Aaron

In regards to my statement that you are ignorant and don't know what the hell you're talking about, I'll let your own words rest my case. You really do make it easy. I'm seeing now that a dialogue isn't needed to show how little you know and understand, I just need to let you talk and you do it yourself. Aaron

I've no desire to carry on this discussion. You want me to believe what you believe, I believe you don't need to believe what I believe, but that there is an answer if you so choose. That's the difference, you're pushing an agenda, I'm advocating true freedom for each of us. Carry on with your mission and leave me be, otherwise I can dissect your ideas into little pieces and show you why they don't make sense, you'll probably get upset and then say something you wont be happy about, and then we'll both suffer, me for having caused you to suffer and you because you did something you regretted. There's an old English expression, "let sleeping dogs lie", I would suggest you don't wake up this particular dog. Aaron

Hello Lerner, You're absolutely right and Lao Tzu advocated this as well, but most people fail to see it. In the Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu gives us each the directions we need to realize this. Take for instance the following passage from Chapter 38 (translated by John C. H. Wu) Failing Tao, man resorts to Virtue. Failing Virtue, man resorts to humanity. Failing humanity, man resorts to morality. Failing morality, man resorts to ceremony. Now, ceremony is the merest husk of faith and loyalty; It is the beginning of all confusion and disorder. Lao Tzu gives us an intimate understanding of where the problem lies. It is humanity, but what does this actually mean? Well it means that the failing of man occurs when we begin to think as a group, rather than individuals. Lao Tzu knew that Taoism, in and of itself, was absolutely as bad as all the other -isms, but he also understood that there needed to be a link at the end of the chain to break the cycle that was repeating. That link is found within this passage, but also throughout the Tao Te Ching, it is a return to our original nature, Te, a return to the state of a babe, to begin anew, wash away all that we've learned and begin to see the world, not as a society sees it, but as an individual; an individual experiencing what happens, recognizing the wonder, doing away with the avarice and solemn acceptance of what we've been told the world is and seeing it for what it is and what we really are. When we can do that we no longer need Taoism, or for that matter any other philosophy or religion, because we can begin to see who we REALLY are. We are born with compassion, frugality, and no desire to be first in the world. We just want to be fed when we are hungry, to be loved and to love, and to explore the world and understand it. How hard is it to understand this, yet no one seems to see it. Lao Tzu even said that his words were simple, but no one understood them. The reason is that we're convinced the only solutions are complex ones, that require economic and social planning, that it can't be as simple as changing the way we think and behave towards others and ourselves. If we have no religion, no social mores, if we just allow ourselves to live with the innate qualities of compassion, doing no harm to other or ourselves, allowing compassion to flow like a brook through our hearts, and allowing ourselves to be happy with what we have and need, not desiring to be the manager or have the best car or biggest house, then we will be able to provide for our own needs and in so doing be able to provide for those in need as well. Is it really that difficult? Apparently so, because the notion of poverty, subsisting on only what we need and being happy seems quite alien to most. The notion of not trying to be the best at a sport or whatever we do seems to go against everything society teaches us. We need only stop what we are doing and begin to appreciate our lives as they are, accept who we are for what we are, and then everything else can fall into place. How many people are willing to do this? Not many and it is threatening for many, because the notion goes against everything they've worked so hard to achieve in life, but if you can do this, then freedom can be achieved, true freedom. You will understand the real meaning of loyalty and faith, of compassion and humans being. Aaron

I would recommend that you not take that kind of tone with me. You may be under the impression that you have all the answers, but I can assure you that you don't. I am in no way frustrated because of my job, rather I appreciate that I have the opportunity to earn money and have an income. also I enjoy being around the people I work with immensely, because they are diverse and from various backgrounds. I understand that this thread attacks the very foundation of your own life's work, but if you think that this is an idea I have recently come up with, you would be wrong. I have put a great deal of thought and insight into this topic and if you believe that you will be able to dissuade me from my opinion, I am sure that you are mistaken. in a month or so I hope to be teaching middle school English, what I can assure you is that I will never ever tell a child that they are wrong because they came up with a different idea about a story than what other people have concluded. my desire is to teach children to be creative and to nurture there individuality. I would also recommend that you think carefully before engaging me further in dialogue regarding this topic, I am not some person who just started reading the Tao Te Ching, I have studied it for over 20 years. I will always strive to be as compassionate as I am capable of each day, but that does not mean I will allow people to push an incorrect or damaging message on to others in the name of Daoism. You may know a lot about qigong, but you have a heck of a lot to learn about Daoism. Aaron

I have two degrees, BAs, and I work beside minimum wage PEOPLE, because I can't get a job with my education. This is what I'm talking about when I talk about bigotry and hate. Who taught you to resent uneducated people so much? I think living out in the woods would probably be infinitely more enjoyable that living alongside people with attitudes like yours any day. Really, I can understand that you teach philosophy, but that doesn't give you the right to talk down to uneducated people. My entire issue with philosophy and religion is that they define what doesn't need to be defined. No one needs to tell someone what is right and wrong, it's simply a matter of not causing harm to yourself or others. If you can do those things, then there's no need for a complex moral code or a soliloquy about the virtue of virtue, which in and of itself is redundant, rather we can simply enjoy the life we are living here in this moment. Here's a bit of something I've been thinking about, what if teachers allowed their students to come to their own conclusions, rather than tell them what to conclude? Wouldn't that be interesting? Of course it would also be moot, because we all know that at its root education is about instructing social mores and values, more than it is about fostering creativity and individuality. Aaron

