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Question on furniture...

Captain H.Captain H.
edited September 2005 in The CenterTao Lounge
my #s:
14 BPS
2 KBPS



naw, just jokin':
44369 BPS
355 KBPS
similar to bob's...

Comments

  • Captain H.Captain H.
    edited December 1969
    Howdy! I wondered what your ideas are behind not using certain pieces of furniture...or I guess, an 'over-abundance' of it. I saw the show and know that they edited it to the point of pure lies, so I'd like to know what your thoughts are on your use of it.
  • Lynn CornishLynn Cornish
    edited December 1969
    Maybe I should let the family reply, but the big empty room you saw on Trading Spouses was the meditation center...that's why no furniture. People meditate on cushions on the floor. The room is left open so that there is room for the multitudes of Taoists to come in...if they happened to.
  • CarlCarl
    edited December 1969
    [cite] Captain H.:[/cite]... I wondered what your ideas are behind not using certain pieces of furniture...
    Good to hear from you Captain H.

    The site has been a little slow of late. I suppose a message boards is really modeled on conversation. If everyone just 'listens' and no one 'talks', it is not much of a conversation. Granted, Taoism is not the hottest topic to hit the internet.... :D

    Anyway, the model I use is that which I experienced among the tribal people of Borneo and Laos years ago, for example. This model was really brought home to me later in Japan. The 'problem' pieces of furniture are really only high tables and chairs. They limit physical range of motion incredibly, especially as folks get older. Elderly Japanese and tribal folks do not have flexibility and balance problems anywhere near Western elderly folks.

    Also, such furniture is a real barrier when you have kids. Without chairs and high tables, kids, from the crawling age on, are right there with you. It is much more intimate which makes the kids (and you) feel connected. This indirectly solves many of the 'discipline' problems.

    I could go on, and on, and... blah blah blah, but I'll just end with the simple fact that this kind of furniture only make us more disconnected from the Nature by removing yet another aspect of our more natural ancestral way of life - which began vanishing with the advent of agriculture. I'm not going to return to being a hunter-gatherer, but I've found that any steps I can take to model ancestral ways has a very positive effect on life overall. Note: That's the reasoning behind going barefooted when ever possible, as well. There are many more small things I/we do which together add up significantly. This whole approach, i.e., modeling after Nature, is the Taoist approach to life.

    [chref=25]Man models himself on earth,
    Earth on heaven,
    Heaven on the way,
    And the way on that which is naturally so.

    [/chref]
    And...
    [chref=65]Always to know the models
    Is know as mysterious virtue. [/chref]

    Of course, many folks seek to do just the opposite, i.e., control Nature and make it conform to 'modern' standards and styles. Each to his own! Nevertheless, I'd recommend trying this approach out for a while, especially folks with very young kids. You may be surpirsed.

    PS, I see Lynn beat me to posting by a minute or so. Her point about having more room... YES, that is another big plus. Alas, I hear the Japanese are becoming 'modern' and adopting chairs and tables more now. You don't know what you've got until you've lost it I suppose.
  • Lynn CornishLynn Cornish
    edited December 1969
    Also, such furniture is a real barrier when you have kids. Without chairs and high tables, kids, from the crawling age on, are right there with you. It is much more intimate which makes the kids (and you) feel connected. This indirectly solves many of the 'discipline' problems.

    How interesting! That makes so much sense. I bet it would work with puppies too!

    (I have noticed that when I get down on the floor all the dogs go happy.)
  • Captain H.Captain H.
    edited December 1969
    That makes a lot of sense! Thank you both for the information. :D
  • Buddy1Buddy1
    edited December 1969
    I've certainly been inspired by the Abbott's example to cut back on furniture since the move to the new house-our large hardwood floor living room just looks nicer with fewer pieces and more space-gives the kid room to run around-i've never been one for an overabundance of furniture (havent had a bed since 1990)-doubt i'll get a couch-have a recliner, a star trek looking chair, and will get a barstool for our kitchen counter and a couple bean baggy type chairs and we'll be good to go...

    How this seperates me even further from my fellow 'normal humans': a coworker has a $1600 couch, and tried to talk me into purchasing the same-she's known me for a long time, she should know better...
  • Buddy1Buddy1
    edited December 1969
    this same coworker now is forcing me to borrow a kitchen table and chairs from her-she wont take no for an answer-just cant understand how we can live without one...she doesnt get it that we prefer tv trays, that i want to keep most of the house open, so theres room for anthony to run and play-his other house is so cramped and full of furniture you cant move...probably i'll go get the stuff from her and just put it in my garage-i hate borrowing things, anyway...
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