老子 英语简介

On Non-contention (不争的哲学)
▪ A: An view of “overcoming the strong by being weak.” (以柔克刚) “Winning a war without fighting it.” (不战而 屈人之兵) From Sunzi (孙子，strategist)
Laozi (老子) or Laodan (老聃) Name: 李耳 He was said to be a recluse (隐居者) once holding a low civil position in royal court in charge of archival records.
道可道，非常道； 名可名，非常名。 无名天地之始， 有名万物之母。 故常无，欲以观其妙； 常有，欲以观其徼。 此两者，同出而异名， 同谓之玄。玄之又玄，
Βιβλιοθήκη Baidu
speculation on the giant tree
---《中国文化英文教程》Page 15
▪ A carpenter went with his apprentice to the State of Qi. On the way they came across a giant tree by the local temple for the deity of the earth. Its trunk was several dozen meters thick and as tall as a mountain. Its branches could provide shade to several thousand cattle. While people thronged to worship the super tree, the carpenter passed it without taking a look. The apprentice, however, was fascinated. After carefully studying the tree, he ran to catch up with his master and asked, “Ever since I became your apprentice, I have never seen such fine wood. But you just kept walking with even looking at it. Why?” The master replied, “That tree produces useless wood. If you made a boat out of it, the boat would sink. If you made a coffin out of it, the coffin would soon rot. If you made utensils out of it, they would wear out quickly. Its wood is of no use at tall. That is why this tree has been able to live so long.”
Laozi’s Perception of Life: --- inter-changeable 反者道之动
▪ 1. inter-changeable poles of force: nameless changes
“天下皆知美之为美，斯恶已；皆知善之为善，斯 不善已。故有无相生，难易相成，长短相形，高 下相倾，音声相和，前后相随。”
▪ 2. Reflection on Dao (Change) “玄德深矣远矣，与物反矣，然后乃至大顺。”
“独立而不改，周行而不殆”
Laozi’s Life Philosophy (attitude):
Non-action and Non-contention
▪ 1. the highest life standard: naturalness On following Dao (师法自然) Act through non-action (无为而无不为)
众妙之门。
▪ First and Core inquiry of Taoism: Nature -- a comprehensive world view ( a simplistic materialism perception 朴素唯物观)
▪ Dao is the supreme and highest rule of existence (Nature) --- beyond human language (非常道)
B: Speculation on water 子曰：知者乐水；仁者乐山。知者动；仁者静。 知者乐；仁者寿。
On Returning to a New-born State ( 回到”婴儿“状态 )
▪ A new-born state doesn’t mean wanting to remain childishly ignorant; it is free of knowledge, desire, impurity or falsehood. The grow-up of human is accompanied with lose of pure minds and true self. It is a departure from true self. You are suggested to combat bloated desires.
▪ Components of each individual natural existence: yin (阴) and yang (阳)
▪ Manipulation of balance within each individual existence: air (气) --- presumed gas flowing within each individual to manipulate the balance of two poles.
▪ 人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然
自然（universe）
imperceptible formless infinity
--- stratums in the universe
Metaphysical Dao 道(形而上学)
天 (heaven)
地 (earth) 人 (human beings)
▪ Second inquiry of Taoism: specific individual existence (name) --- name, if they do have, is imposed. (非常名)
▪ The origin of nature: formless infinity --mystery (玄mysterious), a changeable balance (妙subtlety，徼 boundary and limit)
▪ 2. “Great ingenuity appears to be stupidity.” (大巧若拙、大智若愚)： The highest level of ingenuity is far from name and is nameless; it arises out of an absolute naturalness. Great ingenuity is not an ordinary ingenuity, instead it is an ingenuity of naturalness, a heavenly source.
For non-action, he did not mean that one should do nothing and passively wait for something to be achieved. He also did not deny human creativity. He held it true that human enterprises ( 进取心 ) should be built on the basis of naturalness. Don’t interrupt the rhythm of nature. Human creativity should be in compliance with the ways of nature.
道生一，一生二，二生三，三 生万物。 万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。
▪ A structural micro-perception of individual existence : 一，the unvarying start of universe, 即混元，太一 Taichi （天地未分混沌 之元气也）---《淮南子·诠言》