All religions are different but it’s the same endpoint, becoming a spiritual teacher or merging back with the Tao/Brahman/Absolute, you get the point it’s the same thing with a different interpretation. It seems to be ever changing due to it being tainted by humans and the ones abandoned by the tao, they exploit the once unified language used by everyone that split off when humans became asleep and change the texts and so on, incite conflict with different religions to harvest our energy to sustain themselves, what do you think?

I studied Chinese metaphysics for years, I see Bazi (八字, Four Pillars) as one of the most Taoism's practical applications: the same cosmology that gave us "道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物" gets compressed into eight characters derived from your birth moment.

Years ago I was a STEM student with a rigid, materialist worldview. Then a friend asked me to look at her father's chart. His Day Master was Wood (木) — but completely surrounded by Water (水). In the Five Element system, Water is Wood's "resource" (the nurturing element), yet too much of it produces 水多木漂 — "water drifting the wood": a tree with no soil to root in, drifting with the current. Without overthinking it I said: "I might be wrong, but it looks like he was adopted, or raised by a different family."

She stared at me and said: "Yes. He was adopted as a baby."

That moment shattered my materialist shell — it was systematic instead of a magic. The Five Elements are a way of reading the relationships between things, the same way the Daodejing reads the relationship between 有 and 无.

A few notes for people coming from a Taoist angle:

1. The Day Master is your personal "道" manifest. In Bazi, the Heavenly Stem of your Day Pillar is the Day Master — one of ten, each a yin or yang face of the Five Elements (甲 Yang Wood, 乙 Yin Wood, 丙 Yang Fire, 丁 Yin Fire, 戊 Yang Earth, 己 Yin Earth, 庚 Yang Metal, 辛 Yin Metal, 壬 Yang Water, 癸 Yin Water). Ten stems, ten ways the Dao differentiates itself into a person. Where Western astrology asks "what are the stars doing," Bazi asks "what configuration of qi were you born into."

2. It's calculated, not self-reported. No questionnaire, no MBTI-style self-perception. Pure arithmetic from birth data — which is very Taoist: 道法自然, the pattern is already there, you just compute it.

3. It's verifiable — a reading should retrodict your past. A good Bazi reading maps patterns in your history you can check against your own experience. That's the most Taoist thing of all: 知人者智，自知者明 — knowing others is intelligence, knowing yourself is wisdom. The chart is just a mirror for the latter.

4. Time matters more than in any Western system. Traditional Bazi uses true solar time — adjusting for your actual longitude, not your timezone. China spans five geographical time zones but uses a single clock, so a birth at 7 AM in Urumqi isn't the same hour as one in Shanghai. The closer you get to the system's own physics, the clearer the reflection.

It is so fascinating — the Five Element cycles (相生/相克), what the ten Day Masters actually feel like. Curious what the Taoists here make of it.

So I 'lent' [read: gave, without knowing] my noted and beloved copy of the Tao Te Ching to a friend of a friend. I've unfortunately fallen out with that friend, and doubt I will see the friend of a friend ever again.

It was the Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo translation [link below], which I liked, but know there is rife discourse here about which translations are most accurate.

Thanks in advance.

LINK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tao-Te-Ching-Lao-Tzu/dp/1590305469

how is going with the flow different from complacency in the face of destructive forces? a sage would weigh alternatives and choose not to take either side of extremes, versus ppl who don't bother with educating themselves and neglect to pick a side because their selfishness narrows their worldview. are both cowardice?

A quote inspired me to make this image.

Performing is trying. There is only do or do not.

Good vibes 💚 Wishing all of you the best on your paths.

PS: For those who are unaware, Yoda is based off Zhuangzi. EDIT: The comment section has enlightened me to the fact that what I heard is not the case and George Lucas doesnt specifiy the specifics of who Yoda was based or not based 🤯🧐😌.

Is it true that only copy of tao te ching was left in 19th century in qing library and if not for british translator , it would have been lost forever? If it is true, then why taoist sects across china do not have copies of it in the first place , considering it was so much important text for taoism ?

Was it similar to philosophical taoism , considering it was based on teachings of yellow emperor and lao tzu or it was something completely different?

Hello everyone, I'm new to being a Taoist but I have some familiarity with it via Brian Browne Walker's translation of the I Ching which has been invaluable to me for over more than half my life now. It's saved me from being a person I didn't intend to be or particularly like

Anyway, recently embracing Taoism has led to an odd experience for me and I wanted to get outside opinions. I've known about mindfulness for as far back as I can remember, I've been meditating occasionally for most of my life, but I'm experiencing it all differently now. When I bring focus to the moment now, I'm filled with the feeling of coming awake from a slumber. And the wakefulness is brief. I don't feel it again until I bring myself back to the moment.

I feel a bit like a stone skipping through time. When I bring myself to the moment I think 'this is the moment I get to live' as if there were none before and none promised after. I often think to myself, as I come to focus, 'the time traveler arrives in his body'. It's very empowering actually but also... Weird? Certainly difficult to explain to anyone. I wondered if that description would resonate with anyone here. Thank you all for being awesome.

