Download Lao Tzu v Confucianism

Lao Tzu
By Vickie Chao
For a long time, from the 11th century B.C.
to 771 B.C., China was like a federated state
with the Zhou dynasty being the predominant
player. In the early days of this dynasty, things
were great. Its first few rulers were
compassionate and fair. Under their leadership,
the society was prosperous and peaceful. But
unfortunately, the good days did not last forever.
By the time that the 12th king, Zhou Youwang,
ascended the throne in 781 B.C., the Zhou
dynasty was already in turmoil. To make matters
worse, Zhou Youwang had absolutely no interest in governing. All he
cared about was having fun. Some time during his reign, probably
around 779 B.C., he met a beautiful girl named Baosi and fell in love
with her right away. To indulge her, he abdicated his queen and gave
the title to her. This promotion, which made the couple's son the new
heirs apparent, certainly pleased the young girl, but she still looked
rather gloomy and hardly smiled. Hoping to see her laugh, Zhou
Youwang thought to play a prank on his vassals by lighting up all the
beacons. When the vassals saw the fires, they quickly prepared their
troops and rushed to the designated meeting place for rescue. As they
all arrived in haste, they looked disheveled and out of breath. Seeing
how confused the soldiers were, Baosi finally broke a smile. Several
years later, in 771 B.C., a western tribe invaded the Zhou dynasty. To
raise the alarm, Zhou Youwang lit up the beacons once again. But no
vassals came. They all thought it was a joke. In the end, Zhou
Youwang was killed. And Baosi disappeared without a trace. After
that disaster, Zhou Pingwang moved the administration to a new
location and re-established the Zhou dynasty. Historians called the era
before the invasion the Western Zhou dynasty and the era after that the
Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 B.C. - 256 B.C.)
form of government. Among the top contenders, Lao Tzu (also spelled
as Laozi) was probably the most obscure figure. Yet, his dogma has
had a profound impact on the ways the Chinese people think and
behave. And his book, Tao Te Ching, has never gone out of print!
1
The Eastern Zhou dynasty was a very important period in Chinese
history. Because China was deeply divided at the time, there were
many competing schools of thought. Each had its own theory and ideal
Lao Tzu was said to be from the state of Chu. His real name was Li
Erh. According to legends, he was a contemporary of Confucius,
China's greatest teacher and most celebrated philosopher. He worked
as a record-keeper in the Imperial Library of the Eastern Zhou dynasty.
One day, he came to realize that the kingdom was on the decline.
Hoping to extract himself from the mess, he quit his job and embarked
on a voyage to the West. At the Hangu Pass, the guard there
recognized that this passenger was no ordinary person and begged him
to leave behind some words of wisdom. With that request in mind, Lao
Tzu wrote the famous Tao Te Ching. This short treatise (about 5,000
words) consisted of 2 sections and 81 chapters. The first section was
called "Tao" which literally means "the way." The second part was
called "Te" or virtue. Put together, the title can be translated to The
Book of the Way and its Virtue. Supposedly, after Lao Tzu finished
this thin volume, he crossed the pass and was never seen or heard
again!
3
Lao Tzu believed that the universe has an inherent order ("Tao" or
"the way"). It is best to follow it, not to challenge it. He advocated
"wu-wei," meaning "non-action," and had this to say:
4
Not over-praising the worthy prevents contention.
Not over-emphasizing the valuable goods prevents theft.
Not over-displaying the beautiful prevents desire.
The sage should govern people by emptying their minds, filling
their stomachs, weakening their
ambitions, and strengthening their bodies.
If people lack knowledge and desire then they cannot act.
If no action is taken then everything falls into its place and
harmony remains.
(Chapter 3)
2
There is a mystery before the universe was born.
It is silent, empty, solitary, and unchanging.
It is infinite and eternally present.
It is the mother of the universe.
I do not know its name, but I call it "Tao."
If I have to find a word to describe it, I will say it is limitless.
Because "Tao" is limitless, it would flow through all things and
eventually return to the origin.
