Sunstone said:
What, if any, are ther similarities between Lao Tzu's concept of Ultimate Reality and Jesus's concept of Ultimate Reality? What, if any, are the differences?
Lao Tzu does not refer to an "ultimate reality". "Tao" is a word referring to the way existence manifests itself, and taoism specifically leaves any speculations beyond that point a mystery that we humans can't penetrate. When a taoist uses the term "god", he's referring only to the idea of a divine being that exists in the minds of his fellow humans. He is not referring to any actual supernatural personality.
Jesus, on the other hand, would probably say that God
is the "ultimate reality" from which all existence and our reality are manifest. Keep in mind that a taoist would not dispute this claim. He would simply consider it a matter beyond his ability to comprehend, and humbly let it remain a mystery. So I guess the only real difference I see here, is that Lao Tzu chooses not to address such thoughts, while most Christians not only address them, but insist on their validity. (Did Jesus ever actually say he considered God to be the ultimate reality, though? I'm not sure. Scriptures are suspect and sketchy. Though I do believe that the idea could logically be inferred from the sum of Jesus' comments.)
Sunstone said:
Is there a similarity in goals between Lao Tzu and Jesus? Did both of them want to restore society, rather than invent something new for society?
I would say that both were distinctly interested in restoring authenticity to their respective cultures. In Jesus case, he was a Jew, and remained a Jew. He was not interested in starting a new religion, he was trying to get Judaism to focus on the divine spirit from which he believed Judaism was sprung, rather than Judaism getting lost in the rules and rituals and politics of religion, as was clearly the case in his own time.
Lao Tzu was not interested in religion, but was similarly interested in living an authentic life, and encouraging others to do the same. He, however, viewed authenticity more in terms of individual honesty, humility, and philosophical perspective, rather than in terms of the human/divine "spirit" manifested within us (which is a distinctly religious perspective).
Sunstone said:
Is there a similarity between Jesus's concept of love (agape) and Lao Tzu's concept of the Tao? What, if anything, are the differences?
There are both similarities and differences. I think the similarities can be seen most clearly in the concept of love as expressed by forgiveness. I think both Lao Tzu and Jesus both understand and express the need for an attitude of forgiveness toward ourselves, each other, and life in general, and an attitude of unity and inclusion with the world rather than of individuality and self-centered desire. Forgiveness is a good word for the psychic medium through which such unity and inclusion is achieved.
Where they differ, I think, is that Jesus specifically focusses on love, come from God, to us, and through us, to each other. Lao Tzu does not talk of "love", but rather of acceptance, appreciation, and openness.
However, I once heard it said, and do believe myself, that the essence of the act of loving someone is in "showing up, being there, and paying attention". And I think that is exactly what Lao Tzu is trying to teach others to do in relation to their own life. Taoism is all about being in the moment, and paying attention to the flow of existence as it is expressing itself all around us, in that moment. It could easily be argued that what Lau Tsu is really talking about is the practice of, or act of "loving life".
I think Jesus and Lao Tzu are more similar than different in relation to "love", once we let go of the idea that love is an emotion that we feel, and is an expressed act or endeavor, instead.
Sunstone said:
If a wise Taoist and a wise Christian met on the street, what would they have in common? What would they not have in common? Would both be equally wise? Or, would one have an advantage over the other because of his or her religion?
That's a pretty weird question. *smile*
I think wisdom is wisdom, regardless of the philosophical or theological framework through which it's found. I think that when two wise men meet each other, they recognize themselves as brothers on the same path, regardless of the differences in their individual intellectual paradigms.
Wisdom does not divide people, it unifies people.
Sunstone said:
What other comparisons and/or contrasts do you find between Lao Tzu and Jesus?
To me, they are brothers and friends. They speak of the same light and wisdom, and they teach the same lessons even though from different perspectives. The only real difference is that Lao Tsu comes to me directly through his poems, while Jesus only comes to me through the recorded here-say of his followers. And unfortunately that means that the representation of Jesus' mind and heart that I have available to me, is pretty sketchy, and has been "enhanced" by the veneration, ignorance, and prejudice of the witnesses telling us his story.
It is true that we don't know who "Lao Tzu" really was (the name "Lao Tzu is a term of endearment roughly translated as "the old boy"). But it is also true that one person, whatever his real name was, wrote those poems, and his actual name doesn't really matter. What matters is that his heart and mind has been conveyed directly to us through what he wrote.
I sure wish that had happened with Jesus. But unfortunately, it did not. At least not as far as we know.
