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29. Religion / C. Spiritual Disciplines / 2. Taoism

[suppress desire and reestablish unity with the cosmos]

4 ideas
Fish forget about each other in the pond and forget each other in the Tao [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
     Full Idea: Fish forget about each other in the pond and forget each other in the Tao.
     From: Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) (The Book of Chuang Tzu [c.329 BCE], Ch.6)
     A reaction: Strikingly different from Christianity. No wonder Europeans used to describe orientals as 'enigmatic'; the faces of Taoists presumably express indifference. Not for me, I'm afraid. I identify with my fellow humans, because of our shared predicaments.
Go with the flow, and be one with the void of Heaven [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
     Full Idea: Don't struggle, go with the flow, and you will find yourself at one with the vastness of the void of Heaven.
     From: Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) (The Book of Chuang Tzu [c.329 BCE], Ch.6)
     A reaction: Ugh. I've got all eternity to do that. The underlying assumption of Taoism seems to be that it is better not to have been born, and if you are thus unfortunate, you should try to pretend that it never happened. Much too negative for my taste.
As the perfect wisdom of detachment, philosophy offers no rivals to Taoism [Cioran]
     Full Idea: China alone long since arrived at a refined wisdom superior to philosophy: Taoism surpasses all the mind has conceived by way of detachment.
     From: E.M. Cioran (A Short History of Decay [1949], 1 'Militant')
     A reaction: Personally I dislike Taoism, which seems to advocate a sort of suicide within life. But given Cioran's evident state of mind, I can see its attractions. If this country deteriorates any further [I write on 4th July 2016], I may turn to Taoism.
Taoism aims at freedom from the world, the body, the mind, and nature [Watson]
     Full Idea: Underlying Taoism is a search for freedom - from the world, from the body, from the mind, from nature.
     From: Peter Watson (Ideas [2005], Ch.05)
     A reaction: Of all the world's religions, I think Taoism is the most ridiculouly misconceived.