• Laozi, etiquette caused disaster
    Dec 20 2023

    hi I'm Andy

    Today we'll learn Laozi's thinking together

    the good virtue is not showing off his virtue

    that is considered being with virtue

    the bad virtue

    is showing off his virtue

    that is considered being without virtue

    the good virtue do not need to prove his virtue

    so

    he seemed to do nothing

    the bad virtues always try to prove his virtue

    so he is busy doing everything

    the behavior of benovalence is come out from heart

    but not in the name of virtue

    the behavior of morality is made in the name of virtue

    if the behavior of an etiquette is not

    response by other people

    they would roll up the sleeves

    and the force you carried it out

    so when people lost the Dao

    they would hold the virtue

    when they lost the virtue

    they would hold the benovance

    when lost benevolence

    they would hold morality

    after lost morality

    they would hold the etiquette

    the etiquette is a lack of loyalty and belief

    that is the cause of chaos

    those things we know previously

    is the superficial vanity of Dao

    that is the beginning of the foolishness

    so the true gentleman should hold the sincerity

    but not the surface

    hold honesty but not vanity

    so we should get rid of a superficial vanity

    and hold sincere honesty

    okay

    good virtue don't show off is virtue

    do you think a real wealthy man

    should show off his wealth

    Bill Gates or Elon Musk

    they need to show off his wealth

    his money to people

    to prove he is wealthy

    it's not necessary

    so the poor people

    they would show off they have money

    so the real one don't need to prove

    Donald Trump said make America great again

    that means America is not great right now

    in China we used to say that

    we want to build a harmonious society

    that means the society now is not harmonious

    so the Dao belongs to heaven

    but benevolence

    morality etiquette those belong to people human being

    why the world the society is deteriorating

    because we lost the Dao, the Great Dao

    it reminds me in the Bible

    when Adam and Eva sinned

    they were driven out from the Garden of Eden

    human beings sinned

    they lost the Dao

    Confucius is always emphasized on rite

    etiquette and music

    but why Laozi said it (rite) is the cause of chaos

    he said

    the etiquette, the ceremony, the rite

    if they will not respond and people will

    roll up sleeves and force you carried it out

    then I will tell you a real story

    in 1793

    the King of England sent George Macartney as envoy

    to celebrate the Emperor Qianlong's

    birthday in china

    so he traveled all the way

    and brought a lot of precious gifts

    those gifts were the latest

    technology of the Industrial Revolution

    but they got an issue

    before the emperor

    received George Mckinney

    because the Emperor of China is the Son of Heaven

    so everybody should kneeled down and kowtow to the Emperor

    but in the West

    they only kneel down with one knee

    we don't know the truth if Macartney really

    kneeled down kowtow to the Emperor

    or he used the western courtesy

    but one thing is for sure

    both the Emperor of China

    and George Macartney were not happy

    so when the etiquette was not respond

    other people almost force him

    to carry out the kowtow in China

    that is what exactly Laozi said

    in 2,500 years ago in China

    so since that time

    China was declining

    in 1860

    the Opium War broke out

    that was the beginning of chaos

    that's the reason why

    we should give up the superficial vanity and hold the

    sincere honesty

    okay see you next time bye bye


    Show more Show less
    4 mins
  • Laozi, Dao guide virtue
    Dec 16 2023

    hi I'm Andy

    Today we'll learn Laozi's thinking together

    today I will use the traditional Chinese tune to

    read English

    it's maybe a little bit weird

    such a thing as Dao

    is a trance and blur

    trance and blur

    there's an image

    blur as trance

    there's an object

    deep and dark

    there is an spirit

    the spirit is real

    there is a belief

    since ancient until today

    his name never gone

    he observe all the creatures

    how could I know the status of all the creatures

    it's depend on the Dao

