trailmaker

rising up and fly remembering a master who embraced the moon

hip! hip! and horray!!! arrived at the obvious intuitively

much good introductory information can simply be googled - questions concerning taoism, taoist texts and related commentaries bring up surprising numbers of responses. probably the quickest way to find direction, initially. just google lao tze, 'the tao te ching', writings of chuang tzu, 'the watercourse way' by alan watts, for starters; see where it takes you. i like david hinton's translations of various classic taoist works - concise, poetic format. copies of lao tze's 'the tao te ching' by many different translators can be gotten for under $10 at amazon.com. also, posting specific questions, once you've formulated some, in the taoist discussion here at ttb, is certainly one way to bypass potential hype on the net. hope you enjoy!

and there you go.

spirit ape - got to like that. had a teacher one time said 'bear no arms, espouse no political cause.'. conversations with that guy were good every time. and it was effortless.

hello jen a kins - and welcome. plenty of answers/guidance around here. over time i have found taoist study to be highly revealing of the thread of truth that runs through all (most) philosophies/religions. simplicity itself. questions open doors, right?

hello and welcome - have fun sharing and learning! do you have a teacher or other approach to study?

ok - thanks - looking forward to it.

hey 'mikaelz' - neat thing - filmed/released 1973 - synchronistic with this child's meeting a taoist teacher who knew plenty. dvd available, amazon, of course, got to be a golden oldie, must see.

your many faces beautifully smiling and memorable waves memorable waves moment of awakening fleeting, disappears be ok apepch7? editorial license, and all.

comes to mind for discussion: being is born of not being darkness within darkness the gate to all mystery

apepch7 - good stuff. just a wave remains never static, beautiful changing, one with all

sent a post responding to more pie guy, wound up in the wrong place, sorry.

hi simonintaiwan et al - many excellent responses above, and simon's is closest to my thinking in a few words. years back i built a homestead in the woods in new hampshire, usa, and made it self-sufficient enough to spend very little at the store for luxuries like salt, bathroom tissue and the odd jug of highland single malt. vigorous lifestyle, plenty of time for meditation, and it sure is great going out to 'meet the tiger' when you've got that 'mountain' to return to! best of fortune, pie guy.

hi karen - your niece might try googling 'the coady institute of international studies' at st francis xavier university in antigonish, nova scotia. it's been around a while, quite well known internationally. i know they're occasionally hiring, ongoing program development and all. at least might get some leads.

hello and welcome, david; glad you're here. delight and inspiration in abundance around here; plenty of just plain good questions and answers, too. like an oasis. have you had a teacher or other formal study of taoist ways?

in doing one's taoist best, making a mistake still can happen often, and hopefully less and less. when it doesn't fly, one waits in reflection on 'why', and when timing seems right, solutions are further sought - or maybe one does nothing. lao tzu wrote 'when there is enough remorse, there is no blame'. 'guilt' as so many feel it is not a driving force on the way to consciousness of tao. in contemplating tao, and so seeking a little clarity, one lets go of guilt, and all such thought-clutter, and strives to act in ways that keep the possibility of guilt out of the picture.

besides breathing practice, meditation, and all such approaches to cultivating awareness of tao(consciousness), the aim of continuing study of taoist texts/commentaries is to cultivate and make quite routine ('automatic'?) the daily stream of one's responses to situations, difficulties, diversions, etc, in effective ways that don't conflict with core taoist teachings (principles) (lao tzu, chuang tzu, et al) that is how i practice philosophical taoism (and the 'tao of social psychology', if you will).

hi pixie - i practice only philosophical taoism, and have since age 18. taoism IS my existing 'faith'. i hesitate to use the term faith, as it can have so many confusing connotations. the old religious/philosophical 'compare and contrast' discussion on knowledge, belief, and faith, doesn't enter into my daily living (practice) of taoism. i just make a point of it here to illustrate the sort of cumbersome construct-bound thought that taoists generally 'cast off'. letting go of such habits is one of the objects of taoist practices such as meditation.

she ignites our love and sometimes with no more than hello and a smile

glad you're settling in - orientation is the first step. easing over from formal religious backgrounds is a process endured/enjoyed by many. i grew up a new england protestant, and studied/practiced taoist ways ever since without ever feeling like i was 'straying' from what is tao in christian values. what's really neat is there's no hype, and you can take your sweet time about studying/practicing. you're not running out on anything, you're bringing the good stuff with you. same when you go somewhere from here, eh?

hi taichilady - glad you're around - have you been online? it's been finest kind busy since you joined. do pop in now and again. great to check the buzz goin' 'round.

right - you'll find taoists very receptive to questions. at an early age, i was introduced to taoism through lao tzu's 'tao te ching' by a professor of religion, and have been studying one translation or another many years now. everyone has preferences regarding translators of the 'tao te ching', and available commentaries to help guide others. my favorite is 'the tao te ching' by david hinton, very concise verses, poetic format. available at amazon.com or amazon.ca for $5 to $10 u.s. plus shipping, used/good condition. it has, like many editions, a good introduction to taoist study, and a concise glossary of key terms. great for the beginner.