Removes all the complexities ( the deities ), there is only one singular Tao. Those who read Tao De Ching are numbered , mostly those who practice it are by informal educational from the family.

After reading Tao De Ching, I”m more incline to believe it should a singular Tao - something cannot be described, cannot be named , cannot be defined. After the event, all the custom worshipping , I”ll only treat it as “paying respect” and not worshiping. I only kneel & bow to the singular entity of Tao.

The one who practice it will normally not openly discuss it because avoiding / preventing conflict is one of the art of practicing Taoism. Without coming to surface or revealing it, it would hinder a lot of trouble / issue.

It is cultural not related to Taoism. However, as time passed, the commoners begin to mix it to the religious practice.

From what I read, the event started during the era of Ming Dynasty by Emperor Zhu Yuan Zhang(ZYZ). ZYZ was a commoner who rebelled against the Yuan Dynasty (Mongol). By the time he succeeded to overthrow Yuan Dynasty and established the Ming Dynasty, time has passed. When ZYZ went back to his home village to visit his parent, unfortunately his parent already passed away. Not knowing which graveyards belonged to his parent, ZYZ passed a decree to the commoners to visit their ancestor graveyard for cleaning & placed the yellow color papers on each of every graveyards. After the commoners completed the task ordered, ZYZ will visit every single tombs for inspection. The tombs without the cleaning & yellow papers were assumed to belonged to his parent / families, for him to pay his respect. It was act of filial piety shown by ZYZ for remembering his parent (he couldn't visit them until the rebellion was succeeded).

However, after the incidents, as time passed, the practice don't know how it evolved to become a worshipping. Nowadays, they even burn the paper made i-phone, bungalow, car

Ok, sekian saja cerita hari ini.

This post has been edited by nihility: Oct 17 2024, 11:20 AM

Then maybe the version I read is wrong.

But the burning for hungry ghost vs burning / placing yellow paper not same, just to confirm again.

This post has been edited by nihility: Oct 17 2024, 04:50 PM

....

TS, asking permission to bring some color to your thread. . If permission not granted, just delete my post.

"Fellow Taoists,
Beliefs in Taoism does not mean beliefs in idol worshipping,
Learning Taoism naturally is not about learning superstition but the inheritance of culture and wisdom,
Self-cultivation is not about becoming the immortals but about the compassion,
Chanting scriptures is not about memorizing texts but about purifying the heart,
True practitioners are not the collectors of magical tool, nor traveller from temples to temples,
Taoists are those who fear the cause and effect,
He is the one who is free from all obstacles in his heart."

.

This post has been edited by nihility: Nov 9 2024, 11:00 AM

Random observation - "Weeding at the farm".



The image was copied randomly from the internet.

A grandpa & his grandchildren was doing some weeding at their vegetable farm. The grandchildren asked "grandpa, why do we need to remove the weeds, isn't this cruel as the weeds are living thing also?'. The grandpa replied " if we do not remove the weeds, the weeds are going to compete with the vegetable that we grow for the space & nutrients. Ended up, we will have farm of weeds instead vegetable ".

***

This event made me reflect for a moment. The fairness is a very subjective & depends on which angle you look the item from. If you are looking from the angle of the weeds, thing looks so unfair. If you are looking thing from the farmer's angle, removing the weeds sound like a fair thing to do. That's how life is.

Fairness seems like unfairness,
Unfairness seems like fairness,
The more you know,
The more you wish you don't know.

Perhaps taking the neutral stance & let thing happens naturally will be the best.

This post has been edited by nihility: Nov 28 2024, 06:50 PM

Winter solstice is coming and it marks the end of 2024 soon. For those who are still directionless about the 2025 resolutions.

TTC : Chapter 50
Men enter this world with life and leave this world with death.

TTC : Chapter 27

A kind person is the teacher of the unkind.
An unkind person is a lesson for the kind to learn.

The interpretations :-

It doesn't matter if our live ended with happiness or sadness to the Heaven in our lifetime. If we live well, we will serves the purpose. If we live unwell, we will serves the purpose also. With the limited time assigned to us in this mortal realm :-

Why choose to live in sadness over happiness? Choose happiness.
Why choose to live in unhealthily over healthy? Choose to be healthy.
Why choose to be unwise over wise ? Choose to be wise.
Why choose to be immoral over virtue(德 )? Choose to be virtue 德.
Why choose to be unlearned over learned ? Choose to be learned.
Why choose to be procrastinator over doer ? Choose to be doer.
Why choose to be resourceless over resourceful ? Choose to be resourceful.
Why choose to be weak over strong ? Choose to be strong.
Why choose to be unkind over kind? Choose to be kind.
Why choose to be messy over neat ? Choose to be neat.
Why choose to be avaricious over generous ? Choose to be generous.
Why choose to be negative minded over positive minded? Choose to be positive minded.

