sean

Not to be a smart ass, but shouldn't we first clarify what is the difference between Taoism and non-Taoism? That would be the foundation for the entire discussion and if that isn't clear, the discussion is empty. My suggestion is that in order to engage in even this preliminary Tao vs. non-Tao conversation, you have to pick a reference point. Which is then, canonically, not the Tao. True? There is no distinction between Tao and anything else. "The principle that can be enunciated is not the one that always was. The being that can be named is not the one that was at all times." Yet there is a Tao that is distinct from something else. In a way. It just cannot be grasped by the mind. Still, we can discuss it and point to it as long as we remain in truth and are not lost by our own words. Furthermore, this discussion is about Taoism, the historical Chinese religion that has specific characteristics we can clarify and discuss, not unlike antique dealers might talk about the evolution of a culture's furniture. Once something becomes an "ism" it is lost. "When the oneness of humanity is forgotten a distinction is made between good and evil. Focusing on goodness leads one down the path of self-righteousness which separates a person from others. Self-righteousness leads to justice and since justice is as arbitrary as goodness and righteousness, it degenerates into a facade of justice or ritual." Perhaps in the same way that someone might merely hear of Christianity and then by chance stumble upon a spiritual relationship with what she might call Christ and then come to call herself a Christian -- all without approval from the Pope or the meticulous reference of Biblical scripture ... well, perhaps one can follow their heart and remain more "true to the Tao" than slaves to intellectual analysis of what is authentic and what is spontaneous. A good friend of mine from Mexico used to tell me that he thought it was silly whenever he saw the term "Authentic Mexican Restaurant". He felt the term "authentic Mexican" was strange. What does it mean for something to be authentically Mexican? That a Mexican makes it? A Mexican can make a cheeseburger. Is that an authentic Mexican cheeseburger? Is it that it tastes like food from Mexico? When you live in Mexico, you realize that all the food tastes different and that, in actuality, clever innovation is appreciated in a restaurant. Not a bizarre attempt to distill the essence of what makes Mexican food Mexican food and sticking to that. But we do mean something intelligible when we say "authentic Mexican". If a bunch of white guys that had never eaten Mexican food or even met a Mexican opened up a diner serving scrambled eggs and spring rolls and called it "Mexican food" it would strike most as strange and inappropriate. Reading what I've written, essentially I've said nothing. I fail to see my own point. Sorry. Carry on. Sean

Welcome to the forum Michelle. This sounds like a cool opportunity. I think you've managed to do the impossible here and actually make these Taoist guys shy. I will be in New York, I think in June (is that right Cameron?) for a silent meditation retreat (we will be emptying our minds for the brainwashing ). But maybe we could meet up. I have a girlfriend that will not be with me though, and she is in full charge of pre-authorizing any potential sexual partners ... so "sexy time", as Borat would say, would not be an option for us, but it would still be fun to meet up, you seem like a fun person. Sean

Thank you everyone. I lost a terrible fight with a bottle of tequila the night before and did a great deal of napping on my birthday. Am I getting too old for this? Thanks again for the thoughtfulness.

!

It's truly an honor to host y'all. <-- I'm in the South now btw. Sean

Via Wikipedia The Root of All Evil? is a television documentary, written and presented by Richard Dawkins, in which he argues that the world would be better off without religion. The documentary was first broadcast in January 2006, in the form of two 45 minute episodes (excluding advertisement breaks), on Channel 4 in the UK. Dawkins has said that the title "The Root of All Evil?" was not his preferred choice, but that Channel 4 had insisted on it to create controversy. His sole concession from the producers on the title was the addition of the question mark. Dawkins has stated that the notion of anything being the root of all evil is ridiculous. Dawkins' book The God Delusion, released in September 2006, goes on to examine the topics raised in the documentary in greater detail. Part 1: The God Delusion Part 2: The Virus of Faith Sean

Via Canada Free Press Global Warming: The Cold, Hard Facts? Believe it or not, Global Warming is not due to human contribution of Carbon Dioxide (CO2). This in fact is the greatest deception in the history of science. We are wasting time, energy and trillions of dollars while creating unnecessary fear and consternation over an issue with no scientific justification. For example, Environment Canada brags about spending $3.7 billion in the last five years dealing with climate change almost all on propaganda trying to defend an indefensible scientific position while at the same time closing weather stations and failing to meet legislated pollution targets. No sensible person seeks conflict, especially with governments, but if we don't pursue the truth, we are lost as individuals and as a society. That is why I insist on saying that there is no evidence that we are, or could ever cause global climate change. And, recently, Yuri A. Izrael, Vice President of the United Nations sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed this statement. So how has the world come to believe that something is wrong? Read more

Welcome, Moriko. Nice to see more and more Tao bum-esses joining us lately, it was looking like a real frat party here for awhile. Looking forward to hearing more about your spiritual path.

