"Living Life as a Taoist?" (How can one do so?)

[mat black]

Taoist:

in bible, it told you story , let you to imply the god's rule, those rules are "the law and rule of universe"

also , in church I have seen the good and useful way of practice is "prey for forgetness and say sorry ,applogize for what you have done wrong" later in Tao, Taoist will have to do the same from the bottom of heart/

Nice.

[steve]

This is a great question and idea for a thread. This is actually pretty important to me and it's a little embarrassing to talk about it even though I'm not sure why I feel that way.

 

To me, living a Daoist life is living consistent with Wu Wei. I do this primarily by practicing awareness.

The more aware I am of what is going on inside and outside of "me" the more I come into contact with and understand my nature. I can identify and understand my conditioning, my attachments, and so forth. As I get in touch with my nature, I can act in accordance with that rather than going against it.

 

When I am not aware, it is easy to fall into the trap of living like a robot whose programming is my social and cultural conditioning. That is not human nature, it's insanity and a corruption of nature, IMO.

 

That's what I'm currently working on. I'm not terribly successful - I'm constantly amazed at how inconsistent I am. I'm always finding myself bound up in various attachments and distractions. But at least I'm much more aware of it than previously. And the more I'm able to let go, the more liberated I feel.

[mat black]

Thank you Steve. Very well said.

[DalTheJigsaw123]

This is a great question and idea for a thread. This is actually pretty important to me and it's a little embarrassing to talk about it even though I'm not sure why I feel that way.

 

To me, living a Daoist life is living consistent with Wu Wei. I do this primarily by practicing awareness.

The more aware I am of what is going on inside and outside of "me" the more I come into contact with and understand my nature. I can identify and understand my conditioning, my attachments, and so forth. As I get in touch with my nature, I can act in accordance with that rather than going against it.

 

When I am not aware, it is easy to fall into the trap of living like a robot whose programming is my social and cultural conditioning. That is not human nature, it's insanity and a corruption of nature, IMO.

 

That's what I'm currently working on. I'm not terribly successful - I'm constantly amazed at how inconsistent I am. I'm always finding myself bound up in various attachments and distractions. But at least I'm much more aware of it than previously. And the more I'm able to let go, the more liberated I feel.

 

What exactly do you do when you say "I practice awareness." What kind of things are you speaking off? Thanks!

[Capital]

You question seems odd to me, as 'Practicing awareness', in my book, should never include something to 'do', because you are then creating expectations.

 

To be truly aware of yourself, you have to stop hiding from yourself, but that isn't really an action. It's more of a cessation of one.

 

That doesn't imply 'bringing down' the mental walls around you. That would involve a nasty crash. Instead, you merely stop building them; time will eventually see them crumble naturally.

[Marblehead]

Fantastic posts Guys!!!

 

It is so nice that we can be honest and open with ourselves in an atmosphere such as this.

 

 

 

Hi Leon,

 

Marblehead - Maybe you can also suggest what your taoist living looks like now. Compared to when you were in the Army? Does that make sense?

 

Yes, the suggestion makes sense. The response will be a little more difficult. Hehehe.

 

I think I have always been a Taoist but never knew it for the first half of my life. My first truely Taoist 'experience' was when I was in Vietnam. I was in a combat zone that was quiet at the moment and at that point in time I felt at peace with myself and all else. How's that for an expression of dualities? War and peace were one.

 

Anyhow, that was in 1970. I knew nothing of Taoist philosophy then. It wasn't until 1975 that I first experienced any reading of Taoist literature and it was simply an introduction to the belief system. It wasn't untill 1983 (?) that I actually got involved in reading the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu and realized that this is what I am.

 

Actually living as a Taoist didn't happen until 1989 following my last divorce. Up until that time I realized that I was living other people's expectations of me. In other words - I was living a lie.

 

My inner essence has not changed at all from my youth to today. I have always been who I am. But I was, until recently, pretending to be someone else - to be what others wanted me to be. Needless to say there were always inner conflicts and I think I can say that I was never at peace with my 'self'.

 

I am still the way I was when in the Army. I still enjoy smiling at people when I go out and I enjoy causing others laughter. But I am more mindful now and I rarely get taken advantage of by others any more. This insures a minimum of inner conflict.

 

I can't say that I have any particular 'way'. I enjoy giving others pleasure and find that it is most often returned in kind. I also enjoy being alone. These are the times I ask myself if I am still happy. "Happy" is an important concept for me. Would I still be happy today if I knew I was going to die tomorrow? I think we all should ask ourself that question now and then.

 

I guess I will stop for now as I have no idea if I am going anywhere or not. Hehehe.

 

I do know this though - wherever I go, there I am.

 

Peace & Love!

[Pietro]

Ww, how interesting.

Thanks for sharing.

Feeling at peace in a the middle of a war;

really is very taoist.

 

I think I have always been a Taoist but never knew it for the first half of my life. My first truely Taoist 'experience' was when I was in Vietnam. I was in a combat zone that was quiet at the moment and at that point in time I felt at peace with myself and all else. How's that for an expression of dualities? War and peace were one.

 

Let me share something:

 

It reminds me of a similar serendipity in 1989. I had just ended high school, and my mother brought me to a long trip in south east asia. We were at the time in Indonesia, in the island of Sumatra. We were doing a many days visit to some tribes, by jeep. Very interesting. At some point we stopped to visit some tombs. Those were in the side of the street, in the forest. The land was going up, into a hill. I remember sitting on those rocks, in the middle of the green. Maybe they even told me that some shaman has been buried near there. Who knows, after so many years. I only remember this sensation of extreme peace. Of no time. Of being able to stay there for ever. Eventually I got up and joined the others on the road. There was no war in this memory. But I have always wondered if somehow in that occasion I was seeded by the spirit of some eastern shaman. Btw, at the time I was already interested in Taoism from a couple of years, but only in an intellectual way. This was one of my first spiritual experiences after childhood.

[Marblehead]

Hi Pietro,

 

Sounds like that was a very peaceful moment for you. Thanks for sharing.

 

Peace & Love!

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Yes, thank you Pietro!

[wudangspirit]

Ther are NO short cuts in Taoist practice or getting anywhere fast that is for sure!

 

Taoist:

the final goal of Taoist is go to heaven, and became one of the greatest and powerful soul .

 

basically all the religion are same !!

 

the good thing of Taoist :

it has a written path step and step , to let you follow, to finish this Journey in a short cut.

and it has speak out the law and rule of universe in Philosophy.

in bible, it told you story , let you to imply the god's rule, those rules are "the law and rule of universe"

also , in church I have seen the good and useful way of practice is "prey for forgetness and say sorry ,applogize for what you have done wrong" later in Tao, Taoist will have to do the same from the bottom of heart/

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Ther are NO short cuts in Taoist practice or getting anywhere fast that is for sure!

 

That is very true!

[C T]

"Even the TAOst taste that little bit better when it is made in total mindfulness" (The essence of a Taoist way of life? Hehehe....)

 

Laughter precludes accidentally serious life-views....

[DalTheJigsaw123]

"Even the TAOst taste that little bit better when it is made in total mindfulness" (The essence of a Taoist way of life? Hehehe....)

 

Laughter precludes accidentally serious life-views....

 

How right you are:!!)