Tao Te Ching

        I agree with the text in the book saying that anybody who tries to control something in the end.  The more you try and control something the faster it is going to be out of your reach. 

“Trying to control the world?  I see you won’t succeed.  The world is a spiritual vessel and cannot be controlled.  Those who control, fail.  Those who grasp, lose.”(29)

        All you can do is worry about yourself and try to be a better person and learn from life’s little mistakes.  A person cannot control the future and cannot change the past, people get to wrapped up in worrying about what has happened and what is going to happen, all

you can do is have fun while your alive and don’t worry so much,  the Tao teaches you to look for the beauty in life and that is an important part of life.

I like this quote out of the book.  “Use Tao to help rule people.  This world has no need for weapons, Which soon turn of themselves.  Where armies camp, nettles grow; After each war, years of famine.  The most fruitful outcome.  Does not depend on force, But succeeds without arrogance, Without hostility, Without pride, Without resistance, Without violence.  If these things prosper and grow old,  This is called not-Tao.  Not-Tao soon ends.(30)

        This quote is teaching us if we build up hate for something it will end up killing us, and if we want something so bad it will corrupt us.  And if you let things happen the way they are supposed to then you go stronger as a person in light of the Tao.

        There are certain parts I don’t agree with in the text of the Tao Te Ching.  I believe strongly that athletics are good for everyone to have in life.  Athletics are a great way for a person to stay healthy and live longer, and it is also a great tool for people to get out in their town and meet new people.  But the Tao Te Ching is very against any competition because it causes people to become very competitive and strive to be better than someone else while the Tao teaches you to try and be normal don’t try to stand out.  Why try so hard that you lose other things in your life just to be great.  I liked a certain quote from the Tao Te Ching,

“Great means passing on.  Passing on means going far. Going far mean returning.  Therefore, Tao is great, And heaven, And earth, And humans.  Four great things in the world.  Aren’t humans one of them?  Humans follow earth.  Earth follows heaven.  Heaven follows Tao.”(25)

        I believe in Taoism to a certain point.  I think that if you can find the medium of the two extremes some where in there you will find the perfect life.  The world is corrupted with hate and people who all they care about is money.  The Tao Te Ching tries to get people to be normal not stand out at all, be happy with being in the middle of the pack.  I think that if people don’t at least try to their best then in no way do they ever come close to their potential in life.  This is fine with the Tao, but in my personal opinion everyone needs to try and

be a person for the better.  Even the Tao Te Ching itself states that anything in moderation is okay, you have to know when enough is enough and when you find this out a great life you will have.