The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.
See? I can't even talk about it correctly. There's more!
In pursuit of knowledge,
every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
So you must 'unlearn what you have learned'. That sounds familiar... Hmmm...Those who know don't talk.
Those who talk don't know.
If you cannot talk about the Tao, how does one explain it? Let's start with this question: What is it like for a person to flourish?
A Tao-ist would notice that laughing sincerely makes you feel, for a moment, like everything is all right. An athlete being 'in the zone' and letting the game play through them, or a musician that seems to channel something more than just 'playing music' is participating in in something that transcends the musician. Perhaps something divine? Or what about kids playing a game just for the sake of playing?
You know, Earl, I'm feeling quite heavenly right now.
One of the central ideas of Tao-ism would be that all of those examples above show some sort of spontaneity.
A good traveler has no fixed plans
and is not intent upon arriving.
A good artist lets his intuition
lead him wherever it wants.
A good scientist has freed himself of concepts
and keeps his mind open to what is.
To flourish means to be spontaneous. Therefore anything that threatens spontaneity threatens our flourishing. Things like 'desire' or doing something with a 'conscious purpose' are not following the Tao. You must empty yourself and live spontaneously. Get rid of ethical rules because they impede your flourishing. If you are not interested in flourishing, fine, but to REALLY flourish you must rid yourself of desire and purpose.
Monk Fail: Sleep is a desire.
If you tell yourself to not be cruel, you end up following a rule. The Tao would say that if you have spontaneous urges, then go for it! Because...
When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.
By judging and following a rule you have made a distinction between to things. But things are by nature not bad to begin with, only your choosing forces them to be so. Ultimately...
If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial.
If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked.
If you want to become full, let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn, let yourself die.
If you want to be given everything, give everything up.
So there are no rules in the Tao. Just do it.
Flourishing. He's doing it.
A Christian Response
That last part got me thinking of the Beatitudes. They are kind of like the Tao, right? All backwards and everything?Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3-10)
What about when Jesus told the disciples this?
When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say. (Luke 12:11-12)
Jesus was a Tao-ist? When you are brought before the synagogues, rulers and authorities just live in the moment and depend on the divine (the Holy Spirit) to lead you through it? What about this verse?
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself ..." (Matthew 16:24)Superficially -- and I mean as superficial and shallow as humanly possible -- one can try to say that Jesus was all about the Tao. HOWEVER we need to finish the rest of the verse...
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25)Humans do not flourish because they 'live in the moment' and act spontaneously. While we are still living on this earth we will be picking up our cross and following Christ. Our ultimate flourishing will come on Judgment Day. Jesus said...
"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God." (Luke 12:8)
Thanks for reading!
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