Hello, this is my first post. I am a Methodist minister working as a hospice chaplain, for 25 years now. I have a longstanding interest in Daoist philosophy and internal martial arts. I struggle with regular, sustained practice of these arts—Chi Kung and T’ai Chi, to be precise—and must confess to being an on-again, off-again practitioner. I have experienced the healing power of Chi Kung.
Because of what I see as profound and in some cases uncannily similar parallels in teaching, philosophy, and healing practices, I have wondered if there is an historic connection between Jesus and Daoist thought/practice. It would have been entirely possible for Jesus to have traveled to China in the first century, although I am aware of no direct, sound evidence for this. However there are other channels through which Jesus might have been influenced by Daoist thought and I remain open to the possibility, although I don’t need to believe in a direct influence in order to love both Jesus’ teaching and Daoist philosophy and practice, and to see parallels between the two. Great teachings can arise spontaneously and independently, and be similar.
I am glad to be a new member here.
