I think you could make a great collaboration episode with Hans-Georg Moeller. He is a sinologist and philosopher currently teaching philosophy with a focus on Chinese philosophy in a university in Macau. He has published some articles about this topic in peer-reviewed journals. He has also written a couple books about the history and beliefs of daoism, along with one in which he proposes daoist methods for coping with the issue of identity in its contemporary form. He is, however, better known for creating a TH-cam channel, Philosophy in Motion (for which he writes the scripts), in which he explains chapters of the Zhuangzi with an academic outlook that is rigorous, respects the points of view of classical Chinese scholars (he is specially fond of Guo Xiang), and dismantles the too common orientalist misconceptions that have been perpetuated by new-agers and pop-philosophers alike.
The fact that Daoism resists classification at every turn is very in line with the Dao. Our attempts to systematize and fit it into our notions of what a religion or philosophical system can be seen as an active attempt to resist the flow of things, that is that not everything can be put into neat boxes.
@@Twistedsackboy Doesn’t it depend on the kind of resistance? If the practitioners just don’t pay attention to classification, I think that would be the minimum possible resistance. It’s natural for humans to classify systems, but it’s not natural for systems to adhere to classification. When we pay attention to this, the result is typically new classifications. We don’t allow categories to have the property of change.
@@Twistedsackboy I feel like your statement hangs on the premise that it is more natural for it to be systemized, which is not an inherent truth. Personally, I'd think that the very nature of something being transcendental means its nature is not limited by typical human comprehension.
I like ( what I've been told is ) the early Daoist pyschological/physiological-realism ; seemed very grounded in "the natural world is as it is, people are flawed, some people are mean, your mind is in your body along with your emotions and your base drives - let's try and make the best of it and not get too stressed"
@@liamjean5261 yes, but the phrasing comes across as a bit more positive and upbeat than the Stoics. Mind you, in my pop history headspace the Stoics came from a backdrop of urban heroic hedonism, so maybe that made them downplay things a bit.
mindfulness is a cult induction tecnique meant to supress critical thinking to allow reprograming. every coercive cult will have its version of the dao or zen or whatever. Sad how new age became so mainstream to normalize such things
I was in the Air Force with a guy who practiced Daoism...his mother was from Taiwan and his father was from the Philippines. We were all a bunch of young men in a stressful situation, but he was always sorta laid back about it..roll with the flow seemed to be his way of handling things...
What you are trying to say is that your buddy was an ethnic Chinese. His mother more likely one of the many many ethnic Chinese living in the Philippines. Something like 40% of the people there have Chinese ancestry due to several thousand years of trade and immigration.
Daoism really is my jam. It's the only psycho-spiritual-whatever system that makes any sense of the universe without tripping all over itself. Everyone should study it.
@@Napoleonic_S most major religions are ripe with hard hypocrisies usually stemming from the text in the Bible. I mean just the ideas that there are so many sects vs the Dao being “like a vine; changing and adjusting”. Allows for a freshness despite it predating most if not all popular “religions”. That’s just to start but I’m sure a person more educated on this particular topic would be more helpful.
@@jaydubaic21 To be fair, cultural blending is one of the ways (that don’t involve threats/acts of violence) that Christianity spread so easily. The different sects of Christianity show it’s ability to absorb other beliefs for better or for (mostly) worse. But you’re right in that many religious groups are unable to adapt because of their rigidity.
Chinese traditional culture is a great culture. But because of the Communist Party speech control and all kinds of control. These cultural heritages are in danger
When you would do, don't. When you wouldn't do, do. When something is a way don't want for it to be, whether you don't do, or you do do, either way things will change. When things change, might as well go with it because they're going to regardless.
This is the first TH-cam video I’ve seen that conveys Wu Wei correctly. When people say “go with the flow” they usually infer pacifism, or the “Non action” as not doing anything. Also, Thanks for using Pinyin.
I've been a little confused about Wu Wei. The stories that convey its meaning -- the butcher who cuts effortlessly, or the carpenter who loses himself in their work -- clearly took many years to attain that state of effortlessness. Wouldn't that mean, in some way, effort is very much needed in order to attain effortlessness?
@@christianyaerger1751 In practicing Chinese Kung Fu, this was basically what I came to as well. Effortless Kung Fu Requires years of dedication. An effortless musician has likewise spent their time before the performance perfecting their art so they can let it flow through them when needed. My understanding is that Wu Wei is not 'not doing things'. Rather, it's not struggling against obstacles, but flowing around them, to find a different path to the goal. This allows you to find your expression without leaving you exhausted from battle. One night, after a particularly brutal Kung Fu class, I joked "Effortlessness is a lot of work!". We all laughed. A seeming inconsistency that reveals a great truth is the most Chinese thing ever... :)
@@madnessbydesignVria And water also crashes through and breaks through obstacles that WILL break, rather than unnaturally going around them as if though they wouldn't naturally break and allow direct flow through.
And at the same time, water naturally flows around the immovable. It simply adapts to the moment. When it comes to practicing/learning something like an art (or fighting style), I'd say that the trick is to not to overthink it, and avoid comparing your work to that which is far above your level. An amateur should not regret, or be upset by, a seemingly poor result because that, too, is simply part of the learning process. Accept each outcome as complete in itself. Simply continue to practice the art, clearing the mind and allowing hands to work. Over-focusing on technique, or striving too hard for a specific outcome, will only interfere with the process. Each work is its own learning experience and should be appreciated as such. Then, eventually, greater levels of skill will come in their own time. Or basically, do or do not. There is no try. 🙂
I'm Taiwanese and I appreciate the insightful introduction very much. Religion here is a lovely mess even on the most surface level, and Daoism is probably the most hard to grasp, as it feels to me like it permeates among people of all levels of literacy more so than Buddhism and Confucianism.
Well yeah, that goes without saying as Taiwan was historically a part of the mainland and still calls itself Republic of China and offers “overseas Chinese passport” to ethnic Chinese that are non PRC citizens.
Finally waiting for you to cover my traditional background. I was raised Taoist and was a priest for the early part of my life. I done some lectures on the different aspects of Taoism around the country but been meaning to make some videos on the topic as well.
I don’t really care what any particular person BELIEVES. You may believe that there is an old man with a white beard perched in the clouds, that the Ultimate Reality is a young blackish-blue Indian guy, that the universe is eternal, that Mother Mary was a certifiable virgin, or that gross physical matter is the foundation of existence. The ONLY thing that really matters is your meta-ethics, not your meta-physics. Do you consider any form of non-monarchical governance (such as democracy or socialism) to be beneficial? Do you unnecessarily destroy the lives of poor, innocent animals and gorge on their bloody carcasses? Do you believe homosexuality and transvestism is moral? Do you consider feminist ideology to be righteous? If so, then you are objectively immoral and your so-called “enlightened/awakened” state is immaterial, since it does not benefit society in any way.
This was one of my favorite videos of yours yet. So incredibly informative, leaving much to contemplate (as is often the case with your offerings). Thank you.
Peking isn't the Wade-Giles for Beijing (which is Pei-ching, neglecting tone numbers). Peking is the postal romanisation. The Postal Romanisation is in some ways an elder sister of Wade-Giles, in that it came earlier and both developed from Giles' Nanking syllabary, but crucially whilst Wade-Giles transcribes according the Beijing dialect of Mandarin, the postal romanisation is generally based on the Nanjing dialect of Mandarin (which did not palatalise Middle Chinese g to Modern Beijing Mandarin Pinyin j before i)
ey yo finally covering daoism. nice 1:21 this is a common misconception but not correct: Peking is not Wade-Giles, it's an older Postal romanization (itself a sputtering of older romanizations). Actual Wade-Giles would be Pei-Ching. Same with Nanking -> Nan-Ching you can tell it's way older because it preserves a sequence that has gone through sound change in modern Mandarin Chinese
I read a book called, “The Tao of Pooh” when I was a young adult.. it changed my life. I turned from a rock trying to force my way along in a world that didn’t make sense.. to a stream flowing along without force. I found peace. ❤ I still carry this decades later.
you will eat the bugs, live in the pod, you will own nothing and you will be happy. Gee i wonder why mindfulness became so mainstream and promoted by corporations...
Love you doing more world religions. Can you consider doing a video on Vietnamese religions? My bf's family is Buddhist but it's definitely it's own thing.