Please stop posting on these topics, you're only showing others how completely ignorant you are regarding Taoism and the Tao Te Ching. I don't think you even understood what I posted. I want to be compassionate to you, but I see you as the person standing on the soapbox in front of the class telling all the other kids they need to playing with Yu-gi-Oh cards, instead of Pokemon. I'm telling the kids that they don't need to play with cards at all, that the experience of living doesn't require external stimulus or other ideas to make it worthwhile and beneficial to them and others, instead it comes from being aware of who you are and what you're doing. It comes from understanding that being kind is more important than being right, that there is no need to rationalize if you don't do any harm in the first place, and that there is no need to accumulate things if you already have everything you need. The sad fact is that you've bought into everything that you've been told and never questioned anything. I bet you haven't even bothered to read the TTC yourself, rather you've read a book written about it and you really don't even have your own ideas about it, rather they are the ideas you've been told to have. My question is why the hell do you feel the need to talk, if you have nothing to say that will benefit the topic? Is it just to hear yourself speak? Think about this, because I doubt anyone here can really understand how you got what you did, from what I wrote, unless you didn't actually read all of it or perhaps you're just so arrogant you don't think you need to or should have to. I was told to read this post, so I did, but I wish I hadn't. All I get when I read your stuff is more confused as to how someone can come to a Taoist site and spout all the crap you do, clearly showing how little they actually know about the topic. Damn your response regarding "Be done with knowledge" was a riot in and of itself. I can't wait for you to point out the passages that support that individual heap of... well no need to go on, I think I've made my point. Since you don't wish to stay out of my conversations and topics, I'll make a point to point out where you are incorrect in your assumptions or request that you back them up using actual verses from the TTC and Chuang Tzu... which I seriously doubt you will be able to do. Aaron

Please don't engage me in conversation. I'm not particularly interested in what you have to say. I wish I could say this in a kinder way, but you tend to keep pushing (imposing your will), even though I've made it clear I would rather not talk to you. Aaron

Most likely one of the ads that is showing on this page, is linked to some kind of tracking spyware. In most cases the malware these warnings talk about are trivial, but it's good to be aware that there is the potential for more serious security risks present. I'm sure that the tech mod will take a look at it and be able to pinpoint the problem. In the meantime you can turn adds off or block all adds and that will prevent you from obtaining any viruses through java or scripts the ad might be using. Aaron

I think there is a difference between what's been taught in the eight verses and the Tao Te Ching, in particular the TTC, and we can say Lao Tzu, were proponents, not of humility so much, thinking that you were less than others, but rather of not competing with others. So it's okay to know you're good at something and recognize that and even tell people that you are good at it, but it's not okay to compete with others and strive to be the first, this is where harm arises. That's why the Zen Buddhists (Zen being heavily influenced by Buddhism) follow the idea of doing the best you can at whatever you're doing at that point in time, but at the same time being detached from it, not placing value on doing your best. The difference lies in how we present ourselves to the world. You can respect someone that says, "I strive to be the best", but not someone that says, "I am the best at this, no one else can compete!" The reason is simply that you feel no threat from the first statement, but you do the last. Even on a deeper level, the person that says I strive to be the best is exhibiting compassion and self restraint (the notion that he does not NEED to be the best), while the person who is boasting is exhibiting neither. One could say that the problem with Society, almost universally speaking, is this notion that we need to be the best and that losing is somehow a failure, when in fact we should be teaching that it's more important to give it our best than to actually be the best. So long as we are trying, then win or lose, we have done everything we could and if we do fail, we cannot blame ourselves for it. This is one reason I hate sports, because they are teaching children predatory behavior, to be the strongest and enforce their strength over others, rather than just be the best they can be. It's the major reason the majority of bullies in school are jocks. It's this idea that the strong should rule over the weak, rather than protect the weak, which is what Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu were advocating (and the Zen Buddhists too). Aaron

I think it's called not being first in the world. It's not easy, but when you can do it, a world of possibilties opens up to you. Just don't forget that in order to accomplish this you must also be able to be compassionate and also frugal, which means that you must be able to differentiate between needs and wants. This is otherwise known as following the 3 treasures. Aaron

I used to meditate with my eyes open by focusing on a single object, a speck on the wall, a flower, a picture, etc. I think the experience is certainly different and I'm particularly open to the suggestion that it helps one understand their place within the "real" world better. Nice post, thanks for adding it. Aaron

