Ancient Chinese Philosophy Tao Te Ching
TAO TE CHING “The Ancient Masters were profound and subtle. ... ” The teachings from the book, Tao Te Ching helped influence both the social and moral aspects of the Chinese way of life. The teachings have provided hope and inspiration for the Chinese people. In ancient China, the people were self-providing farmers who lived exclusively off the land. ... The Chinese thought that the causes of crime were soldiers and wanderers. ... Some of the most well known sages were; Mencius, Mo Tzu, Confucius, and Lao Tzu, the author of Tao Te Ching. ... His teachings were present in the Chinese government for many years, until the belief in Tao. A sage named Lao Tzu created the Tao religion. ... The only thing we do know about Lao Tzu is that he wrote the book, TAO TE CHING, and created a thought revolution. His reference to the eternal force he called Tao, gave people inspiration, and a new method of thinking. Lao Tzu described Tao as, “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. ... ” and later went on to say, “The Tao is infinite, eternal. ... The creation of Yin and Yang derived from the belief of Tao. Tao is not only tangible things, but also what cannot be comprehended. ... Tao proposed a new thought pattern for the Chinese people.