Video idea - the religious aspects of modern day monarchies. As a brit watching the 11 days of national morning for Queen Elizabeth I noticed some religious aspects to the procession. She was semi diefied, people went on pilgrimages to see her coffin (waiting in line for up to 20 hours). Journalists who would never have seen her normal described it as an eye opening experience, with the other people queuing acting like a congregation. There's more to dive into
Hi there! Its not a video, but i do have a little Anglican history under my belt, and can speak to the specific topic of Queen Elizabeth. Since King Henry the 8th, the British Monarch has been the Supreme Governor to the Chruch of England. In a similar way as the Eastern Roman Empire of Patriarch of Rome (who is also the King of Vatican City). The concept of "Devine Right to Rule" has always been present throughout human history, such as the "Mandate of Heaven" in ancient China. And the Christian idea came from two Bible Verses, in the King James as it is relevant. Hebrews 13:17 “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” Romans 13:1-3 "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:" And the practice of this came in practice because of Constantine the Great. Who called for the First Eccumenical Council. The logic is as such, In Romans: If the God was whom appointed the Monarch, then they have the authority of God on their side, ergo their rule is justified. In Hebrews: If we are to obey our spiritual Shepherds as they are Representative of God, and the Monarch has a role to play as the Shepherd of a Nation, then the Monarch is a Representative of God. As such, the death of the British Monarch is akin to the death of the Pope, as the Monarchy has both relgious authority and civil authority. Where in, the ceremony would be filled with relgious symbolism and veneration. As a food for thought, given how the Monarch can be female, and the Monarch has relgious authority as mentioned before, it would provide grounds for female clergy. Which the Chruch of England has allow females to be clergymen since 1971. Its not a grand explination, but hopefully it speaks to the point you asked. Cheers!
Insanely accurate to my experience. I’m an atheist and still identify as such, but the Dao is so close to my own personal philosophies on life and the universe that I’m starting to really question whether or not I want to keep that label
Thank you for this informative video, I think you did a good job with researching and delivering your findings in a way that is easier to comprehend. I was surrounded by religion all my life. My mother is a devout Catholic turned Judeo-Christian. I was never really a social person but during college it was always the religious students who always tried to befriend me and later attempted to convert me into their religious circles which never really worked out. I was irreligious but that didn't mean I denied the existence of God or a higher power but it was just difficult for me to relate and agree with an organized religious group to comprehend it. I got into divination as a way to cope and try to understand a higher power and was really into it until I found the system to be flawed leading to more trouble than it was actually worth. When I got into philosophy that's when I discovered Daoism and it was so liberating to learn this because I finally found something that I agreed on how I should live my life and view this existence in all levels! Going with the flow has always given me the best results in life effortlessly because it's what nature and the Dao intended it to be! I truly learned to trust and accept the reality I co-exist with for what it truly is. I would have never thought I would follow an eastern religon growing up but all religons are based off philosophy so the best way to pick a religon is to learn it's roots of philosophy to see if it's something you agree with. It will save you a lot of time trying to find a religon and there is so many people out there who will try to confuse you with your decision process!
It is so wonderful that you find Taoism helpful in life. I felt the same way, especially the more elaborated version of Taoism in Zhuangzi. I am a philosopher, too. I have made a few videos on Zhuangzi talking about how Zhuangzi's thought help me to get through the most difficult time in my life. I would love to share thoughts with you, here is my first video on Zhuangzi: th-cam.com/video/U-h-Yz7SMtU/w-d-xo.html
Unsurprisingly, this did a better job of summarizing and explaining Daoism than several professional sources I've come across. I feel like I almost have some vague conception of what the religion is now, and that's better than they were able to do. Thanks!
@@redfullmoon No, it's both. You've not seen the religious side of Taoism yet. Because the video made this video for his viewer to understand philosophy, not for those who want to study deeply about Taoism.
A philosopher named Simon Weil taught something similar to the teaching of wuwei. She called it Attention and she really put it into words that the western world can understand easier.
An exceptionally fine presentation of Daoism as a religion. Can't wait for the next video. You can tell a lot of work went into this, but with such a large, diverse, and ancient tradition, I hope future videos on this topic will be less compressed. ☯
Your comment should be pinned at the top of Comments. Daoism appears to be an epic mess of contradictory and provincial beliefs, philosophies and cultural practices dependent on place, time and community you belong to. It takes a Westerner to give a broad overview of what it is, isn't, and may or may not be even to a Chinese. As such, it appeals to modern Westerners for its apparent lack of moral directives and prescriptions, its acceptance of a vast pantheon of gods, nature spirits, and for its hip yet ancient symbols like the yingyang, and easy to live wisdom such as Go with the flow.
@@glennsimonsen8421 I appreciate the criticisms of such religions/beleifs. Many people under these videos praise these things, but its truly rare to find someone who is critical of it! Very important to understanding anything, is to understand its good and bad.
I have not seriously studied Daoism in any capacity, so take what I say with a grain of salt and all that. But I do have a few (hopefully sensible) points to make. 1) I don't know about any other field, but I'm pretty sure in academic philosophy, Chinese philosophers do make a distinction between Daoist philosophy or Daoist thoughts and Daoist religious practices. 2) In Taiwan at least, those who are well read on Daoist literature or philosophy and those who are strongly devoted to Daoist religious practices are generally not treated the same and generally occupy different social spaces, with the former being seen as scholarly and the latter a little "cult-y." (This is not to say Daoist practitioners do not read Daoist texts. I'm sure many of them do.) 3) While "道教" can be, and often is, interpreted as "Daoist teachings," it does invoke a religious connotation (at least to a lay person). For reference, Buddhism is called 佛教, Islam 伊斯蘭教, Hinduism 印度教 or 興都教, and Christianity 基督教 respectively in Mandarin. Notice they all have the character "教" at the end to denote they are religions. Or a more straightforward point may be the fact that the English word "religion" is usually translated as "宗教," and vice versa. 4) On the other hand, I don't think "Daoist lineage" is how people usually read the word "道家." According to the dictionary composed by Taiwan's Ministry of Education, one definition of the word / morpheme 家 is "an academic school of thought, e.g. 'Confucianism,' ' *Daoism* ,' [...]"* (學術流派。如：「儒家」、「道家」、「百家爭鳴」、「一家之言」。). And I believe this reflects how people usually interpret the word 道家, more as a school of thought or a philosophy, with Laozi and Zhuangzi being its representative figures, than a religious practice which may be inspired and built upon the philosophy. (*the dictionary entry for anyone interested: dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/dictView.jsp?ID=5502&q=1&word=家#order1 )
Thank you for sharing. I was curious about Taiwan. Sometimes in the West people use Tao to the philosophy and Dao to describe the religion. It's the same word but it's a way to easily code the difference. I haven't found a sharp line that divides the philosophical side from the religious side but I'm sure in Taiwan there would be a sociologically visible difference.
This is such an interesting video and the Dao is such an interesting concept because it is very in line to what I've individually concluded about the world.
I really like this video. I live in Japan and have always been fascinated with Eastern religions/philosophies. You never fail to impress me with tje videos you make.
Just defining the subject is difficult enough, so tackling the subtleties of active daoist usages will be daunting. I'm very grateful you're undertaking the task.
Love your channel and your videos! I always watch your videos the day the come out and rewatch them. Love how you always take a scholarly approach to talking about religion without casting judgement, as well as your commitment to religious literacy. Big fan!
For those looking to read the Tao Te Ching, I recommend the translation by Red Pine. I've read dozens of translations, and this is by far my favorite. I feel that it tries to tell truth within the contradictions of incomplete or mistruths. It is a rewarding literary work which uses words to build a framework for thought that goes beyond those words. Do not read it literally, do not trust its words, but rather it's message.
Red Pine is good! The commentary is really helpful while the translation is mostly great. It has a few minor eccentricities, but it nails most passages and the commentary is just fantastic.
it's very poetic and nice, however many sentences are quite different from other translations, possibly due to use of different manuscripts. Best to read multiple
@@nodu6414 Red Pine goes into detail about how, he does indeed source a variety of different scripts. His goal in translating is not to simply translate a singular accepted script, but rather to flesh out the history and cultural context it contains; I have not seen another that shows such an extensive approach in this regard. The Tao Te Ching quite literally states in its opening verse that spoken/written words are not the true nature of those words, that they are but an Eidolon that lacks the nuance and texture those concepts hold. A focus on precision in translation is shows that the translator just doesn't understand the work at all; the greatest disservice you could do to this complex work is to prioritize the accuracy of the word for word translation, instead of focusing on the spirit of the work. Red Pine's translation is one that seeks to understand and convey centuries of thought and cultural evolution, rather than to relay just what will always be an imperfect translation between modern English and millennia old Classical Chinese.
I didn't expect this channel to cover Taoism as well.I've got fascinated by Taoism recently and became one of my favourite aspects of Chinese culture. I also appreciate your effort to pronunce those names and terms correctly although you are not a Chinese speaker.Just a little correction: I think the 家 in 道家 would be more accurately translated as "school of thought" than "family/lineage", so 道家=Daoist school of thought.
@@deacudaniel1635 It was impressive. So many people who speak no Chinese put in no effort whatsoever to pronounce pinyin correctly, and as RfB shows, it isn't an insurmountable, or even all that difficult, task.
@@MGustave Yes.So it's not exagerrated to demand people who don't speak or aren't learning Chinese to just google the correct way to read pinyin and try to say them correctly if they are going to mention Chinese names and concepts in their discourse.
