Ecclesiastes 1:2-3: "Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun?"
The Teacher confesses that all is vanity and that much effort of humans often does not produce good results. Life is harsh and hard. There are not many things that humans can control. Yet they must live and work hard without knowing for sure the good coming in the end. Life is so vulnerable and transient. Ultimately, humans must ask why they live or work so hard because they live so short a time on earth and the true enjoyment of life is impossible given the harsh conditions of the world. So the Teacher exclaims vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
Dao De Jing
自知者明 (zì zhī zhě míng)
This phrase comes from the Dao De Jing (the Book of the Way and Virtue). It means the one who knows the self is wise. The question is what kind of self-knowledge is in view here? If we read the book as a whole, the idea of this knowledge is humbleness and emptiness. One of the important teachings there is to identify with small things. One should think he/she is small or nothing. That is the basis of true wisdom and self-knowledge.
Buddhist Texts
諸行無常 (zhū háng wú cháng)
This phrase comes from the Buddhist text. It means all things/actions do not remain constant. In other words, everything changes. There is nothing in the universe that does not change. All beings, living or non-living, change. A person is born, grows, gets older, and dies. That is also a form of change.
不生不滅 (bu shēng bu miè)
This phrase also comes from the Buddhist text. It means there is no birth or death (destruction). In other words, all the things we see or experience are not new or new birth but came from somewhere, things that existed before in different forms. Likewise, all things, including human life, do not disappear completely; they only change into different forms. This idea is proven in science with the law of conservation of energy.
If we read all the above texts together and in comparison with one another, our understanding of wisdom may be deeper than otherwise. "Vanity" in Ecclesiastes may be understood better and clearer through the Dao De Jing and Buddhist texts as we see above. All in all, I may get the following life lessons:
Live a simple life. Don't expect too much.
Know that your life is limited yet precious.
Wisdom starts with self-knowledge that one is small.
Accept changes in human life and do your best.
Don't despair under any circumstances. Hope is necessary all the time.
The Teacher confesses that all is vanity and that much effort of humans often does not produce good results. Life is harsh and hard. There are not many things that humans can control. Yet they must live and work hard without knowing for sure the good coming in the end. Life is so vulnerable and transient. Ultimately, humans must ask why they live or work so hard because they live so short a time on earth and the true enjoyment of life is impossible given the harsh conditions of the world. So the Teacher exclaims vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
Dao De Jing
自知者明 (zì zhī zhě míng)
This phrase comes from the Dao De Jing (the Book of the Way and Virtue). It means the one who knows the self is wise. The question is what kind of self-knowledge is in view here? If we read the book as a whole, the idea of this knowledge is humbleness and emptiness. One of the important teachings there is to identify with small things. One should think he/she is small or nothing. That is the basis of true wisdom and self-knowledge.
Buddhist Texts
諸行無常 (zhū háng wú cháng)
This phrase comes from the Buddhist text. It means all things/actions do not remain constant. In other words, everything changes. There is nothing in the universe that does not change. All beings, living or non-living, change. A person is born, grows, gets older, and dies. That is also a form of change.
不生不滅 (bu shēng bu miè)
This phrase also comes from the Buddhist text. It means there is no birth or death (destruction). In other words, all the things we see or experience are not new or new birth but came from somewhere, things that existed before in different forms. Likewise, all things, including human life, do not disappear completely; they only change into different forms. This idea is proven in science with the law of conservation of energy.
If we read all the above texts together and in comparison with one another, our understanding of wisdom may be deeper than otherwise. "Vanity" in Ecclesiastes may be understood better and clearer through the Dao De Jing and Buddhist texts as we see above. All in all, I may get the following life lessons:
Live a simple life. Don't expect too much.
Know that your life is limited yet precious.
Wisdom starts with self-knowledge that one is small.
Accept changes in human life and do your best.
Don't despair under any circumstances. Hope is necessary all the time.