I'm interested in Taoism in a philosophical and religious way. I used to be Mormon and I've been searching for years for a religion that has some of the same guiding moral principles without the mythology. A practical world view, open-minded, but not too superstitious. Taoism seems like the answer, but I'd like to continue exploring and testing it. I hope I can find people here who will help me on my journey and discuss some ideas with me.
When I first started doubting my faith and looking for answers I turned to Christianity, which didn’t feel right to me because of the whole heaven and hell division. Then I found Taoism, and I love it. I looked in many other places for answers but always remembered Taoism, and now I've come back to it again, ready to take a closer look. The ancient Taoism taught by Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching is beautiful. The Tao Te Ching advocates loving others, not denying our physical needs but also not over indulging, living in the present, being diplomatic, being humble and democratic in positions of power… this book is one of the oldest books on the planet, certainly older than the Bible, and it’s from a time and culture I know almost nothing about, but I agree with every word of it! It makes a lot more sense than any other religious text I’ve read.
But I still have some problems with it. One thing I would miss is the organization. Mormons are setup all over the world in communities that know each other and look out for each other, whether you're a member or not. I don't see that in Taoism. I would also miss the familiarity. I can tell you all about Mormonism, but when I try to tell people about Taoism I end up getting confused and frustrated.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm misinterpreting Taoism. So, the Tao is the driving principle of the universe, it symbolizes change, it's like flowing water, constantly changing. Over time water even conquers rocks, eroding them away. Yin and yang are pairs of opposites like hot and cold, man and woman, light and dark. Good typically follows from a balance of yin and yang, and evil often follows from imbalance. Not everything is so easily divided into yin and yang, there are shades of gray in between. So, here are some issues I've wondered about.
Homosexuality
In Mormonism, as with most Christian sects, it's a sin. Even in Taoism it could be seen as bad if you think of it as two yangs with no yin or two yins with no yang, thus creating an imbalance. But maybe the Tao is actually at work here on a grander scale, gays don't have kids thus balancing out people who have too many kids and overpopulate the planet?
Preaching
Through most of my childhood I looked forward to serving a mission. Going out and telling the world the mysteries of the universe, the truth, a message that would make them happy and change life for the better. I wish I could still do that, but Taoism just doesn't offer answers that people wanna hear. Instead of telling people a blissful afterlife awaits where you will be reunited with loved ones, the answer is that what comes after death is an unknowable mystery, what matters is making the most of the present moment. I think it's a good answer, but it doesn't offer much comfort to those who have lost loved ones or want to have a purpose in life. Taoism teaches that debating things is ultimately futile, it is human nature to want to be right, so changing someone else's beliefs is impossible, they can only change themselves. "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink." But isn't it still worth it to lead them there even if they don't drink?
Doing Good
Wu-wei, actionless action, is another key principle. But many people interpret as a right to be lazy. Even the name of this forum seems like it might be referring to wu-wei. People also might interpret it as following your inner nature, which might be interpreted as doing what you feel, which could include stealing, murdering, lying, etc. That's not right though is it? Doesn't following the Tao lead people to do good?
I'm sure I could think of more, but I'll leave it at that for now. If you actually enjoyed reading this (hey, it's possible...) you can check out my blog too, arnquist2.blogspot.com
