Taoist Practice and Relating to Others

[sunshine]

Welcome to the club. My mom thinks I'm mentally Ill!! She simply cannot understand that I am not insane despite viewing the world and its workings from an esoteric point of view instead of the mechanistic materialistic one that most people hold. She thinks these are the signs of me having a psychosis. I just wish I could expand her horizon a little bit. Make her understand. Yes, getting into metaphysics and spirituality have alienated me in many ways.

 

Got any suggestions to easing up her worries?

7332[/snapback]

 

Don't tell her. Simply do your stuff. She does not have to know everything, does she? Further: In several instances it is better to talk to people in their language instead of speaking your own tongue. It is not up to you to expand her horizon. Getting into metaphysics and spirituality is not the problem in and of itself. The problem often lies in wanting others to understand ones viewpoint, even make them become believers... better choose a different way to go... nobody wants to be shown that they might be wrong. And just in case you still feel inclined to do so: It is better to ask questions then to give answers. This way people might start thinking about their believes and through that process they might grow without feeling alienated. In such a case you are just kind of a katalysator instead of the substance itself... if that makes sense...

[freeform]

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Edited October 23, 2019 by freeform

[GrandTrinity]

Just to echo what is being said, or to put another spin on it:

 

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Neimad, in a pm to said this last night:

I "joined" my friend last night as we were watching an old skate video, and seeing it through his eyes i was able to laugh the way he did and really enjoy it thoroughly.... whereas through my own eyes I would have gotten bored.

----

 

So, this idea of joining I intend to use, for example, taking an out -of-body experience and embracing it, as the perpective of your friend, trying to be one with them. Of course, you loose your center, but perhaps rather you are just expanding your center!

[Cameron]

Fuc% Her! Fuc$ her opinion and if she doesn't like what you do tell her get lost!!

 

Kidding, seriously it's always good to be respectful of others points of view and if they are extrmensits(Alot of people I know are) you just got to be aware in your dealing with a person with a less than balanced or Untaoist view of things.

 

What the hell that means exactly I don't know but it has something to do with seeing the big picture of life and not some narrow dogmattic beleif system

 

Which is cool if you have a narrow dogmatic beleif system but I don't think that is where it really at..you know?

[DustWalker]

Fuc% Her! Fuc$ her opinion and if she doesn't like what you do tell her get lost!!

 

Kidding, seriously it's always good to be respectful of others points of view and if they are extrmensits(Alot of people I know are) you just got to be aware in your dealing with a person with a less than balanced or Untaoist view of things.

 

What the hell that means exactly I don't know but it has something to do with seeing the big picture of life and not some narrow dogmattic beleif system

 

Which is cool if you have a narrow dogmatic beleif system but I don't think that is where it really at..you know?

7389[/snapback]

 

Cheers guys. Rereading my post I think I come across like a real moron, I guess I simply wanted to share my feelings with you. All of your advices are sound and they are exactly the way I have been reasoning myself, although it can be easier said than done sometimes.

[BobD]

I rarely go full throttle with discussing the details of my practice and beliefs with people. When I interact with others I mainly seek rapport and so I generally make a strong effort to speak their language. So I might speak to a Christian entirely in Christian terms. In fact this is how I speak with my father, entirely within the framework of Christian mythology. I think if you are creative you can find the vocabulary within anyone's belief system, even completely different or even highly secular/materialistic worldviews, to almost covertly (it feels) discuss your beliefs and interests.

Here is an article from another site that touches on this subject:

Taoism.net

[Mal]

BTT just a nice discussion by the old guns, featuring H asking a question good stuff I like searching sometimes

[Guest C Yu C He Taiji]

I basically do it as everyone else already mentioned. Most people that ask me of my hobbies are satisfied when I tell them that I practice martial arts (even though they probably do not know what that includes) or Qigong.

I had to strongly control myself in the beginning to not tell everyone what I do and why everyone else should practice this or that as well. After some time I realized that you cannot force things to happen. In my Wudang school we say that before you have not masterd yourself you cannot know when the right time for others has come. I do not think that I haver the insight to decide for someone else, if my intervention is necessary I usually feel that as a strong pull to do or say something, this pull usually originates somewhere where emotions cannot go. When I disregard this feeling bad things happen. I even had an experience where I taught a person something about Kunlun despite max advice not to tell anyone without being a teacher. I got a VERY direct hint not to do so. Without anyone else being even near me.

Concerning the alienation, when I started doing Qigong and internal alchemy most of my friends broke up with me for one reason or another, some people even hated me for what I did or said, bu the funny thing is that this has always been like that, some people like and some do not. Nothing special about it. The more I relax and let things happen on their own, the more friends come to me that are a great help on the path.

 

I wish you all the best.

 

Chrisn