To see the whole quoted chapter, click the chapter link within brackets. Quotes for Therapy by Lao Tzu. In particular, that post and previous posts related to this discussion (such as this one and this one) argue that when these ancient traditions are understood to be esoteric and allegorical in nature, then their deeper unity can be perceived: different metaphors may be employed, but upon closer examination it is found that these varying metaphors are all attempting to convey a very similar message. Community Service. Verse 78 Tao te Ching (by Lao-tzu) Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. You might see children who are not quite strong enough to shoot a basketball properly at a full-sized hoop, for example, using a variety of "compensating" motions in order to get the ball to the proper height to go into the basket -- but which you realize are habits that must eventually be corrected as the child gets older and stronger, because they are actually not the most efficient motions or the motions that will produce the most consistently accurate shots, because they actually are motions that "work against each other" in some way. The superior fighter succeeds without violence. Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. Source: The Complete Tao Te Ching Translated by Gia-Fu Feng (馮家福 Feng Jia-fu, 1919–1985) and Jane English (1942–) Vintage Books, 1989. The Tao has become a large influence on Chinese art as Chinese artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and even gardeners have used the Tao Te Ching as a source of inspiration. Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu was a n ancient philosopher from China. One well-known passage from the Tao Te Ching, found in the section traditionally numbered 8 out of 81 (although earlier texts only discovered in the last decades of the twentieth century and discussed further below appear to have arranged the sections quite differently), reads as follows: Translation by Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo (link). 25 Life-Transforming Tao Te Ching Quotes & Passages. The pinyin romanization Daodejing originated in the late 20th century, and this transliteration is becoming increasingly popular, having been adopted as the official system by the Chinese government. Tao Te Ching adapted translation by Dr. Alan A.D. Peatfield and Bruce Frantzis -- Want to learn more about Taoism? Religious Organization. The Father of All Things ( 1 ) 5. Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu - chapter 78 Under heaven nothing is more soft and yielding than water. Through aphorisms and parable, it leads readers toward the Tao, or the “Way”: harmony with the life force of the universe. Click here to see this document’s quote. Thinking about having "efficient good form" in a shot in tennis or basketball as being a good example of "aligning with the flow" and not going against it, we can then think about expressing that same kind of alignment and efficiency and "non-contention" in the way we drive a car, or wash dishes, or open a door, or interact with people around us. Its influence has also spread outside East Asia, aided by hundreds of translations into Western languages. Beginning in the 1920s and 1930s, Marc Aurel Stein and others found thousands of scrolls in the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang. Difficult undertakings have always started with what's easy. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be. Here’s a glimpse of what Lao Tzu has gifted us. An analysis of the most important parts of the poem Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, written in an easy-to-understand format. spokes: is it not significant that each of the sections of the zodiac wheel (each of the "strakes," if you will) would have exactly thirty degrees, if there are twelve signs of the zodiac and if the circle is divided into three hundred and sixty measurement units called "degrees"? This page has quotes from the Tao Te Ching and information about Taoism. According to tradition, the Tao Te Ching (or Dao De Djing) was written around the 6th century BC by the sage Laozi (or Lao Tzu, Lao Tse, "Old Master"), a record-keeper at the Zhou Dynasty court. Wallpapers Of Sun Tzu Quotes Sikh Quotes And Sayings Inspirational Quotes About Goddesses Lao Tzu Quotes On Love Deviantart Quotes Temple Quotes Best Tao Quotes Taoism Quotes Abraham Lincoln Quotes Albert Einstein Quotes Bill Gates Quotes Bob Marley Quotes. It combines a respect for life as it is with magical practices. 2011 Edition - … Nameless, is the origin of Heaven and Earth; The named is the Mother of all things. Not much is known about Lao Tzu, at least nothing that is certain. The Toa Te Ching is one of the most popular texts in the West, despite it's Chinese background. The unnamable is the eternally real. Those who know don't talk. The best soldier does not attack. Posted on November 5, 2011 by admin. Jazz is rage. 1. He who knows others is wise. Taoism is one of the oldest still living religions in the world. Toggle navigation Chapters. Explore our collection of motivational and famous quotes by authors you know and love. Beginning in the 1920s and 1930s, Marc Aurel Stein and others found thousands of scrolls in the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang. In this world, there is nothing softer or thinner than water. Muddy Water. / To find peace is to fulfill one’s destiny.” — Tao Te Ching. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong. Subscribe Water Quotes. However, his name became legendary with this writing, which also happens to be his only work. The Source ( 1 ) 7. “What is made empty is the source of all being.” Water is relentless in its ability to transcend all obstacles. People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge. The text is referring to something that is invisible, something that is a principle related to the universe and the Way that it operates, through an examination of the principles that we can see in water. Like Water ( 1 ) 9. Enjoy the best of Tao Te Ching quotes on love and other topics. That is why it endures. The weak can overcome the strong; The supple can overcome the stiff. Steven Wright. Dao De Jing or Tao Te Ching. Like Water ( 1 ) 9. 1 - 10 . In fact, as I explained in the previous examination of the details of the description in the Ezekiel text, there the wheel is specifically described as being composed of "strakes," which is a very precise term from the old craft of wooden wheelmaking, describing the curved outer segments of a wooden wheel -- outer segments which would be a perfect metaphor for the twelve segments belonging to each sign of the zodiac within the great celestial band or "wheel" of the zodiac. Free Daily Quotes. Explore our collection of motivational and famous quotes by authors you know and love. 6. There are many ways to enter the Path, but briefly speaking they are of two sorts only. Tao Te Ching. Book. First Vintage Books edition, 1972 . Seek not happiness too greedily, and be not fearful of happiness. From this rather famous passage from the text, we can perceive that aligning with the Tao seems to have something to do with "not contending," with emulating certain aspects exhibited by water in its efficiency and its lack of "grasping" or "clawing," and with aligning ourselves with the invisible energy of the universe and the direction that it takes us, rather than seeking out the things that are perhaps most highly sought after by society (the comment that water "pools where humans disdain to dwell" indicates that the things most highly valued by society may not always be the best guide or indicator of the direction we want to seek). The Wade-Giles romanization, Tao Te Ching, dates back to early English transliterations in the late 19th century, and many people continue using it, especially for words and phrases that have become well-established in English. Here are my 25 favorite quotes / passages: The Tao Te Ching, also known as Lao Tzu or Laozi, is a Chinese classic text traditionally credited to the 6th-century BC sage Laozi. Not only does this continue the "macrocosm-microcosm" theme which can be shown to be an absolutely fundamental aspect of virtually all the world's esoteric sacred texts and traditions (including the texts of the Old and New Testament), and not only does the concept of the "hidden divinity" have important connections to the concept of "Namaste and Amen" discussed in numerous previous posts (which also connects to the scriptures of the Bible, as well as to important themes present in ancient Egyptian sacred mythology), but it is very likely that these passages which Professor Mair here focuses upon also contain powerful echoes with the text of the extraordinarily important "Vision of Ezekiel" and the "wheels within wheels," which I have discussed at length as being a metaphorical description of an understanding of the motions of the celestial machinery -- the same understanding which is depicted in the models of the heavens known as armillary spheres. to its accomplishments it lays no claims. 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