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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 ChingAppearances
Things aren't what they seem. We should not trust our perception, because it's rooted in our own mind's preconceptions. We often only see what we want to see, or what we expect to see. That may make life seem more agreeable to us, but it certainly flaws our judgment. Therefore, our actions easily go astray.
What is complete is whole, whereas we have a tendency to break things apart in order to find a quantity that overwhelms us. The whole is just one. We want many, and we don't see how anything less can be sufficient. But when parts are separated from the whole, they stop to function and deteriorate. Only the complexity of the whole is enough for all and forever.
Vast abundance is not perceivable, so we experience it as diluted and desolate. What is everywhere is invisible to us, like the air around us. Our perception is focused on anomalies, on things that deviate from the mean.
That might be practical for our survival, but it also confuses our understanding of the world. We tend to make exceptions the rule, and miss the fundamental order of things.
The Fragile Environment
Also, sadly, we underestimate the importance of the fundamental components of our world. It took us far too long to realize our dependence on the environment we live in, because we have taken it for granted.Lao Tzu's philosophy is firmly environmentalist, although his text precedes the invention of the word with more than two thousand years. He urges mankind to avoid interfering with the natural processes, or we do harm to them.
That's because we don't observe their importance, since we can't see their greatness. We cease to be aware of what we take for granted.
So, we have thoughtlessly polluted the very air that we breathe, because we can't see it. We also poison the water that we drink and the soil on which we grow what we eat. We treat our whole world as if it's dispensable.
Only now, on the verge collapse, have we been forced to realize the delicacy and importance of balance.
Skill
As for human perfection, we find it so rarely that we don't know what to make of it.Those who really choose their words with care seem hesitant, even unsure. Something very similar is seen with those who really master some craft. They go about it with a calm that can be mistaken for incompetence, but the result is flawless and it's accomplished with amazing swiftness.
Refined movements look slow, because we perceive them clearly. The one who seems to move the slowest in a race is often the winner of it. When the foremost athletes excel in their sports, it looks so easy that we imagine we can do the same. That's the sign of perfection.
Balance
When Lao Tzu points out that movement overcomes cold and stillness overcomes heat, he points out the importance of balance. We know it to be quite true. Movement raises the temperature, and stillness decreases it. When we are cold we should get going and when we are hot we should calm down.That is also true for situations where the temperature is symbolic. In a heated argument, silence is called for. When relations get chilled and indifference grows, we should spring into action.
The world benefits the most from peace and quiet, a state of balance and harmony. We can contribute to this if we remain sensitive to what is needed, and what is not.
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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 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