The Author of Tao Te Ching Is a Genius

Tao Te Ching is becoming the top religion (or principals?) in my list. I agree with most of what this book is saying and I like the part that it doesn’t have this specific role model that looks down at you. I would still need to analyze and evaluate it carefully before giving an opinion about this book though.

So, I would like to observe some pieces that got my attention.

Let me begin with a line from chapter 34, “It does not show greatness. And is therefore truly great.” Well, the line reminded me of this saying in Japan. Which goes like the following,

“Intelligent hawks hide their nails.”

It more or less means that the ‘the truly great ones don’t show their greatness.’ I think it is part of the culture of being conservative. (However, I also think that this saying shows the good side of being conservative. I mean, being conservative is not always good.) As you might have noticed, I do like the line from chapter 34 just as I like the saying. I think the more you try to show how great you are, the more you would look fake. Off course there are exceptions such as performance arts. But in general I think it is so true.

Another line that got stuck in my head was from chapter 44 that goes, “Gain or loss: Which is more painful?” I never realized how ‘painful’ it is to gain something until I was asked which one is more painful. Well, let me assess the terms gain and loss. Gaining something automatically means loosing something. For example, learning the academics intensely means loosing time to do other things than studying. (Whether or not it is worth using the time.) Or gaining opportunity and loosing friendship. However, loosing something doesn’t necessary need to mean gaining something too. This means if you gain something it will result zero. However, if you loose something it will result negative one. Or would it? When you loose something, does it mean it is because you have gained something? Does that mean that they are the same thing? I will say that gaining and loosing is not a matter of comparison for now.

Dear Tao Te Ching.

Tao Te Ching is revealing its religious side of it. Its strong characteristic of seeking for a specific superiority. We can clearly see this from chapter 21, “The greatest Virtue is to follow Tao and Tao alone.” In the Bible it is God, in Bhagavad-Gita it is Lord Krishna. Why do men seek for a specific superior existence? Why can’t they just do their best at all times? Is it because one can be more motivated if there is a specific goal in front of us? Or do the authors of these books write about such existence to make the readers more obedient? (Whether or not they exist or not)

Well, another question came up to my mind after reading Chapter 15, “Not seeking fulfillment, they are not swayed by desire for change.” But don’t you call ‘desire to change’ when you are seeking for this perfect Tao? Isn’t ‘desire’ the fuel to take an action of being detached? Or does this mean that in order to be ‘detached’ one needs to cut him self apart with any kind of desire? Personally, I think that’s not possible. As I said before, by trying to be like Tao you already have a desire. It may not be the same desire as wanting a material or wanting a love. But it is a boiling emotion.

Finally, I would like to share a line that made me think, which is from chapter 26, “To be restless is to lose one’s control.” This means, that in order to be in a ‘rest’ one needs to have a control of one’s self. Right? If that is true, I can interpreter that self-control is the way to become calmed. I should start doing this.

First Post of Tao Te Ching

I like what Tao Te Ching is saying about how things exist because of the existence of the opposite of it. It probably is this way because one of the ways people identify things is by comparing with others.
Well, I would like to share some of the axioms from this book reminded me with a discussion we did in class about good people.
For example, from chapter 3, “If nothing is done, then all will be well.” Think about it. Doing something for someone means that you are going in favor with that person. Going in a favor with a person automatically means going against another one. Therefore, if everyone doesn’t do anything for anyone, then there will be the so-called “peace”.
Now, if that is what I want or not is a different matter of fact. I personally think it will be boring if no one does something. I wish that things worth breaking that “peace” exists. And that I will be able to encounter with one. Even if it means I am running towards the opposite direction of illumination. I am not sure if I believe in it though.
Another axiom similar to the one mentioned above comes from chapter 7, “Through selfless action, he attains fulfillment.” In one word, I believe it is telling you to be detached. It sounds so similar to what Lord Krishna said from Bhagavad-Gita. Be detached and complete your duties. I think I am still young to be able to consider this as a possible way of becoming a better self. Because I totally don’t understand how one can say that you took whatever action you took because it was your duty. I do not understand how you can put your reasons for your own actions to something beyond your reach. I mean, it just sounds an excuse to whatever thing you are doing.
But please be aware that this is only a way of thinking of a student who still doesn’t know that many things. And I am very sorry for my immature and not responsible comments I have made in my response. I do apologize if this has offended someone somehow.

Creationism VS Revolution Theory

By all means, E.K. Hornbeck is guilty for teaching the revolutionary theory about humans because it goes against the Butler Act, a law that states no public teachers should teach any kind of theory that contradicts the explanation written in the Bible. This law especially refers to the revolutionary theory of humans stated by Charles Darwin. However, his punishment shouldn’t be a grave punishment because of several reasons.


First of all, the theory of human evolution doesn’t totally go against the bible as Henry Drummond said. From Genesis 1: 3-5,

“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

we can see that God created Day and Night on the first day. However, He does not specify how long the “day” is. This means, one day might have not being the 24 hours we think it would, but it might represent 10 million years. Do you see where we are getting at? Creationism and the Theory of Revolution can coexist in the terms of time.


