#lieh tzu

[a-contemplative-soul]

It's indeed a interesting concept to think about, what society believes as the ideal life is not necessarily the absolute truth, since we don't have any clear proof that proves such a thing. I don't think having no ambition according to society standards equals passivity, it's actually the opposite, because you are not simply accepting anything as the truth, you are showing you know how to fight for your ideals.

Channel: Einzelgänger

Video: Why It's Ok to Be a Loser | Taoist Philosophy for the Unambitious, Failures and Nobodies

Year: 2024

[autonomoustweekazoid]

"...Stirner may well have been making a deeper joke here. I realized on my first reading of Byington’s translation of Stirner that there were many parallels between Stirner’s ideas and aspects of taoism and buddhism. Already, in 1906, Alexandra David-Neel compared Stirner’s ideas to those of the taoist Yang-Chou. Stirner emphasized the transience of each individual and rejected any crystallized, permanent “I” as much as any other permanent idea, seeing it as yet another phantasm. He saw getting beyond the limits of thought as a necessary part of living fully as one’s transient self here and now. He saw self-enjoyment as most fully achieved in self-forgetfulness. And in Stirner’s Critics, he spoke of the unique (der Einzige) in ways quite similar to those used to speak of the tao in the Tao Te Ching: “Stirner names the unique and says at the same time ‘names don’t name it.’ He utters a name when he names the unique, and adds that the unique is only a name. ... What Stirner says is a word, a thought, a concept; what he means is neither a word, nor a thought, nor a concept. What he says is not the meaning, and what he means cannot be said.”{16} Was Stirner aware of these similarities? I don’t know which of Hegel’s lectures Stirner attended while he was at the university in Berlin, but I have confirmed that Hegel gave lectures on Eastern philosophy. This indicates that buddhist, taoist, and other Eastern writings were available in Germany at the time. And I would like to think that Stirner read some of these and, as is appropriate for an egoistic self-creator, took what he found appealing and useful from these writings to enhance his own way of living and viewing the world."

Preface to the Unique and Its Property by Max Stirner,

Wolfi Landstreicher, 2017

The unnamable is the eternally real.

-Lao Tzu

[headlesssamurai]

“If a branch is too rigid, it will break. Resist, and you will perish. Know how to yield, and you will survive.”

― Liezi, Lieh-Tzu: A Taoist Guide to Practical Living

[mountain-sage]

Everything is connected. This connectedness is what is meant by the word 'Tao': the connectedness, the interconnectedness, the interdependence of all. Nobody is separate, hence ego is absurd. Only the whole can say 'I'; the parts should not say 'l'. If they have to say, they should say it only as a linguistic formality, but they should not claim the l'.

A sannyasin is a person who has learned the Way of Tao, and he says 'I am no more.

Only the whole is' By becoming nothing you become part of the whole.

This Tao, this merging with the whole, this disappearing into the cosmos, cannot be taught. You can learn it, but it cannot be taught. So Lieh Tzu and other Taoist Masters don't preach anything; they don't have anything to preach. They talk in parables. You can listen to the story, and if you really listen, something will burst open in you. So the whole thing depends on how you listen.

Lieh Tzu himself was with his Master for many years, just sitting silently, not doing anything, just learning to be silent, learning to be passive, learning to he receptive, learning to be feminine -- that is how one becomes a disciple. Let me tell you: there are no Masters, there are only disciples --because it cannot be taught, so how to say that there are Masters?

Buddha cannot teach you, Lieh Tzu cannot teach you, so why call them Masters? But if there is a disciple, he learns.

So a Master is not one who teaches you, a Master is one in whose presence you can learn.

Let the difference be known: a Master is not one who teaches you -- because there is nothing to teach. a Master is one in whose presence it is possible to learn.

Osho

[libertariantaoist]

https://www.libertariantaoist.com/?p=9336

DAILY SELECTIONS FROM LAO-TZU’S TAO TE CHING — NOVEMBER 23, 2023

“The valley spirit that doesn’t die we call the dark womb the dark womb’s mouth we call the source of Heaven and Earth as elusive as gossamer silk and yet it can’t be exhausted”

-Lao-tzu- (Taoteching, verse 6, translation by Red Pine)

THE SHANHAICHING says, “The Valley Spirit of Morning Light is a black and yellow, eight-footed, eight-tailed, eight-headed animal with a human face” (9). The Shanhaiching’s “valley spirit’ is the moon, which runs ahead of the sun during the last eight days of its thirty-day cycle, lags behind during the first eight days, and faces the sun during its eight days of glory. For the remaining days of the month, it’s too close to the sun to be visible. Like many other cultures, the ancient Chinese viewed the moon as the embodiment of the female element of creation.

WANG PI says, “The valley is what is in the middle, what contains nothing, no form, no shadow, no obstruction. It occupies the lowest point, remains motionless, and does not decay. All things depend on it for their development, but no one sees its shape.”

