Texts were viewed as a means of passing down wisdom that could be applied in everyday life in ancient China. These works were frequently penned by philosophers who had spent years debating the essence of existence and human interaction. Despite the fact that many of these writings are centuries old, their insights remain relevant and are studied and used by individuals all over the world today. The I Ching, Tao Te Ching, and the Art of War are examples of these texts.
The I Ching, also known as the Book of Changes, is an ancient Chinese scripture that is still used for guidance and wisdom by people all over the world. The book is made up of hexagrams, which are six-line symbols. These hexagrams are used to generate readings that provide advice and insight on a number of subjects.
The Tao Te Ching is a Chinese ancient text that has been translated into English and other languages. Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher, wrote the Tao Te Ching as a guide to living a good life. The Tao Te Ching is a little book of 81 verses that teaches Tao principles and is regarded as one of the world’s most popular and influential texts. It is a guide to having a good life that has been mentioned by people including Bill Clinton, and Albert Einstein. Its timeless wisdom can be applied to modern-day businesses; contemporary entrepreneurs may apply the concepts of the Tao Te Ching to areas ranging from management to leadership to sales and marketing.
“The Art of War” is a military treatise that teaches fundamental combat concepts in a simplified but abstract manner. The reasoning contained in this 6,000-character text is logical and profound, even reaching the level of philosophy. As the reader gains a better understanding of Sun Tzu’s teachings, they may be surprised by how applicable specific lessons are to our daily lives today.
Here are 6 pieces of wisdom from ancient Chinese texts that can be applied to modern life.
1. “The way to do is to be.” This means that the best way to accomplish anything is to simply be yourself and put your heart into what you’re doing.
2. “The noble takes the ignoble as its roots, and the high takes the bottom as its base.” This means that the higher an individual’s position in a company, the more he needs to care for those far below the company hierarchy. If an individual wants to make progress, he must first humble himself and, conversely, if an individual displays pride and superiority (intentionally or not), he can expect rejection. Therefore, humility and respect for subordinates are essential for all leaders.
3. “The last one takes the lead.” The Tao Te Ching has repeatedly emphasised selflessness. If a person wants to be an entrepreneur and a true leader, he must put his interests last.
4. “War should only be fought when victory is certain.” The Art of War is more about calculating risks and the possible chances of victory. In modern terms, the focus in Art of War looks a lot like the SWOT analysis in corporate terms, analysing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to a business.
5. “The best attack is not to attack at all.” The key to achieving victory without fighting lies in the destruction of the enemy’s plans and strategies.
6. “Action in inaction.” In a world where hard work is valued above all else, the Taoist notion of Wu Wei may appear unreachable. Wu Wei, which translates approximately as “without effort,” is not to be confused with laziness. Laziness suggests an unwillingness to act, but Wu Wei refers to allowing outside forces to work through you without resisting them.
While the Tao Te Ching emphasizes selflessness and giving control in order to escape life’s struggles and frustrations, the Art of War promotes being strategic and patient rather than reckless. Both writings emphasized the importance of being patient and calm in all situations, never being hasty, and accomplishing without attacking or even doing.
In NexPage, we examine these famous texts from strategists and thinkers around the world to extract timeless wisdom that is still applicable in modern-day life. We believe that the world would benefit when cross-border reading and learning are made accessible to everyone and we are keen to unearth even more nuggets of wisdom from other parts of the world.
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