Chuang Tzu and his old master, Lao Tzu, are against culture. They are for nature, pure nature. Trees are in a better position than you... even birds, fishes in the river, are in a better position because they are more alive, they dance more to the rhythm of nature. You have completely forgotten what nature is.
~ from When the Shoe Fits: Commentaries on the Stories of the Taoist Mystic Chuang Tzu ~
This is the back end of the quote on culture. Putting the whole thing together, I can say that I tend to agree with Osho. It seems to me that every other life form on this planet knows how to embrace the Way effortlessly, except humans.
We have to write about it in the form of books and, yes, blogs. We have to watch videos or sit at the feet of learned masters. We have to study how to meditate, how to empty our minds. In a manner of speaking, coming to understand philosophical Taoism and the Way is itself a contrivance. It no longer comes naturally.
We have to write about it in the form of books and, yes, blogs. We have to watch videos or sit at the feet of learned masters. We have to study how to meditate, how to empty our minds. In a manner of speaking, coming to understand philosophical Taoism and the Way is itself a contrivance. It no longer comes naturally.
Having discovered, finally, what I now know, I laughed myself silly.
ReplyDeleteIt had never once occurred to me that the mysteries of life could be so utterly, impossibly simple.
KISS,KEEP IT SUPER SIMPLE. I AM 64 AND HAVE ONLY STARTED LEARNING ABOUT THE TAO ACCORDING TO THE WAY ONLY BECAUSE I NOW LISTEN MORE TO ME. I BREATHE, READ, PLAY TENNIS, WALK AROUND POND, HELP OTHER PEOPLE, AND SPEND TIME WITH MY FAMILY, AND LOVE THE WORLD AT THIS MOMENT.
ReplyDeleteThat is life for the American Taoist
Crow,
ReplyDeleteYou phrased it nicely -- "utterly, impossibly simple".
Anon,
Yes, KISS is good shorthand.
reading the rest of the quote makes more sense. still, i would argue that living exactly as other animals do is against our own nature. i see nothing wrong with culture as long as perspective is kept. to me, i could not fathom a life without art, music, books, martial arts, etc... all part of "culture" (although osho might have a different meaning in mind?) because those things, to me, lead me TOWARD the tao and not away from it.
ReplyDeletethink of your books- osho's book itself- it is a form of culture. and it is helping you see the tao more clearly. i would argue that because humans don't seem to pick up on the tao naturally, that we NEED culture (some aspects, anyway, like books and blogs) ;) in order to get our minds to turn in the appropriate direction. if i thought culture was a poison, i wouldn't be reading this blog. i would be out in the mountains in a little hermitage without means of communication with the outside world and the evils of culture. as you yourself said, no man is an island. if an animal has a great idea s/he is pretty limited in sharing that idea with the rest of his/her kind. (some animals, of course, more than others.) without culture our whole communication system would be trashed.
i'm not saying culture is all that great. there's a lot to be improved upon. and i do agree that it can kill the mind. but i do disagree that it is all just frivolties. some of it is necessary and also beneficial.
It's not that other life forms "know how to embrace the Way." They just DO. They don't need to learn to embrace it.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, maybe they are trapped consciousness, unable to express themselves. Maybe this is a sad thing.
I think I'd rather hear Chuang Tzu's commentaries on Osho, one of whose books I bought at that great cultural and spritual center of commerce, Costco.
And Iktomi's point is well taken.
ReplyDeleteAnd Osho sort of created a culture of his own.
Sorry, it's hard for me to forget that Rolls Royce.