Laozi

Philosophy is a universal form of thinking that has persisted throughout time. It is an endless endeavor at trying to understand the universe and our place in it. Lao Tzu is a chinese philosopher who founded Taoism which is defined as a way of life. He wrote his ideas in a book called Tao Te Ching that is still known around the world today. Marcus Aurelius is a Roman emperor who wrote Meditations, a book that has details about Marcus Aurelius’ thoughts and stoicism in general. While these two…

Life can be a roller-coaster of emotions, but some people experience more lows than highs; as a result, people have tried to find ways to increase the number of happy moments in their life. While many paths to happiness have been proposed, one of the earliest is a philosophy, based off the writing Tao Te Ching, known as Taoism. Those that follow Taoism (also known as Taoists) say they experience less stress and live a happier life. In modern American society, it is believed that a person must…

When I read the passage, I can see the conception of Lao-Tzu, his opinion about “Tao” and “Wu Wei”. The passage said that we need to have patience to wait the mud settle and water clear. The patience is waiting, waiting the thing become clear, this is just like the conception of “Wu Wei”. Wu Wei means people being peace and accept the flow that the river give us, and the passage said “have patience to wait” means people should stay peace and waiting for right time until everything clear. People…

Le Guin’s Application of Western Culture in the Dao de Jing As an American woman who writes science-fiction, Ursula K. Le Guin differs greatly from the original audience of the Dao de Jing. The Dao de Jing was written in ancient China during the Warring States period from 475–221 B.C.E (Bokenkamp, 2015). Lao-Tzu, the accredited mystical author of the text, sensed the impending downfall of the kingdom of Chu. Before Chu’s collapse in 221 B.C.E., Lao-Tzu had written the Dao de Jing at the request…

The Influence of Nature on the Philosophy of Taoism In humanities great search for understanding the mysteries of life, mankind has created a number of religions that range from a minute following to a following of immeasurable proportions. Yet despite these billions of believers, the world still remains in a state of unrest. In ancient China, this period of unrest was referred to as “The Warring States period” which lasted from 480-221 BCE (Dr. Godshalk’s presentation on China). This period…

The Ren of the Analects Confucius was a renowned teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. Living from 551 to 497 BC, Confucius’ philosophy emphasized on morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, as well as sincerity. He authored many Chinese classical texts such as that of the Five Classics. However, he was credited most for his work on “The Analects” (also known as the Analects of Confucius), a series of 20 books that present…

The I Ching, which translates to the Book of Changes, is one of the few surviving books from the beginnings of Chinese history. It is believed to have been used as a divination tool nearly 3,000 years ago by shamans, and continues to be used today. The I Ching differs from fortune telling as the decision lies in us rather than a foretold fate completely independent of what we may or may not do. The oldest oracles confined themselves to the answers yes and no, and this is the foundation of the I…

The Cultural Influence of the Tao Te Ching There are a multitude of influences which are significant to the Chinese culture due to the phillosiphy expressed in the ancient poem, Tao Te Ching. The ideals expressed in the poem contributed to the culture of China in the areas of religion, and literature, and leadership. The philosophical influences of the poem Ta Te Ching have extended beyond China. The first two lines of chapter one of the poem Tao Te Ching suggest the writer, Lao-Tzu named…

Wu Wei Within the Dao Bryan Bodnar, Kyle Thomson, Riley Prescott Carroll College Wu Wei I.Intro A.Attention: According to Lao Tzu, “the highest virtue is to act without a sense of self. The highest kindness is to give without a condition. The highest justice is to see without a preference. When tao is lost one must learn the rules of virtue. When virtue is lost, the rules of kindness. When kindness is lost, the rules of justice. When justice is lost, the rules of conduct.”…

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” (Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching.) This quote about Taoism not only describes how I feel about Taoism but about life in general. The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff has helped me better understand the principles of Taoism. I enjoy reading this book because it helps to further understand why it is important to just be yourself and not try to conform to what society wants or expects you to be. The two topics I…