Lao-tzu Also romanized as Laozi or Lao-tse – “Old Master” Founder of Taoism – Wrote Tao Te...
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Lao-tzu • Also romanized as Laozi or Lao-tse – “Old Master” • Founder of Taoism – Wrote Tao Te Ching • “Classic of the Way and Virtue” • Bamboo strips from 4 th century BCE • History – Lived during 6 th century BCE – Referenced in Han historical record from 1 st century BCE
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Transcript of Lao-tzu Also romanized as Laozi or Lao-tse – “Old Master” Founder of Taoism – Wrote Tao Te...
Lao-tzu• Also romanized as Laozi or Lao-
tse– “Old Master”
• Founder of Taoism– Wrote Tao Te Ching
• “Classic of the Way and Virtue”• Bamboo strips from 4th century BCE
• History– Lived during 6th century BCE– Referenced in Han historical
record from 1st century BCE
Taoism• Categorization–Philosophical Taoism• The “Tao” = The “Way”• Harmony with nature
–Religious Taoism• 2nd century CE First religious group• Lao-tzu is a deity
• Tang emperors claimed to be descendants of Lao-tzu (618-907 CE)
Yin and Yang• Taijitu– Symbol– Complementary rather than opposing
• Yin (black)– “Shady place”– Characterized by darkness, the moon, coolness,
slowness, femininity, water, earth, softness, yielding• Yang (white)– “Sunny place”– Characterized by lightness, the sun, warmth, speed,
masculinity, fire, the sky, hardness, aggression
Themes in the Tao Te Ching
• Naturalness• Simplicity• Detachment from desire• Wu wei– “non action”– Effortless, spontaneous
movement– Yielding
Tao Te Ching excerpts
• “A way can be a guide, but not a fixed path.” – Ch. 1• “Act without presumption, and do not dwell on success.” –
Ch. 2• “The Way is unimpeded harmony.” – Ch. 4• “When you win a war, you celebrate by mourning.” – Ch. 28• “Flexibility and yielding overcome adamant coerciveness.” –
Ch. 36• “All beings bear yin and embrace yang, with a mellowing
energy for harmony.” – Ch. 42• “…people may gain from loss, and may lose from gain.” – Ch.
42• “Sages have no fixed mind.” – Ch. 49
Tao Te Ching excerpts• “Keeping flexible is called strength.” – Ch. 52• “When the government is unobtrusive, the people are pure.
When the government is invasive, the people are wanting.” – Ch. 58
• “When trees are born they are tender, and when they die they are brittle. Stiffness is thus a companion of death, flexibility a companion of life.” – Ch. 76
• “Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water.” – Ch. 78
• “…sages keep their faith and do not pressure others.” – Ch. 79• “Sages do not accumulate anything but give everything to
others.” – Ch. 81
