The Book of the Simple Way of Laotze: A New Translation from the Text of the Tao-teh-king |
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Common terms and phrases
acts ambition ancestor-worship ancient Arjuna attained body breathing Buddha Buddhism called cause celestial chapter Charity and Duty China Chinese Chuang-Tze civilisation Confucianism Confucius conquers corrupt cosmogenesis danger death desire discernment divine doctrine Elohim endures essence essential esteemed eternal everything evident evil existence expression fear filled follow fourth age fruits of action gentleness give heart Heaven and Earth Hebrew Hindu philosophy honour human humility India intelligence Kabalists king Kwan-yin Laotze says little child living means merit mind Moksha Nature never non-action Non-Existent obscurity Old Philosopher one's neighbour oneself original simplicity perfect possession preservation quipu reason recognised reform regard rest revert rightly root rulers Sage Sanskrit says Laotze sense Shintoism soul speaking Spirit spiritual evolution strive Supreme Tao of Heaven Taoism teaching of Laotze things thought true Truth unity universal valley universe virtuous wealth Whoever Whosoever wisdom wise Yoga
Popular passages
Page 171 - He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.
Page 9 - I am that which began; Out of me the years roll; Out of me God and man; I am equal and Whole; God changes, and man, and the form of them bodily; I am the soul.
Page 11 - ... their rations of chestnuts that each monkey was to have three in the morning and four at night. But at this the monkeys were very angry, so the keeper said they might have four in the morning and three at night, with which arrangement they were all well pleased. The actual number of the chestnuts remained the same, but there was an adaptation to the likes and dislikes of those concerned." Such is the principle of putting oneself into subjective relation with externals.
Page 8 - To Tao, the zenith is not high, nor the nadir low ; no point in time is long ago, nor by lapse of ages has it grown old.
Page 15 - Mosquitoes will keep a man awake all night with their biting. And just in the same way this talk of charity and duty to one's neighbour drives me nearly crazy. Sir ! strive to keep the world to its own original simplicity.
Page 19 - God. Your life is not your own; it is the delegated harmony of God. Your individuality is not your own; it is the delegated adaptability of God. Your posterity is not your own; it is the delegated exuviae of God. You move, but know not how. You are at rest, but know not why. You taste, but know not the cause. These are the operations of God's laws. How then should you get Tao to have it for your own ? " l We may now turn to the work in hand, the Tao-teh-king of Laotze.
Page 11 - Nevertheless, when one is born, the other dies. When one is possible, the other is impossible. When one is affirmative the other is negative. Which being the case, the true sage rejects all distinctions of this and that. He takes his refuge in GOD, and places himself in subjective relation with all things.
Page 79 - He is wise who knows others. He who knows himself is enlightened. He is strong who conquers others. He who conquers himself is mighty." To point the analogy here would be superfluous and this is equally true in the case of Lao-tze's teaching of lowliness and humility: "He who having known the light remains in obscurity, will become a universal model. He who knowing glory, at the same time continues in humility, will be a universal...
Page 107 - For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and they shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Page 19 - There can be little doubt that any translation from the Chinese is capable of extreme flexibility and licence, of which, indeed, the translator must avail himself if he would rightly render the spirit rather than the letter of the text; and the spirit, after all, is the essential thing, if we follow the teaching of Laotze. It is safe to say that the more literal the translation may be the more obscure is its meaning. This is due to the difference of construction in the two languages, and the great...