Today’s A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
will be presented
in Chinese,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Hungarian, Indonesian,
Italian, Japanese,
Korean, Mongolian,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian and Spanish.
Greetings noble viewers,
welcome to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
Over two and a half
millennia ago,
the great enlightened
Master Lao Tzu was born
in a small village
in the Chu State,
near the present-day
Luyi County in
Henan Province of China.
His timeless teachings
are expounded in
“Tao Te Ching,”
the key scripture
of Taoism.
To celebrate this
auspicious day in history,
let us enjoy a few
folk stories of Lao Tzu
and excerpts of
“Tao Te Ching”
to have a glimpse of his
wisdom and eloquence.
When he was just a child,
Lao Tzu was
already distinguished
for his sharp mind,
deep insights
and lofty ideals.
He contemplated the rise
and fall of countries,
the future of the world
and ways to reduce
the sufferings of the people.
To satisfy his endless
quest for knowledge,
his mother hired
a revered teacher
named Shang Rong.
One day, Shang Rong
discussed with
young Lao Tzu
about Heaven.
Between Heaven and Earth,
humans are
the most precious;
among all humans, kings
are the most important.
What is Heaven?
Heaven is the pure one
above.
Then what’s the pure one?
The pure one is emptiness.
What’s above emptiness?
Above emptiness is
the purer of the pure.
Then what’s above that?
Above the purer
of the pure is the purer
of the purer of the pure.
What is the purest?
It is not taught
by past sages,
nor is it recorded
in ancient writings.
I dare not make
groundless comments.
That evening, Lao Tzu
could not get the answer
from his mother
nor from the servant.
Staring at the starry sky,
he was absorbed into
a deep contemplation
about the highest Heaven.
After being
Lao Tzu’s teacher
for three years,
Shang Rong
bade farewell:
I resign today not because
I don’t want to carry it
through to the end;
nor is it because
Dan (Lao Tzu)
is not diligent.
It is because
my knowledge is limited,
but Dan’s quest
is unlimited.
The Capital of Zhou has
a sea of ancient scriptures
and countless talents.
That’s the place
Dan should go in order
to become a man
of the biggest potential.
Following Shang Rong’s
advice, Lao Tzu’s mother
sent him to Zhou State.
At the age of 19,
Lao Tzu became the head
of the royal archive and
was known near and far
for his scholarship.
His realization of the Tao
was unfathomable.
In another elaboration
of the Tao conveyed to
Confucius,
Lao Tzu said:
Tao is
as deep as the ocean,
as high as the mountain.
It permeates the universe.
It circulates endlessly,
and resides in all beings.
But one cannot attain it
by seeking,
and cannot describe it
by worldly languages.
Tao gives birth
and nurtures
Heaven and Earth
yet it doesn’t subside;
it supports all creations
yet it is inexhaustible.
Heaven gets it
and becomes vast;
Earth gets it
and becomes strong;
the Sun and the Moon
get it and go into motion;
the four seasons get it
and become orderly;
all creations get it and
come into existence.
One day in 523 BCE,
the great philosopher
Confucius paid
a special visit to Lao Tzu
from Lu State.
At the time of his departure,
Lao Tzu saw him off
from his lodge.
It is said
that the rich gifts people
with properties;
the virtuous offers people
their words.
I’m not a rich man
nor nobility,
so I have no property
to present to you.
I would like to give you
a few words of advice.
In today’s world,
smart people
often get into trouble,
or even fatal tragedy,
because
they like to point out
others’ weaknesses.
Similarly, eloquent people
often invite disasters
to themselves because
they like to reveal
others’ wrongdoings.
Try to be people’s son
and subject, and don’t
put yourself above others.
I wish you will
remember these words.
I will surely remember
these words of advice.
During his tenure
as a royal archive keeper,
Lao Tzu was not interested
in worldly power
or profit.
He remained
in the same position
until his retirement.
Thereafter, he decided
to pursue a recluse’s life.
One day,
his disciple Yang Ziju
came to visit him.
What are you working on
these days?
I come here to
visit my ancestor’s land,
purchase a property,
build a house,
hire some servants,
and establish rules
to manage my family.
It’s enough to have
a place to sleep and eat,
why show off so much?
As a spiritual practitioner,
I need a quiet place to sit,
travel in a relaxed manner,
drink simple
and clean water,
and sleep in a safe place.
Without a single large
family house, without
servants and equipment,
how can I maintain
such a lifestyle?
If I hire servants
and purchase furniture,
without rules,
how can I manage it?
Hearing Yang Ziju’s
explanation,
Lao Tzu laughed.
To be close
to the Great Tao,
one needs to be natural.
Inner quietness
cannot be achieved by
external arrangements.
Do without expectation,
you will be relaxed;
not indulge yourself
with worldly pleasure,
you will stay clear;
sleep without desire,
peace will come
automatically.
Why do you need
a large house to practice?
When you feel hungry,
you eat;
when you feel tired,
you rest;
when the sun rises,
you work;
when it sets, you sleep.
