Tao Te Ching 33 (Second Part)

Those who overcome others have strength.

Those who overcome themselves are powerful.

Today I will interpret the second part of the Tao Te Ching chapter 33. Those who overcome others have strength. Overcoming others is hard, and it takes strength to overcome them. Overcoming them not just physically but in other aspect needs a lot of strength and courage to do such thing. If one person is overcome by others, it means that the person who has been overcome lacks strength and courage and he/she let him/herself to be overcome by others. When a person overcomes someone, it means that he has a lot of strength and courage in him/her.

Those who overcome themselves are powerful. It is true that overcoming yourself needs power. It is very hard to overcome oneself, especially to temptations around you and to the things that distract you. When you have things that you want but you don’t have money to buy it, you are being tempted to do bad things to comply with what you want. But when you have control of yourself from the temptation of doing bad, it means that you have the power to overcome yourself because you stop yourself from doing a bad thing that you know you can satisfy yourself even it is bad. Even when doing a risk that you know it will help others and yourself. You are afraid of doing a risk but for the good of yourself and others, you will do such risk. And it means that you overcome the fear in yourself. 

Tao Te Ching 33 (First Part)

Those who understand others are intelligent.

Those who understand themselves are enlightened.

Today I will interpret one of the parts of the Tao Te Ching chapter 33. Those who understand others are intelligent, intelligent to adjust himself to others.  To understand other is hard to do, you must know them well before you can understand them. You can understand others when you are with them or know them well, and when you understand them, you know what they feel and want, and knowing such thing is intelligent for a person.

Those who understand themselves are enlightened. Knowing yourself is very hard. Even at your mature age, you even don’t know yourself. I admit that I don’t even know who am I really is. Understanding one’s self is quite hard for a person, especially for the young. Because young ones don’t know who they really are and even don’t know what they really want in life. And if you understand yourself well, you are said to be enlightened. 

Tao Te Ching 46

When Tao prevails in the world, galloping horses are turned back fertilize the fields with their dung.

When Tao does not prevail in the world, war horses thrive in the suburbs. (Tao Te Ching 46)

Today I will interpret the Tao Te Ching 46. When Tao prevails in the world, galloping horses are turned back fertilize the fields with their dung. It means that if peace or harmony is prevailing, horses are in farms and being used by the farmers or ranchers. It is like when there is no war and Tao prevails, people in the society live a harmonious life and they can freely do what they want to do. It is like, when there is Tao or harmony in the world, you can see some military men, who are with their families and attending their family needs. When Tao does not prevail in the world, war horses thrive in the suburbs. It means that when peace and harmony does not prevail in the world, horses are no longer in farm and ranches. Horses become war horses and can be seen in suburbs protecting the village. It is also like military men who are no longer with their families and cannot attend to their families because of war, and because of war, you can almost see them in their designated area, protecting all possible entries.

Tao Te Ching 12

The five colors cause one’s eyes to be blind

The five tones cause one’s ears to be deaf

The five flavors cause one’s palate to be spoiled

Racing and hunting causes one’s mind to be mad.

Goods that are hard to get injure one’s activities (Tao Te Ching 12)

Today I will interpret it as good as I can. The five colors cause one’s eyes to be blind. When we are looking at a certain things, we can see it clear when it is plain and not too much color. When we are looking for a certain things and the one we are looking is thrown to different colors, it is hard for us to find what we are looking. When are looking for a certain thing, like for a colored red ball and it is thrown in an all white ball, we can easily see and distinguish it. When we look to the sun too much, we will be blinded because the sun releases too much array of colors.

 The five tones cause one’s ears to be deaf. When we are listening to a certain sound or music, we want it to be specific like we like it in a genre of jazz, pop, rock and many more but we don’t like it when all of the genres combined. When we are in a certain room and all are talking to each other, it eventually creates noise and annoys us a lot and we can’t hear the words proper that the people are uttering.