It seems like lately a lot have people have been suffering from loneliness on this site and because they are lonely, they seem to think that making friends will solve that problem. My question is whether or not the number of friends you have actually effects the quality of your life? For instance, if I suddenly make a lot of friends, will my life somehow change and be better, or perhaps the quality of my life is not dependent on friendship, but rather something else. The only way for me to prove this is if I become friends with a great number of people and then compare the quality of my life now to the quality of my life then. With that in mind I ask everyone who is interested in the pursuit of scientific inquiry to friend me. I will present my results in one week. Thank you. Aaron

You can never have too many friends, or at least that's my thesis. Aaron

And so it is written, the bunny rabbits shall rise up and take from the predators all the carrots! They shall bare their teeth with cute and cuddly rage and exact revenge upon all those who ate them indiscriminately. And wherever they go, not a single carrot shall find peace or happiness, for it is the carrots that orchestrated the hunting of the bunnies and the bunnies know this all too well. Aaron

Hmm... well so long as the father doesn't find out, I'd say it's an ego building friendship. Aaron

To be a dot or not to be a dot, that is the question. Aaron

I'm sorry for your loss A Seeker, it's never easy losing a loved one, especially your father. Lindelani Mnisi- I'm guessing your in your late teens... go talk to a counselor. You're most likely suffering from a low grade depression. If you can't talk to a doctor, call a friend you can trust. Don't keep how you're feeling bottled up inside, let it out into the light of the day. Tell the truth and it will set you free. Aaron

Yeah, no woman wants someone that's sensitive and understanding, they want an asshole who drives a sports car and talks about sports and plays sports and beats them up now and.... oh wait, that's not true at all. Hmm... I guess this kind of logic could be attributed to testoteronitis or more commonly referred to as Male Assoholic Delusional Disorder. If someone you know suffers from this disorder call this number 1-800-Im-a-ahole immediately or just smack them upside the head and tell them to freaking come out of the dark ages... either treatment may work. Aaron

Haruhi is 1 of my favorite characters as well. She has her flaws but her strength is recognizing bullshit for what it is. mokona, have you watched all of mushi-shi yet? I really appreciated how mushi-shi was written. it's one of the few anime that I've seen where you can watch any episode in any order and still appreciate it. Aaron

it could be that you don't want to go to school, hence you hate school. it sounds to me like you're experiencing the same thing as about 50 percent of the students out there right now. I hated high school and ended up quitting in ninth grade. I would not recommend this to you, I'm just using it as an example that you are probably not the only one experiencing this. the irony is that I will be teaching high school here soon, so now I have to figure out how to make school something that my students can enjoy. Aaron

if you need to take a drug to experience reality, then you are missing the point of living. this poor child was the victim of people who convinced him that living alone was not worth experiencing. he thought he needed something more and as a result died for it. the true criminals, aside from the shaman, are those people who convinced this child that he was lacking and flawed, that he needed something more to be complete. religion and spirituality kill more people than they need to. Aaron

Let me clarify, lest you get the wrong idea, no one around here is refusing to talk to you because you're the king of debate, or because you possess a vast knowledge that we can't compete with, we refuse to talk to you because you pester people, you are not respectful of other people's opinions, and believe you are always right. There's no discussion with you, only a lecture, so many people choose to forego the lecture. Point of fact, your knowledge of Tao is limited, and in my opinion, highly delusional. If I wanted to, I could point out in the literature the fallacies in your arguments, but I don't think it would matter, so I just ignore you, because I see your style of interaction and I choose not to participate for that reason. Does that clear things up? As I said earlier, I recommend that you talk less and listen more. There are a lot of people here with an actual knowledge of Taoism that could teach you a great deal and there is no reason for you to teach others until you've learned what Taoism actually is. This is my own opinion, but one garnered from talking with others regarding your brief stay here. I hope you have the capacity to take this constructively and maybe change the way you choose to talk to other people here, if not, then you'll probably find more and more people choosing not to talk to you. Aaron

here's my suggestion to you, in 3 years I have posted around 2,500 posts, in about 4 months you have posted 500 +. maybe you should spend less time talking and more time reading. Aaon.

whatever. maybe it's indicative of your own short attention span, rather than the ability to re watch a show. I have watched several series more than once, simply because they were great series. Ouran high School Host Club being among them. I think the reason why I did not like 1 piece was simply because it was a very linear show with little to no plot and character development. it's mostly about fight scenes and combat, rather than characters and emotions. I don't mind action scenes, but I still want to see some kind of development with the characters. With full metal alchemist I saw that, I did not see that with one piece the characters remain the same for 20 episodes. the people that seem to like shonen are in most cases adolescents that are less interested in deep plots and more interested in action and flash, since that is what garners their attention. so speak ill of the short series, but I don't think any show that you could mention could compare 2 series such as ghost hounds or mushi-shi. enough said. Aaron

Fullmetal Alchemist is still one of my favorites... Even brotherhood is better than any shonen series I've seen. Back when Dragonball first came out I really enjoyed that show. One of my favorite animated movies is Akira. I'm not sure how I would enjoy it now compared to a lot of the shows I've watched. There are a lot of great anime shows out there that people never really give a chance because they don't have fire balls and mega punches involved in them. expand your horizons and I'm sure you will be able to enjoy them as well. you being not anyone in particular but all people who watch anime. Aaron