As a "victim" of manipulations from a narcisist, i tried to learn how to avoid being exploited again. I tried to study how to protect yourself from narcisists and the answer I found is that narcisist find cracks in your shields. I went on to read psicology books but the ones that helped me the most was budism and taoism. If you live taoisim, it will be very hard for someone to exploit you. For instance, society is manipulated when they tell you words such as "stay hungry" "never settle for less" "be all that you can be" "if you don't work for your dreams, you will work for somebody else's dreams" and so on. These frases may make sense initially, but when you learn you do not need any of these things, all of a sudden, they have no power over you. - I have everything, since I want nothing else.
@Tauros El well, it is possible to obtain wisdom from different sources. It is possible to heal using several tools. Taoism is a philosophy that understands nature and the universe. and, in a way, if you understand it, then you are living within the Tao naturally, although you may not know it.
I remember studying Taoism and confucianism in 6th grade. From that moment, I was for some reason fascinated by the teachings and beliefs Taoism provided. When I lived with my mom who was very impoverished, I was always jealous of others and their families, as my mom and dad split when I was born. Taoism to me frees me from these envies and fills me with a satisfaction in my existence I haven't found anywhere else. I used to try so hard to show people I was better than my upbringing, but now I realize by changing how I see my desires and habits I can achieve a life I want without feeling so empty trying to get there
@thsts8877 I would agree, mostly with Confucius, as their ideologies were similar but with distinct differences. I feel that over time, those differences began to boil away as the people who believed in the original teachings died off, and those who continued in them were less aware of the original teachings. They instead were carrying on the understandings that were passed down from their ancestors and not Confucius or lao-tzu themselves. Same with Mozi, over time, the word of mouth teachings began to take over the original meanings of the ideologies of those originals, and so after such a long time it seems that there are more and more connections between these different ideologies than what there actually is when you look at the original understandings
@@bconSound that’s why I love that there is such a broad spectrum of different translations, even just within RUclips, let alone an actual books out there. Not one of them has, by itself, fully encapsulated, anything, but when I play my playlist of like 150 different translations on shuffle, I slowly and surely start to uncover the meaning in between all of them, and what I think the original teachings actually were. This is where the actual doctrine (or lack thereof) really lies, as far as I’m concerned.
True Taoist has no intention to be in front hence he is never behind. He follows the flow and rhythm of mother nature who accomplished more without interfering and when it's done no-one will claim credits. He don't compete and impose his supremacy on others, he is as flexible as water and doesn't being uprooted or vanished. Being soft he moves swiftly in the gaps of obscurity unnoticed but his presence is universal and complimentary He let go of the need to forcing nature to succumb to his desires yet the Tao follows his heart and harmonises outcomes to suit his needs when they arise. Creativity is only an expression of the Tao he harnessed from the universe and produces results that enhance lives around. He achieved effortlessly without needing to exhibit his ego and so accommodating all the wishes unifying with the Tao. He knows he is apart of the universe and live effortlessly with the Tao where peace and harmonious coexistence among all beings are honoured perpetually.
I'd say Taoism doesnt even concern that much with self inprovement. As it questions the thinking in opposites like good and bad. And recognizes that when you have what you desired, you will then have to live with the negative sides of it as well, and lost the advantages of what you moved away from. So everything is different without being better or worse. I like to speak of self growth instead. Like with plants, can you say that a tall old tree is better than an acorn? Or a sprout? One is tougher, but then again, lacks in flexibility. Perhaps thinking in oppositions is also something that keeps people away from taoism. I noticed this trend as well, that there seems to be so little attention for taoism, while being so beneficial for me. I was glad to get your video recommended.
Profound thoughts ....although profoundness could only be described by taking into dual consideration of dichotomy of shallow and depth . Both daoism and way of opposites are necessary for our day to day life to function .
Hitting the nail ! While self improvement is awesome and all, daoism has little to do about it (and it's even what causes daoism to be turned into a way to get success or such from your life instead of seeking "knowledge for the sake of knowledge" ).
📌 Great video, but someone actually needs to hear this, you've got to stop saving all your money. Venture into investing some, if you really want financial stability.
@@Joseph-rx1do Yeah lately I've been thinking of buying cryptocurrency for retirement, I've set asides $350k to invest but along the line, I usually get cold feet, maybe because I have no idea what I'm doing, please I could really use some guidelines.
@@firearms914 In situations like this, I always recommend to people on getting guidance at least from someone that understands price action and all that while you strive on improving yourself by watching videos and learning fundamental analysis.
Great ideas, I also believe most people don't want to assume personal responsibility for their own dark side. It's a scary place for many hence the God factor which Taoists don't offer.
I definitely agree. Our egos don't really like to acknowledge our faults and any sort of self improvement really has a way of bringing them to the surface! Been there ha!
I love this video! A lot of self help videos and such place people’s value on productivity which is quite depressing. Finding taoism and just reading about philosophy in general has brought me great peace of mind and has helped me accept myself as I am.
Thanks for telling me the obvious 😹❤️ I was studying the same thing with different words and I couldn't accept it, but hearing you speak the reflection came with full force. I started studying Taoism a little while ago and one of the biggest difficulties for me is letting go of anger. It's the thing that keeps me going when I live in a chaotic country with all kinds of misery happening but everything has a price. I get the flavor of getting angry, but nothing changes and I just get stuck in the cycle of impotence and dissatisfaction so I decided to change, hopefully i can find a way, a way for a lifetime. Thanks again for your efforts!
You should thank the Creator for anger. Anger is what motivates us towards love and peace. Jesus was angry at the Pharisees and the scribes for their hypocrasy and ended up on the cross, thus fulfilling the inevitable. Without anger, love and peace have no value. May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
I embraced Daoism a couple years back. I joined a Christian church that almost seemed like a cult instead of a church. They believed that God made women subordinate to men. I was never so hurt as to think the God that I had loved my entire life thought Ill of me just because I was a woman. I quit being a Christian. I kept trying to find something that would sooth the pain and hurt. I found Daoism and feel like I have finally found a philosophy that so mirrors my ethics and belief system. I am totally at peace in Daoism.
The foundations of Taoism are only understood through the religious aspect. Without them, it is meaningless. It's also why the CCP quite wisely, killed all of them. Religion is a blight. The only good in the world is communism. As we begin our advance globally, I suggest you remember it and who your betters are.
@@beverlybelcher3423 There's not so big a difference between Daoism philosophy and Daoism religion. It's wrong to think they're separate. There's a book called 道学通论 Daoxue tonglun provides a detailed explanation of their history and connections. Unfortunately, it's not available in English translation.
"We rarely seek knowledge for knowledge's sake" Well then I'm one of the few ones that does that. It's all about the joy of reading and understanding, regardless if it will be something useful to me or not. If it's useful, then good.If not, good as well.
The reason I studied it for years (with great fascination) but didn't take it up is because it's frustratingly vague and cryptic. I spent years feeling like answers were just around the corner if I only studied more, but in the end (despite great promises of self improvement) I could never find a concrete way to actually implement it and train myself to become something better. They speak of all these Tao masters who have achieved great health, longevity, well-being and inner peace, but I spent _years_ asking "what do I actually _do_ to achieve this?" and found nothing more than vague lines about general attitudes to take.
Mmmmm I really like this comment. I felt a lot like this when I first started studying Daoism. I think when you're studying something like Daoism it helps to look around to other places as well to sort of build a practical framework for life application. To me Daoism seems to coexist so nicely with so many other sources of wisdom out there, and is complemented very well by many other philosophies, religions, and self-help resources. imo the best thing is to gobble up truth wherever you can find it. Lovely comment, thanks for watching
The Dao is not something that can be reached or learned. The Dao is not a mental concept or a way of live. The Dao is not graspable by the mind. The Dao is not the next thing that will get you where you want to go. If you want to improve yourself or live a better life, Dao is not the answer.
@@trentw.3566 Maybe so, meditation has been challenging for me. I have a great need to overcome a lifetime of physical chronic pain, disability, isolation, past traumas, depression etc. But all I've received are a lot of, "Tao is nothing and there's nothing to consider or accomplish and nothing, nothing, nothing...." I think people are too obsessed with the "unnamed Tao" part. I've read plenty of sources saying that the point of Taoism is to achieve happiness, health and a long life. From all my readings, I still believe there *is* something to be achieved; that not literally everything should be "there's nothing to tell you, now go Tao." Otherwise the Tao Te Ching wouldn't have been written at all. Tao Te Ching speaks of cultivating something called "Primordial Intuition" and I think there's something profoundly important there. Learning how to channel and use "chi" seems to be about learning to control the nervous system. Comprehending emptiness is one very important aspect, but I wish I could get some real advice on self cultivation because "nothing" is not the be-all-end-all answer to literally everything in Taoism, otherwise the answer would be to burn every copy of the Tao Te Ching and forget it.
