The Philosophical ideas of Lao Tzu

— Lao Tzu
China philosopher (6th-5th Century BC)
Same period with Confucian (Kong Zi), Greek Philosopher Thales, Heraclitus and Gautama
Buddha.
The author of “Dao De Jing” (Sutta of the way and virtue)
— Philosophical idea of Dao: Wu wei – Non-doing
Dao means “the way of life” or “order of nature”. Wu wei (S) is a key concept of Lao Tzu’s on
Dao, means “doing nothing”, or “non-doing”.
— Effortless doing
People misinterpreted “doing nothing” as something passive, lazy or negative.
But means “effortless action”. If no action is needed based on the laws of nature, doing anything
is overdoing
— Just fit actions
Ex: planting a tree, need sunlight, fertilizer and water. Watering the plant everyday.
And let it grow naturally.
Don’t water too much, without excessive or wasted effort is non-doing.
— Balancing effort
Ex: learning ride a bike. Struggle too much, over “doing” or “acting”, easy fall down.
Found the balance and momentum, ride with little effort, move ahead effortlessly
Flow with nature
— Of Lao Tzu
Know when to do and when not to do, flowing with nature.
“Seem like doing nothing, but one could accomplish everything".
Wu wei: Unity between the self and nature, a loss of self- identity.
— Philosophical ideas on relationship: Weak is good
Normal ideas: People must
Strong, smart and clever.
Ex Teeth and tongue Ex Tree and grass
Lao Tzu: Don’t strong, don’t smart, be humble, simple and less desire.
Softness overcoming hardness
Ex: Water and mountain.
Water is soft, but can penetrate stone, mountain and earth, change its shape.
A What is strong not really strong, what is weak also not really weak.
A Soft character can go further, sharp character easy get conflict.
The influence of Lao Tzu to the Buddhist
After Master Bodhidharma from India introduced Ch’an (Zen)
Buddhism to China, the two philosophies interact harmonious Many concepts and ideas taught
by the Buddha and Lao-Tzu are comparable and complementary
Zen and Wu wei- Non doing
Zen seeks simplicity, mentioned more on “Emptiness”, simple life; simply “flow” with nature.
Very similar to the Lao Tzu concept of ‘Wu-Wei’ (non-doing).
Suññata and Interconnectedness
Wu wei similar with emptiness (Suññata) and Interconnectedness in Buddhist.
Suññata is more about inter-connectedness (Dependent Origination) than nothingness.
Dao give rise to all beings
Dao does not have "being", it is not a thing or a substance in the conventional sense.
It cannot be perceived, but it can be observed through the things in the world. Dao gives rise to
all beings, but itself does not have being.
Suññata – Nothing is independent
Sunnata is Recognizing that nothing has independent stand alone existence, all existing is
dependent origination.
Live in harmony with the nature.

• Both Lao Tzu and Buddhist Encourage on live in harmony with the nature.
• Lao Tzu’s work is important, serve as a reminder of the Importance of naturalness
emptiness and openness, that flourished Eastern Philosophy.
 Buddhism

Founder
Siddhartha Gautama (Gautama Buddha) was the founder of Buddhism and was born in present
day Nepal. Siddhartha was born in a royal Hindu family and would have had several roles as a
Prince in his community. He eventually moved to India to have a more meaningful role in
people’s personal lives.
Founder: Siddhartha Gautama

• Earliest sources for the life of Buddha date from the 2nd century AD
• Siddhartha was born a prince around 563 BC in Ancient India
• Grew up surrounded by luxury, married a beautiful woman and had a happy life – At age
29 he took a ride beyond the palace gates and saw a sick man, an old man, a poor man,
and a dead body
• Disturbed, he left his family to find the “realm of life where there is no suffering nor death
Gautama becomes Buddha

