Straight Edge and Philosophical Taoism

[Aasin]

So I've tried to subscribe to the Taoist lifestyle in a philosophical sense for a good few years now.

 

All of my friends in college see how I live my life and have always called me straight edge. I always simply accepted it as a term used to describe people like me who don't drink, smoke, or do any other harmful things to the body alongside trying to enjoy the simple things in life.

 

Today though I actually found out that there is a serious straight edge following out there and besides the vegetarianism, I subscribe to it a lot more than I thought. How similar do you guys think straight edge is to Taoism? I feel like it has a lot in common. Even though the music plays a large role, even that is becoming less of a factor these days for the straight edge movement.

 

Thoughts?

[Capital]

On the matter of straight-edge music groups: Between the Buried and Me is the greatest Metal band this side of existence.

 

On the matter of being straight edge: Rock on, brother. Giving up attachments and living simply is always for the positive. It is part of the way.

 

I can't say I am as free from myself as you are. I am still attached to many physical desires.

[Zenshiite]

I've been straight edge ever since I heard about it, and before that I qualified but didn't have a name for it. Greatest thing I ever discovered... made me feel pretty good about myself and even "cool" when I thought I was a dork for not "partying" like everyone else in high school. By the time I hit college I was already straight edge and pretty damn proud of it.

 

Ended up vegetarian, and later, vegan through straight edge and hardcore music. In fact, I found myself attracted to the Hardline movement within hardcore which came out of the earliest vegan and drug free bands: Vegan Reich and Raid, who themselves pretty much single handedly are responsible for the genesis of "vegan straight edge." You'll find on many points, if you do some research into the Hardline movement, that they were almost a syncretist group of Abrahamic religion and Taoism. In fact, the founder of Hardline and Vegan Reich is a lineaged ba gua teacher and a Shi'a Muslim. Through Hardline I became more interested in the study of both Taoism and the gnostic/mystical side of Islam.

 

All that said, I'm not sure I'd equate straight edge with Taoism per say... but there is parity between the usual monastic lifestyle disciplines and parts of the straight edge and vegan straight edge lifestyle.

[goldisheavy]

So I've tried to subscribe to the Taoist lifestyle in a philosophical sense for a good few years now.

 

All of my friends in college see how I live my life and have always called me straight edge. I always simply accepted it as a term used to describe people like me who don't drink, smoke, or do any other harmful things to the body alongside trying to enjoy the simple things in life.

 

Today though I actually found out that there is a serious straight edge following out there and besides the vegetarianism, I subscribe to it a lot more than I thought. How similar do you guys think straight edge is to Taoism? I feel like it has a lot in common. Even though the music plays a large role, even that is becoming less of a factor these days for the straight edge movement.

 

Thoughts?

 

I think avoiding excesses is more than good enough. There is no need to become a hardliner about anything. Taoism is anti-dogma. Ever read Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)? Confucianism is more similar to straight edge, IMO, and Confucianism is one of the things Daoists have ridiculed.