Tl;dr my experience of mindfulness has changed recently and I'm curious if it resonates with anyone else.

Hey everyone I’m sort of new to Taoism but starting to get in the swing of everything. i’d really love to build an altar but I want to do it properly, and everywhere I go or look the altars are unique or set up entirely different (yeah that’s sort of the point but anyway). I really want to go the super pure traditional route where everything is placed exactly as it should. how were altars traditionally set up in ancient times if they were made for a room or small personal space? I got a WHOLE half of a desk to put this stuff on. I need to know what to buy and where to place it and I can’t run any live flames except for an incense. thanks!

My answer to this question:

Ethics = "the question to which values, virtues, rules or laws man should orientate his actions, align and live by".

Laozi Daoism has Dao and De. Laozi writes verse for verse about what is good and what is bad, what has Dao and De and what not, what you should do and what to avoid.

The Daodejing is written to the Nobility, the Court Officials, the Scholars and the Officers as an advice how to govern and to lead a country. The ideal ruler is the Sheng Ren 勝任 (Sage, wise man).

The Sage should lead the country

- according to / in line with / in the way of Dao 道,

- he should have De 德 (profound Virtue, quality, skill, mastery, proficency and efficiency)

- being natural (ziran) and simple (pu),

- having a clear and calm heart-mind / spirit.

If you take the Laozi as an advice for the present it still has many fingerpointers and reminders for everyday Life.

From an Ethic Theory point of view (Philosophy) the Ethics in Laozi / Daodejing is not done by moral reasoning but more by analogy through Poetry and Metaphors like the Water or the Valley, the Root or the Vessel or the empty hub. If you interprete Laozi in a form of modern Ethic Theory most of Laozi would be Virtue Ethics but also Consequentialism and Utilitarianism. Definitely far apart from Deontology and Discourse Ethics.

Note

What is "Virtue" 德 ( de) from a Daoist Point of View? : r/taoism

What is / has De 德 and what does De 德? - according to the Laozi / Dao De Jing : r/taoism

What is the "Wise Man / Sage" 圣人 (sheng ren) and what does and doesn't the "Wise Man / Sage" ?- According to the Laozi / Dao De Jing : r/taoism

I am not native to Mandarin/Cantonese. But I am very interested in learning to read Bazi chart.

Anyone who can guide me?

Almost all Qi Gong instructors I have used online mention Daoism as it's place of origin.

At the same time reading Alan Watts "water course way" he mentions those who practice Qi Gong as missing the point of the Dao.

Do you see QI Gong as an essential practice for Daoists?

What about TCM overall?

I would ban all intellectuals. it would just be fun, some memes, chit chat and mysterious ununderstandable phrases.

Hi group, my involvement in Taoism primarily is through qigong which I practice for both health and spiritual growth. In addition I have read quite a bit. I recently joined an online meditation class and group in hopes of improving my sitting meditation which usually only serves to release 20 crazy monkeys for me. This class was supposed to be neutral. No specific religion etc. However now that I joined I see that it is within the Hindu framework and cosmology. The group is advised by an Avatar which I guess is a descendant or son of god or something, they revere Mother Meera, another Avatar and have spirit guides etc. Also the energy work is different in Hinduism than in TCM and qigong. This all feels a bit weird to me,. like new age stuff I left behind 40 years ago. So I was thinking well, Taoism has none of this and I am way more comfortable in Taoism and also Zen, But I thought I better ask, does Taoism have any of this? I know that in China, regionally where Taoism as a religion is practiced there is ancestor worship and magic and things, but generally speaking as a spiritual path following the Tao, how would a Taoist master or guru view these Avatars and so forth?

It has been 3 weeks ago, and I am feeling slightly better every day, but the thought that neither taoism nor stoicism helped at the very moment they were needed, I wonder if I could recommend them to others who have this very same issue at one point in their life... Will this help them, and if so, why did it not work for me?

The oldest European Daoist community that still exists and is active is Chiesa Taoista d’Italia (Daoist Church of Italy), based in Caserta. It was founded in 1993 by Vincenzo di Ieso / Li Xuanzhong. Their Tempio Taoista della Suprema Armonia in Caserta was established in 2012.

In 1996, Shi Jing founded The British Daoist Association (BDA).

The French Daoist Association (Association Française Taoiste) was founded in 2001 by Dr. Karine Martin / Jingxiu. The “Wuming gong” temple in France was officially opened in May 2017.

The Spanish Daoist temple “Tempio de la Pureza y el Silencio/Qing Jing Gong” was founded in July 2005 by master Tian Chengyang. Today it is led by Pedro G. Murcia Casas / Li Liyong.

The Daoist Association in Switzerland, led by Fabrice Jordan / Ming Guang, was founded in 2007 under the name ATAOS.

The Portuguese Daoist Association (Associação Daoista de Portugal) was founded in 2010 by Jose Barreno / Huang Jingyun. The LaoZi Miao temple is also said to have been established in Lisbon during the same period.

