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Tao Te Ching
THE TAOISM OF LAO TZU
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Tao Te Ching
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The Book
The Taoism of Lao Tzu Explained. The great Taoist philosophy classic by Lao Tzu translated, and each of the 81 chapters extensively commented. Click the image to see the book at Amazon (paid link). |
Tao Te ChingThe Cycle of Life
The universe is cyclic. Celestial bodies move in their strict orbits. On Earth we see the four seasons repeated endlessly. Other repetitions are the moon's monthly phases and the daily shift from sunrise to sunset. All living things are born, grow to maturity, and then pass away. This is the nature of things, whether we approve or not.
Lao Tzu has no doubt that we should appreciate this, not only to be able to come to peace with it, but also so that we understand it. When we accept the cycle of life, we learn something about its patterns and the law that rules it all. That law is Tao, the Way. So, by recognizing the inevitable cycle of existence we are able to perceive and comprehend Tao.
The empty stillness, of which Lao Tzu speaks in the first lines of this chapter, reminds us again of Zen. No doubt, he thinks of some kind of meditation, a pensive mood in which the cycles of life become clear. When you relax from your daily strife, you can notice the patterns of the world around you. You become aware of it all, because you reduce your own inner noise.
Only when we see the cyclic nature of the whole world and all its living things, can we come to terms with the fact that this is inevitably true for ourselves as well. Each of us is bound by the cycle. None can escape it. Solace lies in the fact that we all share this basic fate, and that it goes on infinitely. So, although every single creature in the world has a limited life span, the world as a whole does not. In that sense we are all eternal, because we are part of it all.
When we are aware of this, we learn to appreciate the time we have, and we don't embark on futile attempts to become immortal in one way or other. We should not strive to be glorified by posterity, since that's an illusion of little meaning, making no difference to us at present. Instead, our contribution should simply aim at the present – the world we are in, instead of the world yet to come.
It's also the only way of serving the future properly.
Living in the present, indifferent to what imprint it might make on the future, is to remain with Tao. That calms the mind and invigorates the body. Also, it keeps us out of unnecessary trouble or hardship.
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Tao Te Ching Explained
Preface
Introduction
Literature
translated and explained by Stefan Stenudd.
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