I'm working on my research paper for anthropology paper. Taoism is an eastern philosophy and....? Why can't I come with anything else?
Last night I wrote a 4 page paper on "networking components" for my computer science class. It was damn boring but I did an awesome job in record time. Today my mind is like "hell no, no more papers!" I've read about seven books on Taoism:
David Smith's Chinese Religions From 100 BC to Present Day.
Isabelle Robinet' s Taoism: Growth of A Religion.
Just to name a few, I read Chinese fairy tales, history text books, anthropology research paper and other things I could get my hands on. Maybe I should let my brain relax and finish assignments I can finish. Apparently, the movie Kung fu Panda had roots of Taoism in it.
My bro found me these cartoons, he is confident this will help me understand the Taoism world better. He's stalling me because he's bored. Plus, its for school so no guilt.
Last night I wrote a 4 page paper on "networking components" for my computer science class. It was damn boring but I did an awesome job in record time. Today my mind is like "hell no, no more papers!" I've read about seven books on Taoism:
David Smith's Chinese Religions From 100 BC to Present Day.
Isabelle Robinet' s Taoism: Growth of A Religion.
Just to name a few, I read Chinese fairy tales, history text books, anthropology research paper and other things I could get my hands on. Maybe I should let my brain relax and finish assignments I can finish. Apparently, the movie Kung fu Panda had roots of Taoism in it.
My bro found me these cartoons, he is confident this will help me understand the Taoism world better. He's stalling me because he's bored. Plus, its for school so no guilt.
Hey you! I've been practicing Taoism for a few years, my experince with Taoism is 'going with the flow' -- letting nature, or the nature of things, assert themselves, and not tryng to bend situations to your ideas of how things should be or not be. This is because the contemplation of (or sensitivity to) the Tao, shows us that is it is manefest in all things inside and outside. The Tao is the Mother of all things. The nauture of the Tao is to take care of itself no problem, when it is unblocked or unimpeded -- we get in trouble when we want to complicate things. Ultimately the Tao is unknowable, but also it is naural, beneficial, and going in accordance to it brings us harmony with the insoide and the outside of us. Hence, and emphasis on surrender, on simplicity, on not putting on airs, on not believeing in worldly praise or hype. Admiration of nature, and how nature works, is a part of Taoism. Deliberate simplicity, desconstructing coimplex motivations, being in the moment, is Taoism. Notice I am not talking about Taoism as a Religion, but as you wrote, as a philosopy. I pratice Taoism as a philosophy, a way to BE, not a way to BELIEVE. Taoism teaches there is a natural, myserious, and affirming order to reality, nothing is wasted, and it comes out as it should if we do not try to change it into what we think it should be. We let it happen, and be aware of it happening. We don't struggle. We let go. But awareness is the key. Grab a copy of the 'Tao Te Ching'. Lao Tzu wrote that. It is all in the 'Tao Te Ching'. If you want me to amplify, or restate, let me know. Zen Buddhism is a fusion between Taoism and Buddhism. Also -- the 'Tao of Pooh' by Benjamin Hoff is a beautiful little book that teaches about Taoism by using examples from Winne the Pooh. If you grab only one ok, grab 'The Tao of Pooh". It won't let you down. CM
ReplyDeleteSorry for the blizzard of words -- we can intuatively understand the Tao, by direct experience in being in accordance to how it works. This is in being aware of being here, and how things are now! Then we see with this veiw or appreciation, many problems we have natuarlly resolve themselves. 'The Tao of Pooh' will help illustrate this. With less words! : - )
ReplyDeleteI tried finding 'Tao Te Ching' Lao Tzu in three libraries none of them have it. There are two types of Taoism from what I'm gathering; Hun and Po Taoism. Can you differentiate between the two?
ReplyDeleteCrazy! The "Tao Te Ching" is the fundimental text for philosophical and religious Taoism. It is the central text. I'm shocked they don't have it. You can find it online.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/taote.htm
It might not help you because it likes to make puzzling statements, and is definately not written to clearly explain, but it is the main book of Taosim.
Now for Hun and Po -- I thought that was the Taoists refinement refelcting the concept of Yin and Yang? Yin = Po -- a soul that returns to the earth, Yang = Hun -- a etherial soul that is subtile and lighter than the Po soul. I believe the Taoists believed each person had two souls: Po and Hun. When we die, they believed the Po soul goes back to the elements of the earth, and the Hun goes 'into subtile realms'.
http://taoism.about.com/od/buddhism/a/Hun-Po.htm
http://suite101.com/article/hun-and-po-the-duality-of-the-taoist-soul-a253866
Big break in Taoism, as I understand it, first: Philosophical Taoism, verses Religious Taoism. Then they break down under philosopical systems and religious sects. But you probably know this. But to com;licate stuff -- some people from the East argue that Westerners have created this false distinction between "philosophical taoism" veses "religious taoism" -- to some people ptracticing Taoism, there is no hard distinction betwen the two.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/taoism/beliefs/religious_1.shtml
Thank you! Thank you very much, this is proving to be valuable to me.
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