Ta-Wan
I'm not sure if you are familiar with the story of the vinegar tasters, but what I'm about to say may be a more barefaced. In my vaguely Taoist ramblings, I do commonly refer to Zen quite fondly and sometimes fondly towards Buddhism, on the whole, though I'm not too into Buddhism. Philosophically, I lean that way but as for the religion and the methodology then, no, not for me.
Honestly, and this just occurred again to raise my count to many+1, I find a lot of Buddhism rinsed out. As an example, when Buddhist teachers or commentators speak along these lines "the world is messed up [for sighted reason] meditate to make yourself better" it grates against the grain of my Taoist flow.
Some may well say, and have, that if you find the state of things to be unpleasant, then it is you at fault and the very teaching of "the world is messed up [for sighted reason] meditate to make yourself better" is for your benefit but - I don't dig it, and here's why.
My view is that the world is just perfect, each moment is magical. The dwelling in some negative place (even defined as positive) really just goes to make for the illness that Buddhism prescribes the cure for, the cure brings the issue it cures (in a fantastically simplified way that I'm too lazy to flesh out). Ironically, introspection goes to emphasizing the root of all suffering, the I-dea and so from that the false seeing of just some small aspect of reality to then blame or be upset over.
This trimmed down view I have is from reading numerous Buddhist texts and thinking that they commonly get bogged down in things that the purer, but less spoken of texts, do not. The purer ones would be, for example, the heart and diamond sutras where the Buddha says over and over to be free of the first calamity, the belief in I, and to then in the whole and enlightened way, be free. The newer texts, sects, schools, commentaries, offshoots, self-declared awakened masters and monks who write for pleasure or donated treasure, get so tied to medicines that they make themselves and their readers sick and dependent when all they need is a simple realization for freedom. One that I see only in some Buddhist texts, a fair bit of Zen and much more in Taoism.
You can check out Ta-Wan's other musings here.
"...the world is just perfect, each moment is magical."
ReplyDeleteAh yes, this is what I always tell my colleague who is dying of cancer, my friends who can't find jobs because they are too old, people who have lived through the Holocaust or the Cultural Revolution.
Just get over that "I-dea" and the red dust will go away. Pollyanna Tao.
The world as we live in it is NOT perfect; harmony is is a rare commodity. Through Taoist practices, some of us may create harmony, in our own lives, and we might hope by extension, to bring it to others'.
There's nothing wrong with vinegar; it's just that today there's a lot of shit in it.
Why the grump? I have reverse examples of your points and they are from people in such situations but with great outlooks. And we all know of the wealthy who still feel lacking, for example the lady who lives in Hawaii but is not happy.
ReplyDeletePerspective.
Oh but I am VERY happy (although "happiness" is defined is so many different ways, and may not even be a proper attainment for the sage, and my "happiness" is not for you to judge.) But there are many people who are not, who are suffering, and just telling them there is no self, "it's all good," is a a crock of fouled vinegar. And yes, there are people who overcome the suffering I mention, but they have done it through coming to realizations on their own, quite likely through introspection and methodology, confronting their own suffering.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I give in to a propensity to poke the big bad bear, that's all. I just find some of his statements preposterous, simplistic, and annoying. I don't think we are really that far apart in outlooks. I agree that people get can stuck in methods, texts and false and vain authority, which I think was the point of your post.
"Pollyanna Tao"--Oh, I laughed when I read that. Better than "Positive thinking Tao" or "Taoist New Thought Philosophy".
ReplyDeleteMaybe those of you who have studied Taoism much longer than me can tell me if this is based on actual Taoist teaching rather than the influence of the modern day New Age movement or what was called Positive Christianity/New Thought Religion that then blended with elements of Eastern philosophy?
Joy I dint think anyone but me can answer that as you're asking the influence on what was written.
ReplyDeleteThese are my ideas and how they relate more to what I find in taoism than in Buddhism. This is nothing new as I referenced similar statements such as the painting of the vinegar tasters and commentaries on that. As for asking whether this was in reference to anything else, Christan this or that or whatever else, I've never read about them, so no.