Are you a Taoists ???

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Sorry Pixel8, I couldn't write a short story; so now I'm writing a novel.
When it's done, I'll tell you.

I still want to write my "Riding the white tiger" story...but I'm a lazy man

Why?? You inspired me to do so, Pixel8. No matter the contents, it would be a novel exercise. I would like to read your work as well.

Hmmm...missed this thead somehow. I read about taoism when I was young and it struck me as hokey hippy crap. I have not even really thought about it as an adult. Maybe I will pick up something on my next trip to the library and give it a second shot.

Glad to see you back, Averick. I like your new avatar by the way...freaky. What is it?

Hi Claire, nice to meet your acquaintance again. Taoist philosophy/ religion is supreme to me; perhaps I am a hippy (not really)? My new avatar is a negative of my naked back, can you see my tatoo I designed when I was young?

Yeah, I was wondering what the circle is...describe it, or post a picture if you are brave enough.

It's a scorpio symbol with a twist meaning cyclidic nature.

"Emptiness is loneliness,
and loneliness is cleanliness,
and cleanliness is godliness,
and god is empty, just like me."

Billy Corgan, Zero, circa 1995

While the Chinese philosophers Lao Ts'u/Laozi and his younger contemporary Kung Ts'u/Kongzi/Kongfuzi (Confucius) were contemprary with Prince Siddharta Gautama in India (though apparently actually born in what is today Nepal) and with the prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, as well as Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire for that matter, and some preSocratic Greek philosophers (this must have been one of the Key-times) and their philosophies have a number of similarities, they developed their ideas independentl

Richard Benson, I thought you claimed to hate ALL religion and philosophy? While Taoism (and arguably Buddhism) are more philosophy than religion, would they not fall under this rather sweeping condemnation? I suppose one can respect and hate, sought of like a great and worthy opponent. May I call you that?

I am probably more Confucian in my ethics, (actually Christian in faith; incidentally the Chinese philosopher anticipated some of the ethics of Yeshua of Nazareth by approximately five centuries) if somewhat less conserative, though I believe Lao Ts'u had some very worthwhile ideas. I have a translation of the Tao De Ching, given me by a friend of my younger brother's and of my own. He is, I believe a Taoist in his philosophy, thogh interested in some of the more esoteric and obscure aspects of the JudeoChristian/Abrahamic tradition, such as the angelology and demonology from the pseudepigraphical book of Enoch, apparently an extended Midrash on Genesis 6.

AlexandertheSolitary wrote:

[/quote]While the Chinese philosophers Lao Ts'u/Laozi and his younger contemporary Kung Ts'u/Kongzi/Kongfuzi (Confucius) were contemprary with Prince Siddharta Gautama in India (though apparently actually born in what is today Nepal) and with the prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, as well as Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire for that matter, and some preSocratic Greek philosophers (this must have been one of the Key-times) and their philosophies have a number of similarities, they developed their ideas independentl

This was called (by Karl Jaspers) the Axial Period and extended a few years in both directions it includes the prophets Amos and Zoroaster, and Socrates and Plato

While the Chinese philosophers Lao Ts'u/Laozi and his younger contemporary Kung Ts'u/Kongzi/Kongfuzi (Confucius) were contemprary with Prince Siddharta Gautama in India (though apparently actually born in what is today Nepal) and with the prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, as well as Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire for that matter, and some preSocratic Greek philosophers (this must have been one of the Key-times) and their philosophies have a number of similarities, they developed their ideas independentl

This was called (by Karl Jaspers) the Axial Period and extended a few years in both directions it includes the prophets Amos and Zoroaster, and Socrates and Plato[/quote]

Thank you. I suppose contemporaries of Amos like Hosea and Isaiah were also included?

Nos. It's a very interesting belief system none the less that has more correct ideas than any other religion.

The fierce orange moon howls my name.
Pine needles, trickling brooks, arid earth all excite me.
I jettison civilization just in time; it's now falling apart.
Soon brother upon brother will now fight; ferociously.

My guffaw upon the mother is felt for weeks,
Deoxyribonucleic acid says it all.
She forgives, always, and almost immediately
Without a thought or examination; a slave for the will of man.

Her knowledge seeps in my wounds deep.
I accept both enemy and friend now;
We talk about past transgressions closely.
I've never felt so close to another 'till now

Why is this??

Is this desperation or understanding?
The sage dances in a circular motion.
Ha Ha.

"You speak of understanding", he says,
"But do you know of Death?"
Then walks away with head in hands.

I have lots of things to teach you now, in case we ever meet,
concerning the message that was transmitted to me under a pine tree
in North Carolina on a cold winter moonlit night. It said that
Nothing Ever Happened, so don't worry. It's all like a dream.
Everything is ecstasy, inside. We just don't know it because of our thinking-minds.
But in our true blissful essence of mind is known that everything is alright
forever and forever and forever. Close your eyes, let your hands
and nerve-ends drop, stop breathing for 3 seconds, listen to the silence
inside the illusion of the world, and you will remember the lesson
you forgot, which was taught in immense milky way soft cloud innumerable worlds
long ago and not even at all. It is all one vast awakened thing. I call it the golden eternity.
It is perfect. We were never really born, we will never really die. It has nothing to do
with the imaginary idea of a personal self, other selves, many selves everywhere:
Self is only an idea, a mortal idea. That which passes into everything is one thing.
It's a dream already ended. There's nothing to be afraid of and nothing to be glad about.
I know this from staring at mountains months on end. They never show any expression,
they are like empty space. Do you think the emptiness of space will ever crumble away?
Mountains will crumble, but the emptiness of space, which is the one universal essence
of mind, the vast awakenerhood, empty and awake, will never crumble away because
it was never born.

I've been a bit wobbly,

It wasn't just the smoking, i realise now.
A few weeks earlier i stopped taking respiradol.

It was like i'd been asleep,
this urged me on to stop smoking,
then i stopped other d***s and drinking too.

my whole life has changed im not the same.
I'm still taking stock of who i am.

i feel like i've been through some sort of spiritual audit

my creativities back but so is my temper
where will it end?

Pixel8: Sounds impressive and scary. Be careful and good luck! There are always trade offs with drug change, personality change, religious change, etc. Having creativity seems to me better than not having temper. Anti-depressants pretty much took care of my temper without any negative consequences so far as I could tell. But perhaps just being a better Taoist would have solved my problems better. It is what it is and if I seek the way the way will find me seeking it