The Tao Te Ching And The Taoist View On Government

Tao Te Ching view on government:

When a superior man hears of the Tao,
he immediately begins to embody it.
When an average man hears of the Tao,
he retains some and loses some.
When a foolish man hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud at the very idea.
If it were not for that laugh,
it would not be the Tao.

Thus it is said:
the path into light seems dark,
the path forward seems like retreat,
the direct path seems empty,
the easy way seems hard,
true power seems weak,
true purity seems tarnished,
true steadfastness seems changeable,
true clarity seems obscure,
the greatest art seems unsophisticated,
the greatest love seems indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.

The Tao is hidden and nameless;
Yet it alone nourishes and brings all things to fulfillment.

When a country obtains great power,
it becomes like the sea:
all streams run downward into it.
The more power it grows,
the great the need for humility.
Humility means trusting the Tao,
thus never needing to be defensive.

A great nation is like a great man:
When he makes a mistake, he realizes it.
Having realized it, he admits it.
Having admitted it, he corrects it.
He considers those who point out his faults
as hi benevolent teachers.
He thinks of his enemy
as the shadow that he himself casts.

If a nation is centered in the Tao,
if it nourishes its own people
and doesn't meddle in the affairs of others,
it will be a light to all nations in the world

If a country is governed wisely,
its inhabitants will be content.
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.
There may be a few wagons and boats,
but these don't go anywhere.
There may be an arsenal of weapons,
but nobody ever uses them.
People enjoy their food,
take pleasure in being with their families and friends,
spend weekends working in their gardens,
delight in the doings of the neighborhood.
And even though the next country is so close
that the people can hear its roosters crowing and it's dogs barking,
they are content to die of old age
without ever having gone to see it.

There are lots of translations of the Tao Te Ching. Some are better than others. Here is one of the better ones:

Tao Te Ching

What is the Tao Te Ching:

The Tao Te Ching,[Note 1] Daodejing, Dao De Jing, or Daode jing (simplified Chinese: 道德经; traditional Chinese: 道德經; pinyin: Dàodéjīng), also simply referred to as the Laozi (Chinese: 老子; pinyin: Lǎozǐ),[1][2][Note 2] is a Chinese classic text. The text's true authorship and date of composition or compilation are still debated.[3] The oldest excavated portion dates back to the late 4th century BC,[1] but modern scholarship dates the bulk of the text as having been written, or at least compiled later than the earliest portions of the Zhuangzi.[4]

The Tao Te Ching, along with the Zhuangzi, is a fundamental text for both philosophical and religious Taoism, and strongly influenced other schools, such as Legalism, Confucianism, and Chinese Buddhism, which when first introduced into China was largely interpreted through the use of Daoist words and concepts. Many Chinese artists, including poets, painters, calligraphers, and even gardeners, have used the Daodejing as a source of inspiration. Its influence has also spread widely outside East Asia, and it is among the most translated works in world literature.[1]

The Chinese have a very wholesome view of philosophy and religion. Taoism is one the most profound subjects I've ever studied. I love it dearly.

a reply to: dfnj2015

When a foolish man hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud at the very idea.

When greedy, manipulative men hear of it they use it to fool everyone into thinking they are good. Thats why 'good seems like evil and evil appears good'.

Pretty soon nobody is sure about good or evil and adopts an anything goes approach. That way evil (now disguised as good) has free reign.

a reply to: intrptr


The One who knows does not type. The One who types does not know... (updated to reflect today's society, replacing "talk" with 'type'...)


namaste

Stay Hydrated...


Edit: One of the finest books relating to The Tao Te Ching was written by Dr. Wayne Dyer. In this book, Wayne defines the Tao in His words, a verse a day and also provides a task(s) in how to implement the Tao in Your everyday Life...

www.hayhouse.com...

a reply to: JimNasium

Hi Gym!

'We' Know.

Edit: I see your edit now. I prefer to go to the source, from within.

It lights our path.

A man goes posting
On ATS
Thousands of replies

originally posted by: Argentbenign
A man goes posting
On ATS
Thousands of replies

Yet no one listens.

a reply to: dfnj2015

im diggin' this tao te ching thing. a lot of it seems contradictory but there is truth in the contradiction.

a reply to: dfnj2015

Uh, o.k., I'm sure its an interesting study. But.......honestly, in a post-religion, secular-humanist atheistic country like the US, I don't see that it has much relevance. And considering the low-IQ of most US politicians, they'd never get it and in fact, in the hands of someone like Maxine Waters or Sheila Jackson Lee, it could be downright dangerous!

it seems that not everyone understands what this tao te ching deal is driving at. maybe i can illuminate its passages.

