The Old Wisdom of the Chinese People — 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 through millennia, the golden rules guiding life, and the operational guide for success.
Walk without changing your name: Jin Zhang is the author;
Sit without altering your nature, remaining a man to the end;
Stand with a registered place of origin: Cangzhou, Hebei.
Unable to resist the temptation, here is a brief introduction:
Vice Editor-in-Chief of a certain newspaper;
Member of the Chinese Writers' Association;
Council Member of the Provincial I Ching Research Association;
Vice President of the Provincial Military Strategy Business Management Research Association.
Wen Zhang is a little servant, specializing in writing.
Since leaving the boss of Cangjie, he has churned out three or five million words, which he sells to newspapers or publishing houses.
He puts in the effort, while I reap the benefits.
As an equal exchange, works such as Eternal Constellations (short story collection), Chronicles of the Dangerous Building (drama), and The Spiritual Archive of Han Yu (biography), along with this book, all bear Wen Zhang's name.
What more can he say?
This book, with over 200,000 words, meticulously analyzes the profound and distant Tao Te Ching, categorizing and illustrating its principles in an accessible and vivid manner.
It is presented in an image-rich and colloquial style, so even an old woman or a child can recite it easily.
The writing style, like a mountain dotting stones or a sea setting waves, alternates between restraint and exuberance, shifting between solemnity and humor.
It makes readers reflect upon closing the book, awaken with clarity, realize with sudden insight, and laugh with joy.
Wen Zhang's hidden talents finally shine through in this work.
His witty and engaging words flow effortlessly from the pen.
The "fun" in this book is not just for amusement.
The real intent lies in solving problems.
It greatly benefits the world and its people.
To say that "Laozi opened a pharmacy" is quite apt.
This reminds me of a passage in Notes from the Grass-Roots Studio by Cao Xueqin, where a guardian deity says something very similar:
"Confucianism and Taoism are like medicine. They address the issues of life and death, gain and loss, and the emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
They explain grievances and dispel frustrations, being faster 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 doesn't completely free you from the constraints you wish to break free from,
it can at least scratch the right spot, open your heart, and cleanse your soul.