Lao Tzu and The Bible: A Meeting Transcending Time and Space Yuan Zhiming Translated by Chen Shangyu Has God's light ever shone on the vast land of China-"Land of God,' so named by her ancient ancestors? This book vividly recaptures God's universal light shown to the Chinese sage Lao Tzu 600 years before Jesus was born. By comparing Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching with the Bible, Yuan Zhiming offers a ground-breaking interpretation of Lao Tzu's Tao in light of the Word, or Logos. Yuan Zhiming juxtaposes Lao Tzu's "Holy One" with Jesus Christ, systematically and thoroughly unveiling the nature and characteristics of the mysterious Tao in a concrete and understandable manner, resolving a riddle of 2,600 years. "The text speaks to our time, because so many people believe that mere secular teaching of "morality," such as Confucius taught, is sufficient, and because what we really need is a deep spiritual awakening, such as Lao Tzu announced. The profound teaching in Lao Tzu and the Bible enriches the spirit of not only the Chinese people but also the people of the West." -Dr. Paul de Vries, president of New York Divinity School and author of The Taming of the Shrewd Lao Tzu and the Bible offers not only a spiritual feast to the analytical minds about Tao/Word/Logos, illustrating Tao in a tangible form, the Holy One/Jesus Christ, but also provides helpful advice about how to follow and be united with Tao. A work of great erudition and wisdom, it contains deep insight, opening up the secrets of the Tao while also illuminating the Bible. This book will surely delight the hearts and minds of seekers of Tao.

Lao Tzu and The Bible

A Meeting Transcending Time and SpaceBy Yuan Zhiming

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Yuan Zhiming
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-9108-8

Contents

Preface.................................................................17Author's Preface........................................................23Translator's Note.......................................................27INTRODUCTION: THE MAJESTY OF ANCIENT TAO................................29PART ONE: THE SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF TAO..............................53I. The I AM.............................................................53II. About the Creator...................................................76III. The One Who Transcends.............................................101IV. About Life..........................................................124V. About the Revealer...................................................148VI. About the Righteous One.............................................170VII. About the Savior...................................................188I. The Holy Name........................................................217II. Duties..............................................................230III. The Original Image.................................................243IV. The Mission of the Holy One.........................................254V. Humility.............................................................265VI. Sacrifice...........................................................278VII. The Accomplishments of the Holy One................................283PART THREE: THE WAY OF TAO-SPIRITUAL CULTIVATION........................293I. The Principles of Following Tao......................................296II. Choosing between Two Worlds.........................................311III. Lesson One: Discarding.............................................320IV. Lesson Two: Tranquility.............................................335V. Lesson Three: Gentle Humility........................................344VI. Lesson Four: Effortlessness.........................................356VII. Lesson Five: Unification...........................................365PART FOUR: METAPHORS OF FOLLOWING TAO...................................375A. The First Metaphor: Light............................................375B. The Second Metaphor: Water...........................................380C. The Third Metaphor: Mother and Infant................................385Selected Bibliography...................................................393Index...................................................................397

Chapter One

The I AM

Those familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures and their translation into what has been called the Greek Septuagint are well aware of the term I AM, the name of the Holy One, who revealed Himself to Moses. This term signifies great power and majesty-and deep simplicity. In this and succeeding chapters, we will learn more about the meaning of the I AM and all that surrounds a profound understanding of the characteristics of the I AM as perceived through the lens of Lao Tzu.

Section A: As Tao Is (Ziran)

1. The Meaning of "Tao As It Is"

One of Lao Tzu's well-known statements has been the source of misinterpretation in two ways: "Human beings emulate earth; the earth emulates the heavens; the heavens emulate Tao; Tao emulates what is as it is" (25:6-7). It frequently has been used to label Lao Tzu as a naturalist, one who treats nature as total reality-without a supreme God-and defines human beings as having no [eternal] spirit. In modern terminology, naturalists treat everything, including human beings, as if they are merely matter and energy.

The first misinterpretation is found in the clause "as it is" ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]) in "Tao emulates what is as it is," and is often mistakenly interpreted as "nature." That is not Lao Tzu's intended meaning. Nature refers to natural phenomena on the earth and in the sky. In the previous clauses "the earth emulates the heavens; the heavens emulate Tao," Lao Tzu implies that the earth and the heavens reside under Tao. These are below Tao; so, how is it possible for Tao to emulate something below it?

When we come to the second misinterpretation, we find that it revolves around interpreting "Tao emulates what is as it is" as "Tao lets everything be," which does not make sense either. The word emulate in Lao Tzu's original sentence means "model after," rather than "let it be." Lao Tzu says: "Tao of heaven shows no favoritism; he is always with good people" (79:3) and "The net of heaven is vast; its meshes may not be fine yet nothing slips through" (73:4). Without any bias, Tao selects good people, and nothing escapes Tao's inclusive mastery. How, then, can Tao allow everything to exist without guidance and discipline?

The first misinterpretation promotes the prevalent belief that Lao Tzu is a "naturalistic atheist," whereas the second interpretation makes Lao Tzu a "do-nothing naturalist."

According to Lao Tzu's original meaning, the Chinese word ran is an adverb meaning "as," while the word ziran suggests the meaning of self-sufficiency, self-existence, self-sustaining, and self-imaging. Before saying that "Tao emulates what is as it is," Lao Tzu reverently describes Tao as the mother of everything on earth and in heaven. He then points out that Tao, heaven, earth, and human beings are all important, while Tao alone embraces and surpasses everything. Heaven, earth, and human beings "consider" themselves important; each of them, however, must follow Tao.

Lao Tzu taught that human beings come from the earth and return to the earth. Their life and death do not bypass the patterns of the earth; the earth comes from the heavens and blends into the heavens. Earth's existence and disappearance do not escape the dictates of the heavens; Tao created the heavens, which function within the limit of Tao's commands. Tao initiates from nothing, belongs to nothing, and pursues nothing. Tao is as Tao is. That is why Lao Tzu says: Tao models after Tao, or "Tao models after what is as it is" (ziran). Tao makes the ultimate law and creates order for every existence.

In other words, Tao is what Tao is and does what Tao does. This self-sufficient, self-reliant, self-generating, self-functioning Tao is the only self-existent being.

2. The Original Meaning of Jehovah

Lao Tzu's description of Tao brings to mind the Hebrew name for God in the Bible-YHWH, or Jehovah, which is a Hebrew word based on the verb I am. When Moses, the liberator of the Israelites, received God's call to lead his people out of Egypt, Moses had doubts about his own ability. God said to Moses, "I will be with you" (Exodus 3:12). When Moses' doubts persisted, he asked for God's name, and God's response to Moses was: "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14).

The Chinese translation of this special name is "I am the self-existent and eternal one." God told Moses: "This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you ...'" (Exodus 3:14-15). Since then, God in the Old Testament has been called YHWH, or Jehovah, a name with a clear and dramatic meaning.

The meaning of "Tao emulates what is as it is" and the meaning of "I AM WHO I AM" match perfectly.

3. About [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]

According to textual scholarship, the words Yi,...