Filosofía de vida!

Đọc lần thứ hai sau khi đã đọc " Lão Tử tinh hoa " của Nguyễn Duy Cần thì thấy không thích bằng lần đọc đầu tiên. Nhân sinh quan của NDC là Lão Trang còn nhân sinh quan của Nguyễn Hiến Lê là Khổng giáo. Viết về học thuyết của Lão Tử, NDC dùng cảm nhận, trực giác, sự đồng cảm; còn NHL cố gắng dùng lý trí và suy luận. Có lẽ vì vậy mà đọc sách của NDC cảm thấy có phần thích thú hơn. Tuy nhiên NHL lại khách quan và công bằng hơn NDC. Ngoài phần nhận xét cuối sách rằng " Khổng và Lão tuy hai mà một, đối nghịch mà bổ sung cho nhau, Khổng học là con sâu mà Lão học là con bướm..." ra thì trong sách khá nhiều lần NDC nêu ra những ý kiến có phần chê bai Khổng Tử. NHL ở phần kết sách có viết đại ý rằng: dùng đầu óc lý trí, suy luận để chê bai Lão học là điều rất dễ và rất nhiều người đã làm, nhưng liệu như vậy có thực sự là hiểu Lão Tử hay không khi ông nhiều lần nói rằng Đạo chỉ có thể cảm nhận bằng trực giác, " đồng thanh tương ứng, đồng khí tương cầu " chứ không thể truyền dạy được, không thể hiểu được bằng lời nói hay lý luận, và đọc sách cốt là chỉ để nắm lấy ý thôi, đừng có phân tích, bẻ từng chữ từng lời. " Có lời là vì ý, được ý hãy quên lời ".

" Biết thì không nói, nói là không biết" - Lão Tử
" Trời có nói gì đâu ? Bốn mùa qua lại, vạn vật sinh trưởng. Trời có nói gì đâu ? " - Khổng Tử

To be fair, I was looking for a book on zen koans, but having stumbled upon a version of Tao Te Ching by Ursula K. Le Guin I just couldn't resist. It's a charming interpretation and commentary of the great classical text; probably as good as any other version of the work which is both obscure and sharp, highly theoretical and so obviously pragmatic. It's a good place to start if you're new to taoism, but might be even more appreciated by those who already have some dust of the Way on their soles: besides being incredibly poetic, the book also references and gives examples of other translations and tips for future reading.

n  

"Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power."

n

كتاب بديع.

The Tao Te Ching is a book that cannot be read directly. Unfortunately, I have little experience reading books indirectly, so I found this a difficult book to read, end even more difficult to discern what was being said by the author.
A friend told me that he thought Heraclitus, the Greek pre-Socratic philosopher, was somewhat like Lao Tzu. Heraclitus said "you can't step in the same river twice". He believed that reality was a flux composed of a unity of opposites. I suppose it is possible to consider Lao Tzu's "the way" in this manner and see it as a unifying force. I liken it to the ancient Greek notion of substance that underlies all things but does not have a separate existence.

The Tao te Ching seems to suggest action is good, except when inaction is required; that it is good to experience things with an open mind, but do not become too attached to one way of looking at reality for it may suddenly be going in the other direction. In other words, it is difficult to determine exactly what this book is saying, especially when it suggests that words cannot describe the way; thus the way is not that which is called by that name (don't worry - I don't know what that means either).

The best thing about the Tao te Ching is that the act of reading it stirs your mind, gets you thinking about deep questions and others. That alone makes it worth the effort, even though it may take a lifetime to make some progress toward answers.

Perhaps it is appropriate to turn to a twentieth century poet and thinker for some Tao-like advice. Here is a stanza from "Burnt Norton"

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.
I can only say, there we have been: but I cannot say where.
And I cannot say, how long, for that is to place it in time.

T. S. Eliot, FOUR QUARTETS

A fascinating piece of Chinese Religious Scripture. Thank you for this Lao-tzu! Whether his writings are in fact Divine Revelation or not has no sway over how beautiful and enlightening they are. Here are some of my fave verses:

“Misery!— happiness is to be found by its side! Happiness!— misery lurks beneath it! Who knows what either will come to in the end?”

“There was something undefined and complete, coming into existence before Heaven and Earth. How still it was and formless, standing alone, and undergoing no change, reaching everywhere and in no danger (of being exhausted)! It may be regarded as the Mother of all things.”

“Man takes his law from the Earth; the Earth takes its law from Heaven; Heaven takes its law from the Tao. The law of the Tao is its being what it is.”

“A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.”

