3/24 Chinese philosophy debate - DAOISTS UNITE!!!

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  • March 2, 2009 at 5:41 am #4996
    Rob_Hugo@PortNW
    Keymaster

    DAOISM team members, feel free to strategize here by replying to this post.

    1. Josephine Cheng
    2. Rosalba Gama
    3. Rodolfo Hernandez
    4. Michael Hlaca
    5. Joshua Rauh

    March 24, 2009 at 1:42 am #28878
    Anonymous
    Guest

    im scared :~ just kidding- will anybody be checking this thread today? will anyone be able to come thru before 5 to discuss how we can break this down? or maybe over the forum?

    rosalba

    March 24, 2009 at 1:50 am #28879
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Hi Rosalba,

    I've got 3 little statements that touch on each of the requirements that I'll post here. let me know what you think!

    What troubles have been wrought by the greed and excess of the Zhou states! Lao Zi says, “There is no greater crime than having too many desires.” Here instead the families war over resources, land and treasure. This is not the Way. Humility has been lost and arrogance has taken its place. Look at Zhi Yao, the king of the most powerful Jin Family. His vanity and pride has laid the family in ruins. This is not the Way.

    March 24, 2009 at 1:54 am #28880
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Humanity must seek to be more like nature which is most like the Way. We must be compassionate and frugal. I realize that this is a dramatic change from today’s society, but heaven demands such a drastic shift if we are to be in harmony with the universe. These wars and aggression will destroy us if we do not align ourselves with the Way. Man must be like water which benefits all but stays with none, water which carves mountains not with aggression, but with persistence and constancy.

    March 24, 2009 at 1:56 am #28881
    Anonymous
    Guest

    To achieve this change is easy. To follow the Way is simple. We must do nothing. We must stop everything. The treasures which are most rare are not precious; stop warring over them. The desires for land, political power and riches are false desires, stop desiring. Lao Zi says, "Do that which consists in taking no action, and order will prevail." In this way a ruler succeeds in ruling the people.

    March 24, 2009 at 5:36 am #28882
    Anonymous
    Guest

    some notes on...

    education:
    1. in reading books, one should strive to find true meaning, no just grasp literal sense of words. then internalize teachings.
    2. transmitting knowledge through action, not books- "books are useless since they all contain the dregs of old men long dead...The men of old died in possession of what they could not transmit"
    3. A man following the "Way" should have knowledge of herbal medicine (using nature to heal)
    4. Trying to show off what you know/ boast of many books read can harm the spirit and vitality, maybe lead to confusion.

    loyalty:
    1. before committing to friendship one must first observe and approve of a person's character.
    2. "love but do not become attached to love" (middle path)

    society and government-ideal rulers/leaders:
    "When the government is alert, the people are cunning."
    "The better known the laws and edicts, the more thieves and robbers there are."

    1. individualism- rulers should leave people alone, not be overpowering
    2. "let people return to a natural state of ignorance and contentment"
    3. justification of rulers stepping back and letting people be- "ruler can have great power simply by being himself without instituting anything"
    4. "men of virtue should devote themselves to making government work for the benefit of the people"- thousands of Daoists attacked local government offices during Han Dynasty

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