Examining the world around us through the lens of philosophical Taoism.
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Thursday, April 23, 2009
Simple Thought, Huge Meaning
Casey, over at Personal Tao Musings, posted an entry today on prayer from a Taoist perspective. While I thought the entire post was simply beautiful, I think he captured the essence in the following words,
And as with Earth Day and deliberate prayer times, deliberate times to worship - they degrade the fact that all, every living moment, is pure "whateveryouchoosetocallitness" all the timeness.
Imagine I am loving nature my whole life and the one day the whole world turns their bulbs off for an hour. Pah.
I love life every minute and someone goes to church for an hour... etc.
I should have also said that something bothers me about otherwise completely irreligious folks continuing to appropriate religious language, religiously loaded words and concepts (e.g. prayer) to try to convey something. It makes me wonder if really there is still religious faith there...or religious longing...
@Forest: Perhaps it is not a religious faith or religious longing as much as these people are trying to use their language, the words they know, to describe something within their inherent being that otherwise they could find no words for.
The dictionary defines prayer as: 1. a. A reverent petition made to God, a god, or another object of worship. b. The act of making a reverent petition to God, a god, or another object of worship. 2. An act of communion with God, a god, or another object of worship, such as in devotion, confession, praise, or thanksgiving: One evening a week, the family would join together in prayer. 3. A specially worded form used to address God, a god, or another object of worship. 4. prayers A religious observance in which praying predominates: morning prayers. 5. a. A fervent request: Her prayer for rain was granted at last. b. The thing requested: His safe arrival was their only prayer. 6. The slightest chance or hope:
I know for me that the word 'prayer' is more aligned with #'s 5 and 6 then the more known and used defintions of 1-4...
Ah, well...sometimes it's all about semantics... and I think the more we focus our own true being, the person we know in our depth that we are, the less we will worry about words, about semantics, about defining what another has to say about something. If we feel good in our own skin, and we freely give love and compassion to others then words, semantics, definitions, and righteousness tend to melt away all on their own...
Val, I appreciate your perspective and engaging this topic.
For me, the word prayer is aligned with all of those and since I no longer accept any of the definitions nor the positions they represent (especially the first four), that is why I neither pray nor use the word. When I was religious the word had no meaning for me that wasn't religious, and now that I have left religion behind the word still does not have a meaning for me that is not religious in nature. Hence, my non-use of the word, and non-use of the practice.
Forest, You would have to point that out, wouldn't you? ;-)
Here's the thing: I personally don't pray -- haven't in a long, long time. That said, prayer is a powerful concept in our society. So, if people are going to use the word, I think Casey's way of expressing it is far superior to asking an imaginary being to grant some sort of favor.
If life itself is the prayer, then it turns its meaning on its head.
I hopped over to take a look at Casey's post.
ReplyDeleteWow.
I mean, WOW! As in, right on, dig it, love it.
(My word verification is "labilit" As in "label it". Does the man in the machine have ANY IDEA who he's talking to here?!)
right :)
ReplyDeleteAnd as with Earth Day and deliberate prayer times, deliberate times to worship - they degrade the fact that all, every living moment, is pure "whateveryouchoosetocallitness" all the timeness.
Imagine I am loving nature my whole life and the one day the whole world turns their bulbs off for an hour. Pah.
I love life every minute and someone goes to church for an hour... etc.
Life is the prayer.
I left prayer behind. All of it. Including the word. Including the entire concept.
ReplyDeleteDon't see the need....
To whom? To what? Why?
Live. If that's prayer, then okay I guess I sorta see the point, but....
I don't call that prayer.
My two cents.
Peace
I should have also said that something bothers me about otherwise completely irreligious folks continuing to appropriate religious language, religiously loaded words and concepts (e.g. prayer) to try to convey something. It makes me wonder if really there is still religious faith there...or religious longing...
ReplyDelete@Forest:
ReplyDeletePerhaps it is not a religious faith or religious longing as much as these people are trying to use their language, the words they know, to describe something within their inherent being that otherwise they could find no words for.
The dictionary defines prayer as:
1.
a. A reverent petition made to God, a god, or another object of worship.
b. The act of making a reverent petition to God, a god, or another object of worship.
2. An act of communion with God, a god, or another object of worship, such as in devotion, confession, praise, or thanksgiving: One evening a week, the family would join together in prayer.
3. A specially worded form used to address God, a god, or another object of worship.
4. prayers A religious observance in which praying predominates: morning prayers.
5.
a. A fervent request: Her prayer for rain was granted at last.
b. The thing requested: His safe arrival was their only prayer.
6. The slightest chance or hope:
I know for me that the word 'prayer' is more aligned with #'s 5 and 6 then the more known and used defintions of 1-4...
Ah, well...sometimes it's all about semantics... and I think the more we focus our own true being, the person we know in our depth that we are, the less we will worry about words, about semantics, about defining what another has to say about something. If we feel good in our own skin, and we freely give love and compassion to others then words, semantics, definitions, and righteousness tend to melt away all on their own...
Val,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your perspective and engaging this topic.
For me, the word prayer is aligned with all of those and since I no longer accept any of the definitions nor the positions they represent (especially the first four), that is why I neither pray nor use the word. When I was religious the word had no meaning for me that wasn't religious, and now that I have left religion behind the word still does not have a meaning for me that is not religious in nature. Hence, my non-use of the word, and non-use of the practice.
Oh well. :)
Val,
ReplyDeleteWonderful thoughts expressed there. Still, like Forest, "prayer" is a concept I don't use either.
RT,
ReplyDeleteReally? But you're the one who posted "life itself is the prayer."
;)
Forest,
ReplyDeleteYou would have to point that out, wouldn't you? ;-)
Here's the thing: I personally don't pray -- haven't in a long, long time. That said, prayer is a powerful concept in our society. So, if people are going to use the word, I think Casey's way of expressing it is far superior to asking an imaginary being to grant some sort of favor.
If life itself is the prayer, then it turns its meaning on its head.
Fair enough, RT, I can agree with that.
ReplyDelete