3 ms·

To really "get" the Tao Te Ching, I think you have to study Zen and Buddhism. Without getting an intuitive understanding of abstract phrases, talking about thin

To really "get" the Tao Te Ching, I think you have to study Zen and Buddhism. Without getting an intuitive understanding of abstract phrases, talking about things with metaphors, stuff like emptyness and "the way" you're really not going to get anything out of it. You also need to have worked to master some craft or art form. But once you do understand those things, the ideas in the Tao Te Ching are almost common sense. Stuff any somewhat wise person would understand immediately. You can pick any random line out of it and apply to almost any discipline or situation. Its all really just a collection of basic worldly wisdom, that you would encounter doing anything if you put genuine effort into it. Hell, take any art composition class and you can see most ideas in the Tao Te Ching applied literally. This is because in art, things like form, balance and emptyness are all basic building blocks to design

pphysch 3y ago
> To really "get" the Tao Te Ching, I think you have to study Zen and Buddhism. TTC doesn't really require a particular framework to understand. It is however difficult to grok from with a Western/Christian philosophical framework. So studying Eastern philosophy could indeed help break down those preconceptions if one suffers from them.
vorpalhex 3y ago
> have to study Zen and Buddhism. You will get the most from Taoism by studying it with the mind of a beginner or a child than entering into it with preconceived ideologies.
jmfldn 3y ago
Zen evolved from Chinese Chan Buddhism which was influenced by Daoism. Zen is not Daoism though, it is Buddhism. Therefore, to study Daoist texts as a beginner I don't think Zen Buddhism is going to help. It's just going to muddy concepts whatever overlap there may be.
- __rito__ 3y ago
  Zen is influenced both by Buddhism and Taoism. The word "Zen" may have Chinese roots which in turn might have Indian root (dhyan - meditation -> chen/chan -> Zen) - but it doesn't mean whole of Zen evolved from Taoism. And you cannot really learn Tao by just reading a book- no matter how much of a "beginner's mind" you have. Tao practitioners in China, Buddhists in India/China, and Zen practitioners in China/Japan led very different lifestyles from the rest of the populace. Teachings of Zen/Taoism/Buddhism are nice to hear, and quotable- but you can't learn them by merely reading a book. Practice, and inclusion in lifestyle is necessary.
  - jmfldn 3y ago
    Zen IS Buddhism, it's not influenced by it. It's one of the most important schools within Mahayana Buddhism. It has Daoist influences via Chan from which it originated. It absolutely is categorically not Daoism though. It is Buddhism with a somewhat Daoist sensibility.

pphysch 3y ago

> To really "get" the Tao Te Ching, I think you have to study Zen and Buddhism. TTC doesn't really require a particular framework to understand. It is however difficult to grok from with a Western/Christian philosophical framework. So studying Eastern philosophy could indeed help break down those preconceptions if one suffers from them.

vorpalhex 3y ago

> have to study Zen and Buddhism. You will get the most from Taoism by studying it with the mind of a beginner or a child than entering into it with preconceived ideologies.

jmfldn 3y ago

Zen evolved from Chinese Chan Buddhism which was influenced by Daoism. Zen is not Daoism though, it is Buddhism. Therefore, to study Daoist texts as a beginner I don't think Zen Buddhism is going to help. It's just going to muddy concepts whatever overlap there may be.

__rito__ 3y ago
Zen is influenced both by Buddhism and Taoism. The word "Zen" may have Chinese roots which in turn might have Indian root (dhyan - meditation -> chen/chan -> Zen) - but it doesn't mean whole of Zen evolved from Taoism. And you cannot really learn Tao by just reading a book- no matter how much of a "beginner's mind" you have. Tao practitioners in China, Buddhists in India/China, and Zen practitioners in China/Japan led very different lifestyles from the rest of the populace. Teachings of Zen/Taoism/Buddhism are nice to hear, and quotable- but you can't learn them by merely reading a book. Practice, and inclusion in lifestyle is necessary.
- jmfldn 3y ago
  Zen IS Buddhism, it's not influenced by it. It's one of the most important schools within Mahayana Buddhism. It has Daoist influences via Chan from which it originated. It absolutely is categorically not Daoism though. It is Buddhism with a somewhat Daoist sensibility.