道 the Way, the Tao (also means road, or method) 家 school of thought (also means home, or family) Both have several meanings. But in 道家 they took those specific meanings and form "Taoist school"
Your work is simply amazing. Comprehensive, well researched and really well presented. Thank you for everything you do ❤You enrich your lives with every video ❤
Very interesting video. I consider myself as a daoist fellow traveler. I have read Dao Te Ching and through my limited understanding have tried to follow the dao and practice the principle of wu wei. I find it satisfying.
Some thoughts and/or questions. Thanks for looking at this topic!😊 I think Daoism was an influence on Chan/Zen Buddhism. What do you think? Maybe a video or two? How about one discussing the Eight Immortals?
I’m planning a multi-episode series on Daoism! Zen Buddhism is currently in the works for the Buddhism series, but I’ll see if I can fit in info on the overlap.
Wow Lots of info in a small amount of time, I have been involved in martial arts for many years and consider myself Daoist to some extent before watching this video I was sceptical of its content however after watching it I was pleasantly surprised, will pass it on to my friends thank you very much. All the best from down under Lewis Sydney Australia 🙏
That butterfly dream story pops up a lot in Japanese media. Digimon especially loves it with Hacker's Memory using it to explore transhumanism. One of the characters has an illness that requires a digital mediator for her memories. By the end, she has the choice to choose between dying as a human or living separated from her friends free to travel the digital world as a wholly digital being. That strikes me as similar to the story of the turtle that would prefer to drag its tail through the mud.
Qi+!!! This video was absolutely sooooo fun! Period! Thanks RFB this really was a great stepping stone into meditators mindsets when it comes to true historical daoism. Made my year!🎉
The opening line of the Tao is so iconic. I remember the first time I read it, it blew my mind yet it is so simple. It took me years before I had the revelation that allowed me to understand it. I might be revealing too much here, but I have always had this feeling that I used to be a monk in a past life and the more I explore the feeling, I believe I was a Taoist monk. Thank you for the video, it really hit home. It would have been cool if you talked more about the funeral practices and one's family needing to participate in completing one's journey in the afterlife, it is super vital to the belief system.
You can highly resonate with something without having been a monk in a past life. It seems to me like jumping to conclusion...especially since Daoist don't believe in a past life. A more daoist explanation would be you simply recognized that Daoism makes sense and you recognized in its teachings the root you come from and exist based on.
RFB always does a great job of balancing between scholarly rigor and humility before the subtle, loving nature of religious thought and cultural diversity. Excellent work summarizing a vast and wibbly-wobbly body of beliefs and practices
I often describe myself as a Zen-daoist-stoic-Episcopalian. Which is to say I incorporate and blend elements of all these traditions and hold all of them reverently in my thoughts and actions. I guess you could add Hinduism too because I practice Trancendental Meditation as taught by the Maharishi Yogi. It works for me.
While correct in principle (namely that it’s a transcription system that’s not Pinyin), I’d like to point out that ‘Peking’ is not in Wade Giles (where it would be Peiching.)
So I've only watched a minute in, but I wanted to see if I understand Daoism alright and then compare it to after I finish watching the video. Daoism is like water. It permeates and adapts to the times and into new practices: whether the water is absorbed by a blade of grass or drunk by a person, it's still water but used in different ways.
Taoism is a very intriguing concept. I remember reading a book about a man named Saihung(i believe i miss spelled it) but, it was enlightening for sure.
I would love for you to cover more far eastern religious grounds. I feel like it's something the west, myself included, know so little about. One topic that might be interesting to cover is the Falun Gong. I feel like they have such a disproportionate influence in western outlets due to their anti-CCP stance and the Shen Yun, but no one really talks about what they believe or their odd place in specifically diaspora culture.
I love these videos, I like all this channel's content that I've seen but these ones that really delve into the history of these religions and philosophies are some of my favorites.
Wuwei is best described as "being in the zone". When you're doing, but automatically, without effort, as if what you're doing is as natural as drawing breath, you are embracing wuwei.
I interpret the butterfly dream more as becoming absorbed in life as it exists in the moment as opposed to living in a conceptualization. The dreaming sage is completely absorbed in being a butterfly, and the waking sage is completely absorbed in being a sage
As a (Western) Taoist teachter I really enjoyed watching this and you did a great job explaining. I do think the Liezi texts also deserve a mention :-)
This was so well done and avoided the stereotypical “The Daoists” created everything myths people often state, such as the I Ching, Chinese medicine, yinyang, taiji, etc. As you explained, “the daoists” syncretized many of these native concepts and traditions- including the yangsheng traditions. Excellent presentation- as I almost didn’t even watch it as I’m so tired of hearing those tired myths.
Another exceptionally well done video. Thank you for your good work. I’d support the channel if I were in a position to do so, but the Dao isn’t flowing that way right now.
Given Daoism doesn't fit neatly into the categories of religion and philosophy, would it be accurate to relate people's experience with Daoism to ancient people's experience with what we would today call polytheistic pagan religions? The fact that it's religious but also forms a sort of background philosophy to adherents' world reminded me of how I think about ancient Greeks talking about their mythology.
different people experience Taoism in differently ways. some are pretty similar to ancient Greeks mythology, like how it's portraited in Journey To The West, there are also people who don't believe in any of the entities at all, just as a life style, and most people set somewhere between these two poles.
Great video (if a bit long-winded) Another theme in the Zhuangzi you did not mention: people of lower status are often the "heroes" of his stories: the deformed, dwarfs, maimed, servants (you did mention the butcher)... Philosophical vs. Religious Taoism? Hmmm... I am reminded of your video on what it means to be religious - the three Bs: belief (philosophical), behavior (ritual practice/religious). Then "belonging" might fit with the sectarian Taoism (Organized Taoisms) you go on to discuss? The images of the Daoist deity Mazu bare a striking resemblance to images/statues of the Chinese Buddhist Kwan Yin (goddess of mercy). Both images show the female holding what appears to be flask with opening pointed down. One wonders if one or the other tradition was perhaps influenced by the other. Asking "how many Taoists are there?" and basing the answer on how many people participate in one or another of countless practices more or less loosely associated with Taoism, might be like determining the number of Christians based on how many people celebrate Christmas. There are tons of people who celebrate Christmas but are otherwise "non-religious" or do not "belong" to nor attend any given Christian church. And then there are those who "don't call themselves Daoists but might practice Daoist meditation or Tai Chi" - this would be like the countless Americans to practice yoga but would never call themselves Hindu!
As a practicing Taoist myself I've never considered it a religion so much as a collection of teaching which is supposed to simplify your life. The very basics of Taoism is to just learn how to exist in a world of existence without effort, without resistance and without conflict. I took kung fu when I was a kid and taoism was very much a part of that teaching and although our form was considered animal form which means we did forms AKA Kata's which implemented a lot of moves that were Wing Chun. As far as I know Wing Chun itself very much incorporates Taoism in its structure. The idea is that you don't interrupt the movement of chi but rather Direct your Chi around the opposing Chi. Other forms of animal martial arts depict what they call hard styles to soft styles like Iron Fist versus crane or snake versus crane. In very basic form to apply Taoism to your life is to think very thoughtfully about how you're surroundings are about how you are in your surroundings how to exist with Harmony while moving. As you can see this is how Daoism has exploded into a quasi religion with several teachings and several gods but to be more specific they are not God's so much as they are spirits. This is why you can't quantify Taoism.
A little suggestion here, probably you should try making videos focused on the Chinese school of thought, and their relation with each other, and how it develop the current Chinese culture, its gonna be a long and hard video. I think the last one is Mohism.
Daoism is to "religion" as quantum theory is to classical physics: if you know _where it is,_ you cannot fully know _what it is._ 14 1 The shape invisible, transcending form. The quiet inaudible, transcending silence. The grasp intangible, transcending touch. These are beyond description, yet are described in the One. 2 Its summit is not blinding, its base is not obscure. 3 Interconnected streams intertwined distinct in undecipherability, becoming again that which is becoming. 4 The formless form, the shapeless shape, the unseeable image. 5 The fathoming of shadows, pottery-molding of mists. 6 Draw near it, you see no beginning. Draw away from it, you see no end. 7 Preserve the quiet Stream from the Past: the ability to be One with the Beginning is the source of Unity with the Passage. _大門道 Tao Men Tao; The Tao of Athenadorus_ ISBN 978-1-890 000-03-5 ([An edited translation of the 道德经 Tao Te Ching.] Copyrighted work, used with author's permission.)
well, your video about Daoism is among the best ones in youtube, of course, in English language. Moreover your sponsor is stunning, I am already subscribling on their site. Congratulations and thank you very much
I think the confusion surrounding Daoism and religion is a misunderstanding of the complexity of religion. Religion is an inherently philosophical concept and trying to distinguish between the philosophical and religious is a futile gesture.
Eastern philosophies are going to appeal to the Introverted feelers (like myself) over the extroverted feelers. I am a recovering Evangelical Christian and the Tao Te Ching brings me an incredible internal peace.
