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Three Meanings of Tao

Okay, today, we will wrap up our review of Taoism, and once again rely on Huston Smith to do it right…

                On opening Taoism’s bible, the Tao Te Ching, we sense at once that everything revolves around the pivotal concept of Tao itself. Literally, this word means path, or way. There are 3 senses, however, in which this “way” can be understood.

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More on Lao Tzu via Huston Smith

Yes, Huston Smith really knew his stuff and was a great writer!! We will therefore share here more of what he had to say about Taoism… It may take a few days to download it here, but this way you don’t have to buy his book “The World’s Religions” unless you want to get it straight from the writer’s pen, which is always best… Taking up where we left off yesterday…

                What a curious portrait this is for the supposed founder of a religion. The Old Boy didn’t preach. He didn’t organize or promote. He wrote a few pages on request, rode off on a water buffalo, and that was it as far as he was concerned. How unlike the Buddha, who trudged the dusty roads of India for 45 years to make his point. How unlike Confucius, who pestered dukes and princes, trying to gain an administrative foothold (or at least a hearing) for his ideas. Here was a man so little concerned with the success of his surmises, to say nothing of fame and fortune, that he didn’t even stay around to answer questions. And yet, whether the story of his life is fact or fiction, it is so true to Taoist attitudes that it will remain a part of Taoism forever. Emperors would claim this shadowy figure as their ancestor, and even scholars—though they do not see the Tao Te Ching as having been written by a single hand and do not think it attained the form in which we have it until the second half of the third century BC—concede that its ideas cohere to the point where we must posit the existence of someone under whose influence the book took shape, and have no objection to our calling him Lao Tzu.

Huston Smith on Lao Tzu and Taoism

For a month we used videos to teach the basics of Taoism. Some of you loved them, because you prefer to see things rather than read or listen to others speak. In the past when we compared the world’s religions we did not have access to videos and relied on books and comments, as well as individuals’ interpretations or thoughts. I have seen very little here to indicate you enjoyed, let alone gained much, from the videos and access to lectures from one of the world’s great teachers. 

I can’t let Taoism go without inserting some of the great explanations my favorite teacher of comparative religion offers. Taking up where we started yesterday, here is more from Huston Smith in ‘The World’s Religions.’ Read and remember! You will then be viewed as a scholar in our hastily concocted world of thought now. : )

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Lao Tzu and Confucius Compared

"No civilization is monchrome.  In China the classical tones of Confucianism have been balanced not only by the spiritual shades of Buddhism but also by the romantic hues of Taoism.  -- Huston Smith

Wrapping up our 'quick-and'dirty' study of Taoism, check out this brief essay by a Chinese scholar.  It was created November 26, 2009 by Tekson Teo

Lao Tzu and Confucius are considered the greatest philosophers in Chinese history. An interesting question is: "What’s the difference between them?"

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Let’s Study The Tao te Ching

The class on The Tao te Ching started February 5, 2010 here on The Blog, so you want to start at the beginning, as a wise man once said.   Be sure to provide adequate time for each class --  ignore any desire to skip ahead and view lessons before they are provided. We’re trying to develop a ‘critical mass’ here on The Blog that is able to talk about what we are learning -- what we think of The Tao te Ching. 

All you need do to study one of the world’s great religions here is watch a 2-minute video today. Here is The Tao of Kung Fu  - "Peace lies in the man who walks the Path." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-lA6PeGL0k&NR=1

Let’s Study The Tao te Ching

The class on The Tao te Ching started February 5, 2010 here on The Blog, so you want to start at the beginning, as a wise man once said.   Be sure to provide adequate time for each class --  ignore any desire to skip ahead and view lessons before they are provided. We’re trying to develop a ‘critical mass’ here on The Blog that is able to talk about what we are learning -- what we think of The Tao te Ching. 

All you need do to study one of the world’s great religions here is watch a 2-minute video today. Here is The Tao of Kung Fu - "I call it great." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WQGuzRiVis&NR=1

Let’s Study The Tao te Ching

The class on The Tao te Ching started February 5, 2010 here on The Blog, so you want to start at the beginning, as a wise man once said.   Be sure to provide adequate time for each class --  ignore any desire to skip ahead and view lessons before they are provided. We’re trying to develop a ‘critical mass’ here on The Blog that is able to talk about what we are learning -- what we think of The Tao te Ching. 

All you need do to study one of the world’s great religions here is watch a 2-minute video today. Here is The Tao of Kung Fu - "I strive for no thing."  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrWUxfaizms&NR=1

Let’s Study The Tao te Ching

The class on The Tao te Ching started February 5, 2010 here on The Blog, so you want to start at the beginning, as a wise man once said.   Be sure to provide adequate time for each class --  ignore any desire to skip ahead and view lessons before they are provided. We’re trying to develop a ‘critical mass’ here on The Blog that is able to talk about what we are learning -- what we think of The Tao te Ching. 

All you need do to study one of the world’s great religions here is watch a 2-minute video today. Here is The Tao of Kung Fu  - "Who can defeat himself?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yZ0M1pWD44&NR=1

Let’s Study The Tao te Ching

The class on The Tao te Ching started February 5, 2010 here on The Blog, so you want to start at the beginning, as a wise man once said.   Be sure to provide adequate time for each class --  ignore any desire to skip ahead and view lessons before they are provided. We’re trying to develop a ‘critical mass’ here on The Blog that is able to talk about what we are learning -- what we think of The Tao te Ching. 

All you need do to study one of the world’s great religions here is watch a 2-minute video today. Here is The Tao of Kung Fu - "Nature is always impartial." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNrRmsXMUOE&NR=1

Let’s Study The Tao te Ching

The class on The Tao te Ching started February 5, 2010 here on The Blog, so you want to start at the beginning, as a wise man once said.   Be sure to provide adequate time for each class --  ignore any desire to skip ahead and view lessons before they are provided. We’re trying to develop a ‘critical mass’ here on The Blog that is able to talk about what we are learning -- what we think of The Tao te Ching. 

All you need do to study one of the world’s great religions here is watch a 2-minute video today. Here is The Tao of Kung Fu -"Can any man afford such arrogance?'' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgghWr3oICI&NR=1

Let’s Study The Tao te Ching

The class on The Tao te Ching started February 5, 2010 here on The Blog, so you want to start at the beginning, as a wise man once said.   Be sure to provide adequate time for each class --  ignore any desire to skip ahead and view lessons before they are provided. We’re trying to develop a ‘critical mass’ here on The Blog that is able to talk about what we are learning -- what we think of The Tao te Ching. 

All you need do to study one of the world’s great religions here is watch a 2-minute video today. Here is The Tao of Kung Fu - "Look beyond the surface." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6evj0KTxY08&feature=related
 When you have time, add this new video to your daily class…  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyzAmP3B8vU&NR=1

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