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Tao Te Ching Book Report

567 Words3 Pages

Defining the Tao can be complex because it is a multipart concept, so an easier definition of the Tao would be claiming it is the “way”, or the “path” of life. There are many virtues of the Tao, and they include humility, non-intention, and non-contention. Ultimately, living a life of Tao is considered to be a peaceful and simplistic life. Taoism was developed by a man named Lao-Tzu, or Laozi. This man was both a great philosopher, a great poet. Estimation of birth was between the 5th and 6th centuries. Laozi left the world a book entitled “Tao Te Ching”. This book was where Laozi stated “The Tao that can be told of it not the absolute Tao. What this statement meant, is that a person cannot communicate the true Tao with another person through words. The reason for this is that the Tao must be experienced. This is similar to describing light to a blind man. The blind man may know what the concept of light is, and how light works but he will never truly …show more content…

The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth. The named is the mother of all things.” What Laozi is saying is that we (as a society) should stop trying to name and control everything because we like to have meaning attached to the aforementioned objects or people. What we do not realize is that the objects and people already have meaning. Everything in life is connected to each other in one way or another, and it all works together to make up the Tao. Instead of attempting to control nature, let nature run its course. Laozi is also saying that the action of naming came after the creation of the universe, not before. So whatever name we are apply to the Tao (whether it be God, Buddha, or anything else) is not the true name for it because it existed before the concept of naming was created. “The nameless is mother of all things” statement is placing importance on the natural processes of life which all things are derived

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In the novel Whale Talk, Taoism plays an integral part of the plot from the very beginning. The protagonist of the novel, The Tao Jones, is named by his biological mother after the Taoist book Tao Te Ching. When he enters school, he is often bullied because of his strange name. To avoid being bullied and embarrassed by his classmates, he begins calling himself T.J., his initials. It is very clear that his name is an indicator of what his personality is going to be.

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687 Words | 3 Pages

Document 1 speaks directly from the Buddhist culture, citing “The Four Noble Truths” and lying down the basic principles of achieving physical and spiritual enlightenment. The document displays the basic ideals that all Buddhists, in and out of China, believed. Furthermore, Zong Mi, a leading Buddhist scholar, compares the Buddha to the Chinese sages, Confucius and Laozi, as all deserving of respect since they all lead to the creation of an orderly society. However, Zong Mi’s position as a Buddhist scholar gives him bias towards wanting to defend

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1390 Words | 6 Pages

He describes how Tao is the Way, which can be understood but not defined, and illustrates key elements of Tao such as P'u, the uncarved block, and Wu wei, going with the flow. In case you should think that this book is altogether too simplistic, I should add that Hoff touches on the writings of Lao-Tzu (author of the Tao Te Ching), Chuang-tse, the poet Li Po, and other Taoist philosophers, giving his own interpretations of the passages. Hoff shows how Pooh best explains the Uncarved Block. The principle of the Uncarved Block is that things that are simple contain their own natural power, power that can be spoiled and lost when overcomplicated. Using the characters he shows how our lives can be sabotaged by errors in thinking and how it can be

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1386 Words | 6 Pages

Lao-Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. He is known as the author of the Tao Te Ching, the founder of philosophical Taoism, and a god in Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. Niccolò Machiavelli was a writer of the Renaissance period. They are both philosophers that have completely different perspective on how a country should run and how the leaders should act. While both philosophers’ writing can be very useful to the government in some ways.

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1394 Words | 6 Pages

Following The Way: Perspectives From a Gentleman and a Sage After I read Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching and Confucius’s “The Analects, an observation about the two authors came to mind. Each author follows what they identify as “The Way” and each has similar values, however there exists a significant difference between not only their approaches to living, but also their understanding of The Way. I was at first inclined to compare and emphasize the similarities of both authors since they seemed to have similar ends to their philosophies. Under further examination however, I found that even though these two authors have comparable aims, they are not shooting in the same direction. The differences between the two authors are significant because they illustrate equally valid philosophies of living a decent life, without necessarily negating one

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425 Words | 2 Pages

Qin Shi Huang-di is often regarded as a great leader within history. However, he was also paranoid and got rid of anyone who disagreed with him, but without Qin, there might be no China. Furthermore, despite his mixed reputation today, he brought six warring kingdoms together to form the basis of a country that has lasted to this day, an impressive feat that was a huge turning point in Chinese history. Qin’s effect on China and by default, on the other countries of the world was enormous. In fact, his dynasty, the Qin dynasty, even gave China its name (“Shi Huangdi Becomes Emperor”).

