Skepticism
So I have not shared this with anyone as of yet, but I finally decided it's time to bounce this idea off of the net.
I have an extremely serious ambivalent relationship towards Taoism. I have little idea where to start so I'll just start off with some of the questions bugging the mind. 1. If Tao cannot be spoken of, why speak? If Tao that can be named is not Tao, then is Tao really Tao? And anything that is written in Tao-de-ching, what of it? If it's meaningless then what are the poems for? 2. What is natural? Is the world really separate into natural and unnatural? Isn't the universe nature itself? Isn't everything in the world, all materials and concepts, all spirits and desires, all part of nature itself no matter how ugly it seems? Are humans and civilization not part of nature? Are grey cubes worthless against green fractals? 3. But then why no good and evil? Is it bad to pursue good over evil? Isn't it inevitable? Is darkness darkness or light? Is light light or darkness? Does music really dull the senses?Is going down really going up? 4. Yin and Yang? Is life really dual? Conversely, is duality actually bad? Are all dichotomies equal? Do they all need to be balanced? Isn't good good and evil evil? Isn't purity just as important as balance? Sometimes isn't it important that one force dominates and destroys the other? Do all things really fall neatly into yin and yang categories? Are they all related? Does left and right have anything to do with evil and good? In color schemes, can CMYK fall into yin-yang categories? If red fire is yang and blue water yin, then why is hot fire blue? Why do we divide sexless things and spirit into male and female? Is mountain male or female? Is sky? Is the sun? Aren't these mere symbols? Do they reflect reality? 5. Why? What led the old one to write such things? Why do we hold onto it as true? Why did he try to explain the inexplicable? Is the book always true? Is it always false? Is it virtue to follow what is in the poems? As opposed to vice? But then that divides virtue and vice..? Why explain what can't be explained? Am why am I asking this? What do I possibly gain from asking these unanswerable questions? Why am I doing this? What leads me to do this? Is it necessary? Is it laziness? Is it futility? Is this part of my path? Am I for Tao or against it? Am I still part of Tao despite all this thinking? Actually why am I not thinking? Why don't I really care? Do I care? Do I care if any of you answer? Do I care if none? Do I care if this is evil or good? If I don't need the answers then why am I asking these? And why am I finally at peace?... |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
and who said poems had to be there for some reason? Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
people like to see themselves and sometimes more Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
Epic posting. I feel the Tao is complete. :smile:
|
Beautiful post, Sonolil!
Once you have asked all the questions, and given up on trying to get rational answers, then there is peace. The flow of Tao is beyond concepts, questions and answers. Once we understand it we see the Tao. That's what the sages have been pointing their finger towards. Why to rise the finger? Why not? When you see the Tao the finger rises by itself when needed. Without any questions :) |
The Tao Te Ching is a book that the first time I read it I shook my head at such inexplicable gibberish.
Despite this, something has drawn me back to it again and again over the years. Each time I come back, I find it makes more and more sense, yet I am no closer to being able to find words to explain it to anyone else, nor able to capture it in thought to myself. Mercifully, it starts out with a warning that you will find this to be the case, else I might wreak my brain trying. In this way, it is similar to Zen. It is said that Zen is not the moon, rather it is the finger pointing to the moon. No one can show you the moon, you must see it for yourself. If you do see the moon, you will find you cannot show it to anyone else either. You can point and they may or may not see it. So it is with the Tao as well. Many have tried to interpret it for others, but IMO all have failed, yet somehow many come to feel they understand it’s wisdom and beauty, even if only a little bit better. I expect ambivalence is an appropriate and good way to approach it, that way you don’t carve your block before you see all it could contain. Quote:
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 09:55 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
(c) Spiritual Forums