"Tao" is limitless, the universe is limitless, the earth is limitless,
and man is limitless.
Given that man is only one of the four great powers, man must
follow earth,
earth follows the universe, the universe follows "Tao," and "Tao"
follows itself.
(Chapter 25)
Since the very beginning, many people were drawn to Lao Tzu and
his philosophy. During the Eastern Han dynasty (25 A.D. - 220 A.D.),
a man by the name of Zhang Ling founded his own religion which
would eventually become known as Taoism (or Daoism). Though the
teachings of Taoism do not necessarily coincide with Lao Tzu's ideals,
its pilgrims always hold Lao Tzu in the highest esteem and regard him
as one of their most important gods. Today, Taoism is still a thriving
faith in Asia.
5
All things considered, Lao Tzu is definitely an instrumental figure
in Chinese history. As a way to show their deepest respect, Chinese do
not refer to him by his birth name (Li Erh). Rather, they came up with
the term Lao Tzu, which literally means Master Lao or Old Master.
Given that Lao Tzu's surname was Li, one may wonder why Chinese
do not simply call him Master Li as they have done for Confucius
("Master Kong") and many other famous thinkers. It is said that Lao
Tzu spent 81 years in his mother's womb. When he was finally born
(from his mother's left armpit), he had the appearance of an old man.
Such strangeness was how Lao Tzu got the nickname. Needless to say,
this tale is untrue, but it certainly serves its purpose of giving Lao Tzu
a mysterious flair. Yet, at the same time, it also casts doubts about his
6
actual existence. Some scholars believe that Lao Tzu was an imaginary
figure and did not pen Tao Te Ching. That theory may have its merit.
But just like everything else about Lao Tzu, we simply can neither
prove nor disprove it.
Confucius
In the long history of China, there is one
dominant school of thought that Chinese have
followed closely for more than 2,000 years. That
school of thought was established by Confucius
(551 B.C. - 479 B.C.), the most respected
teacher and philosopher in China.
Confucius was born during an era of chaos.
At the time, the emperor of the Eastern Zhou dynasty became a mere
figurehead. He did not have full control of the country. Instead, he was
like a puppet domineered by hundreds of warlords. These military
powerhouses spilt China into smaller states and fought among
themselves endlessly. The on-going wars put the society in disarray.
Moral values were low. Divides between rich and poor were wide.
And crime rates were high. Historians call this chaotic time the Spring
and Autumn Period (770 B.C. - 476 B.C.)
2
It was against this backdrop that Confucius formed his philosophy
and set out to publicize it.
3
Confucius believed "ren" ( ) is the highest attainable level in
ethics that people must strive to achieve. The word "ren" means
"benevolence," "humanity," or "kindness" in Chinese. To practice
"ren," Confucius encouraged his followers to love others, to honor
one's parents, to adore one's siblings, and to do what is right. He had
extensive conversations with his students on this topic. One time, a
4
disciple asked if there is a word a person can use as a rule of conduct;
Confucius replied, "Reciprocity." He then explained, "What you do not
want done to yourself, do not do to others." This seemingly simple
verse underlies the core meaning of "ren."
Throughout Confucius' lifetime, he was looking for an opportunity
to put his theories to the test. He first tried as a civil servant. But that
did not really work out. Most of the positions Confucius held were
minor, low-ranking ones. Then a big break came when he was in his
fifties. Confucius was promoted to be the Minister of Crime in his
home state, Lu. He introduced many reforms. He carried out justice
fairly. And he managed to lower the crime rate. Unfortunately, that
success was short-lived. Quickly, the ruler of Lu lost interest in
governing. He began to spend more of his time playing around.
Confucius tried to counsel the ruler of Lu, but his advice was ignored.
Frustrated, Confucius resigned from the post and left the state of Lu.
