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How'd you come to taoism?

Buddy1Buddy1
edited December 2004 in The CenterTao Lounge
I'm blushing because Rick and I sleep with all three dogs on the bed because we feel it's important for them to feel part of the pack, yet we would never have considered sleeping with our 2 boys. Sounds like the same thing in retrospect.

Comments

  • Buddy1Buddy1
    edited December 1969
    or wherever you're at right now in your spiritual life?
    I was both lucky and unlucky to hang around with older people most of my younger life. Lucky in that many were experienced and interested in areas outside my childhood experience. Unlucky in that many were also into drugs and somewhat lost themselves in this life, and i fell into that and wandered around for a number of years with nothing to believe or build on .
    My best friend, whom I call my 'guru' to his great chagrin, is still too often lost in a bottle, but he's a brilliant man. He was the first to ask me really 'deep' questions (invaluable to a teenager), most of which i'm still thinking on years later. Another good friend helped me most by letting me talk, question, gripe, and he just listened and gave simple answers, if any at all. This taught me that words are not the answer.
    I read Huston Smith's the Religions of Man to get a basic grounding in all the worlds beliefs, read several books on each religion, and finally settled on buddhism. It just felt right, like falling in love. Taoism, of course is very close to it, and I'm looking forward to learning more about it from your experiences and thoughts. I've come and gone over the years, strayed and returned, but I do think I'm getting closer to home...
    Tell me all you know.
  • CarlCarl
    edited December 1969
    My word,... Mine is a story like yours, I think, in essence. For me though, I was raised 'belief and tradition' free to be independent and self made. Ha, what a joke. But it took me 40 years to wake up. Meaning, it took about that long to realize that I was not, nor had I ever been, independent nor had I the 'free will' on which I prided myself all my life. The last 20 years has been a process of 're-inventing the wheel' of sanity and peeking into how things actually are vs. how I assume they are. It's quite an adventure which I attempt to document somewhat on this site. Taoist thought as a world view gets less in the way of my 'peeking into things' than any made-made construct that I've come across. and so I'll call it my home-view. It resonates through every pore of my being.
  • Buddy1Buddy1
    edited December 1969
    it gives me hope that you didnt 'find yourself' (or is it 'lose' yourself?) till your late 30's / 40's, Carl, which is where i am now...unmarried, thinking 'is this all there is'? Or is it too late to change? No and No. Feels so good these last few days getting back into my religious study, bringing me peace and hope. And having you guys to bounce things off of and read about makes me feel 'normal', which is rare in this 'world i never made'...I'm not different from everyone else, EVERYONE else is different form me
    Watched the 'spouses' show this morning and it invigorated me so i had a great karate class after. thanks for that. Made me feel good to see someone living out of the mainstream, and to put voices to faces. family is something I've barely had in my life, blood family at least. Friends and the good people I've met have filled that role, and thats sometimes been enuf, sometimes not. You feel like family, and we all profit from the love you put into the universe. thanx for that.
    Now to keep this feeling this way...
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