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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 ChingTeacher and Student
The Eastern tradition is essentially focused on transmitting the wisdom of old to the coming generations. Everybody is primarily a student and a teacher, passing on knowledge and understanding in a chain without beginning or end. What we learn from our parents, we pass on to our children.
Nothing is more important.
In this chapter, Lao Tzu stresses this basic duty shared by all. The teacher must teach all he or she knows, the student must be devoted to learning what is taught. Whatever reason they might have for neglecting this duty, they are mistaken.
Teaching is not the same as indoctrination. That would be intellectual molestation. True wisdom doesn't need force. It convinces by its own merit. Learning is no passive memorizing of the thoughts of others. It has to be done by active thinking, questioning, and coming to one's own conclusions.
But if nothing is taught, then there is no basis for conclusions, and if nothing is learned there is nothing to conclude.
Good Skills
When Lao Tzu begins with a list of what good skills accomplish, he explains what can be reached by proper teaching. What we learn in the process is far from useless. Although teaching might be done mainly in theory, the benefits are practical as well.We excel if we pay attention to just about everything, and we progress from generation to generation by passing on our knowledge and our experiences.
Thereby, we follow the light of every new dawn, when days follow one another in the same cyclic progression that generations do.
The good and bad used in this chapter are not necessarily moral judgments on character, like we mostly use the words in the Western tradition.
The Chinese word for good, shan, relates to skill, excellence, and being in accordance with nature, but also kindness. The expression for bad is simply a negation of good, pu shan, which is somebody lacking these qualities. No ill will is assumed.
So, teaching is to help the student gain what was lacking.
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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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Aleister Crowley's Tao Te Ching
The 1st Chapter of Tao Te Ching in 76 Versions
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My Taoism BooksClick the image to see the book at Amazon (paid link).
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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I'm a Swedish author and aikido instructor. In addition to fiction, I've written books about Taoism and other East Asian traditions. I'm also an historian of ideas, researching ancient thought and mythology. Click the image to get to my personal website.Contact