Sip Posted July 25, 2002 Report Share Posted July 25, 2002 I did a search and couldn't find anything on this topic. Can anyone (esp. THOTH), please shed some light on what this is? Daoism, daoist, etc? I did a bit of searching on google, but I found things like: quote:Dao means "way." It is understood that the Dao is the underlying pattern of the universe, which can neither be described in words nor conceived in thought. The goal of Daoism is to bring all elements of existence- heaven, earth, and man- into harmony.If that is not the most confusing thing I have ever heard, then I don't know what is! And yes, I have had "complexity theory" classes before and even those made some sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khodja Posted July 25, 2002 Report Share Posted July 25, 2002 TRY TAOISM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THOTH Posted July 25, 2002 Report Share Posted July 25, 2002 "To know is not to know" - Lao Tzu Try searching on Lao Tzu. The Tao-te Ching is the original Daoist text (attributed to Lao Tzu). Others of note include the Huai-nan-Tzu and the Chuang-Tzu and the Wen-Tzu. However I feel all might prove equally cryptic to you. You must approach them with a relaxed/open state of mind. They make better sense in their totality (or at least with more extensive consideration) then trying to digest single passages. Your first quote/statement above is very clear to me - and it is correct. Perhaps if yu ponder it a bit (and investigate furthur) it will come to mean something to you. Last note - there have been many Neo-Daoist tradition since the time of Lao Tzu and his followers (300 or so B.C.E.) - many of them stress only certain aspects - best stick with the core teachings. Some of the latter groups were pure hedonists. But since those who pursue such - if done as honest expression of their nature/being - then this is their proper "way" and a true reflection of their Dao. It is a very forgiving religion - in a sense - but demanding in its own ways.... BTW - I don't follow/practice/believe all precepts espoused by Daoism - but I do believe that at its core there is truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THOTH Posted July 26, 2002 Report Share Posted July 26, 2002 OK - perhaps here is something for you (to confuse you further - of course) It is exerpted from (the way/Dao of) Chuang-Tzu (both a book and a real historical person): It is called "When Knowledge Wandered North" Knowledge is inquiring of Non-Doing, the Speechless one (a "guru" [for lack of a better word] at the top of a mountain) - concerning what exacty is the Dao and how to know it. "Please inform me, sirBy what system of thoughtAnd what technique of meditationI can apprehend the Dao? By what renunciationOr what solitarry retirementMay I rest in Dao? Where must I start,What road must I followTo reach Dao? Such were his three questions. Non-Doing, the Speechless one,Made no reply,Not only that,He did not even knowHow to reply!" later in the passage: "For he who knows does not speak,He who speaks does not know" clearer now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anshnork Posted July 26, 2002 Report Share Posted July 26, 2002 Seaphan-I would recommend the book "Tao of Pooh." It explains taoism using Winnie the Pooh characters and stories. It's a bit simplistic and is by no means complete or perfect, but it's a great place to start. I found that reading this first helped me understand the original taoist texts more fully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted July 26, 2002 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2002 quote:Originally posted by Anshnork:Seaphan-I would recommend the book "Tao of Pooh." It explains taoism using Winnie the Pooh characters and stories. It's a bit simplistic and is by no means complete or perfect, but it's a great place to start. I found that reading this first helped me understand the original taoist texts more fully.http://zr2.cs.ucla.edu/Sip/zr2/roflmao.gif I gotta give it a try! Thanks for the suggestion. Actually, I am trying to find some time to read all has been said so far carefully and then hit google again. Seems like a pretty deep topic though. [ July 26, 2002, 01:33 PM: Message edited by: Sip ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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