One does not need to believe in a faith in order to find good messages within its tomes. What messages from Taoism would you commit to pursue or follow in your own life, regardless of your own spiritual beliefs? If there are no ideas from the Tao that appeal to you, why not?
36 Comments
Emily Groseclose
2/4/2016 12:51:04 pm
There's not much I believe in accordance to the Tao, but there are some parts of it that I can agree with. For example, I don't believe that personal desire is as bad as the Tao portrays, but I do believe in the selflessness that the Tao requires. I don't know that I would be willing to follow any aspect of the Tao because it's so... blank. You're supposed to cleanse your mind of everything, including knowledge, and I personally could not do that. Even the chapters including selflessness require so much of that selflessness that you would never get to explore or learn and you're basically just a blob. I can see how someone would follow the Tao because some do prefer to be ignorant and happy, but I am not one of those people and I would not like to live like that. I like to explore and know things, and following the Tao would restrict me from doing so. That being said, I believe that the Tao has good intentions and I appreciate it and find it very interesting.
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Holli Heinen
2/4/2016 01:51:31 pm
I totally agree that Taoism is blank. There are lots of missing pieces in the ideas of Tao. It is so hard to grasp the concept, so most of it doesn't make sense. Do you think that Taoism relates to other religions or holds components of other ideas? I have picked out pieces of Christianity and Catholicism. Tao is very interesting, but what is your main reason for appreciating it?
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Kylee Sneve
2/5/2016 11:04:46 am
Although the Tao has very interesting ideas, I too, think that the aspects of it are "blank." I just don't understand their ideas and how they cleanse their mind in order to follow the Tao, to be innocent and humble. It blows my mind. The Tao has many restrictions that limit the things you can do in life. It's too complex for me to even comprehend it's ideas.
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Taylor Briann Holden
2/4/2016 12:59:39 pm
I think that chapter twenty-two made the most sense to me and is something that I would like to understand and live by a lot more. For me, the message that I got was that in order to be restored or whole you must first be broken and hollow. It's saying that even though you may be hurting at the time you will always get better, you will always be renewed. For most people, if you are going through a hard time...that's all you can see. What people need to really realize is what you CAN be. You will never be renewed if you were never hollow. You can't be one thing without at first being the opposite. I would like to keep remembering this throughout my life. I think that this message could help with depression, anxiety, etc.
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Holli Heinen
2/4/2016 01:37:55 pm
This is very true, but what is your definition of hollow? How can you measure brokenness and hollowness? I really like how you came to the conclusion that "you can't be one thing without first being the opposite". This is a very complex idea of Taoism. Does this imply that if you become a nice person, you can't reach that point without being mean first?
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Connor Steiger
2/5/2016 10:27:34 am
Is there a specific part in your life that reminded of this section. Why cant you be renewed? there are things that are extremely hard to look forward. The passage could help with anxiety and depression because you you have to be broken in order to get help (fixed).
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jon
2/4/2016 01:01:16 pm
I don't like the idea of Taoism because of they way they do things like sacrificing people for the gods. If the gods was there they would not want to have there kids killed to give his or her other kids to have food water ... and the fact that one person is getting rich on everyone else. kinda like our government. thanks a lot Obama. I feel that they are trying to make there religion like a government. one guy at the top and everyone is going to do what he says.
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Connor Steiger
2/4/2016 01:16:30 pm
Jon are there any aspects of Tao that appeal to you or do you just disagree. Is Obama really making the government rich or is the individuals. I am in complete agreeance with you except for your Obama theory.
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Jarred Kasper
2/5/2016 10:54:33 am
Is there any concept's that you like out of it? I don't like it out of a whole either but there is certain things that I got from it that I think are interesting.
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Taylor
2/5/2016 12:42:07 pm
Are there any actual specific stories in Taoism that led you to this conclusion? What did you analyze them to mean to you?
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Dallas Evernden
2/5/2016 12:56:13 pm
Jon, is there not a single idea that you agree with in the Tao? I think that you might want to rethink your bringing government into the ideals of the Tao. Think deeper than what is just on the surface. How does the Tao relate to you individually?