I remember that you said you haven't seen a religion in Video games which has grey areas or fuzzyness. I think The Elder Scrolls series has multiple religions which fit this description and I hope you check it out. This is a very nice video and I am looking forward to the next topic of Asian religion from you.
the Trinity, the Trimurti, and the Three Pure Ones fascinate me. Curious how the number three comes up so much. I wonder if they all stem from a common tradition from before recorded history or if it’s just an idea that somehow reoccurs throughout different traditions. Possibly because three things are often needed to hold something up? Or two parents and their offspring? I also wonder how much my understanding of our western perception of the Trimurti and the Three Pure Ones is clouded by our understanding of the Christian Trinity.
To my mind, three indicates a balance. Two would seem unstable, there’s no definitive center, and it doesn’t indicate any form. Three points can for example give the semblance of a line or a triangle, but two points are always very open. Nature has a lot of symmetry, and three can match this. A face has a definitive center and two sides. A body as well. I think you may need at least three systems for conscious experience, you have to interact with both the inner and the outer to experience a self (the details of that are far more complicated.) And I personally feel that social groups of three tend to have the best dynamics (with the right mix of personalities.)
@@chocolatebunnies6376 I think you're onto something! we also need at least 3 points to go from a 1 dimensional line to a 2 dimensional image. We also live in the 3rd dimension.
But the problem is the respective meanings these three carries Trimurti is not equal Gods sitting together, Brahma is significantly inferior to Shiva and Vishnu Trinity is equally God and Equal all the same YET they are One God despite each of them still their own Three Pure Ones, idk, haven't studied them in depths The number 3 tends to means unity, which is the bonding of duality which brings life into reality. If the two of the duality are there and aren't doing anything (despite the fact that they should be! For all existence is acting), the world will not have begun. Every duality needs a third which will transfer and mix these duality into a coherent form that may properly exist. That third is the act of the duality, their bond, their child, as well as their difference and identification
If you study preSocratic philopsophies, you will find similarities between them and Tao Te Jing. In fact the book that describe Tao is actually based on ancients' observations, empirical experience and reasoning, their current knowledge about the Nature and does not based on scientific data. Thus, what's writen in Tao Te Jing can't be regarded as the ultimate truth or fact. To really understand the Taoism, you need just to analyse Tao Te Jing and Zhuangzi, discard any supernatural and metaphysical elements like spirituality, magic, shamanism, deities etc. It's really a naturalist, humanist and existentialism concept in Taoism. What i can conclude about the first verse is based on my current understanding. "The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao." Which I interpreted as: The Tao (Universe/Nature) that can be explained in human languages does not reflect the nature (reality) of the Tao (Universe/Nature). It could mean that Like wise the Universe does not conform to the astronomers/scientists explanations but rather astronomers tried their best to explain the Universe, Align with Tao/ Cosmos simply another meaning for to be in our state of nature, which means genuine and uneffected by the corruptive civilised society. There is chapter 18 in Tao Te Jing about the decline of Tao, which states that human's state of nature have been corrupted by civilised society. Thus to really understand Taoism, one need to study Western philosophy as well.
Thanks. I live in Taiwan. My wife is Taiwanese. I have been to several funerals and was always curious about the funeral rituals. There is a “Book of the Dead” that is read at funerals. It takes eight or more hours to read through the book/books. During the most recent funeral, I wanted to ask the funeral troupe about the book. My wife just said, “Don’t ask. We’re Buddhists.” OK, but it’s not Mahayana Buddhism. As I see modern Taiwanese society, they’re basically atheists who practice ancient rituals without really paying much attention to the philosophy behind the rituals. My brother-in-law does all kinds of things so the neighbors will think he’s a good person, and not necessarily because he thinks they’re the right things to do. You’re right that it’s hard to define religion here. It’s different than in the West. So your video on Daoism is very informative.
A lot of modern "Christians" do that as well... practice ancient rituals without paying much attention to the philosophy behind... doing things so neighbours & church people will think they're "model Christians" ... LOL
That sounds like most members of the Church of England, and educated followers of the Roman state religion. What needs explanation is the folk who take all that religion stuff seriously, as if was The Laws of Cricket.
I would also recommend reading the “Qing jing jing” to anyone interested in practices of daoism, this is a great text that mixes Buddhist and Taoist thought
So creepy I just finished the Daode Jing and the Zhuang Zhou and was curious if you have any video about daoism and then I saw that you just upload this video...
I think some of the best examples of Daoism and Confucianism interacting is in Kung Fu Panda. Here we see Sifu and Master Oogway personifying Confucianist teachings and Daoist thought respectively.
I have a new title to add to my list: Daoist Sympathizer. So let's see, I think that makes me an Augustinian Neoplatonist Pythagorean Christian Daoist Sympathizer.
I often looked at Daoism as being the traditional philosophy that most match Descartes principals of challenging one's own assumptions. Obviously, they had their own dogmas but they at least cultivated a culture of naturalistic observation.
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I often have religion for breakfast
I think Daoism is similar to the teachings of Advaita Vedanta (unqualified) monism.
Can you do a video on Mormonism?
You should join nebula!
I think you could make a great collaboration episode with Hans-Georg Moeller. He is a sinologist and philosopher currently teaching philosophy with a focus on Chinese philosophy in a university in Macau. He has published some articles about this topic in peer-reviewed journals. He has also written a couple books about the history and beliefs of daoism, along with one in which he proposes daoist methods for coping with the issue of identity in its contemporary form. He is, however, better known for creating a TH-cam channel, Philosophy in Motion (for which he writes the scripts), in which he explains chapters of the Zhuangzi with an academic outlook that is rigorous, respects the points of view of classical Chinese scholars (he is specially fond of Guo Xiang), and dismantles the too common orientalist misconceptions that have been perpetuated by new-agers and pop-philosophers alike.
The fact that Daoism resists classification at every turn is very in line with the Dao. Our attempts to systematize and fit it into our notions of what a religion or philosophical system can be seen as an active attempt to resist the flow of things, that is that not everything can be put into neat boxes.
That resistance, in itself, artificially opposes the flow of things, when it is more natural for it to be systematized than not.
@@Twistedsackboy Doesn’t it depend on the kind of resistance? If the practitioners just don’t pay attention to classification, I think that would be the minimum possible resistance. It’s natural for humans to classify systems, but it’s not natural for systems to adhere to classification. When we pay attention to this, the result is typically new classifications. We don’t allow categories to have the property of change.
@@Twistedsackboy I feel like your statement hangs on the premise that it is more natural for it to be systemized, which is not an inherent truth. Personally, I'd think that the very nature of something being transcendental means its nature is not limited by typical human comprehension.
LOL, you're right. The Daoism that can be spoken of is not the true Daoism.
@@Twistedsackboy not necessarily. I think it means our definition of what a religion or philosophy is lacking in depth and scope.
I like ( what I've been told is ) the early Daoist pyschological/physiological-realism ; seemed very grounded in "the natural world is as it is, people are flawed, some people are mean, your mind is in your body along with your emotions and your base drives - let's try and make the best of it and not get too stressed"
Water off a duck's back. Know the masculine, keep to the feminine.
Sounds like stoicism
@@liamjean5261 yes, but the phrasing comes across as a bit more positive and upbeat than the Stoics. Mind you, in my pop history headspace the Stoics came from a backdrop of urban heroic hedonism, so maybe that made them downplay things a bit.
mindfulness is a cult induction tecnique meant to supress critical thinking to allow reprograming. every coercive cult will have its version of the dao or zen or whatever. Sad how new age became so mainstream to normalize such things
Yet this cannot be
For when it is known or told, it is not it
I was in the Air Force with a guy who practiced Daoism...his mother was from Taiwan and his father was from the Philippines. We were all a bunch of young men in a stressful situation, but he was always sorta laid back about it..roll with the flow seemed to be his way of handling things...
A Daoist who's in the Air Force. Hmmm that's interesting.
He "was"? Did something happened to him?
@@sinistertwister686 That was over 50 years ago, I lost track of him after awhile.
Interesting
What you are trying to say is that your buddy was an ethnic Chinese. His mother more likely one of the many many ethnic Chinese living in the Philippines. Something like 40% of the people there have Chinese ancestry due to several thousand years of trade and immigration.
Daoism really is my jam. It's the only psycho-spiritual-whatever system that makes any sense of the universe without tripping all over itself. Everyone should study it.
Makes sense without tripping in what way? Care to elaborate?
@@Napoleonic_S most major religions are ripe with hard hypocrisies usually stemming from the text in the Bible. I mean just the ideas that there are so many sects vs the Dao being “like a vine; changing and adjusting”. Allows for a freshness despite it predating most if not all popular “religions”. That’s just to start but I’m sure a person more educated on this particular topic would be more helpful.
@@Napoleonic_S just the fact that Christian’s argue over their own text is a form of tripping over itself.
