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October 5: Taoism

• I found the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article "Zhuangzi" really helpful. Alfino 16:08, 5 October 2010 (UTC)

Definitions

I don't know about you guys, but i have no idea what half of the Taoism terms mean in the reading. So, i figured maybe a little conceptual framework might help. Here is a short list of Taoism definitions that helped me figure out what was going on. i reproduced some of the immediately relavent ones below. If you want to look up your own, here is the website that i am drawing these definitions.[1] Im not sure exactly how accurate these definitions are so if you think one is wrong, please change it. . .

1. Tao: the unchanged principle behind the universe. The unproduced producer of all that is (unmoved mover?) The Tao-Te-Ching describes it as "something formlessly fashioned, that existed before Heaven and Earth."

2. Te: Power or virtue

3. Yu: Being

4. Ching: "Vital essence"

5. "The Way": Refers to a specific spiritual discipline. It can also be loosely translated to doctrine or principle.

Please add to the list if you come across any more. (I plan on adding more as i read) Kobywarren 23:39, 30 September 2010 (UTC)

The Ways of Taoism - Benesch

Definitely helps to define the terms as Koby did above, here are some more I found that relate to the Benesch article.

• Lao-tzu (Laozi) - also the name of the first foundational text in Taoism

A - referred to as the 'Old Master', Laozi is thought to be a fictional entity, written by librarians wanting to remain anonymous during the warring states period, and in religious forms of Taoism he is thought to be a supreme diety

B - primarily concerned with the Way, and how it is expressed in te, through ziran and wuwei

Te: literally translated as virtue, is the means through which the Tao becomes manifest and actualized

Ziran: literally translated as naturalness

Wuwei: literally translated as nonaction, it is the ideal way in which rulers should act as presented by Laozi

Wu: literally translated as Not-Being. does not mean nothingness, but rather wu is an immense void containing all potentialities

• Chuang-tzu (Zhuangzi) - also the name of the second foundational text in Taoism

A - views the Way as an idea, grounded in a single principle, that cannot be sufficiently explained by words, and guides the spontatneous processes of everything

Note: - while Laozi and Zhuangzi are both categorized as mystical Toaism, they approach Toaism very differently

• Huang-lao - this form of Toaism which is concerned with the philosophy of leadership was named after the Yellow Emperor, Huang Di, as well as Laozi, therefore Huang Lao

A - the Huang-Lao philosophers believed that an ideal civilization where peace and harmony existed could evolve when the leaders of the country accorded their Te (virtue, inner nature) with the Tao (nature of things)

--Lars

Waley, "Chaung Tzu"

Stories of Chaung Tzu and Hui Tzu

• the tree no one wants to cut.

• story of the huge gourd Hui Tzu complains about. CT: deal better with your success.
• story of family with lotion secret --> value depends on context
• "passionless" accusation q. p. 5 (very much like stoicism)
• p. 6. famous story of Chaung Tzu's wife dying. --> shouldn't suffer from emotions.
• p. 8. simple poignant story about loss of Hui Tzu.
• Waley --- parody is a method here.
• [seems like a method of alternative possibilities here and on p. 7]
• "Three in the morning" p. 11
• Chaung Tzu on book learning p. 15.
• p. 16 Lao Tzu presents vision to Confucious
• p. 15-20 on how we fail.
• Confucious call out the sister of Brigand Chiu - gotes to his camp. Brigan Chi in a rage alot - speech of Brian Chih and Confucious' reaction. Owww! p. 15

• Death

• lyrical ecstatic acceptance of nature (+ death)
• stories about what we should think of death. p. 31
• 32 Note scepticism

• The Cicada and the Wren

• -->things of one nature can't imagine what it would be to be a different nature (sounds like Nagel?)

• Autumn Floods --- huh? please fill in!!
• p. 34. What it's like to experience Chaung Tzu.
• p. 34-35: Frog and the turtle of the Eastern Sea.

• Yoga

• the greatest traveller
• 38-39 - imgae of being "stuck" in development --> how to motivate the "stuck"

• King Mu and the Wizard

• wizard take king on "journey of the soul"

• Yang Sheng

• nurturing life - "conserving vital energy"
• 1)Secrets of the Chamber
• 2)Breath Control
• 3)Yoga
• 4)Diet

• p. 44 statement of Tao -- WISE MAN q. 41-45

• from Chaung Tzu - Principles of Life Nature

• Ting applies tao to carving
• Ting -- knife never goes dull. Yeah!

• The Taoist and the Tao

• Man of Extreme Power
• No systematic exposition of Tao in Chaung Tzu
• 53-4: refusing recognition as a Sage -- being "honored" is a bad thing....