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What is Taoism

Wu Wei

ursus senum severiorum and ex-Bisy Backson
All of the following is from the "Personal Tao". I just felt others might find it interesting and/or informative

What is Taoism?

To many people, a confusing aspect of Taoism is its very definition. Many religions will happily push judgment and dogma which in reflection defines a person. Taoism flips this around. It starts by teaching a truth; “The Tao” is indefinable. It then follows up by teaching that each person can discover the Tao on their terms. A teaching like this can be very hard to grasp when most people desire very concrete definitions in their own life.

A simple way to start learning the definition of Taoism is to start within yourself. Here are three easy starting steps to learning Taoism:

  1. Don’t concentrate on the meaning of Tao (this will come later naturally)
  2. Understand what Taoism is. Taoism is more than just a “philosophy” or a “religion”. Taoism should be understood as being: A system of belief, attitudes, and practices set towards the service and living to a person’s nature.
  3. The path of understanding Taoism is simply accepting oneself. This leads to inner peace. Live life and discover who you are. Your nature is ever changing and is always the same. Don’t try to resolve the various contradictions in life, instead learn acceptance of your nature.
 

Ben Dhyan

Veteran Member
All of the following is from the "Personal Tao". I just felt others might find it interesting and/or informative

What is Taoism?
To many people, a confusing aspect of Taoism is its very definition. Many religions will happily push judgment and dogma which in reflection defines a person. Taoism flips this around. It starts by teaching a truth; “The Tao” is indefinable. It then follows up by teaching that each person can discover the Tao on their terms. A teaching like this can be very hard to grasp when most people desire very concrete definitions in their own life.

A simple way to start learning the definition of Taoism is to start within yourself. Here are three easy starting steps to learning Taoism:

  1. Don’t concentrate on the meaning of Tao (this will come later naturally)
  2. Understand what Taoism is. Taoism is more than just a “philosophy” or a “religion”. Taoism should be understood as being: A system of belief, attitudes, and practices set towards the service and living to a person’s nature.
  3. The path of understanding Taoism is simply accepting oneself. This leads to inner peace. Live life and discover who you are. Your nature is ever changing and is always the same. Don’t try to resolve the various contradictions in life, instead learn acceptance of your nature.

The first step towards resting in the Tao is to start from nowhere.

He who says, does not know, one who knows does not say.

Chuang Tzu
 

dybmh

דניאל יוסף בן מאיר הירש
I vote it's reality. The dao is everything including nothing, and BTW, nothing isn't nothing, it's actually something!

The innovation of Lao Tzu, from what I can tell, is the acceptance of paradoxes as natural.

Another reason it's difficult to define. I'd say the dao is reality, all inclusive including "nothing". And that's naturally going to be diverse.

daoism is the way of life which is in harmony with the dao. so, daoism is "harmony". ( which by definition cannot be non-dual ).
 
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