YEN FU says, “Because it is empty, we call it a ‘valley.’ Because there is no limit to its responsiveness, we call it a ‘spirit.’ Because it is inexhaustible, we say ‘it doesn’t die.’ These three are the virtues of the Tao.”

SU CH’E says, “A valley is empty but has form. A valley spirit is empty but has no form. What is empty and has no form is not alive. So how can it die? ‘Valley spirit’ refers to its virtue. ‘Dark womb’ refers to its capacity. This womb gives birth to the ten thousand things, and we call it ‘dark’ because we see it give birth but not how it gives birth.”

HSUEH HUI says, “The words Lao-tzu chooses are often determined by the demands of rhyme and should not be restricted to their primary meaning. Thus, p’in [female animal] can also be read p’in [womb].”

HO-SHANG KUNG says, “The valley is what nourishes. Those able to nourish their spirit do not die. ‘Spirit means the spirits of the five organs: the gall bladder, the heart, the kidneys, and the spleen. When these five are injured, the five spirits leave. ‘Dark’ refers to Heaven. In a person, this means the nose, which links us with Heaven. ‘Womb’ refers to Earth. In a person, this means the mouth, which links us with Earth. The breath that passes through our nose and mouth should be finer than gossamer silk and barely noticeable, as if it weren’t actually present. It should be relaxed and never strained or exhausted.”

WU CH’ENG says, “The empty valley is where spirits dwell, where breath isn’t exhausted. Who relaxes their breath increases their vitality. Who strains their breath soon expires.”

TE-CH’ING says, “Purposeful action leads to exhaustion. The Tao is empty and acts without purpose. Hence, it can’t be exhausted.”

SUNG CH’ANG-HSING says, “The valley spirit, the dark womb, the source of Heaven and Earth all act without acting. That we don’t see them doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”

LIU CHING says, “It’s like the silk of a silkworm or the web of a spider: hard to distinguish and hard to grab. But then, it isn’t Humankind who uses it. Only the spirit can use it.”

TU TAO-CHIEN says, “This verse also appears in Liehtzu: 1.1, where it is attributed to the Yellow Emperor instead of Lao-tzu. Lao-tzu frequently incorporates passages from ancient texts. We see their traces in ‘thus the sage proclaims’ or ‘hence the ancients say.’ Thus Confucius said, ‘I don’t create. I only relate’ [Lunyu: 7.1]”.

LIEH-TZU says, “What creates life is not itself alive” (Liehtzu: 1.1).

[canesenzafissadimora]

Alcune persone pensano di poter trovare soddisfazione nel buon cibo, nei bei vestiti, nella musica vivace e nel piacere sessuale. Tuttavia, quando hanno tutte queste cose, non sono soddisfatte. Si rendono conto che la felicità non è semplicemente saziare i propri bisogni materiali. Pertanto, la società ha istituito un sistema di “ricompense” che vanno oltre i beni materiali.

Queste includono titoli, riconoscimento sociale, status e potere politico, il tutto avvolto in un bel pacchetto chiamato “autorealizzazione”.

Attratti da questi premi e spinti dalla pressione sociale, le persone trascorrono la loro breve esistenza affaticando corpo e mente per inseguire tali obiettivi. Forse questo dà loro la sensazione di aver ottenuto qualcosa nella loro vita, ma in realtà hanno sacrificato molto nella vita.

Non possono più vedere, ascoltare, agire, sentire o pensare col loro cuore. Tutto ciò che fanno è regolato dal fatto che con le loro azioni possano ottenere guadagni sociali oppure no.

Alla fine, hanno passato la loro intera esistenza seguendo le richieste degli altri, senza aver mai vissuto una vita propria.

Quanto è diversa questa vita da quella di uno schiavo o di un prigioniero?

Lieh-tzu

[cashmerequillen]

When two things occur successively we call them cause and effect if we believe one event made the other one happen. If we think one event is the response to the other, we call it a reaction. If we feel that the two incidents are not related, we call it a mere coincidence. If we think someone deserved what happened, we call it retribution or reward, depending on whether the event was negative or positive for the recipient. If we cannot find a reason for the two events' occurring simultaneously or in close proximity, we call it an accident. Therefore, how we explain coincidences depends on how we see the world. Is everything connected, so that events create resonances like ripples across a net? Or do things merely co-occur and we give meaning to these co-occurrences based on our belief system? Lieh-tzu's answer: It's all in how you think. #AsYouWere https://www.instagram.com/p/CpRrWY1gpox/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[valsedelesruines]

Lieh Tzu, picnicking beside the road, saw a hundred-year-old skull. Lifting it from the weeds, he fingered it and said, 'Only you and I know not-yet-being-dead and not-yet-being-alive. Are you really grieving? Am I happy?

