The Genuine Article Posted November 9, 2008 how can i apply tao or taoist aspects to my life? without disregarding my way of life which is islam? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fiveelementtao Posted November 9, 2008 how can i apply tao or taoist aspects to my life? without disregarding my way of life which is islam? Excellent question... I think the answer is in your question. Simply apply the principles of Tao and continue to honor your Muslim faith. Maybe you can view Allah as the ultimate Taoist Master and ask Allah in your prayers to guide you in the Tao. Tao is an energetic science, not a religion. so you can be a Taoist and worship God any way you choose. _/\_ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Genuine Article Posted November 9, 2008 thanks cause honestly its like haram(sin) when a muslim denounces their religion so i was asking because i was kind of feeling down about this situation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stigweard Posted November 9, 2008 (edited) how can i apply tao or taoist aspects to my life? without disregarding my way of life which is islam? Heya TGA ... another worthy question. I posted this in another of your topics: An old Chinese saying: Confucianism is my cloak, Buddhism is my cane, Taoism is my sandal. You could easily substitute Buddhism with Islam. What I am trying to say here is that Taoism can be merely a 'way' or manner in which we operate in the world. For example, in Tai Chi movement Tao is attained when one's movements are natural, fluid, relaxed, centred, integrated, grounded and unpretensious. If you can go about your way of Islam with these same internal virtues I would say you have found the Tao of Islam There is no need to even consider the idea that to know Tao you have to denounce your own religion. Edited November 9, 2008 by Stigweard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wuliheron Posted November 10, 2008 (edited) It is my understanding that everyone is supposed to interpret the Koran for themselves. Perhaps you can look for the Tao within the Koran and then apply that in your life. Although I am not Muslim I find the work of Khaliel Gibran to be very Taoistic as well. Edited November 10, 2008 by wuliheron Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YMWong Posted November 10, 2008 Sufism and Taoism: A Comparative Study of Key Philosophical Concepts YM Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Riyue Posted November 10, 2008 how can i apply tao or taoist aspects to my life? without disregarding my way of life which is islam? In ddj 25 dao is seen as a phenomenon of energy indeed- later on in daojiao you have texts like 奉道持戒 which are translated as if you have to worship dao. Take care... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rookie Posted November 10, 2008 Hello, I am also a beginner, but from this simple starting place I think there is direct application as long as you don't get too tangled up in any one "school", "lineage" or particular set of beliefs within daoism, of which there are many. There is also a high probability that you will run into what I would call "superstition" or others may call "magic" within certain daoist's beliefs. An example is an actual, chineese born daoist lineage holder that I took a class from a while back said that another teacher from the same lineage had died of cancer and that it was caused by a "hex" or "voodo". Those are the exact words spoken in such a matter of fact way that there was no confusion about this person believing it was true. That kind of thing can interfere with other religions. But if you keep to some simple principles, which is really closer to truth than a lot of complicated beliefs, in my opinion, then they are compatible with most everything. So, from a beginner, here are some simple principles. Let go of desires. More specifically attachment to things, achievements, how people see you, stuff like that. Let your mind wind down. Cultivate a quiet, still mind. The desires mentioned will conflict with this. Practice meditation of some form. Practice some form of body-mind cultivation, i.e., qigong, taiji, yoga, whatever you are drawn to. This helps cultivate quiet by giving you something to do and can just be really good for you. Practice virtue. This means kindness, compassion, generosity. One way I have seen it stated is "Help all sentient beings". There you have a tough program to follow, but still simple and compatible with most religions I would expect. This is really hard to do though. I find myself continuously searching for more answers, teachers, techniques.... Then I snap out of it and remember the basics again Hope that helps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yoda Posted November 10, 2008 Definitely check out Hafiz. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wayfarer64 Posted November 10, 2008 Jump right in! Hold the question in yr mind and consult the YiJing! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ya Mu Posted November 10, 2008 The best advice I can think of is to tell you to learn to stop the world,i.e., cut off your internal dialog (most everyone is guilty of talking to themselves ALL THE TIME. Everyone's worst enemy is their own mind. When you practice Stillness by stopping the world and allow Movement, then you are living in Tao. This has nothing whatsoever to do with religion, so you can believe anything you want to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites