Taoism as a right brain religion

[Sidhere]

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Religions are at the roots of civilization...but it is interesting that Eastern and Western cultures have founded their religions using completely opposite sides of their brains...this is described in an interesting article about Mysticism on the Internet.

 

http://reluctant-messenger.com/citsym/right-left.htm

 

Before we dive into Mysticism proper, lets explore how the human brain/mind works. This is important to know because some religions understand God in a logical way and other religions are more intuitive or inspired in their knowledge. This will especially help us to understand God from a Buddhist or Taoist perspective.

 

The left brain is a world of business, logic, reason and of practicality. The right brain is a world of art, emotion, intuition and of feelings.

 

The left brain requires logical, linear, factual data to be satisfied. The right brain is more comfortable with leaps of faith, inspiration and intuition.

 

To better understand God and how God is communicated it helps to understand that the brain/mind operates and functions on these two levels and through both we can achieve a more complete understanding of God.

 

The best example of a right brain religion is Tao. Tao is nonsense to the logical western mind. Yet Taoism is a great sourse of mystic knowledge.

 

Judaism is an example of a left brain religion. Ten commandments, Holy Days, clean and unclean meats, etc... The logical mind understands rules and regulations and Judaism is a very structured ordered and logical religion.

 

All of the other religions are somewhere in between with Islam being almost as logical as Judaism and Buddhism almost as right brained as Tao.

 

Hinduism and Christianity are balanced in the middle with Hinduism slightly more right brained and Christianity slightly more logical.

 

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Edited November 1, 2008 by Sidhere

[Stigweard]

With respect, I humbly refute the notion that Tao is a right-brain religion. The mere term 'right-brain religion', in my view, violates the very foundation of Taoist teaching.

 

For one if you are operating from only one side of the brain you are not nourishing the fullness of both Yin and Yang as one harmonious universal energy. Taoist cultivation, to me at least, literally and equally involves both sides of the brain in full communion with each other.

 

And religion as a "recognition of, obedience to, and worship of a higher, unseen power" is potentially an abstraction from Taoist principles. Tao is to be found in each and every normal mundane moment of life.

 

"Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood carry water."

[Sidhere]

Hi Stigward,

 

Your point is well taken!...in our culture our left brain is dominent and appears to be a source of continuous problems as it separates all our perceptions including the feeling we are separate selfs known as the ego...the rather inactive right brain fails to see the large picture of ourr interrelatedness to our environment in the particular and the universe in general...the left brain is an essential adaptive tool needed to survive in the physical world...we make the serious error of seeing our true identity as the left brain when our natural home is within the right brain...it would be highly desirable if the right brain is dominant instead of the fabricated left brain.

 

Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:00 am Post subject:

 

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Please refer to a book by Livia Kohn,an authority on Taoism:

 

"Early Chinese Mysticism" Livia Kohn. Excerpt: "The texts of mysticism...are an attempt to express the world, as seen from the right hemisphere of the brain, through language--the tool of the left."

 

Quote:

Early Chinese Mysticism: Philosophy and Soteriology in the Taoist ... - Google Books Resultby Livia Kohn - 1991 - Religion - 218 pages

Mystical experiences in this context may be interpreted as the strong emergence, for a time, of the right hemisphere of the brain. ...

books.google.com/books

[markern]

I get the point but to me Taoism is a very, very logical religion

[Guest artform]

Here is a great right-brain, left-brain agility test and more! Enjoy...

 

http://www.leveragingideas.com/2008/07/16/...rl-yale-iq-tes/

 

 

artform

[Gerard]

Neither Taoism nor Buddhism are religions, they are simply methods that describe the underlying mechanism of Samsara.

 

One analyses the fluctuations of the universe according to the law of yin and yang; the other how to end suffering, liberate oneself from the eternal cycle of karma and rebirth, and reach nirvana.

[Spiritual_Aspirant]

The only books about Taoism I've read so far are the ones written by Mantak Chia and as far as I can gather, I would say it's more left-brain than right brain..

[Sidhere]

The description and techniques of Taoism are processed through the left brain,but actual experiencing its meaning can only be known through the right brain...the teachings learned by the left brain needs to yield through a letting go process for the right brain to open up its unique awareness.