(3.) Ill ethics, Lao-tzu held that in the beginning virtue and vice were unknown terms. Man, without effort, constantly lived according to Tao. In the next stage, man — though in the main virtuous — was occa- sionally sliding into vice, and was unable to retain the stability of unconscious goodness. Then came a period of filial piety and integrity; and, finally, the days of craft, and ciuniing, and insincerity. He makes no ex- press statement as to the moral condition of human beings at birth, but it may be inferred from some ex- pressions that he regards the spirit as coming pure and perfect from the great Mother, but susceptible of bad influences, which lead it astray. With him, Tao is the standard of virtue, the guide and model of the universe. To meet the desire of men for something more tangible, he refers to heaven, earth, and the sages of olden times, but nowliere to a personal god, and there is no clear ev- idence of his belief in such a being. The virtues which distinguish the perfect man are freedom from ostenta- tion, humility, continence, moderation, gravity, and kindness. Much and fine talking are to be avoided. He assigns a low place to learning, which, he says, adds to the evil of existence ; and, if we were to put awaj^ learn- ing, we would be exempt from anxiety. There is one passage that seems to refer to a future life, but it is very obscure ; and the only future Lao-tzu appears to antici- pate is absorption into Tao. IMost minds will see little difference between absorption into non-existence and annihilation. At chap, xvi of his Tao-fe-linij, wlicre he refers to this sidiject, he says, "When things have lux- uriated for a while, each returns home to its origin, (ic- ing home to the origin is called stillness. It is said to be a reversion to destiny. This reversion to destiny is called eternity. He who knows (this) eternity is called bright. He who does not know this eternity wildly works his own misery. He who knows eternity is mag- nanimous. Being magnanimous, he is cathohc. Being catholic, he is a king. Being a king, he is heaven. Be- ing heaven, he is Tau. Being Tau, he is entkuing. Though his body perish, he is in no danger." Ar.d again, at chap, xxviii, "He who knows the light, and at tlie same time keeps the shade, will be the whole world's model. Being the whole world's model, eternal virtue will not miss liim, and he will return home to tlie abso- lute." Tlie attainment, then, of this state of absolute v,icuit\' he looks upon as tlie chief good, and warns such as have attained to it to keep themselves perfectly still, and to avoid ambition. And, in alluding to the fact that emptiness or non-existence is superior to existence, he says that the former may be said to correspond to use, tile latter to gain. "Tau is empty." " Tlie space between heaven and earth may be compared to a bel- lows; though empty, it never collapses, and the more it is exercised the more it brings forth." To enforce this theory he dr.aws an illustration from common life, and says, "Thirty spokes unite in one nave, and by that part wliich is non-existent (i. e. the hole in the centre of it) it is usefid for a carriage-wheel. Earth is moulded into vessels, and by tlicir liollowness thej' are useful as vessels. Doors and windows are cut out ia
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order to make a house, and by its hollowness it is useful as a house."
Since the 2d century A.D. the Taoists have greatly spread in China, Japan, Cochin-China, Touquin, and among the Indo-Chinese nations. In our day they are especially popular with the common people, and in some parts of China their influence rivals that of the Buddh- ists. They have, however, greatly corrupted the teach- ings of their founder; the worship of original Taoism has been degraded into the lowest idolatry, while its priests are jugglers and necromancers, among whom scarcely a trace of the pure spirit of Lao-tzu can be found. See J. P. A. Kemusat, Memoire su?- la Vie et les Opinions de Lao-tseu (1820) ; John Chalmers, The Sjjec- ulations on Metaphysics, Poiit;i, and Moralih/ of the old Philoso2>her Lau-tsze, with an Introduction (Lond. 1869, 8vo) ; the valuable articles of T. Walters in the Chinese EeconIer,vol.i (1868); Pauthier, /.re Chine (Paris, 1837, 2 vols. 8vo), p. 110-120 ; Stanislas JuUen, Le Licre des Recompenses (Paris, 1848, 8vo) ; Neumann, Lehrsaal des Mittelreichs (INIunich, 1856, 8 vo) ; Legge, Life and Teach- ings of Confucius (Lond. 1867, 8to), ch. v ; Loomis, Co7i- fucius and the Chinese Classics, p. 278 sq.; Pall Mall Gazette (London), Sept. 3, 1869, p. 11 sq. See also arti- cles on Lao-tzu in Chambers, Cyclop. ; Thomas, Biogr. Diet. ; and Brockhaus, Conversations-Lex. (S. L. B.)
Lap Cl?3, 2 Kings iv, 39, a f/arment, as elsewhere ; p^^n, Prov. xvi, 33, the bosom, as elsewhere ; "iSn, Neh. V, 13, the armful, as ia Isa. xlix, 22), the fold of the raiment in which Orientals are accustomed to carry ar- ticles in lieu of pockets. Instead of thcfbula or clasp that was used by the Romans, the Arabs join together with thread, or with a wooden bodkin, the two top cor- ners of their upper garment; and, after having placed them first over one of their shoulders, they then fold the rest of it about their bodies. The outer fold serves them frequently instead of an apron, in which they carry herbs, loaves, corn, and other articles, and may illustrate several allusions made to it in Scripture : thus one of the sons of the prophets went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wUd gourds his lap full (2 Kings iv, 39). The Psalmist of- fers up his prayers that Jehovah would " render unto his neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach" (Psa. xix, 12). The same allusion occurs in our Lord's direction, " Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down and shaken together, and run- ning over, shall men give into your bosom" (Luke vi, 38). See Bosom ; DiiESS.