Taoist living in a rat race world

[Aasin]

Hey guys. Thanks so much for all the advice! When I get back from Ecuador I will definitely keep all of this in mind.

[Marblehead]

Hey guys. Thanks so much for all the advice! When I get back from Ecuador I will definitely keep all of this in mind.

Well, don't get lost in those jungles.

[Daeluin]

"Know yourself before others."

 

This means focusing and listening inwards until you find your true self. Understand the nature of your perspective, and come to dissolve what separates your perspective from the whole.

 

Life can be distracting. Holding to any ambition other than self development is a splitting of energies. Placing our desire sincerely on one path, we may progress far down this path. Maintaining our sincerity on knowing our true self, we surrender desire for career advancement, money, things, and people, and allow ways to open before us as we flow down the path of least resistance.

 

Over time we empty and clarify inside, and even as we allow ourselves to sink like water to the lowest point, we simultaneously soar on the wind of the yin breath, gliding along as an eagle rather than plummeting like a rock.

 

As we develop, it becomes easier to maintain our development amidst the chaos of the human realm, and also more tempting to establish foundations in places other than our self-development. It's like saving money - the more one saves, the easier it is to spend. But in self-development the currency is progress. Spending it is the faltering of sincerity. When one's wings are no longer spread, how quickly one may fall!

 

Flowing with one's nature, or not, one will face similar challenges to self-development regardless of career. The more ambitious the career, the more pressure to overcome the challenges, but often at the stake of a shifting of where one places their sincerity, and where one builds their foundation. The simpler and more monotonous the career, the simpler it is to be invisible, and also simpler to stagnate and surrender self-motivation.

 

Zhuangzi speaks on "Walking Two Roads", a concept where one's inner scope and one's outer scope are different. In life, when two energies cross paths, they attempt to reach equilibrium. Walking two roads is a method by which one intentionally flows and adapts to the outer environment in such a way as to gently slip past and remain hidden to all the myriad energies. Thus one's inner scope may be vastly differing from the paradigm in the outer world, but by following the rules of the outer world one is able to preserve the vast difference and continue cultivating to greater levels.

 

Thus the concept of avoiding becoming valuable - both to avoid loss of freedom by others controlling how your skills are used, and to avoid recognizing your own value and succumbing to the power of what has been cultivated, so as to continue development towards immortality.

 

Following these principles - sincerity, surrender, frugality, compassion, not daring to value oneself ahead of anything else, one may navigate anywhere safely.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Daeluin

[GrandmasterP]

47-years boy and man I've been a fully paid member of the 'rat race' and never yet found a liking for work.

Retire officially two-weeks come Friday.

(((( doing the happy dance as I type))))

Having to work for a living isn't conducive to cultivation but nobody seems to have come up with an alternative way of paying the bills that is legal.

What got me through was being a union rep.

The union IS the members and the members aren't management so there's a different dynamic and just now and again you feel as though there's a positive difference being made.

Wherever there's a strong union ethos in a workplace the members are empowered and tend not to be as fecked about with as much as workers in non unionised places.

Unity is strength and there's more comradeship hence less of that 'dog eat dog' BS you find in some organisations.

We leave that to the management, those twonks are forever stabbing each other in the back or poisoning wells prior to stabbing.

Edited September 3, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[PLB]

Jobs with a fair measure of responsibility have an interesting dynamic. The people selected to do them are making their own selections. In many cases, the latter group is actually neutralizing acts and intentions of their selectors; Not as a program of revolt and rejection but out of the interest of carrying out their obligations as they see them.

 

When I read the classic texts of Taoism and the focus often placed upon what happens in Empires, this interesting dynamic seems to come up a lot.

[CloudHands]

Jobs with a fair measure of responsibility have an interesting dynamic. The people selected to do them are making their own selections. In many cases, the latter group is actually neutralizing acts and intentions of their selectors; Not as a program of revolt and rejection but out of the interest of carrying out their obligations as they see them.

 

When I read the classic texts of Taoism and the focus often placed upon what happens in Empires, this interesting dynamic seems to come up a lot.

 

 

I remember a coworker (construction) saying between workers and bosses the worker often get the last word, cause he's the man that makes it.

Edited October 4, 2014 by CloudHands

[Wayfarer]

To the Original Post; great question...the Tao though and TTC is definitely of these times;

 

I am a sales rep and definitely part of the rat race, this is how I deal with it...

 

I do my job. I don't think about it as a rat race; it is Life playing itself out...so I only respond in the moment. To harbour thoughts about it is not living spontaneously. In truth, no one is sucking up to the boss, no one is wanting out of the rat race; it is all the Tao expressing itself as Life.

 

Don't suck up to work people if that is not in your personality; as your ego and sense of injustice obscures how your expression of the Tao is. You are fine as you are, enjoy life playing itself out.

 

If you find your heart is not in the job, something will happen of itself.

[woodcarver]

ass kissers are often "promoted" to do dirty work and kiss more ass

 

trust the tao, follow the tao, breathe the tao, smell the tao, caress the tao

[Marblehead]

And then rest in the Tao when your work is done.

[BaguaKicksAss]

I attended some teachings lately, about how to meditate better, realize that existence is illusionary, and so forth (that's what I got out of it anyways). So the first thing these highly spiritual folks talked about how one shouldn't try to escape or get away from the regular mundane world and day to day life, but instead use that as the training ground.

