Ho ho ho! verily I say unto you sinners

Carl

Hi Buddy,

Sad to hear your situation. Obviously, [chref=75]those in authority are too fond of action[/chref]. Clearly they are unable to be the [chref=51]steward yet exercises no authority[/chref] over the boy's life. A few general thoughts come to mind. I know they won't consol you much, if at all, but considering the broader issue / picture can't hurt either.

Everything works fine in civilization as long as everything is going along smoothly. But, when we hit a bump in the road, we really see how puffed up our own self image has become. We are simple animals acting and reacting out of instinct. [chref=10]When the gates of heaven open and shut [/chref] do we keep to the role of the female? No :!:

Why? We have not evolved the capacity to do so. We panic, and resort to irrational [chref=43]action[/chref]. Worse yet, we don't realize the [chref=40]weakness[/chref] that moves us, and so rush about leaving any measure of [chref=16]stillness[/chref] behind as we begin [chref=74]chopping wood on behalf of the master carpenter[/chref]. Such is life... :oops:

Carl

An interesting thing happened on our way through Christmas this year. Younger son Kyle thought it would be neat to do a Christmas style 'service' with the Bible after our regular family Taoist meeting on Sunday. We did. I suggested that Kyle read from the Bible, but he insisted I do the honors. So, I read some from the Gospel of Luke, seeing how elder son's name is Luke.

As I read, I found how easy it was to add some 'fire and brimstone' to my delivery. The Bible is worded in such a way as to really lend itself to emotional oratory. 'Holly rollers' here I come! The Tao Te Ching would be a useless vehicle for this kind of emotional 'high'. If anything, it offers us an emotional '[chref=39]low[/chref]'... in a good way mind you...

Buddy1

Luke is the book from whence comes Linus's terrific rendition of the birth of jesus in 'a charlie brown chiristmas' one of the great moments in tv history-and the one i quoted in my officail capacity at work as the e-mail purveyor of a 'thought of the day' -this week i chose that as my 'christian' message, and on other days i threw an islam, taoist and buddhist message out...like to keep things balanced...

Jillian

While we're on the topic of religions...do you think that Taoism can even be considered a religion? It doesn't really lay out any ways to live your life, it doesn't talk about an afterlife, etc. Does Taoism really even have any set "beliefs" :?:

Carl

[cite] Jillian:[/cite]* ...do you think that Taoism can even be considered a religion?

* ... Does Taoism really even have any set "beliefs"

Hi Jillian,

* I just wrote some on religion in this weeks chapter. Anyway, is Taoism a religion? In the simplest sense of the word... of course! However, ?real world? religions are profoundly political (tribal) as well. The Taoist world view is quite antithetical to such tribal instincts, and so in that sense it may be the furthest thing from being a ?religion?. This is one reason why it lacks popular appeal,... along with its [chref=5]ruthless[/chref] honesty.

* No ?beliefs? as such. To form beliefs, we must believe in the essential truth of the words with which we ?think our beliefs?. The first Chapter...[chref=1]The name that can be named, Is not the constant name[/chref]... pops that balloon for anyone who ?sees it?. So, I think of Taoism as a way of observing nature and as a path to [chref=23]conforming[/chref] to [chref=25]that which is naturally so[/chref]. Thus, instead of propping up [chref=32]names[/chref], like the word ?moon?, it attempts to be a finger pointing to that which [chref=4]seems as if it were there[/chref].

Mmmm... you could also say that rather than having a ?set of beliefs?, Taoist has an attitude, or just ?tude? 8) for short, right?

TommyO

I think a definition of terms is useful here. (I say tomato, you say tomatto)

I define religion as a belief system of our origins and a guide for life. I think this is a very different idea from what most people think of when the word "religion" is said.

But in the context that I have defined, yes Taoism can be viewed as a religion.

Origins. I submit:

The Tao begot one.
One begot two.
Two begot three.
And three begot the ten thousand things. TTC42

All things arise from Tao. TTC51

Tao is the source of the ten thousand things. TTC62

Guidance, I submit:

Therefore the sage goes about doing nothing,
teaching no-talking. TTC2

In the beginning those who knew the Tao did not try to enlighten others,
TTC65 (but now they do?)

The wise therefore rule by emptying hearts and stuffing bellies,
by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.
If men lack knowledge and desire, then clever people
will not try to interfere.
If nothing is done, then all will be well. TTC3 (Does this statement not give us a way to live our lives? There are many more examples like this in the Tao Te Ching)

And you stated, "it doesn't talk about an afterlife"

I submit:

I do not know from whence it comes.
It is the forefather of the gods. TTC4 (Doesn't this speak of eternity?)