Taoism, what is that?

[Clover]

Taoism, at its very basics, can be a philosophy, religion, or both. I personally see it as both, considering on how the individual practices it.

What is Tao? Tao is everything and nothing. In the Tao Te Ching it says, on the very first page:

"The Tao that can be spoken is not the Eternal Toa,
The name that can be named is not the Eternal Name,
The Nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth"

This means, I can never explain the Tao to you fully, you must feel it, realize it mentally, physically, and emotionally. It is never gonna be just 1 way, it's all ways.

Then it says:

"The named is the mother of myriad things,
Thus, constantly without desire, one observes its essence,
Constantly with desire, one observes its manifestations,
These two emerge together but differ in name,
The unity is said to be the mystery,
Mystery of Mysteries, the door to all wonders"

I would give the full commentary that is in this book, but that, I believe would make the author annoyed that his book is being put online so people don't need to buy it. The author is a pretty neat guy, his name is Derek Lin, very smart, and I love his commentary and translation of the Tao Te Ching.

I am not trying to spread my philosophy/religion, I have been asked to explain Taoism, and I am gonna try to explain it here, if you try to debate me, I will ignore you, I am not trying to say Islam is wrong, I am simply stating what Taoism is.

 

[Tony]

peace, u mention u veiw taoism as a religion, how then do you percieve God, if at all

 

[Clover]

peace, u mention u veiw taoism as a religion, how then do you percieve God, if at all

I do not believen a god. I believen Tao, Tao is everything and nothing, I can't get any higher then that. No offense to your beliefs my friend.

 

[Tony]

I do not believen a god. I believen Tao, Tao is everything and nothing, I can't get any higher then that. No offense to your beliefs my friend.

non taken.

 

[malayloveislam]

I do not believen a god. I believen Tao, Tao is everything and nothing, I can't get any higher then that. No offense to your beliefs my friend.

Hi,

Your explanation seems a bit like Theravada Buddhism, since some Buddhists too do not believe in god. I thought that Taoism is more to cultural practices before.

 

[Clover]

Hi,

Your explanation seems a bit like Theravada Buddhism, since some Buddhists too do not believe in god. I thought that Taoism is more to cultural practices before.

Taoism, in its fullness is a religion, I believe. I also I do study Buddhism and plan on going to a Buddhist Temple after or during my Army Career.

 

[جوري]

hmmmn, when I studied Taoism in college (one day's worth) to sum it up, that God is the universe and its phenomena (taken or conceived of as a whole) but also incorporates the practices of alchemy and divination and magic, also there was some strife between Confucianism and Taoism which resulted in some painful punishment to its adherents, all in all it is viewed as a Chinese philosophical system than an actual religion... that is what it is to me in a nut shell but.. seems interesting but I obviously don't agree with their philosophies especially that of pantheism .....

all the best

 

[Clover]

hmmmn, when I studied Taoism in college (one day's worth) to sum it up, that God is the universe and its phenomena (taken or conceived of as a whole) but also incorporates the practices of alchemy and divination and magic, also there was some strife between Confucianism and Taoism which resulted in some painful punishment to its adherents, all in all it is viewed as a Chinese philosophical system than an actual religion... that is what it is to me in a nut shell but.. seems interesting but I obviously don't agree with their philosophies especially that of pantheism .....

all the best

God is the universe? I have never heard that in Taoism. God doesn't exist in Taoism, unless you put him in it, how one would do that, I have no clue.

 

[Tony]

God is the universe? I have never heard that in Taoism. God doesn't exist in Taoism, unless you put him in it, how one would do that, I have no clue.

carefull, u begin to debatewhat will ensue, perhaps we will all learn something:scared: Peace

 

[doorster]

God is the universe? I have never heard that in Taoism. God doesn't exist in Taoism, unless you put him in it, how one would do that, I have no clue.

Yeah Right! ok!

• a Chinese sect claiming to follow the teaching of Lao-tzu but incorporating pantheism and sorcery in addition to Taoism
• religion adhering to the teaching of Lao-tzu
• popular Chinese philosophical system based in teachings of Lao-tzu but characterized by a pantheism of many gods and the practices of alchemy and divination and magic
• philosophical system developed by Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu advocating a simple honest life and noninterference with the course of natural events
  wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• Taoism (pronounced or ; also spelled Daoism) refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. ...
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism
• a Chinese mystical philosophy traditionally founded by Lao-tzu in the 6th century B.C. that teaches conformity to the tao by unassertive action and simplicity; a religion developed from Taoist philosophy and folk and Buddhist religion and concerned with obtaining long life and good fortune often ...
  en.wiktionary.org/wiki/taoism
• taoist - an adherent of any branch of Taoism
  wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
• A Chinese religion and philosophy that sees the universe as engaged in ceaseless motion and activity. All is considered to be in continual flux. ...
  www.reiki.nu/treatment/healing/dictionary5/dictionary5.html
• Western term describing two trends: Tao-chia, the philosophical school - and Tao-chiao, the religious trend.
  www.taopage.org/dictionary.html
• can also be called "the other way," for during its entire history, it has coexisted alongside the Confucian tradition, which served as the ethical and religious basis of the institutions and arrangements of the Chinese empire.
  www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Taoism
• or Daoism. Chinese religious tradition, pointing to or revealing the "way" (Tao) that is the reality underlying physical and biological creation. See: [2: Taoism in P&C ] [3: Su Tzu Chinese Philosophy Pages ] . [2: home] [3: Tao The King ]; [ Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" ].
  www.ecotao.com/holism/glosoz.htm
• Chinese religion over 4000 years old. There is no personal god, the closest thing being the Tao, which is a supreme force which underlies change through the passage of time. One is to become free of personal desires, and become attuned to the flow of change. ...
  www.reasoned.org/glossary.htm
• (now inseparable from Confucianism and Buddhism, which blend together in today's Chinese folk religions): Most Chinese people "do not ...
  www.crossroad.to/glossary/religious.htm
• Overview | History | Beliefs and Deities | Practices | Scriptures | Symbols and Images | Demographics today
  www.mobilereference.com/WorldReligions/index.htm
• Nothing in the world is essentially evil, since the world as the manifestation of the eternal Tao participates in the the Yin and Yang principles. ...
  www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Evil

