Superior Scholar Hears the Way Original Text and Translation

Original Text: The superior scholar hears the way, and acts diligently; the middle scholar hears the way, and if he exists, if he dies; the inferior scholar hears the way, and laughs at it. If you do not laugh, it is not enough for the Way.

Translation: When the superior scholar hears of the Way, he practices it diligently; when the middle scholar hears of the Way, he half believes it; when the inferior scholar hears of the Way, he laughs at it. If it is not laughed at, it is not the true Tao!

Expanded Knowledge:

Lao Zi was born in Bitter County of the State of Chen (or Bitter County of the State of Chu, as it is said) around the first year of King Ling of the Zhou Dynasty (the second year of Duke Xiang of Lu, the fifth year of Duke Ping of Song, and the year 571 B.C.). According to the Records of the Grand Historian (史记-老子韩非列传), Laozi, or Li Er, was a native of Qurenli, Li Township, Bitter County, State of Chu.

Guo Lanfang, a professor of the Department of Philosophy at Peking University, wrote in On the Philosophical Thought of Laozi that Laozi, whose surname was Li Dan and whose name was Li, was a native of Qurenli, Li Township, Bitter County of the State of Chen, was born at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, and served as the librarian of the Zhou Dynasty, in charge of the books, and was a predecessor of Confucius, who asked him for his rites.

Ancient history books were not updated in real time, but were often traced by later generations. For example, Le Jin, who died in 218 A.D.? was retrospectively described by later generations as Yangping County, which appeared only in 221 AD? It is because the history books adopt the practice of retrospection. So, because the history books do not do real-time updates.

The Bitter County, which belonged to the Chen State during the Spring and Autumn Period when Laozi was alive, was categorized as the Chu State during the Warring States Period or the Chu State during the Han Dynasty by the method of later retrospection. Suoyin: "Bitter County belonged to Chen, and during the Spring and Autumn Period, Chu destroyed Chen, and Bitter belonged to Chu, so it was called Chu Bitter County." Justice: "To the time of Tianhan Shu Shi, Chu Jie Wang Chundu Pengcheng, similar. Doubt that bitter at this time belongs to Chu, so Tai Shi Gong book."

In the twenty-first year of King Ling of the Zhou Dynasty (the twenty-second year of Duke Xiang of Lu, 551 B.C.), Lao Zi was appointed to the royal court of the Zhou Dynasty to serve as a historian (an official who manages the collection of books). Before being recommended to serve in the Zhou court, Laozi studied under Changmeng (Shang Rong).

In the 10th year of King Jing of the Zhou Dynasty (the 7th year of Duke Zhaodong of Lu, 535 BC), Laozi was dismissed from his post as a historian by Duke Gan Jian due to ostracism by the powerful and wealthy, and traveled to the state of Lu. He traveled to Lu, where he presided over a friend's funeral at the Lane Party, and Confucius assisted in the funeral. At that time, Confucius was 17 years old and asked Laozi about his manners.