Chinese Experience: Laozi on Life

Author: Wen Zhang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features:
Don't listen to the words of the ancients, or you'll suffer losses in front of your eyes;
Don't learn from old experiences, or you'll struggle to succeed in life.
The old wisdom of the Chinese—great knowledge passed down for millennia,
the golden rules guiding life, and the operational guide for success.
He who walks does not change his name: Jin Zhang is his name;
He who sits does not alter his nature, remaining a man to the end;
He who stands has his origins: Cangzhou, Hebei.
Unable to resist the temptation, here are his credentials:
Vice Editor-in-Chief of a certain newspaper;
Member of the Chinese Writers' Association;
Councillor of the Provincial I Ching Research Association;
Vice President of the Provincial Military Strategy Business Management Research Association.
Wen Zhang is a small servant, specializing in writing.
Since leaving behind the boss Cangjie, he has churned out several million words,
which he then sells to newspapers or publishing houses.
He puts in the effort, while I reap the benefits.
As an equal exchange, books such as Eternal Constellations (short story collection), Chronicles of the Perilous Building (drama), The Spiritual Archive of Han Yu (biography), and this one are all by Wen Zhang.
What more can he say?
This book contains over 200,000 words, meticulously dissecting the profound and distant Tao Te Ching, using analogies and vivid examples to explain it in an accessible way.
Even an old woman or a child can recite it easily.
His writing style is like a mountain where stones are pointed out, or like the sea where waves are set in motion—sudden shifts between restraint and freedom, between solemnity and humor.
It makes readers ponder upon closing the book, awaken with clarity, realize with sudden insight, and laugh with joy.
Wen Zhang's quiet strength finally shines through.
His witty and engaging words flow effortlessly from his pen.
The "fun" in this book is not just for amusement.
The real intent is to dispel confusion.
It greatly benefits the world and the people.
To say that "Laozi opened a pharmacy" is quite apt.
This reminds me of a passage in Notes from a Hidden Valley by Cao Xueqin, where a guardian deity says something very similar:
"Confucianism and Taoism are like medicine—addressing the concerns of life and death, gain and loss, and the emotions of joy and sorrow.
They can explain grievances and dispel frustrations, far more swiftly than Confucianism."
Dear readers, if you have endured the bitterness of human interactions and find it hard to let go of your grievances,
you might as well pick up this book, find your place, and take the right medicine.
Even if it cannot completely free you from your constraints to enjoy a carefree life,
it can at least scratch the right spot, open your heart, and cleanse your soul.