dizzle
June 9th 2003, 08:25 PM
Okay, we are beginning our discusson on The Taoh of Pooh....
I was given this book way back in my pagan days, and I remember enjoying it then, and when I saw it mentioned by Hired Gun the featured article, I thought it would be good for our discussion, and I wanted to read it again as a Christian. I again enjoyed it, but as usual my mind went looking for a contradiction, which apparently isn’t too hard in Taoist thought since niggling things like contradictions don’t stand in the way but simply are How Things Are.
But first something simplistically cool that I liked:
A saying from the area of Chinese medicine would be appropriate to mention here: “One disease, long life; no disease, short life.” In other words, those who know what’s wrong with them and take care of themselves accordingly will tend to live a lot longer than those who consider themselves perfectly healthy and neglect their weaknesses.
Now some criticisms… this was a particular blow against at least some of Christian thought:
Our Bisy Backson religions, sciences, and business ethics have tried their hardest to convince us that there is a Great Reward waiting for us somewhere, and that what we have to do is spend our lives working like lunatics to catch up with it. Whether it is up in the sky, behind the next molecule, or in the executive suite, its somehow always farther along than we are – just down the road, on the other side of the world, past the moon, beyond the stars….
There is LOT wrong here mixed in with what is right. Of course it presumes that there is not a Great Reward, if there is, then it is reasonable to work towards it so that we are not sacrificing tomorrow for the simple pleasures or sins of today. Also of course in the Christian life, if it is a strenuous and stressful working towards, it is not the true Christian walk but a vain works-based striving. I do not think the author would appreciate this difference.
Now there was also a lot of talk about Essential Nature and Being Who We Are, and here is where I saw the big honking contradiction. I am very well aware of Who I Am, and frankly, it is not very Pooh-like. I would be miserable being Pooh-like. “Simple” serenity is not my cup of tea if I am expressing myself properly. I am most happy and fulfilled not being Pooh. So while the author stresses to be at harmony with our Essential Nature, he basically dismisses as faults any Nature that is not Pooh-like. Bah! What pretentiousness in declaring that it is superior to simply hear the birds sing then to wonder what bird is singing. Thank you very much, I like to wonder.
I was given this book way back in my pagan days, and I remember enjoying it then, and when I saw it mentioned by Hired Gun the featured article, I thought it would be good for our discussion, and I wanted to read it again as a Christian. I again enjoyed it, but as usual my mind went looking for a contradiction, which apparently isn’t too hard in Taoist thought since niggling things like contradictions don’t stand in the way but simply are How Things Are.
But first something simplistically cool that I liked:
A saying from the area of Chinese medicine would be appropriate to mention here: “One disease, long life; no disease, short life.” In other words, those who know what’s wrong with them and take care of themselves accordingly will tend to live a lot longer than those who consider themselves perfectly healthy and neglect their weaknesses.
Now some criticisms… this was a particular blow against at least some of Christian thought:
Our Bisy Backson religions, sciences, and business ethics have tried their hardest to convince us that there is a Great Reward waiting for us somewhere, and that what we have to do is spend our lives working like lunatics to catch up with it. Whether it is up in the sky, behind the next molecule, or in the executive suite, its somehow always farther along than we are – just down the road, on the other side of the world, past the moon, beyond the stars….
There is LOT wrong here mixed in with what is right. Of course it presumes that there is not a Great Reward, if there is, then it is reasonable to work towards it so that we are not sacrificing tomorrow for the simple pleasures or sins of today. Also of course in the Christian life, if it is a strenuous and stressful working towards, it is not the true Christian walk but a vain works-based striving. I do not think the author would appreciate this difference.
Now there was also a lot of talk about Essential Nature and Being Who We Are, and here is where I saw the big honking contradiction. I am very well aware of Who I Am, and frankly, it is not very Pooh-like. I would be miserable being Pooh-like. “Simple” serenity is not my cup of tea if I am expressing myself properly. I am most happy and fulfilled not being Pooh. So while the author stresses to be at harmony with our Essential Nature, he basically dismisses as faults any Nature that is not Pooh-like. Bah! What pretentiousness in declaring that it is superior to simply hear the birds sing then to wonder what bird is singing. Thank you very much, I like to wonder.