5
Accompanied by his disciples, Confucius traveled from one state
to another to advocate his philosophy. The wandering led to no fruitful
result. He never came across another opportunity to put his theories to
the test. After being on the road for 14 years (some said 13 years),
Confucius returned to his home state. He dedicated the rest of his life
to teaching and editing historical texts. Confucius was a kind teacher.
He taught everybody with the same enthusiasm. He selected five
ancient Chinese literatures for his students to study. He called the
collection the "Five Classics." Confucius died at the age of 72.
6
After Confucius passed away, his students published a book
recording their master's wisdom and ideology. That book became
known as Lun Yu or Analects.
7
Though Confucius never got to realize his ideas in full swing
during his lifetime, his philosophy turned mainstream 200 years later.
The emperor from the Western Han dynasty (206 B.C. - 8 A.D.)
canonized Confucianism (Confucian's school of thought) as the
8
official doctrine. Ever since then, Confucianism has become the
standard of ethics. Lun Yu has become the must-read book.
Many people think Confucianism is a religion. They are wrong.
Confucianism is actually a set of behavioral and moral guidelines. Its
ultimate goal is to make people understand, embrace, and practice
"ren."
9
Confucius is a very important figure in Chinese history. To bestow
him the deepest respect, Chinese don't refer to Confucius by his birth
name, Kong Qiu. Instead, they call him Kong Zi or Kong Fu Zi,
meaning "Master Kong" in Chinese. That reverent title later took on a
Latin form and became known as Confucius to people living outside of
China.
10
1. What period was Confucius from?
2. China was not a unified country during
the time Confucius lived. There were
The Summer and Winter Period
hundreds of warlords dividing China into
The Summer and Autumn Period
smaller states.
The Spring and Autumn Period
False
The Spring and Summer Period
True
3. What is Confucius' birth name?
Confucius
Kong Fu Zi
Kong Zi
Kong Qiu
4. Which of the following is not a meaning
of "ren"?
Benevolence
Humanity
Selfish
Kind
5. Confucius never saw his ideology being 6. Confucius wrote the book Lun Yu (or
adopted as the official doctrine during his
Analects) to advocate his philosophy.
lifetime.
False
False
True
True
7. Which dynasty was the first to canonize
Confucianism as the official doctrine?
The Ming dynasty
The Western Han dynasty
The Eastern Han dynasty
The Tang dynasty
8. What was Confucius' last political
position before he left to travel around
China?
The Minister of Defense
The Minister of Crime
The Minister of Finance
The Minister of Internal Affairs
1. Which dynasty was Lao Tzu from?
The Western Han dynasty
The Eastern Zhou dynasty
The Western Zhou dynasty
The Eastern Han dynasty
2. Which of the following about Lao Tzu is
true?
Lao Tzu was the founder of the
religion Taoism.
Lao Tzu's real name was Li Erh.
Lao Tzu and Confucius came
from two different eras.
It was said that Lao Tzu wrote
Tao Te Ching before he quit his job.
3. According to Tao Te Ching, what must
men follow?
The universe
Earth
Tao
Himself
4. According to legends, how old was Lao
Tzu when he was born?
81
10
70
36
5. What does Tao mean?
The way
Virtue
Non-action
Old
6.
7. Which of the following about Tao Te
Ching is not true?
Lao Tzu was the alleged author
of the book.
It consists of two sections, Tao
and Te.
Supposedly, Zhang Ling wrote
the book and published it under his
penname, Lao Tzu.
It has a total of 81 chapters.
8. According to Tao Te Ching, what should
a sage do in terms of governing?
Inspire his people to be
ambitious.
Make his people not hungry.
Make his people knowledgeable.
Encourage his people not to
exercise or toughen up their bodies.
9. According to legends, from where was
Lao Tzu born?
His mother's left armpit
His mother's forehead
His mother's right arm
His mother's left calf
Which of the following about Zhou
Youwang is true?
He was the last ruler of the
Western Zhou dynasty.
He was the first ruler of the
Eastern Zhou dynasty.
He abdicated Baosi in 779 B.C.
and made another woman his queen.
He was a compassionate and fair
ruler.