01/21/2024

Austin Xiangyun Temple Lecture Series - Laozi and Zen

Journalist Su Bishan Austin Report

Xiangyun Temple invited Mr. Wang Shu, who has been studying the teachings of Laozi for more than thirty years, to give a series of lectures on "Laozi and Zen" for three consecutive Sundays. The first part of the lecture, "Exploring the Accomplishments and Doctrine Transmission of Laozi," took place on January 14th. Despite the cold weather, more than forty people attended the lecture.

Mr. Wang Shu praised Laozi as the first philosopher in Chinese history, whose influence on Chinese culture is immense. Laozi's life can be divided into three stages: the time as a historian, the stage of "seeking knowledge"; upon resigning from office, the stage of "learning the Tao"; and finally, writing the 5,000-character "Tao Te Ching," representing his stage of "wordless teaching." The speaker referred to these three stages as the "Three Stages of Awakening," symbolizing the progression from action to non-action, ultimately reaching a state of non-action yet capable of all actions. The text of the "Tao Te Ching" is extremely concise, reflecting Laozi's narrative style of "using stories to express simplicity."

After lunch, the Q&A session continued at the Tea House. There was lively discussion on the understanding of the "Tao," the teacher-student relationship between Laozi and Confucius, why Eastern and Western leaders appeared simultaneously, and other topics. Looking forward to gathering again for the lecture next week!