Taoist Philosophy

[Marblehead]

What is at rest is easy to hold.

What has not yet given a sign is easy to forestall.

 

The brittle is easily shattered.

The minute is easily scattered.

A tree so big that it takes both arms to surround

Starts out as the tiniest shoot.

 

A nine-story terrace

Rises up from a basket of dirt.

 

A high place one hundred, one thousand feet high

Begins from under your feet.

 

Act on it before it comes into being;

Order it before it turns into chaos.

 

 

Being As Careful At The End As At The Beginning

 

Those who compete in skill begin with Yang and often end up with Yin, and in overdoing it, the result is useless ornamentation. Those who drink too much at a formal banquet begin in order and end in disorder, and in overdoing it, the result is intemperate pleasure. This is true of all affairs also. What begins in propriety often ends in impropriety. What begins modestly often ends up in extravagance.

 

 

The Sage Rests In The Solution Of Things

 

The Sage rests in the solution of things and is dissatisfied with what is not a solution. The common men are satisfied with what is not a solution and do not rest in what is a solution.

 

On Overdoing Things

 

You train your eye and your vision lusts after color. You train your ear, and you long for delightful sound. You delight in doing good, and your natural kindness is blown out of shape. You delight in righteousness, and you become righteous beyond all reason. You overdo liturgy, and you turn into a ham actor. Overdo your love of music, and you play corn. Love of wisdom leads to wise contriving. Love of knowledge leads to faultfinding. If men would stay as they really are, taking or leaving these eight delights would make no difference. But if they will not rest in their right state, the eight delights develop like malignant tumors. The world falls into confusion. Since men honor these delights, and lust after them, the world has gone stone-blind.

 

When the delight is over, they still will not let go of it. They surround its memory with ritual worship, they fall on their knees to talk about it, play music and sing, fast and discipline themselves in honor of the eight delights. When the delights become a religion, how can you control them?

[C T]

Boy am i glad to see you back here Marbles! I was actually worried when you went missing for a while. Trust all is well with you? Why yes, says he... wonderful! A jolly good fella you are.

[Cloudhand]

Hey Marbles welcome back. Im out here so see you some time. Me and Sifu are going to meet up and talk music and tai chi. Cloud

[TzuJanLi]

Greetings..

 

Below are a couple of links to consider as 'get-a-ways' and opportunities to meet and greet.. i am one of the judges at these events and thought.. HECK!! what a great way to meet some of you guys and gals, AND.. get to meet some of the best in the world at our arts.. think about it, it would be great fun..

 

http://www.kungfucha...hip.com/stpete/

 

http://www.kungfucha...ando/index.html

 

Hope to see some, if not ALL of you..

 

Be well..

[Marblehead]

Greetings..

 

http://www.kungfucha...hip.com/stpete/

 

http://www.kungfucha...ando/index.html

 

Hope to see some, if not ALL of you..

 

Be well..

 

The links didn't work for me. The "..." inserted distorted the entire link. Try again?

 

 

Thanks for the comments folks. I went missing in order to resolve a personal problem.

 

Peace & Love!

[WhiteTiger]

Thank you very much for putting this up here Marblehead.

 

Marblehead, is there a point to continuously go back and forth from opposites, Yin and Yang?

 

Best Regards Wt

[Marblehead]

Marblehead, is there a point to continuously go back and forth from opposites, Yin and Yang?

 

Best Regards Wt

 

Hi WhiteTiger,

 

Actually, yes, there is. Yin and Yang are the polarities of Chi and they are basically the negative (Yin) and positive (Yang) just as in electricity. The universe is in constant flux; for a while very active (Yang) and then rest (Yin) follows the activity.

 

As in wu wei, our natural condition is Yin but conditions change and we are drawn to action (Yang). We act then return to Yin.

 

Many people speak of balance but I suggest that balance is never achieved because all else around us is in constant flux. I, personally, have never found perfect balance. But what I try to abide by is harmony. When Yang is dominant I try to harmonize it with Yin and vice versa.

 

But hopefully we never get into many situations where we need to remain with one or the other polarity for any great length of time. In constant Yang we become exhausted and in constant Yin are aren't living much of a life.

 

And besides, with harmony we can dance!

 

Peace & Love!

[Trunk]

~~~ TheTaoBums Moderation Team ~~~

 

Thanks for the reports on the offending post (blatant profanity used as personal attack). The "report" button works.

 

The post was deleted and the user was put on suspension.

 

- Trunk

 

~~~ Mod Squad out ~~~

[C T]

~~~ TheTaoBums Moderation Team ~~~

 

Thanks for the reports on the offending post (blatant profanity used as personal attack). The "report" button works.

 

The post was deleted and the user was put on suspension.

 

- Trunk

 

~~~ Mod Squad out ~~~

Let the dance begin again!

 

Thanks for the swift intervention Mod Squad. Timed to perfection. Precise and clean. Just like a samurai wielding his sword...swish.. and no traces of the past remain - good job. Thank god for 'impermanence'.

Edited May 21, 2010 by CowTao

[WhiteTiger]

Hi WhiteTiger,

 

Actually, yes, there is. Yin and Yang are the polarities of Chi and they are basically the negative (Yin) and positive (Yang) just as in electricity. The universe is in constant flux; for a while very active (Yang) and then rest (Yin) follows the activity.

 

As in wu wei, our natural condition is Yin but conditions change and we are drawn to action (Yang). We act then return to Yin.

 

Many people speak of balance but I suggest that balance is never achieved because all else around us is in constant flux. I, personally, have never found perfect balance. But what I try to abide by is harmony. When Yang is dominant I try to harmonize it with Yin and vice versa.

 

But hopefully we never get into many situations where we need to remain with one or the other polarity for any great length of time. In constant Yang we become exhausted and in constant Yin are aren't living much of a life.

 

And besides, with harmony we can dance!

 

Peace & Love!

 

Well maybe you should start a thread on principles of keeping within Harmony.