Tao Bible - 2 Samuel 18:3

But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succor us out of the city.
~ King James version ~

No form is more valuable than any other.
~ possible Taoist alternative ~

Preparing to do battle with the forces of Absalom, the people want King David to stay back because his life is worth ten thousand of theirs.

Each form and life has its place in the tapestry of Tao. No one form or life has a higher valuation than any other.

If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.

Chapter 2, Verse 15 - Sun Tzu

Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy's provisions is equivalent to twenty of one's own, and likewise a single picul of his provender is equivalent to twenty from one's own store.
~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

Looking Back to 2008: Up and Down We Go

Up and Down We Go
Original post date: October 20, 2008

Even as a layman, it's been hard watching the stock market yo-yo up and down. One day it's way up, the next day it's way down. In fact, over the past two weeks, the stock market and the proverbial Dow Jones Industrial Average seem to rise and fall each day like the tides here on the Pacific Coast.

I don't pretend to understand all the nuances of stock trading. Any time I tune in CNBC or CNN, the floor of the stock exchange seems to resemble a Chinese fire drill or the Keystone Cops, more than anything else. All I see are traders running around screaming at the top of their lungs and waving slips of paper.

So, while I certainly don't claim to be a stock market expert, I have come to one conclusion. The folks of the Dow could learn a thing or two from the folks of the Tao.

The whole point behind Taoism is to seek harmony and balance -- neither too high nor too low. Taoist thought stresses the need to find the state contentment, not soaring happiness nor the depths of despair. Finally, Taoism teaches to live a disciplined life and not worry so much about outcomes.

Can you imagine a Tao Jones Industrial Average?

To read the intro to this retrospective series of posts, go here.

Question: Why No Justice Nor Compassion for Tamar?

In 2 Samuel, Chapter 13, we find an odd story about a brother who lusts after and then rapes his sister. Keeping with the implicit male chauvinism shown in the Old Testament, the scene is set as follows:

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. (Verse 1)

Please notice that, while Tamar obviously is King David's daughter, only her brothers explicitly are identified as the king's progeny!! In and of itself, that tells you a lot about the early Hebrew opinion of the female gender.

As the story goes, Amnon forces himself on his sister and, once the deed is done, he has no more use for her. He goes about his merry way and gets to live it up for another two years...until Absalom kills him in an act or revenge.

What concerns me the most about this story is the treatment of Tamar. For one thing, adultery (in any form) and particularly incest is supposed to be dealt with by the Jewish authorities. Yet, no effort is expended by King David nor the priests to bring Amnon to justice. Amnon never has to answer for his nasty deed and only meets his demise when the king is tricked.

Worst of all, however, is how the victim of this crime is dealt with. Understandably, Tamar is distraught from being raped. Does anyone come to comfort her?

And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house. (Verse 20)

In essence, Tamar is told to shut up and not to become angry because the perpetrator is her brother. Here is another example of how the Hebrews denigrated women.

Not surprisingly, this is the last we hear about poor Tamar. The story shifts to focus on Absalom and David. So, is incestuous rape okay if it occurs in the royal family? Would King David have acted so disinterested if Amnon had raped a brother instead of a sister? (Me thinks not!)

To see what other questions I've asked about the Christian Bible, go here.

Line by Line - Verse 15, Lines 3-4

As they were thus beyond men's knowledge, I will make an effort to describe of what sort they appeared to be.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Because it is unfathomable, All we can do is describe their appearance.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Because one cannot discern them Therefore one is forced to describe the appearance
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Words can't even begin to describe how deep they were. You can only talk about what they were like.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

By utilizing mythic figures to describe the pure means to follow Tao, Lao Tzu provides each of us with a framework to live by.

A framework, however, is not the same thing as a blueprint. The latter is a static map that would place any of us in a disadvantageous position viz-a-viz an ever-evolving world. When we use rigid rules to navigate the fast-flowing stream of life, we are more apt to stumble and be pulled under.

Unlike a blueprint, a framework provides a structured approach that we can bend and shape to meet any given situation or circumstance. While we keep certain principles in mind, each situation dictates how these are applied.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

Chapter 2, Verses 13 and 14 - Sun Tzu

With this loss of substance and exhaustion of strength, the homes of the people will be stripped bare, and three-tenths of their income will be dissipated; while government expenses for broken chariots, worn-out horses, breast-plates and helmets, bows and arrows, spears and shields, protective mantles, draught-oxen and heavy wagons, will amount to four-tenths of its total revenue.
~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

Not To Be

My dad and I are both big fans of the Boise State University football team. They suffered a crushing loss last night which ended their hopes for a possible national championship and invitation to a major bowl game. Yet, in the loss, one can glean a Taoist lesson.