@@Durzo1259 What I long to communicate to you is that the scriptural mysteries of taoism pale before the vast effects of meditation on a human life--it is like stepping though the looking glass...get a teacher or go to a meditation group. Your life will change. Your questions will change.
I first came into contact with it in High School and found it interesting. Came across it again in college in a religions class and realized my outlook on life was pretty in line with philosophical Daoism. Last couple of years I have started to consider it in more depth and regularly after describing it to a client of mine. She now uses it as a way to explore her relationship with her religion/faith. Like I said, it's already pretty close to how I regard life, so it's more about the little 'ah-ha' moments and finding more ways that it is reflected in my life, relationships, and actions. I sometimes describe myself as a Pollyanna-realist. Lol.
Been practicing for the past year or two and the more I learn about Taoism the more I realize why it cannot solve the worlds problems despite being able to solve almost any individuals problems. Ive known about it and many of the concepts since I was as a child but its only recently having had the concepts explained to me that I finally understood their significance. The philosophy is so counter to all the frameworks established in western minds that you have to already be on a path of changing the self before these teachings can even be understood IMO. It is both extremely complex and simple to understand simultaneously, which are two concepts that do not coexist well in the western mindset. Great video!
I am in the West and was happiest catching grasshoppers at age 5 in a field. I have used that as my reference point for happiness. After I got my master's in botany, I took odd jobs, did not date or marry, and resumed exploring Nature. I am a senior and seem about as happy as anyone else, although I never attenpted to make a name for myself. I never was jealous of people who had all their fancy stuff that they had to worry about maintaining and protecting. My lifestyle simply seemed a logical set of life choices for me based on my personal observations and experiences along the way. I think some people see me as immature, and yet I often think that way about them, too.
the reason I try to follow Taoism is it frees me from daily BS. Especially in the tech world where people get richer and higher by acting like a bigger jerk. It provides perspective and helps keep sanity.
Thanks for making the effort my brother. Shocking that you've got less then a 1000 views. It is our responsibility to change that and spread this great neutral religion/belief which can ultimately unite all religions. The Dao is older then God!
Honestly as long as someone has something to believe in I'm happy. One person says Dao, another says God. I don't think that whatever it is particularly cares what we call it, just that we use our knowledge of it to enrich our spirits and others :) Peace and blessings my friend, thanks for the comment
Hi William, I agree with your enthusiasm but I have to comment that saying that “ it is our responsibility to change that and spread this great neutral religion/belief which can ultimately unite all religions” is (in my limited experience) a non, or anti Daoist project. I would leave missionary work to the more aggressive, more doctrinaire religions. “The torch of chaos and doubt, this is what the sage steers by.” I think most people prefer high powered, narrow focus flashlights.
@@kieranjohnston7550 Been thinking about this and actually when I say spread the word, I suppose I mean to say, spread the awareness of the existence of this believe system. Where it goes from there is indeed up to the individual to seek and interpret shouldnthey want to. For example, the ying yang symbol is a universally accepted symbol of balance and harmony, most people are familiar with it but most people do not know that it is Daoism. Letting them know that it is from Daoism simply ignite their curiosity and seeking ...... One step at a time. Having said that, I totally respect your point of view!
I have loved the down teaching for decades. I have given copies away to friends and to my adult children. And I always said that in my most lucid moments I realize that it was actually in many of its chapters a realistic depiction of how things work in the world. I think that if a person slows down and takes an honest look at things they realize that work in the pump handle faster doesn’t necessarily result in any more water coming out of the nozzle. I’ve become more of a Taoist as I’ve gotten older. I think there are a few issues with Taoism that make it hard to adopt. I think your point that it is entirely at odds with our cultural indoctrination is on point. Achievement, setting goals, getting ahead. These are the things that our children are taught. I think that life will eventually teach most people that a lot of the goals they are pursuing were never actually their own, and that the universe has a way of laughing while you stumble over your own feet. And the pursuit of someone else’s success tends to take people further and further away from their own nature. The plagues of violence, addiction, anxiety and depression are indictments of our culture. The Tao seems quite wise by comparison. But at the same time Taoism is hard to operationalize in ones life. Buddhism and all of its varieties, or practices, with well-defined exercises. This still works provide lots of thought experiments that one can undertake to help adjust ones thinking in the way one approach is life. The Taoist writings are great philosophical fodder for thought, but don’t offer a lot in terms of method. Maybe there were purely Taoist forms of yoga, but it seems that much of that was absorbed into Buddhism in China. The koans of Zen/Chan have a Taoist flavor. Taoism in China has a lot of folk religion built into it and a lot of what seems superstition. The Taoism that has come to the west seems more philosophical and based on the writings
I believe deep suffering brings you to centre. You suffer, dig yourself out, THINK you got it, then tumble back down. Some go through this process many times before there ahh haa moment. Which they are probably removing layers at a time. They end up deeply centered with life in each moment. See, the moment is all there is, it's all there's ever going to be. So some people over time lose interest in wanting or pursuing things and enjoy a state of no mind, moving through life in each moment. Knowledge (which is instincts or higher awareness, which ever wording one resonates with) comes from deep within. As in the movie, he buried all the knowledge because people abused it. He buried it deep within earth. Its a parable. We are earth and the knowledge you seek is found deep within. I see spirtual people still in ego, I allow them to be who they are and if it's in there path, they will see it themselfs.
While not a part of the official Taoist canon, the wisdom of the I Ching has improved my life to a point where I hardly recognize myself a year ago. I subscribe to Taoism, but I think I would classify myself as someone who aims to successful by societies standards. I wish be financially secure, I wish to be self confident, I wish to be loved and love others. It certainly is one path to renounce society and go with the flow relinquishing desires, but in my eyes, we were given a life with certain circumstances, and we should live that life to the best of our ability, working towards becoming what the I Ching describes the "superior man/woman" aka our actualized selves. I truly believe there is no greater pleasure than setting a goal and working towards its achievement. The thing that society gets wrong is that they think the pleasure lies in the attainment of the desire or goal. Taoism preaches mindfulness and presence which completely destroys the hustle culture mentality of sacrificing the now for the future. So many people believe that the effort they put in solely correlates to the progress they make in life (denying any higher power or order creator) and destroy their inner peace thinking about the next moment they can get ahead. The only time that ever will exist is now and if you live every moment in your head thinking about the future, you may look back at a life in which you hardly looked around to see the sights and smell the flowers. That being said I do not think it is ideal to kick your feet up and live a "present" hedonistic life expecting the universe to manifest everything for you or float around and accept mediocrity. There is the 中道 (middle way), between being creative and taking action versus understanding when it is the universes turn to let events unfold and for you to simply receive. 無為 (wuwei) is an amazing concept where one acts in order to not act. The hard part about Taoism is that understanding how to flow with the Tao. That requires you to do a ton of soul searching to find out what your purpose on this planet is. To find what you enjoy doing so that you can experience the joy of seeing progress and accomplishment as well as moments actually doing the activity. Taoism is about balance, balance between action and non action, aspiring and accepting, etc... The thing is when the line between yin and yang is so thin, it is very easy to fall to one side or the other, especially when extremists on both sides are yelling at the top of their lungs that it is them that promises salvation.
Too successful? I make a lot of money and have many assets outside of NYC.I work 14 hour days including financial work, consulting work, workouts, sports and simple work on my house and gardens. Wishing to be loved and loving others has nothing to do with Taoism, everything is considered one in the universe so you cannot view yourself separate from anything else in the universe its all the same just at different levels of evolution. Taoism is taking everything you think and believe and removing it temporarily at times or permanently. Your conditions are all anti Taoist.
Taoism also probably hasn't caught on in the West because there's nothing about it that can be commodified, the way yoga has been in Hinduism or "mindfulness" in Buddhism. Most Westerners can't even grasp the meaning of yin and yang. Our dualistic competitive minds see it as finding a balance between the opposing forces of good and evil, rather than understanding that balance comes not from finding peace amid conflict but from embracing the natural flow of complementary opposites, riding the waves and not trying to hold on to things that will follow their own course whether we like it or not.
Taoism is a kind of philosophy to Westerners. Here in Asia taoism is associated with spiritism, ancestral worship, amulets and various rituals. Westerners are just romanticizing oriental stuff.
No it has no philosophy at all in the 'original' version. This comment is the only one I've read worth anything and that is because the majority of it is correct. Taoism is 100% a religious system based upon what was the core religion of my people in the pre-historical era. It's neither 'vague' nor 'confusing'. If you want to stick with what the CCP sell to the [redacted] of the west - fine. But don't insult our actual beliefs with this ignorant drivel.
I think every indivual will have their own time of understanding taoism. On my case it took 34 years before I have internalized the words. People will be connected once he is ready. Philosophy is not like food that we will it when it presented to us. Getting understandjng will take time.