    okay

    the virtue is decided by Dao

    Dao is higher than virtue

    Dao is like the soul

    and virtue is like the body

    if the virtue follows the Dao completely 100%

    that virtue is up virtue

    if only partial follow the Dao

    that's called down virtue

    but still virtue

    it's like in school exams

    you got a 100 score

    that's perfect

    but if you get 70 60

    that's okay or maybe

    even got 10 15

    that's still okay

    because you try your best

    the Dao is a chance and blur

    but it seemed there's an image

    and there's object

    great Dao is imageless

    but it raise all the creatures

    when Laozi practiced the Dao

    or seeking the Dao

    and he said

    there's a spirit in a Dao

    and that is real

    and you can believe it

    so that means

    if you followed him practice the Dao and

    you will find the truth

    and you will believe it

    so that was 2,500 years ago

    but later in China

    about 1,800 years ago

    people make the Dao thinking as a religion

    the Daoism

    so when they practiced the Dao

    they entered a bottleneck

    and they can't go further

    and they will find something else to help

    like the Daoist priest use incense burner

    they will make the pills

    to help them

    they use chemicals minerals

    such like lead

    mercury

    or charcoal

    sulfur

    so Chinese people invented gunpowder

    I'm serious

    the gunpowder was invented by Daoist priest

    they want to use the pills to

    help them get over the bottleneck

    in the whole history of China

    we have many emperors

    they died of addicted to the pills

    because the pills are poisonous

    okay see you next time bye bye


    Show more Show less
    3 mins
  • Laozi, Dao is father, Virtue is mother
    Dec 15 2023

    hi i'm Andy

    today

    we'll learn Laozi's

    philosophy together

    Dao give birth to all the creatures

    and virtue

    breed all the creatures

    all the creatures present various forms

    the environment makes all the creatures grow up

    so all the creatures

    no one doesn't respect Dao

    and value the virtue

    the reason

    why Dao was respected and the virtue was valued

    is because

    the Dao didn't interfere the growth of the all the creatures

    and let them follow the nature

    so Dao

    give birth to all the creatures and virtue breeding all creatures

    they make all creatures grow

    and make all creatures mature

    and bare fruit they raise up all the creatures

    and give them protection

    Dao produced all the creatures

    but don't claim the possession of them

    Dao raise all the creatures

    but don't boast his achievements

    Dao guide all the creatures

    but don't be their master

    this is the mysterious and profound virtue

    okay

    all the creatures could grow up and develop

    is because they follow the natural rules

    that is Laozi's the Great Dao

    after the birth of all thecreatures

    who would breed them

    that's virtue

    so in China virtue is 德

    so 道德 Dao and virtue

    it means moral

    so

    Dao give us life

    and virtue

    raise us

    they're just like our father and mother

    how could we do not respect our father and mother

    so respect down the value

    the virtue is nature

    it's a human nature

    in Chinese

    the word of virtue 德

    originally means "gain, get"

    later it

    means "virtual, quality"

    the Dao give birth to all the creatures

    but do not possess them

    he breed all the creatures

    but do not boast his achievements

    he just guide all the creatures

    but do not interfere them

    he do not boast to be the master of all the creatures

    he was so unselfish

    but our human being everything we do

    we want a reward or result

    like i'm being Youtuber

    I want more people to see my video

    and to understand the Chinese culture

    and I get monetized

    but if you make a great effort

    you cannot achieve it

    and you feel very frustrated

    and you will hated the algorithm

    that's my desire

    cause I have sIIo many desire

    those desire become the burden

    I have to carry them

    but it's really hard to

    get rid of the desire for a human being

    so I have to follow the Dao

    see you next time bye bye


    Show more Show less
    3 mins
  • Laozi, Dao is beyond my understanding
    Dec 14 2023

