Zen

Taoism + Buddhism = Zen Buddhism.

Evidence of the overlapping philosophy can be found at the end of verse 44 of the Tao Te Ching. What does it say? I'll write right here...

Be content, rest in your own fullness--
You will not suffer from loss
You'll avoid the snare of this world
You'll have long life and endless blessings

Why desire what you don't have? When you realize how much you already have, then your life is fulfilled. I'm not talking about materialist things and stuff. Everything you ever need is always with you. That's why you were born they way you were. But how should I know? You are an anonymous blog reader. Don't freak me out.

I Read the News Today

From The Economic Times at http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Editorials/
You_are_one_with_God/articleshow/2654057.cms

Here is the full text:

Our minds aren’t individually separated entities of the universe. They’re all one. They’re the same. Our minds are interlinked and directly affect each other. This is collective consciousness.

If we catch a cold from someone, we may suffer physically for a few days and we may eventually get over it. But when we catch thoughts from people, we suffer mentally forever. Not just once, but forever. Similarly, our thoughts affect people around us. Our thoughts affect not only those touched by it, but every living thing on our planet.

This connection doesn’t end at the mental level. A deeper connection exists at the deeper levels of consciousness. We can perceive these as energy layers of our body. There are seven energy layers: physical, pranic, mental, subtle, causal, cosmic, and nirvanic.

We all seem different entities, with many differences, at the physical level. We, God and master are physically removed from each other at this level. There is a great deal of distance at the physical level. When we love someone intimately at physical level, his or her love and suffering affects us. We don’t want to suffer but we cannot escape from it. We suffer again and again, whether it’s a physical pain or mental suffering or spiritual bondage. It comes and goes out of your being.

We suffer because we aren’t aware that we’re a part of the collective consciousness. Until we become aware and realise that we are a part of collective consciousness, we think that we’ve an individual identity, a separate ego. In the deeper levels, we don’t have an individual entity; we are a part of collective consciousness.

Let us dive a little deeper, move from the physical level and enter into the next level, the pranic level. The distance is somewhat reduced. Travel farther down, dive deeper to the subtle level the distance between us and master get further reduced. This in turn reduces the distance between us, God and master. The distance between God, master, and us constantly shrinks as we enter into deeper energy layers.

Our journey ends at the nirvanic level where there is no distance between God, master, and us. We are all one. We reach the centre of the universal energy.

Yes, it is very difficult for the intellect to believe or accept it. Your mind will resist it. But, this is the truth. You are God and you become aware of it as you ascend the energy layers.

Fusion (take one)

Endlessly creating
Is poetry necessary?
Endlessly pulsating
With comfortable perfection; hygienic future

Whatever we see or don’t see
They contemplate the annihilation (always imminent) of art.
Whatever exists or doesn’t exist
At this point they desire more artistic art.

Tao is limitless, unborn, eternal—
Hygiene becomes purity o God o God
She is the very face of the Absolute
The gate to the source of all things eternal
Listen to Her voice
Hear it echo through creation
Must we cease to believe in words?
Since when have they expressed the opposite of what the organ emitting them thinks and wants?

Without fail, She reveals her presence
Without fail, She brings us to our own perfection
Here is the greatest secret:
The thought is made in the mouth.
I still consider myself very charming.

Transcribing Over

I haven’t been posting too much on this blog because I’ve been transcribing the Tao Te Ching since March. I have finally completed it today, so I will be able to post on this blog more regularly. I thought I would be able to both transcribe and personalize the transcription on this blog at the same time, but that ended up becoming too time-consuming—up to three hours a day!

Now I can replace the transcription time with blogging time. I will also try to interweave some dada-type writings to cut through the seriousness, as my life philosophy is to balance life as spiritually serious and humorously meaningless.

Also, the goal of this blog has been compromised because I have recently read a book called Counter Culture Through the Ages which addressed similar themes. The author successfully connected Taoism to dadaism along with other countercultures such as the popular movement in the late Sixties and the Transcendentalists of the mid 19th Century. Even though I've been inspired by his book, I will try to keep this blog focused on the two counter cultures, both of which have been reactions to great wars of their time.

Taoism pointed out the flaws of Confucian philosophy that brought on countless wars in Asia. Dadaism pointed out the flaws of modern European civiliazation that brought on the first World War. What are the flaws of today's society that brought on today's wars? There are many, but I believe the main ones to be global capitalism and fundamentalist monotheism.

God is money.

Philosophy Update

After reading through the excerpts of my philosophy, I can clearly see the dualism that unite and divide humans and myself. Since this is my blog, I'll just go on about myself.

I like dadaism for self-expression and I like Taoism for self-reflection. I see that a balance of self-expression and self-reflection keep one "healthy." If I express myself too much (like on blogs), I may grow to become egocentric--expressing myself only to admire the sound of my own voice or the style of my own writing. On the other hand, if I become too withdrawn due to my excessive self-reflection, I may lose touch with friends and family. Perhaps I would gain enlightenment but it would be at the expense of living in the modern world. I'm beginning to sound as if I'm advocating the middle ground or the "middle way," which is Taoist.

For me to clearly understand Taoism, I look at the pair of opposites, specifically unity and individuality. Unity could be interpreted as the yin (feminine) and individuality could be interpreted as the yang (masculine). Later on, I will try to express my philosophy through my intepretation of the Tao Te Ching.

My Philosophy

Before I "discovered" Taoism, I finally wrote down my perceptions on metaphysical issues. I compared what I wrote down to the summaries of all major world religions and found that Taoism was the closest to my personal philosophy. Here are the some of things I wrote back in October of 2004.

Truths
1. All things imaginable have existed, exist, or will exist.
2. All events have happened, are happening, or will happen.
3. Everything imaginable exists.
4. Everything imaginable is possible.

Myths (or I lack faith in...)
"Heaven" in the traditional sense.
Determinism (by an all-controlling God)
"Evil" in the traditional sense.

Beliefs
I believe in God as the source of energy.
I believe in the unity of all humanity through goodness.
I believe that the destruction of life should be avoided at all costs.
I believe that humans are instinctively good because we are born with the same ambition to bring everlasting peace and harmony in the world.
I believe evil is expressed because of people’s frustrations with their limitations.
I believe the ambition of power is the biggest obstacle in obtaining peace and harmony.
I believe in life after death.

UNITY & INDIVIDUALITY
At this moment in time, I see life as the experience of individuality and “the other life” as the experience of unity. When we are born as human beings, we are taken away from the union of mother and child and given our own individuality. It takes years for a child to gain the experience of individuality. It takes even longer for people to gain the experience of total individuality, which can be synonymous with freedom. I believe that as long as we are living, our goal is to become all that we can become as individuals; we should celebrate our own individuality. In addition, we should equally celebrate the individuality of others. This is very difficult for people and societies to do.
I believe the main cause for the struggle for people to celebrate total individuality and freedom is rooted in power. Using a Christian term, I believe that power is the ultimate “sin.” Power corrupts people. The pursuit of power causes mistrust and fear. And the prolonging of mistrust and fear causes hate and destructive conflict.
How does this relate to individuality? Power is the negative expression of individuality. Instead of celebrating one’s individuality, one is enforcing one’s own individuality. For example, if I take my own beliefs and share them with others, I am celebrating my individuality by saying, “This is my idea. Let me share it with you.” If I take my beliefs and force them upon others, I enforce my individuality by saying, “This is my idea. Follow it because it is good.” That quote sounds a lot like many popular deities.
Even if my idea is good, I cannot force it upon others because then I am corrupted. I can share the idea, and celebrate others’ individuality by letting them decide. If I force anything upon others, such as ideas (mentally) and work (physically), I take away people’s individuality. They lose their own freedoms. In a sense, I become greater than them. I am better, and I deserve more. People start to fear me. Others with the same goal start to mistrust me. A competitive cycle has begun. I want people to unite under me. And that type of unity, submissiveness is never permanent. The only permanent unity is the one experienced after life.
During one’s life, we see many individuals (disguised behind a group of individuals) who want to unite the world. Uniting the world is an inherent goal every individual has, but it can never be obtained by force. Everyone wants to bring harmony and peace to the world, and this can only be achieved by letting other’s be, by celebrating everyone’s individuality. People in power refuse to do this because they will lose their power. World unity can only be achieved if people stop seeking power.
The human species is so removed from nature nowadays that we do not need the desire for power to survive. The greatest threat people have in this world is themselves. We are not going to be dominated by any other species or beings (unless extraterrestrial life exists, but that’s a separate concept). In one outlook, it is depressing to know that the world will never unite peacefully as long as there is a struggle for power. In another outlook, it is uplifting to know that the world will be united without struggle. A war will never bring unity unless the war has convinced every person to give up the struggle.
It is also comforting to know that unity will be experienced upon death, the end of our individuality. We no longer experience the world as an individual, but as a being united with the world. After life, we cannot express ourselves because we do not have ourselves. We are “one with God,” pure energy, merged with the Creator, fused to the universe. This is a peaceful time where we feel the whole universe and understand its existence. Perceptions and conceptions are infinite and shared. It is also constant, without measure of time and space. It is death, and it should not be feared. The fear of death is the chief cause for every individual to submit under people of power.
In conclusion, there are two known experiences: life and death or individuality and unity. All who read this currently experience life or individuality, and fear death. If the reader is forced to read this, I have gained power over them. If the reader is interested in reading this, the reader and I have celebrated our individuality—the reader has decided what to do with the information and I have shared my thoughts. If the reader demands to read this, he has gained power over me.

Identity Crisis

This Taoist/Dada fascination is part of the building of an identity I have for myself. As I put up some Taoist bricks, I am taking down some Christianity bricks. I don't get rid of all my Christianity bricks because Jesus and all those Jews in the Old Testament said and did some things I agree with. My Christian family members worry when they see me take down some Christian bricks. I don't want to get too much into religion, so I'll stop here.

I was talking about identity. It seems that once we get the physical world figured out enough, we spend the rest of our lives dealing with our own identity. I thought I had myself pegged ten years ago, but I didn't. I keep changing, but it is a predictable and comfortable change.

What I'm discovering these days is that identity is a coping mechanism. Once I declare that I am Taoist, then it's easier for me to make decisions concerning philosophy and spirituality. Once I declare that I am a liberal, then it's easier for me to make decisions concerning politics. Some people don't go that far. They just stick to the religion they were born into to maintain their lasting relationships. As for politics, people change that all the time. Usually middle-of-the-road is safest because it helps with maintaining relationships.

I am thinking of a very risky experiment. It is doing something that goes against your identity. When you do that, you've threatened your relationships and your way of coping with the world. Friends will say, "Why did you do that? I thought I knew you." And you'll reflect and say, "I don't know what I am."

I also think of idenity in terms of preferences. During adolescent years, we experiment with many consumer products (I'm speaking for the privileged folks in "first-world" nations) and base our identity on what we like and dislike. Teenagers are very impressionable, so commercials play a big role in our preferences. For example, when I was a teenager I was a Pepsi boy and not a Coca-Cola boy. You can tell which decade I grew up in based on that example. I see many teenagers basing their identity on products they like. It is sickening, but many people grow out of it. Hey, it helps the economy.

Once I got beyond basing my identity on what was on television, I went to music and its message. Suddenly I became Beatle boy. And I fused my ideals with John Lennon's until it got uncomfortable like posing naked on an album cover. I couldn't do that. My Beatles identity was too limited and obsessive, so I broadened to the ideals of the late Sixties. But the Sixties were in the past, and some ideas back then didn't translate well into the current day. That's when I simplified it to just liberal ideals. It was convenient anyway because I was attending a liberal liberal arts college.

Do see the neverending process of identity? Who am I? I'm not even Dirk Babbage, am I. I think the early adult years are full of collecting things and ideas to match your taste and style. After a few years, one begins to feel bogged down by all these things. That's how I got into Taoism. It's the KISS approach to identity--Keep It Simple Stupid.

This is what happens when you look inward. You find the whole world inside yourself, and you start taking out the trash. I got rid of Pepsi about ten years ago. I now have nothing to do with Pepsi and Pepsi never had anything to do with me. What I keep is people I really know and ideas I really believe. As a younger person, you can't really hold on to ideas until you have them tested. I don't know if my Taoist beliefs have been ultimately tested.

And what about dada? Dada believes in nothing, so that makes it very easy. It's disposable art. Never trust a dadaist.

Everything is Meaningless

Yin - Everything is Meaningless
Yang - Nothing is Meaningless
Yin - Nothing is Meaningful
Yang - Everything is Meaningful
Let's call the whole thing off.