Nonsense !!! Awakening is instant. What took you 34 years is not awakening. You are still sleep walking. May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
@@Morphoidism The video is about Taoism which the author knows very little about and is therefore full of misinformation. The audience here spent 34 years and believed he's got an awakening. I tried to correct both of them. And my good wishes to them, and you, is that we can be blessed with the love and the peace of Jesus, which is ultimately what everybody wants. May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
In the book "The Road to Character", it talks about Adam 1 and Adam 2. Adam 1 is external desires, what do I want, what am I capable of. Adam 2 is morale character, doing what life calls you to do, filling the gap that you are called to fill. Taoism seems to be about developing Adam 2 and, to an extent, letting go of Adam 1
Buddhism’s time period gave it easy access to bodhistavia travel across multiple regions along the Silk Road which is probably why it was able to universalize easier then Taoism even thought similar philosophy was expressed.
I'd start by reading the Tao Te Ching for sure if you haven't yet. Tasuki.org has a fabulous page where you can read 5 translations side by side, which is kinda nice since they all say something just a bit different. :) For me I use Taoism as another appendage of the spirituality I have been building up my whole life. Sometimes it can be hard to pull practical applications out of it, so it helps to be spiritual and meditative about how to best reflect its teachings in your own life. Cheers!
I am a qigong practitioner. So… I apply Taoist principles for health. :) I don’t claim any one religion but take principles from many. Taoist concepts of yin Yang is very helpful for even understanding parts of the Bible. Angels and demons, and essentially sayings of “when I’m weak then I’m strong” and other ideas like when Saul became Paul. He was a legalist and when his legalism hit a maximum he became the opposite and decided all things to him were lawful and taught forgiveness via Jesus. Without Paul Christianity wouldn’t be anything like it is today.
Because the authors of the books of the bible had connections to nature, it is then that there is Taoist imagiery everywhere in it. "I am the alpha and the omega" "I am the changing of the seasons." And of course Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
i used to be christian but have been a taoist for 2 years now, never ever did i felt this great before BUT most people won´t understand taoism and people find me very ´´floaty´´lol and i´m not.. they just pull that conclusion from practising meditation etc etc. so many people can really learn so much from eastern philosophy/wisdom but it is just not for everyone. buddhism and taoism has a lot in common tho, most people don't know that or not a lot of people (or what i think none lol) in my village don't even know that taoism is a thing
We have nothing remotely in common with the Indian faith that came to China. We spent nearly a thousand years at war with them because of it. If you westerns are going to insist on butting your noses into our beliefs - attend a University - before you start pumping our syncretism and other drivel like this. As a Chinese it's insulting. Let alone cultural appropriation.
I want to start living a daoist life but do not know where to start. I also never would like to call myself a daoist because the dao which can be told is not the eternal dao. Calling myself a daoist would never fully encompass all that it means to be a daoist. I feel that way with every word I use to label my identity. When it all comes down to it, I view labels and identities a very human things that we make up to communicate ideas with each other. However words restrict the depth to which we can express ideas. Calling myself a daoist would be useful to communicate to others a general idea of my values, however, I will strive to internally detach myself from the label and only use it as a social tool.
I’m sooo drawn to Taoism. It’s similar to how I’ve naturally tried to live. I’m just starting to learn about it some more, but tbh, the only part that didn’t resonate for me was remaining neutral during times of conflict. I’m here in this lifetime to fight evil. But then after I would like to go meditate alone in a cabin in the woods or something :)
I began reading the Tao Te Ching. When I was 11. I just turned 60. I'm not done yet. I think if you actually are familiar with the Tao you know it doesn't natter if people follow it or not. They still follow it. Taoist religion is very ethnic and would be difficult for many non Chinese people to embrace. It might be good to learn to pronounce Tao/ Dao. Most of what you say here is true of any spiritual path. Most people are not interested in a path requires active participation and self accountability .
Daoism is not about change or giving up one's desires. Daoism is all about focus. 5 colours make one blind. 5 sounds make one deaf. 5 tastes kill ones taste buds. These are facts. In order to enjoy life, we can focus on one colour, one sound, and one taste at a time, and we can end up seeing the beauty of all colour, listening to the beauty of all sounds, and tasting all the tasty and delicious food. It's that simple. There is no need to change our habits. There is no need to give up any of our desires. Be natural and don't worry. May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
wrong jackie, taoism isn't about focus, focus implies NOT letting go. giving up desires is letting go, which is what taoism is all about. peace brother.
@@jesuschrist1501 Daoism is about letting be, not about letting go. Lao Tzu stressed that almost all failures are due to letting go just a tiny bit before success. All it takes is let be and not let go, and we can have 900 times more successes. Water, for example, let be but never let go. Water is focused and persistent. Drop by drop, water can dissolve anything in its way. Jesus is not Christ, and he is not even a Christian. May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
@@jesuschrist1501 Letting go means follow the flow, defeated, given up, and surrendered. Letting be means leaving them alone in their flow and not be swapped away, persisting until full victory, not quiting, and not surrendering to pressure. Socrates, Jesus, Gandhi, MLK are examples of passive resistance, letting be but never let go. See the difference ? Daoism is not like Buddism. Dao is not nothingness. Dao is full. Daoists fulfill. They are not nihilists like Atheists and Buddhists. Jesus is a Daoist. May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
@@jwu1950 'The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.' chapter 1. go read the tao te ching and meditate it will change your life my friend. have a blessed day :)
Have you heard of Taoist sorcery it’s not really a strike system of Sorcery and it’s super secretive at that, I started practicing it after realizing my Ego is temporary and should focus on just letting the dao guide me and it directed me to sorcery.
I’m interested in Taoism for the philosophy of flow called Wu Wei, I discovered it this month of July in 2023 and honestly it was the best discovery I made. I now want to get a book on Taoism and Wu Wei because I want to follow the philosophy of flow and be a Taoist for that. I feel no longer attached to anything and I’m willing to change. I’m a materialist and now I feel like I don’t need it in my life. What I need in my life is my memories, loved ones, my life, Taoism, and Wu Wei. Be the flow don’t flow backwards or pushed back. lol 😂
Taoist religion has rites, rituals and a plethora of practices that havent been mentioned here. So your early assumption of people not knowing about it was more right on the spot than you could ever imagine.
Fear, as is usually the case. Fear of non-conformity and, consequently, facing the risk of social disapproval. The type of philosophy really does not matter. True sages have always been rare and Taoism, similarly to Sufism, is an experiential teaching. The intellect can only go so far and religious dogma does not apply here. The Flow state is a vibrational alignment that not too many people are able to reach on their own either. We all have the capacity within us but only a few are ready to truly hold higher frequencies in their field. Peace and Love!!!
I think the big reason is that Taoism is quite simple it’s essentially the most basic description of the “light” or “god” or the “doe” it’s simplicity gives it lots of purpose but all religions try to teach the same thing in a different way with some more biases tossed in there(some good some bad). I find other religions tend to hide the duality of the universe or try to explain it in a more complex way(granted more detailed in some aspects but that complexity looses the focus of the main point a little)
It's very involved learning the various meditation techniques. I like taoism way more than buddhism but I haven't made any official move because I have way more reading to do, and no contact with a Taoist community as yet.
For me Taoism is about being the hero of my own journey, not striving to be a hero in your eyes, or their eyes. Society is full of false dreams and judgements, Taoism reminds us to seek our inner virtue and truth and value it over popular narratives. This probably means one needs to be satisfied and pleased with ones own life despite not being recognized by others as being "successful" in society's eyes. Finally, Taoism teaches me to slow down and taste each morsel of food, each moment of life and be fully immersed in the present. Taoism frees me to be me, not to be a slave to it.
The irony between saying most people wouldn't try hard to improve themselves while acknowledging they still strive as hard as they can to achieve happiness in modern society (even if they're not doing it the "correct" way).
I don’t think it’s correct to say why ppl don’t become Taoist. I’m Buddhist Toaist myself. And believe most Chinese are the same. China has pretty much successfully integrated Buddhism, Taoism and Confuciusm so much that we no longer identify as such. We live it out.
Taoism really isn't about self-improvement at all. It may seem so if you look at it superficially in some regard, but in essence it is not about self-improvement at all. I find it sad nowadays how many videos about taoism are published propagating messages that are anything but taoist.
I cannot say that I desire money and things really however I have been abused as a child and this does take time to get over I've read that it can take a life time however I really like the Tao and believe in it God or not Being at peace without a mind I've been there and it's better than any medication for your feelings for me so far Letting go is like heaven brief but it was there I'm learning and like many it's going to take a while Thank-you for your honest video
Maybe a weird question, but is there an "official organization" of Taoism? I know there is in China, but was wondering of elsewhere or throughout other countries.
This, I think, is one of the primary struggles not mentioned in the video. The lack of fellowship and structure that most religions provide. I've had trouble finding anything in my area and what I have found is fee-based training or classes/retreats rather than anything resembling a temple (or my concept of one anyway). Then there's the additional challenge of perhaps not feeling quite as at home in the religious components as the philosophical ones. Regardless, I hope you find something that feels right to you.
