The Daodejing Analysis

Stated in the primary document of Daodejing, it dates back to 300 BCE when it was first produced. This work was attributed to Laozi, but has not been proven completely true that it is his work. The Daodejing was written after the Zhou Dynasty had lost its authority and the government was split into small states. This piece focuses on “the way” an idea of philosophy of Daoism. The Daodejing states that, “The way is empty. It may be used without ever being exhausted.” The Daodejing is in a poetic form, which is attractive to many readers. The text of the Daodejing can be hard to read and understand because it is written so deep with such profound thought. The first few sentences of the Daodejing are intriguing because it states, “The way that can be spoken of is not the constant way, he name that can be named is the not the constant name, the nameless

It has often been said that what people value can be determined only by what they

Beyond the ancient “fengshui” beard, Confucius remains one of Asia’s most highly regarded philosophers of all time. Today Confucianism is considered a way of life rather than a religion. This view of Confucianism is the very foundation of Confucius’s teachings. In The Analects of Confucius, readers are often directed by Confucius himself, regarding appropriate and virtuous manners throughout their lives. The Analects depicts Confucius as someone who "transmits but not create […]" (7:1, Analects). What Confucius claimed to transmit was the Dao (Way); a Confucian notion of the evolved moral and cultural patter of past eras of sage governance. Throughout the Analects, he is the erudite warden of ritual who tests his disciples to emulate the

In the book Daodejing, chapter eight, the part that says “The highest efficacy is like water…That it incurs no blame.” In translation, I assume it is saying: The highest efficacy—which, is the awakening state in Buddhism (where mountains and water goes back to being mountains and water), it’s being compared to water since water is the benefit to every living thing. So, when one reached the awaken state, it benefits everything around. The way in the world for the awaken one is to dwell with others, to teach Buddhism. However, not everyone welcomed him. He then, needs to find a spot that works well for him and his teachings. When the awaken one think or feel, he must do so deeply. When the awaken one gives, he must give his all generously. When the awaken one speaks, he must be truthful. When the awaken one serves, he must be efficient. When the awaken one act, he must do so at the right time. In the way-making of the world, there is no right or wrong, no better or worse, therefore our acts cannot be perfect.

Within the 81 verses of the “Daodejing”, there are two ways to understand them. One part being “The Way” and the other being “Virtue.” “The way” is “a natural and uncorrupted way of being that pervades everything in heaven and earth, from all beings in the cosmos to humans”. (Norton) In addition, virtue is “The power inherent in each thing in its natural state and the force that allows humans to reach their full potential.” (Norton)

Confucius (551–479 B.C.E.) and Laozi are some of the most renowned Chinese philosophers of all times. Laozi is considered by many scholars as a contemporary of Confucius. Indeed, the philosophies of the two scholars share a lot in common one of them being that they are critical of the world they live in because of disorder, which they attribute to deviation from the “way” of the golden period. Also, both their philosophies see the state of “nonaction” as the perfect spiritual state of man as characterized by harmony between his inclinations and those of the “way”. However, despite these similarities, Confucius and Laozi significantly differ in the sense that while the former advocates for

The beauty of the ambiguity allowing multiple interpretations and generating a mass initial following can quickly turn sinister when one is forced to clarify their

Before parallels can be drawn between ideals and paths in Daoism, Daoist philosophy and Dao must be defined. It is hard to put Daoist Philosophy into a nice, neat sentence because of the complexity and vast amount of information on the subject. For the intent of this paper, Daoist philosophy is defined as a Chinese philosophy that takes a more naturalist approach to religion and way of living. It is the connection between imitating nature and harmony. Dao is defined in Chapter 1 as the constant moving “everything” that surrounds us. It is not tangible, it is just what it is, and you do not know exactly what this something is.