With 2 seconds left to go in a tied game, Boise State lined up for a short field goal. As far as field goals go, it was only 26 yards -- what generally is considered a chip shot. The team's usually reliable kicker pushed the kick to the right and missed it. This meant the game went into overtime. In the overtime, the same kicker missed a short 29 yard field goal to left and the opposing kicker made his field goal.

On the surface, the kicker lost the game for his team. Had he made the chip shot at the end of regulation, the game would have been over and Boise State would have won. Had he made the field goal in overtime, Boise still had a chance to win.

But games are not won nor lost based on one play. All the plays that led up to the missed field goal tries could have gone differently. If a receiver had caught a ball that he dropped or a defensive player had made a tackle that he missed, the whole complexion of the game could have changed from there on.

For example, Boise State scored 24 points in the first half, but did not score at all in the 3rd and much of the 4th quarter. Had they scored one or more touchdowns, the kicker would not have even needed to try to kick a field goal.

So it is with our lives. We tend to focus on the acts directly before a negative occurrence and we don't look at all the missteps taken before that moment. If merely one of those missteps had not occurred, then the end result might have been altogether different.

For me, this is another reminder of the ripple effect. Every act or non-act creates ripples and from these ripples consequences occur.

The Tao of Dark Sages - Chapter 21, Part 3

The Tao of Dark Sages
by Scott Bradley

Scott-tzu: So, the cure for my aversion? To let go of caring one way or the other about...the world?

Sue-tzu: You are the world, Scott-tzu. However it is that you relate to what you find in yourself, this is how you relate to what you find in the world. You find in yourself aversion to the methods of Grasshopper. How do you relate to this?

Being aware of it. Letting it be. Letting it go.

Do likewise with what you find in the world. Just as there is no value in fighting what you find in yourself there is no value in fighting with what you find in the world. Acceptance is the flow of the Tao.

Gabi: Tzu-tzu is the world?

Mark-tzu: Tzu-tzu? Cute. I like it! If all is One, what else could he be? And you, you are the world too, Gabi, by virtue of the non-dual nature of reality and by virtue of the fact that your world is only your perception of it. If there is famine in Africa, is this good or bad? Only your perception of it makes it so. Your concept of ‘famine’ makes it famine.

From another perspective, only one person starves at a time because only that person starves in his experience. Your discrimination of good and bad, on what basis does it stand? That humanity should not suffer? And yet, from the perspective of the elephants that have had their habitat and very existence destroyed, might famine not be the best thing possible? Are humans more valuable than elephants? I am not prepared to say so. I had an extreme environmentalist friend whose motto was: “Save Earth, pray for plague!”

From the point of view of Earth, might not the elimination of a few billion humans be a most positive blessing? So, Gabi, you are the world because all the world is One and because, on another level, the only world there is is the one you create in your own mind.

Gabi: You know, I’ve been doing the letting go, and it has been good — I feel the freedom from my self-identity sometimes, but it always comes back. I don’t know how to let go any more strongly.

Scott-tzu: To let be and let go are not to eliminate. The first are passive, the last active. Letting go is as much actionless action as anything else we do. The simple release of the grip, if it is truly letting go, has no end in mind, especially the elimination of the thing grasped. That’s what letting be is all about — acceptance of what is. If I let go of fear, having accepted that it is there, this does not mean that I will automatically be free of fear. What I have let go of is the attachment, expressed in aversion, to fear, not fear itself.

Sue-tzu: Identity and all its manifestations are really nothing more than habits. When acknowledged and left alone and without the support of emotional grasping and belief, they begin to fade with time. Their continued presence are not a burden if we have truly let them be and let them go. If you have experienced freedom than you are on the right track. These habits will fade. But that is only incidental — not purposed.

If you're interested in reading more from this series by Scott Bradley, go here.

Chapter 2, Verses 10, 11 and 12 - Sun Tzu

Poverty of the State exchequer causes an army to be maintained by contributions from a distance. Contributing to maintain an army at a distance causes the people to be impoverished. On the other hand, the proximity of an army causes prices to go up; and high prices cause the people's substance to be drained away. When their substance is drained away, the peasantry will be afflicted by heavy exactions.
~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

Tao Bible - 2 Samuel 12:21-23

Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
~ King James version ~

There is no entreating Tao.
~ possible Taoist alternative ~

With his newborn son fighting for his life, King David denies himself in the hopes this will appease God. When it doesn't, he returns to his normal routine.