@@thenellierose Great points :) From what I have found, nothing really seemed to fit (my perception) of Taoist practice. Nonetheless, I was also looking for "official" meditation practices a Taoist might undertake. Thanks again for your answer. :)
Ya a lot of people ask this question ha. Taoism seems to kind of occupy the spot of a philosophy more than a religion in a lot of ways. Lots of people practice qigong or tai chi as sort of a physical supplement to it. I think it helps to sort of consider it as an appendage to an already-in-the-works spirituality that you have been forming over the course of your life, and that will continue to develop as you have more life experiences. There's lots of truth to be found everywhere. :) Hope that helps.
@@sonjoiboi Thanks for that :) Appreciate the answer. I have heard of these movements (also Yoga and other exercises). Though I have never tried much beyond calisthenics and other body weight exercises.
So what if he wants to pronounce it otherwise. What does that have to do with anything question mark does pronouncing it with a T or D impact one’s practice of it or validity of it or anything?
Daoism is a very elusive system. I think its main goal is to encourage detachment and to recognize the paradoxes in human nature and dealing with people.
Honestly I think I just got curious and started reading the Tao Te Ching. I really liked what I read and just wanted to kind of record what I was learning in a video format that someone else could benefit from and that I could look back on to remember
I am ordained Daoist Priest. If you are brave enough to want to become a Daoist, I would be more than happy to help…When you understand the laws of nature, the world is your playground.
@DREAMSCAPE I have to say, many from an intellectual, research based perspective on Daoism generally do a poor job on explaining Daoism, hence this video, which leads people astray. It is important to understand that Daoist philosophy is based on the paradox nature of all things. Therefore, when it comes to something like education, you have to be educated enough to come to the understanding that you don’t need to be educated more than you need to. In other words, when you learn all that it is you need to know about something intellectually, you need to know to “let go” and seek a more profound understanding. There is only so much information you need, and truly deeper understanding of anything comes from a much more “knowing” of something that can only be grasped by going beyond the intellect, such as having an energetic/ spiritual experience. So Daoism is really saying, don’t depend on information to give you all the answers, instead, go beyond those limitations. So, with that out of the way, when it comes to educating your kids from a Daoist perspective, you want them to learn and advance just as any one would generally want for their kids, but I would include that if my kids want to truly go beyond the limitations of logic, they will have to learn specific techniques to achieve this, that they will not teach you in any general education school system. “You have to learn in order to unlearn”.
@DREAMSCAPE In China, where Daoism originates from, the education system is much more demanding for all students, and being a communist country being Taoist isn’t as accommodating as you think. Honestly, in Daoism you come to accept the world is always chaotic, so there is no reason to make any sense of it. So in Daoist practices we are always working on creating harmony in any given situation, as effortless as possible, (Wu Wei). So, no matter what life situations propose them selves we seek peace. However one chooses to have your children educated, as a Daoist parent I strive to inform them between what will create peace and what will not, based what ever they are learning in school or in life in general. “In order to learn who you are, you have to learn who are not”.
Because it requires people with strong brains and it's easier when learned from a young age. Because it is the lacking of and resistance to chaotic, cancerous thoughts.
I think of myself as a taoist but i wonder if there are ways to learn more of it, or habits and quotes to live by and stuff like that. I have the book of the Dao and read most of it but i find it kinda hard not only to understand but also to apply and be more focused on my ideology
@@mirjana9490 thanks for the advice i really appreciate it. Still, im in a situation in which i feel like i have to define my thoughts and feeling, even if i know deep down that its completely unnecessary and even harmful sometimes
I am an initiated Taoist. Taoism to layman is a religion, and person who try to encourage us to be Taoist over do it, put it very simply, Taoism is a philosophy and not a religion, ordinary just be law forbidding and behavior like good person
Google 老子天地鬼神目录 (translates to Laozi's Catalog of Heaven, Earth, Ghosts and Gods, this piece of Taoism is relatively unknown) Taoism is both a religion and a philosophy, Zhengyi Dao lineage for example, but the religious version is more like Chinese folk religion
Difficult to convince me that few are Taoist given that one off e most populace nations in the world has Taoism woven into its very culture of the people. The nature of Taoism is such that it is odd and a bit obtuse to identify oneself as a Taoist even though one practices it in their lives.
The real reason Daoism is less popular than Buddhism even in China is because Buddhism was supported by the last dynasty (Qing dynasty) during 350 years.
Taoism is not ment for everybody - only for the "old" souls. In the chinese culture confucianism is for the "normal" people, taoism for the old ones. In our culture you see the same difference between the spirit of Old Testament and the sublime teachings of NT Jesus. There is a necessary path of development for every soul, and you have to "have seen it all" before you are mature enough for taoism.
While I find this so true, these reason to not take the instruction from the teaching is the very reason I chose to fellow it and advance the nature of my person as I am a myth buster on myself as I was hit and blown 35 ft from a lighting strike while reading the Bible reliziing the old and new testament are completely different religions and Christianity is a hijack teaching that is spiritual death as a person gives up improving themselves after accepting a mythical Savior so you no long seek to discover to improve your character and understanding of the nature of life...
This has nothing to do with other people being Taoist…I ask a Taoist I I could veil and went off on my beliefs and went on a rant about how I’m goofing off in religion….im not gonna let someone tell me no just because they think I’m playing with religion….
The essence of so-called Taoism has nothing to do with belief, and certainly nothing to do with becoming a Taoist. At best, the path of Tao is a profound realization; a recognition, a remembering. Within that realization there are no words, no concepts, and nothing to follow because you cannot follow what you are, and you cannot arrive when you never left.
As a "victim" of manipulations from a narcisist, i tried to learn how to avoid being exploited again. I tried to study how to protect yourself from narcisists and the answer I found is that narcisist find cracks in your shields. I went on to read psicology books but the ones that helped me the most was budism and taoism. If you live taoisim, it will be very hard for someone to exploit you. For instance, society is manipulated when they tell you words such as "stay hungry" "never settle for less" "be all that you can be" "if you don't work for your dreams, you will work for somebody else's dreams" and so on. These frases may make sense initially, but when you learn you do not need any of these things, all of a sudden, they have no power over you. - I have everything, since I want nothing else.
Thank you so much. It helps me a lot.
Thats not actually Taoism nor Daoism. @laBer
@@Real-Name..Maqavoy I only said that Budism and Taoism has helped me but I am not denfinging what either of those are.
@Tauros El well, it is possible to obtain wisdom from different sources. It is possible to heal using several tools. Taoism is a philosophy that understands nature and the universe. and, in a way, if you understand it, then you are living within the Tao naturally, although you may not know it.
Words to live by 🙏 I totally understand as I have been abused for a long time.
I remember studying Taoism and confucianism in 6th grade. From that moment, I was for some reason fascinated by the teachings and beliefs Taoism provided. When I lived with my mom who was very impoverished, I was always jealous of others and their families, as my mom and dad split when I was born. Taoism to me frees me from these envies and fills me with a satisfaction in my existence I haven't found anywhere else. I used to try so hard to show people I was better than my upbringing, but now I realize by changing how I see my desires and habits I can achieve a life I want without feeling so empty trying to get there
Taoism as a religion, hafe too many about Yin-Yang, Confucius and Mozi
@thsts8877 I would agree, mostly with Confucius, as their ideologies were similar but with distinct differences. I feel that over time, those differences began to boil away as the people who believed in the original teachings died off, and those who continued in them were less aware of the original teachings. They instead were carrying on the understandings that were passed down from their ancestors and not Confucius or lao-tzu themselves. Same with Mozi, over time, the word of mouth teachings began to take over the original meanings of the ideologies of those originals, and so after such a long time it seems that there are more and more connections between these different ideologies than what there actually is when you look at the original understandings
@@bconSound that’s why I love that there is such a broad spectrum of different translations, even just within RUclips, let alone an actual books out there. Not one of them has, by itself, fully encapsulated, anything, but when I play my playlist of like 150 different translations on shuffle, I slowly and surely start to uncover the meaning in between all of them, and what I think the original teachings actually were. This is where the actual doctrine (or lack thereof) really lies, as far as I’m concerned.
True Taoist has no intention to be in front hence he is never behind. He follows the flow and rhythm of mother nature who accomplished more without interfering and when it's done no-one will claim credits. He don't compete and impose his supremacy on others, he is as flexible as water and doesn't being uprooted or vanished. Being soft he moves swiftly in the gaps of obscurity unnoticed but his presence is universal and complimentary He let go of the need to forcing nature to succumb to his desires yet the Tao follows his heart and harmonises outcomes to suit his needs when they arise. Creativity is only an expression of the Tao he harnessed from the universe and produces results that enhance lives around.
He achieved effortlessly without needing to exhibit his ego and so accommodating all the wishes unifying with the Tao. He knows he is apart of the universe and live effortlessly with the Tao where peace and harmonious coexistence among all beings are honoured perpetually.
