Lao Tzu Page |
- Lao Tzu Work
Tao Te Ching Tao Te Ching
is the most famous and translated work from the Taoist inheritance. Its traditional author,
The first page of Tao Te Ching - (click picture to enlarge) |
According to tradition, the work originates in the 4-th. century BC, but recent
discoveries showed that it is no early than the 4-th. or 3-rd. century. The oldest existing copy is from 206 or 195 BC. Lao Tzu would have composed this work by the request of Yin Hsi, the Guardian of
the Mountain Pass, while he began his wandering towards West. It consists of 81 short chapters among which 37 form the first part, the Book of the Way (tao), and the next 44 form the Book of Te.
Its division in chapters is considered to be the result of the remarks of mysterious Heschang Gong (Han dynasty).
The philosophy of this work focused on the following The goal of the Taoist philosophy is, according to the scholars, to become one with tao, inwardly achieving the universal rule of the return to origins. But for this purpose
the aspirant has to achieve the emptiness (wu) and simplicity (p'u), and to practice the nondoing. In its second part, the work dwells on on the art of rule in accordance to tao.
However, we must not ignore the fact that Tao Te Ching is a composite work (although its unity is asserted or wished) which, the same way as The second part of the book is undoubtfully compiled by the Confucianists because it
dwells unlawfully much on the art of rule. The Taoist ethics wasn't interested in this aspect; moreover, its so-called philosophy, founded on an elementary dialectics, is
nothing more than the façade which hides the authentic Taoists elements, lost in confusion due to the successive and inconsistent versions and to the lack of understanding of the profane world.
Tao Te Ching resources
(English versions of full text)
->
-> Comments on Tao Te Ching
->
Lao Tzu Quotes
-> Lao Tzu
© Copyright 2009, Way of Perfect Emptiness. All rights reserved.
 |