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501 Words | 3 Pages

Similar to Confucius, Laozi also sought out a solution to create harmony in a world full of chaos and fragmentation. But Laozi found the solution through Daosim. The three ideas, the Dao, wuwei and yin and yang, are three key concepts in Daoism that leads to the harmony that Laozi strived for. These ideas, although created hundreds of years ago, still deeply influence Chinese thinking and culture

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587 Words | 3 Pages

The way Tao - confusiam vs chuang tzu ideas Chantelle Arbic When examining Taoism and Confucianism they might appear to be different, or conflicting one another. When realizing tatisot and consuian are very much in line with concepts the two philosophers are representing differently with their ideas. Tao described as “The way” two both philosophers have a different meaning and even a different view point. Throughout this essay the reader should gain and understanding of both philosophers idea of the way, and see the contrast of similarities and differences between them.

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462 Words | 2 Pages

In Confucianism Ren and Li enable one to preserve the Dao, when an individual’s Benevolence and the proper manners or behavior pattern combine, a mystical power is produced with human and spiritual relations. Only through ritualized interactions with others and with the spirits can one realize one’s full potential as a human being. Daoism Dao is the primordial entity that exist in an undifferentiated state prior to the coming into being of the myriad things. Daoism evolved out of the same ancient Chinese religious mindset as Confucianism

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775 Words | 4 Pages

The Tao is not a thing and it is not seen like a God because it is not worshipped, it is more of a system of guidance. It is best described as “developing oneself so as to live in complete conformity with the teaching of the Tao.” Daoism is a religion of opposites and unity. It is where yin and yang started and the principal of it is it sees the world as filled with complementary forces. Daoism practices include meditation, which is concentration or mindfulness or visualization.

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873 Words | 4 Pages

Tzu Lao. "From the Tao Te Ching. "Reading The World: Ideas That Matter, edited by Michael Austin, Third edition, Norton, 2015, pp 384-394. In From the Tao Te Ching, It talks about how humans can’t decide how life goes but we can try to work with it.

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576 Words | 3 Pages

Confucius, Aristotle, and Lao-Tzu—all incredibly influential thinkers—did not always agree on how one ought to live; where Aristotle believed that thought or study led to virtue, Lao-Tzu placed focus on inaction, and Confucius taught that rituals paved the way to the best life. A few ideas, however, tie Confucius closer to Aristotle than to Lao-Tzu. Because Aristotle also placed importance on names, emphasized the need to find a mean of behavior, and believed that rulers should most critically be moral, Confucius would have preferred Aristotle to Lao-Tzu. Names—Aristotle utilizes them, even though he recognizes the difference between what exists in reality and the form represented by its name, while Lao-Tzu, on the other hand, maintains that names only serve to put limits on the named, and, in fact run the risk of creating opposites. According to Lao-Tzu, “Recognize beauty and ugliness is born.

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145 Words | 1 Pages

Lao Tzu was born in Henan, China in 601 BCE. Though little factual truths are known about his life, there are legends that have circulated throughout time. One of these legends being that he was within his mother’s womb for eight years before he was finally born. It is also believed

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949 Words | 4 Pages

In the Taoists perspective, all the things in nature are results of the opposition and complementation of yin and yang which are manifestation of Qi, in other words the energy. Therefore, all the things could only be real if they are in relation with something else. This means that everything that it is real can be described and explained with the Yin and Yang theory.   Basic characteristics of Ying and Yang: ​ Ying represents the passive energy ​​ Yang represents the active energy

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894 Words | 4 Pages

In his life, Wang Yangming devoted his mind to the study of the richness, reality and enlightenment of Confucianism. From the concept of composure, we can find the answer to the question of teach (learn) what and how to learn (teach). On the basis of the concept of human nature of composure, Yangming school advocates that education is not an abstract ontology category, not a clue, but a real internal life, and also a righteouseness to the external life. It means that we can found a Confucianism life which is adapted and accommodated accordingly, it also highlighting human return to the road of good and rightness, so that education attributed to our

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