• Siddhartha Gautama wandered for years and meet with Hindu Scholars, whose ideas
didn’t answer his questions
• He fasted and meditated under a tree pondering the mystery of life
• Legend tells that during the night evil spirits tempted Gautama to give up meditating, but
he didn’t
• After he rose, he believed he understood the cause and cure for suffering and sorrow
• He then became Buddha or “Enlightened One”
Historical Context of founding
After forty-nine days of meditation Gautama Buddha was awakened, otherwise known as
reaching enlightenment. After reaching enlightenment, under a tree in India, he promised to
spread the knowledge he just learned about how to end suffering.
Major Beliefs:
1. Life is suffering
2. Follow the 4 Noble Truths and Eightfold Path
3. This Path leads to better Karma and a life purity
4. A pure and enlightened soul can ultimately achieve Nirvana
Key Teachings Buddhism
• Four Noble Truths:
1. All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow
2. The cause of suffering is nonvirtue, thinking such as hatred and desire
3. The only cure for suffering is to overcome these negative deeds and thoughts
4. The way to overcome these negative deeds and thoughts is to follow the Eightfold Path
The Eight-fold Path

• The Eight-fold
Path Means:
Right views,
Right intentions, right speech,
Right conduct,
Right livelihood,
Right effort,
Right mindfulness, right contemplation

The Eightfold Path

• A person has to live a moral life, avoiding evil by meditating, you can reach Nirvana
• Final Goal: Nirvana, union with the universe and release from the cycle of reincarnation
• Buddhism stresses honesty, charity, and kindness to all living creatures: Rejects the Caste
System
According to Buddhism, after death one is either reborn into another body (reincarnated)
or enters nirvana. Only Buddhas (those who have attained enlightenment) will achieve nirvana.
The Buddha said of death:
Nirvana
Nirvana is the state of final liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. It is also therefore the
end of suffering. The literal meaning of the word is “to extinguish,” in the way that a fire goes out
when it runs out of fuel.
What is it like? Is it like heaven, or is it non- existence? The answer is not clear, Buddha only
says it is “incomprehensible, indescribable, inconceivable, unutterable.”

Challenging Hindu Ideas

Ancient Ways Changing Society Caste System
-The Buddha taught that - A more individualistic ‐Opposed caste system
following the Vedic texts was approach to enlightenment
unnecessary. - Rebirth as a means to -The Eightfold Path could
evolve lead any individual to nirvana.
-Challenged the authority of - Levels above human but
Hindu priests below Nirvana -The Buddha’s teachings
- Many realms including a reached all classes.
Hades like place
The Major Buddhist Traditions Theravada: 300BC or earlier ("The Way of the Elders") -
Sri Lanka & Southeast Asia. Only monks can reach
Nirvana

• Mahayana: 200CE ("The Greater Vehicle") - China,

Korea, & Japan (& Tibet & Mongolia) Believe in angel-like
beings, different gods and saints, Nirvana is open to all.

• Vajrayana 800CE ("The Way of the Diamond

Thunderbolt") - Tibet & Mongolia, sect containing the
position of Lama(Guru) many polytheistic gods

All of these allow for the worship of traditional pre-buddhist

gods
Symbols The eight-spoked wheel symbolizes the Buddha's turning
of the Wheel of Truth or Law. There are eight spokes to
reference the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism, which is
the path Buddhists believe can end suffering in their lives.
This path involves becoming more wise, righteous, and
thoughtful in life.
Place of worship Buddhists worship and meditate in a temple known as a
Vihara. A Vihara is a huge square temple with roofs that
slope down and outward from the building
Major Beliefs
— Death leads to rebirth into a new life
(Reincarnation)
— All events in life is a consequence of actions done
in the past life (Karma)
— Cycle of Rebirth is escaped only by achieving
Nirvana
Nirvana: unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed
achieved by ultimate purity of life Siddha-Shila - where
liberated souls reside
Three Jewels When a person accepts the Buddhist philosophy and
wants to make it part of their life, the traditional way is to
say “I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the
Dharma, I take refuge in the Sangha.”
 Confucius – Contributions to education
Who is Confucius ? • The most important philosopher in early Chinese history.
• Confucius never wrote his ideas.
• After his death, his students collected his sayings in The Analects.
• His ideas did spread to many parts of the world.
• Confucius is credited with establishing the content and methods of
teaching
Introduction • Born - 551 BC Zou, Lu state
• Confucius Vihari Rajaguru
• Oct. 22, 2016 31 likes 25,023 views
• Died - 479 BC (aged 71-72)
• Nationality – Chinese
• Era - Ancient philosophy
• Region - Chinese philosophy
• School – Founder of Confucianism
• Main interests - Moral philosophy, Social
The life of Confucius
Confucius Vihari Rajaguru

