From a Humble Beginning

From the very start in January 2005, the primary premise of this blog has been a discussion of the many ideas and facets of philosophical Taoism. Along the way I've tackled a few other issues as well, but again and again I return to Taoism. I don't see this changing anytime in the near future, if ever.

For one thing, out of the millions or billions of blogs, there really aren't that many that focus on philosophical Taoism. So, if nothing else, this is my self-chosen niche.

In fact, if you type "taoism blog" or "taoist blogs" into Google, TRT has the numero uno ranking. This could be a really heady stat IF that's what I'm all about; it isn't. I'm not going to lie. It IS kinda cool, but if I was ranked at the very bottom, I would still continue to write what I write when I write.

Because this blog does show up so high in Google's rankings for particular search terms, I have and continue to work very diligently on adding new links to the right side bar. While I, of course, like it when people read my thoughts, I like it even more when something I write motivates them to read your thoughts!! Since no one person has a corner on truth, the more people read and contemplate, the more inspired they may be to make Taoism (or like-minded beliefs) a part of their daily lives.

Below is the text of my very first post from early 2005 about Taoism. It was entitled, "The Taoist In Us All".

A great deal of what each of us encounters in this life is frightening. I don’t mean that things are necessarily life-threatening or life changing, but so much of what we experience is of an unknown quantity and what we fear most is anything unknown.

Every corner we turn COULD present us with particulars we are not prepared to deal with. An off-handed remark COULD turn someone against us. An action we decide to take or not take COULD have deep consequences. It is all the coulds that make our lives an adventure.

To try to shield ourselves from the unknown, we try to clothe our psyches in some form of certainty. Most people find this solace in the form of religion.

Religion helps many not to feel like a tiny speck in an endless ocean. It provides a set of fairly rigid rules for believers to follow. It paints a world, full of a multiplicity of hues and shades, in a starkly black and white fashion. Most religions promise that a future paradise awaits those who muddle through their ephemeral lives here on dear old planet earth.

In the end, however, what each of us chooses to believe or not believe will have little lasting impact. We are all part of some ultimate force or reality and this force or reality defines our destiny. It will take its course regardless of whether or not we acknowledge or comprehend it.

This is the very essence of Taoism.

Don’t get caught up in the word tao. It’s just a word, no better or worse than any other. All it signifies is that we are each part of a universal something. It is this incomprehensible something that impacts our lives far more than we may care to admit or realize. And it is this great unknown that we will never understand as long as we live in our current form.

In the end, we are ALL Taoists.