wandelaar

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Posts posted by wandelaar

  3. Posted

    There is one line of the TTC that I think I remember but cannot find anymore: The Sage sees the easy as difficult.

     

    This is a very important approach, whether it is actually in the TTC or not ;).

     

    Most of the hassle in daily life happens because we underestimate the amount of work necessary to accomplish even apparently easy tasks. We tend to see ourselves as the center of the universe to whom our immediate surrounding will have to obey willy-nilly. But that's not the way the world works. Taking a more detached viewpoint makes for a better appreciation of what can and what cannot be done. And consequently leads to a more relaxed way of life.

    • Like 1

  7. Posted

    @Shadow_self

     

    I never said the TTC is only about politics. It's about politics, metaphysics, daily life, strategy, mysticism, meditation, simple living, creative thinking, ...

     

    But the song remains the same: it's no use discussing with (true) believers.

  8. Posted · Edited by wandelaar

    2 hours ago, liminal_luke said:

    But I think you're mistaken when you say that the "other side has no way to express it's own interpretation."  Yes it's true that at one point Sean told right wing members of the board to go.  That was then, this is now.  I suspect that in practice -- if not theory -- right wing members would find this a hospitable place to say what's on their mind  (so long as they did so in a respectful, civil manner).

     

    You might be right, maybe things have changed. I don't know...

    • Like 1

  9. Posted

    9 hours ago, liminal_luke said:

    The Dao De Jing -- A New Translation

     

    Chapter One: The Dao that can be spoken is not the real Dao.

     

    Chapter Two: No more right wing bullshit.

     

    The End

     

    It's an easy win when the other side has no way to express it's own interpretation.

  13. Posted

    Yes - that's the fate of all classic religio-philosophical texts. People usually refuse to read what they say, and instead make them say what they want by means of allegorical and symbolical reinterpretation. If you like the TTC that way, so be it.

  17. Posted

    There's no need for another forum to talk politics pure and simple, because there are more than enough of them already. There might be a place for a forum to talk about Taoist conceptions of government that doesn't rule out right wing interpretations by decree of the site owner. But I doubt if such a limited subject matter would be enough to start a new forum with. After all even OriginalDao was about Taoism and spirituality in the broadest sense. I don't understand why one would like to talk about politics pure and simple (that is: unrelated to Taoism) on a Taoist forum. 

     

    I have no problem with Reddit as a way to start a new forum, and see how it goes.

    • Like 1

  18. Posted

    Suppose the new forum would contain just a few new post every week, no more. And on most days there would be no activity at all. Would you still consider it a success then? If I remember well that was the level of activity at the end of the Original Dao.

     

    You could start on Reddit, that's a good idea. But you have to realize that Reddit isn't completely free either. Personally I don't even think it wise to have a forum that's completely free, because that would mean that the most fanatic and bullying characters would dominate the discussions. The carefully chosen words of those who speak but little would drown in the chatter and agitation of those who like to hear themselves. Such would certainly not be a Taoist forum. Particularly not when all Taoist topics that can safely be discussed here on TDB are not discussed on the new OriginalTao forum. What Taoist topics would then be left for the new forum?

     

    In my opinion the basic rule for any forum should be civility. What I disliked here when I joined OriginalDao was the Political Correctness that was added to the demand for civility.

    • Like 1

  20. Posted

    7 minutes ago, Straybird said:

    Why not both?

     

    Speak your mind on certain topics not allowed here on http://www.originaltao.com and everything else keep here on this forum.

     

    It would help the moderators and site owner keep their sanity, and allow people to freely discuss whatever they choose.

     

    I don't think that would work. Reddit has it's own rules and regulations, and you will likely find out that many things that aren't allowed here aren't allowed on Reddit either. Furthermore a forum devoted solely to those things that aren't allowed here could hardly be called a Taoist forum.

    • Like 1

  23. Posted

    As Cobie mentioned there were some problems with unacceptable posts on OriginalDao, but I think that OriginalDao would have closed down anyhow. In the end there simply were not enough active members to have a vibrant forum with a continuous stream of fresh interesting discussions. Reddit has its own rules and regulations so I don't think unacceptable post will become a problem there on the new OriginalTao. But can you find enough active members/participants to still make for interesting discussions after say one of two years? That will be the main challenge...