Chinese Unit Test Flashcards
What book did Lao Tzu write
The Tao te Ching in 5 days
Who is the founder of Taoism.
Lao Tzu
Is Taoism a philosophy or religon
Taoism is a philosophy
Tao definition
The way, the energy that surrounds us
What does “Wu Wei” refer to?
consider being like ‘water’ - going with the flow -in stead of going through a problem, go with it and flow around it. Non-doing or non-action( doing something so many times it becomes a part of you, and feels natural so you can solve it instantly)
Explain nondoing in reference to “Wu Wei”
doing something so many times it becomes a part of you, and feels natural so you can solve it instantly. You no longer have to “do” it it comes naturally
What does chi literally mean
Breath
What does the concept of chi refer to
It refers to the energy flow or life force that pervades all things.
Where might one see influences of chi in Chinese culture?
In Chinese medicine. Like acupuncture
How does the concept of balance relate to yin yang
Yin and yang have to do with balance. In other words, you need a lot of one in orde to have the other and bi a versa. It talks about how there is always good in evil and evil in good.
Discus the symbol used for yin and yang
The symbol is a circle… Duh it is divided into 2 parts by a squiggly line, one half is black the other white. Inside the white is black And inside the black is white. The black is bad, and the white is good. It is basically saying that there is always good in evil and visaversa
What does Pu refer to…
It refers to the un carved state. Being a blank slate
What does it mean to be empty according to “Pu”
Think tabula rosa. When we are born we are blank slates. It is the people we meet and the experiences we have that define who we are as a person(totally Fullmetal alchemist ;) according to Pu we are supposed to try and remain a blank slate
What do Taoists think about nature?
When human nature is aligned with the rest of nature there is order and harmony. When we attempt to master nature, we fail to “go with the flow”, we bring destruction upon ourselves.
What are the 3 people’s expressions when tasting the vinegar
Confucius sour Buddha bitter Lao Tzu smiling
Why are the vinegar tasters expressions that way?
Confucius : expression is sour. This is because his outlook on life is that it is sour. tastes the essence of life and calls it polluted. We are out of step. Our laws Buddha: expression is bitter. This is because of the basic tenses and his beliefs. “Life is filled with suffering and sorrow” “the cause of all suffering is people’s desires” Lao tzu: Lao is smiling because life is sweet when we respect nature, we agree and we work together and life is sweet.
What might the man mean when he says “you take what life throws at you”
“you take what life throws at you.” You kinda need to just go with the flow and just flow around the problems that life gives you. What does he flow around: wife/marrage. Work camp. Society’s expectations.
What ternate of Taoism might be missing from old man xinjang’s life?
Pu might be missing from his life. By not remarrying he has allowed people to form opinions of him and “mark” his Un carved slate.
What tenant might be related to the old mans desire to go and see his wife?
Yin and yang.