Salaam Wa'alaikum

[Aayla Secura]

Or, in English "Peace be with you." I'm new to these forums, and I'm also very new to this "Tao" thing as well. I'm so new to it that beyond still trying to understand what some of the poems mean in the Tao Te Ching I have no idea what to do or where to go. I have a feeling that is almost a good thing though, as long as I'm mindful of it and the possibilities that could arise.

 

A little background on me:

 

I'm an American woman in her mid 20's. Engaged, marrying next year to a Muslim husband. Big time gamer, geek, nerd (w/e you want to call it these days). Lifelong seeker. Since I could form the word "God" I've probably been seeking some kind of higher calling or purpose. Attended a Christian elementary school that pretty much killed every possible chance of me ever being a Christian. Studied(ing) Islam beginning in my late teens. Began wearing the hijab, dressing modestly, praying, sometimes fasting, etc. I've also worked in nightlife and been a model. I left those lifestyles behind after a few short years because I felt they offered me nothing in the way of progress as a soul, just a lot of materialistic and carnal noise. I studied philosophy in college. (Surprise!)

 

In my very, very, very brief studies of this path I have seen the phrase on a few blogs, "You don't become a Taoist, you just realize you are one.", or something to that effect. I guess that's where I stand on the precipice of. I've come to admit some very harsh truths to myself about what I believe about the nature of God and the nature of, well, nature, and our relationship to it. I guess mainstream society and my Islamic disposition made it easy to push these things down, but I've had enough. I'm tired of tossing and turning in bed and living with mental discomfort about my beliefs. It's stifling. I'm not going to go into explicit detail about every single thing, but I'd be happy to talk more about it if someone wants to know more.

 

Overall, I'm just hear to learn and hear people's opinions. I learned a lot about Islam that way and I felt it worked pretty well for me. Just listening and asking questions and talking with others. After all, this site if "conversations on the way" right? hehe I like it!

 

Anyways, I'm open to any and all recommended reading and other suggestions about supplementing my study of this path. On the surface it resonates with me a lot, on a very basic level just as someone or something that exists.

 

Really, I'd love any basic guidance for a neophyte seeker.

 

I'll close with a verse from the Qur'an that stirred the first inkling of the Tao in me:

 

 

"And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing." - Qur'an 2:115

 

[soaring crane]

Hello Aayla, and welcome to the forums!

 

Glad to have you here :-)

 

Please take the time to read the two posts pinned at the top of this Welcome page and take a look at the forum terms and rules. This covers all you need to know when getting started.

 

For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Also, until you’ve posted fifteen times in the forums, you’ll be a “Junior Bum” with somewhat restricted access and will be allowed only two private messages per day.

 

Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you,

 

SC and the TTB team

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Special Note: all female members are more than welcome to join the discussions at our new

Women’s Cultivation forum, moderated by rainbowvein and zanshin

[dust]

Wa‘alaikum al-salaam

 

(copied that from wikipedia..hope it's the correct response!)

 

You've got an interesting 'back story' ! I'm sure many would be interested to learn more.

 

Well, the more you read on this forum, the more you'll probably come to see that there are as many different 'Taoisms' as there are people. I just recommend starting with at least 2 or 3 different translations of the TTC (no single English translation can possibly convey all the potential meanings contained in the passages), and then maybe the Chuang Tzu / Zhuangzi. Other people might have different suggestions though...

 

You can find loads of translations here, to test the waters:

http://terebess.hu/english/tao/_index.html

I'd suggest John Wu, Gia-fu Feng, and Stephen Addiss

 

and then

http://terebess.hu/english/chuangtzu.html

Burton Watson's translation of Zhuangzi is pretty good. It's a wonderful book.

[Seeker of Wisdom]

I'm more of a Buddhist, but if you're interested in Taoism I'd recommend Damo Mitchell's 'Daoist Nei Gong'.

[gatito]

Wa‘alaikum al-salaam

[Aayla Secura]

Dusty and Seeker, thank you both for your recommendations. I will look into all those things you mentioned.

 

Thank you very much for the kind welcomes.

[GrandmasterP]

Big Salaams Aayla Secura and welcome to TTB.

It will be nice to have an informed Moslem perspective on here.

Edited December 5, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[forestofemptiness]

A good bridge might be Sufi teachings, as you already have a good grounding in Islam. Lex Hixon was, like you, an American, a Muslim, and a mystic.