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Ingalls
2/10/2016 01:54:39 pm
1. Taoism does not talk at all about human sacrifice.
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Connor Steiger
2/4/2016 01:03:40 pm
I am the type of person who likes structure. I like guidance, but I would follow others but it would have to be good guidance, like I would follow people who give out good guidance. I don't like the Idea of Taoism because of one person living off of others. There are no aspects of Taoism that appeal to me.
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Dallas Evernden
2/5/2016 12:49:26 pm
Are you sure there isn't a single aspect that appeals to you? Do you like the idea of unity between all people? I think that you could open your mind up to a couple of the aspects of the Tao. Try to think a little about all of the ideals that are presented in the Tao.
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Holli Heinen
2/4/2016 01:32:51 pm
I think that Taoism is a mix of many different ideas and contains different components of several different religions. I agree that we should be humble, value ourselves, and not be arrogant or prideful. But, Taoism is so complex that it contradicts its own beliefs and this is why many people say that it is confusing. So, I believe that a select few of Taoism’s values and ideas are very similar to what I believe in. However, it is very deep and from my research, it sounds like you need to be really high to understand it. For example, we will always exist and have existed. What? There is no origin? How do you explain this to someone? Or the fact that ideas supersede anything physical. How would you explain this? You don’t. Tao is everything and everything is Tao. That is why it’s mind-blowing. Also, tao is the beginning and the end. Most of these ideas appeal to me, but since they are so complex, I literally can’t grasp the concept, and to be honest with you all, I don’t think anyone fully understands everything about Taoism. It’s supposed to cleanse your mind, but my mind hurts from trying to understand the Tao. I am also very independent and do not like to follow people so I would probably have a lot of trouble staying true to it’s ideas. Although it is a very interesting topic, it is way too confusing for me to handle.
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Layne H
2/4/2016 02:10:24 pm
I completely agree. It just might not be coincidence that Ingalls understood it so well when her Canadian friends were high. In all seriousness, the concept of Taoism is a subject that, like art, doesn't have a definitive definition. The way one person interprets it may be far off from what another interprets it as. This may not necessarily be bad, though, as it is all personal choice in the end anyway. Who am I to tell you that "you aren't a 'correct' Christian"?
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Holli Heinen
2/5/2016 11:35:15 am
I don't think that anyone has the authority to tell someone that they are "correct", and I also don't believe that there is such thing as a "correct religion". Taoism is what it is, I just don't fully understand it so I am not sure what we should define as "correct" or not.
Kylee Sneve
2/5/2016 10:27:46 am
I totally agree with you! The tao is to complex that it is hard for us to fully understand all of it. I thought that there were good messages that were stated throughout it that we can take and learn from. I also, have a hard time understanding its ideas because I can't erase everything from my mind and try to learn and understand taoism. #GetHighReadTaoism
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jon
2/5/2016 10:56:40 am
i agree this is to complex for anyone. its not cleansing it causes headaches and pain. i think its a thing of the past. this is why people have to be high to understand it.
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Taylor Holden
2/5/2016 12:44:29 pm
I totally agree! We can't ever really fully understand what Taoism means because we aren't Taoist's. We will never be in the mindset as the people that created Taoism (or first started following it) so we will never understand it completely.
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Layne H
2/4/2016 02:02:21 pm
Although there aren't many Taoist beliefs that I agree with, there are some very important messages about selflessness. The entire Taoist belief stands of the principal that to obtain harmony with Tao, aka 'Oneness,' you must release yourself from all physical and emotional strife, while living as modestly and humbly as possible. Although this concept seems very enlightening and peaceful, It would be very difficult to uphold the values of Tao while actually living your life. The teachings of Tao outline the process of becoming one with Tao, which include selflessness, but also outline how to basically remove yourself from your own life; which seems like a bit too much to me. Don't get me wrong, I do not condemn this religion-- I actually find it very intriguing. In my opinion, however, it is very possible to live a selfless and stress-free life without actually forfeiting your life in the pursuit. It might also be important to note exactly what life is, because it could be said that stress and drama are a natural part of our lives, and even arguably said that these things are what define life in the first place.