He was actually called "Kung fu tzu" by his people

• Shuliang He, father of Confucius, was an officer of in the Lu
military, he died when Confucius was 3 years old.
• Yan Zhengai, mother of Confucius,
• At age 19 he married his wife, Qui Quan and a year later the
couple had their first child, Kong Li.
• He has nine sisters and one brother
Education background — He studied religion with Daoist Master Lao Dan.
— Learn music with Chang Hong and music master Xiang.
Taoism (modernly Daoism) is a philosophical, ethical, and religious
tradition of Chinese origin that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao
His philosophy • Confucius did not teach people about religion. Instead, he taught
people how to be good citizens.
• Confucius thought it was important for people to live in harmony
with each other.
• The most important duty was filial piety. (Filial Piety means respect
for your parents)
• Confucius also stressed the importance of: honesty hard work -
concern for others
Ideas about education • Confucius’ view of education is based on the conviction that “man
is born with uprightness. “Even immoral persons have an upright
essence. So, Confucius said, “By nature men are alike.”
• He honored and respected all human beings, and for him all men
were able to learn about the good and to do good. Therefore, “In
education there should be no class distinction.
• True education, according to Confucianism, is self-education.
“Self-
 CONFUCIUS EDUCATIONAL THEORY

Theory of Value • What knowledge and skills are worthwhile learning? What are the
goals of education?
• Since Confucius' goal was to reform the government, his goals for
education were to produce men who were capable to serve in
government in decisive roles. He attempted to produce chun tzu,
which is quite similar to the English word, "gentleman."
• Originally both Chinese and English words meant one born into a
high social station,
Theory of Knowledge What is knowledge? How is it different from belief? What is a mistake?

Nature, one must observe. He is quoted as "I have no inborn knowledge. I

love antiquity and I search for it [knowledge] assiduously." He also said,
"Among three men who are walking together (myself being one of them), I
am certain to find my teacher, a good one in order to emulate him, and a
bad one in order [recognize in him what in myself I must correct

He Is quoted as saying to a student “Do you think that my way of acquiring

knowledge is simply to study many things and remember them?” The
student said, “Yes, isn’t that the case?” Confucius replied, “No, I have one
principle which I use like a thread, upon which to string them all.” This
sounds like a rationalist who seeks to arrange his observations (the world’s
phenomena) according to the principle of his own mind.
Theory of Human What is a human being? How does it differ from other species? What are
Nature the limits of human potential?

• Confucius was much influenced by the philosophy of his much older

contemporary, Lao tzu (b. 604 B.C.), who is reputedly the founder of
Taoism.
• Humans differ from other species in their tendency to meddle with
Nature.
• An individual human's potential is limited by: the individual's ability to
recognize his/her true nature, the individual's ability to follow the
way of his/her true nature, and by his/her true nature itself. Human
potential collectively is limited
Theory of Learning What is learning? How are skills and knowledge acquired?

Confucius said "Study without thought is labor lost; thought without study is
dangerous," When referring to his own way of learning, he said -To hear
much, select what is good, and follow it," Thus he saw learning as a
process of observation of some type of subject matter whether it be books,
objects, or people, followed by reflection, that somehow changed one. He
saw learning as a highly personal and therefore, highly individual activity.
He seemed to feel once awakened by any kind of real learning, this process
would be repeated by the student.