Because he is content with himself, he doesn’t need others’ approval. – Tao Te Ching, Chapter 29 Lesson 15: Understand and accept yourself completely.īecause he believes in himself, he doesn’t try to convince others. She lets them go their own way, and resides at the center of the circle. The Master sees things as they are, without trying to control them. – Tao Te Ching, Chapter 27 Lesson 14: Let go of control – Tao Te Ching, Chapter 27Ī good artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants. Lesson 12: Do not hold on to concepts and have an open mind.Ī good scientist has freed himself of concepts and keeps his mind open to what is. – Tao Te Ching, Chapter 26 Lesson 11: Live in the process, do not worry about the end result.Ī good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. If you let restlessness move you, you lose touch with who you are. If you let yourself be blown to and fro, you lose touch with your root. Lesson 10: Be firmly anchored to your inner self. He who defines himself can’t know who he really is. Lesson 9: Do not limit yourself to preconceived beliefs and ideas. Lesson 8: Come to the present moment to experience peace.Įmpty your mind of all thoughts. Lesson 7: Be patient and the right answers will come.ĭo you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself? – Tao Te Ching, Chapter 15 The Master observes the world but trusts his inner vision. Having without possessing, acting with no expectations, leading and not trying to control: this is the supreme virtue. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. Lesson 3: Let go of your need for approval.Ĭare about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt. – Tao Te Ching, Chapter 8Īlso Read: 34 Inspirational Quotes About Putting Yourself Firstįill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you. The following is a collection of 31 valuable life lessons taken from this powerful book. The Tao Te Ching is filled with wisdom to live a balanced, virtuous and peaceful life. So what can you learn from the Tao Te Ching? Life lessons you can learn from the Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu dedicates many chapters in the Tao Te Ching describing the nature of the Tao. It is clear from this definition that Lao Tzu uses the word Tao to refer to the ‘formless eternal consciousness’ that is the basis of the universe. For lack of a better name, I call it the Tao.” In chapter 25 of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu defines Tao as follows, “ There was something formless and perfect before the universe was born. The Tao Te Ching contains 81 brief chapters each carrying deep wisdom about life, consciousness, human nature and more. The Tao Te Ching, and the Zhuangzi, constitute the basic literature for both philosophical and religious Taoism. In-fact, the Tao Te Ching is one of the most translated works in world literature. Wang Bi's commentaries, following each statement, flesh out the text so that it speaks to the modern Western reader as it has to Asians for more than seventeen centuries.Written by ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, the Tao Te Ching (also know as the Dao De Jing) has been a source of inspiration to many inside and outside of China. Although the Tao-te Ching was originally designed to provide advice to the ruler, the Chinese regard its teachings as living and self-cultivation tools applicable to anyone. The text consists of eighty-one short, aphoristic sections presenting a complete view of how the sage rules in accordance with the spontaneous ways of the natural world. Lynn's introduction explores the centrality of Wang's commentaries in Chinese thought, the position of the Tao-te Ching in East Asian tradition, Wang's short but brilliant life, and the era in which he lived. Like his I Ching, this volume includes the interpretive commentary of the third-century scholar Wang Bi (226-249), who wrote the first and most sophisticated commentary on the Tao-te Ching. Richard John Lynn, whose recent translation of the I Ching was hailed by the Times Literary Supplement as "the best I Ching that has so far appeared," presents here another fine translation. As Taoism emerges as one of the East Asian philosophies most interesting to Westerners, an accessible new edition of this great work-written for English-language readers, yet rendered with an eye toward Chinese understanding-has been much needed by scholars and general readers. The essential Taoist book and one of a triad that make up the most influential religious and philosophical writings of Chinese tradition, the Tao-te Ching is the subject of hundreds of new interpretive studies each year.
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