Chuang Tzu

[yhadsa]

Some people think they can find satisfaction in good food, fine clothes, lively music, and sexual pleasure. However, when they have all these things, they are not satisfied. They realize happiness is not simply having their material needs met. Thus, society has set up a system of rewards that go beyond material goods. These include titles, social recognition, status, and political power, all wrapped up in a package called self-fulfillment. Attracted by these prizes and goaded on by social pressure, people spend their short lives tiring body and mind to chase after these goals. Perhaps this gives them the feeling that they have achieved something in their lives, but in reality they have sacrificed a lot in life. They can no longer see, hear, act, feel, or think from their hearts. Everything they do is dictated by whether it can get them social gains. In the end, they've spent their lives following other people's demands and never lived a life of their own. How different is this from the life of a slave or a prisoner?

[scififanpl-blog]

"Halo Evolutions: Essential Tales of the Halo Universe: II" by Various Authors

“Halo Evolutions: Essential Tales of the Halo Universe: II” by Various Authors

Halo Evolutions: Essential Tales of the Halo Universe: 2 is a collection of short stories set in the beloved Halo universe. Like the first volume, this book features a diverse array of stories that explore various aspects of the Halo universe, including its characters, settings, and events. One of the standout features of this book is the high quality of the stories it contains. Each story is…

[forbidden-sorcery]

Having once come into life regard it and let it pass; mark its desires and wishes, and so wait death. When death comes, disregard it and let it come. Mark what it brings you, and be drifted away to annihilation.

Yang Chu, in the Lieh-tzu

[realtaoism]

"The very name Tao is only adopted for convenience sake... Tao is beyond material existence... it may be transmitted, but it cannot be received (possessed). It may be attained but cannot be seen. It exists prior to Heaven and Earth, and, indeed, for all eternity it is at the Zenith but is not high; it is beneath the Nadir, but it is not low. It is prior to Heaven and Earth, but is not ancient. It is older than the most ancient, but it is not old." "Tao cannot be heard. Heard it is not Tao. It cannot be seen. Seen it is not Tao." Of it Lieh Tzu wrote, That which engenders all things is itself unengendered; that by which all things are evolved is itself untouched by evolution. Self-engendered, self-evolved, it has in itself the elements of substance, appearance, wisdom, strength, dispersion and cessation. Yet it would be a mistake to call it by any of these names," for "Tao makes things what they are, but it is not itself a thing. Nothing can produce Tao, yet everything has Tao within it." Jean C Cooper https://www.instagram.com/p/CiDRiuQoo7H/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mountain-sage]

There are two types of people: one who talks about God, he is the theologian; one who talks God, he is the mystic. Lieh Tzu is a mystic.

The man who talks about God has not known God. Otherwise why should he 'talk about'? The 'about' shows his ignorance. When a man talks God he has experienced. Then God is not a theory to be proved, disproved no; then God is his very life: to be lived.

Osho

[libertariantaoist]

https://www.libertariantaoist.com/?p=9579

DAILY SELECTIONS FROM LAO-TZU’S TAO TE CHING — FEBRUARY 12, 2024

“The valley spirit that doesn’t die we call the dark womb the dark womb’s mouth we call the source of Heaven and Earth as elusive as gossamer silk and yet it can’t be exhausted”

-Lao-tzu- (Taoteching, verse 6, translation by Red Pine)

THE SHANHAICHING says, “The Valley Spirit of Morning Light is a black and yellow, eight-footed, eight-tailed, eight-headed animal with a human face” (9). The Shanhaiching’s “valley spirit’ is the moon, which runs ahead of the sun during the last eight days of its thirty-day cycle, lags behind during the first eight days, and faces the sun during its eight days of glory. For the remaining days of the month, it’s too close to the sun to be visible. Like many other cultures, the ancient Chinese viewed the moon as the embodiment of the female element of creation.

WANG PI says, “The valley is what is in the middle, what contains nothing, no form, no shadow, no obstruction. It occupies the lowest point, remains motionless, and does not decay. All things depend on it for their development, but no one sees its shape.”

YEN FU says, “Because it is empty, we call it a ‘valley.’ Because there is no limit to its responsiveness, we call it a ‘spirit.’ Because it is inexhaustible, we say ‘it doesn’t die.’ These three are the virtues of the Tao.”

SU CH’E says, “A valley is empty but has form. A valley spirit is empty but has no form. What is empty and has no form is not alive. So how can it die? ‘Valley spirit’ refers to its virtue. ‘Dark womb’ refers to its capacity. This womb gives birth to the ten thousand things, and we call it ‘dark’ because we see it give birth but not how it gives birth.”

HSUEH HUI says, “The words Lao-tzu chooses are often determined by the demands of rhyme and should not be restricted to their primary meaning. Thus, p’in [female animal] can also be read p’in [womb].”

