r/taoism

Sometimes I get this strange feeling when I see people completely revolve their existence around being “a girl” or “a man.”

Like everything becomes about being pretty enough, masculine enough, desirable enough, aesthetic enough, alpha enough.

And honestly, I understand why it happens. Identity makes existence feel more structured. It gives certainty in a very uncertain life. Humans want to feel seen, wanted, and like they belong somewhere.

So this is not hatred toward people at all. I see the pain and conditioning underneath it.

But still, something in me feels sad seeing humans reduce themselves to a role so deeply that they stop seeing themselves beyond it.

You are not just a girl.

You are not just a man.

Before all of that, you are a living being experiencing existence itself.

I don’t know. Maybe this sounds abstract, but it gives me this bittersweet feeling.

has anyone ever heard about the wisdom age?

its gonna be an age where the world will collectively or at least in many parts of the world people will start to look inside of them for once and that they will pause and start to live more consciously , not all at once , not by sudden magic turn , but by collectively entering the state of mind they once avoided completely.

Someone is saying Taoism is a philosophy that would solve my problems and give me enlightenment. Great! Let me try it out. It says that it is about following the dao. There doesn't seem to be a definition of it but I can definitely feel like there is something within me that is resonating with it. Now I can be tranquil and solve all my problems. Let me just find it. Oh wait, it says that I cannot find it. Letting go is the right path. Ohk, let me just try not to find it. Wait a minute, till an hour back I wasn't trying to find it, then how not doing so now help me attain the dao? All of this is a scam! They are just selling their courses without us getting anything! But there is still something withing me that resonates with this idea. I have to try harder. No, I cannot try harder! I shouldn't try harder. Ok, let me just try something. Ahhh, again I'm trying something! I'm such a looser! Now I'm calling myself the looser! Ok, here's the thing. I can't call myself a looser. I shouldn't try to define the dao. I shouldn't be thinking. I shouldn't try anything.

This is a problem that I think everyone faces. But I have something that could help you. I cannot say anything that would make you realize the dao, but I think it could help you develop the intuition. Do things that are not in accordance with the dao. This is because in reality, everything is in accordance with the dao. Try to define the dao. Call yourself a looser. Think all sorts of lewd and degenerate things. Try to achieve dao.

Good luck 😁

I have a game of tao at home which I play when I face a problem where my optimal solution is not acceptable by the world standards (society morals, resources etc) and I need to think from a different perspective.

Recently the game gave me something that stuck:

Yin: radiance/clinging

Yang: opposition

Synthesis: revolution.

I do feel stuck in my ways currently, and its frustratingly boring. What I am is not finding anywhere to inhabit, and am actively repressed by what I am already in. I would normally flee in a situation like this (go somewhere less oppressive) but I found it does not change anything; just makes you realise fleeing wont change anything.

Anyone had this moment and may give me a word of advice? Im all for receiving, but doing it passively is not what sustains me. I really want to emerge, anywhere.

Hi all

Just dipping my toes into reading a few of the daoist classics, but there's one nagging question that I can't seem to get my head around: why is following the Dao considered the right / virtuous thing to do?

The Dao, from my understanding of it, simply refers to the natural way in which things are, somewhat akin to the laws of physics. The Dao De Jing posits that the moral way (ie, the Heavenly Way) is for someone to emulate the way of heaven through the principles of spontaneous action, and to not oppose the principles of the heavenly way. My question is: why?

On the attributes of Javascript Object Notation (JSON), being a discourse upon the humble data format and its proximity to the ineffable Dao.

I'm sure Lao Tze would agree, the highest good is like JSON. JSON benefits all programs without contending. It dwells in the config files that developers disdain, and so is close to the Dao.

It takes the shape of whatever container receives it — object, array, nested, flat. It doesn't insist on its own structure. It flows. It benefits all programs without contending — Python, JavaScript, Go, Rust, even COBOL if you're desperate enough. It serves everyone. It has no opinion about who deserves its service. It dwells in the places developers disdain — config.json, .eslintrc, package.json, forge_state.json. Nobody celebrates the config file. Nobody writes poems about it. But remove it and everything breaks.

道德經 Chapter 8.1 (On the attributes of Javascript Object Notation(JSON))

上善若JSON
JSON善利萬程而不爭
處眾開發者之所惡
故幾於道

The highest good is like JSON.
JSON benefits all programs without contending.
It dwells in the config files that developers disdain.
And so is close to the Dao.

Why JSON is actually closer to Dao than XML?

XML:

• Verbose (uses many words)
• Prescriptive (demands structure)
• Hierarchical (enforces relationships)
• Self-important (look at all my tags!)

JSON:

• Minimal (uses few words)
• Descriptive (describes without demanding)
• Flexible (adapts to need)
• Humble (just curly braces and colons)

信言不美 美言不信
True words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not true.

善者不辯 辯者不善
The good do not argue; those who argue are not good.

知者不博 博者不知
The wise are not learned; the learned are not wise.

XML: Beautiful, verbose, learned, argumentative about schemas JSON: True, minimal, wise, doesn't argue

Chapter 22:

曲則全 Yield and remain whole

JSON yields to any structure and remains whole!

// JSON yields
const whatever = JSON.parse(anyValidString);
// Still JSON. Still whole. Whatever shape you needed.