The Way operates of its own accord. Nothing we consciously do will change that. There is nothing to appease.

If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.

Looking Back to 2008: Cake and The End of All Things

Cake and The End of All Things
Original post date: September 3, 2008

I know of few people who don't like cake. It just happens to be one of those culinary concoctions that appeals to people based on texture, taste, appearance or varying combinations of the three. Cake has been loved by kings and queens as well as most of us commoners. In essence, it happens to be a great joy for the majority of people.

Imagine you're sitting down at the table and someone brings you the most humongous and delectable cake of your favorite flavor[s] that you've ever laid eyes on. The aroma alone is enough to bring armies to their knees! You're told that this cake is for you and you alone -- you don't have to share it with anyone.

One group of people would tear right into it with great abandon. They would engage in an orgy of pleasure -- eating as much as quickly as possible. Chances are that they would soon make themselves sick as a dog!

Another group of people would address the cake in a more contemplative way. They would savor each bite, reveling in the taste sensations. They would eat slowly so as to a) not make themselves sick and b) get to enjoy the cake over a long period of time.

A third group would eat the cake in a most peculiar way. Like the previous group, these people would eat the cake slowly. However, unlike the previous group, these people wouldn't delight in the taste sensations at all. In fact, their whole focus wouldn't be on eating the cake itself; no, their focus is on being finished with the cake altogether.

In my mind, the first group is hedonists. The second group is [non-hedonistic] Taoists, Deists or atheists. And the third group is adherents to religious beliefs.

Hedonists care solely for the now -- there is no interest in what has been or will be. Their overriding goal in life is to obtain as much sensual pleasure as the present moment will allow. Consequently, the hedonist has a tendency to burn all bridges to the past and to suffer all kind of negative future consequences for unplanned present actions.

As this blog is about Taoism, I'll skip my analysis of the second group because the reader gets enough of that anyway!

As Christopher Hitchens points out in "God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything", the interesting thing about religious people is that their focus is more on the hereafter than the present. In fact, in most every major religion, there are a host of taboos against enjoying the many facets of human life (i.e., sins of the flesh) and, instead, all the focus is on the "paradise" of the after days.

Consequently, as with the cake, religion pushes its adherents not to enjoy and savor each moment of life. Rather than revel in the amazing taste sensations laid before us, we're urged to repress our taste buds in the hope that we'll taste the cake and more somewhere down the road.

To read the intro to this retrospective series of posts, go here.

Chapter 2, Verse 9 - Sun Tzu

Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. Thus the army will have food enough for its needs.
~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

Line by Line - Verse 15, Line 2

and were deep (also) so as to elude men's knowledge.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Depths that cannot be discerned
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

They were deep. Real deep.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

In describing those mythic ancient sages, it is said that their knowledge goes beyond anything that can be defined. Since Tao genuinely cannot be defined, any person who tries to follow the Way chooses to move with the flow of a stream with no bottom.

If we can be open to all that is, then we become filled with a breadth that knows no boundaries.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.

Chapter 2, Verse 8 - Sun Tzu

The skillful soldier does not raise a second levy, neither are his supply-wagons loaded more than twice.
~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

Looking Back to 2008: The Rippling Effect

The Rippling Effect
Original post date: July 22, 2008

As I discussed on Saturday, a member of our family -- Becca -- dies the previous day. For a family with so many animals, one might think that losing only 1 of 6 wouldn't have dramatic effects. But quite the opposite is true.

Becca was the leader of our pack. She was by far the most gregarious of the brood. She DEMANDED the most attention, both good and bad. She was always under foot -- if you were in a hurry, she was sure to be in your way!

When someone came to the front door, she was the first to greet them. Our other two dogs will bark up a storm and, if that doesn't work and a non-family members enters, both scurry for cover. But not Becca!! She would approach anybody as if to say, "Hi. How ya doing? I'm Becca. I like people. Pet me. Pet me. Pet me."

So, despite the fact our house is still filled with cats and dogs, it seems rather empty. The main vital spirit has gone. In time, we'll get used to this new energy and it will become the norm. For now, however, everything seems out of sorts.

In contemplating the last few days, I again recognized the mysterious ripple effects of life. Every action by each and every entity cause ripples that flow out into the world. Sometimes the ripples intersect and sometimes they clash. They form an invisible tapestry around us.

It is because of these trillions upon trillions of simultaneous ripples that we have no bona fide chance to truly comprehend this tapestry. The picture is far too broad and expansive for any of us to take in. So, we use terms like fate, chance or faith to define what we are unable rationally to define.

