For some, Taoism points to the deepest of all wisdom. To others, Taoism seems like a put-on: deep-sounding, but really meaningless. Cite a couple of passages from the readings that support one of these views.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
TheTao or not the Tao?
For some, Taoism points to the deepest of all wisdom. To others, Taoism seems like a put-on: deep-sounding, but really meaningless. Cite a couple of passages from the readings that support one of these views.
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Phrases like ...Practice not doing and everything will fall into place.. is what Taoism seems to be full of. The words and the phraseology sound so profound. When I look closer at it, I think it talks in circles. The example I gave is one where if you do nothing, nothing will happen. The world will go on without your in put, but is that the way one really wants to live there life? I would rather try something and be wrong, then sit by and watch everything happen around me.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to offer up something deep sounding:
ReplyDelete" Without opening your door, you can open your heart to the world. WIthout looking out your window, you can see the essence of the Tao.
The more you know, the less you understand.
The master arrives without leaving, sees the light without looking, achieves without doing a thing."
To me this is meaningless, but it does sound good. Maybe I know too much :)
-John Vogel
"It (the Tao) is hidden but always present.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who gave birth to it.
It is older than God."
This sounds deep, but is meaningless because nothing came before God.
On a more general note...what I read does sounds profound and deep. The things that are written provoke thought, indeed. (To me, everything that is written about the Tao could be replaced with the word life..)
ReplyDelete"that which has no substance
enters where there is no space.
This shows the value of non-action."
That makes no sense to me..
"It (the Tao) is hidden but always present.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who gave birth to it.
It is older than God."
This sounds deep, but is meaningless because nothing came before God.
I have to say, I can seep why some people would say that it is very deep, but to me it offers very little. Most likely because it offers no argument behind what it is saying. It offers no intellectual discussion or any ways of engaging with the text.
ReplyDelete"... practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place." (pg 153)
This is surprisingly one of the few examples I found of anything that resembles a command of how to live ones life, and it offers very little. It gives no reason as to why everything will fall into place, but merely tells us to let life work itself out.
Well said. I definitely agree that it doesn't explain why we should do these things, it just states it and moves on.
DeleteA lot of it seems to sound so profound, but then upon further inspection it looks like it's talking in circles and completely contradicting itself. I'm sure there was deeper meaning during these parts, as other posts have mentioned, that was intended when in context.
ReplyDeleteMoving on, I found some connections that made a lot more sense and I could associate them with the Christian-Judeo Bible.
"Chase after money and security, and your heart will never unclench. Care about peoples approval, and you will be their prisoner." (pg.153)
I like the message here. I know that the Bible says not to worry about wealth, because everything will be provided to the faithful, to the point of necessity. Also, if you constantly care what other's think of you, you can never be yourself.
"Do your work, then step back." (pg.153)
I think this is saying that once our job is done, we should look at the good we did, and then 'quit while we're ahead', so to speak. It does mention later on that "He who rushes ahead doesn't go far." (pg.154) I feel like any extra work that you put on yourself is unnecessary.
"When there is no desire, all things are at peace." (pg.158)
This is something I really found correlating with the Bible, and it's also sound wisdom. In order to have peace, you have to get rid of that envy; that desire. In other words, don't covet. I remember learning that coveting is quite possibly the source of a majority of evil that occurs in the world. So, it rings true when I read this passage on Taoism. There are other examples that make a lot of sense, and hold a lot of wisdom, and don't sound like nonsense, but the last passage I mentioned is what impacted me the most.
"practice not doing and everything will fall into place." 153
ReplyDeleteI think many of my students are followers of the Tao. Win without trying. Learn without study. Pass without effort.
It is like Tao is "the force" like in Star Wars - 'empty your mind Luke, use the force"
But I think I can see how this thought process could spread in an environment where what you do may not impact how much you achieve. As hard as you try to in advance in your life you never seem to get anywhere, therefore your learning and actions don't mean anything. To advance you need to do nothing.
Tao
ReplyDeleteWhile looking at some of the sayings in the Tao I am under impressed. But under #2 Living in Harmony with the Tao: The Quiet Mind, I was impressed by number 12:
Color Blinds the eye. The horrors of the black and white photographs of Dachau are enough, aren’t they?
Sounds deafen the ear, Black Sabbath in Concert?
Flavor numbs the taste. Chipotle on eggs?
