Bee Gee's 'I started a joke' resonates with Lao Zi in DaoDeJing 20

When you pursue things that are different from the world. The world will laugh at you. Your success becomes their ridicule. That was the feeling that Lao Zi had when he wrote DaoDeJing chapter 20. He explained the cause of stress, how different was his values against the world and he persistence pursue to live with and by the Way of Dao though he may be ridiculed.

 Dao De Jing original text, translation and interpretation are given in the mind-map below:

The cause of much stress and worry is men's pursue of knowledge to gain more. More wisdom, glory, wealth and whatever. Men has become so worry and afraid of many things. Lao Zi has a different set of values and pursuit. He is so different, almost opposite, of the world that they ridicule his lifestyle. But he remains persistence in his values. His last sentence is:

• 我独异于人, 而贵食母 
  I alone am different from others, and I value sucking from mother.
• Mother, used by Lao Zi, refers to the Great Way of Dao.
  See The Secret of an Easy & Refreshing Life - Let Mother Nature do the Work.
• So, Lao Zi's life purpose is to discover the Dao and live in and get nutrition from Dao.
• This reminds me of Jesus' word, Matthew 4:4 NIV Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
• Lao Zi is telling us that man is also spiritual and needs spiritual pursue of Dao.
• By following the Way of Dao, life can be meaningful and stress free.

Lim Liat (c) 5 June 2014

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More:Ancient Chinese Wisdom

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