 

[Zafran]

intresting

 

[Wyatt]

Oh, Clover! I am very interested in Taoism. I just checked out the Tao Te Ching from the library. Do you have any good links for information or a Taoist forum/community online?

Thanks. :sunny: I love reading the Tao Te Ching. People of any religion can benefit from this reading, and it can really change how one sees the world.

I do not know much about it, so hopefully we can engage in a good discussion.

A good chapter of the Tao Te Ching:

2. When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.

Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.

Therefore the Master acts
without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn't possess,
acts but doesn't expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.

 

[Follower]

Clover- So how did you become a Taoist? Did you follow anything specific before becoming one?

 

[Follower]

A good chapter of the Tao Te Ching:

2. When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.

Do the things that are not beautiful have to become ugly? Can they just be not as beautiful? Or beautiful in their own way?

 

[malayloveislam]

I had Chinese neighbors once in my neighborhood. They do revering gods such as the god of kitchen (Zao Jun) and the god of fortune (Cai Shen) during Chinese New Year. But I never see them revering Buddha or any Buddha's idol on their gods altar. Certain shops like Chinese workshop have an altar for the god of war (Kuan Ti Kung) and certain Chinese Buddhist revering Kuan Yim with other Chinese gods. There is also a local god, which only revered by Chinese community in my country known as Na Tu Kong. They said he is actually a local Muslim religious teacher. They put his statue in the place near road-side or near bushes.

Yeah, I think Buddhism is quite flexible because people can syncretize their previous religion with it as there is no specific rule about creed of god in Buddhism. Indian and Thai Buddhists also revering Hindu gods in the same time. Last semester I talked with my Buddhist Thai friend and she said that she's also revering Vigneswaran (Hindu Elephant Head god) before she starts to dance Manohra to expel obstacles. Some Thai Buddhists believing in G-d, usually those from South Thai, they take Buddha as the incarnation of G-d through the incarnation of vishnu narayan, that blue Hindu god from Hindu Trinity. Maybe they inherit it from Brahmanism teaching because previously SEA is a Hindu gods territory. Usually Buddhists especially Theravadin do not believe in god, they only seek refuge in Rattana-Trai (Three Gems) which are their guru (Buddha), monastic community (Sangkhom), and the Traipidokh (Tripitaka compilation of Buddha's teaching or speeches in Pali language) but today I see many Buddhists do worship Buddha as a god.

 

[جوري]

Yup.. the dictionary definition that Br. Doorster listed is pretty in keeping with the taught Taoism in university history books, they spend a day on start, movement impact and what it is, and it is summed up correctly in the above..

 

[doorster]

A good chapter of the Tao Te Ching:

2. When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.

Do the things that are not beautiful have to become ugly? Can they just be not as beautiful? Or beautiful in their own way?

Greetings brother follower
every thing every one is beautiful as long as they know the meaning of Mercy

“Mercy in anything confers beauty on it. Mercy removed from anything only makes it vile”
recorded in Muslim on an account of hz. Aisha RA (2594)


Faith and Morality: Two Interconnected Aspects of Islam

 

[Clover]

A good chapter of the Tao Te Ching:

2. When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.

Do the things that are not beautiful have to become ugly? Can they just be not as beautiful? Or beautiful in their own way?

It's a example of how humanity is based on comparison. If I have a car, and no other car is different, how am I to know if its ugly or beatiful?

Clover- So how did you become a Taoist? Did you follow anything specific before becoming one?

I looked up buddhism and found it, and it seemed to make a lot of sense, and went from their.

I used to be a Christian.

@ doorster: Sorry, but I don't see where your going, them are sources, and I have seen some of them.

Oh, Clover! I am very interested in Taoism. I just checked out the Tao Te Ching from the library. Do you have any good links for information or a Taoist forum/community online?

Thanks. :sunny: I love reading the Tao Te Ching. People of any religion can benefit from this reading, and it can really change how one sees the world.

I do not know much about it, so hopefully we can engage in a good discussion.

A good chapter of the Tao Te Ching:

2. When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.

Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.

Therefore the Master acts
without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn't possess,
acts but doesn't expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.

Google: Tea House 2.0 They help me through my path, and are very corteous, +that is Derek Lin's website, the one who translated my version of the Tao Te Ching, and he is active on it, and will be there.

 

[Clover]

Yup.. the dictionary definition that Br. Doorster listed is pretty in keeping with the taught Taoism in university history books, they spend a day on start, movement impact and what it is, and it is summed up correctly in the above..

~Edit~ ok its Doorster, thanks doorster for replying to him, I was lost.

 

[doorster]

Yup.. the dictionary definition that Br. ****** listed is pretty much in keeping with the taught Taoism in university history books, they spend a day on start, movement impact and what it is, and it is summed up correctly in the above..

I only used that account for less than a year while mine was banned for life for being "not Nice"