The Dao De Jing is a classical canon which forms the basis of the Taoist faith. The five thousand words of the Dao De Jing concisely expounded the philosophy of its writer – the great Chinese sage Laozi.
Laozi’s philosophy encompassed nature, life, politics and society. He expressed the ideas of “naturalness”, “tranquility”, “non-action”, “gentleness” and harmony. These are values upon which the theory of Dao was founded. The Dao De Jing is about the cultivation of one’s body and mind.
The Dao De Jing is also the main sacred scripture of Taoism, whereby its fundementals and beliefs are the religion's basic tenets and teachings. Lao Zi is also regarded as a Divine incarnation of 'Dao' - Creator and source of the universe. Lao Zi is often known as the 'Supreme Venerable Lord' or 'Supreme Patriarch of Taoism'.
Confucius once met Lao Zi in his quest of seeking wisdom. Confucius described Lao Zi as a dragon. He was an older contemporary of Confucius and worked as an archivist in the Imperial Library of the Zhou's court. Legends said Confucius intentionally or accidentally met him in Zhou (approx. today Luoyang district) where Confucius was going to browse the library scrolls and requested Lao Zi to discuss about rituals and propriety. During the following month of discussion, Confucius actually learns more from Lao Zi than from the books.
The Dao De Jing is one of the world’s second most widely-translated book. The book has been translated into over 40 languages. The first translation was believed to have been commissioned in AD 647, when Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty ordered the Dao De Jing to be translated into Sanskrit. The earliest version to have been discovered in Europe is the Latin version which dates back to the time of the Belgian Jesuit, Francis Noel (1651-1729).
The Multi-Language Editions of the Dao De Jing
Laozi’s philosophy encompassed nature, life, politics and society. He expressed the ideas of “naturalness”, “tranquility”, “non-action”, “gentleness” and harmony. These are values upon which the theory of Dao was founded. The Dao De Jing is about the cultivation of one’s body and mind.
The Dao De Jing is also the main sacred scripture of Taoism, whereby its fundementals and beliefs are the religion's basic tenets and teachings. Lao Zi is also regarded as a Divine incarnation of 'Dao' - Creator and source of the universe. Lao Zi is often known as the 'Supreme Venerable Lord' or 'Supreme Patriarch of Taoism'.
Confucius once met Lao Zi in his quest of seeking wisdom. Confucius described Lao Zi as a dragon. He was an older contemporary of Confucius and worked as an archivist in the Imperial Library of the Zhou's court. Legends said Confucius intentionally or accidentally met him in Zhou (approx. today Luoyang district) where Confucius was going to browse the library scrolls and requested Lao Zi to discuss about rituals and propriety. During the following month of discussion, Confucius actually learns more from Lao Zi than from the books.
The Dao De Jing is one of the world’s second most widely-translated book. The book has been translated into over 40 languages. The first translation was believed to have been commissioned in AD 647, when Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty ordered the Dao De Jing to be translated into Sanskrit. The earliest version to have been discovered in Europe is the Latin version which dates back to the time of the Belgian Jesuit, Francis Noel (1651-1729).
The Multi-Language Editions of the Dao De Jing
Taoist Federation (Singapore) and Fung Ying Seen Koon (Hong Kong) are proud to present a unique exhibition of the Dao De Jing. This cultural exhibition brings together more than 300 editions of the Dao De Jing in 36 languages. In addition, a special exhibition of the sacred texts of the other religions in Singapore will also be featured.
Date : 4 – 9 September 2008 Time: 10 am – 8 pm (daily) Venue: Suntec Concourse (Level 3), 1 Raffles BoulevardFree admission
I think we should all visit this exhibition, to learn and be inspired by the wisdom of Lao Zi.
Lao-Zi stresses how important it is to be one with nature because it provides positive character. He regards genuineness, sincerity, and spontaneity to be "natural" characteristics which people are born with and possess. Yet, he claims these qualities are destroyed through education and cultural influences. In addition, he explains how a person is able to dismiss all authority except for the authority of self and a personal God. In this case, God is understood to be everything in nature. Thus, people who know and respect the authority of their inner nature know where they belong.
Date : 4 – 9 September 2008 Time: 10 am – 8 pm (daily) Venue: Suntec Concourse (Level 3), 1 Raffles BoulevardFree admission
I think we should all visit this exhibition, to learn and be inspired by the wisdom of Lao Zi.
Lao-Zi stresses how important it is to be one with nature because it provides positive character. He regards genuineness, sincerity, and spontaneity to be "natural" characteristics which people are born with and possess. Yet, he claims these qualities are destroyed through education and cultural influences. In addition, he explains how a person is able to dismiss all authority except for the authority of self and a personal God. In this case, God is understood to be everything in nature. Thus, people who know and respect the authority of their inner nature know where they belong.
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