@@jaydubaic21 To be fair, cultural blending is one of the ways (that don’t involve threats/acts of violence) that Christianity spread so easily. The different sects of Christianity show it’s ability to absorb other beliefs for better or for (mostly) worse. But you’re right in that many religious groups are unable to adapt because of their rigidity.
Personally I think that Sikhism makes more sense but to each their own 🤷🏽♂️😄
Daoism was my first outside 'religion'
And I'm just glad you're covering it. It's so wonderful and vast
How do you practice it? I'm interested.
th-cam.com/video/XcuNwDyFmkc/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=Let%27sTalkReligion
Chinese traditional culture is a great culture. But because of the Communist Party speech control and all kinds of control. These cultural heritages are in danger
When you would do, don't. When you wouldn't do, do. When something is a way don't want for it to be, whether you don't do, or you do do, either way things will change. When things change, might as well go with it because they're going to regardless.
Beautiful, isn’t it. It’s quite literally the antithesis of Judeo-Christian faith.
This is the first TH-cam video I’ve seen that conveys Wu Wei correctly. When people say “go with the flow” they usually infer pacifism, or the “Non action” as not doing anything.
Also, Thanks for using Pinyin.
I've been a little confused about Wu Wei. The stories that convey its meaning -- the butcher who cuts effortlessly, or the carpenter who loses himself in their work -- clearly took many years to attain that state of effortlessness. Wouldn't that mean, in some way, effort is very much needed in order to attain effortlessness?
@@christianyaerger1751 In practicing Chinese Kung Fu, this was basically what I came to as well. Effortless Kung Fu Requires years of dedication. An effortless musician has likewise spent their time before the performance perfecting their art so they can let it flow through them when needed.
My understanding is that Wu Wei is not 'not doing things'. Rather, it's not struggling against obstacles, but flowing around them, to find a different path to the goal. This allows you to find your expression without leaving you exhausted from battle.
One night, after a particularly brutal Kung Fu class, I joked "Effortlessness is a lot of work!". We all laughed. A seeming inconsistency that reveals a great truth is the most Chinese thing ever... :)
@@madnessbydesignVria And water also crashes through and breaks through obstacles that WILL break, rather than unnaturally going around them as if though they wouldn't naturally break and allow direct flow through.
And at the same time, water naturally flows around the immovable. It simply adapts to the moment.
When it comes to practicing/learning something like an art (or fighting style), I'd say that the trick is to not to overthink it, and avoid comparing your work to that which is far above your level. An amateur should not regret, or be upset by, a seemingly poor result because that, too, is simply part of the learning process. Accept each outcome as complete in itself. Simply continue to practice the art, clearing the mind and allowing hands to work. Over-focusing on technique, or striving too hard for a specific outcome, will only interfere with the process. Each work is its own learning experience and should be appreciated as such. Then, eventually, greater levels of skill will come in their own time.
Or basically, do or do not. There is no try. 🙂
@@jasonblalock4429 That’s tricky, because for me there is nothing more natural then to overthink things, it is who I am. :D
I'm Taiwanese and I appreciate the insightful introduction very much. Religion here is a lovely mess even on the most surface level, and Daoism is probably the most hard to grasp, as it feels to me like it permeates among people of all levels of literacy more so than Buddhism and Confucianism.
Well, if you're Chinese, you'd be Daoist in youth, Confucianist at work, and Buddhist in old age.
@@andrewsuryali8540 How about in death?
Thanks for covering this. Daoism is a part of folk life here in Taiwan.
Well yeah, that goes without saying as Taiwan was historically a part of the mainland and still calls itself Republic of China and offers “overseas Chinese passport” to ethnic Chinese that are non PRC citizens.
Chinese Taipei 🤡
Finally waiting for you to cover my traditional background. I was raised Taoist and was a priest for the early part of my life. I done some lectures on the different aspects of Taoism around the country but been meaning to make some videos on the topic as well.
Do it as the topic is hard to approach from a outsiders perspective.
Cool!
I don’t really care what any particular person BELIEVES. You may believe that there is an old man with a white beard perched in the clouds, that the Ultimate Reality is a young blackish-blue Indian guy, that the universe is eternal, that Mother Mary was a certifiable virgin, or that gross physical matter is the foundation of existence.
The ONLY thing that really matters is your meta-ethics, not your meta-physics. Do you consider any form of non-monarchical governance (such as democracy or socialism) to be beneficial? Do you unnecessarily destroy the lives of poor, innocent animals and gorge on their bloody carcasses? Do you believe homosexuality and transvestism is moral? Do you consider feminist ideology to be righteous? If so, then you are objectively immoral and your so-called “enlightened/awakened” state is immaterial, since it does not benefit society in any way.
This was one of my favorite videos of yours yet. So incredibly informative, leaving much to contemplate (as is often the case with your offerings). Thank you.
Peking isn't the Wade-Giles for Beijing (which is Pei-ching, neglecting tone numbers). Peking is the postal romanisation. The Postal Romanisation is in some ways an elder sister of Wade-Giles, in that it came earlier and both developed from Giles' Nanking syllabary, but crucially whilst Wade-Giles transcribes according the Beijing dialect of Mandarin, the postal romanisation is generally based on the Nanjing dialect of Mandarin (which did not palatalise Middle Chinese g to Modern Beijing Mandarin Pinyin j before i)
i was gonna comment this but i searched for wade-giles in the comment section to see if someone had beat me to it already and there you were
yeah it's such a common misconception for some reason
ey yo finally covering daoism. nice
1:21 this is a common misconception but not correct: Peking is not Wade-Giles, it's an older Postal romanization (itself a sputtering of older romanizations). Actual Wade-Giles would be Pei-Ching. Same with Nanking -> Nan-Ching
you can tell it's way older because it preserves a sequence that has gone through sound change in modern Mandarin Chinese
I read a book called, “The Tao of Pooh” when I was a young adult.. it changed my life. I turned from a rock trying to force my way along in a world that didn’t make sense.. to a stream flowing along without force. I found peace. ❤ I still carry this decades later.
It changed me too. This base philosophy of Dao is such a beautiful teaching of how to live in the world.
you will eat the bugs, live in the pod, you will own nothing and you will be happy.
Gee i wonder why mindfulness became so mainstream and promoted by corporations...
I read that, tbh I absolutely hated it. but glad you got something good out of it. there's a sequel, the tao of piglet, as well.
Great book !
I've read it over and over .
Have you read The Te of Piglet as well ?
@@freontolstoy4993 Maybe you just didn't understand it ?
Love you doing more world religions. Can you consider doing a video on Vietnamese religions? My bf's family is Buddhist but it's definitely it's own thing.
Oh, yeah. CaoDai is an interesting example of a "new religious movement" from the East
Don't forget Personalism, important because of Ngo Dinh Diem, Madame Nhu and all that crowd.
Video idea - the religious aspects of modern day monarchies. As a brit watching the 11 days of national morning for Queen Elizabeth I noticed some religious aspects to the procession. She was semi diefied, people went on pilgrimages to see her coffin (waiting in line for up to 20 hours). Journalists who would never have seen her normal described it as an eye opening experience, with the other people queuing acting like a congregation. There's more to dive into
Hi there! Its not a video, but i do have a little Anglican history under my belt, and can speak to the specific topic of Queen Elizabeth.
Since King Henry the 8th, the British Monarch has been the Supreme Governor to the Chruch of England. In a similar way as the Eastern Roman Empire of Patriarch of Rome (who is also the King of Vatican City).
The concept of "Devine Right to Rule" has always been present throughout human history, such as the "Mandate of Heaven" in ancient China. And the Christian idea came from two Bible Verses, in the King James as it is relevant.
Hebrews 13:17
“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”
Romans 13:1-3
"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:"
And the practice of this came in practice because of Constantine the Great. Who called for the First Eccumenical Council.
The logic is as such,
In Romans:
If the God was whom appointed the Monarch, then they have the authority of God on their side, ergo their rule is justified.
In Hebrews:
If we are to obey our spiritual Shepherds as they are Representative of God, and the Monarch has a role to play as the Shepherd of a Nation, then the Monarch is a Representative of God.
As such, the death of the British Monarch is akin to the death of the Pope, as the Monarchy has both relgious authority and civil authority. Where in, the ceremony would be filled with relgious symbolism and veneration.
As a food for thought, given how the Monarch can be female, and the Monarch has relgious authority as mentioned before, it would provide grounds for female clergy. Which the Chruch of England has allow females to be clergymen since 1971.
Its not a grand explination, but hopefully it speaks to the point you asked.
Cheers!
Indeed. It's like the Anglican version of The Catholic Conclave
Would be a good followup to the series on “American Civic Religion”.😊
"Some" religious aspects? Massive understatement lol. The monarchy IS the state religion of Britain imo.
