lao tzu
Our Society is comprised of many different views and beliefs through various teachings. These teachings gave the world a different view on life and how we can live our life in peace. A good example of one of the teachings was the Tao-Te Ching. Lao-Tzu wrote the Tao-Te Ching, during the time in china of 551-479 B.C.E., which is better known as Taoism. The teaching of the “Tao” greatly emphasizes about good government and moral behavior in our everyday living.
Being a guideline for a better government, the Tao was a “handbook for politicians.” It gave spiritual enlightenment through his anecdotes and his meaning through poetry which gave the reader different views about what is being interpreted. For example, Lao-Tzu writes, “next best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised.” In this passage we can comprehend that in a government society “the best leader” is one who the people can love and respect. But if you do not have a leader you can love then you must have one that can be feared so that you respect his decisions and do not think about anything else. Finally, Lao-Tzu explains that the worst type of leader is one you despise because if you despise them then you will never believe in their decisions and actions that they make for the government.
As being a leader, the Tao expresses that in order to be a better country/society, we must throw away our materialistic ideas that cloud our mind and judgment. For example, Lao-Tzu explains “weapons are the tools of violence; all decent men detest them.” Through this passage, he explains that weapons are the materialistic ideas that we must give up in order to live a life of virtue. If you are a decent man then you would throw them away and not use them, this creates war and violence that in turn destroys the world. The Tao asks us to throw away all processions and live life naturally so that we can be virtuous and righteous in everything that we do.
Being a guideline for a better government, the Tao was a “handbook for politicians.” It gave spiritual enlightenment through his anecdotes and his meaning through poetry which gave the reader different views about what is being interpreted. For example, Lao-Tzu writes, “next best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised.” In this passage we can comprehend that in a government society “the best leader” is one who the people can love and respect. But if you do not have a leader you can love then you must have one that can be feared so that you respect his decisions and do not think about anything else. Finally, Lao-Tzu explains that the worst type of leader is one you despise because if you despise them then you will never believe in their decisions and actions that they make for the government.
As being a leader, the Tao expresses that in order to be a better country/society, we must throw away our materialistic ideas that cloud our mind and judgment. For example, Lao-Tzu explains “weapons are the tools of violence; all decent men detest them.” Through this passage, he explains that weapons are the materialistic ideas that we must give up in order to live a life of virtue. If you are a decent man then you would throw them away and not use them, this creates war and violence that in turn destroys the world. The Tao asks us to throw away all processions and live life naturally so that we can be virtuous and righteous in everything that we do.