taoism

/taoism30

The 道/TAO/DAO doesn’t take sides; It gives birth to both good and evil. The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to. Any language is welcome here, you can become a member of this channel by clicking on "Join" anytime.

Thirty spokes are joined in the wheel's hub.
The hole in the middle makes it useful.
Mold clay into a bowl.
The empty space makes it useful.
Cut out doors and windows for the house.
The holes make it useful.
Therefore, the value comes from what is there,
But the use comes from what is not there.
https://www.taoistic.com/taoteching-laotzu/taoteching-11.htm
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This channel is dedicated to both Taoist philosophy and ideology, as well as some light discussion of Taoist religious practices. Other ideologies including but not limited to traditional taoism, Taoism the philosophy ideology, cybertaoism, cryptotaoism, and taonarchy are all welcome here.

Feel free to talk about anything in your life, your thoughts, and express yourself here. There's only one strict rule to keep in mind: no spamming.
She speaks water - 183Aaros

If water was a language,
she whispers above the earth,
her sound jumping on the rocks,
flying, shouting through the tunnels,
every request of the nature, she responds,
everywhere she went to, she embraces
When everyone in the world sees beauty,
Then ugly exists.
When everyone sees good,
Then bad exists.
Therefore:
What is and what is not create each other.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Tall and short shape each other.
High and low rest on each other.
Voice and tone blend with each other.
First and last follow each other.
So, the sage acts by doing nothing,
Teaches without speaking,
Attends all things without making claim on them,
Works for them without making them dependent,
Demands no honor for his deed.
Because he demands no honor,
He will never be dishonored.
https://www.taoistic.com/taoteching-laotzu/taoteching-02.htm
The Way that can be walked is not the eternal Way.
The name that can be named is not the eternal name.
The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of all things.
Therefore: Free from desire you see the mystery.
Full of desire you see the manifestations.
These two have the same origin but differ in name.
That is the secret, The secret of secrets,
The gate to all mysteries.
https://www.taoistic.com/taoteching-laotzu/taoteching-01.htm
Attain utmost emptiness.
Abide in steadfast stillness.
All things arise in unison.
Thereby we see their return.
All things flourish,
And each returns to its source.
Returning to the source is stillness.
It is returning to one's fate.
Returning to one's fate is eternal.
Knowledge of the eternal is realization.
Not knowing of the eternal leads to unfortunate errors.
Knowledge of the eternal is all-embracing.
To be all-embracing leads to righteousness,
Which is majestic.
To be majestic leads to the Heavenly.
To be Heavenly leads to the Way.
The Way is eternal.
Until your last day, you are free from peril.
The Way is ever without action,
Yet nothing is left undone.
If princes and kings can abide by this,
All things will form themselves.
If they form themselves and desires arise,
I subdue them with nameless simplicity.
Nameless simplicity will indeed free them from desires.
Without desire there is stillness,
And the world settles by itself.

https://www.taoistic.com/taoteching-laotzu/taoteching-37.htm
What should be shrunken must first be stretched.
What should be weakened must first be strengthened.
What should be abolished must first be cherished.
What should be deprived must first be enriched.
This is called understanding the hidden.
The soft and weak overcome the hard and strong.
The fish cannot leave the deep waters.
The state's weaponry should not be displayed.
https://www.taoistic.com/taoteching-laotzu/taoteching-36.htm
Heavy is the root of light.
Stillness is the ruler of haste.

Therefore:
Although he travels all day,
The sage never loses sight of his luggage carts.
Only when he rests securely inside the walls,
He relaxes his attention.

Why would a ruler with ten thousand chariots
Look lightly on himself or his domain?
In lightness the root is lost.
In haste the ruler is lost.

https://www.taoistic.com/taoteching-laotzu/taoteching-26.htm
your reputation or your health? your body or your stuff? gain or lose?
Attach too much to something, and you'll end up spending a lot on it.
Collect too much of something, and you'll end up losing a lot.
Knowing what is enough, then you won't be confused.
Realise when to stop, then you won't be abused.
This is the way to have a long and peaceful future.
I’m really glad to see finally there are some modern, western thinker are really trying to understanding Taoism, one of the most underrated philosophical treasure.
When the wisest hear the Dao, they pack up their package and embark on the path of seeking the Dao. When the normies hear the Dao, they may grasp a fragment of its meaning but eventually let it slip away. A fool who hears of the Dao may laugh out loud or even mock it. If the Dao is not laughed at, it would not be worthy of being the Dao. Thus, the brightest path seems dim, the way forward appears to lead backwards, and the most righteous path could also be the most challenging.
The Dao is eternal and indescribable. Though it appears small and unrefined, no one and nothing in the world dares to disdain it. If the founders could understand the Dao and remain humble, all governance activities and organic factors within the organisation would operate autonomously. Every step and every necessary condition for achieving the common goal would be timely and aligned. In this case, there would be no need for a governor to give orders, and people would naturally share the results.
There are many ways and methods in the world. Some value obscurity, while others value clarity; some value strength, while others value weakness. Upholding any of them is about specific affairs, while not adhering to any of them is following the Dao. Master Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) enlightens us: Try not to break things down and deconstruct them into fragmented pieces (such as simply labelled 'right' and 'wrong') which leads us further away from the truth. One's right might be another's wrong. When you stop trying to fit ideas into 'right or wrong', and instead, try to figure out 'what exactly it is', from different perspectives, you may get closer to the true essence of the world.
Great completeness seems incomplete, its functioning is never impaired. Great fullness seems empty, its functioning is never exhausted. Great straightness seems bent, great skill seems clumsy, and great eloquence seems inarticulate. Activity overcomes cold, and tranquility overcomes heat. Pure tranquillity can bring order to the world.
Superficial satisfactions can distract us from deeper, more meaningful experiences and truths. The pursuit of hunting and racing drives the human mind to madness. Rare treasures create obstacles for human conduct what their true values and priorities. Therefore, stay focus on the sage attends to the belly and not to the eye, mind what you need instead of what you desire.
If you treat good or bad things like it is attached to your life or even treat those things as the way of your identities, you will never find peace and live in anxiety.

What is it then? What is the origin of this kind of attachment or anxiety? It is because we may over-appreciate or depreciate all the good and bad things during our life journey.

Do not ask life for meaning or seek for meaning through these inputs from outside. Pure being means there's nothing you should do and worry about too much, and that's the natural way of life.
I reposted this cast to my WeChat moment, one of my 上清派(The school of Upper clarity? idk how to translate this) Daoist (Taoism religion) senior sister liked it and shows high interest in knowing more about decentralised social... forming cryptotaoism 😂 ...
Tao Te Ching by Laozi - Some books a16z reading this summer 2024

…from Brett Kim, engineering team

“The truth is within you!”

https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/book-recommendation-reading-list-summer-2024/
Heaven and Earth exhibit no preferential benevolence; they regard all things as ephemeral straw dogs.

The sage shows no preferential benevolence; it views the multitude as transient like straw dogs.

The space between Heaven and Earth, isn't it akin to a bellows?

Empty yet never exhausted, the more it operates, the more it brings forth.

Abundant speech meets its demise; it is better to stay grounded in the essence of being.

(The Dao De Jing by Laozi, Han dynasty silk edition 206~195 B.C)
By not elevating the virtuous, society avoids competition. By not treasuring scarce goods, it prevents theft. By not showing temptations, it maintains order.

(The Dao De Jing by Laozi, Han dynasty silk edition 206~195 B.C)