I’ve had this book for years and only now found the inkling to have a look. It is very slim and can be read quickly, although as all poetry, it takes time to properly ingest...

Lao Tzu seems to like 'twisting' words from noun to verb and vice versa. In that fashion, I was reminded of one of my favourite poems from Emily Dickinson (Much Madness is divinest Sense - 620) and William Blake. These are however quite different and not just because they date back to the dawn of ages. Mind blowing really when you consider this.

Some of the poems spoke to me more than others, some I agreed with, some I didn’t, but I can definitely see myself re-reading this volume every few years to see if my perception changes.

Profound, Reflection-provoking piece of ancient text, studded with natural imagery and lyricism. The message has lots of similarities with the Gita. Some parts were obscure and contradicting though, so planning to read a guidance text soon.

The secret of happy life according to Tao Te Ching completely contradicts our current way of life in the globalized world:

Chapter 80
Small countries with few people are best.
Give them all of the things they want,
and they will see that they do not need them.
Teach them that death is a serious thing,
and to be content to never leave their homes.
Even though they have plenty
of horses, wagons and boats,
they won't feel that they need to use them.
Even if they have weapons and shields,
they will keep them out of sight.
Let people enjoy the simple technologies,
let them enjoy their food,
let them make their own clothes,
let them be content with their own homes,
and delight in the customs that they cherish.
Although the next country is close enough
that they can hear their roosters crowing and dogs barking,
they are content never to visit each other
all of the days of their life.

...and on true wisdom:

Chapter 81
True words do not sound beautiful;
beautiful sounding words are not true.
Wise men don't need to debate;
men who need to debate are not wise.
Wise men are not scholars,
and scholars are not wise.
(...)

This is a beautiful book best taken in small doses like homeotherapy. Let the sagacity seep into your soul over time and enjoy the peaceful feeling this book gives you. A must for trying to understand the Middle Kingdom (China not Middle Earth you crazy millennial!) and for relaxation there are few books more adequate than this one.

This is an amazing book to read through out our lives, over and over again.
While I was intensively studying Qi Gong I got to know this book in different translations and versions. This one is not just very good but also very beautiful because of all the wonderful illustrations / paintings and calligraphy.

For those who would like to read it, I would advise first to read something about TAO and about Lao Tzu, so that you are a bit "in the context".

There is no description possible about the teachings of this book.

56
"Those who know don't talk.
Those who talk don't know.

Close your mouth,
block off your senses,
blunt your sharpness,
untie your knots,
soften your glare,
settle your dust.
This is the primal identity.

Be like the Tao.
It can't be approached or withdrawn from,
benefited or harmed,
honoured or brought into disgrace.
It gives itself up continually.
That is why it endures."

گاهی اوقات لازمه که کمی از زندگی هامون فاصله بگیریم و اندکی دورتر بایستیم تا دید بهتر و بازتری نسبت به شرایط و مسائلی که در اطرافمون می گذره داشته باشیم

بعضی وقت ها بهترین کار اینه که از دور و در سکوت شاهد و نظاره گر جریان زندگی مون باشیم. اینکه هر از گاهی مثل یه تماشاچی سینما، به صندلی مون تکیه بزنیم و زندگیمون رو درست مثل یک بیننده و از روی پرده ی سینما تماشا کنیم. وقتی یاد می گیریم که چطور سکوت کنیم و یک نظاره گر خاموش باشیم، وقتی یاد می گیریم که چطور احساسات و قضاوت هامون رو کنترل کنیم و دست از گله و شکایت کردن هامون برمیداریم، اون لحظه ست که می فهمیم زندگی همین تحمل دشواری ها و در عین حال لذت بردن از لحظه های کوچک و ناپایداری از "آرامشه". اون لحظه ست که یاد می گیریم وجود یک انسان وقتی بزرگ تر و عمیق تر می شه که تجربه ها و اتفاقات سخت تر و بیشتری را پشت سر گذاشته باشه، وگرنه که همیشه زندگی کردن در "نقطه ی امن" مون چیزی کمتر از مرده بودن نیست

کتاب "تائو ت چینگ" یکی از اون کتاب های دوست داشتنی و دلچسبی بود که شیوه ی "درست زندگی کردن رو " به ساده ترین و زیباترین شکل ممکن توضیح داده بود. اون حس سکون و آرامشی که در تمام طول کتاب حضور داشت رو واقعا دوست داشتم. و چقدر آموزنده و ارزشمند بود نوشته های این فرزانه ی چینی

زندگي را همان گونه كه هست جشن بگيريد
وقتي درك كنيد که هيچ كاستي و نقصي وجود ندارد
كل دنيا متعلق به شما خواهد بود