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Where Zen Buddhism and Taoism stand apart
If someone asks me why lions ignore small birds, I’ll reply, I think accurately, that lions don’t willingly ignore small birds. The correct statement would be to say that lions do not even perceive them, at least not on a level that would prompt a lion to react. Physically, lions can of course see and…
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Differences between Taoism and Zen Buddhism
While there are superficial similarities between Taoism and Zen Buddhism, their differences are fundamental. Taoism aims at the achievement of happiness on this earth, especially for the Taoist practitioner. In contrast, the main goal of Zen Buddhism is to reduce suffering, if necessary by withdrawing from the world and taking refuge inside one’s mind. Geographically,…
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How to live by Taoist principles
I wonder if most people regard a Taoist lifestyle as desirable or even worth living. They might read a few Lao-Tzu’s quotes, watch some martial arts movies, and meditate for five minutes, but will they devote time and energy to grasp the principles of Taoism? Moderation and humility, two key Taoist virtues, are at odds…
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Taoist insights about social balance
Is it true that Taoists are rugged individualists that could not care less about social harmony and balance? No, that’s not true, but the question illustrates a common misunderstanding of the nature of harmony and balance. In contrast to the prevailing ideas, Taoists consider societal harmony and balance as automatic. Harmony is achieved when millions…
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Taoism and the art of letting go
When it comes to dealing with failure and disappointments, Taoist insights are often misunderstood. They are presented as “letting go” and “forget about it,” but those formulations lack a crucial element, namely, the need to move from plan A to plan B, that is, from setbacks to recovery. In Chapter 3 of the Tao Te…
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Taoist daily habits and rituals
In our business and private lives, simplification works well as long as we do not omit any crucial steps; and once we have identified a simple, but still workable way to do something, we can repeat the process and enjoy the results once and again. Thousands of internet pages are devoted to breaking down complex…
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Taoist metaphors about water
Flexibility and adaptability are, intellectually, modern ideas, immensely difficult to grasp for ancient and medieval minds. Even today, millions of people remain reluctant to regard each individual as master of his fate. Instead, they view one’s health, success or happiness as driven by factors outside one’s control. Although Taoism was created in the 6th century…
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Taoist history and development
The easiest way to grasp Taoist philosophy is to familiarise ourselves with its history. Lao-Tzu did not create Taoism in a vacuum, but as a solution to existing problems. I’m referring to war, poverty, famine, and the underlying societal impositions. A hostile environment prompted Lao-Tzu to conceive Wu Wei (the non-action principle) and the other…
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Lao-Tzu’s quotes on the Taoist lifestyle
I find it understandable and healthy that people question if it is feasible to live today according to ancient Taoist philosophy. Indeed, Lao-Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching in the 6th century BC, and the other two great ancient Taoist masters, Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu lived in the 4th and 3rd century respectively. Scepticism is justified,…
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Taoism and Christian ethics: the differences
Despite similarities in lifestyle, there are large differences between Taoist and Christian ethics. Although the lifestyle of medieval Christian saints reminds me of Lao-Tzu, their beliefs rest on asymmetrical premises. Taoist and Christian ethics are as similar to each other as a cat is similar to a tiger. When cats and tigers are well-fed and…
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Recent Posts
- Happiness and the Taoist non-action principle
- The opposite of the Taoist idea of happiness
- Why Taoists do not pursue happiness directly
- Warnings about the Taoist idea of happiness
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