Ancient Chinese Philosophy: Tao Te Ching

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Ancient Chinese Philosophy: Tao Te Ching

TAO TE CHING
“The Ancient Masters were profound and subtle. Their wisdom was unfathomable. There is no way to describe it; all we can describe is their appearance.”
“The best athlete wants his opponent at his best. The best general enters the mind of his enemy. The best businessman serves the communal food. The best leader follows the will of the people .”
The teachings from the book, Tao Te Ching helped influence both the social and moral aspects of the Chinese way of life. The teachings have provided hope, and inspiration for the Chinese people.
In ancient China, the people were self-providing farmers who lived exclusively off the land. They rarely took the time to intermingle with their neighbors, and the family stood independently. The people had little knowledge about the outside world and had no desire to learn. Far travel was avoided at all costs, due to the strong attachment to one’s own home. The people believed that, “No man could be full grown without his roots in his home .” The people referred to their homes as “tien, yuan, lu mo”, which meant fields, gardens, houses, graves. The Chinese thought that the causes of crime were soldiers and wanderers. They were considered evil beings for venturing away from they home.
The people believed that all things, living and un-living, had spirits in them. They felt that the spirits if disturbed, could drastically affect one’s life. They used amulets, spells, prayers, incantations, and special rites to ward of misfortune. This is a direction to a later Lao Tzu’s teaching stating, “Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place .” The home did not limit its members to the current living members; the dead and the future were also considered family.
Around 650BC, during the Chou Dynasty, the value of knowledge changed. Although communication between towns was still difficult, many Sages were in desire of knowledge. Some of the most well known sages were; Mencius, Mo Tzu, Confucius, and Lao Tzu, the author of Tao Te Ching.
Confucius wrote about the problems of man, and proposed many solutions. He also wrote about authority and respect, and proposed “submissiveness.” His works helped influence the way that government was run, and Confucius actively participated in government. His teachings were present in the Chinese government for many years, until the belief in Tao.
A sage named Lao Tzu created the Tao religion. Very little is known about Lao Tzu. Even the me...

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