Choose one excerpt from the Tao Te Ching (use the handout, not your book) which you found thought-provoking. Discuss the excerpt, explaining its meaning and what you liked/disliked about it. Be sure to cite the excerpt number in your response.
Due: Tuesday, November 9. Write a minimum of 6 sentences. PROOFREAD!!!
Excerpt number 29 of the Tao Te Ching is in my opinion a thought-provoking part. It's about how people can't control the world according to how if you do try, you don't succeed. I liked the excerpt’s meaning as well as its way of contradicting things. However, after awhile the contradicting became redundant and annoying after too long. The last line reads "So the sage will be neither extravagant nor violent." I believe this last line has a significant meaning. The sage is a person who follows Taoism and a Taoist should never be extravagant or violent, so they should be somewhere in between the two. Though, I don't think extravagant and violent are opposites so I may be wrong on the last part.
ReplyDeleteI think that excerpt number 45 of the Tao Te Ching is thought-provoking. I think that the entire excerpt contradicts itself because in the first lines it says, “great perfection seems incomplete, but does not decay.” So it means that even the greatest accomplishments seem imperfect, but yet it is still useful. I believe that the second set of lines means that the greatest things in the world are the exact opposite. I like the last set of lines because it’s saying how in the end everything equals out and I agree with it. For example, sometimes you’re just having a bad day and other times you’re having the most amazing days you’ve ever had, so they even out with each other. Then in the last line, it states, “so calm and quiet overcome the world,” and it means that the ideal way the live in the world is with peace.
ReplyDeleteExcerpt 73 in the Tao Te Ching I thought that this excerpt was very interesting. It means that if you leave the world alone, and you don’t try to be brave and change it, you will benefit. It seems to me that the Taoist people are very relaxed about everything. If you believe in Taoism and you follow this excerpt from the Tao Te Ching. Then when you see a baby in a burning house you are not to be brave and save that baby you’re supposed to let it die. This excerpt is the reason I could never be Taoist.
ReplyDeleteI think that the 45th excerpt of the Tao Te Ching is the most thuoght provoking because of the many contradictions throughout it. They cause the reader to have to put thought into the meaning of the words that have been written. "Great abundance seems empty" which I think means that even though ssomebody could horde up a large amount of something, once you have so much, the rest becomes excess and valueless. The second set I believe is saying that all great things are not always as great as we view them as. After a time, being so smart makes other view you as stupid because you will always know the answers and do well when others can't. In the very last set of lines, I think it means that these things will change in time, and whne they do, the world will be at peace.
ReplyDeleteExcerpt number 6 has caught my attention. I thought it was short but got to the point. This quote was touching to me because it’s comparing the experiences we have to the world by using rivers. From what I’ve understood experience is never ending. We go through life dealing with so many experiences. Life is a mystery. You have to experience the things of the world to learn about life and make decisions. Life throws us opportunities and we have to experience them to understand the world. In the excerpt it says the river will never run dry. That is because you will always have to live through new experiences.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion excerpt 76 is very easy to understand, yet you still have to think to get its meaning. The whole excerpt is talking about the beauty of life and the sadness of death, but you must except both. They are both equal in their power and they are both beautiful in their own way. I liked that it gave the difference of life and death by comparing it to a newborn and a crone. I really didn't dislike anything. I thought it made perfect sense. I thought that this was a very good excerpt to choose because it was easy to read and easy to understand with some thought.
ReplyDeletedukefan04
ReplyDeleteI think that excerpt number 45 is the most thought provoking. To me, the whole excerpt is saying two different things. I thinks that it's saying that nothing is ever perfect. I agree with what mosth of this excerpt is saying. I just don't agree with when it says "Great cleverness seems stupid". I dont't see how cleverness can be stupid.
Excerpt 6 is much thought provoking because it is talking about how every experience shapes us and our lives. It shapes us by turning and shifting our “riverbed”.The excerpt is stating that the experiences happen from the moment we are born on ward and most of the time we do not realize we are having them. What I like about this is that it makes you think about how these experiences are the basis of most everything but yet we are unaware of how they come about.”The source is hidden, forever flowing”.(6) Our experiences happen every moment of everyday no matter the significance.
ReplyDeleteNumber 29 of the Tao Te Ching provides interesting thought. It basically means that people aren't in control of the world, no matter how they try. It seemed to be saying how Buddhists and Confucianists try to control the world they're in, while Taoists just let it go naturally. the contradicting was good, but soon became boring. The last line seems to be saying something important, as it says "So the sage will be neither extravagant nor violent." I think its saying that the sage is a person who follows Taoism, and that they are neutral, not good or bad.
ReplyDeleteI believe excerpt 73 is the most thought-provoking. This excerpt has a very interesting meaning. It means that fate is something that just attacks us, but our lives still revolve around it. It's very important to realize that this is true. As stated in the excerpt, "It does not ask, yet all things answer to it". I like this one because it makes alot of sence to me. I believe that our lives depend on decisions we make and paths we follow, so reading this was definitely interesting.
ReplyDeleteI thought that excerpt 29 was the most thought-provoking. To me, this excerpt means anyone that tries to change the world will not suceed. " The world is shaped by the Way" means that the world is shaped by Taoism. You cannot shape the world yourself. Only Taoism can form the world. I liked this excerpt because it was easy to understand and it made sense. At the end of the excerpt, it is saying that Taoist people cannot be extravagant or violent.
ReplyDeleteThe most mind-provoking excerpt to me is number 73. I believe this excerpt means that fate cannot be changed. No matter how brave and bold you are fate is unchangeable. But if you are brave and subtle you will learn to better deal with fate because you know and realize that you cannot escape it. I like this because it's explaining how the subtle people are the ones that really benefit and not the bold people. The bold people will always fall because they are trying to change their fate unlike the subtle people who overcome it.
ReplyDeleteWorm1212:
ReplyDeleteI think excerpt 45 is thought-provoking. I think the whole excerpt is contradicting. For example, the first lines talk about perfection not being good enough, while still being important at the same time. The second stanza talks about if you are too clever, or too truthful, then it will seem like you are the exact opposite of what you really are. The final stanza explains how everything balances out in the end and that being calm and not causing chaos will ultimately make you more peacuful. I agree with the last stanza, that being calm will make you happier as a person.
In my eyes excerpt number 45 in Tao Te Ching is thought-provoking. An example of this being true is In the very beginning when is says " Great perfection seems incomplete , but foes not decay". That means something that is completly needed and great may be seen as not an importance as it truley is. It says "great cleverness seems stupid". That is stating each others oppisites. Another great example is "So calm and quiet overcome the world" is the last line. That means theres no other way to live peacefully without living calm and to yourself.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, excert number 29 is very thought provoking. It is stating that you do will not succeed in what you want to do. Also that the world has a natural law saying this is who you are and you can not break that. I like that it tries to tell people not to go against the flow of life. On the other hand i do not like that you can not really choose who you would like to be. All in all it shows that the world has a plan and those trying to go against it will not truly live life to the fullest
ReplyDeletehungry hungry hippo