HO-SHANG KUNG says, “The valley is what nourishes. Those able to nourish their spirit do not die. ‘Spirit means the spirits of the five organs: the gall bladder, the heart, the kidneys, and the spleen. When these five are injured, the five spirits leave. ‘Dark’ refers to Heaven. In a person, this means the nose, which links us with Heaven. ‘Womb’ refers to Earth. In a person, this means the mouth, which links us with Earth. The breath that passes through our nose and mouth should be finer than gossamer silk and barely noticeable, as if it weren’t actually present. It should be relaxed and never strained or exhausted.”

WU CH’ENG says, “The empty valley is where spirits dwell, where breath isn’t exhausted. Who relaxes their breath increases their vitality. Who strains their breath soon expires.”

TE-CH’ING says, “Purposeful action leads to exhaustion. The Tao is empty and acts without purpose. Hence, it can’t be exhausted.”

SUNG CH’ANG-HSING says, “The valley spirit, the dark womb, the source of Heaven and Earth all act without acting. That we don’t see them doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”

LIU CHING says, “It’s like the silk of a silkworm or the web of a spider: hard to distinguish and hard to grab. But then, it isn’t Humankind who uses it. Only the spirit can use it.”

TU TAO-CHIEN says, “This verse also appears in Liehtzu: 1.1, where it is attributed to the Yellow Emperor instead of Lao-tzu. Lao-tzu frequently incorporates passages from ancient texts. We see their traces in ‘thus the sage proclaims’ or ‘hence the ancients say.’ Thus Confucius said, ‘I don’t create. I only relate’ [Lunyu: 7.1]”.

LIEH-TZU says, “What creates life is not itself alive” (Liehtzu: 1.1).

[alittlebitoftruthcan]

The world moves in a wheel. The Sanskrit word for ‘the world’ is SAMSARA. Samsara means the wheel. The wheel is big: one circle is completed in twenty-five centuries. Twenty-five centuries before Pythagoras, Atlantis committed suicide—out of man’s own scientific growth. But without wisdom, scientific growth is dangerous. It is putting a sword in the hands of a child. Now twenty-five centuries have passed since Pythagoras. Again the world is in a chaos. Again the wheel has come to the same point—it always comes to the same point. It takes twenty-five centuries for this moment to happen. After each twenty-five centuries the world comes into a state of great chaos. Man becomes uprooted, starts feeling meaningless. All the values of life disappear. A great darkness surrounds. Sense of direction is lost. One simply feels accidental. There seems to be no purpose, no significance. Life seems to be just a by-product of chance. It seems existence does not care for you. It seems there is no life after death. It seems whatsoever you do is futile, routine, mechanical. All seems to be pointless. These times of chaos, disorder, can either be a great curse, as it happened in Atlantis, or they can prove a quantum leap in human growth. It depends on how we use them. It is only in such great times of chaos that great stars are born. Pythagoras was not alone. In Greece, Pythagoras and Heraclitus were born. In India, Buddha and Mahavira and many others. In China, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Confucius, Mencius, Lieh Tzu, and many more. In Iran, Zarathustra. In the brahmin tradition, many great Upanishadic seers. In the world of Judaism, Moses… All these people, these great Masters were born at a certain stage in human history—twenty-five centuries ago. Now we are again in a great chaos, and man’s fate will depend on what we do. Either we will destroy ourselves like the civilization that destroyed itself in Atlantis—the whole world will become a Hiroshima; we will be drowned in our own knowledge; in our own science we will commit suicide, a collective suicide. A few, a Noah and a few of his followers, may be saved, or may not be… Or, there is a possibility that we can take a quantum leap. Either man can commit suicide, or man can be reborn. Both doors are open. If such times can create people like Heraclitus and Lao Tzu and Zarathustra and Pythagoras and Buddha and Confucius, why can they not create a great humanity? They can. But we go on missing the opportunity. The ordinary masses live in such unconsciousness that they can’t see even a few steps ahead. They are blind. And they are the majority! The coming twenty-five years, the last part of this century, is going to be of IMMENSE value. If we can create a great momentum in the world for meditation, for the inward journey, for tranquility, for stillness, for love, for God… if we can create a space in these coming twenty-five years for God to happen to many many people, humanity will have a new birth, a resurrection. A new man will be born. And once you miss THESE times, then for twenty-five centuries again you will remain the same. A few people will achieve enlightenment, but it will remain only for a few people. Here and there, once in a while, a person will become alert and aware and divine. But the greater part of humanity goes on lagging behind—in darkness, in utter darkness, in absolute misery. The greater part of humanity goes on living in hell. But these moments when chaos spreads and man loses his roots in the past, becomes unhinged from the past, are great moments. If we can learn something from the past history, if we can learn something from Pythagoras…

Osho (Philosophia Perennis, Vol. 1)