So why do you need
servants at home?
If you follow
the natural way and
don’t have ambition,
then your mind
is peaceful and
your body is healthy;
if you do things
opposite to nature, and
try to manage everything,
then your spirit
is confused
and your body is tired.
I am shallow.
Thank you
for your teaching.
The entire body of
Lao Tzu’s philosophy
is recorded
in “Tao Te Ching.”
In one chapter,
the Master discussed
his view about
life and death.
When one is rooted
in the Great Tao,
he observes the origin
of everything.
Life and death,
right and wrong,
the noble and the poor,
glorification
and humiliation
are all based on
people’s value system,
which changes instantly.
Tracing their origin,
they are all the same
and indistinguishable.
If one knows
this Great Tao,
he goes along
with the change, but
is not attached at heart.
A saint
staying in this world,
if something comes,
he doesn’t go against it;
when something changes,
he doesn’t attach to it.
He changes
along with things,
and lets nature
take its own course.
Those who can
adjust and adapt
are people with virtues;
those who can
comply with the trend
are people who
have attained the Tao.
Confucius made
the following comments
upon hearing
Lao Tzu’s elaboration:
After hearing it,
I felt I were a bird
perching on a branch,
a fish swimming
in rivers and lakes,
a bee gathering honey
among thickets
of flowers,
a man seeking the Tao
from a great Master.
At age 30,
I grew to be independent;
at 40, I became clear
in my mind;
today at 51,
I just started to know
what the Creator is.
if I were created
as a bird, I’d function
according to
the temperament of birds;
if I were created
as a fish,
I’d act according to
the qualities of fish;
if I were created as a bee,
I’d work according to
the character of bees;
if I were created
as a human,
I’d evolve according to
the personality of humans.
Birds, fish, bees,
humans are different,
but their adaptations
according to
their own nature
are identical.
Following
one’s own nature and
making adjustments
is following the Tao.
Our body stays
in various forms,
our spirit travels
in the great Oneness.
This is going along
with the great Tao.
I was seeking the Tao
every day,
but I didn’t know
that Tao is
right in front of me!
Supreme Master Ching Hai
has often
spoken about Lao Tzu
and explained
the timeless verses of
“Tao Te Ching,” which
are still applicable for
spiritual practitioners
today.
The following is
one such occasion
during a 1993 lecture
in Hawaii, USA.
“Be at one with
the dust of the earth.”
It's difficult, difficult,
especially when we have
position in the society,
especially when we are
a little enlightened,
especially when we know
what is what.
The more we practice,
the more we feel humble.
The more
we feel very sensitive,
very, very sensitive
to everything.
But then again, you feel
you are very insignificant
to complain
about everything.
That is when we are
united with Heaven.
And then we feel
balanced in our life.
Now, “He who has
achieved this state
is unconcerned
with friends and enemies,
with good and harm,
with honor and disgrace.
This, therefore,
is the highest state of man.”
We feel
we are unconcerned
with good and bad.
Doesn't mean we go out
and do bad things,
but we just unconcerned,
right?
Even with honor
and disgrace,
like somebody blame us,
somebody scold us,
we don't feel so hurt
like we used to do before,
right?
You've been one
with the Heaven,
so you learn
the art of balance
between Heaven and Earth,
so you just stay
in between.
So nothing can affect you
so much.
So the highest aim of us
is to attain this state
of balance,
according to Lao Tzu’s
“Tao Te Ching.”
And try
to keep that balance
as long as possible
by sustaining it,
nourishing it,
with our daily meditation.
That is our spirit.
The food for the spirit.
Lao Tzu graced our Earth
for 160 years and departed
the mundane realm
at Lou Guan Tai,
now a Taoist temple
in Zhongnan Mountain,
Zhou Zhi County
of Shaanxi Province.
The “Tao Te Ching”
is one of the three
most influential Chinese
philosophical classics
which has been widely read
for over two millennia.
Since the 19th century,
the “Tao Te Ching”
spread to Europe
and was studied
by learned personages
such as German
philosophers Georg
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
and Friedrich Nietzsche,
as well as Russian author
Leo Tolstoy.
British scholar,
Joseph Needham,
in his famous work
“Science and Civilization
in China” series, highly
praised the Taoism to
have the true “scientific”
view of the universe.
Japanese physicist
and Noble Laureate,
Hideki Yukawa,
said in his book
“Creativity and Intuition,”
that it is amazing that
Lao Tzu foresaw
the state of the industrial
civilization of
the 20th century over
2,500 years prior.
Another
famous physicist,
Dr. Fritjof Capra
from the United States,
in his bestseller
“Uncommon Wisdom,”
praised Taoism to
have provided the most
profound and perfect
ecological intelligence.
May the universal teachings
and noble example
of Lao Tzu, so respected
throughout the ages,
be remembered still for
many more generations
to come.
Enlightened viewers,
thank you for
your tranquil presence
on today’s episode of
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living
is up next, right after
Noteworthy News.
May inner peace
and clarity
be part of your daily life.