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Tao Te Ching
THE TAOISM OF LAO TZU
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Tao Te Ching
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The Book
The Taoism of Lao Tzu Explained. The great Taoist philosophy classic by Lao Tzu translated, and each of the 81 chapters extensively commented. Click the image to see the book at Amazon (paid link). |
Tao Te ChingBe Still
In his stream of wisdom, Lao Tzu also occasionally enjoys playing with words. He does so in the very first lines of the Tao Te Ching, where Tao is used as both a noun and a verb. In this chapter, the joke is the ruler in the second line compared to the last line.
In the former, the principle of stillness is the ruler of haste, whereas in the last line the ruler who is lost in haste is a human one, neglecting himself and his domain.
It's a high-brow kind of humor, one would say, but Lao Tzu might have giggled putting it together. The book has several examples of the same kind of humor, a play with words that creates double meanings – both of them profound. That's what many poets can't resist doing.
To be heavy is shouldering one's responsibilities and holding one's ground. Stillness is acting with caution and well prepared. This is important for anyone to understand, but particularly for a ruler, since the consequences of neglect would be much direr.
We have just learned, in chapter 25, that the king is one of the four greats, so he has to behave like one. Power means responsibility and responsibility means care. The ruler has the most in his care, so he has to be the most careful.
Being heavy and still, a ruler does not eagerly spring into action, but waits until it is time, and then does just what is called for. Nothing more.
Eagerness to act tends to create more problems than it solves.
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Tao Te Ching Explained
Preface
Introduction
Literature
translated and explained by Stefan Stenudd.
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Tao Te Ching Explained
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My Taoism BooksClick the image to see the book at Amazon (paid link).
The Taoism of Lao Tzu Explained. The great Taoist philosophy classic by Lao Tzu translated, and each of the 81 chapters extensively commented. |
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