Category: Online Class
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Confucius Analects – attitudes and conducts of a learnt person, handling mistakes – 孔子论语 – 過則勿憚改
子曰、君子不重、則不威、學則不固。主忠信。無友不如己者。過則勿憚改。 The Master said, ‘If the scholar be not prudent, he will not build authority, and his learning will not be solid. Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Treat friends as if they are yourself. When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.’ -> A learnt man is prudent, treat every speech…
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Confucius Analects – expectation of self (reflect daily) – 孔子论语 – 吾日三省吾身
1.2 Three things to reflect daily 曾子曰、吾日三省吾身、為人謀、而不忠乎、與朋友交、而不信乎、傳不習乎。 The philosopher Zeng [Tsang] said, ‘I daily examine myself on three points:– whether, in transacting business for others, I may have been not faithful;– whether, in intercourse with friends, I may have been not sincere;– whether I may have not mastered and practised the instructions of my teacher.’…
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Confucius Analects – Superior Man vs. Mean Man (2) – 孔子论语 – 君子与小人(二)
12.6 The superior man seeks to menifest the admirable qualities of men, and does not seek to manifest their bad qualities. The mean man does the opposite of this. -> Everyone has strength and weakness. When we facilitates our goods and others’ goods, good is strengthened. When we facilitates our bads and other’ bads (e.g. fuel…
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Confucius Analects – Superior Man vs. Mean Man (1) – 孔子论语 – 君子与小人(一)
2.8 The superior man concerns the whole and does not compare. The mean man compares and does not concern the whole.’ -> Superior man sees the benefit of all and live his life towards it, Mean man is self-centered, busy comparing him/herself with others, and live his/her live only on one’s own interest. 4.4 The mind of…
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Autobiography of Confucius – Confucius Analects – 孔子论语 – 孔子一生
This is an autobiography of Confucius. There were three stages in Confucius life, first stage begins on learning (age 15) and establishing oneself (age 30) in the world. Second stages consolidates and refine one’s life until there is no internal doubt (age 40) and one knows one’s role in the world (age 50). The results…
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Dao De Jing 79 – Hatred mediate vs. not arising
Mediate big hatred, and there is always some residual hatred; how could it be a good? -> When we harm or take advantage from someone, we create a debt to them. Even though we pay back and hope to “get even” later, the fact of hurting remains. Therefore saints holding a debt note, but do…
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Dao De Jing 73 – Nature of heaven, like a giant net
Courage when applied to doing kills, when applied to not-doing saves. -> In sentiments, courage could lead to hurting and killing. In stillness, courage to refrain from participating saves. E.g. when someone hits you, courage could be used to revenge (kill), or forgive (saves). These two could benefit or harm. Who could know what the…
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Dao De Jing 71 – Knowing one knows nothing
Knowing one knows nothing, is sane; not knowing but claim one knows, is sickness. -> The limited self, with its limited perception and bias, is not capable to see the whole picture in this unlimited universe. Having some understanding and opinions and proceed to claim that one knows, is arrogance out of ignorance. When one knows sickness…
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Dao De Jing 70 – Easy to know and do
What i say is easy to know, easy to do. The world does not know, no one does. -> do you know? are you doing without doing? What i say have principle, what i do have basis. People do not know, therefore do not understand me. -> seemingly random speeches have their meanings; seemingly random…
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Dao De Jing 67 – Dao not like anything, three treasures
The world called this Dao to be big, but it does not look like anything described. -> When we think of big, we think of some thing describable and definable. Because of its big, it does not look like anything. If it looks like anything, it would be small long time ago! -> When it…
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Dao De Jing 55 – Those rich in virtue are like baby
Those well established in Virtue, are like babies. Bees and snakes won’t bite, fierce animals won’t claw, and large birds won’t hunt. -> when the body and mind are purified into peace and non-self, negativity are melt into divine love and peace. (Their) bones and ligaments are soft but when they hold their fists are tight. They…
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Dao De Jing 52 – Outer son die, inner mother live
There is a beginning to the world, it is the mother of the world. -> There is also the mother of our self. As one knows the mother, one knows the son; as one knows the son and abides with its mother, one lasts even when one lost (the body). -> Consciousness can exist without…
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Dao De Jing 51 – Dao as source of manifestation, reason for its great virtue
Dao gives birth, De (virtue) nurtures, materials materialize, environment shapes. -> The process of manifestion: 1) birth, 2) nurture, 3)form, 4)materiallze Therefore things pay reverence to Dao and value De. -> as they are the source and on-going reality of all things The reason why Dao is reverenced, and Virtue is valued, is because they…
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Dao De Jing 48 – Study gains vs. cultivate surrenders
Study and one accumulates, cultivate (Dao) and one surrenders. -> When we study in school, at home, in society, typically we acquire and accumulate information. When we cultivate the Dao, on the other hand, we surrender our attachments and aversions. Keep surrendering and one will arrive at non-doing. -> In the beginning, the strong attachments…
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Dao De Jing 43 – Soft conquer strong, benefits of non-form and non-doing
The softest of the world, conquer the world’s strongest. -> What is softest? Not water, not jelly, not cotton. Non-form is. Non-form penetrates into every space, therefore is the benefit of non-doing. -> Form, confined to a specific description, definition, space, and category, is limited. When life identifies beyond form, one is therefore unlimited. -> When someone…
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Dao De Jing 41 – Different man hear the Dao, descriptions of the Dao
Upper men hear the Dao, act on it diligently; -> what happen upon Dao realization? One becomes a vehicle of it and serve diligently. (see last post how Dao runs in those humble) Middle men hear the Dao, half believe in it; -> one needs more observation, evidence, experiment, experience, or realization. Lower men hear…
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Dao De Jing 40 – Dao moves in reverse direction
The Dao moves in reverse direction; and runs through those humble. -> Ordinary people invest their energy in their “self”, which claim credits from reality about what is happening. The process reverses when we surrender attachment to our selves, and align our live to the universal Dao. When this process starts, Dao starts to move…
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Dao De Jing 38 – High virtue does not necessarily appear virtuous
Dao De Jing Chapter 38 Discussion: Virtue What do you think when hear about the term virtue? kindness, lovingness, flower, incense, and music? Yes, but not limited to them. Laozi describes high virtue is like that of heaven and earth, that virtue supports all lives without anyone purposely acting, they just run according to the universal rhythm,…
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Dao De Jing 35 – Dao and the world in perfect harmony
Abide in the Dao, the whole world follows. (The whole world) follows it without conflict, in perfect harmony. -> Abide in the source, one sees the whole world manifesting. Conflicts are self-based descriptions, when the self is transcended, there is no conflict. Music and fine food stop people. Dao when being spoken, is however tasteless.…
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Dao De Jing 34 – The smallness and bigness of the Dao
The great Dao is everywhere, it can be here and there. -> Beyond boundary and separation, omnipresence. All things rely on It to manifest, but It does not interfere and does not claim credit. -> Everyone has its own course, in accordance to its tendencies and choices. –> If “our source” would interfere “us”, there…