The Tao Te Ching

Ngon Tran

John fielding

English 1A

25 August 2013

The Way

The Tao te Ching is a Chinese classic text. It was written in sixth century BC, by Laozi. The author was a philosopher of the very old china. The author has written the text with the short poems, natural imagery, and a gentle tone. Laozi has wanted to focus the principle of “Tao” with doing and undoing idea. The text teaches that people should live in a balanced life as well as a simple mind. The bad things such as war, sin, criminal, iniquitous are increase in every persons, every nations. That is why morality along with consciousness should be the most important things to focus on. We will analyze the author’s principle over simplicity, material item and goodness.
First, Laozi wrote the Tao te Ching to teach any individual to become a great master for their life. He conducts people to govern their ability, their soul. The most important is the concept of Laozi’s three treasures, which are: simplicity, patience, compassion “I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion” ( Chapter 67). The author states that power, possession, and ambition are hard to keep and maintain. The true and easy way to live is with tolerance, humility, and peace. For example, when I do something bad, I tend to be upset in my mind. Sometimes I do feel really bad. Then I figure out that, to prevent the bad feeling, all I need to do is try to do not do the bad thing in the first place.
Second, Laozi shows that material items are not truly valuable. Instead of chasing for material items, we should focus to bring good things to other. He shared the ideas from many vague situations through his experience. “Tao” is the universal way that will bring happiness and success to people who listen and learn its way. People should fill themselves with patience and empathy. The author said “When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad” (Chapter 2). The author shows that material items will never satisfy your soul. They will only lead to an empty soul and competition. For example, this is a story of my brother, Cong Tran. When my brother was at 9th grade, he asked my mother to buy for him a bicycle. He gave a lot of reasons to my mother to approve his idea. After Cong had the bicycle for a couple months, he tried to ask my mother to replace his bicycle with a new and modern one. The point is as soon as my brother has gotten the bicycle, Cong wanted the new one no matter how my mother had to work for it. Was my brother realizing that my mother had to work late for his bicycle? Maybe he will realize it until he has been had children. Cong should not ask for the new bicycle.
Third, the Tao te Ching tells that individuals should be live in balance. Every living being in the universe is an expression of Tao. Everything in the universe was born to have their duty. Things exist to prove for the opposition to each other, good things are opposite to bad things, sadness opposite to happiness; so the best way to control it is to let it be simple and balance. The author definitely wants to say that everything has their own meaning. Why would people count on each other to satisfy their greedy, envy? Then they create an opportunity for evil to grow up in their mind. Why they won’t live in simple, no cheating and no counting. “The Master sees things as they are, without trying to control tem. She lets them go their own way, and resides at the center of the circle” (Chapter 29). For examples: People work hard for a better life, they are too concentrating on the career but they don’t realize that it is slowly killing their relationship from one to other. When they got what they want, they tend to have an empty soul and loneliness. That is why Laozi wants us to live in balance to fulfill ours happiness with simplicity, patience. People must not interfere with the natural course of things.
In order to live well, Laozi explains that we should give up holiness, morality, profit and industry. We should create a world which is similar to the first society of mankind. It is a society with no law, no politics and no money. It is a society that people live without cheating on each other. After that, all the problem will be solve. There is no more war, no more envy and no more sadness. “Throw away holiness and wisdom and people will be a hundred times happier. Throw away morality and justice, and people will do the right thing.” (Chapter 19). All of the sins will make use live in unhappiness, unconfident. The author states that by living with the Tao, we will naturally become successful in lives, in handling our enemies. Laozi was successful guide people to a better life as many religions has taken his principle to develop their own belief. He was a truly master of the Tao.