***
TTC Taoism has the same effects like Stoicism.
Different era ( 500~400 BCE vs 300 BCE),
Different continent ( Asia vs Europe ),
Different teacher ( Lao Tzu vs Zeno),
But it has the similar effects, the power of thoughts.
An evidence that, there is more than one path to the top of the mountain.

This post has been edited by nihility: Dec 15 2024, 11:33 AM

TTC: Chapter Twelve

The five colors can blind one’s eyes.
The five tones can deafen one’s ears.
The five flavors can dull one’s taste buds.
The pursuit of pleasures can derange one’s mind.
The hard-to-get valuables can distort one’s behavior.
~
If one does not indulge himself in sensory pleasures & rejects those outer temptations,
What kind harms can come to the oneself?

Nothing.

Change

The same phrase I read on TTC carries different meanings at different stages of life.

At the early stage of life, I”ll make decisions based on what is the right way and what is the wrong way. The societal norm and non-societal norm. I’ll make decisions on societal norms.

At the later stage of my life, I”ll make decisions regardless of societal norms as long as the desired result is achieved ( without breaking laws). It doesn’t matter if it is a white cat or a black cat, as long as it is able to catch the mouse, it is a good cat.

Adaptability is the only way to move forward. It is longer about yin or yang. It is about mastery to deploy both yin and yang according to the scenario.

~
Looking into the mirror of myself.

If I’m still so focused on yin & yang so rigidly, has my wisdom not grown as this while ? Or is it my wisdom level is trapped at the younger self ?

I claimed that I’m grey yet I marked the white & black zone so clearly. I can adapt to the grey zone in certain aspects of life but when it comes to some important aspect of life , suddenly the mastery of the grey becomes #404 because I was programmed in such way, that it can only be used under selective scenario.

Is not the thing just another repeated pattern from an aspect of life ? Shouldn’t I reflect and ask myself what phase of life I’m at now? Have I not seen the mirror of myself clearly now ? Change is the only constant thing. If refusing to change , then why cry the outcome is the same ?

I’m asking the mirror of myself. Change or don’t want to change ? Maybe it is the mirror #404.

Yes, blame it on the mirror to make myself feel better. Why not blame it on myself to make myself better ?

TTC Chapter Fifteen

How can one turn the turbid water into clarity?

Do nothing; give the turbid water sufficient time, and the suspended particles will settle, and the clarity will come forward.

~

Sometimes, the best approach to a difficult or unclear situation is to wait and allow things to settle naturally, rather than rushing in to fix them immediately.

Reverse thinking of the same condition. Beware of people who will exploit the weakness of the emotional flares. The manipulator knows their strength is during the chaos (emotional chaos); the victim will make the severe mistake.

The Sound of Falling Petals
~
High in the mountains, where the cherry blossoms bloomed like clouds of soft pink, a wandering swordsman sought the Daoist sage. The swordsman was famed for his skill, yet his heart was restless, his mind troubled.

He found the sage sitting beneath a great cherry tree, watching petals drift silently to the ground. Bowing deeply, the swordsman spoke. “Master, I have spent years honing my swordsmanship, yet I feel something is missing. My strikes are swift, my blade is precise, but in the heat of combat, I hesitate. How can I achieve true mastery?”

The sage smiled and gestured to the falling petals. “Listen,” he said.

The swordsman closed his eyes. At first, he heard only the wind. Then, he noticed the soft sound of petals touching the earth—light, effortless, without resistance.

The sage spoke, “The cherry blossom does not cling to the branch, nor does it resist the wind. When the time comes, it falls, without hesitation, without regret. Your hesitation comes from clinging—clinging to victory, to control, to fear of failure. The blade moves best when it moves as the falling petal—without thought, without force, in harmony with what is.”

The swordsman opened his eyes, watching the petals dance in the air. At that moment, he understood. True mastery was not in the force of his strike, but in the effortless flow of action, unburdened by doubt.

He bowed to the sage and left, his steps lighter, his sword an extension of the wind.

*copied from the internet