Thoughts weaken the mind. (Someone help me here, have I done too much thinking today?)
Desires wither the heart. Satyriasis?
Under #3 Harmony with the Tao: Creative Letting-Be in Personal Life, I found number nine to be interesting.
Fill your bowl to the brim
And it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
And it will become blunt.
Chase after money and security
And your heart will never unclench.
Care about people’s approval
And you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.
• I find that when my life is full I cannot keep from giving.
• The more I learn, the more I see there is to know.
• The more that Bev and I are able to give to others, whether materially or physically, the more we have to give and the less we worry about our own financial security, of course within what I hope are logical bounds for living in the modern world.
• At this point in our lives the two of us don’t need any more laudatory headlines, they become great confirmations of what we have chosen to do but also become rather awkward.
• We do just want to do our work and enjoy this wonderful life.
I've always thought that Taoism was pretty meaningless and talking in circles, but when I actully looked at it I saw something there. For example, "Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill" on page 153 seems obvious and stupid but it's telling everyone to be aware of having too much of something. I think there can be wisdom in Taoism if you really look for it.
ReplyDeleteThe highest truth cannot be put into words. Therefore the greatest teacher has nothing to say. He simply gives himself in service, and never worries. The passage must have been written fro a South Dakota teacher. I would say I'm 50/50 when it comes to thinking Taoist teachings talk in circles, or are they deep and profound? I read two or three and say no way, then I find one like this that makes me think of the sacrifices the small town teacher makes to ensure the next generation receives a quality education.
ReplyDeleteI was reading in Prothero's book that a wanderer can't wander with an agenda or it isn't wandering. Deep or confusing? I've always had a little hippie vibe within me, but I've never been much of a tune in/drop out ind of guy. The scariest part of these Eastern religions is their anti-societal tendencies, how we should denounce our worldly possessions and become beggars. I don't want to wander, I want to have an agenda and I sure don't want to have to beg for food.
"There is a Creative Principle which is itself uncreated; there is a Principle of Change which is itself unchanging. The Uncreated is able to create life; the Unchanging is
ReplyDeleteable to effect change. That which is produced cannot but continue producing; that which is evolved cannot but continue evolving. Hence there is constant production and constant evolution. The law of constant production and of constant evolution at no time ceases to operate." "To be at will either bright or obscure, soft or hard, short or long, round or square, alive or dead, hot or cold, buoyant or sinking, treble or bass, present or absent, black or white, sweet or bitter, fetid or fragrant--this it is to be devoid of knowledge, yet all-knowing, destitute of power, yet all-powerful. Such is Tao." These two teachings show me that the Taoist teachings are both deep-sounding and full of meaning. They are meant to have flowery language to bring in the elite, while also having general ideas that should resonate with the down trodden. There is a beauty and art to the taoist teachings that one rarely gets from lectures, Marmorstein ones exluded.
"To others, Taoism seems like a put-on: deep-sounding, but really meaningless.": This attitude can be derived from contradictory statements such as that in "1. The Tao Itself" (pg146-149). Just within two stanzas the text contradicts itself, "1}The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao..." and "2}The Tao is like a well: used but never used up. It is like the eternal void: filled with infinite possibilities..." and "7}The Tao is infinite, eternal..." How utterly confusing, is it eternal or not?!? Yes, I can see where people would view it as nothing but a deep, philosophical "mind f**k".
ReplyDelete"Creative Letting Be" may sound like "live and let live", but it sounds more akin to "do nothing." One part of this portion feels contradictory: "When her her work is done, she forgets it. That is why it lasts forever." If you remember something you've done, you bring legacy to that accomplishment; I can argue THAT is what makes it last forever.
ReplyDeleteThis can easily be debated against, because Harmony with the Tao teaches people to do nothing (and in some parts, be recognized by doing nothing- "Because he doesn't display himself, people can see his light")
The portion that may hold true to Tao is what people can appreciate. There is the notion that without evil, how can good be appreciated? Basically, the Coinherence of Opposites is something that can be taken seriously with Taoism. It says "Long and short define each other." Yes.
Primarily what I have learned from Tao- there is a balance. Of course it is natural for us to seek good, but in life there is bad and we seek that too, although not intentionally. Two opposites can work together in this analogy from what I just figured out:
We INTENTIONALLY seek GOOD
We UNINTENTIONALLY seek EVIL