Tao Te Ching

The Tao Te Ching is a Chinese classic text traditionally credited to the 6th-century BC sage Laozi, though the text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are in debate. In LP terms, the Teo Te Ching is part Aligment Manual and part Book of Emanation.

Notes

The Tao Te Ching is heavily filtered through a mind intent on using insights in defence of systems of government administration. The veracity of pronouncements may, as a consequence, be in question.

Elitism: "The ancients who showed their skill in practising the Tao did so, not to enlighten the people, but rather to make them simple and ignorant. The difficulty in governing the people arises from their having much knowledge. He who (tries to) govern a state by his wisdom is a scourge to it; while he who does not (try to) do so is a blessing. He who knows these two things finds in them also his model and rule. Ability to know this model and rule constitutes what we call the mysterious excellence (of a governor). Deep and far-reaching is such mysterious excellence, showing indeed its possessor as opposite to others, but leading them to a great conformity to him."

Alignment: Various pronouncements on Right Action and Right Thought.

Cosmology: Pronouncements on the nature of Tao indicate it as a syncretic term for Undifferentiated Consciousness.