    hi I'm Andy

    Today we'll learn Laozi's thinking together

    the up man heard the Dao

    he followed the Dao diligently

    the middle man heard the Dao

    he's half believed the Dao

    the down man heard the Dao

    he laughed at the Dao

    if the Dao was not laughed

    it's not enough to become Dao

    so the ancient saying said

    the Dao is bright

    but it seemed dim

    the Dao is a forward

    but it seemed backward

    the Dao is flat but it seemed bumpy

    the noble virtue seemed hollow

    the vast virtue seemed insufficient

    the strong virtue seemed lazy

    the pure virtue seemed stained

    the most white thing seemed black

    the most square thing seemed no corners

    the greatest vassal seemed unfinished

    the greatest sound

    seemed soundless

    the greatest image seemed imageless

    Dao is hiding and without a name

    but the Dao supplied all the creatures

    and give them a good beginning and good end

    so the Dao is so great

    it's beyond my understanding

    so I hope you can understand

    see you next time bye bye


    Show more Show less
    1 min
  • Laozi, Dao knows to stop
    Dec 13 2023

    hi I'm Andy

    Today we'll learn Laozi's thinking together

    Dao is always a no name

    even it's simple

    it seemed small

    but Dao didn't yield to anything in the world

    if the king the Prince could hold the Dao

    and everything was subject to them

    the heaven and earth worked together

    to fall the sweet dew

    the people didn't ask for it but it fall down evenly

    since we gave Dao a name

    Dao got a name

    but Dao know to stop

    knowing stop would never feel tired

    just like the Dao running the world

    just like the river across the valley

    and stopped at the sea

    the air in the heaven and earth

    made the rain and rain fall on the ground evenly

    that reminds me of in the Bible

    he sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous

    and the Dao

    he know to stop but it doesn't mean

    the Dao has a limitation

    he know what he liked to do

    and what he did not like to do

    the water running all the way across the valley

    to the sea before he reached the sea

    it's called river

    after the water reached the sea

    it's called sea

    the same water but we give them different name

    so the water stopped at the Gulf

    and he know

    the water know where to stop

    so the river would never feel tired it keep running

    as a human being we don't know our limitation

    we want to explore the whole universe

    we send people to the moon

    and we want to send people to the Mars

    you won't know the secret of the universe

    people also built the Tower of Babel

    because people have desire

    they don't know stop

    like being a Youtuber

    you want everybody see a video

    and that means you don't know your limit

    you don't know stop

    so you will feel tired

    okay I'm Andy

    see you next time bye bye


    Show more Show less
    2 mins
  • Laozi, Dao suppress desire
    Dec 12 2023

    hi i'm Andy

    today we'll learn Laozi's thinking together

    Dao is always doing nothin

    but there isn't anything he didn't do

    if the king and princes

    they could hold the Dao

    and all the creatures will evolve by themselves

    during their involvement

    they will have a desire

    I will suppress them with undefined simple rules

    after suppressed by the undefined simple rules

    all the creatures will become no desire

    without desire

    they will be quiet

    the whole world will be stable

    okay

    it seemed the human being

    we domained this world

    Dao didn't do anything but actually

    everything we did is the result of a Dao

    it doesn't mean we follow the Dao

    sometimes we did things against the Dao

    but the Dao allowed it happen

    if every king of a country president or a ceo of a company could hold the Dao

    and everybody will find its own place they will evolve by their own

    and they will do the right thing however

    during the involvement

    everybody will have a desire

    every country have their own interest

    so they will be unstable

    but you can suppress the desire with undefined simple rules

    in English

    there's words "you name it"

    so the Dao is you can't name it

    so it's undefined simple rules

    without desire there will be universal peace

    but is it desire is the motivate of development

    China is an ancient country

    we created splendid civilization in the world

    but since the Opium War

    China lose the war

    the western civilization beat our ancient oriental civilization

    because in ancient China

    the agricultural country

    man is farming in the fields

    women's weaving fabric at home

    that's we called男耕女织

    that's the ideal society in ancient China

    so we keep it for thousands years

    because no desire

    even we have some achievements in science and technology

    but the whole China was runned in the feudal system

    it doesn't matter

    if it's Mongolian or Manchurian or Han people

    rule China is all the same system

    in China

    we followed no desire

    but when we have conflict with the west

    we lose the war

    so people will reconsider our culture

    if that's the problem

    in Laozi's thinking

    it will be universal peace if there's no desire

    but how could a human being don't have a desire

    this is against human nature

    so personally

    i think if you can control your desire

    you are a gentleman

    you are a good guy

    see you next time bye bye


    Show more Show less
    3 mins
  • Laozi, Gun shoot the leading bird
    Dec 11 2023

