Why?

Throughout the Western world, there are many who have adopted the Eastern practice of taoism, as an alternative to Christianity.
Many are atheists. Many are emotion-driven. Many are politically-motivated. Most of these lean heavily to the left.
Thus by-passing the most fundamental tenet of taoism: It is all about Balance.

To call yourself a "taoist" carries a responsibility.
To not misrepresent an ancient "Way" to suit one's own ego, or political stance.
There being, so many, so guilty of this, is the sole reason for the existence of this site.

Claiming to be something, requires you to be what you claim to be.
Not merely to claim it.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Not Fear.

People are fear-experts. With very few exceptions.
They consider it essential: this capacity to be afraid.
Anyone not manifesting the capacity for fear, is thought to be insane.
Not realizing, no doubt, that fear is dread of what may happen in the future.

Feeling fear is relinquishing the present, to dwell, uncomfortably, in the future.
Engagement with whatever the present presents, eliminates fear.

Taoism is: life lived in the present.
Taoism is not: a dread of things to come.
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4 comments:

  1. George McCrearyOctober 18, 2011 at 3:50 PM

    He who doth not dread the future, who liveth only in the present moment, doth not seem to me to be living a fully human life. He would seem rather to be living the purely reactive, uncontemplative life of an animal.

    Even as I write this message I am thinking of the future : of the form of this message, of how to make it more meaningful and significant and well-written and well-structured. I am also thinking of the past : of my past thoughts and those of others. THis is always the case in the most human activities : in building (Pyramids, skyscrapers, and so forth), thinking (and transcribing those thoughts), and dwelling.

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  2. The CrowOctober 18, 2011 at 5:53 PM

    I'm sure you are. That's what people do. They are not taoists. Do you really consider my words uncontemplatively animalistic?

    I ponder this impasse, often, and decide, over and over, to write no more, for anyone who understands what I write, has no need of it, while those who do not, are unable to understand what I say.

    Blogs are mostly opinion, and sketchy quoted reference to what someone else thinks.
    Mine are not opinion. But who would be able to tell the difference?

    If one is unable to approach information in any other way than agree/disagree, then what can possibly be learned?
    I suspect that - in this age of "equality" - that learning anything is not a priority for the bulk of people.

    I continue to present what I have learned, so others may make use of it. That they do not make use of it, but merely disagree, or worse, is what I face, daily.

    But the knowledge I present, is what allows me to deal with that, easily, and without anguish or regret. I do not, for example, calculate the cost of spending so much energy and time writing, to achieve so minuscule a result.

    But, I am unable even to imagine a return to the unaware, crazy state I once thought of as normal, and that so many others still do consider it to be...

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  3. The CrowOctober 18, 2011 at 9:25 PM

    Perhaps I should have mentioned, by way of providing context, that my chimney fell apart today, just in time for winter. I will need to remove half the roof to repair it. In the pouring rain.
    Big expense. Big effort. Big danger on a 12/12 tin roof. Big, big problem...

    This is about as down as I ever get :)

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  4. PantherNovember 29, 2011 at 9:54 PM

    Good luck that it did not wait until winter to do so!

    ReplyDelete

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