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Daoism
Bend and you straighten, Empty and you fill, Decay and you
renew
Daodejing Chapter 22
Great minds reputedly influenced by the Daodejing:Confucius
SamuelJohnson
Frederick Nietzsche Karl JungEugene O'Neil Leo
Tolstoy
Yin Yang - This popular Daoist symbol represents the balance
ofopposites in the universe. When they are equally present, all
iscalm. When one is outweighed by the other, there is confusionand
disarray.
The 'yin' represents the feminine: being soft, cool, calm,
introspective,
healing and night... and "yang" the masculine: being hard,
hot,energetic, moving, sometimes aggressive, and day.
Since nothing in nature is absolute, the symbol includes a small
black spot in thewhite, and a corresponding white spot in the
black.
The sun is constant. In a world of change, the moon holds all
the secrets. Thus thecurved line in the Yin Yang symbolizes a
constant waxing and waning of life.
The five main organs and orifices of the body correspond to the
five elements areshow below. (Couldnt find which orifice fits with
which element which do youthink?)
Direction/Force Element Color Symbol Season
East/yang Wood Green Blue dragon Spring
South/yang Fire Red Red bird Summer
West /yin Metal White White tiger Autumn
North/yin Water Black Dark warrior Winter
Center Earth Yellow
Daoists believe that man is a microcosm of the universe; by
understanding himself,man may gain knowledge of the universe. Each
person must nurture theirCh'i(intrinsic energy). Tai Chi is
believed to balance energy flow. Alchemy, astrology,martial arts,
and qigong breath training has been intertwined with
Daoismthroughout history.
The Three Jewelslove
moderationhumility
also translated as compassion, simplicity, and modesty
Wu wei= without action or "effortless doing"; is associated with
water which is soft and weak, but it can carvestone. Daoist
philosophy proposes that the universe works harmoniously according
to its own ways. When someoneexerts his will against the world, he
disrupts that harmony.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy#Chinese_alchemyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy#Chinese_alchemyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_martial_artshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigonghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy#Chinese_alchemyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_martial_artshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong
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The Tao of PoohBenjamin Hoff
The essence of the Uncarved Block is that things in their
original simplicity
contain their own natural power, power that is easily spoiled
and lost when
that simplicity is changed. This principle applies not only to
things, but to
people as well. As Piglet put it, "Pooh hasn't much Brain, but
he never
comes to any harm. He does silly things and they turn out
right."
Owl is Knowledge for the Sake of Appearing Wise and who keeps
what he
learns to himself, rather than working for the enlightenment of
others.
Eeyore's is Knowledge for the Sake of Complaining about
Something and
Rabbit's is Knowledge of Being Clever.
The wise know their limitations; the foolish do not. To
demonstrate what we
mean, we can think of no one better than Tigger, who doesn't
know his
limitations (Tiggers can do everything), which brings him into
lots of
trouble. Piglet instead knows his limitations and that's what
makes him
sometimes braver than one would expect from such a small animal.
So, thefirst thing we need to do is to recognize and trust our own
Inner Nature, and
not lose sight of it.
Sources:www.symynet.com/tao_te_ching/chinese_symbols_meanings.htm
http://www.daoism.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism
Porter, Bill,Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits,
1993, Mercury House, San Francisco
http://www.daoistcenter.org/Daoism.htmlhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/taoism.htm
http://rainbowuniverse.org/poohfun/id216.htm
