|
Tao Te Ching
THE TAOISM OF LAO TZU
|
The Book
Tao QuotesThe Ancient Wisdom of the Tao Te Ching by Lao TzuThe foremost Taoist classic is the Tao Te Ching, according to legend written by Lao Tzu far more than two thousand years ago. The Taoist philosophy of life and cosmology is presented in 81 chapters, often quoted in parts. In this book, 389 quotes are extracted from it, and sorted by 51 topics. Those 51 topics can be seen in the table of contents below. They are chosen to extract everything essential about Taoist philosophy, as its founder Lao Tzu expressed it. Actually, most of the Tao Te Ching text is included in the quotes. Each quote has a reference to the Tao Te Ching chapter it is taken from, so that the reader is able to check the context of it — and compare it to other translations. The book also contains an introduction about Lao Tzu and his text, as well as a chapter on the main themes of Taoism according to the Tao Te Ching.
How to get the bookIf you want to buy the book, you can do so at most Internet bookstores. Click the image below to see the book at Amazon (paid link). The link takes you to your local Amazon store (or to Amazon.com).
 
Facebook Page of Tao QuotesClick the header to visit the book's Facebook page.
Table of the Book's ContentsPreface 7Introduction 9 Tao Themes 14 Tao Quotes 27 Tao, the Mysterious Way 29 The Beginning 33 Unity with Tao 35 When Tao Is Lost 37 The Way of Nature 38 Leave the World Be 41 Malicious Knowledge 42 Know What You Don’t Know 43 Enlightening Ignorance 45 They Do Not Understand 46 Teacher and Student 47 Opposites Attract 48 Paradoxes 51 The Importance of Nothing 54 Non-Action 55 Careful Action 59 Prevention 62 Patience 65 Moderation 66 Modesty 70 Stay Where You Are 73 Lowering Oneself in Humility 74 Benevolence and Compassion 77 Desire 79 Wealth and Greed 81 Good and Bad 85 The Ancients 87 Nobility 88 Excellence 89 Role Model 91 Inadequate Virtue 92 Simplicity 93 Stillness 95 Silence 96 Harmony 97 Fear 98 Rituals 100 Unrest 101 You Get What You Give 102 The Female 103 Like a Child 105 Family 106 Yielding 107 Virtuous Ruling 110 Rules for Rulers 115 Longevity 119 Life and Death 121 Clarity 123 Substance 124 Functionality 125 War and Violence 126 Literature 131
Preface of the BookTaoism is not a religion. It’s all about here and now: how to live a pleasant life, without causing unnecessary commotion or distress. Tao, the Way, is a law of nature behind all of creation. Those who can harmonize with it will be at peace with existence.The oldest and major source to Taoism is Tao Te Ching (also spelled Dao De Jing), which translates to The Book on the Way and Virtue. It was written by the legendary Lao Tzu (Lao Zi) sometime during the 6th and the 4th century BC in China. The old classic still has a lot to teach us. Tao Te Ching consists of 81 chapters about the Way: its mystery, its cosmology, and what it teaches us about how to conduct our lives the wisest. In this book, 389 quotes from the 81 chapters are sorted according to their themes. That is not the case in the Tao Te Ching, where the chapters appear in an order that seems at least partly due to chance — or maybe the writer’s impulse, while composing the book. It’s also possible that the book is a collection of proverbs from different sources, done long ago by someone else than their original author or authors. I hope that by sorting quotes from the chapters into themes, it will be easier for the reader to examine Lao Tzu’s thoughts on different subjects. The Tao Te Ching chapters often return to certain topics, making similar or just slightly altered statements about them. When the Tao quotes are sorted according to themes, it’s possible to see the patterns of Lao Tzu’s thoughts more clearly and to explore them at depth. The translation of the Tao Te Ching chapters in this book is my own, mainly based on these Chinese versions: Wang Pi (Wang Bi in pinyin), the two manuscripts of Mawangdui, and that of Guodian. A great number of translations into Western languages, mostly but not only English, have also been consulted. For a fully commented translation of the Tao Te Ching with the chapters in their established order, please see my book Tao Te Ching. The Taoism of Lao Tzu Explained.
About CookiesMy Other Websites:I Ching OnlineThe 64 hexagrams of the Chinese classic I Ching and what they mean in divination. Try it online for free.
Qi Energy ExercisesThe ancient Chinese life energy qi (chi) explained, with simple instructions on how to exercise it.
Life EnergyThe many ancient and modern life force beliefs all over the world explained and compared.
Taoismen på svenska
Other Books by Stefan StenuddClick the image to see the book at Amazon (paid link).
The Greek philosophers and what they thought about cosmology, myth, and the gods. |
Tao Te Ching
Fake Lao Tzu Quotes
Cosmos of the Ancients
Qi — Increase Your Life Energy
Aikido Principles
Life Energy Encyclopedia
Archetypes of Mythology
Stefan Stenudd