New Tao Te Ching Commentary

[Brian]

 

A gross is 144 here in the UK.Is than the same in the USA I wonder.

Yes

[Marblehead]

If I've read you wrongly and I'm on the wrong track with you, let me know...but this is what your post made me think.

You have read me correctly. And yes, you are on the right track.

 

The old stoics talk about the peace this brings. Has the Tao Te Ching brought peace to you?

I can honestly answer "Yes" to that question. But it's not perfect. Example: last night I had one of those "what if" dreams of my past. I don't like them but they come around for a visit now and again.

 

 

Yes, if we are going to be a materialist we must find and acknowledge our proper place amongst the Ten Thousand Things. Not that one is more important than the other but rather we should not be trying to be something we are not. The thought just now, the Frank Zappa song "I'm A Rock". No, I'm not a rock, but I have some rocks in my rock collection.

 

Yes, your Buddhist leanings have been very recognizable. But I am enjoying our discussions because you are not trying to force your understanding on me, we are sharing.

 

Yes, I had a difficult time adjusting to Army life. It took about five years before I learned how to be what "they" wanted me to be but yet at the same time be myself and be accepted for who and what I was back then. Funny too is that back then I really didn't put any labels on myself. I was just trying to be me while doing what others expected of me.

 

Surrender is a naughty word for me. Hehehe. I will never surrender. However, I will acknowledge conditions as they are at any given moment and try my best to take the best course af action (or inaction). Acceptance isn't even a usable word/concept in my life. There are some things I simply will not accept in my life. And I will do my best to defend those I care about against conditions they consider unacceptable.

 

I would also point out that my 'materialism' does not equate to greed. That would be a misunderstanding. I don't "need" much in order to live a comfortable and peaceful life. I don't waste my time stashing away more nuts than I need to live comfortably over the winter. But there are enough in case someone comes to visit.

 

My materialism is more directed toward accepting the physical universe as it is while making as few jusgements as possible. Sure, I still make judgement calls. I do, afterall, have my preferences.

 

Yes, your comment about suffering due to your need for freedom is understandable. Suffering is only a mental construct though. As is freedom, I suppose. Happiness is more than that though. Happiness effects our mental and physical health. Some can be happy being a bird in a cage, others cannot. That is why I harp on the concept that we each are special and unique. What works for me may or may not work for another. Apparently Buddhism has worked pretty well for you. That's great.

 

Hehehe. No, "spiritual" isn't one of the "no, no" words for me. It's just that "I" don't talk about it much.

[manitou]

Would you believe that every time we question our own motives we are actually strokin' our ego. No, we are not leaving it behind or dropping it. We are just trying to cause it to be more mellow.

 

Have I mentioned lately that I love my ego? Well, it is still true.

 

 

Questioning our motives means to try and see how much of an edge we are cutting for ourselves, in my understanding. I don't see anything there that infers ego stroking. But you are right - we are causing it to become more mellow. that's the trick. To gain a modicum of mastery over it - to enable ourselves to be in the second or third place rather than always the first. Our own interests must be dropped (by disabling our ego, if only temporarily) in order to see any situation clearly.

[Marblehead]

Questioning our motives means to try and see how much of an edge we are cutting for ourselves, in my understanding. I don't see anything there that infers ego stroking. But you are right - we are causing it to become more mellow. that's the trick. To gain a modicum of mastery over it - to enable ourselves to be in the second or third place rather than always the first. Our own interests must be dropped (by disabling our ego, if only temporarily) in order to see any situation clearly.

Nice post even though I'm not sure I totally agree with all you said.

 

To use one of your phrases, to be in the "here and now" helps mellow the ego too. That is to say, to realize and acknowledge reality instead of our own imagined illusions and delusions.