Taoism

[Cyrene]

Lao Tzu obviously stresses the importance of harmony, but reading the Tao Te Ching, it seems as though he supports Yin over Yang, because his perfect person posseses the qualities associated with Yang. However, harmony is the balance between the two, right? So perhaps harmony isn't that important, or am I missing something?

Needless to say, having a Yang dominated world isn't exactly working for us. I just hope for some second opinions or thoughts.

Thanks,
Cyrene

[venom mama]

you're reading way to much into the tao. harmony is within yourself, nothing outside of you. the tao is very simple. there is no support of yin over yang and there is no perfect person. the tao is about being good but not needing others to recognize your goodness. to act not because you were asked but because something needed to be done.

if you look to hard it will slip away.


interesting that you say the world is yang dominated.


i read the tao te ching everyday. even if it's just a page. i call it my "consulting the tao."
my advice is to just keep reading it. over and over. i even have a copy in my jeep. if i'm waiting at a red light or anything i read a page. keep it with you. it's amazing what the tao will tell you at random moments opening up to random pages.

as for what you think lao tzu thinks the perfect person is, well, why would you even care? that's completely missing the point. there is no judgement. perfection has no definition within the tao.





:peace:

[Cyrene]

Good point. Maybe I am reading too far into it, but it does seem like Lao Tzu supports Yin over Yang to me. I guess the world would be more harmonious if there was more yin than yang, but the most harmonious if there was an equal amount of the two.

I just realized something. In one of the verses, it says that you get what you want by submitting- if a larger country submits to a smaller country, it gets more people; if a smaller country submits to a larger county, it gets someone to serve. In a lot of verses, it also stresses that you gain by losing and lose by gaining. So I guess that if you submit, you lose, and therefore gain. I love the Tao Te Ching.

[Common Sense]

You read the Tao and I consult my magic 8-ball.

Same difference.

[levity]

If we live in a Yang-dominated world, promoting Yin should bring the world closer to balance.

[Nick_A]

Cyrene wrote:

In a lot of verses, it also stresses that you gain by losing and lose by gaining. So I guess that if you submit, you lose, and therefore gain. I love the Tao Te Ching.

Hmmmm......As an Aries male why can't I meet these women that know how much they will gain by losing and submitting? I could be a great help to them. No justice!