The Essential Belief

As a Taoist I've often wondered how our perception of Taoism in the West differs from the perception in the East. I've had lengthy and heated conversations regarding this topic, in particular whether or not Westerners can ever really understand Taoism as it was intended to be transmitted. The terms themselves should bring to light some of the difficulty in coming to terms with a fair and just determination, in particular phrases such as transmitted, or transmission, which is very much an Eastern idea, not a Western.

Transmission is essentially the way a path is spread, but our own understanding as American Taoists may not hit the mark when it comes to how it was originally and traditionally understood. This notion in itself can cause problems, especially if one is devoted to such terms as authentic, correct, and real. In fact in most debates regarding the capacity of a Western person's ability to understand Taoism this is the crux of the argument, that our inability to understand the social and cultural nuances of Eastern (in this case Chinese) philosophy leaves us lacking in regards to understanding Taoism. This is also one of the reasons why many Americans who identify themselves as being authentic Taoists argue that the only way for one to truly understand Taoism is by understanding the nuances of the culture.

In essence the argument is that one must be taught to think in the Eastern cultural context, to be able to see one's self identity in a way that allows them to understand their relationship to their community and the tradition in an Eastern sense. In reality much of this is impossible, simply because there is a cultural divide that can never be navigated, so with this argument one could assume that a Western individual could never really attain an understanding of Taoism as it is taught (or transmitted) in Eastern philosophy. Perhaps the traditionalists are right in assuming this, but at the same time one might ask the question, is it necessary to change one's perception of self in order to gain the benefits of practice from Taoism? Can one actually achieve the same fundamentals of Taoism without changing the fundamental sense of self that is indicative in the Western mindset?

I wont mislead you, I believe it is, and in believing this I guess I am not a traditionalist. But in believing this, I also believe that the greatest fundamental present in Taoism is freedom of self, which is why many American's seem to be drawn to Taoism in the first place. After all, we are taught as Americans that freedom is not only a right, but what each of us should endeavor to protect. Of course our definitions of freedom may differ from the Chinese, especially in the context of politics, family, and society, but at its core the essential is the same, that freedom is something that strengthens the community, rather than hinders it.

This essential belief arises over and over throughout the Tao Te Ching, but is most eloquently posed within the question, “How great is the difference between 'eh' and 'oh', must I believe what others believe? What abysmal nonsense is this!” You see Taoism, especially as it was taught by Lao Tzu, was not just a philosophy of personal freedom, but also one of personal inquiry. We are taught as Taoists to question what we are taught, but not so that we can rebel against the society in which we live, but rather to understand more closely how that society works, it's virtues and flaws, and in so understanding this, come to a greater understanding of how we can become a benefit to that society, and I believe, ultimately the world at large.

With that said I should return to the original question, can we as Westerners ever really understand Taoism as it was transmitted to the East? Perhaps not, but in our exposure to the philosophy we certainly can adapt it so that we can use its most basic lessons to strengthen our own sense of self and society. We can take what we get from it and use it in a way to become American Taoists and in so doing, use it as a means to better our own community.

I think the first step to understanding our own place in society is ultimately personal inquiry. It requires contemplation, meditation, and self-discipline and at its most basic essence it is a process of examination in which we honestly look at who we are, how we became who we are, and ultimately the reality of what that is. Of course that in itself is a topic for another discussion, but for right now it leaves us at a wonderful place to stop, if for no other reason than to contemplate these questions on our own.

Thanks for reading.  

Perception

I'm back. If you haven't read my previous post then you probably don't know that I moved back to one of my old haunts. When I lived here before I was a raging alcoholic that fluctuated between extreme depths of depression and periods of normalcy. I was suicidal on numerous occasions.   For lack of a better word, I was insane. I moved away and things changed. I used to think that it was the town that made me that way, but after a month back I realize it had nothing to do with this place, but rather it had to do with who I was as a person.

If meditation and Taoism has taught me anything, it's that who I am is who I have always been. See the person that was there and the person that is here is the same person. Experiences have changed, my perception has changed, but I haven't really changed, except for how I think and feel and believe me, thoughts aren't real.

Most people may not understand what I'm talking about, but if you do, I'm sure you'll get it. Life throws curveballs, we see those curveballs and take them personally, but the fact is there is nothing personal about it. The universe is not sentimental, it doesn't do anything to us on purpose. But it's easy to believe that it does, especially when we see ourselves as being separate from that universe, or more to the point us-against-the-universe.

One thing I realize now that I didn't then is that hardship is a good thing. It reminds us that we are alive, it gives the opportunity for success, and it allows us to understand that there is a reason for being here. How great is the difference between "eh" and "oh"? What is the difference between success and failure, except how we perceive it. I could look back on my life and see all the times I failed and believe that as a result I failed, or I could look back and see all those times as opportunities to do something better, which I believe I have.

My well being has nothing do with what's going on in my life, but rather how I choose to perceive what's going on in my life. It seems strange, maybe like pop-psychology, but it's there in the Tao Te Ching, clear as day.