 The five flavors cause one’s palate to be spoiled. Like when we want something to eat, we want to eat a specific dish that the flavor is one, when we eat a dish that tastes different flavors, it will be awful for us and we lose our appetite.

 Racing and hunting cause one’s mind to be mad. When we do a certain things, we do it separately and we don’t want to do it all in one because if we will do all the work in one, we would panic and don’t know what to do first. The one specific example of this, are the armies that are placed in the battlefield that gone mad. Goods that are hard to get injure one’s activities.

 When we are aiming for a hard thing, we sometimes forget the other things around us and we tend to focus on it. We exert too much time and effort when we want something badly and we tend to lose something because some things are out of our mind when we focus to one hard thing.

One’s desire to have all can damage what he/she has or it means that you cannot have it all in one or too much things can ruin or destroys a person.

Tao Te Ching, 46

There is no calamity greater than lavish desires.

There is no greater guilt that discontentment

And there is no greater disaster than greed. (Tao Te Ching, 46)

Today I will interpret this. “There is no calamity greater than lavish desires” this statement is true because when one desires too much, he/she does not think of what would be the consequence of his action even it will hurt someone, because he/she only want to fulfill his/her lavish desires. “There is no greater guilt than discontentment”, this statement is true because when one is discontented with what he/she have, he/she will do anything whether it is good or bad, just to get what he/she want. There is no greater guilt than discontentment because if one is discontented, he/she will never be satisfied and if one never get satisfied and being discontented with what he/she have, there will be a action done by him/her just to fulfill what he want and does not think the consequence of his or her action. “And there is no greater disaster than greed” this statement is true because if one is greedy, he/she will never be satisfied and he/she will never be happy with what he/she have. If one is greedy, he/she will do anything just to gather more and more and he/she will not notice that he/she gathered so much that there is no left for someone and it will create chaos to everyone. If one is greedy like the some politicians, some are so greedy of power and money and because of their greed for power and money, they don’t want someone to oppose them or someone that will put their power or position in danger, so some of them kill or erase the person who opposes them because they are so in love with money and power that they believe that it should not be taken from them. And because of their greediness, they don’t want to give what they get from the people to the people and by it, it creates poverty and disaster to everyone. And there is no really greater disaster than greed.

Tao Te Ching, 2

When the people of the world all know beauty as beauty,

                There arises the recognition ugliness.

When they all know the good as good,

                There arises the recognition of evil. (Tao Te Ching, 2)

I will interpret it in my own understanding. When people of the world all know beauty as beauty, there arises the recognition of ugliness. As I understood all of things have their opposite or if there is a thing that arises, there is something that you could recognize from it. It is harmful to know something because all of the things have their opposite side and one might not want the outcome or the negative side and he/she might be affected by it. When a person is beautiful outside, there may be a negative or ugliness in him/her somehow. One thing complements others and one thing negates others. When a thing has its strength, it will always have a weakness in it. When you want to know about the beauty of a thing, recognizing its ugliness is inevitable. When one pursue to know what really the thing is about, he/she might be disappointed to know the negative side of a thing, because he only pursue the good side of it and only to discover that it has its negative side.

