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Taoism.

Taoism.
January 27, 2012, 06:12:17 AM
I am a taoist. Sort-of.
I say 'sort-of', because there are a lot of 'taoists', online, that are nothing at all like anything to do with taoism.
They take the timeless wisdom of Lao Tzu (who predated Jesus by a half-millennium), and 'interpret' it, so that dumbasses like you and me will understand what he was talking about. And so what you get is a left-wing rendering of exactly what Lao Tzu didn't mean.
Like I said: I am a taoist. Which is a nice, safe thing to say you are, unless it is to a Christian, who immediately takes you for something between a pirate and a maniac, and thoroughly evil, to boot.
Which is a shame, really, because taoists are the friends of anyone who is not overtly hostile to them.
Which pretty much sums me up.
Other than being a crow.
Which means, if you are not familiar with animal-totems, that I am charged with a great responsibility.
I will not say what that responsibility is, just yet, in case there are women and children present.
And being shot with arrows is not my favourite thing.

A taoist may be just about anything.
Except dishonest.
And that is not because a taoist is 'moral', but because he knows better than to sabotage his own life.
He is true to his design-specification, resisting any and all attempts to mutate him into anything trendy or cool, shady or crooked.
He is - you could say - his own man.

If you haven't already, you might want to explore a bit about taoism, since to be here at all must mean you wish to be somewhat 'edgy'.
Which is a good start to discovering that edginess isn't at all what you may think it is, but has a whole lot to do with being like almost nobody else is.
Human.
There's nothing to it.
That's why it goes right by almost everyone.

Squawk!

Re: Taoism.
January 27, 2012, 10:25:52 PM
After I read The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley, I decided to read the Tao Te Ching, and I'm glad I did.
His Majesty at the Swamp / Black Arts Lead to Everlasting Sins / Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism / Oath of Black Blood / Privilege of Evil / Dawn of Possession / In Battle There is No Law / Thousand Swords / To Mega Therion

Re: Taoism.
January 27, 2012, 10:51:22 PM
Now read it again. And again.
Notice how every time you re-read it, it says something quite different to each preceding reading.
Something funny going on, there (:>
Squawk!

Re: Taoism.
January 27, 2012, 11:18:48 PM
Which means, if you are not familiar with animal-totems, that I am charged with a great responsibility.
I will not say what that responsibility is, just yet, in case there are women and children present.
And being shot with arrows is not my favourite thing.

Just between you and me, what is that responsibility?
TheMetalDiscourser.com
Ceci n'est pas une sig.

Re: Taoism.
January 28, 2012, 02:21:29 AM
Which translation of the Tao Te Ching would you recommend, by the way?


Re: Taoism.
January 28, 2012, 06:48:32 PM
Which translation of the Tao Te Ching would you recommend, by the way?

My favorite is by Stephen Mitchell. Because it seems the best bridge between East and West. Clear and simple. 
Others often have the unfortunate side effect of brain-engagement, in an attempt to understand/interpret  the content.
Brain engagement is the antithesis of taoism.
Squawk!

Re: Taoism.
February 01, 2012, 02:56:55 AM
I enjoy your blog, so as a fanboy, I will advertise on your behalf.

http://taoteachings.blogspot.com/

Great to have you here, will freshen this place up a bit.
I was raped as a child many times, but I eventually grew to like it.

Re: Taoism.
February 01, 2012, 04:42:54 AM
If you haven't already, you might want to explore a bit about taoism, since to be here at all must mean you wish to be somewhat 'edgy'.
Which is a good start to discovering that edginess isn't at all what you may think it is, but has a whole lot to do with being like almost nobody else is.
Human.
There's nothing to it.
That's why it goes right by almost everyone.

My path isn't specifically Taoist, but I can relate to you on the fool or trickster bit. I don't hope to teach with my edginess how other people should be, because as you say they'll miss it, or if they don't miss it then they already got it. I don't like telling inside jokes. Instead I just try to disrupt their modality and break down the false things they are. But to say it's all about being 'human', I find this very limiting, using conventions of this world when the universe is a lot bigger than this planet. I don't place allegiance to sports team, country, ethnicity, etc, and not to species, either.

Which leaves me wondering why you posted this thread?
TheMetalDiscourser.com
Ceci n'est pas une sig.

Re: Taoism.
February 01, 2012, 06:43:39 PM
Which leaves me wondering why you posted this thread?


Strange as it may seem, I was invited to (:>
It wouldn't have occurred to me, otherwise.
I mean: who cares WTF I am, anyway..?
Squawk!

Re: Taoism.
February 01, 2012, 07:06:16 PM
I enjoy your blog, so as a fanboy, I will advertise on your behalf.
http://taoteachings.blogspot.com/
Great to have you here, will freshen this place up a bit.


Well. Thank you (:>
I admit, though, I did look a bit askance at your 'name'.
No doubt there is a story behind it.
Squawk!

Re: Taoism.
February 01, 2012, 09:19:40 PM
Which leaves me wondering why you posted this thread?


Strange as it may seem, I was invited to (:>
It wouldn't have occurred to me, otherwise.
I mean: who cares WTF I am, anyway..?


Like I said, I don't discriminate against species. I'm just trying to grasp your Taoist motivations.
TheMetalDiscourser.com
Ceci n'est pas une sig.

Re: Taoism.
February 02, 2012, 12:25:18 AM
I'm pleased you don't discriminate against crows. Most people do, for some reason.
But I'm not sure what you mean by 'taoist motivations'.
Taoism is more about not having motivations than having them.
I am a lot less motivated, these days, than I was in the past, about almost everything.
Motivation would imply - to me - making an effort to do something.
When you are able to be that something, rather than do it, that something is addressed, but without the resistance, or effort, to/of doing it.
Subtle shifts in outlook, leading to great rewards.
Great difficulty seeing underlying simplicity.
Paradox.

Squawk!

Re: Taoism.
February 02, 2012, 04:25:28 AM
Subtle shifts in outlook, leading to great rewards.
Great difficulty seeing underlying simplicity.

Sounds a lot like leaving the Platonic cave -- leaving behind human projections, and seeing reality itself instead, or at least a clearer version of it.

Re: Taoism.
February 02, 2012, 11:52:15 AM
 

Well. Thank you (:>
I admit, though, I did look a bit askance at your 'name'.
No doubt there is a story behind it.

[/quote]

RE: the name, childish exuberance meets antisocial tendencies.
I was raped as a child many times, but I eventually grew to like it.