Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching

A bird does not strive to be a better bird, nor a fish lives in angst because he cannot fly. One miraculously discovers one's authentic self within the harmony and balance of the natural order of all that is. In the ‘Tao Te Ching’, 6th century B.C. Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, introduces the Tao as the undefinable inherent truth; the key to unlocking the ebb and flow of a joyous nonresistant life; to the bewilderment of those who choose to suffer the endless cycle of anxiety, worry and fear. Through this prodigious poetic masterpiece, Tzu introduces the world to his philosophies and births one of the worlds most impactful spiritual movements, Taoism. A philosopher and a scribe in the Chinese Zhou Dynasty as well as an older contemporary of Confucius; however, each leaving conflicting legacies in regards to their theories and beliefs. Originally written in Chinese, the ‘Tao Te Ching’ is an ancient …show more content…
Life’s challenges are easier reconciled as one integrates these principles into one’s lives. The Tao is ‘The Way’; one should not try and ‘name it’ or ‘define it’, by doing so would confine the Tao. Lao Tzu compares desire and the freedom from desire without defining or judging; “Ever desireless, one can see the mystery. Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations…” He further illuminates with “These two spring from the same source but differ in name…” Inviting each person to immerse in the “Tao Te Ching’... however, it may resonate with the individual soul, thereby melding seamlessly into one's life journey. This is my exact experience in approaching this essay. I am so grateful to write on the “Tao Te Ching”; my original copy is over 25 years old. Sifting through the multitude of translations, written over the last 2,500 years, has been an arduous, yet rewarding excursion inward to discover a translation which resonates closest to my heart and embodies the wisdom of the Tao