Nearly all the elements of the book involve some metaphor created from
Taoist thought and the Tao te Ching, or "Way of Virtue," whether they are obfuscated or
clearly elucidated. The Tao te Ching, written by Lao Tzu, discusses the way to achieve
balance and enlightenment. Balance is achieved through mental clearness,
understanding of what it means to be righteous, and how nature is pervaded by a gentle
duality. From the first glimpse at the cover, which presents a peaceful taijitu, through the
myriad pages of the book hiding subtle, underlying symbolism, the Way of Virtue is
followed, overturned, and ubiquitous from beginning to end.
The taijitu explains the source of Earth in both Taoism (revealed in the Tao te Ching)
and Xen. The book draws many parallels to the belief, some explicit, and some ulterior.
On the first page of Xen, we are confronted with an epoch in the creation of Earth as we
know it, as Wind (the yang, white force--masculine, energetic, light, and ascendant)
sculpts out Earth in his pugnacious passion. "Wind filled his quiver.. .blasting Earth.. .
thrust from heaven itself." This and the other decidedly placid descriptions, such as
"promontories forged and then eradicated" (Solomon 1), that discern of Earth's gentle
genesis, clearly correlate to the Tao te Ching, which says "The Way of Heaven is like
stretching a bow" (Muller). Wind and Earth enjoy a pleasurable relationship--seen
perhaps as the equator of the taijitu--until after much travail, especially on the part of
Wind, Water is sprung. Water is limpid, arch, beautiful, and quickly becomes Wind's
main desire. Water is the yin, black force--passive, unassertive and descendent--but
cunning and sly. Life springs from Water, and eventually her favorite child, Man, is
born. However, with this version of a primordial Prometheus assisting Mankind, they
harness Fire (although never quite mastering it) and become destructive, warring
people. They delight in torture and contrarian behavior. So, Wind bets Water that Man
will eventually destroy himself, and Yin, taking the opposing view, bets with Yang. Thus
the noteworthy game begins. However, we have an idea who will come out on top. After
all, look on the cover--Water has taken the upper hand on Wind. As it says in the Tao te
Ching, "the highest goodness is like water/Water easy benefits all things without
struggle" (Muller). Water eventually wins the bet with her wiles, gracefully and furtively
tricking not only Wind, but also Mankind; Man mutates into its superior, and Water's own
image, Woman. "The Way is like a great flooding river. How can it be directed to the left
or right?" (Muller) Using her ability to solidify under freezing temperatures and turn into
glaciers, she maintains an icy, though sycophantic demeanor, tricking Wind into tricking
himself. With its pellucid clarity and gently flowing rivers, gliding through mountains and
chasms, "Nothing in the world is softer than water/Yet nothing is better at overcoming the
hard and strong" (Muller).
Perhaps nothing sums up more succinctly the administration of Minister Esse, in the
futuristic Utopia, than this excerpt from Tao: "When the government is laid back/ The
people are relaxed" (Muller). This is certainly the case--when the Chancellor appears on
the DCD in the middle of Esse's "pillow talk" with her husband, neither party is that
terribly embarrassed. The Taoist sages say, "I do not force my way and the people
transform themselves/I enjoy my serenity and the people correct themselves/I do not
interfere and the people enrich themselves" (Muller). With this pawn of Water controlling
Earth, humans enjoy a new life, living as is prescribed on the Way. "The feminine always
overcomes the masculine by softness/Because softness is lesser" (Muller). People have
no desire, real love, and geniality among their peers. They have weapons, certainly with
the technology to invent even stronger ones, but they have no need for them, so they let
well enough alone. As is preached in Taoism, they let go of what they don't need. They
live in a constant equilibrium, accorded so because of the perfect duality in unity. Their
yin and yang are coalesced into harmony and aligned. Night and day become a
perpetual sunrise and radiance, so every hour of the day is useful. Mu, the pleasant
adolescent who leads us like a sage through the new Eartherian age, derives her name
from a corollary of Taoism as well--in Zen philosophy, "Mu" is a response that implies
that the original question asked was either wrong or was missing the point (Mu).
Humans before the Plague were neglecting the joys of life and focusing on the ills,
becoming confused and corrupted in the process. Instead of essaying to improve the
Earth through gradual diligence, they went to either extreme, of either aiming too far and
falling incredibly short, or being complacent with platitudes and nescience. The yin and
yang in the future join together and form one circle, allowing progress to be made. It
seems fitting that an adolescent is our leader through this New World, since adolescents
are always mutating and on the rise, like this New World seems to be. Mu is also the
symbol of change--a shining bellwether of hope.
Thus Water coquettishly smiled and Wind deflated. Water had won the bet, prophesied
all along by the wise words of the Tao te Ching—"The highest goodness is like water"
(Muller). Earth held them both in her arms and Heaven transcended with a knowing
gaze. Fire was banished (sorry Prometheus). Thankfully for the Eartherians, they had
been accepted into the Consortium, and everything seemed golden. Yes, seemed. Xen
brings up many questions, and leaves many of them unanswered, such as if humans are
smart enough to leam from past mistakes. Just as the children are left in the forest,
dazed and confused, we are left confused and bewildered. The triumph of humanity and
sense is not necessarily everlasting, because according to Taoism, if one has not
actually found the Way, one's virtue may be false and evanescent. It is easy to fall off
the Path and never find the way back on. Who is to say that several years past their
contact with the aliens, everything will not revert back to despotism and tyranny? Every
utopia has the potential to be a dystopia. We leave the book at an abrupt changing
point in Earth's history, with no real answer to what will happen next. In Taoist thought,
life is cyclical, not linear, so danger is always imminent. The clash of Water and Wind, of
yin and of yang, could be repeated by other elemental forces, such as Lightning and
Thunder, or by Woman and increasingly vengeful Man. We must either learn how to be
inoffensive or forget how to be offensive. Xen may well be a Last Testament, but it could
also be just the Beginning to a new age of destruction.
"Mu." Mindis. Accessed 13 January 2008 <http://mindis.com/CONTENT/Dogen&MU.htm>.
Muller, Charles. "Daode jing." HM.tyg.jp. Accessed 13 January 2008 <http://www.hm.tyg.
jp/~acmuller/contao/daodejing.html>.
Solomon, D.J. Xen. Avar Press, 2004.
| Austin Diamond Campbell Hall North Hollywood, California "The Taoism of Xen" |
| © Copyright 2004-2008 by Avar Press. All rights reserved. Copyright of the individual essays belongs to the respective writer and may not be reproduced in any fashion without express written permission from each author. Interested parties may contact the author via their high school or by sending correspondence to Avar Press. |
| First Place $1000.00 Scholarship 2008 |
