Tao Te Ching Analysis

What does the first thing emerge in the mind when you see a book title—Tao Te Ching? Is that just a name of a book title or a meaningful word? Based on the information from the internet, “Tao” means the “way” which is an attitude to live in the world. “Te” has multiple meanings which include strength, virtue and power. Lastly, “Ching” can mean “book” or “tone.”
Knowing the meaning of the book title—Tao Te Ching, people can obtain a basic idea of what content will be discussed in a book. The religious and philosophical book Tao Te Ching is written around 600 BC by Lao Tzu. This book basically talks about what Tao is by using a lot of things to explain, such as paradox, nature, simplicity and others. Using these

persuasive techniques to help people rethink and relearn a way of living—“Tao,” Lao Tzu believes that people can have a peaceful life if they understand what “Tao” means. Moreover, people not only can internally govern their self—behaviors and thoughts, they also can be the leaders to govern their country externally by learning “Tao.” However, several persuasive techniques and rhetorical devices in Lao Tzu’s text are used to explain to people what “Tao” is, and how a leader uses “Tao” to govern a country because he wants his book to be understandable, creativity and useful to his audiences.
To begin with, Lao Tzu tries to explain “Tao” by teaching people simplicity. For example, in his book Tao Te Ching of the nineteenth verse, he mentions that “throw away holiness and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times happier. Throw away morality and justice and people will do the right thing. Throw away industry and profit, and there won’t be any thieves.” He tries to teach people to attempt to be simple. If people can be relaxed and do things freely, they can be happier than others. In the same way, not thinking about the morality and property, people will not do the wrong thing and not be any thieves. He uses those examples to explain the significant concept—being simple. In addition, he states that the most essential point of “Tao” is “let all things take their course.” He expresses that if people do not know how to deal with some situations they encounter in their daily life, they can just stay and let things come and go.
Furthermore, Lao Tzu employs the simple language to articulate his concept throughout the whole content. In his book Tao Te Ching, short sentences, easy vocabularies and short verses are used in order to teach people his idea easily. For example, short sentences exist throughout the text. In the seventeenth verse, he mentions that “when the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. Next best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst one who is despised.” In this case, every sentence is in a few words so that the audiences can read it easily. Additionally, in the sixtieth one verse, he refers that “when he makes a mistake, he realizes it. Having realized it, he admits it. Having admitted it, he corrects it. He considers those who point out his fault.” A lot of simple vocabularies are used such as make, realize, admit, correct and consider. Besides, the whole content was broken down into eighty-one brief chapters. Using these features in his text, people are capable to understand the meanings even though they have limited knowledge and low education. Moreover, short sentences and verses motivate audiences to keep reading, but they will not feel bored during reading.
Apart from employing simplicity throughout the text, Lao Tzu also uses paradox to clarify his idea to people because it always happens in people’s life. Therefore, using paradox can affect people’s emotion and encourage them to rethink. For instance, in Tao Te Ching’s second verse, he refers that “being and non-being create each other. Difficult and easy support each other. Long and short define each other. High and low depend on each other. Before and after follow each other.” He uses this sentence structure to explain that opposite exists within everything. When something exists, something else should exist as the opposite to create, support, define, follow and depend on each other. Having this structure in his text, his poem succeeds to get people’s attention to rethink what they know in their minds. Besides, this structure makes people to reflect how they view other things. For example, in the second verse of his poem, he states the fact that “when people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad.” He employs this structure to explain a significant concept—let things go and come naturally without controlling or changing them. If people can understand this idea, things can last forever even though the work is done.
In addition to the conflicting structure, Lao Tzu also uses some metaphors in order to make his poem become creative, and show how a leader should govern a country.

For instance, in Tao Te Ching’s sixtieth verse, he mentions that “governing a large country is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking.” He uses this daily activity to create a picture so that his audiences can understand his meaning easily. Also, his audience will motivate to read his text because of the metaphor. Lao Tzu uses this action to show how a leader should govern a country. The way is that a leader should not control or force to a country too much because that may cause his enemies to obtain chances to

invade.
Besides illustrating the action by using metaphors, the nature plays a significant role in his text because it illustrates the pictures of governing. For instance, in Tao Te Ching’s fiftieth verse, he states that “tolerant like the sky, all-pervading like sunlight, firm like a mountain, supple like a tree in the wind.” He describes those elements which build a country by relating to the natural environment in order to tell people that a leader should have a wide thought. But he should not limit his idea because everything is possible to happen. Therefore, if a leader throws away his limited thought, and let things go widely, he is capable to govern a country well and take care of the people.
Lastly, Lao Tzu also uses compare and contrast to tell people the suitable way to administrate a country.

In Tao Te Ching’s fifty-eighth verse, he mentions that “if a country is governed with tolerance, the people are comfortable and honest. If a country is governed with repression, the people are depressed and crafty.” Using the “if” structure, he not only compares the results of executing different methods to people, but also creates flow in his text by manipulating the “if” structure. Most importantly, these comparisons convince the audiences to believe his concept of governing a country. Also, these contraries imply that “the higher the ideals, the lower the result,” which means if a master keeps imposing people, people may have negative emotion. As a result, the country becomes poor. In contrast, if a master keeps people happy, their country may become prosperous. Lao Tzu uses these comparisons in order to address to the “Tao” concept. He states that a master should not control their people too hard, but he should let the people to do what they want freely.
In the book Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu employs different ways to explain what “Tao” is to people. He uses different techniques—using simplicity, nature, metaphor, and comparison—to affect people’s mind so that they would rethink and relearn the things in their daily life. As a consequence, people can understand well the main concept—“Tao.” Overall, Lao Tzu wants to express the importance

of being simple, and the essential idea—“let all things take their course.”
If a master can understand this point, he may have the ability to take care of the people in his country. Therefore, I think that people understanding what “Tao” is can have quality of life and they will be happier than others.