North Korea and Forever Presidency
My excitement is immeasurable and my day has been made
Daoism was the first thing that truly challenged my religious identity, I’ll be forever grateful for that even if I definitely don’t practice it today
Insanely accurate to my experience. I’m an atheist and still identify as such, but the Dao is so close to my own personal philosophies on life and the universe that I’m starting to really question whether or not I want to keep that label
Thank you for this informative video, I think you did a good job with researching and delivering your findings in a way that is easier to comprehend. I was surrounded by religion all my life. My mother is a devout Catholic turned Judeo-Christian. I was never really a social person but during college it was always the religious students who always tried to befriend me and later attempted to convert me into their religious circles which never really worked out. I was irreligious but that didn't mean I denied the existence of God or a higher power but it was just difficult for me to relate and agree with an organized religious group to comprehend it. I got into divination as a way to cope and try to understand a higher power and was really into it until I found the system to be flawed leading to more trouble than it was actually worth. When I got into philosophy that's when I discovered Daoism and it was so liberating to learn this because I finally found something that I agreed on how I should live my life and view this existence in all levels! Going with the flow has always given me the best results in life effortlessly because it's what nature and the Dao intended it to be! I truly learned to trust and accept the reality I co-exist with for what it truly is. I would have never thought I would follow an eastern religon growing up but all religons are based off philosophy so the best way to pick a religon is to learn it's roots of philosophy to see if it's something you agree with. It will save you a lot of time trying to find a religon and there is so many people out there who will try to confuse you with your decision process!
It is so wonderful that you find Taoism helpful in life. I felt the same way, especially the more elaborated version of Taoism in Zhuangzi. I am a philosopher, too. I have made a few videos on Zhuangzi talking about how Zhuangzi's thought help me to get through the most difficult time in my life. I would love to share thoughts with you, here is my first video on Zhuangzi: th-cam.com/video/U-h-Yz7SMtU/w-d-xo.html
Unsurprisingly, this did a better job of summarizing and explaining Daoism than several professional sources I've come across. I feel like I almost have some vague conception of what the religion is now, and that's better than they were able to do. Thanks!
Not a religion but a philosophy
@@redfullmoon No, it's both. You've not seen the religious side of Taoism yet. Because the video made this video for his viewer to understand philosophy, not for those who want to study deeply about Taoism.
A philosopher named Simon Weil taught something similar to the teaching of wuwei. She called it Attention and she really put it into words that the western world can understand easier.
Thank you so much for covering something that I am so interested in. Have a wonderful day
An exceptionally fine presentation of Daoism as a religion. Can't wait for the next video. You can tell a lot of work went into this, but with such a large, diverse, and ancient tradition, I hope future videos on this topic will be less compressed. ☯
What a great video about Taoism! As a Chinese I can't understand Dao until this video explain it in plain language! Thanks!
Your comment should be pinned at the top of Comments. Daoism appears to be an epic mess of contradictory and provincial beliefs, philosophies and cultural practices dependent on place, time and community you belong to. It takes a Westerner to give a broad overview of what it is, isn't, and may or may not be even to a Chinese. As such, it appeals to modern Westerners for its apparent lack of moral directives and prescriptions, its acceptance of a vast pantheon of gods, nature spirits, and for its hip yet ancient symbols like the yingyang, and easy to live wisdom such as Go with the flow.
@@glennsimonsen8421 I appreciate the criticisms of such religions/beleifs.
Many people under these videos praise these things, but its truly rare to find someone who is critical of it!
Very important to understanding anything, is to understand its good and bad.
I have not seriously studied Daoism in any capacity, so take what I say with a grain of salt and all that. But I do have a few (hopefully sensible) points to make.
1) I don't know about any other field, but I'm pretty sure in academic philosophy, Chinese philosophers do make a distinction between Daoist philosophy or Daoist thoughts and Daoist religious practices.
2) In Taiwan at least, those who are well read on Daoist literature or philosophy and those who are strongly devoted to Daoist religious practices are generally not treated the same and generally occupy different social spaces, with the former being seen as scholarly and the latter a little "cult-y." (This is not to say Daoist practitioners do not read Daoist texts. I'm sure many of them do.)
3) While "道教" can be, and often is, interpreted as "Daoist teachings," it does invoke a religious connotation (at least to a lay person). For reference, Buddhism is called 佛教, Islam 伊斯蘭教, Hinduism 印度教 or 興都教, and Christianity 基督教 respectively in Mandarin. Notice they all have the character "教" at the end to denote they are religions. Or a more straightforward point may be the fact that the English word "religion" is usually translated as "宗教," and vice versa.
4) On the other hand, I don't think "Daoist lineage" is how people usually read the word "道家." According to the dictionary composed by Taiwan's Ministry of Education, one definition of the word / morpheme 家 is "an academic school of thought, e.g. 'Confucianism,' ' *Daoism* ,' [...]"* (學術流派。如：「儒家」、「道家」、「百家爭鳴」、「一家之言」。). And I believe this reflects how people usually interpret the word 道家, more as a school of thought or a philosophy, with Laozi and Zhuangzi being its representative figures, than a religious practice which may be inspired and built upon the philosophy.
(*the dictionary entry for anyone interested: dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/dictView.jsp?ID=5502&q=1&word=家#order1 )
Yeah but how much of that attitude is influenced by the west? Would this have been the attitude hundreds of years ago?
Thank you for sharing. I was curious about Taiwan. Sometimes in the West people use Tao to the philosophy and Dao to describe the religion. It's the same word but it's a way to easily code the difference. I haven't found a sharp line that divides the philosophical side from the religious side but I'm sure in Taiwan there would be a sociologically visible difference.
This is such an interesting video and the Dao is such an interesting concept because it is very in line to what I've individually concluded about the world.
What a great video. Not only did I learn a lot, but I finished wanting to learn more. You're a great educator!
I really like this video. I live in Japan and have always been fascinated with Eastern religions/philosophies. You never fail to impress me with tje videos you make.
Just defining the subject is difficult enough, so tackling the subtleties of active daoist usages will be daunting. I'm very grateful you're undertaking the task.
Love your channel and your videos! I always watch your videos the day the come out and rewatch them. Love how you always take a scholarly approach to talking about religion without casting judgement, as well as your commitment to religious literacy. Big fan!
The Zhuangzi is one of the most insightful, life-affirming and, yes, amusing, books I've ever read.
And Zhuangzi himself is a pretty interesting person
Definitely life-affirming. Kind of Nietzschean, or rather the other way around.
Excellent work! A great overview of a tradition which refuses to be boxed into an easy definition.
I rarely make comments but this is my favorite youtube channel . Thank you Religion For Breakfast.
For those looking to read the Tao Te Ching, I recommend the translation by Red Pine. I've read dozens of translations, and this is by far my favorite. I feel that it tries to tell truth within the contradictions of incomplete or mistruths. It is a rewarding literary work which uses words to build a framework for thought that goes beyond those words. Do not read it literally, do not trust its words, but rather it's message.
Link?
Red Pine is good! The commentary is really helpful while the translation is mostly great. It has a few minor eccentricities, but it nails most passages and the commentary is just fantastic.
But I would say that the words are good as well.
it's very poetic and nice, however many sentences are quite different from other translations, possibly due to use of different manuscripts. Best to read multiple
@@nodu6414 Red Pine goes into detail about how, he does indeed source a variety of different scripts. His goal in translating is not to simply translate a singular accepted script, but rather to flesh out the history and cultural context it contains; I have not seen another that shows such an extensive approach in this regard. The Tao Te Ching quite literally states in its opening verse that spoken/written words are not the true nature of those words, that they are but an Eidolon that lacks the nuance and texture those concepts hold. A focus on precision in translation is shows that the translator just doesn't understand the work at all; the greatest disservice you could do to this complex work is to prioritize the accuracy of the word for word translation, instead of focusing on the spirit of the work. Red Pine's translation is one that seeks to understand and convey centuries of thought and cultural evolution, rather than to relay just what will always be an imperfect translation between modern English and millennia old Classical Chinese.
I don't know if you're familiar with Eckhart Tolle, but his self-help book "The Power of Now" really felt similar to Daoism in a way.
Greatest book of all time
This was a sign. I love him.
I didn't expect this channel to cover Taoism as well.I've got fascinated by Taoism recently and became one of my favourite aspects of Chinese culture.
I also appreciate your effort to pronunce those names and terms correctly although you are not a Chinese speaker.Just a little correction: I think the 家 in 道家 would be more accurately translated as "school of thought" than "family/lineage", so 道家=Daoist school of thought.
Yeah, thanks for trying to pronounce the Chinese correctly. You did that very well.
@@shervinmarsh2456 He got pretty close to the right pronunciation even though he hasn't been learning Chinese.
@@deacudaniel1635 It was impressive. So many people who speak no Chinese put in no effort whatsoever to pronounce pinyin correctly, and as RfB shows, it isn't an insurmountable, or even all that difficult, task.
@@MGustave Yes.So it's not exagerrated to demand people who don't speak or aren't learning Chinese to just google the correct way to read pinyin and try to say them correctly if they are going to mention Chinese names and concepts in their discourse.
