Differences between Eastern and Western Taoism . . . (?)

[Lataif]

A thread in "Daoist Discussion" got me wondering how much previous exploration there might have been here on differences between Eastern and Western interpretations/implementations of Taoism.

 

Can anyone remember a thread on this from the past (?)

 

Among the issues:

 

** In Eastern perspective, society (and even all of reality . . .) is understood to benefit most when individual psychology is subordinated to society.

 

** In Western perspective, society is understood to benefit most when society is subordinated to individual psychology.

 

How you understand Taoism (both in theory and practice) diverges a lot based on which perspective you take.

 

Michael Winn, for example, emphasizes how his perspective differs from that of Mantak Chia (who has himself been pretty non-Eastern) . . .

Edited May 5, 2015 by Lataif

[dwai]

IMHO, this "Eastern vs Western" in what is inherently an Eastern system is nonsense. If you don't do Daoist practices as taught by the Daoist masters, then you are not doing Daoist practices. If you do the practices but then chose to ascribe certain explanations and rationalizations to these practices, that's your personal choice. Why should the tenets and end goal of a system be different based on what part of the world you live in?

 

If they are affected by our socio-cultural paradigms, then it's  just an aberration. Its not the "real thing". The "Real thing" cannot be labeled (Daoism 101 )

Edited May 5, 2015 by dwai

[Lataif]

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Edited May 5, 2015 by Lataif

[Marblehead]

I agree Dwai, and I think Lataif made a good point.

[vonkrankenhaus]

Maybe better title is eastern or western approach to taoist thinking.

 

There are many aspects of basic worldview different, and this affects what people see when studying - the associations and conclusions about both text and experience can be different for people who have grown up east or west.

 

Now more people are being something like both, and this is making a bit of better understanding, but also each is pointed to and taking up the other in funny way - like some eastern young people geared so western that they lose ability to understand eastern thought so much, and westerners now giving up McDonalds and try to find supposed "yoda", etc.

 

 

-VonKrankenhaus