Final Paper

This is the summary and the conclusion about the Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese philosophy by Confucius. We must first put the summary of each answer in the questions that are raised up in the weekly paper. First is the question “What is philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way he perceives the philosophical problem?” In this question I lay down the topic Perception of the problems. In the perception of the problems, Social Disorder and Incorrect names are the main topics. We see that in the Social Disorder, there are Political Chaos and Related Chaos. In Political Chaos, ruler is replaced by who is the strongest instead of the one who is capable of ruling. And it should not be in that way because ruling is given to someone who can and rightfully do it. And one must preserve this kind of policy. In Related Chaos, there are Economic and Religion Problem. In Economics, peasants and workers overwork bust still gets poor and not elevated from its status. Everyone should not be looked by its status, instead one must be looked at its capability and one work must be paid equally by its worth. In Religion, continued injustice led to waning belief in the spirit of the world. Injustice gets the hope of the people who believes in the higher being or to the spirits. Every problem in this world is growing because of the lack of morality in each of us. When one has no good moral character, he/she will just do what he/she want even it is destroys others and can create disorder, but when one knows good character or has a good character, he/she will do what is right and when everyone do what is right, there will be a social harmony in the society. In incorrect name, one should live up his/her name is. I will put the analects 12:11 Duke Ching of Chi’I asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, “Let the ruler be a ruler, the minister be a minister, the father be a father, and the son be a son.” The duke said, Excellent! Indeed when a ruler is not a ruler, the minister not a minister, father not a father, and the son not a son, then even if there be grain, would I ever get to eat “. One should do what his name correspond, because if one correspond properly to his name, he/she can handle properly because he/she can focus on it. I will also add the analects 13:3 to strengthen my idea. In analects 13:3 it is said that “If names are not rectified, then language is not accord with truth. If the language is not in accord with the truth, then things cannot be accomplished. If things cannot be accomplished, then ceremonies and music will not flourish. If ceremonies and music will not flourish, then punishment will not be just. If the punishments are not just, then the people will not know how to move hand and foot.” It just means that if we live on lies, we cannot do what is certain and right and cannot accomplish things in a righteous way. If one does not live with what is morally good. There will be a social disorder in the society.

In the second question “What is philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way he lays down the assumption of the solution to the Philosophical problem?. In this question I put down the topic Education of the Nobleman as my guide on answering the question. In the education of Nobleman, there are four main topics and the topics are: Tao as a Social Moral Way; Importance of Tradition; Basic Goodness and Intelligence; and the Development of Chun Tzu. In Tao, there are loyalty, mercy and humaneness. A superior man is devoted to the fundamentals or the root and when the root is firmly established, the moral law will grow. In analects 1:11 Confucius said, “When a man’s father is alive, look at the bent of his will. When his father is dead, look at his conduct. If for three years [of mourning] he does change from the way of his father, he may be called filial.” It is just mean that when a child is practiced by his father and still continues the practiced that is taught to him/her even his father is dead, he is loyal to what his father taught his and everyone can said that he/she love and respects his parents. And loving and respecting your parents is just the right thing to do. Second is the Importance of Tradition. In the Importance of Tradition, one must follow what the rightful tradition is before and must not change it when he/she thinks that it will be bad when he/she changes it. If one follows what is morally good tradition. He/she will learn something from it. And when one is following the tradition, his/her ancestors will be delightful of him/her. And following the tradition is just the right thing to do. Third is the Basic Goodness and Intelligence. It is said that man is good in nature and only becomes bad when presented with many bad things but he/she will find the light and return to goodness.  Confucius said that “In education, there should be no class distinction.” For me, it just means that everyone must have the chance to learn because everyone has the capability to learn and develop it. One must not be deprived from education because he just can’t afford it but he/she must be educated because you don’t know what he/she has to offer or he/she might be really intelligent. If one is eager to learn, one must be educate with many good things around him/her. The fourth one is the Development of Chun Tzu. Confucius said, “The superior man understands righteousness; the inferior man understands profit. It means that a superior man is always fro what is right while the inferior man always do what will benefit him/her even he steps down to someone. Confucius said, “The superior man understands the higher things [moral principle]; the inferior man understands the lower principle [profit]. It just still means that a superior man is always want what is good and always do what is good while the superior man always thinks what is the good only for himself even it hurts someone. When one is educated with what is morally good or do things with conscience he/she will just to what is good.