Furthermore, it was God who gave us the ability to think. He has made us specially to rule over the world He has created according to Genesis 1: 26,

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

God has given us the right to think. The right to put some logical thoughts to the events happening in our surroundings. Why would E.K. Hornbeck need to be severely punished for using the right God has given to him, to us. Additionally how does Harrison Brady know what is right or wrong?

Science has widened our view. We need to balance modern and traditional in order to have a better quality. We need to keep the old, good traditions but also incorporate the new, great facilities. It’s like mixing blue and red to come up with a even beautiful color, violet.

Goodbye Confucius.

The Master talks more about what a Good person should do which will make them good leader. The book often uses the term common people and scholars. And describes how people like them, scholars, affect the common people. This might be because intellectuals had more power in the politics at the time of Confucius.
Well, one of the lessons of Master that drove my attention is in chapter 17:8,

“The Master said, ‘Zilu! Have you heard about the six (virtuous) words and their six corresponding vices?’
Zilu replied, ‘I have not.’
‘Sit! I will tell you about them.
‘Loving Goodness without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of foolishness. Loving wisdom without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of deviance. Loving trustworthiness without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of harmful rigidity. Loving uptightness without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of intolerance. Loving courage without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of unruliness: Loving resoluteness without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of willfulness.’

The key terms here are “learn” and “balance”. Surprisingly, balance is a word I have always ended up with whenever I thought of something. For example, the balance between giving up and accepting; working and playing; sharing and reserving; dreaming and being realistic; etc. Even good things needs to be balanced. According to Confucius it is learning which balances out things. Maybe it is because the knowledge one wants to learn is infinite just like rain. However, I believe learning is not only factor that balances out things. I think the opposite of it, it’s what balances out things. Black and white, fire and water, good and bad. One can identify dark because there is light. One can identify good because there is bad. And so-on. This happens because comparing is one of the most common ways to recognize things, I think. I mean, think about it. Heroes wouldn’t exist if there is no bad.


Another quote I liked is from chapter 15: 28, “The Master said, ‘When the multitude hates a person, you must examine them and judge for yourself. The same holds true for someone whom the multitude love.’” What Master wants to say here, is that never get influenced by what the others say. This is a hard thing to do. Or at least for me it is. And I think it is one of those lessons that sounds so obvious and easy, but hard to do. Such as “trust yourself.” Or “make your words into action.” (Actually, they don’t sound that easy.) Well, anyways I like most of things Master mentions. However, I sometimes doubt if that’s because they are similar to my culture. Or because I really do like what Confucius is saying, without any pre-culture influence.

When There Is Will, The Way Will Be Found

After reading some more chapters from the book of Confucius Analects, I realized how each chapter is more or less independent. Well, obviously one needs to read the whole book to understand more in depth about what Confucius wanted to saying. But each chapter explains certain thing and is understandable without reading other chapters. One of the lines that got my attention is from chapter 7:8,

“The Master said, ‘I will not open the door for a mind that is not already striving to understand, nor will I provide words to a tongue that is not already struggling to speak. If I hold up one corner of a problem, and the student cannot come back to me with the other three, I will not attempt to instruct him again.”

It may sound harsh what the Master is saying. However, I believe that his toughness can train his disciplines very well. I mean, masters exists to teach but students also need to do something to be prepared for whatever lesson the master would give. The students need to be willing to do their job that will get them ready. And I think the Master is talking about does preparations that are part of the learner’s job.

Another part I like is from chapter 7:30, “The Master said, ‘Is Goodness really so far away? If I simply desire Goodness, I will find that it is already here.’” It reminded me of this quote from Ishmael that said something like, “the way will be found if there is will.”

What is Good?

The definition of a “good person” is a theme that can be discuss about for hours. And yet, not come up with a conclusion that everyone can agree with. Well, also in the book of Confucius the definition of “good” is discussed. For example in chapter 4:6,

“The Master said, ‘I have yet to meet a person who truly loved Goodness or hated a lack of Goodness. One who truly loved Goodness could not be surpassed, while on who truly hated a lack of Goodness would at least be able to act in a Good fashion, as he would not tolerate that which is not Good being associated with his person.’
‘Is there a person who can, for the space of a single day, simply devote his efforts to Goodness? I have never met anyone whose strength was insufficient for this task. Perhaps such a person exists, but I have yet to meet him.’ “

Actually, this part of the chapter is not talking about the definition of goodness but about humans’ influence on each other. I think what the first part is saying is similar to the saying that goes like, “revenge only produces more revenge.” A negative feeling will never be able to produce anything positive. But positive attitudes have all sorts of possibilities.
What I have interpreted from the second part of this chapter is; what is important is the continuation of whatever thing you are doing. I mean, Master is saying that everyone can start doing a thing. But it is an ability, to finish the thing you are doing. I personally think that this is hard. This continuation requires patience for a long time. And patience for a long time is one of my weak points I need to overcome.


As a closure, I would like to talk about this metaphor used in the analects which I liked. It comes form chapter 6: 17, “The Master said, ‘Who is able to leave a room without going out through the door? How is it, then, that no one follows this Way?’” It shows how Master thinks that the “way” is something so easy to do and hard to not do. It seems that the “way” is the door to the room, which probably represents something similar to heaven in the bible and illumination in Buddhism.