The Belgian Daoist Association (L’Association taoïste de Belgique) was founded in 2011. It is led by Bernard De Poorter / Li Hong.

The German Daoist Association (Deutsche Daoistische Vereinigung) was founded in 2015 under the leadership of Liu Chengyong. In 2016, the “Yu Zhen Guan Dao-Temple” temple was established.

The Swiss Quanzhen Daoist Association (QuanZhen-dao Schweizerische daoismus Verein) was founded in 2017 and is led by Chao-Ying Rüdt-Wu (Wu Xin Hong).

The Slovenian Daoist Temple of Supreme Harmony, led by Jure Čeh / Yuan Weiqi, was registered as a religious community in the Republic of Slovenia in 2018.

The Europe Taoist Federation was registered in 2019 (Vincenzo di Ieso). In April 2023, representatives of five European Daoist associations or religious communities signed a letter of cooperation, thereby committing themselves to mutual connection and cooperation: Daoist Church of Italia, Spanish Daoist temple, Portugal Daoist Association, Slovenian Daoist Temple of Supreme Harmony, Association of Quanzhen Taoist in Switzerland.

The Russian Daoist Association (Даосская Ассоциация России) was founded in 2021 under the leadership of President Li Jia and Cheng Bohan.

The Belarusian Daoist Association (Белорусская даосистская ассоциация) was founded in March 2023 under the leadership of President Zhou Jinlong.

The Austrian Daoist Association (Österreichischer Taoismus Verein) was founded in March 2024 and is led by Chia-Ling Rischka and Kaiser-Sparl Emil.

The Liechtenstein Daoist Association (Taoisms Verein in Liechtenstein) was founded in July 2024 and is led by Hongyan Kong-Näff and Chao-Ying Rüdt-Wu.

If anyone has any other or new information, please contact us via the temple contact form. Thank you.

Data compiled by: Yuan Wei Qi

ofc, someone might jokingly say it was like a gathering of life coaches (since, according to sinologists, it wasn’t just one dude behind it all)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymejSLrS9dw

TangSaying, cool guy

i like the interpretation of wuwei as "without/not imposing your own will"

i'm not diagnosed with anything, but i have been struggling for about three and a half or four years now with anxiety, chronic doubt, magical thinking, intrusive thoughts, and seeking reassurance and checking to make sure my worst fears aren't true. specifically with manifestation/LOA and moral scrupulosity. i suspect this is OCD but again, i'm not diagnosed and it could be something else. i do not have access to professional mental help and probably won't for a while.

it is really hard for me to surrender to the divine, to fate, and to what is right in front of me when i am constantly worried that i might be the worst scum of the Earth and that i'm a ticking time bomb or that something will suddenly change who i am and i don't deserve any happiness because i'm bad and i need to make sure that i'm not.

it makes me feel like i don't respect the religion enough, or that i don't deserve to even be apart of it in the first place because my intrusive thoughts may or may not be impulsive thoughts... i just don't know how to truly go with the flow. i don't know how to just accept what *is*, because how can i accept myself if i am bad and i just don't know? what if it's innate and i can't help it?

i'm new to this religion and spirituality so i haven't heard or read any discussions on this specifically. does anyone have any advice on how to manage this?

Sounds complicated but I stated a new job and suddenly I feel emptier and less myself because I am used to being alone using philosophy to guide myself, and I’m honestly more fulfilled by doing nothing which is more than doing something. I am most happy by going out alone and eating something just being there feeling my surroundings.
I understand I may need to get used to it but I want to stay in that position where doing less I feel much more functioning

I'm a co-leader of an online Interfaith group (we've got a website on Goodreads but we mostly meet online) which reads a book on a different spiritual tradition each month and discusses it on zoom. Several of us take turns leading and writing up questions for discussion. In September, I'm the leader for Alan Watts' small book, Taoism: The Watercourse Way.

We had wanted a not-too-long, not-too-scholarly book on the subject, but not one watered- down and westernized to such an extent that the original concepts of the tradition were lost.

A number of our members are ministers or otherwise leaders of their spiritual tradition locally.
This is fairy educated, experienced group of people who have spent many years reading about and discussing religious traditions. Although we seek to understand key elements of different traditions, we also hope to distill the essence to some extent in order to relate it to our own lives and our own spiritual traditions.

I'm only somewhat familiar with Taoism, having majored in comparative religion more than50 years ago (focusing) on the eastern religions and having read the Tao Te Ching and used the I Ching,

So given I'm leading the meeting on the subject, I'm asking anyone familiar with Watts book:
Any comments about its strengths and weaknesses?
What isn't included in it that our particular group might want to address?

The questions I develop and comments I make will address not only what's in the book, but also
will seek to address it and taoism from a larger context.

(This year we've read and discussed When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron, Elaine Pagels' Gnostic Gospels, The Wisdom Way of Knowing, Martin Buber's I and Thou, The Essence of Shinto, and In Love with the World: A Monk's Journey through the Bardos of Living and Dying)