Are you a Taoists ???

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Yeah, the Tao made me see things a whole lot differently and now i am pretty much accustomed to looking through a perspective that suits me. I wish i knew more about eastern philosophy in general. It seems so esoteric to nature.

A main essential thing--and I still need to explore how this relates to Asperger's and Autism--is that mind/body/spirit is a unified whole, not three individual and separate things as Western thought would have us believe. If one of these elements of an individual is under duress, all three suffer.
I used to study T'ai Ch'i Ch'uan as a martial art, and found it very calming as a meditative practice, as well. It incorporates well the Taoist ideal of wu wei.

I find that the Tao is very 'medicinal' for AS. It helps me recognize what i can change, and what i'm going to have to accept as a neurological encompment.

I'm very new to this. In fact, I just came back from getting my official diagnosis--sort of. So I need to explore this in depth still. I have no doubt that you are right. I am going to think deeply on this and see what comes to 'mind'.

Tai Chi and the associated philosophy has changed my life for the better in a single semester. I strongly suggest it to anyone. I have better balance, mentally and physically, better coordination, am calmer and less easily sent into meltdown mode... amongst many other benefits.

Cool... And you made your first post here!! !
Thanks manzanita, you are in my prayers!

It's that special.

Thanks!

Awwww!

The ancients who practiced the Way
did not enlighten the people with it;
They used it, rather, to stupify them.

The people are hard to rule
because they have too much knowledge.
Therefore,
Ruling a state through knowledge is to rob the state;
Ruling a state through ignorance
brings integrity to the state.

One who is always mindful of these two types
grasps a paradigm;
Mindfulness of this paradigm is called "mysterious integrity".

Deep and distant is this mysterious integrity!
It runs counter to things
until it reaches the great confluence.

I'm back!! !! !!

I slacked off on this recently because of a move i just took and now i am more motivated to continue preaching the Way.

I hopefully will upload a new passage everyday until something else is taking my time...

Enjoy!

If I were possessed of the slightest knowledge,
traveling on the great Way,
My only fear would be to go astray.
The great Way is quite level,
but the people are much enamored of mountain trails.

The court is thoroughly deserted,
The fields are choked with weeds,
The granaries are altogether empty.

Still there are some who
wear clothes with fancy designs and brilliant colors,
sharp swords hanging at their sides,
are sated with food,
overflowing with possessions and wealth.

This is called "the brazenness of a bandit."
The brazenness of a bandit is surely not the Way!

The Tao Te Ching is great, the Stephen Mitchell version is my favorite translation. I also admire many Buddhist writers and poets, like Cold Mountain and Ikkyu.

I wouldn't say that is what religion I am but if I had to choose one that matched closest to my beliefs I'd say Taoism The Tao Te Ching is amazing

Understanding others is knowledge,
Understanding oneself is enlightenment;
Conquering others is power,
Conquering oneself is strength;
Contentment is wealth,
Forceful conduct is willfulness;
Not losing ones rightful place is to endure,
To die but not be forgotten is longevity.

Woo hoo. Late comer to this thread. I read Steven Mitchell's Dao De Jing once, but in an Asian literature class I took I came upon my favorite Daoist, Zhuangzi. I fell in love with his work, but I lent it away and haven't seen it since. He doesn't have the straightforward brevity that Laotzu had, but the tells sometimes cute, sometimes funny, sometimes dreamlike stories.

My favorite parables:

I am in to taoism