When something fortuitous happens to us, we say it was "the luck of the draw". When something bad happens to us, we say "the stars were aligned against us". We treat such things as random occurrences of chance.

I often find it interesting that when someone survives a tragedy that befell many others -- say a plane crash with only a few survivors -- we often hear that person exclaim, "God was watching out for me" or "an angel saved me." Whenever I hear such remarks, I always ask, "What about the others -- those who died. Why wasn't God watching out for them? What makes you think you're so special as to deserve this extraordinary treatment?"

In my humble opinion, it's not God or chance or fate that averts disaster or brings unexpected joy. It is something far more ordinary and pervasive -- the rippling effect.

If we had the ability to pull back to view the entirety of it all, we would be able to understand the ripples that led to the death of the man in Seat 4A and spared the life of the woman in Seat 4B.

To read the intro to this retrospective series of posts, go here.

The Tao of Dark Sages - Chapter 21, Part 2

The Tao of Dark Sages
by Scott Bradley

Gabi: I understand all of what you’ve said and agree, but surely Grasshopper is either helping people or harming them and isn’t it important which it is?

Sue-tzu: It may be to those helped or harmed. Scott-tzu’s awareness of his aversion has enabled him to realize that to have an opinion and internal debate regarding Grasshopper is to negate the very thing in himself that gives rise to the aversion. Grasshopper’s method appears to be trampling on the essence of harmony with the Tao: non-doing, selflessness, anonymity. Yet to oppose it is to engage in the same.

And we are not to care whether he hurts or harms the spiritual journey of those he teaches?

At some level, yes, we care. But what are we to do? Write a polemic condemning his teaching and thereby become the same as he and all the other debaters and truth-knowers? We must let things be as they are. And have we not all been captive to ignorance (and still are)? Haven’t we been ‘harmed’ by teachings that really just continued to hold us in bondage? Would we be where we are today without them? And yet, here we are, nearly perfect!

Scott-tzu: Speak for yourself!

And remember, too, Gabi, that hurt and harm are as relative as anything else. There’s the story of the misfortune that befell a young man. He broke his leg, and bemoaned his fate. But then soldiers arrived looking to forcibly induct more soldiers and were obliged to pass him by. I can’t remember it all, but he went from one event to the next declaring one thing a boon and having it turn to misfortune and declaring another a misfortune and having it turn to good fortune.

Who’s to say, maybe learning from Grasshopper is exactly what someone needs at the moment, if only to be released from it later. You called it a spiritual journey, and it is. And as such, it will be, like any adventure, full of misadventure — wrong turnings, dead ends, false starts, contradictions. And, as always, what difference does it really make in any case? Happy or sad, enlightened or unenlightened, alive or dead?

All that matters, and that in a very relative sense, is quality of life, and Grasshopper’s placebo or morphine — if that be what they are — might be the best his disciples would otherwise receive. How many people out of the world’s billions will discover true freedom in any case?

If you're interested in reading more from this series by Scott Bradley, go here.

Question: What Sort of Weird Justice Is This?

I'm sure many people are familiar with the story of David and Bathsheba in the Book of 2 Samuel. King David sees the beautiful Bathsheba and the two commit adultery. The king sees to it that Bathsheba's husband is killed in battle, so that David can add her to his brood of wives. The prophet Nathan informs David that God is displeased with David's actions and so will mete out divine punishment.

According to this story, the two people who sinned were Bathsheba and David. Yet, who does the Lord punish? Their newly born son!! The innocent babe is afflicted and dies seven days after birth.

And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. (2 Samuel 12:24)

Now I'm certainly NOT suggesting that losing a child is not a heart-wrenching experience. Any parent who has gone through this sad affair would attest otherwise. However, the child was innocent of the sin of his parents, yet he is the one who suffered the ultimate punishment -- death.

David and Bathsheba, on the other hand, picked up where they left off and soon she bore another son.

Since adultery supposedly is one of the big ten sins that, generally speaking, equates to the death of one or both of the participants, it would appear that David and Bathsheba got off with a mere slap of the hand. Is this a weird sense of justice or what?

To see what other questions I've asked about the Christian Bible, go here.

Tao Bible - 2 Samuel 7:13

He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
~ King James version ~

Tao has no need of altars, synagogues, churches, mosques or tabernacles.
~ possible Taoist alternative ~

With King David established in Jerusalem, God decides that the time has come for the king to build a religious edifice to celebrate and honor the almighty.