In the third question “What is philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way he characterizes the ideal human being. I used the topic Characteristics of the Nobleman as the guide for answering the question. In Jen (Human-heartedness), Yi (Righteousness), Li (Propriety) and Chih (Wisdom). Human-heartedness means having a good relationship or love with men, human-heartedness is the love for another and having it means having a harmonious relationship with everyone. Human-heartedness means thinking for the good of others and not just for oneself. Righteousness because being right means not doing what is not good and not harming others, being righteous means doing what is good. Anything you do without righteousness is not good at all and it will just in fact make you a bad person. Propriety is like righteousness because propriety is doing what is the correct behavior and doing what is good and right, it makes a man as a whole and makes you who you are. Following the tradition means following what is right and following what is right means creating harmony to the people around you. Following what is good and right makes everyone united. Wisdom means having the good knowledge about certain things and having knowledge about what is good to do and not good to do.

In the fourth question “What is Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way he lays out the step of self cultivation”, we must first piece by piece explain the steps of developing a Chun Tzu. I used the topic Steps of Becoming a Chun Tzu. In the Steps of Becoming a Chun Tzu, there are four main topics and the topics are investigating of Things; Learning; making the will sincere; and the Rectification of Mind. In investigating things, you should look closer to see what the whole thing is composed of. One should learn to know all things or the principle of things, as it is said in the power point “instruct the learners in regard to all things in the world, to continue from what knowledge he has of their principles and investigate further until he reaches the limit and it is called the investigation of things”. Extension of knowledge is extending the knowledge to the highest point and dedicates himself on learning things well. Perfection of knowledge is when you investigate things for a long time and after investigating things, you understand it all and understand the qualities of all things. The superior man studies to reach the principle of all things. In making the will sincere, superior man will always be watchful over himself when alone, it means that he is doing the right things when he is alone as if there is someone looking at him, he does not only show good things when someone is looking but also does good things when he is alone therefore it makes him sincere. Being sincere is not fooling yourself about what you feel and you are not pretending about the things you does. In rectification of the mind, cultivation of personal life depend on what you does, when you are doing the right things, it means that you are cultivating your personal life well. Superior man does his duties well and always associates himself to the men of principles. Therefore summing up all the steps on developing a Chun Tzu, it gives us the idea that we should always do what is right.

In the fifth question “What is Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way he specifies the solution to the Philosophical problem?” In this question, I used the topic Achieving Social Harmony as the guide for answering the question. And in the topic, there are four main topics and the topics are, Family as basic Social unit; The State as Big family; Regulation by Virtue, Not Law or Force; and the Chun Tzu as Philosopher King. Family is basic social unit because different family creates a society. Peace and harmony cannot be promoted in a society when there is no peace and harmony in family first. How can one implement harmony to everyone if he/she himself does not have in his family. There is a saying “Charity begins at home”. One cannot give charity when charity is not implemented or practiced at home. Family molds its member first before one of its members can mold another into good. Second is the State as big family. State as a big family means biological family is no different from a big state. You treat the state as if you are treating your family. When one is ruler of the state, he/she must rule the state and implement laws as if he/she is implementing it to his/her family. He/she must take care of the state as if he/she is taking care of his family.  If one is ruling the state and the one who rules it, takes care of the people that under him/her, in return people will give their loyalty. Third is the Regulation by Virtue, Not Law or Force. One must regulate his people with virtue because if people is regulated with virtue, people will not do things which will harm someone or the community because they knew themselves that the things that they will do is bad or is not good for everyone. If the people is regulated by virtue there will be the feeling of being ashamed because they know that what they will do bad, will make the people look at them in a shameful way and they will feel ashamed. If the people are regulated by force, people will follow the rules because they will fear that they will be hurt or punished when they will not follow the rules but when people are regulated by virtue, they will do the right things because they know that what they should do is always right. When things are regulated by virtue, things will run or flow according to what is right. And the last one is Chun Tzu as Philosopher King. A Philosopher king is like a North Star because North Star is the reference and fixed. If you are a king, you must be a role model and if you are a role model, you are to be modeled by some, and if you are modeled by someone, you should do what is right and what is good for the people to do what you are doing. A Philosopher king is fixed like the North Star and when he is fixed, everyone can rely on him. If people in the community is lost and don’t do what to do. People usually look for someone as a reference, and if there is someone they can refer, like the philosopher king, people can know what to do. A leader like the philosopher king can inspire others to do something good. If a leader is full of virtue and people see that their leader is full of virtue and practices it, people will emulate what their leader is doing and there will be social harmony in the society. When all have virtue in them, all will do what is right and doing what is right means not hurting or harming someone, and if there is no harming, there comes the harmony to each and everyone.

