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Read Great Works

Written by the Students of Baruch College

You are here: Home / LITERARY PERIOD / Ancient and Classical (1200BCE–455CE) / Anything man-made can be…

Anything man-made can be…

by Great Works

—Anonymous
Anything man-made can be great or mediocre and is open to interpretation in my opinion. When writing, making a song, dancing or drawing a great painting, In order for the work to be categorized as “Great Work”, it should have clear and purposeful messages. So audiences can connect to the great work and interpret it in their own life. Tao Te Ching poems relate to each one of us and our daily life. As a spiritual person, I find that Tao poems remind me of my spiritual beliefs in terms of avoiding unnecessary worries and acceptance of the unknown future and meditating by praying and emptying ourselves out of all darkness and life destructions. With all that we are going through these days, being home worried about going out to get your groceries. Not having a salary that you can use to pay your bills, food, and rent. Is causing too much anxiety, stress, and fear. Definitely, it is not an easy situation especially when you are laid off and having a hard time getting your unemployment insurance which is the case with millions of Americans. However, it is a time where we can learn from Tao Te poems and apply its concepts to our current situation. Every morning when I wake up, I look out of the window and say it is only temporary, and one day everything will be back to normal. I try to fill my time home with interesting things that help me stop thinking of all the difficulties that I may be facing if the situation continues longer. I look on the bright side that I am healthy, I still can wake up and enjoy my day home. Talk to my loved ones, share and remember our memories together. Experiencing Tao’s poems, going through this crisis and using this occasion, no matter how difficult it can get, to empty my mind and soul. Using this experience to reconnect, reflect and spend this time as a mind and body retreat. Acceptance of the unknown, emptying our minds of negativities and looking at the bright part of the room rather than the dark corner. Are all some of the concepts that Tao poems are explaining. Therefore, Tao Te Ching’s poem is “Great Work”.

Filed Under: Ancient and Classical (1200BCE–455CE), East Asian, Lao Tzu, Spring 2020, Stauffer-Merle Tagged With: acceptance, empty mind, soul, spirituality, the unknown

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