Taoism

yoda_soda

Has Taoism informed your Buddhist practice? If so, in what way? Have you practiced Taoist meditation? More generally, how do you think Taoism can be practiced?

federica

I don't even consider it at all. That is not to say that I don't respect it, or enjoy its teachings, but my total focus is on Buddhism.

Vastmind

Hi there, nice to meet you. What about you? Are you into Taoism? ... Are you currently practicing Buddhism or meditation? Tell me about you first.

yoda_soda

@Vastmind Nice to meet ya. Yes, I am a Buddhist from the USA. I had my first serious religious experience about two years ago. It involved basically living at a temple, learning from a monk, learning about theory and practice, and lots of other (mostly cultural) things. All of which is to say I've learned how little I know. I could go into more detail. Now that I'm in my "second wave" of religious/spiritual experience, I'm reading widely in my own tradition, other Buddhist traditions, and other traditions entirely. I feel that casting a wide net will enhance my understanding of what I find to be true, or at least give me interesting things to discuss at dhamma gatherings. So I don't have a sense of anxiety about going forth and exploring.

Jeffrey

I read something from the Tao Te Ching recently in the morning before I shower or in the evening. Sometimes. I have never heard of the meditation instructions from a Taoist teacher though. I've heard lots of Buddhist teachers instructions but never Taoist.

Have you heard of taoist instructions in meditation?

I read the Chuang Tzu years ago before I was Buddhist for school.

yoda_soda

@Jeffrey Yes!

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_the_Golden_Flower
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liu_Yiming
• I find both Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu to be painfully opaque. So far I haven't found much use for them in my practice... maybe that will change.
• Komjathy seems to be a great resource... Also Fabrizio Pregadio. See his lecture here:

lobster

@yoda_soda said:
Has Taoism informed your Buddhist practice?

If mindful everything informs or empowers our practice

If so, in what way?

An obvious way is in the Chi-Kung exercises, which I combine with yoga

Have you practiced Taoist meditation?

... in the walking meditation used in both Buddhism and Tai Chi practice

More generally, how do you think Taoism can be practiced?

As part of dhyana/Chan/zen
http://www.taoism.net/articles/what_zen.htm

paulyso

@yoda_soda said:
Has Taoism informed your Buddhist practice? If so, in what way? Have you practiced Taoist meditation? More generally, how do you think Taoism can be practiced?

1 question,yes.in what way? nature teaches.zen,cousin to dao,pause and look,peace and beauty and love.

2 question,through zen...the art of being whole and balence...learning throug trial and error.it can be called idiot zen, a zen master laughs--which is dao--or gives me a break?ya...or na... dont know....but hoping the zen master laughs at this idiot savant(it's a theory).

3 question,through chan-zen. inner and outer unity with the all....dharmakaya,source,empty and full...semantics of finger pointing the moon,far out...cool,eh?

yoda_soda

@paulyso Cool.

David

@yoda_soda said:
Has Taoism informed your Buddhist practice? If so, in what way?

Yes. I found the concept of Yinyang and Dependent Origination or Interbeing different ways of explaining the same truth.

They both reconcile the seeming paradox we face with the illusion of seperation and show that ultimately there can be no true opposition.

Have you practiced Taoist meditation? More generally, how do you think Taoism can be practiced?

Oddly enough, the styles of meditation found in Taoism are pretty much the same as we find promoted in Buddhism. Mindfulness of breath and visualisation exercises are virtually identical. In Taoism there is also a kind of stance meditation done by standing straight or in a horse stance and there are also forms like Tai Chi.

Lau Tsu said "I have just three things to teach, simplicity, patience and compassion. These are your greatest treasures."

yoda_soda

@David Nice, how do you understand interbeing?

Shoshin

@yoda_soda said:
Has Taoism informed your Buddhist practice?

Yes

If so, in what way?

The Way (Wu Wei )

Have you practiced Taoist meditation?

Sort of...

More generally, how do you think Taoism can be practiced?

Wu Wei .... ( which I guess Shikantaza is part of )

David

@yoda_soda said:
@David Nice, how do you understand interbeing?

It's a term coined by Thich Nhat Hanh which is meant to incorporate impermanence, dependent origination and the non-self or emptiness teachings. No thing exists without everything else and so all are aspects of the same ever changing process.

yoda_soda

@David Nice.

Kundo

Interbeing (the concept and understanding it) has changed my outlook on almost everything. TNH is an awesome teacher.
_ /\ _

yoda_soda

@Kundo It is a helpful concept, isn't it?

Kundo

@yoda_soda said:
@Kundo It is a helpful concept, isn't it?

I'd say illuminating is more apt for me

Jeroen

@yoda_soda said:
Has Taoism informed your Buddhist practice? If so, in what way? Have you practiced Taoist meditation? More generally, how do you think Taoism can be practiced?

I’ve found Taoism to be very peaceful, and in that way it quite connects with Buddhism. It has a better conception of male and female principles I think, but Taoism is more obscure. Buddhism is a very accessible path, though it requires some effort, whereas Taoism is often seen as a wisdom tradition but not so much a path of practice.

I’ve never gone very deeply into Taoism, i’ve read the Tao Te Ching and the works of Chuang Tzu and have felt a certain resonance with them, but that’s as far as I’ve gone.