Tao has no expectations. Tao demands no worship nor even acknowledgment. Tao is available to everything and all we need do is to look inside ourselves.

If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.

Chapter 2, Verse 7 - Sun Tzu

It is only one who is thoroughly acquainted with the evils of war that can thoroughly understand the profitable way of carrying it on.
~ from The Art of War, Giles translation ~

Go here to read the introductory post to the verses of The Art of War.

Looking Back to 2008: Striking Up a Conversation

Striking Up a Conversation
Original post date: May 7, 2008

I should know better than to strike up an innocent conversation with a stranger. Any more, it seems to get me in trouble. I'm just trying to be friendly, but I keep running into people who have agendas...often religious ones.

Take yesterday as an example. My wife & I had just returned home from running errands. I noticed the sound of mowers coming from behind our house. This struck me as a bit odd since no one lives behind us. It turned out that the woman who owns the abandoned turn-of-the century home (catty corner from our back) asked two local guys to keep the yard mowed.

I went out on my deck and yelled to the older fellow, "Have my dogs kept you entertained?" (I asked this innocent question because one of my dogs is an incessant barker. It drives me crazy. We had left the back door open so the two dogs that had stayed home could get out to run around the backyard and handle their "business".)

The guy laughed and said that the black one had been quite animated at their presence. I smiled and was just about to go back into the house to make myself some lunch when the a-g-e-n-d-a arose.

Fellow: Lived here long?
Me: Not real long. My wife & I bought this house about 8 months ago.
Fellow: From around here?
Me: We moved here from Aberdeen and, before that, from Salem, OR.
Fellow: (Drum roll, please) Do you attend a local church?
Me: No.
Fellow: Why not?
Me: Because I'm a Taoist.
Fellow: A what?
Me: A Taoist.
Fellow: What's a Taoist?

I then explained what a Taoist was and thought that would be that. But, oh no, the conversation continued.

Fellow: Have you been a Taoist your whole life?
Me: No. If you must know, I grew up in the Presbyterian Church.
Fellow: What caused you to turn away from God?
Me: I realized that believing in an invisible "father" was wholly irrational and asinine.
Fellow: Sounds to me like you must have had a bad experience with your church.
Me: Not at all. I simply decided that Christianity, like all religions, was nonsensical to me.

I went on to explain that, after my undergraduate studies, I had given serious thought to enter seminary to become a minister. I came to realize though that I really didn't believe in most of the tenets of the Christian belief system, so I became a social worker.

Fellow: So how did you learn about this Tao thing?
Me: One day I was walking by my favorite book store in Salem and noticed one particular book in the window, "The Idiot's Guide to Taoism". Something caused me to go in to buy the book -- maybe it's because I'm idiot. As I read the book, I realized I had been a Taoist my whole life; I just didn't know it.
Fellow: In the ways of God, we're all idiots. My name's (I've already forgotten his name). I'm the Youth Pastor of (one of the local churches). Would you be interested in coming to our church one Sunday?
Me: No.
Fellow: Why not?
Me: Because I'm not a Christian.

At this juncture, Mr. Youth Pastor adopted a weird stance, one that seemed to fly in the face of rationality.

Fellow: Do you have a lot of friends?
Me: I don't know what you define as "a lot". I still don't know that many people here, but I've got a lot of friends all over Washington and Oregon.
Fellow: Well, if you came to our church, I bet you'd have a lot more friends in the area.
Me: That's a very poor reason to go to church. I mean that's not the point. A person should go to church if the particular religion speaks to them in a deep and sacred way.
Fellow: That's true, but if you decided to come, I bet God would make himself known to you.
Me: I don't believe in God, so I think that's highly unlikely.

The conversation lagged on for another 30 minutes because this fellow wouldn't take "no" for an answer. He kept trying different gambits to get me to agree to attend his church. Finally, he started to get the message.

Fellow: Sounds to me that you're against religion.
Me: Ya think?
Fellow: Why is that?
Me: Taoists don't run around telling other people what and how to believe. They don't nag at complete strangers to attend their meetings. I came out here to be friendly and all I've gotten for my trouble is to be harangued by you for not believing as you do.
Fellow: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you. I just wanted to share the Good News.
Me: If it's Good News for you, fine. You're free to believe how you want, but it's blather to me. I don't find it compelling nor of any interest.

I don't want to make it sound more negative than it truly was. We shook hands and he mentioned that we could pick up the conversation next time he came to mow. That's not very likely as I won't make the mistake of venturing outside when I see him next.

What ever happened to conversations about the weather?

To read the intro to this retrospective series of posts, go here.