Amen ❣️
I'd say Taoism doesnt even concern that much with self inprovement. As it questions the thinking in opposites like good and bad. And recognizes that when you have what you desired, you will then have to live with the negative sides of it as well, and lost the advantages of what you moved away from. So everything is different without being better or worse.
I like to speak of self growth instead. Like with plants, can you say that a tall old tree is better than an acorn? Or a sprout? One is tougher, but then again, lacks in flexibility.
Perhaps thinking in oppositions is also something that keeps people away from taoism.
I noticed this trend as well, that there seems to be so little attention for taoism, while being so beneficial for me. I was glad to get your video recommended.
I love this comment! Thanks for watching!
taoism does concern with self-improvement. it does so indirectly by directly letting go.
Profound thoughts ....although profoundness could only be described by taking into dual consideration of dichotomy of shallow and depth .
Both daoism and way of opposites are necessary for our day to day life to function .
Hitting the nail !
While self improvement is awesome and all, daoism has little to do about it (and it's even what causes daoism to be turned into a way to get success or such from your life instead of seeking "knowledge for the sake of knowledge" ).
I just want to go be a hermit, play music, and paint in the woods somewhere. Society is so money focused it’s hard to escape it.
I hope you have found your woods.
When the world comes into 5D this will happen.
Live in your car. Or get a car then live in it.
Yeah.. But f*kin cost of living of food :(
How do you make a living, then?
Thanks for investing your time to create this
Thanks for watching my friend!
@@sonjoiboi thank you
Hi friends! As a quick note, I mispronounced the word Daoism in this video, it should be with a D sound. :) Thanks for watching!
The humility to acknowledge this is the Tao itself. Beautiful x
📌 Great video, but someone actually needs to hear this, you've got to stop saving all your money. Venture into investing some, if you really want financial stability.
@@Joseph-rx1do Yeah lately I've been thinking of buying cryptocurrency for retirement, I've set asides $350k to invest but along the line, I usually get cold feet, maybe because I have no idea what I'm doing, please I could really use some guidelines.
@@firearms914 In situations like this, I always recommend to people on getting guidance at least from someone that understands price action and all that while you strive on improving yourself by watching videos and learning fundamental analysis.
Investment guidance sounds like a great idea, thought about it before but never knew how
to go about it.
Great ideas, I also believe most people don't want to assume personal responsibility for their own dark side. It's a scary place for many hence the God factor which Taoists don't offer.
I definitely agree. Our egos don't really like to acknowledge our faults and any sort of self improvement really has a way of bringing them to the surface! Been there ha!
I love this video! A lot of self help videos and such place people’s value on productivity which is quite depressing. Finding taoism and just reading about philosophy in general has brought me great peace of mind and has helped me accept myself as I am.
Love this :)
Thanks for telling me the obvious 😹❤️ I was studying the same thing with different words and I couldn't accept it, but hearing you speak the reflection came with full force. I started studying Taoism a little while ago and one of the biggest difficulties for me is letting go of anger. It's the thing that keeps me going when I live in a chaotic country with all kinds of misery happening but everything has a price. I get the flavor of getting angry, but nothing changes and I just get stuck in the cycle of impotence and dissatisfaction so I decided to change, hopefully i can find a way, a way for a lifetime. Thanks again for your efforts!
Wow thanks so much for this comment! Peace and blessings to you, friend :) I wish you all the best on your journey.
You should thank the Creator for anger. Anger is what motivates us towards love and peace. Jesus was angry at the Pharisees and the scribes for their hypocrasy and ended up on the cross, thus fulfilling the inevitable.
Without anger, love and peace have no value.
May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
@@jwu1950 I’m sorry did you just say JeSuS aHeM (not hating)
@@straygaykids374 Exactly. Anger is not hate.
May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
Taoism is said “daoism”
the name that can be said is not the real name
typical yank
@@bart-v what a beautiful rebuttal
@@bart-v what does that mean?
@@liljewymafia4748 see Tao Te Ching, chapter 1
I embraced Daoism a couple years back. I joined a Christian church that almost seemed like a cult instead of a church. They believed that God made women subordinate to men. I was never so hurt as to think the God that I had loved my entire life thought Ill of me just because I was a woman. I quit being a Christian. I kept trying to find something that would sooth the pain and hurt. I found Daoism and feel like I have finally found a philosophy that so mirrors my ethics and belief system. I am totally at peace in Daoism.
@CaptainSpooky Thank you for your advice. Yes, I have noticed a big difference between the philosophy of Taoism and the religion of Taoism.
@@beverlybelcher3423 When something becomes religion, it loses it's value. Go to the source, always.
@@captainspooky8827 I so agree. I shall keep to the philosophy of Taoism. I have learned to stay away from religion.
The foundations of Taoism are only understood through the religious aspect. Without them, it is meaningless. It's also why the CCP quite wisely, killed all of them.
Religion is a blight. The only good in the world is communism. As we begin our advance globally, I suggest you remember it and who your betters are.
@@beverlybelcher3423 There's not so big a difference between Daoism philosophy and Daoism religion. It's wrong to think they're separate. There's a book called 道学通论 Daoxue tonglun provides a detailed explanation of their history and connections. Unfortunately, it's not available in English translation.
"We rarely seek knowledge for knowledge's sake"
Well then I'm one of the few ones that does that.
It's all about the joy of reading and understanding, regardless if it will be something useful to me or not.
If it's useful, then good.If not, good as well.
The reason I studied it for years (with great fascination) but didn't take it up is because it's frustratingly vague and cryptic. I spent years feeling like answers were just around the corner if I only studied more, but in the end (despite great promises of self improvement) I could never find a concrete way to actually implement it and train myself to become something better.
They speak of all these Tao masters who have achieved great health, longevity, well-being and inner peace, but I spent _years_ asking "what do I actually _do_ to achieve this?" and found nothing more than vague lines about general attitudes to take.
Mmmmm I really like this comment. I felt a lot like this when I first started studying Daoism. I think when you're studying something like Daoism it helps to look around to other places as well to sort of build a practical framework for life application. To me Daoism seems to coexist so nicely with so many other sources of wisdom out there, and is complemented very well by many other philosophies, religions, and self-help resources. imo the best thing is to gobble up truth wherever you can find it. Lovely comment, thanks for watching
The Dao is not something that can be reached or learned. The Dao is not a mental concept or a way of live. The Dao is not graspable by the mind. The Dao is not the next thing that will get you where you want to go. If you want to improve yourself or live a better life, Dao is not the answer.
You needed to meditate twice a day, every day, and more on selected days with more free time.
@@trentw.3566 Maybe so, meditation has been challenging for me.
I have a great need to overcome a lifetime of physical chronic pain, disability, isolation, past traumas, depression etc. But all I've received are a lot of, "Tao is nothing and there's nothing to consider or accomplish and nothing, nothing, nothing...."
I think people are too obsessed with the "unnamed Tao" part. I've read plenty of sources saying that the point of Taoism is to achieve happiness, health and a long life.
From all my readings, I still believe there *is* something to be achieved; that not literally everything should be "there's nothing to tell you, now go Tao." Otherwise the Tao Te Ching wouldn't have been written at all.
Tao Te Ching speaks of cultivating something called "Primordial Intuition" and I think there's something profoundly important there. Learning how to channel and use "chi" seems to be about learning to control the nervous system.
Comprehending emptiness is one very important aspect, but I wish I could get some real advice on self cultivation because "nothing" is not the be-all-end-all answer to literally everything in Taoism, otherwise the answer would be to burn every copy of the Tao Te Ching and forget it.
@@Durzo1259 What I long to communicate to you is that the scriptural mysteries of taoism pale before the vast effects of meditation on a human life--it is like stepping though the looking glass...get a teacher or go to a meditation group. Your life will change. Your questions will change.
I just stumbled across this video and your channel and now I am hooked. Absolutely love your videos.
I first came into contact with it in High School and found it interesting. Came across it again in college in a religions class and realized my outlook on life was pretty in line with philosophical Daoism. Last couple of years I have started to consider it in more depth and regularly after describing it to a client of mine. She now uses it as a way to explore her relationship with her religion/faith. Like I said, it's already pretty close to how I regard life, so it's more about the little 'ah-ha' moments and finding more ways that it is reflected in my life, relationships, and actions. I sometimes describe myself as a Pollyanna-realist. Lol.
Been practicing for the past year or two and the more I learn about Taoism the more I realize why it cannot solve the worlds problems despite being able to solve almost any individuals problems. Ive known about it and many of the concepts since I was as a child but its only recently having had the concepts explained to me that I finally understood their significance. The philosophy is so counter to all the frameworks established in western minds that you have to already be on a path of changing the self before these teachings can even be understood IMO. It is both extremely complex and simple to understand simultaneously, which are two concepts that do not coexist well in the western mindset. Great video!
