Tao Te Ching

true. In my life, I know reality through sensory perceptions and my own experiences, learning from the teachings of others, self-reflection and expression of emotion, and intuition or “understanding without knowing” as is described in Lao-tzu’s Tao Te Ching. Using these faculties, I have structured my own version of reality with which I look at life. Most immediate in my conception of reality are the things that I experience firsthand. Because my entire worldview is framed within the bounds of…

there will be. Lao-tzu quotes "Throw away morality and justice, and people will do the right thing" (pp.207, p.8). For instance, if there were not so many laws, maybe people would not act so terribly. Lao-tzu states, "If a nation is centered in the Tao if it nourishes its own people and doesn't meddle in the affairs of others, it will be a light to all nations in the world" (pp.213, p.49). This was Machiavelli's aspirations, being only generous would result in running out of money. The way…

The second meditation continues Descartes search for one main concern of how he cannot be certain of anything. He has reached the conclusion of a clearer understanding of the physical world and how it comes from the use of judgement and reason, as opposed to relying solely on what ‘appears to be the case’ through perception of the senses and use of the imagination. Ultimately, then, I think the true nature of things in the external world are not revealed fully. How do I really know what is for…

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 found the most interesting in Benjamin Hoff's The Tao of Pooh is the Cottleston…

Reading the works of Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu in succession highlight how truly at opposition the messages are. Though both pieces express the desired way to govern a people, the “Tao-te Ching” speaks of peace, simplicity, and letting the universe work its will, while “The Qualities of the Prince” emphasizes the necessity for war, and the natural wickedness of men. There are no particular reasons that these two ways of thought should be in harmony, one written in the 6th century, and the other…

In ten minutes, what can you actually do? Actually very little, but when multiplied day by day, the significance of these ten minutes suddenly grows, becoming very influential. Entering the meditations, I was unsure of where my inner thoughts would take me. Reflecting now, it seems that I have actually traveled quite far. After ten days of meditating for ten uninterrupted minutes, I have begun to anticipate my departure from the rest of the world, finding solace in my own monologue. This retreat…

Reflections in Light The Coinherence of Opposites from the Tao Te Ching describes the balances between opposites in life through the Daoist (Taoist) religion. In the passage, Laozi begins on explaining that when something exists, it will always have an opposite (e.g. when people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly). In the text, Laozi informs the reader that these things are not just opposite, but they are connected and they work together in some manner, meaning without one,…

Taoism is believed to be China oldest philosophy and religion. The founder of Taoism and the author of Tao-Te -Ching (Book of way) Leo-Tzu was born 601 B.C. in Henan during the Zhou Dynasty. There is much speculation whether Leo-Tzu was an actual person or a combination of different philosophers it will forever be a mystery. The legend surrounding his birth goes: a woman leaned against a plum tree and give birth to a child that had been conceived six-two years before. His mother had admired a…

Throughout the course, there were significant amounts of arts that we observed and the fact we have to choose a top four is just inconceivable. Even though it was difficult finding my four choices, I was able to narrow them down in terms of significance and purpose. My four works of art that I will be discussing about are Mona Lisa (painting), The Colosseum (architecture), Everyman (theater), and Dao De Jing (philosophy). The Mona Lisa, obviously, was created by Leonardo Da Vinci between the…

values, there are members of society that follow the societal rules and those that are overcome by emotion who cannot see the rules’ necessity to society. The Bhagavad-Gita has In this paper, I will argue how in order to overcome desire in the Tao Te Ching and The Bhagavad-Gita, one must understand the negative effects that desire and greed have on society and the Way. In the society of The Bhagavad Gita, everything is done with a purpose and a reason because each person’s actions make a…