When a superior man hears of the Tao,
he immediately begins to embody it.
When an average man hears of the Tao,
he retains some and loses some.
When a foolish man hears of the Tao,
he laughs out loud at the very idea.
If it were not for that laugh,
it would not be the Tao.

this passage basically means that an important virtue of philosophy is that philosophys capacity to be questioned and ridiculed. a philosophy that bears such criticism with good humor is a good philosophy as it is not afraid to be laughed at.

Thus it is said:
the path into light seems dark,
the path forward seems like retreat,
the direct path seems empty,
the easy way seems hard,
true power seems weak,
true purity seems tarnished,
true steadfastness seems changeable,
true clarity seems obscure,
the greatest art seems unsophisticated,
the greatest love seems indifferent,
the greatest wisdom seems childish.

this bit reminds me of the robert frost poem about the road less traveled. suffering begets joy and ignorance begets understanding, but only by recognizing the difference between cold and lack of heat. its a dualist perspective that appreciates contrast and how the 1 defines the 0 and by extension defines itself as well. the foe is a reflection of the hero.

When a country obtains great power,
it becomes like the sea:
all streams run downward into it.
The more power it grows,
the great the need for humility.
Humility means trusting the Tao,
thus never needing to be defensive.

with great power comes great responsibility. pretty self explanatory.

A great nation is like a great man:
When he makes a mistake, he realizes it.
Having realized it, he admits it.
Having admitted it, he corrects it.
He considers those who point out his faults
as hi benevolent teachers.
He thinks of his enemy
as the shadow that he himself casts.

again, the foe is a reflection of the hero. you know yourself by the enemies who rise against you and by the challenges you struggle with.

If a country is governed wisely,
its inhabitants will be content.
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.
There may be a few wagons and boats,
but these don't go anywhere.
There may be an arsenal of weapons,
but nobody ever uses them.
People enjoy their food,
take pleasure in being with their families and friends,
spend weekends working in their gardens,
delight in the doings of the neighborhood.
And even though the next country is so close
that the people can hear its roosters crowing and it's dogs barking,
they are content to die of old age
without ever having gone to see it.

an irish proverb comes to mind - "may you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live"

and a chinese proverb to go with it - "it is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war"

quiet preparation is the key to peace, and not wanting is the key to having.

i hope that clears up the tao te ching for some of you.

I read the Tao Te Ching with great joy, and saw Lao Tzu as a sort of proto-libertarian.

a reply to: dfnj2015

Hiya Dude-From-New-Jersey.

Thanks for bringing this timeless gem to the limelight.

From this vantage point: the Tao resonates.

originally posted by: Nothin
a reply to: dfnj2015

Hiya Dude-From-New-Jersey.

Thanks for bringing this timeless gem to the limelight.

From this vantage point: the Tao resonates.

Unlike many other religions, one the coolest things about Taoism is that it strengthens your convictions and faith rather than invalidate them. That in itself is worth respecting.

a reply to: dfnj2015


That is what ATS™ member (hehehehe "member") "Intrptr" so eloquently pointed out... Once that Tao does 'take over' and it certainly will if'n You read it and let it soak in, You find "TheCreator" ("God" in some circles..) is in YOU. It allows You to see "IT". Other religions™ (If a SigSauer™ was held to My melon and because ISIS™ gets all the latest coolest gear, like all those egg white Toyotas™, and they'd be the only ones who'd hold a gun to Your head, I'd put "Taoism" more under philosophy than religion™.) Other religions™ will show You the way* for a fee. (Interestingly, The Tao translates to "The Way"..) They also have someone read from TheBible™ and then You get their interpretation, so You get what 'PastorDave' thinks about 'it' and what He was told. So You get religion™ 3rd or 4th hand, yeah that makes sense...

I also suggest reading many different versions, some have been updated..

That Tao eliminates the "middle man".. It allows You to find "God" inside You and be able to see it in everyOne You meet. Your patience will increase and You'll no longer "want". The Tao teaches Us that once a 'want' is sated, it is quickly replaced by another 'want' and then You finally figure out that it is ridiculous busting Your ass for stuff and finding that it doesn't please You and You're not any happier. It also teaches Us the more 'stuff' You have, then You have to wash it, clean it, keep an eye on it, insure it, etc. etc. It straightens out the ol "Want vs. Need"...

Its the best thing ever...

Stay Hydrated...