tags: Taoism

I have been seized by a rather sensational verbosity, suffering from foaming logorrhea.

2001

April

2001 Apr 21

Philosophy and abstractions. Low self-esteem due to a superiority complex. The balance of opposing forces. The mammalian inability to be precise. Why can’t I be normal?

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2002

April

2002 Apr 27

Equilibrium

The sense of impending doom returneth.

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2003

June

2003 Jun 28

Summertime

Mind burp. Enough!

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I have been embroiled in a flame war regarding, of all things, Taoism in, of all places, the Alibata Yahoo! Group. Which is remarkably synchronous with my ruminations regarding Ursula K. Le Guin, whose works are pretty much infused with Taoism, and who wrote a poetic interpretation of the Tao Te Ching as well. The at-times rancorous exchange has gotten my mind back on the Tao, and how I really should get to finishing reading all those different translations that I've started, and how, ever since my crisis of faith, precipitated by September 11 and the Catholic Church's abysmal handling of the child molestation charges, the only thing I've really had any faith in is the Way.

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2006

May

2006 May 28

apologia for the art of not wanting

I understand I’s point about the Art of Not Wanting smacking of rationalization and sophistry, but I think there is some profound truthfullness to the Art. One, there is the fact that it is one of the central tenets of Buddhism—without desire, there is no suffering. Two, it also ungirds much of the philosophy of Taoism—desire can only lead to imbalance, but desire is unnecessary because all that you need has already been provided for. The Way is all you need. (I find it interesting that Jesus Christ sometimes refers to himself as the Way.)

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2006 May 30

power that is not force

I am rereading Ursula K Le Guin’s rendition of the Tao Te Ching and come across a wonderful phrase: power that is not force.

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August

2006 Aug 2

cultivating stillness: the art of not wanting revisited

I stumbled upon this book entitled Cultivating Stillness in the Eastern Religions section of Borders and immediately felt peace descend upon me before I even opened it up. It is a Taoist text, but with a little more mysticism about it.

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