Hah... it's been raining again for nearly a week and it looks like there wont be another patch of sunlight for nearly another week, but so what? Gray clouds or sunlight, it's only a perception and it's certainly not personal. I look at this as an opportunity to do something.

I can visit my mother, see my sister and brother, meet new friends, hang out with old friends, or I can stay at home and read a book. That's the great thing about perspective, it frees you in the end to do what needs to be done, rather than what you want to do. Perspective means you no longer see dull days or blinding bright sunlight, but rather you see the day as it is and as its meant to be.

That doesn't mean I'll be walking in the freezing rain, just that I understand the freezing rain is just a moment in time, that it doesn't foretell doom and gloom or a bountiful harvest, but rather it's what's happening now.

So maybe the thing I've learned as an American Taoist is that my life isn't bad or good, it's just a life. I have the choice to live it as I want to or I need to, but either way it's in my hands. In the same way I can choose to live separate from those around me or realize my connection to them and how my actions influence them. In the end what's important is understanding that the world is not against me, but a part of me. If I can remember that, then it's much easier to take life's hardships and understand them for what they are.

Til next time, thanks for reading.

Aaron

The American Taoist

So here I am, after much thought and deliberation, writing a blog that may very well sputter, crash, and burn... but that's alright. I'm not concerned with soaring right now, but rather talking about Taoism, something I am at times passionate about, and other times dispassionate, but never faithless.

I know it seems weird saying that word, faithless, because it conjures up ideas of faith, belief without proof and all that, yet for me much of Taoism is about faith, because there is no real proof that Tao exists, in fact Lao Tzu tells us this in the very first few lines of the Tao Te Ching, anytime we talk about Tao, it's not Tao, but rather tao, because Tao with a capital "t" isn't something we can talk about, so the only thing we can do is have faith that it is real and strive to understand it. 

Maybe that's what draws me to it really, Taoism, and especially Modern Taoism, or if you'd rather, American Taoism, this need to have a purpose, something that is beyond destiny or predetermination. Something that tells me that as long as I do what I am supposed to, it doesn't matter what happens. It's calming. It eases the mind and gives me some kind of resolution, even when things don't seem to be going right.

Recently I moved across the country from Jacksonville, Florida to Aberdeen, Washington. I did it without any real idea of what I was going to do, just knowing on some level that it needed to be done. Now Aberdeen isn't new to me, I've spent a good portion of my life here, twelve years in the Northwest, but I've been gone for at least another twelve and coming back after all that time in the warm sunshine is a bit of a shock. 

I saw the sun only once in ten days. That was strange, even though I knew it was the way things are here. It's rough, I wont deny it. I keep thinking damp is the best way to describe this part of the country, but that's not true. Perhaps it's wet... no water... that's what it is. 

I confess that it was here, in Aberdeen, that I first learned about Taoism. I bought my first copy of the Tao Teh Ching in 1992 at the Waldenbooks in the Grays Harbor Mall. That was when there were still stores at the mall, before the timber industry collapsed and left little in the way of jobs for this corner of the state. Now you walk through and there is little left. There are more vacancies than occupied stores. It shook me up the first time I saw it. 

I guess that's the water part, it stays in places reviled by men. This place is certainly reviled at times, down right depressing, but the Tao is here, even if I can't explain how it is here or why it is here, it is here. I have faith that it is here, just as I have faith it is in every other place I've been or you've been. That's the cool thing about Tao, I don't have to know what it is to know it is here. I don't have to prove to you that Tao exists, because it doesn't matter if it exists. The only thing I have to do is live my life at this moment, in this place in time, doing what I can. 

The American Taoist. The one in ten-thousand, who decides to throw everything aside and find the truth. That's what it's about, right? Learning how to live our lives on life's terms? That's what Taoism is really about, the notion that we aren't in charge, that the idea of controlling the world is crazy, it just can't be done, so we don't even try, we just do what we can. 

Of course the other part of water is that it purifies itself. The dark sediment settles and the murky depths become clarified. We see what we didn't see before and I see this town in a different way than I did as a neophyte all those years ago. My age has made me aware that it isn't the state of the town that is reviled, but the reflection of myself in this town. I can't revile something I don't have contempt for. I see the beauty in the rain, the clouds, the water, the ever present greenery that surrounds me. There are no patches of dead grass, nothing is dried up here, there are no husks, life is abundant, even without the constant light of the sun, perhaps because of its absence. 

And maybe it's that absence that allows me to look beyond what I knew and see what I don't know. It's the darkness that allows me to appreciate the light and how I appreciate the sun now. Those few moments it comes out brings a smile to my face. Every day is new and old, depending on how I look at it. Today it's new and I'm going to take advantage of this opportunity. 

Anyways, this is my blog. It's not much, I'll admit, but I offer you everything I can. I hope you drop by again. I'm not sure what an American Taoist is, but I know it has something to do with faith and the Tao. Maybe together we can figure this out.

Aaron