Cover of Tao Te Ching

Tao Te Ching

by Lao Tzu

Published: January 1, 350

Read: November 2, 2022

★★★★★
Goodreads

Review

Shockingly short, understandable book for an intro to an ancient philosophy. A peaceful reflection. More aphorisms than a complete, persuasive worldview, but I gained some perspective and resonated with some points. A book well worth the quick read. Takeaways: "True power seems weak, true purity seems tarnished, true steadfastness seems changeable, true clarity seems obscure, the greatest seem unsophisticated, the greatest love seems indifferent, the greatest wisdom seems childish." "They enjoy the labor of their hands and don't waste time inventing labor-saving machines. Since they dearly love their homes, they aren't interested in travel."

Notes

#Book by [[Laozi]] Great summary from goodreads review: Taoism seeks harmony by freeing the individual from the caustic effects of judgmental thinking, desire, and greed, and its fulcrum is the concept of “non-action,” or literally “doing not-doing.” Non-action, Mitchell writes in his introduction, is not the act of doing nothing but instead is the purest form of action: “The game plays the game; the poem writes the poem; we can’t tell the dancer from the dance.” “The game plays the game; the poem writes the poem; we can’t tell the dancer from the dance.”

Louza was contemporary of Confucious

  • opening Credits
    • Doing not doing. Perfect harmony. Giving up all concepts and desire, deep in your life you find something, the more we can let go of our love the more present our love becomes,
    • Freedom from moral categories let's him love all people, embody the light
    • what is a good man? But a bad man's teacher. What is a bad man? But a good man's job. "If you don't understand this you will be lost"
    • This book is a finger pointing at the moon, if you stare at the filter you can't see the moon
  • Chapter 1,
    • the dao that can be told is not the eternal dao
    • If your over esteem great man, people loss power. Us tore over value possessions people begin to steal
    • Practice not doing and everything will fall into place
    • The dao is infinite eternal and within you
    • In work do what you enjoy
    • In family life be completely present
    • "When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or donoete everyone will respect you"
    • chase after money ad security and your heart will never unclench
    • (personal note: maybe guys can be more dao then girls without so many clear goals)
    • desires wither the heart
    • The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision and his heart is as open as the sky
    • Success is as dangerous as failure, whether you go up or down your position is shaky
    • love the world as your self
    • Master doesn't seek fulfillment, she is present and can welcome all things
    • when the master governs people hardly notice him, if you don't trust the people you make them untrustworthy
    • when country falls into chaos, patriotism is born
    • Throw away holiness and wisdom and people will be a hundred times happier
    • Throw away industry and profit and there won't be any thieves
    • Stop thinking and end your problems
    • I alone am expressionless. Other people have what they need I alone possess nothing. I am like an idiot my mind is so empty, other people are bright I alone am dark and dull. Other people have a purpose, I alone don't know. I drift like a wave, I am different
  • If you want to be reborn, let yourself die. If you want to become straight let yourself be crooked. If you want to be full, let yourself be empty
  • Receive the world in your arms and the dao will never leave you and you will be like a little child
  • "knowing others is intelligence, knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength, mastering yourself is true power"
  • "If you realize you have enough, you are truly rich"
  • Let your workings be a mystery, just show results
  • The master does nothing but leaves nothing undone
  • When a superior man hears of dao he embodys it, when a foolish man hears of the dao he laughs if he didn't laugh it wouldn't be the dao
  • "The greatest wisdom seems childish"
  • "True power seems weak, true purity seems tarnished, true steadfastness seems changeable, true clarity seems obscure, the greatest seem unsophisticated, the greatest love seems indifferent, the greatest wisdom seems childish."
  • Whoever can see through all fear will always be safe
  • "She is good to people who are good and also good to people who aren't good. She trusts people who are trustworthy and also trusts people who aren't trustworthy, this is true trust"
  • "He didn't think about good actions, they flow from the core of his being"
  • Every being is part of dao
  • The great way is east but people prefer side paths
  • Those who know don't talk, those who talk don't know
  • if you want to be a great leader follow dao, let go of fixed plans
    • the more prohibitions the less virtuous people are
    • Let go of desire for commmon good and good becomes common
  • Mark of moderate man is freedom from his own ideas
  • Humility means trusting dao so you never need o be defensive
  • The master never reaches for the great so she achieves greatness
  • Master never reaches for the great this she achieves greatness, gives herself to difficult and doesn't cling to comfort so problems aren't problems
  • "Prevent trouble before it arises, put things in order before they exist"
  • Masters don't educate, but teach them to not know because then they can find their own way
  • She goes ahead of people and no one feels manipulate, no one can compete with here
  • Three things, simplicity, patience and compassion
  • The best athletes wants his opponent at his best, virtue of non emotion in spirit of play
  • When two great forces collide, those that know how to yield will win
  • When they lose their sense of awe, they turn to religion. He teaches so people have nothing to learn, as when people don't trust themselves they turn to authority
  • Trust people and leave them alone
  • stiff are disciple of death and flexible of life
  • Gentle overcomes rigid
  • Master corrects her own mistakes and demands nothing of others
  • "They enjoy the labor of their hands and don't waste time inventing labor-saving machines. Since they dearly love their homes, they aren't interested in travel."
  • content without ever having gone to see what is just next door
  • "Men who need to prove their point aren't wise "
  • "More he does for others the happier he is, the more he gives to others the wealthier he if "