A few days ago at a bohemian bookstore, I thought I overheard someone say, "I'd like a meaningless cup of coffee." I wish that was what they said because I thought it was bohemian. I realized they said bottomless and was disappointed by the obvious.

Disappointed by the obvious?
Nature is obvious to humanity, so we replace it with things like street lights and Wal-Mart.

Why can't we be thrilled by the obvious?
Wouldn't that be so spontaneous?
Oh my! I'm wearing blue jeans today.
The time is correct now.
People may think I've had too much bottomless coffee if I continue to jabber on like this.

Dadaists often say that everything is meaningless until they contradict themselves.
The truth is there is no truth.
"The lie is there is no lie," said the devil to the god. And god was admitted s/he was tricked, and the devil won the world.
The devil is there is no devil.
The lived is there is no lived. For example, the Matrix.
Life is a but a dream of a butterfly that Zhuang-zhi had.
What did Zhuang-zhi have? The butterfly or the dream?

It doesn't matter because everything is meaningless.
Actually, I agree to the extent that everything man-made is meaningless from poetry to Citibank.
I enjoy man-made things when they are meaningless, like nonsense poems.
Jabberwocky and Ogden Nash.
I don't enjoy man-made things when they are meaningful, like meetings.

Food can be man-made but food isn't always meaningful.
Think about a salty snack food. Where's the meaning in that.
Now an apple is not man-made unless it's a GMO apple, but still Mother Nature conceived of the apple first.

My philosophy about liking meaningless things is meaningless.
Illogically, my philosophy about disliking meaningful things is meaningful.

You have experienced the synthesis of Taoism and Dada.
I consider myself very charming.

Gimme That Old Time Chinese Religion

Which one--Taoism, Buddhism, or Confucianism?

I've met many people who ask me, "What is Taoism?" or "What's the difference between Taoism and Buddhism?" The first question cannot be answered simply and the answer to the second question can partially answer the first question. Reading Benjamin Hoff's The Tao of Pooh is the best way to approach these answers. Here is a link to those who want AnswerExpress: http://www.taoism.net/sanctuary/books/vintaste.htm.

When it comes to Buddhism, I agree to and accept its major tenets. The hierarchy and structure of Buddhism is what I do not have patience for. Of course, the school of Buddhism I am drawn to the most is Zen. Tao+Buddha=Zen. I like to follow the path set by nature and not some human no matter how wise he or she be.

When it comes to Confucianism, all those rules based on relationships cramp my style. Although I must say Confucius was a genius. We must thank him for inventing Chinese cuisine among many other things. I equate the rules of Confucius with the Ten Commandments in the way that they have affected multiple cultures for thousands of years.

Yes, I am content with the philosophy of Taoism. And I have made up my stubborn mind. Can this stubborn mind act like water? What a contradiction! Wu wei.

Sorry no dada.

Oversimplification

Before I begin, let me quip. Shouldn't the word "oversimplification" be simpler to pronounce and spell? It doesn't make sense for it to be such a long word. Will someone please create more suiting word for the concept of oversimplification?

If you read the subtitle of Daodao, it infers that Taoism is animism. That is a misrepresentation or oversimplification. Animism is simply the belief that everything has a spirit or soul. If you're familiar with the Japanese belief of Shinto, it's kind of like that. If you're not but you've seen Spirited Away, it's kind of like the otherworldly bath house full of the spiritual representations of the real animals, vegetables, and minerals of the real world. That is animism, not exactly Taoism.

Taoism is tricky and cannot be explained adequately. Some may say that is pretentious, so I'll try to explain anyway. Animism is the belief that all things have souls. That's partially true for Taoism. But why not we're all part of the same soul. For monotheists, God is in everything! That statement should satisfy most Jews, Christians, and Muslims. But what about the statement, We all are a part of God. That's probably OK as well.
How about the following?

I am God (and so is everyone else).
I have God and God has me.
God is the universe...the universe is what I perceive...I know God.

OVERSIMPLIFICATION!

But I think that's what Taoism is to me. It's so complex that it is simple.
Scientists are now discovering what one person can discover through meditation.
All you Taoists know this already.
Buddhists and New Age people may too.
If you're not Taoist, Buddhist, New Age, or any philosopher, then thank you for reading this far.
I apologize for sounding pretentious, but that's the other side of the coin--DADA!