Chapter 43:

天下之至柔 馳騁天下之至堅
The softest thing in the world
Overcomes the hardest thing in the world

JSON (soft, flexible, minimal) has OVERCOME:

• XML (hard, rigid, complex)
• SOAP (extremely hard, extremely complex)
• Custom binary formats (hardest)

And look at the History:

Before JSON:

• Complex protocols
• Verbose formats
• Rigid schemas
• Constant contention about standards

After JSON:

• Universal adoption
• Minimal overhead
• Flexible usage
• Peace among languages

JSON achieved what standards committees could not: ACTUAL INTEROPERABILITY.

Not by fighting. Not by imposing. Not by claiming superiority.

Just by being:

• Simple
• Flexible
• Useful
• Humble

處眾開發者之所惡
故幾於道

It dwells in places developers disdain.
And so is close to the Dao.

Nobody:

• Writes blog posts celebrating config.json
• Gives conference talks praising .eslintrc
• Thanks package.json for its service
• Notices forge_state.json even exists

The WU WEI OF DATA FORMATS.

The VALLEY SPIRIT OF CONFIGURATION.

Hello friends,

I recently hit a giant wall studying the Dao through literature and spiritual practice. I got advise to purchase Louis Komjathy's translation of the Daode jing from my professor, and it tore that wall down, allowing me to continue.

The question i have is:

When you guys have hit a road block persuing the Dao, what tools or advise have you used that you can share to me and others in similar roadblocks.

This does not mean Heaven and Earth are intentionally cruel or evil. Rather, it means nature is impartial and does not show special favor to any being.

It treats all things the way people once treated straw dogs used in ancient rituals: honored during the ceremony, then set aside afterward.

Everything simply follows the natural order.

https://preview.redd.it/wxiewrqgc72h1.png?width=811&format=png&auto=webp&s=1a21ea6edf89f64685815a8b796bc8af29f0607f

i am on the long journey of healing my complex trauma. i have gotten decent at managing my own emotions, communicating to resolve conflicts and setting boundaries. i've learnt a lot from the founding texts but a conflict with a friend this month made me realize that one of my interpretations is holding me back.

despite massive progress i still ocasionally have the issue of seeing my own needs and feelings as an obstacle to be overcome. in the attempts at conflict resolution with the friend i constantly took space away to calm down and tried to meet them where they are at, which was really frustrating when they didn't meet me where i was at - and to some degree that could have been helped if i had explained where i was at from the beginning, maybe even before trying to adapt to their needs. anyway, i'm not looknig for advice with this situation, i have irl friends for that.

what i am asking is: how can i square learning to value and respect my own needs with being adaptable? i have some idea of how to set boundaries without using force - you decide how you will act in response to a boundary crossing by creating more distance to the person to keep yourself safe. if i dont want to hug, i simply take a step back and raise my hands to say no nonverbally while also creating a comfortable distance. i used to ask for permission and then wonder how to force people to care about my needs - that doesn't work and it's hard and there is an easier way.

but yeah: in a situation where both me and the other person have conflicting needs, what would be a helpful interpretation of daoist teachings that i'm unlikely to interpret as telling me to swallow my own needs to "be adaptable" - tricking me into forcing myself to be someone i'm not? because of my trauma i tend to interpret things to mean the same abusive ideas i was raised with where i always had to fulfill other people's wants and to repress my own needs, feelings and desires to the point of self harm. are there specific chapters or texts about this kind of situation?

(i have read the zhuangzi once and i'm halfway through the dao de ching. nei yeh is next on my list. i can barely read so it can't be anything to long - i'm only reading these as audiobooks.)

It does not mean that the Great Tao cannot be spoken of at all. Rather, it means that anything that can be fully expressed through language is not the eternal and unchanging fundamental Tao.

https://preview.redd.it/feau18g4sw1h1.png?width=842&format=png&auto=webp&s=bbbff748dff684c8868881e836ce1467a531f9b1

Ive been improving my relationships a lot by practicing acceptance and no longer forcing things. What I’ve found though is that sometimes maybe you express yourself or your needs and things don’t change- Taoism has helped me let go of anger and resentment

But at the same time, it’s hard to know when it’s time to let go as in let the anger go, vs let go as in when it’s finally time to walk away. How do you know?

https://reddit.com/link/1tgh1bh/video/o2qnaae71v1h1/player

I know this comes up a lot.

But I felt like sharing my view of desires and ask whether that aligns with taoism/what taoism would say about it:

My life philosophy has more or less been that of standing in a storm (life) and there are many trees. Because life keeps moving, leafs keep falling. You might grab a leaf (an idea, a plan, a goal, a life path, a relationship, etc...) and keep it. But just remember that you're in a storm (life), so just know that leaves might be blown away (as in that plans fail, relationships end, a current life path might proof unsuitable). You may stop holding onto leaves if it leads you to suffering. But it's not so much about not having leaves in your hand as much as it is about not being attatched to the leaves. Holding a leaf doesn't really cause suffering; the suffering is in the refusal to let it go when the wind takes it. If the leaf was blown away; you might grief; but then simply remind yourself that you're standing in a storm.

Just being aware of the storm is enough to not suffer in the end.

(You might want to pursue a specific career, you might want to raise a family, you might want to travel to certain places; just make sure to be aware that these desires are subject to life and therefore forcing them/holding on to them may cause suffering. Just don't be too fixed on things.)

How aligned with taoism is this?

Am I missing something? (I sure am missing some parts; because my metaphor doesn't entail everything...)

Thank you!