道 the Way, the Tao (also means road, or method)
家 school of thought (also means home, or family)
Both have several meanings. But in 道家 they took those specific meanings and form "Taoist school"
感谢分享！我是一个中国人，你对“道”的解释相当准确，很多中国人也无法解释的这样清楚
Love your videos. Just found this about a week ago. Thank you for assisting others to greater knowledge. ❤️
Hello Anna, how are you doing today, hope you’re fine and safe from the Virus?
That first line that you talk about at length... my first thought was "This is not the greatest Dao in the world, no, this is just a tribute!"
Your work is simply amazing. Comprehensive, well researched and really well presented. Thank you for everything you do ❤You enrich your lives with every video ❤
Very interesting video. I consider myself as a daoist fellow traveler. I have read Dao Te Ching and through my limited understanding have tried to follow the dao and practice the principle of wu wei. I find it satisfying.
Some thoughts and/or questions.
Thanks for looking at this topic!😊
I think Daoism was an influence on Chan/Zen Buddhism. What do you think? Maybe a video or two?
How about one discussing the Eight Immortals?
I’m planning a multi-episode series on Daoism! Zen Buddhism is currently in the works for the Buddhism series, but I’ll see if I can fit in info on the overlap.
@@ReligionForBreakfast fu talisman would be cool to cover and ancestor veneration
Wow
Lots of info in a small amount of time,
I have been involved in martial arts for many years and consider myself Daoist to some extent before watching this video I was sceptical of its content however after watching it I was pleasantly surprised, will pass it on to my friends
thank you very much.
All the best from down under
Lewis
Sydney Australia 🙏
Awesome video as usual 👍🏻 keep it up!
That butterfly dream story pops up a lot in Japanese media. Digimon especially loves it with Hacker's Memory using it to explore transhumanism. One of the characters has an illness that requires a digital mediator for her memories. By the end, she has the choice to choose between dying as a human or living separated from her friends free to travel the digital world as a wholly digital being. That strikes me as similar to the story of the turtle that would prefer to drag its tail through the mud.
Qi+!!! This video was absolutely sooooo fun! Period! Thanks RFB this really was a great stepping stone into meditators mindsets when it comes to true historical daoism.
Made my year!🎉
You nailed it my brother. This is the best explanation of that which cannot be described. Well done!
The opening line of the Tao is so iconic. I remember the first time I read it, it blew my mind yet it is so simple. It took me years before I had the revelation that allowed me to understand it. I might be revealing too much here, but I have always had this feeling that I used to be a monk in a past life and the more I explore the feeling, I believe I was a Taoist monk.
Thank you for the video, it really hit home. It would have been cool if you talked more about the funeral practices and one's family needing to participate in completing one's journey in the afterlife, it is super vital to the belief system.
You can highly resonate with something without having been a monk in a past life. It seems to me like jumping to conclusion...especially since Daoist don't believe in a past life. A more daoist explanation would be you simply recognized that Daoism makes sense and you recognized in its teachings the root you come from and exist based on.
RFB always does a great job of balancing between scholarly rigor and humility before the subtle, loving nature of religious thought and cultural diversity. Excellent work summarizing a vast and wibbly-wobbly body of beliefs and practices
I often describe myself as a Zen-daoist-stoic-Episcopalian. Which is to say I incorporate and blend elements of all these traditions and hold all of them reverently in my thoughts and actions. I guess you could add Hinduism too because I practice Trancendental Meditation as taught by the Maharishi Yogi. It works for me.
Interesting!
Hello fellow Christian Taoist!
While correct in principle (namely that it’s a transcription system that’s not Pinyin), I’d like to point out that ‘Peking’ is not in Wade Giles (where it would be Peiching.)
These videos are always so class
So I've only watched a minute in, but I wanted to see if I understand Daoism alright and then compare it to after I finish watching the video. Daoism is like water. It permeates and adapts to the times and into new practices: whether the water is absorbed by a blade of grass or drunk by a person, it's still water but used in different ways.
So excited to watch this, ever since I found your channel I've been looking forward to hearing you discuss Daoism!
@Muriel Torres what
Wonderful video! Very well researched and thorough! Love it! 😊🙏
Taoism is a very intriguing concept. I remember reading a book about a man named Saihung(i believe i miss spelled it) but, it was enlightening for sure.
I would love for you to cover more far eastern religious grounds. I feel like it's something the west, myself included, know so little about. One topic that might be interesting to cover is the Falun Gong. I feel like they have such a disproportionate influence in western outlets due to their anti-CCP stance and the Shen Yun, but no one really talks about what they believe or their odd place in specifically diaspora culture.
I love these videos, I like all this channel's content that I've seen but these ones that really delve into the history of these religions and philosophies are some of my favorites.
Somehow the idea of organized and codified Daoism feels wrong. As if it is missing the main point.
The Dao complexity it's what makes it very easy to understand.
If you know you know, if you know teach.
Wuwei is best described as "being in the zone". When you're doing, but automatically, without effort, as if what you're doing is as natural as drawing breath, you are embracing wuwei.
So ADHD people in hyperfocus are basically all Daoists following Wu Wei?
I interpret the butterfly dream more as becoming absorbed in life as it exists in the moment as opposed to living in a conceptualization. The dreaming sage is completely absorbed in being a butterfly, and the waking sage is completely absorbed in being a sage
As always, this videos are a source of insightful, complete yet simple and captivating sketches of a until now uncovered religion/philosophy.
Minor correction, "Peking" is not Wade-Giles but comes from an old postal romanization based on the Nanjing dialect.
Fun to listen to someone who seeks knowledge and then shares it ! So Cool !
Daoism and Shinto are fascinating to me.
As a (Western) Taoist teachter I really enjoyed watching this and you did a great job explaining.
I do think the Liezi texts also deserve a mention :-)
Absolutely amazing summary of "Taoism" in the English language. Well done sir.
Wow, this seems very timely for me. Great stuff as always!
"道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。/The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name."
Excellent presentation. You've got a ton of important points in place in a consumable manner
This was so well done and avoided the stereotypical “The Daoists” created everything myths people often state, such as the I Ching, Chinese medicine, yinyang, taiji, etc. As you explained, “the daoists” syncretized many of these native concepts and traditions- including the yangsheng traditions. Excellent presentation- as I almost didn’t even watch it as I’m so tired of hearing those tired myths.
Another exceptionally well done video. Thank you for your good work. I’d support the channel if I were in a position to do so, but the Dao isn’t flowing that way right now.
Given Daoism doesn't fit neatly into the categories of religion and philosophy, would it be accurate to relate people's experience with Daoism to ancient people's experience with what we would today call polytheistic pagan religions? The fact that it's religious but also forms a sort of background philosophy to adherents' world reminded me of how I think about ancient Greeks talking about their mythology.
The Road that can be Walked is not the Eternal Road
Not even experience, apparently
different people experience Taoism in differently ways. some are pretty similar to ancient Greeks mythology, like how it's portraited in Journey To The West, there are also people who don't believe in any of the entities at all, just as a life style, and most people set somewhere between these two poles.
Very interesting how translations change our conceptions of so many things
Great video (if a bit long-winded)
Another theme in the Zhuangzi you did not mention: people of lower status are often the "heroes" of his stories: the deformed, dwarfs, maimed, servants (you did mention the butcher)...
Philosophical vs. Religious Taoism? Hmmm... I am reminded of your video on what it means to be religious - the three Bs: belief (philosophical), behavior (ritual practice/religious). Then "belonging" might fit with the sectarian Taoism (Organized Taoisms) you go on to discuss?
The images of the Daoist deity Mazu bare a striking resemblance to images/statues of the Chinese Buddhist Kwan Yin (goddess of mercy). Both images show the female holding what appears to be flask with opening pointed down. One wonders if one or the other tradition was perhaps influenced by the other.
Asking "how many Taoists are there?" and basing the answer on how many people participate in one or another of countless practices more or less loosely associated with Taoism, might be like determining the number of Christians based on how many people celebrate Christmas. There are tons of people who celebrate Christmas but are otherwise "non-religious" or do not "belong" to nor attend any given Christian church. And then there are those who "don't call themselves Daoists but might practice Daoist meditation or Tai Chi" - this would be like the countless Americans to practice yoga but would never call themselves Hindu!
As a practicing Taoist myself I've never considered it a religion so much as a collection of teaching which is supposed to simplify your life. The very basics of Taoism is to just learn how to exist in a world of existence without effort, without resistance and without conflict. I took kung fu when I was a kid and taoism was very much a part of that teaching and although our form was considered animal form which means we did forms AKA Kata's which implemented a lot of moves that were Wing Chun. As far as I know Wing Chun itself very much incorporates Taoism in its structure. The idea is that you don't interrupt the movement of chi but rather Direct your Chi around the opposing Chi. Other forms of animal martial arts depict what they call hard styles to soft styles like Iron Fist versus crane or snake versus crane. In very basic form to apply Taoism to your life is to think very thoughtfully about how you're surroundings are about how you are in your surroundings how to exist with Harmony while moving. As you can see this is how Daoism has exploded into a quasi religion with several teachings and several gods but to be more specific they are not God's so much as they are spirits. This is why you can't quantify Taoism.
