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Lao-Tzu’s quotes on adversity
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) regarded religion, first and foremost, as a form of consolation from adversity. People do not want to face the hard facts of life and prefer to believe that their suffering will be compensated in the afterlife. I do not agree with Nietzsche but I think that his criticism is…
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The effortlessness of Taoism
Westerners find it incomprehensible that Taoism doesn’t call for specific rituals, ceremonies or observances. It doesn’t even call for a specific lifestyle or external sign. Furthermore, there is no uniform to wear and no church to visit on Sundays. However, Taoist practitioners can easily identify each other by their behaviour. When they see how others…
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Beware of Lao-Tzu’s paradoxes
I wish I could rate Lao-Tzu as a perfect philosopher, but we have centuries of experience which shows mixed results. I will not contest the great achievements of the ancient Taoists, but I cannot close my eyes to their mistakes. Newcomers to Taoism should be made aware of those errors and how to amend them.…
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Warnings about Taoism
I think that everybody should know the negative aspects of religions and philosophies before considering adopting them. It is easy to get acquainted with the benefits, but relatively few people will speak openly about the drawbacks. Let me speak out my mind about the drawbacks of Taoism, after having studied it for a long time…
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Taoism: the lessons from Lao-Tzu
Amongst the three ancient Taoists masters, Lao-Tzu was the most poetic and the most cryptic. He deserves credit for having created a system of thought that does not resemble any earlier religion or philosophy, but also deserves condemnation for his scant explanations. According to tradition, Lao-Tzu lived in the 6th century BC, but there is…
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Lao-Tzu’s quotes on personal growth
Since the popularisation of existentialism by Albert Camus (1913-1960) and Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), philosophy has focused on the human condition. Thousands of volumes have been written on what it means to be human, the stress derived from self-consciousness, the difficulties in achieving happiness and how to make the best of one’s life. Strangely enough, existentialists…
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Lao-Tzu’s quotes on success
There is no historical evidence that Lao-Tzu was materially deprived and, in ancient Taoist writings, I fail to see any praise for poverty, prolonged fasting, or renunciation to pleasure. The Taoist preference for a simple lifestyle does not imply poverty, let alone self-sacrifice for the benefit of a higher goal. Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu confirmed the…
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Lao-Tzu’s quotes on happiness
Readers may be surprised to learn that Lao-Tzu did not care about happiness. Neither did Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu. Their philosophy aims at doing what needs to be done in every case, on the assumption that good actions will breed a good outcome and that happiness will ensure as a side effect. For this reason, I…
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Meaning of Taoism and the Tao Te Ching
Reason is the meeting point of Eastern and Western thought, philosophy and wisdom. That’s why their best ideas resemble each other, and the worst remain cryptic to the uninitiated. The best wisdom from Buddha, Krishna, Lao-Tzu, and Jesus shows commonalities because it is all based on rationality. What makes Taoism a distinct philosophy, different from…
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Investments and the Taoist mindset
When it comes to investing, people always make the same mistakes. In the last twenty centuries, we can see the patterns of error and delusion emerge once and again. There is little change except in the fashions of the day. In Ancient Rome, aristocrats would speculate in agriculture, mining, real estate, and shipping ventures. In…
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Recent Posts
- Lao-Tzu’s quotes on adversity
- The effortlessness of Taoism
- Beware of Lao-Tzu’s paradoxes
- Warnings about Taoism
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