Tao Te Ching

A detailed Summary of Tao Te Ching

The philosophy of Taoism, which heavily contrasts the common beliefs upheld by the majority of modern western society, serves as an ideological landmark of a time in history where worth (self or otherwise), was entirely independent of superfluous things and accomplishments. In chapter twelve of Lao Tsu's "Tao Te Ching," the prototypical Taoist value of material simplicity as the cornerstone of internal focus is communicated through the use of repetition, as well as both ambiguous and concise diction.

The syntax of each sentence in the first stanza of chapter twelve are relatively similar, they start with commodities, "...colors...tones...flavors...racing and hunting...precious things," and then go on to describe the adverse effects of such luxuries, "...blind the eye...deafen the ear...dull the taste...madden the mind...lead one

The deliberately underscored number of colors, tones, and flavors (only five) accentuates how even the smallest amount of excess can be extremely detrimental. Exposure to just five varieties of seemingly benign senses could result in blindness, deafness, and tastelessness. The implication of these lines is that once having experienced commodities, acuteness of the most obvious senses is stripped of a layer that can never be reconstructed. In Taoism, awareness of surroundings is especially valued; to strip away layer of sensitivity is to take away a level of virtue.

The final line of the chapter is ambiguous but meaningful. By calling the lifestyle of the enlightened "this," it is that definition of the lifestyle is impossible, that it holds endless possibilities. Taoism maintains that something empty is far more useful that something f

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Approximate Word count = 568
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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Tao Te Ching

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