Comparative Religions. Lao Tzu – born about 604 B.C.E. Met Confucius who labeled Lao a dragon ...
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Transcript of Comparative Religions. Lao Tzu – born about 604 B.C.E. Met Confucius who labeled Lao a dragon ...
FOUNDER Lao Tzu – born about
604 B.C.E. Met Confucius who
labeled Lao a dragon Enigmatic Larger than life Mysterious
Lao supposedly became upset with the attitudes of the people and climbed on a water buffalo and headed west
On this westward journey he was stopped and was asked to write down his beliefs for civilizationThree days he wroteHe produced the Tao Te
Ching – The Way and Its Power (aka the Taoist Bible)
Most scholars don’t believe Lao himself wrote the whole thing
They do agree that one man’s thoughts inspired the whole thing
THREE MEANINGS OF TAO Tao is the way of ultimate reality
Too vast for reason to fathom It is the womb from which all life springs and to
which it returns Tao is the way of the universe
The norm The rhythm The driving power of nature It is spirit instead of matter
It can’t be exhausted The more it’s drawn upon, the more it flows
Tao is the way of human life It meshes with the Tao of the universe
THREE APPROACHES TO POWER AND THE TAOISMS THAT FOLLOW Philosophical Taoism Vitalizing Taoism Religious Taoism All three of the above are different, but
seek to maximize the Tao’s meaning of te Summarizing the three together:
P.T. begins whith interest in how life’s normal allotment of ch’i can best be used. This leads to how ch’i can be increased (V.T.). Finally, gathering the cosmic energy of Tao is handled in R.T.
See these three as currents in a common river
PHILOSOPHICAL TAOISM Reflective Self-help oriented Teachers are really coaches training
students in what they should understand
An attitude to life Has the most to say to the world Called “School Taoism” in China
Lao TzuChuang TzuTao Te Ching
Knowledge is sought P. T. want knowledge that empowers (aka
wisdom) P.T. want to live in a way that conserves
energy by not expending it in useless ways Avoid friction and conflict Center on Wu Wei – pure effectiveness
Main objective is to align one’s daily life to the Tao Ride its boundless tide and delight in its flow Find Creative Quietude – the balance between
supreme activity and supreme relaxation
VITALIZING TAOISM Called Taoist Adepts
Wanted to increase the Tao at their disposalCenter on Ch’i – vital energy (breath)Main objective is to remove objects that
reduce the flow of ch’i Energy is the life force and these Taoists
love life!
Concentrate on three things to maximize ch’i Matter Movement Their minds
Ch’i is taken in it’s matter forms (liquid, gas, solid) through movements like t’ai-chi chuan. The mind increases ch’i through meditation. The meditation
resembles raja yoga “To the mind that is still,
the whole universe surrenders.”
RELIGIOUS TAOISM Religious Taoism
institutionalized the shamans, psychics, faith healers, and soothsayers of the day.
Taoist church was founded in the 2nd century C.E.
The Taoist priesthood made cosmic life-power available for ordinary villagers
The church and it’s line of succession continues today in Taiwan
NATURAL ELEMENTS Water impressed the
Taoists the most. Unobtrusive Adaptive Assumes the shape of its
containers Seeks out the lowest
places Subdues what is hard and
brittle Carves canyons from
granite Erodes hills
Wisdom of water (wu wei) “Muddy water let stand
still will clear”
HUMILITY Taoists value humility. They honor
HunchbacksCripples
They point out the value ofCupsWindowsDoorways
NATURALISM Taoists believe nature
should not be exploited and abused, any more than people should be
Nature should be befriended, not conquered.
Humans are at their best when they are in harmony with their surroundings
Man is often seen as climbing with their bundles, riding a buffalo, or poling a boat The human self with its
journey The hill to climb The burden to carry But surrounded by the beauty
of nature
IDENTITY WITH OPPOSITES Yin/yang
Polar opposites Day – night Life – death Male – female
On cannot survive without the other
The two meet, mesh, but remain separate
CHINESE CHARACTER Chinese Character is best represented
by the two poles of Confucianism and Taoism Confucianism Taoism
Character Classical Romantic
Behavior Calculated Spontaneity/Naturalness
Focus Human Connects the human to what transcends it
Boundaries Confucius roams within Society
Lao Tzu wanders beyond