Contemporary textual analysis of the received text points to the existence of several redactional layers. Sima Qian had recounted a legend in which Laozi, weary of living and heading westward in search of wisdom, penned down his philosophy at the request of the "Keeper of the Pass" (i.e., frontier guard). Some scholars have questioned Sima Qian's attribution of the authorship of the Daode Jing to Laozi, as there is no mention of an author in all extant versions of the Daode Jing. Scholars are divided as to the historicity of Sima Qian's account of the alleged encounter between Laozi and confucius at the Zhou court, in which Laozi berated Confucius for his arrogance and lack of understanding many scholars have attributed that account to subsequent anti –Confucian polemics of the Daoists. Apparently, he worked as an archivist at the Zhou imperial court, before leaving in disillusionment and making his way westward in search of wisdom. According to him, Laozi's family name was Li, his supposed given name was Er Dan (Erh Tan, in English "long ears," probably a reference to the traditional Chinese symbol of wisdom and longevity rather than a reference to the sage's real name). What little is known about his life comes from the account of his supposed life in the Shiji ( Shi Chi, "Records of the Historian"), written by the Chinese historian Sima Qian (Ssu –ma Ch'ien) around 100 b.c. The idea is to explore and learn the correct way, or the better way, to live and to conduct our personal affairs.In English, "Venerable Master" or "Old Master." An honorific title for a mysterious Chinese philosopher and Daoist (Taoist) sage, supposed author of the Daode Jing (Tao Te Ching in English: "The Classic of The Way and Virtue"), venerated as the deity known as Taishang laojun (Tai-shang Lao-Ch ün, in English "Highest Venerable Lord") or Huanglao jun (Huang Lao-Ch ün, in English "Yellow Venerable Lord") by the adherents of Daoism (Taoism), lived apparently in the period circa 500 –400 b.c. Many Christians and atheists alike freely explore the concepts of Taoism and add whatever they think is useful to their own beliefs. In that context, there are no deities or descriptions of the hereafter. However, in this web site we concentrate on the philosophical aspect, which can be compatible with other religions. “Good” exists in the world so long as “bad” exists as well. Something can only be big if there is something else that is small by comparison. Lao Tzu pointed out that all qualities in the world possess meaning only by the existence of their opposites, or their complements. Arrogance and egotism come from ignorance - knowing a little bit and assuming you know a lot. The more you learn, the more you realize there’s still so much more to learn. This is the key to insights as opposed to knowledge, and the difference between living the Tao and reading about it. To transcend that limit, we need to fully engage the intuition. There is a limit to what we can understand through rationality and reasoning. Logic has its place in human affairs, but it isn’t everything. If we learn to simplify our lives, we can experience a profound satisfaction that is infinitely more meaningful than the rewards of the material world. Human beings create a lot of trouble for themselves by making everything more complex than they need to be. The basis for our reality and existence is elemental and uncomplicated. True virtue is a state where such actions flow forth naturally, requiring no conscious effort and no need of external approval. So often we perform virtuous deeds hoping to receive praise or recognition, but that’s actually no virtue at all. This magic is possible, indeed inevitable, when one is in tune with the Tao and acts without attachments. On the other end of the spectrum, the truly wise don’t seem to do much at all, and yet achieve whatever they want. The foolish expend a great deal of energy and time trying to do everything, and end up achieving nothing. The Tao ideal is to solve problems through peaceful means whenever possible. Lao Tzu noted that violence and conflict, no matter how minimal or tightly controlled, could not help but cause negative side effects. Some of Lao Tzu’s most significant teachings are as follows: In our study of the Tao, our source material is the Tao Te Ching (pronounced “Dao De Jing”) written by the ancient sage Lao Tzu. In order to understand it, reasoning alone will not suffice. The workings of Tao are vast and often beyond human comprehension. Tao (pronounced “dao”) means literally “the path” or “the way.” It is a universal principle that underlies everything from the creation of galaxies to the interaction of human beings.
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