老子英文介绍

According to Laozi, war springs from humanity’s bloated desires. Conflicts arises out of people’s struggles to satisfy their desires, and conflict escalates into war. Therefore, Laozi’s philosophy is based on “non-contention.” To him, human striving and competitive strife is the root of decline; desiring nothing is the natural way of life.
Returning to a Newborn State
★ Laozi saw the world as a madding crowd of vanity. He chose to live a simple, quite life, and to keep his mind undisturbed in the face of temptation. He said he would rather remain a “newborn baby.” ★The state of the newborn is free of any knowledge, desire, impurity or falsehood. (complete innocence)
Laozi/Classic of the Way and Virtue/Dao de jing
Classic of the Way and Virtue
★ 5,000 Chinese characters ★ 81 chapters ★ two parts, Dao (the way) and De (Virtue). It became the basis of Daoism, the school of philosophy parallel to Confucianism in Ancient China. The thought of Laozi formed the foundation of Daoism, the most influential indigenous school of religion in China.
★Nothing in the world is weaker than water when it comes to breaking something strong.天下莫柔弱于水， 而攻坚强者莫之能胜。 Water is a typical example of the weak winning over the strong. Water is invincible because it desires nothing and contends for nothing.
河南鹿邑太清宫
鹿邑还是中国第一大姓——李姓的发 源地，是全球李姓华人寻根问祖的胜地。 天下李姓，根在鹿邑。老子是李姓子孙 的先祖，据《李氏祖脉源流》记载李渊、 李世民认老子为先祖。鹿邑作为李姓的 发源地，充分利用这一优势，成立了中 国鹿邑李氏文化研究总会，撰写了《李 姓起源鹿邑》、《老子与李姓》等论文， 在全国多次获奖；拍摄了电视剧《李氏 春秋》；举办了海峡两岸李氏 宗亲恳亲会。
★ The greatest virtue is like water.
“上善若水”意为最高境界的善行就像 水的品性一样，泽被万物而不争名利。 上善：至善，最完美； 水：这里喻指与世无争的圣人。 达到尽善尽美的境界，就和圣人差不多。 水有滋养万物的德行，它使万物得到 它的利益，而不与万物发生矛盾、冲突， 故天下最大的善性莫如水。
★Name: Lao Dan, Lao Zi ★770——476BC, the Spring and Autumn Period ★Birth place: Luyi, （鹿邑） Henan Province ★Founder of Taoism
★曾做过周朝“守藏室之官”（管理 藏书的官员），是中国最伟大的哲学 家和思想家之一，被道教尊为教祖， 世界文化名人。 ★河南鹿邑太清宫位于李鹏总理 亲笔题写的“老子故里”河南省鹿 邑县城东十里太清宫镇，太清宫镇 有一座驰名中外的“太清宫”，这 里就是老子的诞生地，也是历朝历 代供奉祭祀老子的祠庙。
最高的善像水那样。水善于帮助万 物而不与万物相争。它停留在众人所 不喜欢的地方，所以接近于道。上善 的人居住要像水那样安于卑下，存心 要像水那样深沉，交友要像水那样相 亲，言语要像水那样真诚，为政要像 水那样有条有理，办事要像水那样无 所不能，行为要像水那样待机而动。 正因为他像水那样与万物无争，所以 才没有烦恼。
Great Ingenuity Appears to Be Stupidity 大巧若拙
This is the essence of " naturalness" and "non-action". "Great ingenuity " refers to the highest level of ingenuity, arising so naturally that it dos not resemble ingenuity at all. Ingenuity can be achieved through human effort, but "great ingenuity" is superior to ordinary ingenuity.
The Philosophy of Non-contention 无争
On the basis of “naturalness” and “non -action,” Laozi proposed the view of “overcoming the strong by being weak.” The era Laozi lived in was replete with endless wars. Therefore, war was an important theme for philosophers, and anti-war thinking was the norm.
★ Aware of the strong, one should remain weak. One should start with one’s own weak points, accumulating strength by keeping low, just as water does. Giving up the desire to flaunt one’s superiority is the basic way to prosperity. ★Remaining weak is not only the way to prosperity, but also the way to preserving life.
Many of Laozi’s enlightening views are based on his philosophy of naturalness (自然主义) and non-action（无为）.
Naturalness自然主义；顺其自然
It refers to a natural state of being, an attitude of following the way of nature. Laozi emphasized that everything in the world has its own way of being and developing: birds fly in the sky, fish swim in the water, flowers bloom and flowers fall. He admonished people to give up on any desires to control the world.
It has also exerted a direct impact on the characteristics, trends of thought and aesthetic sensibilities of the Chinese nation. Today Laozi still plays a role in the development of Chinese thinking. Laozi was first introduced into Europe possibly as early as the 15th century and has been one of the most translated philosophical works of ancient China.
Non-action无为
Dao or the Way acts through non-action. He did not mean that one should do nothing and passively wait for something to be achieved. Neither did he deny human creativity. What he meant is that human enterprises should be built on the basis of naturalness, not on any attempts to interrupt the rhythm of nature. Human creativity should be in compliance with the ways of nature.
Leabharlann Baidu
★ Waternourishes everything but nourishes everything but ★ Water contends for contends fornothing. nothing.水善利万物而不争。 水善利万物而不争。 老子的《道德经》第八章：“上善 若水。水善利万物而不争，处众人 之所恶，故几于道。居善地，心善 渊，与善仁，言善信，政善治，事 善能，动善时。夫唯不争，故无尤。”
When human beings come into the world, they gradually acquire external knowledge and accept social norms. Step by step, their originally pure minds become tainted with chaotic colors. As human mature, they become more and more hypocritical. The process of acculturation is the process of losing one’s true life.
To Laozi, resorting to deceit is true futility and would accomplish just the opposite result. Those who intend to play tricks are not genuine and therefore are not natural. Deceit is detrimental to naturalness and to the harmony of life.
1.Laozi 1.1 A Brief Introduction 1.2 His Hometown 2. Primary ideology 2.1 Naturalness and Non-action 2.2 The Philosophy of Non-contention 2.3 Returning to Newborn State 3. Cultural Heritage