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Lao-tse

Lao-tse (c.604-531 BC) (ie the Old Philosopher) was a Chinese Philosopher who founded Taoism, one of the three principal religions of China, Confucianism and Buddhism being the other two, although his followers, the Tao-sze as they are called, are now degenerated into a set of jugglers. His name is spelled in various ways as Lao-Tsze, Lao-tzu or Lao-tze. He put down his teachings in a book called Tao-teh-King also spelled Tao-te-ching, which literally meant the "Way of the Power" or the "Path to Virtue". The original meaning of the word Tao is a road or a way which later came to signify the Perfect Reality. Tao-Teh-King was used by his disciple as a source book for magic, consequently reducing it to mere ritualistic work.

We don't know much about his life. However, we known this much that he was a Chinese sage, born in the province of Ho-nan about 604 BC (some claim about 565 B.C.), a contemporary of Confucius, who authored the celebrated "Tao-te-King," (also spelled Tao-te-ching) canon, that is, of the Tao, or divine reason, and of virtue, one — and deservedly so on account of its high ethics — of the sacred books of China.

Lao-tse advocated detachment, simplicity and self-sufficiency in life. He said that one should recognize as to how one is instinctively united with nature.

Wisdom & Quotes

  • When you are reviled, cherish no resentment, be kind and generous without seeking any return.
-Tao-Teh-King
  • The way of the sage is to act but not to compete.
-Tao te Ching
  • A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
-To te Ching
  • Nature is not human-hearted.
-Tao te Ching
  • Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.
-Tao te Ching
  • The slaying of multitudes should be mourned with sorrow.
A victory should be celebrated with the funeral rite.
-Tao Te Ching
  • The Way (Tao) that can be told is not the eternal way.
-Tao Te Ching
  • The Way is like an empty vessel that yet may be drawn from.
-Tao Te Ching
  • If you practice inaction, nothing will be left undone:
For the way to acquire lordship over society is by invariably not interfering.
-Tao Te Ching
  • It is because everyone under Heaven recognises beauty as that the idea of ugliness exists.
-Tao Te Ching
  • He who regards the world as he does the fortune of his own body can govern the world. He who loves the world as he does his own body can be entrusted with the world.
-Tao Te Ching
  • To joy in conquet is to joy in the loss of human life.
-Tao Te Ching
  • There is no greater mistake than to make light of an enemy.
By making light of an enemy many a kingdom has been lost.
-Tao Te Ching
  • Heaven is eternal and Earth everlasting.
They can be eternal and everlasting because they do not exist for themselves,
And for this reason can exist forever.
-Tao Te Ching
  • Good men are bad men's instructors,
And bad men are good men's materials.
-Tao Te Ching
  • There is no greater disaster than greed.
-Tao Te Ching
  • Use your light, but dim your brightness.
-Tao Te Ching
  • My words are very easy to know, and very easy to practice.
Yet all men in the world do not know them, nor do they practice them.
It is because they have knowledge, that they do not know me.
-Tao Te Ching
  • The more laws and orders are multiplied, the more theft and violence increase.
-Tao Te Ching
  • On the one hand, loss implies gain;
On the other hand, gain implies loss.
-Tao Te Ching
  • By accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time,
but by virtue of love he may rule the world forever.
-Tao Te Ching
  • Stretch the bow to the very full,
And you will wish you had stopped in time.
-Tao Te Ching
  • We pierce doors and windows to make a house;
And it is on these space where there is nothing that
the usefulness of the house depends,
Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we should
recognise the usefulness of what is not.
-Tao Te Ching
  • He who is able to conquer others is powerful; he who is able to conquer himself is more powerful.
-Tao Te Ching
  • He who regards many things easy will find many difficulties.
Therefore the sage regards things difficult , and consequently never has difficulties.
-Tao Te Ching
  • He who conquers others is strong.
He who conquers himself is mighty.
-Tao Te Ching
  • Keep your mouth shut, and closs up the doors of sight and sound, and as long as you live you will have no vexation. But open your mouth, or become inquisitive, and you will be in trouble all your life long.
-Tao Te Ching
  • Act nonaction; undertake no undertaking; taste the tasteless.
-Tao Te Ching
  • Truth sounds paradoxical!
-Tao Te Ching
  • The highest good is like that of the water. The goodness of water is that it benefits the ten thousand creatures, yet itself does not scramble, but is content with the places that all men disdain.
-Tao Te Ching
  • He who has little will receive.
He who has much will be embarrassed.
-Tao Te Ching
  • He who knows others is learned;
He who knows himself is wise.
-Character of Tao

Anacharsis


Page last modified on Sunday November 14, 2021 14:06:33 GMT-0000