Finding peace in a frantic world.

The Way – Tao Te Ching

The Tao Te Ching accredited to Lao Tzu is a text which contains profound wisdom within the 81 short chapters.

Whether the Tao Te Ching was written by Old Master Lao Tzu (actual name Li Er. Li – Surname Er – personal name) or a number of authors, the ultimate source is the same. It is said that master Lao was the archive keeper in the Zhou dynasty but then left it all behind after becoming disenfranchised with civilisation and all the moral corruption.

Both Lao Tzu and Jesus have been associated with the Ox, the humble servant of mankind.

Tao, loosely put into words means, the natural way of the universe. Te means virtue and living in harmony. Ching means classic or great book. Tao is essentially a way of life that cannot be put into words because it is a reality beyond words, as with many things spiritual.

Below are some of the most profound philosophical texts from this ancient Chinese book of spiritual inspiration. It is upon the reader to find their own meaning and to learn from the truths gained. Each person will come to their own understanding, but the essential meaning will be similar for us all, hence the profound wisdom that the book holds. I have also provided my understanding below each of the quotes.

Chapter 48

“One who seeks knowledge learns something new every day. One who seeks the Tao unlearns something new every day”.

We have little control, certainly growing up at least, of what is put into our minds be it from school, college or work. By understanding the philosophy and wisdom within the ancient book Tao Te Ching, we can begin to pick apart all the nonsense and by unlearning we find that less is more.

Chapter 71

“Knowing you don’t know is wholeness. Thinking you know is a disease”.

This is one of the key tenets / understandings for those on a spiritual path to enlightenment. Having humbleness and humility helps us cut through all the fallacy and into the spiritual truth away from what we think we know. There is a difference between knowing about things and knowing.

Chapter 73

“Being overbold and confident is deadly. The wise use of caution will keep you alive”.

N.L.S.A is the perfect term to put this ancient statement from the Tao into modern day practice. In other words, Nobody Likes a Smart Aleck. If one wants to get the backs up of others, or try and create a name for oneself it won’t bode well. Being humble and less confrontational/bold, leaves breathing space for us get things wrong without the ramifications from those around us. Others cannot wait for us to fail or make a mistake. A bit less haste and more humility helps us fit in and builds trust. Similarly, sharing too much of our personal circumstances, goals, spending, dreams etc with others can have a negative effect on our relationships too.

Chapter 81.

“Wise men are not scholars and scholars are not wise”.

For those on a spiritual path, there is a difference between knowing about things and knowing. The former relates primarily to remembering abstract facts, the later is about wisdom. It’s one thing to know “about” how bad smoking and drinking is for our health, but only wisdom can teach us not to smoke or drink.

If you would like to take a deeper dive into the wonderful wisdom held within this ancient book please consider purchasing this new book with commentary for the reader. If you would like to support this blog, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is at no extra cost to you. The link will take you to Amazon which will allow you to look at the details about the product. Also see “terms” section for further details. Click the button below to view product.

Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching via Amazon

The translated quotes used in this blog were taken from John H. McDonald within the Tao Te Ching published by Arcturus Publishing Ltd. All references, quotes and extracts used under copyright fair use terms. All copyrights remain with the original owners and this use is transformative, not affecting the market for the original work.