I am in the West and was happiest catching grasshoppers at age 5 in a field. I have used that as my reference point for happiness. After I got my master's in botany, I took odd jobs, did not date or marry, and resumed exploring Nature. I am a senior and seem about as happy as anyone else, although I never attenpted to make a name for myself. I never was jealous of people who had all their fancy stuff that they had to worry about maintaining and protecting. My lifestyle simply seemed a logical set of life choices for me based on my personal observations and experiences along the way. I think some people see me as immature, and yet I often think that way about them, too.
the reason I try to follow Taoism is it frees me from daily BS. Especially in the tech world where people get richer and higher by acting like a bigger jerk. It provides perspective and helps keep sanity.
Thanks for making the effort my brother. Shocking that you've got less then a 1000 views. It is our responsibility to change that and spread this great neutral religion/belief which can ultimately unite all religions. The Dao is older then God!
Honestly as long as someone has something to believe in I'm happy. One person says Dao, another says God. I don't think that whatever it is particularly cares what we call it, just that we use our knowledge of it to enrich our spirits and others :) Peace and blessings my friend, thanks for the comment
Hi William, I agree with your enthusiasm but I have to comment that saying that “ it is our responsibility to change that and spread this great neutral religion/belief which can ultimately unite all religions” is (in my limited experience) a non, or anti Daoist project. I would leave missionary work to the more aggressive, more doctrinaire religions. “The torch of chaos and doubt, this is what the sage steers by.” I think most people prefer high powered, narrow focus flashlights.
@@kieranjohnston7550 Been thinking about this and actually when I say spread the word, I suppose I mean to say, spread the awareness of the existence of this believe system. Where it goes from there is indeed up to the individual to seek and interpret shouldnthey want to. For example, the ying yang symbol is a universally accepted symbol of balance and harmony, most people are familiar with it but most people do not know that it is Daoism. Letting them know that it is from Daoism simply ignite their curiosity and seeking ...... One step at a time. Having said that, I totally respect your point of view!
Daoism isn't remotely close to the age of I assume you mean 'western God'. His belief system is about 17,000 years older than the first Daoist.
I have been “TAOIST” without realizing what it was. LUCKY “ME” !!! 🍀
I have loved the down teaching for decades. I have given copies away to friends and to my adult children. And I always said that in my most lucid moments I realize that it was actually in many of its chapters a realistic depiction of how things work in the world. I think that if a person slows down and takes an honest look at things they realize that work in the pump handle faster doesn’t necessarily result in any more water coming out of the nozzle. I’ve become more of a Taoist as I’ve gotten older.
I think there are a few issues with Taoism that make it hard to adopt. I think your point that it is entirely at odds with our cultural indoctrination is on point. Achievement, setting goals, getting ahead. These are the things that our children are taught. I think that life will eventually teach most people that a lot of the goals they are pursuing were never actually their own, and that the universe has a way of laughing while you stumble over your own feet. And the pursuit of someone else’s success tends to take people further and further away from their own nature. The plagues of violence, addiction, anxiety and depression are indictments of our culture.
The Tao seems quite wise by comparison. But at the same time Taoism is hard to operationalize in ones life. Buddhism and all of its varieties, or practices, with well-defined exercises. This still works provide lots of thought experiments that one can undertake to help adjust ones thinking in the way one approach is life. The Taoist writings are great philosophical fodder for thought, but don’t offer a lot in terms of method. Maybe there were purely Taoist forms of yoga, but it seems that much of that was absorbed into Buddhism in China. The koans of Zen/Chan have a Taoist flavor.
Taoism in China has a lot of folk religion built into it and a lot of what seems superstition. The Taoism that has come to the west seems more philosophical and based on the writings
I found taoism being one of the few things out there thAt makes sense to me
I believe deep suffering brings you to centre. You suffer, dig yourself out, THINK you got it, then tumble back down.
Some go through this process many times before there ahh haa moment. Which they are probably removing layers at a time. They end up deeply centered with life in each moment.
See, the moment is all there is, it's all there's ever going to be. So some people over time lose interest in wanting or pursuing things and enjoy a state of no mind, moving through life in each moment.
Knowledge (which is instincts or higher awareness, which ever wording one resonates with) comes from deep within. As in the movie, he buried all the knowledge because people abused it. He buried it deep within earth. Its a parable. We are earth and the knowledge you seek is found deep within.
I see spirtual people still in ego, I allow them to be who they are and if it's in there path, they will see it themselfs.
Interesting and intriguing video. Can't wait to learn more about Taoism in this channel and other online readings :)
Thank you for this. I really needed this.
While not a part of the official Taoist canon, the wisdom of the I Ching has improved my life to a point where I hardly recognize myself a year ago. I subscribe to Taoism, but I think I would classify myself as someone who aims to successful by societies standards. I wish be financially secure, I wish to be self confident, I wish to be loved and love others. It certainly is one path to renounce society and go with the flow relinquishing desires, but in my eyes, we were given a life with certain circumstances, and we should live that life to the best of our ability, working towards becoming what the I Ching describes the "superior man/woman" aka our actualized selves.
I truly believe there is no greater pleasure than setting a goal and working towards its achievement. The thing that society gets wrong is that they think the pleasure lies in the attainment of the desire or goal. Taoism preaches mindfulness and presence which completely destroys the hustle culture mentality of sacrificing the now for the future. So many people believe that the effort they put in solely correlates to the progress they make in life (denying any higher power or order creator) and destroy their inner peace thinking about the next moment they can get ahead. The only time that ever will exist is now and if you live every moment in your head thinking about the future, you may look back at a life in which you hardly looked around to see the sights and smell the flowers.
That being said I do not think it is ideal to kick your feet up and live a "present" hedonistic life expecting the universe to manifest everything for you or float around and accept mediocrity. There is the 中道 (middle way), between being creative and taking action versus understanding when it is the universes turn to let events unfold and for you to simply receive. 無為 (wuwei) is an amazing concept where one acts in order to not act.
The hard part about Taoism is that understanding how to flow with the Tao. That requires you to do a ton of soul searching to find out what your purpose on this planet is. To find what you enjoy doing so that you can experience the joy of seeing progress and accomplishment as well as moments actually doing the activity.
Taoism is about balance, balance between action and non action, aspiring and accepting, etc... The thing is when the line between yin and yang is so thin, it is very easy to fall to one side or the other, especially when extremists on both sides are yelling at the top of their lungs that it is them that promises salvation.
Too successful? I make a lot of money and have many assets outside of NYC.I work 14 hour days including financial work, consulting work, workouts, sports and simple work on my house and gardens. Wishing to be loved and loving others has nothing to do with Taoism, everything is considered one in the universe so you cannot view yourself separate from anything else in the universe its all the same just at different levels of evolution. Taoism is taking everything you think and believe and removing it temporarily at times or permanently. Your conditions are all anti Taoist.
Taoism also probably hasn't caught on in the West because there's nothing about it that can be commodified, the way yoga has been in Hinduism or "mindfulness" in Buddhism. Most Westerners can't even grasp the meaning of yin and yang. Our dualistic competitive minds see it as finding a balance between the opposing forces of good and evil, rather than understanding that balance comes not from finding peace amid conflict but from embracing the natural flow of complementary opposites, riding the waves and not trying to hold on to things that will follow their own course whether we like it or not.
Taoism is a kind of philosophy to Westerners. Here in Asia taoism is associated with spiritism, ancestral worship, amulets and various rituals. Westerners are just romanticizing oriental stuff.
Taoism has both philosophy and religious aspect in original version, but in western world. Even the philosophical of Taoism displayed not true
No it has no philosophy at all in the 'original' version. This comment is the only one I've read worth anything and that is because the majority of it is correct. Taoism is 100% a religious system based upon what was the core religion of my people in the pre-historical era. It's neither 'vague' nor 'confusing'. If you want to stick with what the CCP sell to the [redacted] of the west - fine. But don't insult our actual beliefs with this ignorant drivel.
I think every indivual will have their own time of understanding taoism. On my case it took 34 years before I have internalized the words. People will be connected once he is ready. Philosophy is not like food that we will it when it presented to us. Getting understandjng will take time.
Nonsense !!! Awakening is instant. What took you 34 years is not awakening. You are still sleep walking.
May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
@@jwu1950 Wrong video/audience to be doing this on.
@@Morphoidism The video is about Taoism which the author knows very little about and is therefore full of misinformation. The audience here spent 34 years and believed he's got an awakening. I tried to correct both of them. And my good wishes to them, and you, is that we can be blessed with the love and the peace of Jesus, which is ultimately what everybody wants.
May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
@@jwu1950 Not what I'm into, but you do you I guess. Have a good day.
@@Morphoidism That is only because you don't understand what is love and what is peace. Sad !
May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
Taoism is best with the I Ching. They are not the same but they are complementary. Personal experience.