  In writing the different discussion to come up to the answer, there is that one thread that runs through them. In the first question up to the last question, we all have that one answer. All of the topics that are discussed have that one goal of having peace and harmony in the society or in each of us. In the given topics there are things that are coming out and that thing is all about morality. Therefore the Philosophy as Demonstrated in the Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius is Moral Philosophy.

Synthesis Paper 5

What is Philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way he specifies the solution to the Philosophical problem?

To come up to the answer on what is the philosophy by Confucius in the way he specifies the solution to the philosophical problem, we must first one by one explain or briefly discuss each solution. First solution is the Family as basic social unit. Family is basic social unit because different family creates a society. Peace and harmony cannot be promoted in a society when there is no peace and harmony in family first. How can one implement harmony to everyone if he/she himself does not have in his family. There is a saying “Charity begins at home”. One cannot give charity when charity is not implemented or practiced at home. Family molds its member first before one of its members can mold another into good. Second is the State as big family.

State as a big family means biological family is no different from a big state. You treat the state as if you are treating your family. When one is ruler of the state, he/she must rule the state and implement laws as if he/she is implementing it to his/her family. He/she must take care of the state as if he/she is taking care of his family.  If one is ruling the state and the one who rules it, takes care of the people that under him/her, in return people will give their loyalty.

 Third is the Regulation by Virtue, Not Law or Force. One must regulate his people with virtue because if people is regulated with virtue, people will not do things which will harm someone or the community because they knew themselves that the things that they will do is bad or is not good for everyone. If the people is regulated by virtue there will be the feeling of being ashamed because they know that what they will do bad, will make the people look at them in a shameful way and they will feel ashamed. If the people are regulated by force, people will follow the rules because they will fear that they will be hurt or punished when they will not follow the rules but when people are regulated by virtue, they will do the right things because they know that what they should do is always right. When things are regulated by virtue, things will run or flow according to what is right. 

And the last one is Chun Tzu as Philosopher King. A Philosopher king is like a North Star because North Star is the reference and fixed. If you are a king, you must be a role model and if you are a role model, you are to be modeled by some, and if you are modeled by someone, you should do what is right and what is good for the people to do what you are doing. A Philosopher king is fixed like the North Star and when he is fixed, everyone can rely on him. If people in the community is lost and don’t do what to do. People usually look for someone as a reference, and if there is someone they can refer, like the philosopher king, people can know what to do. A leader like the philosopher king can inspire others to do something good. If a leader is full of virtue and people see that their leader is full of virtue and practices it, people will emulate what their leader is doing and there will be social harmony in the society. When all have virtue in them, all will do what is right and doing what is right means not hurting or harming someone, and if there is no harming, there comes the harmony to each and everyone. As we discussed each solution to the philosophical problem, we come up to the one answer. All the solution to the philosophical problems have similarity and their similarity is the moral teaching, therefore the philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Confucius in the way he specifies the solution to the philosophical problem is Moral Philosophy.

Analects 15:38

Analects 15:38

Confucius said,”In education, there should be no class distinction.”

It means that education is for all not only for those who can afford good education. Education is for all because what if there is an intelligent person and has the capacity to learn and study well but not have the capacity to pay for his/her education. If that person will not be sent to study and learn more, he/she will just be a loss. Education is for all because we must learn things and must have a chance to use what we have known. Education is for all because we all have the quality to learn and apply things and we must be educated to use what we have in a good way.