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Kadence Lanier
2/5/2016 12:54:06 pm
I really like the way that you viewed this religion. While some of the virtues mentioned in Taoism are very important to you, it is really interesting to think about how even if you uphold all of these, you can't actually live. Part of living is making the mistakes and encountering the problems that the Tao disapproves of, so no matter what part of the Tao you want to uphold, you cannot do so without giving up part of your life. What part of the Tao do you think you could accept and follow with the least amount of consequences?
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Kadence Lanier
2/4/2016 02:03:00 pm
One of the messages I got from reading the Tao Te Ching was to be humble, rather than prideful. In chapter 39 it states that "honor is based on humbleness," and in chapter 29 " the saint avoids all extremes, extravagance, and pride." I held these values close before reading about Tao, so after finding out that they were important ideals of this religion, I realized that there are a lot of comparisons to be made between Taoism and my personal beliefs as a Christian. Either way, I think that striving to be more humble and less prideful are great goals, regardless of your religious beliefs. Nobody is a fan of a famous and arrogant person, even if they are famous. In fact, nobody is a fan of a prideful or arrogant person at all. By being humble, you will be a more likable person, and retain relationships for a longer period of time. You will also set a good example for those around you, and serve as a great role model for people that think highly of you. People that take these ideals seriously will definitely live a more peaceful life, even if they do not live by the other standards of Taoism. I know that after reading the Tao Te Ching, I have expanded my knowledge on what it means to be humble, and hope that I can continue pursuing this message for the rest of my life.
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Samantha Schroeder
2/5/2016 11:17:33 pm
Since you have found this comparison between Taoism and Christianity, I am curious to know if you noticed anything else that was similar. Being humble is one of the messages I took away from Taoism as well. I can think of quite a few people who should apply the Tao to their lives in this respect.
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Dallas Evernden
2/4/2016 02:22:50 pm
Regardless of my own spiritual beliefs, chapter 31 of the Tao is one that I can see myself following throughout my life. From this chapter I inferred that one should mourn their enemies just as they do their loved ones. I think that it is very important to remember that everyone is connected and everyone deserves to be mourned. This appeals to me because I now feel like everyone deserves respect even after they are gone. All in all though, I do not agree with a lot that the Tao has to say. I don't think that "everyone is one", which can be inferred continuously throughout the Tao. I think that people should be able to be their own person, their own individual. I don't think that I will use the Tao in my everyday life, but through reading it, I think that it opened my mind up to a completely new way of thinking. After reading the Tao, I now realize that personal desires are not what should consume your life and that you should always act naturally. Although I found the Tao interesting, I would not consider myself a true follower of the Tao, and I do not want to be.
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Jarred Kasper
2/5/2016 10:50:39 am
I liked this chapter too, From reading it what I go was it was talking about the good and the bad that is in everyone. The yin and Yang symbols resemble the good within the bad and the bad with in the good, which is what I see when reading it its talking about even though you see someone as a "saint" they have things in there past that you don't see, and in people that you see as "bad" theirs also a lot of good in them that you just don't see.
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jon
2/5/2016 10:51:56 am
i agree that everyone is there own person. but i disagree that everyone deserve respect. dose Hitler deserve respect i don't think so i am glad he is rotting in hell with the child molesters and the murders.
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Layne H
2/5/2016 11:52:44 am
It's interesting to see that you say "everyone is connected" but also say that "I don't think that "everyone is one"." On some level, it seems that we all have a sense of unity between us, either artificially through governmental and societal means, or even perhaps something deeper. Whatever the case may be, Taoism seems to only enhance this connection with it's "Oneness is always inside" theme. Do you believe that we are all connected deeper than society and relationships with each other? Or do you believe that we have no inherent connection?
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Dallas Evernden
2/5/2016 12:41:57 pm
I don't believe that that we have a deeper connection aside from being the same species. I think that we are are individuals that are here to live their own lives. Great feedback, it really made me think deeper about the Tao.
Kylee Sneve
2/5/2016 10:01:01 am
I don’t particularly agree with much of the Tao, however, I did get messages that spoke to me that made me better understand it. Even though I don’t know much about different religions, it really made me think about it and how others have different beliefs than some. This is something that is hard for me to understand, mainly because I don’t concur them myself. I wouldn’t go by the Tao by any means because I don’t agree with the things that they do. While I think that they are interesting, I don’t think that everyone should be “the same person” and essentially change who they are to be accepted. By reading this, I got that one’s true nature is the most important thing, even if you don’t realize it. All of the chapters each talk about the Taoists having a lack of personal desires in order to be innocent and simple, which is how they honor the Tao. And, to be honest, the Tao is so mind blowing and complex that most of us probably don’t fully understand the messages it is presenting. It is, however, a very interesting topic that definitely inspired my thoughts and opened up my mind to different ideas.