In the book "The Road to Character", it talks about Adam 1 and Adam 2. Adam 1 is external desires, what do I want, what am I capable of. Adam 2 is morale character, doing what life calls you to do, filling the gap that you are called to fill. Taoism seems to be about developing Adam 2 and, to an extent, letting go of Adam 1
I don't think these reasons explain why Taoism is less popular than Buddhism, since all your reasons could apply to either.
Buddhism’s time period gave it easy access to bodhistavia travel across multiple regions along the Silk Road which is probably why it was able to universalize easier then Taoism even thought similar philosophy was expressed.
That's because he has zero grasp of what we believe at all. Irritating.
Any tips on where to start for Taoism? I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of it and now I’m craving to see more.
I'd start by reading the Tao Te Ching for sure if you haven't yet. Tasuki.org has a fabulous page where you can read 5 translations side by side, which is kinda nice since they all say something just a bit different. :) For me I use Taoism as another appendage of the spirituality I have been building up my whole life. Sometimes it can be hard to pull practical applications out of it, so it helps to be spiritual and meditative about how to best reflect its teachings in your own life. Cheers!
I am a qigong practitioner. So… I apply Taoist principles for health. :) I don’t claim any one religion but take principles from many. Taoist concepts of yin Yang is very helpful for even understanding parts of the Bible. Angels and demons, and essentially sayings of “when I’m weak then I’m strong” and other ideas like when Saul became Paul. He was a legalist and when his legalism hit a maximum he became the opposite and decided all things to him were lawful and taught forgiveness via Jesus. Without Paul Christianity wouldn’t be anything like it is today.
Because the authors of the books of the bible had connections to nature, it is then that there is Taoist imagiery everywhere in it.
"I am the alpha and the omega"
"I am the changing of the seasons."
And of course Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.
I love this. It It is teachings that I share with my sister and daughter on a daily basis.
Great points!
The irony is that those who need it don't want it. How taoist.
i used to be christian but have been a taoist for 2 years now, never ever did i felt this great before BUT most people won´t understand taoism and people find me very ´´floaty´´lol and i´m not.. they just pull that conclusion from practising meditation etc etc. so many people can really learn so much from eastern philosophy/wisdom but it is just not for everyone. buddhism and taoism has a lot in common tho, most people don't know that or not a lot of people (or what i think none lol) in my village don't even know that taoism is a thing
We have nothing remotely in common with the Indian faith that came to China. We spent nearly a thousand years at war with them because of it. If you westerns are going to insist on butting your noses into our beliefs - attend a University - before you start pumping our syncretism and other drivel like this. As a Chinese it's insulting. Let alone cultural appropriation.
I want to start living a daoist life but do not know where to start. I also never would like to call myself a daoist because the dao which can be told is not the eternal dao. Calling myself a daoist would never fully encompass all that it means to be a daoist. I feel that way with every word I use to label my identity. When it all comes down to it, I view labels and identities a very human things that we make up to communicate ideas with each other. However words restrict the depth to which we can express ideas. Calling myself a daoist would be useful to communicate to others a general idea of my values, however, I will strive to internally detach myself from the label and only use it as a social tool.
Taoist = Conformism
This was awesome thank you 🙏🏽
I’m sooo drawn to Taoism. It’s similar to how I’ve naturally tried to live. I’m just starting to learn about it some more, but tbh, the only part that didn’t resonate for me was remaining neutral during times of conflict. I’m here in this lifetime to fight evil. But then after I would like to go meditate alone in a cabin in the woods or something :)
I began reading the Tao Te Ching. When I was 11. I just turned 60. I'm not done yet.
I think if you actually are familiar with the Tao you know it doesn't natter if people follow it or not. They still follow it. Taoist religion is very ethnic and would be difficult for many non Chinese people to embrace. It might be good to learn to pronounce Tao/
Dao. Most of what you say here is true of any spiritual path. Most people are not interested in a path requires active participation and self accountability .
Tibetan Buddhism Dzogchen teachings and Daoism or Taoism seems so similar
Daoism is not about change or giving up one's desires. Daoism is all about focus.
5 colours make one blind. 5 sounds make one deaf.
5 tastes kill ones taste buds.
These are facts. In order to enjoy life, we can focus on one colour, one sound, and one taste at a time, and we can end up seeing the beauty of all colour, listening to the beauty of all sounds, and tasting all the tasty and delicious food. It's that simple. There is no need to change our habits. There is no need to give up any of our desires. Be natural and don't worry.
May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
wrong jackie, taoism isn't about focus, focus implies NOT letting go. giving up desires is letting go, which is what taoism is all about. peace brother.
@@jesuschrist1501 Daoism is about letting be, not about letting go. Lao Tzu stressed that almost all failures are due to letting go just a tiny bit before success. All it takes is let be and not let go, and we can have 900 times more successes. Water, for example, let be but never let go. Water is focused and persistent. Drop by drop, water can dissolve anything in its way.
Jesus is not Christ, and he is not even a Christian.
May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
@@jwu1950 letting go is also letting it be. may you learn the way properly, peace brother.
@@jesuschrist1501 Letting go means follow the flow, defeated, given up, and surrendered. Letting be means leaving them alone in their flow and not be swapped away, persisting until full victory, not quiting, and not surrendering to pressure. Socrates, Jesus, Gandhi, MLK are examples of passive resistance, letting be but never let go. See the difference ? Daoism is not like Buddism. Dao is not nothingness. Dao is full. Daoists fulfill. They are not nihilists like Atheists and Buddhists. Jesus is a Daoist.
May the love and the peace of Jesus be with us.
@@jwu1950 'The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.' chapter 1. go read the tao te ching and meditate it will change your life my friend. have a blessed day :)
1:55 the same reason why people reject or misunderstand the concept of sin
Great video, thanks!
Have you heard of Taoist sorcery it’s not really a strike system of Sorcery and it’s super secretive at that, I started practicing it after realizing my Ego is temporary and should focus on just letting the dao guide me and it directed me to sorcery.
Don't go astray，Quietness for health preservation，indeep，Energy operates by itself。
不知道翻译对不对，我想说的是：不要误入歧途，这些巫术神通都这是附带品，不要去追求这些附带品，只要保持清静，炁自己就会运行。
I’m interested in Taoism for the philosophy of flow called Wu Wei, I discovered it this month of July in 2023 and honestly it was the best discovery I made. I now want to get a book on Taoism and Wu Wei because I want to follow the philosophy of flow and be a Taoist for that. I feel no longer attached to anything and I’m willing to change. I’m a materialist and now I feel like I don’t need it in my life.
What I need in my life is my memories, loved ones, my life, Taoism, and Wu Wei. Be the flow don’t flow backwards or pushed back. lol 😂
I'm the only Taoist I know, which I seem to be quite content with. Although in some ways it may be more accurate to say I'm a Zhuangzi-ist.
I love this channel.
Taoist religion has rites, rituals and a plethora of practices that havent been mentioned here. So your early assumption of people not knowing about it was more right on the spot than you could ever imagine.
Most people can't let go of the things that are ingrained in them like religion, culture, family
Fear, as is usually the case. Fear of non-conformity and, consequently, facing the risk of social disapproval.
The type of philosophy really does not matter. True sages have always been rare and Taoism, similarly to Sufism, is an experiential teaching. The intellect can only go so far and religious dogma does not apply here.
The Flow state is a vibrational alignment that not too many people are able to reach on their own either. We all have the capacity within us but only a few are ready to truly hold higher frequencies in their field.
Peace and Love!!!
I think the big reason is that Taoism is quite simple it’s essentially the most basic description of the “light” or “god” or the “doe” it’s simplicity gives it lots of purpose but all religions try to teach the same thing in a different way with some more biases tossed in there(some good some bad). I find other religions tend to hide the duality of the universe or try to explain it in a more complex way(granted more detailed in some aspects but that complexity looses the focus of the main point a little)
It's very involved learning the various meditation techniques. I like taoism way more than buddhism but I haven't made any official move because I have way more reading to do, and no contact with a Taoist community as yet.
Yo you should join the discord if you're looking for a Taoism community!
discord.gg/SYG5D5GP2n
me is also a "practitioner" or i don't really know
For me Taoism is about being the hero of my own journey, not striving to be a hero in your eyes, or their eyes. Society is full of false dreams and judgements, Taoism reminds us to seek our inner virtue and truth and value it over popular narratives.
This probably means one needs to be satisfied and pleased with ones own life despite not being recognized by others as being "successful" in society's eyes.
Finally, Taoism teaches me to slow down and taste each morsel of food, each moment of life and be fully immersed in the present. Taoism frees me to be me, not to be a slave to it.
awesome, thank you for that...
Most people will not become Taoist, because it's pronounced Daoist, and Daoism
@@P-diddleton-the-4th How about you ask a Zen Buddhist instead?
@@P-diddleton-the-4th Funny that. In 2005.
@@P-diddleton-the-4th Not for an orphan, it isn't.
Alan watts planted the seed of Tao for me and I am so grateful!