    hi i'm Andy

    today we'll learn Laozi's thinking together

    in his book

    it's written

    all the people under heaven

    said that the Dao

    I mentioned is big, enormous

    it doesn't look like anything

    it's just because it's enormous

    so it doesn't look like anything

    if the Dao looks exactly like something

    it would not matters long ago

    I possessed three treasures

    which had been treasured for a long time

    the first one is called mercy

    the second one is called thrifty

    the third one is called do not there be the first one

    because of mercy

    so I could be brave

    because thrifty

    so I can be abundant

    because I do not dare

    to become the first one under heaven

    so I could be the leader

    of all the creatures under heaven

    people today abandoned mercy and seek for bravery

    they abandoned thrifty

    and seeking for abandance

    they abandoned last

    and seeking for first

    they are going to doom

    in this paragraph

    I just want to mention one point

    in our Chinese culture

    in China we have saying

    枪打出头鸟

    the gun shoot the leading bird

    and another saying the

    rafter beyond

    the roof would be rotten first

    so being first is very risky

    this is like a research and development

    you put a huge amount of money for research

    maybe the product will be successful

    or maybe maybe

    it's a failure you waste

    a lot of money

    so i think Laozi's philosophy

    really influenced the Chinese people and Chinese culture

    so even today

    you see China

    they copy a lot of the technology and product from the West

    because the ancient

    Chinese civilization is based on agriculture

    so Chinese people settle down farming

    this is quite different with the marine civilization

    so Chinese people are not very aggressive

    they don't want to be the first

    they want to follow other people and learn from them

    it written

    that mercy if you use the mercy to fight

    and you will win

    if you use the mercy to guard

    you could guard steadily

    if the heaven want to save a country

    all the people have used mercy to cooperate

    with the heaven to protect the country

    this words emphasize the importance of mercy

    so be mercy you could have a virtue

    the virtue is the key for ruling

    because in ancient China

    every dynasty collapse

    it doesn't matter it's peasant uprising or defeated by nomadics

    it's all because they lose their virtues

    the God of Heaven want to get rid of them

    replace them with a new ruler

    who have virtues

    and show their benevolence and mercy to the people

    okay

    see you next time bye bye


    Show more Show less
    3 mins
  • Laozi, Why Dao is so precious
    Dec 10 2023

    hi I'm Andy

    Today we'll learn Laozi's thinking together

    Dao is the mystery of all the creatures

    Dao is the treasure of the good people

    and Dao is also the shelter of the bad people

    okay

    treasure for good people we can understand

    but why is that Dao is a shelter for the bad people

    it reminds me of the Bible

    there's a city of refuge

    so the Dao is also a Protection for people

    and it continued

    the good words could be sold for a good price

    good deed could add the value of a person

    that teachers speak good words and do good things

    be a good person

    it continued

    the bad things of people

    how could we abandon it

    okay this is a really hard to understand

    if a person is bad

    why didn't we abandon him

    we should abandon him because he is bad is evil

    but if we looking back

    the Dao is a shelter of the bad guys

    if you follow the Dao we should not abandon

    the bad people

    so set up the king

    the princes the dukes

    and also with the round Jade plate

    and many horses and chariots

    cannot compare with the Dao

    which I kneeled down to present

    so that means

    it doesn't matter how high is your social statue

    or how rich you are

    can not compare with the Dao

    Dao is so precious

    and it continued

    why the Dao is so precious

    valuable since ancient times

    it's not because you can achieve your goal with the Dao

    if you follow the Dao and you sinned you would be spared

    that's why

    the Dao is so valuable and precious in the world

    okay if you follow the Dao we can achieve our goals

    and if we did something wrong we will be forgiven

    so personally I think the Dao is the salvation

    okay see you next time bye bye


    Show more Show less
    2 mins