meg

hi everyone. could you tell me what "heaven" means in this quote? People conform to the Laws of the Earth. The Earth conforms to the Law of Heaven. Heaven conforms to the Way (Tao) The Tao conforms to its own nature. -Lao Tzu I'm never quite sure what taoists/ism mean by "heaven". thanks meg

oh i love you! (ok, a bit dramatic lol), but that is just what i needed to hear I may have posted something similar to this a while back, but I've been taught since I was little, that Jesus was It. that you had to believe in Him in order to go to heaven. So now that i am older (41), i sometimes feel, "ugh, it's just all too confusing, fine, i believe........." you know? Or i get afraid that i will be a fraud and on my death bed be scared and admit (?) that Jesus is the answer. Do you follow me? I NEED to have confidence in my inner feelings. you are so right that "it is difficult not to contaminate those initial feelings". Jesus/the new testament has many many similarities to the tao te ching. i just have a hard time swallowing the idea that you HAVE to believe "In Him"...or else. It just doesnt seem right. But i dont mind if others believe that. I just need to find a place that i am confortable with. i found taoism a long time ago, and i believe it is my Home :) Thanks (everyone)

yah yah...that's it!

wow! thanks everyone. i'm still not sure where i stand with the whole thing, but that's ok i read this last night: "There was a man who was so worried that heaven and earth might collapse, and that he would have nowhere to go, that he forgot to eat and sleep. He had a friend who was greatly worried about him, and went to reassure him. The friend said: 'Heaven is nothing but air; it cannot collapse.' The man said: 'If heaven is air, then the sun, the moon and the stars are liable to fall out of heaven, and hit people on earth.' The friend replied: 'The sun, the moon and the stars are simply lights inside air; they cannot fall down.'" But really i suppose, what does it all matter, right? but even as i say that, i'm anxious about the answer. but following the Way does not involve anxiety. so.........yah, i guess you know what im getting at lol. thank you all for your imput meg

what is "heaven" to a taoist? enlightment?

hey thanks everyone. btw, the "child" isnt real. just an example. i didnt want anyone worrying i understand what you all are saying. i'm just taking it all in and weighing it all. im sure i'll be back with more questions lol meg

hmm, yes, i see what you are saying... sorry if i'm being irritating but what if your child is in the hospital dying. I guess (I'll try to answer my own question...) then, you basically "go with the flow" and, as much as you want your child to live of course, you simply trust it to The Way Things Are... ?? do you agree?

hahaha, no, i know that! but, ok, say you are in a closet and a psycho with an unusually large steak knife is coming at you............ ?

hi, my name is meg. ive been interested in taoism for a long time and am here to learn and listen See ya 'round

hi yoda! hi shontonga!

hi everyone. this is a very interesting post and something i have had a difficult time figuring out also. i just have this one question (so far ) ... if a taoist finds him or herself in a dangerous situation, say in a burning building, what goes through the taoists head? of course we are all different and we dont always know how we would react in a situation like that. but i know for myself, right now, at this point in my life, i would be praying like crazy for God to help me lol. Now a taoist?...what might he/she be thinking/praying/etc? meg