A little suggestion here, probably you should try making videos focused on the Chinese school of thought, and their relation with each other, and how it develop the current Chinese culture, its gonna be a long and hard video. I think the last one is Mohism.
Don't forget Mao Tse-tung Thought, Teng Hsiao-ping Theory and Xi Jinping Thought, all of which are allegedly based on Marxism-Leninism.
Very informative. I've learned so.much from your presentations over time.
Hello Carolyn, how are you doing today, hope you’re fine and safe from the Virus?
Daoism is to "religion" as quantum theory is to classical physics: if you know _where it is,_ you cannot fully know _what it is._
14
1 The shape invisible, transcending form.
The quiet inaudible, transcending silence.
The grasp intangible, transcending touch.
These are beyond description,
yet are described in the One.
2 Its summit is not blinding,
its base is not obscure.
3 Interconnected streams intertwined
distinct in undecipherability,
becoming again that which is becoming.
4 The formless form,
the shapeless shape,
the unseeable image.
5 The fathoming of shadows,
pottery-molding of mists.
6 Draw near it, you see no beginning.
Draw away from it, you see no end.
7 Preserve the quiet Stream from the Past:
the ability to be One with the Beginning
is the source of Unity with the Passage.
_大門道 Tao Men Tao; The Tao of Athenadorus_
ISBN 978-1-890 000-03-5
([An edited translation of the 道德经 Tao Te Ching.] Copyrighted work, used with author's permission.)
I’ve been wondering where this video was for a while. Glad it got made :)
Are you telling me that Legend of the Condor Heroes lied to me and the Quanzhen branch ISNT entirely made up of nigh-unstoppable masters of kung-fu?
well, your video about Daoism is among the best ones in youtube, of course, in English language. Moreover your sponsor is stunning, I am already subscribling on their site. Congratulations and thank you very much
I think the confusion surrounding Daoism and religion is a misunderstanding of the complexity of religion. Religion is an inherently philosophical concept and trying to distinguish between the philosophical and religious is a futile gesture.
Eastern philosophies are going to appeal to the Introverted feelers (like myself) over the extroverted feelers. I am a recovering Evangelical Christian and the Tao Te Ching brings me an incredible internal peace.
Selfishness is quite addictive for former Christians who were shallow practitioners of Christianity to begin with.
Must be it. Wouldn’t believe how selfish I am. Totally spot on Maverick 😂!
Absolutely loved this ep, I'll definitely have to do more research on daoism!!
I'd be interested in hearing how Daoism intersects with other movements like Anarchism, Dadaism, Existentialism, etc.
You realise Dadaism is an artistic movement? You can't just throw around some random isms thinking they are comparable.
It has been said Zhuanzi the first @narchist.
I remember that you said you haven't seen a religion in Video games which has grey areas or fuzzyness. I think The Elder Scrolls series has multiple religions which fit this description and I hope you check it out. This is a very nice video and I am looking forward to the next topic of Asian religion from you.
the Trinity, the Trimurti, and the Three Pure Ones fascinate me. Curious how the number three comes up so much. I wonder if they all stem from a common tradition from before recorded history or if it’s just an idea that somehow reoccurs throughout different traditions. Possibly because three things are often needed to hold something up? Or two parents and their offspring? I also wonder how much my understanding of our western perception of the Trimurti and the Three Pure Ones is clouded by our understanding of the Christian Trinity.
In yoga.
Mind, body and one’s breath that connect it all.
To my mind, three indicates a balance. Two would seem unstable, there’s no definitive center, and it doesn’t indicate any form. Three points can for example give the semblance of a line or a triangle, but two points are always very open. Nature has a lot of symmetry, and three can match this. A face has a definitive center and two sides. A body as well.
I think you may need at least three systems for conscious experience, you have to interact with both the inner and the outer to experience a self (the details of that are far more complicated.) And I personally feel that social groups of three tend to have the best dynamics (with the right mix of personalities.)
@@chocolatebunnies6376 I think you're onto something! we also need at least 3 points to go from a 1 dimensional line to a 2 dimensional image. We also live in the 3rd dimension.
But the problem is the respective meanings these three carries
Trimurti is not equal Gods sitting together, Brahma is significantly inferior to Shiva and Vishnu
Trinity is equally God and Equal all the same YET they are One God despite each of them still their own
Three Pure Ones, idk, haven't studied them in depths
The number 3 tends to means unity, which is the bonding of duality which brings life into reality. If the two of the duality are there and aren't doing anything (despite the fact that they should be! For all existence is acting), the world will not have begun.
Every duality needs a third which will transfer and mix these duality into a coherent form that may properly exist.
That third is the act of the duality, their bond, their child, as well as their difference and identification
None of them are talking about the same thing and neither is there anything special about the number three.
If you study preSocratic philopsophies, you will find similarities between them and Tao Te Jing. In fact the book that describe Tao is actually based on ancients' observations, empirical experience and reasoning, their current knowledge about the Nature and does not based on scientific data. Thus, what's writen in Tao Te Jing can't be regarded as the ultimate truth or fact. To really understand the Taoism, you need just to analyse Tao Te Jing and Zhuangzi, discard any supernatural and metaphysical elements like spirituality, magic, shamanism, deities etc. It's really a naturalist, humanist and existentialism concept in Taoism. What i can conclude about the first verse is based on my current understanding. "The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao." Which I interpreted as: The Tao (Universe/Nature) that can be explained in human languages does not reflect the nature (reality) of the Tao (Universe/Nature). It could mean that Like wise the Universe does not conform to the astronomers/scientists explanations but rather astronomers tried their best to explain the Universe, Align with Tao/ Cosmos simply another meaning for to be in our state of nature, which means genuine and uneffected by the corruptive civilised society. There is chapter 18 in Tao Te Jing about the decline of Tao, which states that human's state of nature have been corrupted by civilised society. Thus to really understand Taoism, one need to study Western philosophy as well.
Thanks. I live in Taiwan. My wife is Taiwanese. I have been to several funerals and was always curious about the funeral rituals. There is a “Book of the Dead” that is read at funerals. It takes eight or more hours to read through the book/books. During the most recent funeral, I wanted to ask the funeral troupe about the book. My wife just said, “Don’t ask. We’re Buddhists.” OK, but it’s not Mahayana Buddhism. As I see modern Taiwanese society, they’re basically atheists who practice ancient rituals without really paying much attention to the philosophy behind the rituals. My brother-in-law does all kinds of things so the neighbors will think he’s a good person, and not necessarily because he thinks they’re the right things to do. You’re right that it’s hard to define religion here. It’s different than in the West. So your video on Daoism is very informative.
A lot of modern "Christians" do that as well... practice ancient rituals without paying much attention to the philosophy behind... doing things so neighbours & church people will think they're "model Christians" ... LOL
That sounds like most members of the Church of England, and educated followers of the Roman state religion. What needs explanation is the folk who take all that religion stuff seriously, as if was The Laws of Cricket.
Sounds like the vast majority of religious people throughout history
I would also recommend reading the “Qing jing jing” to anyone interested in practices of daoism, this is a great text that mixes Buddhist and Taoist thought
I agree, but there aren't many good English translations...
@@tristanmisja Derek Lins translation is pretty good, he goes into detail explaining the whole text
So creepy I just finished the Daode Jing and the Zhuang Zhou and was curious if you have any video about daoism and then I saw that you just upload this video...
That is the dao
You were aligned with the Dao. Congratulations. Keep it up.
I think some of the best examples of Daoism and Confucianism interacting is in Kung Fu Panda. Here we see Sifu and Master Oogway personifying Confucianist teachings and Daoist thought respectively.
I have a new title to add to my list: Daoist Sympathizer. So let's see, I think that makes me an Augustinian Neoplatonist Pythagorean Christian Daoist Sympathizer.
But it's not actually "Daoist" to limit yourself with those labels LOL.
@@Jumpoable Which is one among many reasons I wouldn't identify as Taoist
I often looked at Daoism as being the traditional philosophy that most match Descartes principals of challenging one's own assumptions. Obviously, they had their own dogmas but they at least cultivated a culture of naturalistic observation.
May the Force be with you. Sorry. May the Dao be with you.
Excellent introductory overview!
I'm atheist but it is interesting learning about other religions outside of the abrahamic tribal war god religions.
Bringing up an unrelated religious group just to insult them?
Kinda cringe
no one cares
@@Dagarar well apparently you did because you responded.
@@lam7499 call it what you want to call it. It's called a comment section and I left a comment whether you like it or not.
Yep its not like you vs me like abrahamic religions buddhism and daoism influenced each other in ancient china
Thanks! I learned a lot today!