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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 ChingBanned If You Boast
The world is full of self-appointed stars. I have a hard time condemning such people, partly because I might be one of them and partly because it's quite understandable, considering the short rat race we have entered by no will of our own.
To put it bluntly, we are all going to die, and we know it. That's not a very envious position to be in. So, we try to make the best of it in any way we can. We're quite desperate to make it meaningful and significant. Right there is where false pride, self-righteousness, and bragging begin. It's understandable. How else to keep a brave heart as death inevitably approaches?
Still, Lao Tzu is not wrong. If we allow this bragging and self-appraisal to clog what we see in the mirror, then we are sure to be victims of contempt. The reason is simple. We all share the same insoluble dilemma – a life always somehow too short, with an inescapable end at an unpredictable moment. Since that's the burden we all carry, who is to stand out, who is to wear a crown and sit on a throne?
The only way to show respect towards all the others sharing the same predicament is to be humble about it.
There are many who offend the guidelines of this chapter in the Tao Te Ching. Honestly, don't we all, occasionally? Some do it on a regular basis and with a vengeance. In many cases, they have admirers who assist them in this worship. Actually, we seem to love having idols that we praise for a while, and then forget or condemn.
It's our longing for a life full of meaning. If we can't all have it, let's choose some of us to laureate, in order to keep the dream alive. These idols of ours are also our victims. Like the chosen ones among the pre-Columbian Chichimecas, our idols are cheered and spoiled for a time, and then sacrificed. Whether the praise is just one's own or shared by one's fellow men, the outcome is equally costly.
We want to survive death, somehow. We want to make a mark. That aspiration is one of envy of the gods of our own invention. We want to be them. The old Greeks called it hubris, comparing oneself to the gods. We would call it delusion. It's not folly, but solace against the sad facts of life. We need to rid ourselves of the sadness by which we regard our fate, in order to overcome it.
That's no easy path, but Lao Tzu also informs us that nobody said it was going to be easy. Tao might be the Way to a life of ease, in accordance with the universe, but getting there is no picnic.
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Tao Te Ching Explained
Preface
Introduction
Literature
translated and explained by Stefan Stenudd.
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Tao Te Ching Explained
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The Taoism of Lao Tzu Explained. The great Taoist philosophy classic by Lao Tzu translated, and each of the 81 chapters extensively commented. |
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