` Lao Tse’ ~ and the ~ , Tao Te Ching.

1. `Lao Tse’~and the~,Tao Te Ching. ‘Even the finest teaching is not the Tao itself. ,Even the finest name is insufficient to define it. `Without words, the Tao can be experienced, and without a name, it can be known.

2. `Lao Tse’ a man or a myth? • Lao Tse wrote the ‘Tao Te Ching’one of the most important writings in eastern philosophy. • Many historians believe Lao Tse is a myththey believe the ‘Tao Te Ching’ was written by a collection of philosophers • The story goes he left society behind • to live in the mountains. One day he took his buffalo and headed for the uninhabited world. A soldier guarding the border asked him to write down his wisdom, so it would not get lost forever. • This became the ‘Tao Te Ching’ ‘Lao Tse on his buffalo’

3. ,Tao Te Ching. a book of riddles? • Translating the Chinese symbol language is very difficult there are hundreds of translations with, sometimes minute, sometimes great, differences • The texts contain many paradoxes and changes in tone • some pieces could be seen as satirical upon itself, while there remains a form of truth. Some presented views are very contradicting or paradox, leaving a ‘unspoken’ bit. • Heavy influence by ‘I Ching’ philosophy • ‘I Ching’ or ‘Book of Changes’ is a philosophy that tries to predict the future, to put it in brusque terms.

4. ‘Exaples of Tao, extracts and links • The ‘Tao Te Ching’ consists of 81 short texts • click to view some extracts Thank you for watching my presentation Yours Sincerely, Michiel van den Anker | IDEE | 1A Nature is complete because it does not serve itself. The sage places himself after and finds himself before, Ignores his desire and finds himself content. He is complete because he does not serve himself. Both praise and blame cause concern, For they bring people hope and fear.The object of hope and fear is the self - For, without self, to whom may fortune and disaster occur?Therefore,Who distinguishes himself from the world may be given the world,But who regards himself as the world may accept the world. Deal with the difficult while it is yet easy;Deal with the great while it is yet small; The difficult develops naturally from the easy, And the great from the small; So the sage, by dealing with the small,Achieves the great. Those who know don’t speak Those who speak don’t know Click for links… A site that contains many different translations The Wikipedia page on Tao