 

They are obviously much more advanced than myself LOL. Working on it.... They do have a very good point though. Staying centered and connected to the Dao is really easy when one is sitting quietly alone meditating. Much more difficult in day to day situations which we find stressful and such.

[CloudHands]

Angry mode off

Spirituality has an history of hermitage and retreat, because of the "market place" is a difficult location for a spiritual spirit. That is kind of "cheating" but idc, what really matters (to me) is that putting you outside of the human circles is like giving up on your potential of influence as a person. Somewhere I think there's some cowardice in a monk life but I can understand and I respect that if there's dedication.

 

But seriously if you do some harmful business (and so many people actually act in a destructive way cause our politic considers an infinite growth in a finite world) that you are aware of it and you don't have the balls to change your way of life I think it's not to be true to oneself to say "everything is just how it has to be and I do my part". I think that's the main trap in spirituality : people that choose to invocate fate not to face their actions. Sure the world is everything but there is an interaction that imply responsibilities.

 

I'm not aiming at you as a person Wayfarer but I found your argument a lil easy.

[Marblehead]

Well, I "Like"d the post but not this part of it. You know me.

... realize that existence is illusionary, and so forth ...

[ValleyStream]

I feel your struggle.

 

It seems to me that you would have gotten the promotion if that was the way it was supposed to be. In the long run, who knows where that promotion would lead somebody. I have seen people fail at the job they are given when they were successful in the job that they had.

 

As for the finances issue; there is an unspeakable obsession with money in the world. Whenever i find myself desiring more monetary income, i sort out my priorities. If i feel as if my priorities are met, then i dismiss my desires. If i feel as if my priorities are not met, well, i dismiss my priorities. If "the way things are" fall short of what you want then perhaps you are wanting more than you need.

 

This is what i do to handle my issues. Perhaps it can help yours. Good luck, dude.

[9th]

So the first thing these highly spiritual folks talked about how one shouldn't try to escape or get away from the regular mundane world and day to day life, but instead use that as the training ground.

 

Yes, this is the actual work. Retreats are only preparation for this, not the answer to it. Retirement is another story altogether. The following quote touches on both topics:

 

They delude themselves in thinking that isolation and living in caves, mountains and deserts would secure them from the evil of their nafs and that this retreat could allow them to reach the degree of sanctity, because they do not know that the reason for Masters' retreat and isolation was their knowledge and the strength of their states. It is the divine attraction that attached them to Him and made them rich and independent from all that is not Him, so he who cannot be compared to them in terms of inner strength and depth of worship can only simulate isolation, thereby being unfair to himself and harming himself.

 

 

- Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sulamī

 

[Rara]

This is something that I am constantly conflicted with. I live in the United States where the idea of a rat race is probably stronger here than anywhere else in the world. The idea that we constantly need to one up our co-workers,neighbors, and friends in any way shape or form.

 

Without a doubt this conflicts with Taoism in so many ways.

 

I have tried to avoid jumping in on the rat race in as many ways as possible. I don't spend my money excessively, I don't pursue worldly pleasures every time possible, and for the longest all I used was a simple flip phone to keep in touch with people. For the most part this has benefited me immensely, but one issue that has come up repeatedly is in the work place.

 

I like to take my time doing things nice and right the first time. This completely contradicts the get things done right away as soon as possible mentality that so envelops the workplace. When I was younger I worked at a restaurant and was once chastised for cleaning the dishes too slowly! The boss would rather I give the plates a quick rinse rather than thoroughly sanitizing the dishes and utensils. In work it seems the quantity over quality mindset wins out.

 

Another issue is like I mentioned before in co-workers trying to one up you. The last place I worked at there was this one co-worker who constantly would keep his boss up to date on every little thing he did. This is also known as kissing ass whereas I was the type of person to do what I was told and carry on with my other duties as I felt no need to tell my boss every little accomplishment I had done at work that day.

 

This co-worker was eventually portrayed as the model employee despite him not doing anything particularly extraordinary. The only difference was that he boasted of his accomplishments and made his face known where I was more behind the scenes. This eventually gave him more opportunities at our work place while the rest of us were left in the dust.

 

How do you guys cope with this? This is the only place I can think of where Taoism may prove detrimental and as much as it pains me to say this, finances are not something to be taken lightly. I've learned from the TTC to not boast or show off, yet doing just that is rewarding people with more jobs, a raise, and so worth. I'd really like to hear your input on this guys.

Yes my friend, I feel ya.

 

I lost an acting part the other day because the director had seen me before and thought I was a quiet person. Ahem...like, no audition, just straight up judgement!

 

I whinged to my agent and he said "whatever you do, do not change...I have too many loud-mouths on my books".

 

I took it with a pinch of salt...

 

My motto being f*** it and carry on. Just try your best...at least you're conscientious of this!

 

I went self-employed...and I often drop clients if they start bossing me about....there's always a client/boss for you.

 

As for materialism, sure...by all means don't slave to the material world. Don't be afraid to adorn your surroundings though...we all need a bit of pleasure in this department.

 

I bought my first flat screen telly the other day and I kinda like it! It's still not on very much though.

[Rara]

Oh...also, I came from £700 of debt 4 years ago and saved £4k in 4 years...despite building a business from scratch and losing this gig and that gig, screwing up etc etc.

 

If you learn to live frugally, you can still save big time. I don't know why this works, but it really does!

 

Save that money, then spend it on what you need. I'm nearly 27 and just started driving lessons. I had to wait, but it was worth it.

 

Opt for freedom fella...and find your way