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Kadence Lanier
2/5/2016 12:43:20 pm
I understand that you don't agree with the "Oneness" and the "everything is nothing" areas of Taoism, but what about some of the character qualities that you hold highly? The Tao explains numerous times that it "avoids pride" and wants people to be humble. It also hold honesty and kindness as very high and important virtues in a person. Are there any of these that might stick with you, despite your lack of religious beliefs?
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Jarred Kasper
2/5/2016 10:43:20 am
I am not a true follower of Tao there was a little that I got from it, my favorite chapter out of the reading was chapter 23. In this chapter, it talks about how things won't last for a lifetime "out with the bad" this chapter reminds me of how we can't take everything as a bad thing which I think is something that I need to focus more on. "A rainstorm cannot last for the whole day." Is my favorite part because it is saying just because this bad thing happen, does not mean that it is necessarily always going to be there. Things can change in a blink of an eye, and we just have to be thankful about what we have. I think all of the beliefs and thoughts of Taoism are a very interesting concept, that got me thinking about things that I should change in my life to better myself. Although, I am not going to follow everything I defiantly think that there are a few things that I am going to take away from this and add into my Daily routine.
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Lucas Lysne
2/5/2016 12:57:19 pm
I think some of the Tao’s sayings on being a good leader, like staying humble and kind and knowledgable of the people's needs, and keeping rules simple, are good ways in which to lead. I also think the idea of bettering one’s self before bettering others is good as well. I am quite fond too of the idea that there is a good in all things, and by defining differences we make them not as such. The sentiment of all death occurring unnaturally needing to be mourned as unfortunate and wrong is also something I find followable. I’m not sure how I stand on the ideal of disallowing natural impulses and desires, but I’m not sure how I stand on that generally. The idea that gentle force applied over time can change better than a lot all at once is interesting as well. But the biggest take-away that is a pervading ideal of Tao and that I think is applicable to real life is the idea that whatever is perfect is beyond our range of defining and knowing and is something beyond our ability to create. There is no perfection, and that is so much beyond us that we can only guess and attempt to find the balance between the good and the bad, like the Tao attempts.
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Samantha Schroeder
2/5/2016 11:11:54 pm
If I'm reading this right, you are saying that suicide should be mourned as "wrong." Why do you feel this way? I agree with you on everything else, though, especially "whatever is perfect is beyond our range of defining and knowing and is something beyond our ability to create." I think this statement is very true and something that everyone could benefit from keeping in mind.
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Samantha Schroeder
2/5/2016 11:00:09 pm
Taoism is very simple, yet very complex. It encompasses everything, yet nothing at the same time. The best definition of Taoism would be that it is the belief that true “Oneness” with the natural world is to reflect on oneself, without thinking about oneself. Sounds like an impossible task, yet this religion brings along many messages that anyone, no matter what religion, could benefit from. In Chapter 22, there are many things “the wise one” does. The wise one is not prejudiced or self-opinioned and does not boast of himself or praise his own deeds (Ch. 22). This is the message that I would apply to my life. Eliminating prejudice would benefit me immensely because then I could appreciate others’ presence in my life more, rather than judging them because they are not like me. Becoming less self-opinioned could also benefit me, yet it could also do harm. Not having a strong opinion can make a person seem weak, and I do not want that. Finally, having pride in what you accomplish is natural, but the Tao teaches not to boast about it. Boasting leads a person away from the essence of nature, and Taoism teaches to focus on nature and become one with it.
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Allen Longstreet
2/26/2016 10:59:14 pm
Taoism is very confusing to most people because of how complex it was and how it looked at the same beliefs in many different ways. That was one of the hardest parts for me to understand.I believe a few beliefs from Taoism i can relate to my life and some parts make total sense to me and its very informational and showed that there are many different ways and aspects to look at a belief in.
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