Miroku Posted September 3, 2021 Hi, what do you guys think about George Thompson? He is a youtuber who got into taichi and daoism and actually studies under a daoist/taiji master from Wu dang mountains. He seems quite nice and it is interesting to see him propagate self growth and daoist thought albeit probably rather shallowly. Here is his documentary about his second journey to see his master. Really nice to watch and well made. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mig Posted September 4, 2021 Personally, I think it is a good start and he's making an effort. For a beginner with a rudimentary knowledge of Chinese language, he's doing very well. He's a good inspiration for future generations. Why do you say " probably rather shallowly"? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Miroku Posted September 5, 2021 15 hours ago, Mig said: Personally, I think it is a good start and he's making an effort. For a beginner with a rudimentary knowledge of Chinese language, he's doing very well. He's a good inspiration for future generations. Why do you say " probably rather shallowly"? I mean he is doing really well and I absolutely love his journey. From an anxious college graduate he became someone quite good at taichi, great at editing videos and actually part of a proper lineage, that is something. The shallowness or better the perception of it comes probably from my zero knowledge of daoism, however sometimes things he says sound to me a bit too new-age. But that might be just my problem. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyblue Posted September 8, 2021 It's good enough to attract beginners into Daoism. Anything that propels humanity to look inside, away from the material world is good imho. While quite a bit of stuff he says does seem new age, it works well in stirring emotions and passion and generating movement in mortals (for lack of a better word) towards spirituality. I believe Daoism (as in the cultivation practices combined with the philosophy) could use more internet exposure than they currently are right now and this guy seems to be doing his part in the act pretty well. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Immortality Posted October 5, 2021 (edited) Speaking with respect, I don't think it is right to sort of write something off as "new agey" simply for that it doesn't necessarily conform to doctrine or tradition, or that it cannot be found in some book of officialdom. I always get the impression that calling something "new age" is the same as saying "redundant and invalid" or "pseudo-spirituality"; much like the mainstream "pure sciences" like to automatically brush off everything that is sophisticated enough but doesn't conform to their "intellectual territory" as "pseudoscience". First of all, remember that Lao Zi and Buddha were visionaries in their age, and rest assured that the contemporary establishment of that time would have called them something very similar to the effect of "new age". George Thompson might be describing his spiritual experience using his own terminology that doesn't necessarily fit the jargon of orthodoxy, but why invalidate it on that account? Second, considering the very spirit of Taoism, is it not all about freedom? We use the Uncreated realm of Tao, where jargon, lineage nor tradition exists, in order to connect with the eternal truths of nature. This is something so utterly beyond the ken and restraints of lineage, religion, priestly hierarchy, and traditional parlance that we should never invalidate the individualist, expressing his mystical dance of harmony with nature in his own way. I'm not saying that this is necessarily happening in this topic —I'm not making any accusations nor do I have a belligerent attitude— but I see this attitude quite often within the Taoist and Buddhist communities, which is breaking my Taoist heart. "If it isn't traditional, it isn't valid." I think Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi would have a thing or two to say about that :). Concerning New Age, anyway, I find them far closer to the Taoist spirit than what I have often encountered in Taoist communities. New Agers are open minded, they are eclectic, they are not restrained by lineage, tradition or ritual; they follow their own Way. Yes, I perceive the aspect of transcendental cultivation (i.e. Stillness) is missing, but still I feel they have the right Taoist spirit! Yours kindly, Immortality Edited October 5, 2021 by Immortality 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