I value doing things that help me live a healthier lifestyle. I understand that it is important to take care of myself by eating healthy, exercising, and doing my best to alleviate stress. If I don’t take care of myself I will not be in any shape to help anyone else. When I was younger my values were materialistic. I was more concerned about what I

I have always been the type of person to know that there is a message behind everything. That things are supposed to happen whether it is good or bad, sometimes we just have to deal with the consequences to allow ourselves to become stronger emotionally. Having those hardships has made me realize i want to become a therapist to help those who are struggling too. All the books that we have read in this course have been interesting, but the one that actually made me feel interested in learning more is the daodejing. Last semester i took religion of the world class, i did know a little bit about taoism. What the Daodejing gave me was to look into life situations more in depth and to realize that challenges are supposed to face and not to hide

The Tao Te Ching is a historic Chinese text that is famously known for its rich commentary on a variety of spiritual, ethical, and political topics. A couple themes that are touched in the Tao Te Ching typically deal with the notion of virtue, benevolence, and so forth. In this paper, I will examine four specific stanzas from the Tao Te Ching, illustrate the applicability and relevancy of themes such as materialistic possessions, inner peace, humility & accountability, & political leadership, and demonstrate that such themes can help us re-evaluate our values in today’s society in the path for a harmonious lifestyle.

Confucianism and Daoism are two influential schools of thoughts that have existed in ancient China around the 6th century BCE. The former, led by the politician and philosopher Confucius, proposed that humans live in society according to a set of predefined rules and that they transform society through political action. Whereas the latter, led by the philosopher Lao-Tzu, promoted the idea of inaction; people should go with the flow instead of taking action to control their lives and dominate their surroundings. Although, at first glance Daoism and Confucianism seem to be two opposing philosophies, a more in depth analysis of two of their key ideas –filial piety and education—reveals that they do share some similarities.

Things that are valuable to us can be things that are old or that have family value and some of the values can also come from our memories. Some of the values that we have, might not be bought with money. There are many treasures in the world but it is all in the person.Everyone has a different perspective of what something valuable can be to them. When people who have the chance to get anything they want, they don’t seem to value everything they have but when you compare it to a person who doesn’t have the chance to get everything they find even the smallest things valuable to them.

This text often emphasizes the Heaven as the supreme power over everything below it. In contrast to Heaven, which represents purity, power, and righteousness, Zhuangzi depicts humanity as people that interfere with the natural way, like their punishment for criminals, as well as creative beings that can come up with ideas about the world and themselves, like knowing what is right and what is wrong. Although he accepts the Dao, he does not believe that people can truly learn the Dao by thought or books. Instead, using one’s intuition and prior experience is a greater teaching tool than studying about the Way. Zhuangzi’s text is intended to make the people aware that trying to learn the purpose of life is a fruitless task. He teaches that there is a time to talk and a time to think, and he even encourages to do both. His idea of the ideal man is a someone whose actions make him a perfect example for human morality. In Daoism according to Zhuangzi, the ideal man, also known as Zhenren 真人, was associated with perfect or wise person. Because of his perfection, the ideal man accomplished endless life and enduring fame. He was not subject to the lowly desires and dangers of the earth. In some cases, the ideal man is used to define a Chinese philosopher because of their wisdom and heightened spirituality. Other translations for the Zhenren were the “enlightened one” or the “Spiritual

Daoism is synonymous with Taoism; in this religious philosophy, the way of nature is central theme of life. It was founded by Lao Tzu in 500BC in China. Lao is believed to have authored the “Dao de Jing”, which details the Daoist beliefs. Dao is a concept, a way, a principle that will lead a person to a happy, peaceful life. Dao can be achieved by incorporating the Three Jewel of Taoism that are humility, simplicity and compassion in one’s life. According to Dao, de Jing “The Way to Heaven is to benefit others and not to injure”.15 Further, there is no concept of good and evil, the Dao is simply the universe, which is perceived as a self- sustaining entity that generates energy called qi. Like other Chinese traditions, Daoist also have great reverence for the spirits of ancestors as well as spirits of nature that is plants, animals, rivers, etc. 16