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Dao De Jing Analysis

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The texts Dao De Jing by Laozi written and the Zhuangzi by Chuang Tzu both written between the 4th-3rd Century B.C. both give perspectives of Daoism in different themes. Dao De Jing presents Daoism in a beautiful and mysterious, while the Zhuangzi presents Daoism with anecdotes and paradoxes. In the Dao De Jing, fundamental Daoism believes are beautifully interpreted in mysterious ways. Segment one explains how Dao cannot be explained or named, if so then it is not Dao. Since the Dao is so widespread, the Dao is both everything and nothing, the “darkness within darkness” (CP. P.46). Dao is empty but is the source of all things, therefore; it responsible for the undoing and doing of all things as explained in segment four. This notion of emptiness if further described in segment eleven. Empty space is not negative, without emptiness we would not have vases or wheels. Emptiness is a significant thing to appreciate and is completely necessary for life. To be able to be one with Dao, we must empty ourselves and minds of everything. By letting the mind be at rest, you will return to stillness, which will lead you to be one with the Dao. The significance of emptying yourself and being one with the Dao is specified at the end, “Being one with the Tao is eternal. And though the body dies, the Tao will never pass away” (CP. P.46). …show more content…

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