Hi Anu and all, I remember when I was a high school student,I became quite familiar with the woman director of a language centre.She's a pious buddhist which was a joke among people who worked for her because they found her too 'inhuman'.
With me,she revealed another side of her which others couldn't normally see.One day she told me that a true buddhist should not talk about buddhism to anyone who wasn't cut out for it as it was a long and tough journey for ordinary people to take.The more they know they can't become or remain a good buddhist,the more pain it will cause them,thus they would suffer more in their life later. It applies to Lao Tzu and his work"Tao De Ching"as well. The first time I read it was at high school.This is the first time I read about him and his words in English.I haven't his work with me now,but the interpretations through translations have gone different inevitably...Well,even Chinese translations from his words in his time to our contemporary Chinese can vary a lot according to different scholars or publishers. I am a follower of Lao Tzu,but none knows about it.;) As I recall he said something like this:Imagine yourself as a bell.When you're struck hard,responded loudly whereas struck lightly,gently resonded.It's about only revealing your true self,wisdom,intelligence,talent or ability when you think it's worthwhile... Sometimes I would think it's actually dangerous for some people to touch his work.It's like giving some advances of technology to the wrong people who don't know the best use of them. Nice week ahead of you and all of us! Pln On May 10, 5:22 pm, anurag barthwal <[email protected]> wrote: > Lao Tzu: Father of Taoism > Although ascetics and hermits such as Shen Tao (who advocated that one > 'abandon knowledge and discard self') first wrote of the 'Tao', it is with > the sixth century B.C. philosopher *Lao Tzu* (or 'Old Sage' -- born Li Erh) > that the philosophy of Taoism really began. Some scholars believe that he > was a slightly older contemporary of *Confucius* (*Kung-Fu Tzu*, born *Chiu > Chung-Ni*). > > According to legend Lao Tzu was keeper of the archives at the imperial > court. When he was eighty years old he set out for the western border of > China, toward what is now Tibet, saddened and disillusioned that men were > unwilling to follow the path to natural goodness. At the border (Hank Pass), > a guard, Yin Xi (Yin Hsi), asked Lao Tsu to record his teachings before he > left. He then composed in 5,000 characters the Tao Te Ching (The Way and Its > Power). > > [image: Confucius.]Whatever the truth, Taoism and Confucianism have to be > seen side-by-side as two distinct responses to the social, political and > philosophical conditions of life two and a half millennia ago in China. > Whereas Confucianism is greatly concerned with social relations, conduct and > human society, Taoism has a much more individualistic and mystical > character, greatly influenced by nature. > > In Lao Tzu's view, things were said to create "unnatural" action (wei) by > shaping desires (*yu*). The process of learning the names (*ming*) used in > the doctrines helped one to make distinctions between good and evil, > beautiful and ugly, high and low, and "being" (yu) and "non- being" (*wu*), > thereby shaping desires. To abandon knowledge was to abandon names, > distinctions, tastes and desires. Thus spontaneous behavior (*wu-wei*) > resulted. > > *"The Taoist sage has no ambitions, therefore he can never fail. He who > never fails always succeeds. And he who always succeeds is all-powerful."* > * ** > **- He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough. > > - He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know. > > - He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much. > > - Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. > Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy. > > - If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to > hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot > achieve. > > - If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of > intelligence.* * > > - In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In > conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, > do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. > > - Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates > profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. > > - Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - > that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally > forward in whatever way they like.* > > *-He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened. * > > * -- LAO TZU* > * > **° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° * --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "English Learner's Cafe" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/english_learners?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
