We are all blind.

It occurs to me that one of the first things we have to discover is that we are all blind. (this first occurred to me while watching Kung-fu )

Imagine that we are sitting in water.
Whenever we move, we disturb the water.
We can't see the water, but the movement of it distorts our vision.
The reason we are so blind is that we can never stop moving long enough for the water to calm.

 

And when u do move, do so with patience.rushing only causes more distorted vision.

 

Which movie was it you were watching?

 

Kung-fu, the greatest television show ever.

 

I haven't seen that show n ages. I just buy a bunch of DVDs from the 70s. My pops and I watch them all the time.of course he saw them n the theatre tho

 

Thinking you know is sickness, knowing you don't know is health.
First realise the sickness, then you can move towards health.

Blessings

Sebbi

 

thats beautiful

 

"Think you of the fact that a deaf person cannot hear. Then, what deafness may we not all possess? What senses do we lack that we cannot see and cannot hear another world all around us?" -- Frank Herbert

Okay, so we're all blind. Is it that you wish to see that which you can't see? Is it because you expect it to be amazing? Is it because you want to be the first to see it? Does it occur to you that there might be a really good reason we're blind to it?

Curious and strangely appropriate that this is in the Taoism forum. Taoism teaches, among other things, to be content with your life. So what grievance do you have with being blind? Are you handicapped? Bodhidharma's first Chinese pupil cut off his own hand to demonstrate his understanding that capability comes from the mind, and not the body.

If everyone is blind, then you're in good company. If you want enlightenment, Buddhism is your cup of tea. Not Taoism.

If you would be the one sightful person in a world of the blind, who is the real blind person? Sounds to me like you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

and our skills of recolection make us useless witnesses for we cant se clearly so how do we no our truth
we dont
we just think we do
so we go to war to defend our truth
which was an illusion in the first place

 

"Once in a while we get shown the light -- in the strangest of places if we look at it right." - Garcia / Hunter

I'm not hung up on labels. And I think you take me a bit too literally. What openmind says about truth I find to be true. One cannot really say what Taoism is because no man can say what the Tao is.

 

No, one can really say what Taoism is, because Taoism is a human invention with a specific origin and a specific body of dogma. Saying what Taoism is in no way reflects on what the Tao is. Taoism does not equal the Tao. This is a world of discrete objects and concepts, with definite origins and definite meanings. Taoism does not mean whatever you want it to mean. It doesn't mean you can put babies in a microwave and eat their succulent baby juices.

Read the Tao Te Ching.

The overarching message of the text is to realize that you already have what you need to be happy, and that being happy should be your main goal. It isn't meant to discourage advancement, but it discourages believing in the concept of spiritual advancement.

 

I agree with the first part, the obvious example being the part about the nature of water, but I don't see the evidence for your notion that Lao-tse just wanted everyone to be happy.

 

Considering that there never was a person by that name, who cares what a figment of your imagination wanted?

Lao Tzu is a pseudonym. The text was written by hundreds of people.

Nor was there ever anyone named Li Erh, as is commonly claimed. The family name of Li didn't even exist at the time.


So where are you going with this? Because baiting me is more of a Christian or Scientologist thing to do. Not Taoist.

 

"I don't see the evidence for your notion"

My notion:
The overarching message of the text is to realize that you already have what you need to be happy, and that being happy should be your main goal.

Prolific evidence in the Tao Te Ching:

Chapter 44

Fame or your health: which is more dear?
Your health or possessions: which is worth more?
Gain or loss: in which is there harm?
If your desires are great, you're bound to be extravagant;
If you store much away, you're bound to lose a great deal.
Therefore, if you know contentment, you'll not be disgraced.
If you know when to stop, you'll suffer no harm.
And in this way you can last a very long time.

Chapter 45, last line:

If you're quiet and tranquil you can become the ruler of the world.

Chapter 46:

When the world has the Way, ambling horses are retired to fertilize fields.
When the world lacks the Way, war horses are reared in the suburbs.
Of crimes, none is greater than having things that one desires.
Of disasters, none is greater than not knowing when one has enough.
Of defects, none brings more sorrow than the desire to attain.
Therefore, the contentment one has when he knows that he has enough, is abiding contentment indeed.

Chapter 53:

Were I to have the least bit of knowledge, in walking on a Great Road, it's only going astray that I would fear.
The Great Way is very level.
But people greatly delight in tortuous paths.
The courts are swept very clean
While the fields are full of weeds
And the granaries are all empty.
Their clothing, richly embroidered and colored
While at their wasits they carry sharp swords.
They gorge themselves on food, and of their possessions and goods they have plenty.
This is called thievery
And thievery is not the Way!

Chapter 80:

Let the states be small and the people few.
Bring it about that there are weapons for "tens" and "hundreds" and yet let no one use them.
Have the people regard death gravely and put migrating far from their minds.
Though they might have boats and carriages, no one will ride them.
Though they might have armor and spears, no one will wield them.
Have the people return to knotting cords and using them.
They will relish their food,
Regard their clothing as beautiful,
Delight in their customs,
And feel safe and secure in their homes.
Neighboring states might overlook one another,
And the sounds of chickens and dogs might be overheard,
Yet the people will arrive at old age and death with no comings and goings between them.


These are just the examples I found while briefly scanning through the book. If I bothered to re-read it and list all the rest, this post would be much longer. But what's the point? Obviously there are no wrong answers in Hippyland. Let's all love one another and pretend that Taoism is mysterious and mystical because it's from China. Let's all quote cryptic shit that wasn't even original 2500 years ago, when Plato said it. Let's all pretend to be prophets and roshis and sifus and gurus and other assorted wise men. Because that's what Taoism is, right? It's got nothing to do with calming the hell down and dealing with your life as it comes. No no, it's a bunch of mumbo jumbo about everyone being blind, and brownie points to the people that point it out, as if that makes them less blind.

Shadows on a wall. Echoes in the dark. Not Taoism. Taoism is obvious and sensible and useful.

 

Haha.

I'm really impressed! I'd now like you to lick the essence of my balls. And be happy while you do it.

 

This is inspirational
Calm water is what calls but we are mistaken one request for another because of this paradigm mirror effect of the self and other

 

The water is in our minds, as are the ripples, we have now classified our distorted thoughts, our faults, which are created by the interpretation of the world from this self. We have just interpreted our interpretations, now they truly mean nothing. This is bliss.

 

Reminds me of the fish that asked the queen fish what is this thing called the sea! She replied it is what we are in and its all around youve just come to take it for granted

 

Myself, I'm not striving for enlightenment. If it reaches me then it does, if it doesn't then it doesn't. I don't think I would realize it if it did. To me it would be far more disappointing to go on that fulfill myself-journey and chase illusions of enlightenment than to just be comfortable with the fact that I've got a limited comprehension of my existance and that it's probably a reason for it. I think this "blindness" is actually making me see both my physical and spiritual environment clearer and the decisions I make a lot easier to take. Don't ask me to explain myself, I'm just winging it anyway!

A little edit: This isn't really crititcism of what I quoted, just my own little thoughts about it.

 

Greetings Magnus. I like your response there.


A big part of Taoism for me is that everything has it's purpose and it's fulfilment of purpose (in other words everything has it's Tao!). Including blindness.

This is quite a big thing in my life, it means looking for the Tao in every event that seems negative. It means that I intend to search for the good that comes out of everything, however subtle.

When I do this it seems like the universe is conspiring to teach me what I need to know, it seems like everything is acting purely for my personal benefit.

Blessings

Sebbi