The irony between saying most people wouldn't try hard to improve themselves while acknowledging they still strive as hard as they can to achieve happiness in modern society (even if they're not doing it the "correct" way).
I don’t think it’s correct to say why ppl don’t become Taoist. I’m Buddhist Toaist myself. And believe most Chinese are the same. China has pretty much successfully integrated Buddhism, Taoism and Confuciusm so much that we no longer identify as such. We live it out.
Taoism really isn't about self-improvement at all. It may seem so if you look at it superficially in some regard, but in essence it is not about self-improvement at all. I find it sad nowadays how many videos about taoism are published propagating messages that are anything but taoist.
I cannot say that I desire money and things really however I have been abused as a child and this does take time to get over
I've read that it can take a life time however I really like the Tao and believe in it God or not Being at peace without a mind I've been there and it's better than any medication for your feelings for me so far Letting go is like heaven brief but it was there I'm learning and like many it's going to take a while Thank-you for your honest video
Enjoyable. Thanks.
even a passing familiarity benefits, over a long time. the seeds have been sown.
Brilliant Fantastic
As a Taoist myself, thinking is great exercise for science, and feeling is how you exercise the Tao, since it can't be spoken.
X × (0) ÷ X ^ 2 = ❤
Maybe a weird question, but is there an "official organization" of Taoism? I know there is in China, but was wondering of elsewhere or throughout other countries.
This, I think, is one of the primary struggles not mentioned in the video. The lack of fellowship and structure that most religions provide. I've had trouble finding anything in my area and what I have found is fee-based training or classes/retreats rather than anything resembling a temple (or my concept of one anyway). Then there's the additional challenge of perhaps not feeling quite as at home in the religious components as the philosophical ones. Regardless, I hope you find something that feels right to you.
@@thenellierose Great points :) From what I have found, nothing really seemed to fit (my perception) of Taoist practice. Nonetheless, I was also looking for "official" meditation practices a Taoist might undertake. Thanks again for your answer. :)
Ya a lot of people ask this question ha. Taoism seems to kind of occupy the spot of a philosophy more than a religion in a lot of ways. Lots of people practice qigong or tai chi as sort of a physical supplement to it. I think it helps to sort of consider it as an appendage to an already-in-the-works spirituality that you have been forming over the course of your life, and that will continue to develop as you have more life experiences. There's lots of truth to be found everywhere. :) Hope that helps.
@@sonjoiboi Thanks for that :) Appreciate the answer. I have heard of these movements (also Yoga and other exercises). Though I have never tried much beyond calisthenics and other body weight exercises.
how do you advertise for silence?
Taoism is not about changing behavior. Not in the least.
I Was raised, Christian. Dao is brilliant, and liberating. Along with Qigong. Now I'm an Israelite Daoist lol
Great video!
be here now be still close eyes listen to your breathing rest in present awareness.
So what if he wants to pronounce it otherwise. What does that have to do with anything question mark does pronouncing it with a T or D impact one’s practice of it or validity of it or anything?
Don't rush it, only they who understand will agree
Great work
The thing with Taoism, is every criticism of the system is met with: "That's not what Taoism is." Makes the philosophy look disingenuous to me.
Daoism is a very elusive system. I think its main goal is to encourage detachment and to recognize the paradoxes in human nature and dealing with people.
Thank you for your video. What started you on your journey with Taoism? Was it a trip or book? Did you start with the Tao Te Ching?
Honestly I think I just got curious and started reading the Tao Te Ching. I really liked what I read and just wanted to kind of record what I was learning in a video format that someone else could benefit from and that I could look back on to remember
@@sonjoiboi Thank you for your reply. I will look for a good translation.
Thank you for this video 🙏
Cheers!
The "T" is pronounced as a "D". Hope you found that helpful.
I am ordained Daoist Priest. If you are brave enough to want to become a Daoist, I would be more than happy to help…When you understand the laws of nature, the world is your playground.
@DREAMSCAPE I have to say, many from an intellectual, research based perspective on Daoism generally do a poor job on explaining Daoism, hence this video, which leads people astray. It is important to understand that Daoist philosophy is based on the paradox nature of all things. Therefore, when it comes to something like education, you have to be educated enough to come to the understanding that you don’t need to be educated more than you need to. In other words, when you learn all that it is you need to know about something intellectually, you need to know to “let go” and seek a more profound understanding. There is only so much information you need, and truly deeper understanding of anything comes from a much more “knowing” of something that can only be grasped by going beyond the intellect, such as having an energetic/ spiritual experience. So Daoism is really saying, don’t depend on information to give you all the answers, instead, go beyond those limitations.
So, with that out of the way, when it comes to educating your kids from a Daoist perspective, you want them to learn and advance just as any one would generally want for their kids, but I would include that if my kids want to truly go beyond the limitations of logic, they will have to learn specific techniques to achieve this, that they will not teach you in any general education school system. “You have to learn in order to unlearn”.
@DREAMSCAPE In China, where Daoism originates from, the education system is much more demanding for all students, and being a communist country being Taoist isn’t as accommodating as you think. Honestly, in Daoism you come to accept the world is always chaotic, so there is no reason to make any sense of it. So in Daoist practices we are always working on creating harmony in any given situation, as effortless as possible, (Wu Wei). So, no matter what life situations propose them selves we seek peace. However one chooses to have your children educated, as a Daoist parent I strive to inform them between what will create peace and what will not, based what ever they are learning in school or in life in general. “In order to learn who you are, you have to learn who are not”.
Please upload veido daily you will reach great high
Buttery Toast, not burnt, for Taoism ☯️
great video Sonjoi❤️
I practice Tai Chi but I am really into jugglism (juggling balls). It is super therapeutic.
Because it requires people with strong brains and it's easier when learned from a young age. Because it is the lacking of and resistance to chaotic, cancerous thoughts.
Was not expecting avatar on this random click
I think of myself as a taoist but i wonder if there are ways to learn more of it, or habits and quotes to live by and stuff like that. I have the book of the Dao and read most of it but i find it kinda hard not only to understand but also to apply and be more focused on my ideology
Habits, and quotes to live by - it is ego. Go with the flow and let the authentic personality emerge.
@@mirjana9490 thanks for the advice i really appreciate it. Still, im in a situation in which i feel like i have to define my thoughts and feeling, even if i know deep down that its completely unnecessary and even harmful sometimes
@@ancientdarkness3102 I understand. Plus, one person - one way, so we all differ much.
I am a Taoist. And I do not only adhere to the "philosophy", I adhere to the plainly religious aspects of it as well.
I am an initiated Taoist. Taoism to layman is a religion, and person who try to encourage us to be Taoist over do it, put it very simply, Taoism is a philosophy and not a religion, ordinary just be law forbidding and behavior like good person
Google 老子天地鬼神目录 (translates to Laozi's Catalog of Heaven, Earth, Ghosts and Gods, this piece of Taoism is relatively unknown)
Taoism is both a religion and a philosophy, Zhengyi Dao lineage for example, but the religious version is more like Chinese folk religion
I definitely admire some of its teachings but find much of Taoism way too superstitious and for that reason have leaned more towards Confucianism.
Difficult to convince me that few are Taoist given that one off e most populace nations in the world has Taoism woven into its very culture of the people.
The nature of Taoism is such that it is odd and a bit obtuse to identify oneself as a Taoist even though one practices it in their lives.
The real reason Daoism is less popular than Buddhism even in China is because Buddhism was supported by the last dynasty (Qing dynasty) during 350 years.
Taoism is not ment for everybody - only for the "old" souls. In the chinese culture confucianism is for the "normal" people, taoism for the old ones. In our culture you see the same difference between the spirit of Old Testament and the sublime teachings of NT Jesus. There is a necessary path of development for every soul, and you have to "have seen it all" before you are mature enough for taoism.
Brilliant illustration of tao ,
While I find this so true, these reason to not take the instruction from the teaching is the very reason I chose to fellow it and advance the nature of my person as I am a myth buster on myself as I was hit and blown 35 ft from a lighting strike while reading the Bible reliziing the old and new testament are completely different religions and Christianity is a hijack teaching that is spiritual death as a person gives up improving themselves after accepting a mythical Savior so you no long seek to discover to improve your character and understanding of the nature of life...
This has nothing to do with other people being Taoist…I ask a Taoist I I could veil and went off on my beliefs and went on a rant about how I’m goofing off in religion….im not gonna let someone tell me no just because they think I’m playing with religion….
i found out i am Taoist by reading about it and realising my life had already been this i just never had a book but nonetheless i am :)
The essence of so-called Taoism has nothing to do with belief, and certainly nothing to do with becoming a Taoist. At best, the path of Tao is a profound realization; a recognition, a remembering. Within that realization there are no words, no concepts, and nothing to follow because you cannot follow what you are, and you cannot arrive when you never left.
Namaste!
Kalergie argued that philosophies like Taoism or Buddism make people passive and therefore weak, that's my reason to reject it