Is anyone here familiar with Daoism?

A place to discuss casual topics amongst spiritual friends.
Post Reply
edwhys211
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2012 5:28 am

Is anyone here familiar with Daoism?

Post by edwhys211 »

I find Buddhism and all Asian religions and cultural subjects interesting, but I am looking for a secular/purely philosophical religion. In Daoism, is there rebirth/karma, or is daoism just more of a philosophy?
User avatar
cooran
Posts: 8503
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:32 pm
Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: Is anyone here familiar with Daoism?

Post by cooran »

Hello Ed,

These links may be of interest and help in answering your question:
http://www.daoistfoundation.org/daoism.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://asiasociety.org/countries/religi ... ies/daoism" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.daoiststudies.org/dao/daoism-a-short-history" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

with metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
User avatar
Kim OHara
Posts: 5584
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:47 am
Location: North Queensland, Australia

Re: Is anyone here familiar with Daoism?

Post by Kim OHara »

Hi, edwhys,
A "secular/purely philosophical religion" is almost a contradiction in terms but if I were to guess at what you mean by it, I would suggest something like "a rational philosophy to live by" as opposed to a religion, which provides a moral framework but may not be very rational, or western philosophy, which is rational but doesn't provide much moral/ethical guidance.
If that's where you're heading, Daoism may be a disappointment. The Dao De Jing (various spellings!) is lovely but Daoism has splintered and morphed, much as Christianity has. You are most likely to find Daoism as a current within Chinese folk religion or as the theoretical underpinning of practices like Tai Chi. Keep looking, by all means, but don't be surprised if the results are ... 'untidy' might be the best polite word.
Other places to look might be the 'sceptical Buddhism' movement (e.g. http://www.sasana.org/) and 'secular Humanism' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_humanism.
You may also get some clues in the thread here on Stoicism, especially this post http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 44#p218486, if some fairly technical language doesn't deter you.

Happy hunting! :smile:

:namaste:
Kim
User avatar
Dan74
Posts: 4530
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:12 pm
Location: Switzerland

Re: Is anyone here familiar with Daoism?

Post by Dan74 »

edwhys211 wrote:I find Buddhism and all Asian religions and cultural subjects interesting, but I am looking for a secular/purely philosophical religion. In Daoism, is there rebirth/karma, or is daoism just more of a philosophy?
I recall having a similar attitude myself a decade or so ago and thought I had found the answer in Zen.

You might find the answer in Stephen Batchelors Secular Buddhism.
_/|\_
dude
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 4:18 am

Re: Is anyone here familiar with Daoism?

Post by dude »

edwhys211 wrote:I find Buddhism and all Asian religions and cultural subjects interesting, but I am looking for a secular/purely philosophical religion. In Daoism, is there rebirth/karma, or is daoism just more of a philosophy?
It's just more of a philosophy
daverupa
Posts: 5980
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:58 pm

Re: Is anyone here familiar with Daoism?

Post by daverupa »

edwhys211 wrote:I am looking for a secular/purely philosophical religion.
So, it's basically possible to get this out of the Nikayas... but that depends heavily on what you mean by these terms.

In any event, one's practice is what one makes of it, whatever texts one might use. Be careful of confirmation bias when diving amongst the great literatures of the world.
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
Post Reply