I hope i am not the only person on here that believes in the Taoist teachings and philosophy. Anybody else out there? Let me know..

Taoist teachings/insights, are part of my world...

I am a devoted fan of the buddhist beliefs. they have brought me much solace when other things fail me.

Mahayana is what has kept me solid through all this termoil that surrounds us

Peek~a~boo!

I was trying to find Taoists specifically. I have nothing against Buddha and i have many buddhist friends but i made this thread for those who practice Taoism. The two are seperate eastern philosophies and religions. I am not saying you can't practice them in combination. There are many people who combine beliefs as an example: Many Japanese practice both Shinto beliefs and Buddhist beliefs. I am just saying i made this spread for Taoism specifically and i would prefer we keep to that. Thanks

hello people :)

well Taoist teachings and Buddhist, are helping me to survive in an insane personal world, so yea we are out there, and everyone is just a choice away from the way

Maikuru...why is it you see only the walls you wish to erect?

Why would you choose to isolate yourself?


Be like water..........

Shhh...I'm meditating.

That is quite an assumption on your part. You first assumed that isolation is something one chooses. You then assume that I create obstacles for myself as well as others. You suggest being like water. I would kindly remind you that water is yin in nature, receptive and yeilding. It does not choose anything but merely flows and resides within that which it is allowed. Does not water exist in isolation itself sometimes such as puddles, holes, caves and wells? just a thought

I was trying to find Taoists specifically.


I have nothing against Buddha and i have many buddhist friends but i made this thread for those who practice Taoism.


The two are seperate eastern philosophies and religions.

I am not saying you can't practice them in combination. There are many people who combine beliefs as an example: Many Japanese practice both Shinto beliefs and Buddhist beliefs.


I am just saying i made this spread for Taoism specifically and i would prefer we keep to that.

Thanks



...............................................


An observation..... NOT an assumption....ass u me ...I have no desire to make an ass out of u or me...

Water..... flow without distraction or deviation from your path.... sit in the stillness of puddles...but it is not separate...

True authentic Taoism is of water....
The Path... The Flow...


Not diminished into feminine or masculine traits.... not within Tao's truly authentic Way.

I am not exactly sure how you are making that kind of observation from when i was asking that thread stay on the topic of Taoism. Perhaps you might clarify that for me. Isolation is sometimes a choice individuals make, i will grant you that. Yet i am sure you will agree there are those who have had isolation subjected upon them by a natural course of events or by other people's choices. Case in point: I am due to my health forced to live alone in a nursing home. My having diabetes and other related health problems is by no means a choice of mine nor the circumstances and events that keep me where i am. These "walls" as you suggested are by no means a figment of my mind and anyone who would suggest otherwise is out of touch with reality.
One must recognize that water in a puddle is water that is separate from from flow. Just because i am of the same substance, i.e "water" does not mean that i am connected to the stream or the ocean. Those like myself "stuck in puddles" must therefore in act the principle of Wu wei. Practice non-action, wait, evaporate and then return to the flow or pray for a flood.

Can you share any links to Taoist websites that you like? Or maybe post the title of book's you'd recommend to someone interested in learning the way of the Tao.

I studied Taoism and Zen Buddhism many years ago. I thought they were very good philosophies though I must confess that I didn't take either of them on as a lifestyle.

I've only recently been compelled to return to 'religiousity' in the sense of actually practicing dedicated rituals and exercises, both physical and mental (i.e. meditation)

Lately I've been watching a lot of Deepak Chopra which is Buddhist/Taoist. I'm really not clear on the differences between Buddhism and Taoism. The only think I know is that the last time I mentioned Taoism on the forums some Christian fanatic pointed me to some weird website on Taoism that was extremely male-chauvinistic and patriarchal. I found that a bit of strange, because I don't recall anything like that back when I had studied it.

I think it sometimes religions are confused with specific cultures and their behavior which may not truly be due to their religions (or may be a distortion of their religion).

So this is why I'd be interested in hearing about any website, books, or especially any DVDs on Taoism. (especially if I can rent the DVD from Netflix).

I have been a Taoist for many years (about thirty, though that makes me sound very old indeed, which I am not).
I had to chuckle a bit at the short exchange regarding the essence of water. It reminded me of many stories of LaoTzu and his meetings / discussions with those of the Buddhist faith.
Fortunately, both paths have within them the practice of acceptance of others, and thier ideals. When one is questioned, the response is simply one of contemplation for the others ideas, or at least, this is what should be...:-)

Even Confucious himself, after a discussion with LaoTzu, was quoted as saying, " I do yet fully understand the meanings of what was said, but the man is a Dragon, without doubt".

Peace and truth.

Well, I did my own research and it brought back a lot of memories from when I had studied Taoism in the past.

Yes, I've been a Taoist in principle most of my life. I'm not one to necessarily worry about affilating that with a label so much.

I'm currently interested in Shamanism from any ancient or modern sources that I stumble onto. I just stumbled onto this little tid bit about the early taoists:

The Shamanic Origins of Taoism
http://taoism.about.com/od/history/a/shamanic.htm

I enjoyed reading the following comment:

Perhaps the Taoists are really shamans, just dreaming that they’re Taoists?



I'm very much into shamanism and I'm just starting to learn how to take shamanic journeys.

How much that might have to do with modern Taoism I have no clue.

We really can get in the way of ourselves....can't we?

Taoism has more to do with Shamanism than you might think. In ancient times, the Taoist Monks were considered responsible for the spiritual well being and protection of the tribes. Oftentimes, this meant undertaking Shamantic journeys to the " ether", or the spirit realm, to ask for aid, protection, and oftentimes, to battle evil or dark spirits.
Many Taoist practices are focused on the spiritual world. Today, Taoism "sects" are seperated in to two main groups. Those which follow "Wu Wei", which is a path of enlightenment, and "Magickal" Taoism, which focuses on the mystical energies of the Universe to perform rites and ceremonies.

Of course....there is no wrong or right :-)

That's an interesting tid bit. Thanks for sharing.

Recently I've been inadvertently studying the evolution of 'witchcraft' into early Europe.

I've learned some very interesting theories (not of which I claim have any merit), but I find them intriguing none the less.

From what I can tell, the earliest 'witches' were indeed Eastern mystics of various cultures. Chinese Taoists may have been some of them, others are belived to be mystics from India. But they all had shamanic underpinnings (that why I was studying them in the first place) as well as an affinity for earth-magick (or elemental magick). This idea of course came from the pantheistic or animistic view that all-is-one.

Some historians believe that these early Shamans, Taosists, and Mystics were indeed the 'Canaanites' referred to in the Bible.

If this is true, then clearly these people were not evil as the Bible claims, but were simply viewed as being people who had customs that the worshipers of the sky Gods could not understand. In those early days the biblical cultures actually worshiped many sky Gods not just one as the Bible today claims.

In any case, it appears that these Shamans and Taoists were labeled as "Witches" by the biblical culture, and from them came the early Celtics.

Of course then the Celtics evolved to become the more traditional European "Witches".

I find this all very interesting because ulimately it's all related.

It appears that for the most part, there are really only two types of religions. Those based on the idea that all-is-one; the mystics, and those based on the idea of Sky Gods that ruled over men; The Mediterranean Mythologies.

Even the American Indians may have been mystics as their Wanka Tanka was more along the lines of Eastern Mysticism than along the lines of the Mediterranean Sky Gods.

Anyway, don't mind me. I'm just musing.