The two most famous sages both lived during the same century, Confucius and Lao-tse. Their lives took place around 500 B.C., and Lao-tse had 50 years more wisdom than Confucius had at the time. Although they lived in the same area and period, their teachings and beliefs were complete opposites of each other. When asked the question, “What is the key to happiness and contentment?” by an eager student, the two scribes’ responses would greatly differ from each other.
Confucius would say that happiness and contentment lies in virtuosity, and a moral code based on ethics, humanity, and love. He is strict about obtaining a good education, and to master five virtues to be a good gentleman. They are courtesy, magnanimity, good faith, diligence, and kindness. The most important part of society was the family, which was there to be an economic, social, and political component. He involves Karma in his religion in saying “Do not do unto others what thou wouldst not they should do unto you.” This was his Golden Rule, and it became important in Chinese culture. Be optimistic about life, People should live together in harmony, and be harmonious with nature as well. If one to follow these words of advice, more simply stated as Confucianism, then he would reach infinite happiness and contentment.
Lao-tse on the other hand had a very different ideology about happiness and contentment. He would preach that happiness and contentment is found through an “Easy Flow” lifestyle. He doesn’t think about virtues or moral codes; he even states that having mandatory rules only creates hypocrisy and cruelty. He believes true happiness comes from the inside, and stresses that one must try to reach for personal freedom and being one’s natural self. There is a natural flow of life, and one must follow that flow rather than set up regulations to fight the current, which is what Confucius says.
Clearly the student would be confused by these two very profound answers, and would want to know which one is right. Although very different from each other, Confucius and Lao-tse’s answers are both correct in their own way, containing wisdom beyond a normal intellectual mind.
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