Godammit Yoda, will you please get stressed out and paranoid about SOMETHING!? Just google "doomsday scenarios" please. You are starting to make us look bad.

My two cents. I think Dawkins is clever and readable/watchable to an extent. I got into reading him and Dennett for awhile years ago, and I still think Dennett's "Consciousness Explained" is a great Western introduction to Buddhism (though I doubt he would ever agree with that). The whole Dawkins-Dennett camp appear to be in what I would call vertical kindergarten. But I appreciate that they are addressing some of the more obvious nonsense being passed off as holy/spiritual/religious and that most philosophers just leave alone out of some outworn respect or political correctness. I think it's safe to say that most all of us bums have "been there done that" and have moved on to deeper inquiry, but the sad fact is that the majority of world religion, shit - even world mysticism, is still at what Ken Wilber would call the mythic membership level - authoritarian, paternalistic, hierarchical, conformist, emotional without critical thinking, ethnocentric, nationalistic, militaristic, etc. ad nauseum.

Via Taoist Poet Unlike Global Warming, the Global Pollution Problem Is an Indisputable Truth Global warming: refers to an overall increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. Global Warming: Three Main Points Of View A) Views global warming as a natural event that occurs in repeating cycles every few hundred or few thousand years, that has nothing to do with human activity. Views global warming as an unnatural event, caused by human activities, mostly from the burning of fossil fuels. C) Views global warming as non-existent. I say, instead of wasting our time debating whether or not global warming is a fact or fiction, or whether or not it's a natural phenomenon or one caused by humans, we should all be working together, especially with our political representatives, to address the very serious environmental problems that are NOT up for debate, like pollution. Whether or not the burning of fossil fuels are to blame for global warming, no one can deny the fact that the burning of fossil fuels is causing an unhealthy level of pollution, affecting all levels of life in our land, air and sea. Pollution is NOT up for debate, nor are the health problems associated with it. We should be addressing THIS. Read more

Did you watch it?

My off-the-cuff understanding was that the "bedroom practices" of Taoism arose precisely to help men integrate multiple lovers into their practices. Regarding Christianity and Judaism, I think monogamy was tacked on to these religions relatively recently. The old testament is chock full of holy men with multiple wives. Marriage is considered sacred, yes, but I can't recall ever reading anywhere in the Bible where polygamy is denounced or where monogamy is declared to be more righteous. Sean

The Tao Bums broke a million hits this month. First time ever. Woo hoo! And almost 17 thousands unique visitors. Check it out ... Sean

Nice to hear from you fatherpaul. Whomever you are, or are not.

ToEPFDIzhNA

Nice post. I'll give this a whirl when I get home. Looking forward to seeing your pictures. If you want any help sizing/uploading/posting them, shoot me an email at [email protected]. Thanks, Sean

Self / Other - they are not separate. What I pursue is in a relationship with what is pursued, the environment it is pursued within, the conditions which gave rise to the pursuing. In fact, all of these parts are already whole. Selfishness and altruism are ideologies. What is true? Sean

Via Maps of War via Tao of Defiance History of Religion How has the geography of religion evolved over the centuries, and where has it sparked wars? Our map gives us a brief history of the world's most well-known religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. Selected periods of inter-religious bloodshed are also highlighted. Want to see 5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds? Ready, Set, Go! Click here to see the animation!

Via The Useless Tree - charming family Chinese New Years pictures from rural China

Simple standing and sitting in stillness meditations. Zhang Zhuang. Zuowang. Eight brocades. Five animal frolics. Can't really go wrong with the basics.

I had to think about this for awhile. I think I have a taboo against the destruction of sacred items. I am very respectful with my thangka, my meditation cushions and blankets, my mala beads, etc. And I get annoyed when people treat belongings I have reserved for meditation carelessly -- or even just casually, like to just take my zafu and sit on it to watch TV. Wierd? And even though I don't consider myself Christian, it would also "feel taboo" for me to, ie: take a crucifix and smash it or something like that. Then again, I just had a memory - the other day I was walking to work and thought about how fucked up it is that ancient Buddhist shrines have been destroyed lately in the Middle East. I found myself cringing at the thought of a beautiful old Buddha statue being smashed. But -- then I noticed the space between the pieces of stone, breaking apart -- and I laughed. I think my taboos tend to disappear under scrutiny. Sean

Happy New Years!