Trey Smith
There are few people in the West who were born into the Taoist perspective. We each were weaned on something different and then moved toward Taoism at a later date. Because we suckled at the teat of different religions or philosophies, we bring different perspectives to the way we each interpret Taoist principles and ideas.
In her Saturday post, Stimulus and Response -- The Dao of Dialogue, Baroness Radon wrote that she comes from "a liberal Christian/Catholic background." Consequently, her Catholic beliefs will exert some degree of influence on her Taoist practice and beliefs.
I grew up Presbyterian and later decided I was an atheist. I have also mentioned numerous times that I lean far, far to the left politically. Just like the Baroness, these factors will influence how I view this ancient Chinese belief tradition.
I believe it is fair to say that Scott came from a more fundamentalist Christian background. (I'm unsure of Ta-Wan's upbringing in this regard.)
In truth, we each will understand the writings of Lao Tzu, Zhuangzi and others through the prism of where we stood before. In many cases, we even may not be conscious of how these other religions and philosophies influence our current beliefs. Since none of us lives in a vacuum, this is how it always goes.
We build knowledge and understanding incrementally. Whatever came before, still resides on a shelf in the backroom. We may not dust it off very often, but it impacts today's thinking, nonetheless.
It is for this reason that I am honored that Scott, Ta-Wan and Baroness Radon have chosen to participate on this blog. We each have a perspective to share and each perspective will be different because we started out from different places. This is just as true for you, our readers and commenters.
For me, these differences in background represent some of the aspects that makes this endeavor a pleasurable learning and sharing experience for me and I hope for you too.
Thank you, Trey, those are really nice words. And they emphasize a point that I wrestle with, and which is actually quite compatible with exploring Taoism: how does our conditioning and culture color how we find meaning in our life?
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I think this also suggests the importance of having a teacher. Reading a lot of literature, and having certain experiences may be meaningless without the guide of someone who is a little farther down the path. You can't really learn to speak French by studying a dictionary and reading some archaic poetry. You need a native speaker to "hear" the language and reveal the subtleties of idiom.
only knowledge can be taught/learned. daoism is not knowledge.
DeleteI am not necessarily disagreeing with you, but...your belief in a teacher may well owe a lot to your Catholic faith. In Catholicism, the pope and clergy (priests, bishops, nuns, etc.) play a central role in how adherents should interpret the canon. It is a somewhat hierarchical belief system and this might (and I mean, might) play a deciding role in how you view this topic.
ReplyDeleteThat neither means that your perspective is wrong...or right. All it does mean is that it is one of many influences that you bring to the table when discussing issues of this matter.
Maybe, and when I say I'm Catholic, know that it is of the Anglican variety which is quite liberal in terms of authority and tradition. (But there are even Roman Catholics who regard the authority of the papacy with some skepticism or take it with a grain of salt. Papal infallibility incidentally, did not become a doctrine until the 19th century.)
ReplyDeleteBut even in Taoism the role of teachers and adepts and masters, is regarded as central; the concept of lineage and something like apostolic tradition are part of the practice. Zhenren and xian are not too different from people in orders and saints .