does anyone know any websites about taoism and its philosophy and stuff? thanks

EDIT: Title error.

Taoism isnt something I would recommend checking out in websites, I havent found any, but there are three books I would recommend buying.

1. the Tao-te Ching | The Bible of Taoism, translated it means: The Way and it's Power.

2. the e-Chang | Meaning "Book of Changes" Sometimes mistaken to be the Taoist bible, it's got some really good stuff in it, but should always remain secondary to the Tao-te Ching (Pronounced Dao-de King, btw)

3. The Art of War | written by General Master Sun Tzu 2000 some-odd years ago. It's a really good book on the honorable waging of war with supreme influence by the e-Chang and the Tao-te Ching. Dont get anything fancy, just a good translation.

The key with Taoism - IMO - is dont let yourself get caught in religious groups. Taoism is very much a focus of one person on their own Spiritual path. As you may have guessed, Taoism actually means "The path of the Way." depending upon how you translate it, it comes out very hard to understand in english, but I think you get the idea.

Note: The original title of the Early Christian church was "The Way". Early Christianity is much more similar to Taoism than it is to Catholicism.

Good luck on your journey, my friend! http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)



-Uncle Rusty



[This message has been edited by Rusticus (edited 03-30-2005).]

taoism's bullshit like any other religion. but you can have powerfull experiences in it.

i have seen on many occasions groups of boys and men cutting into their own toungs and hitting each other on the head with cleavers and other extremely painfull and bloody mutilation.

taoism is all about the trance state, and getting your mind to a place where you feel no pain and have no real thoughts

the mutilators had rice wine sprayed into their faces to bring them out of the trance

EDIT: Spelling error

What in the hell are you talking about?

Taoism is about peace, harmony, the reintegration of opposites, eternal balance, and Esoteric Principals.

Good Lord, where did you get that from? Riply's or something?

*shakes head* seriously...



-Uncle Rusty

[This message has been edited by Rusticus (edited 03-30-2005).]

quote:Originally posted by Me Ves y Sufres:

taoism's bullshit like any other religion. but you can have powerfull experiences in it.

i have seen on many occasions groups of boys and men cutting into their own toungs and hitting each other on the head with cleavers and other extremely painfull and bloody mutilation.

taoism is all about the trance state, and getting your mind to a place where you feel no pain and have no real thoughts

the mutilators had rice wine sprayed into their faces to bring them out of the trance

Hmm....wrong.

quote:Originally posted by Me Ves y Sufres:

taoism's bullshit like any other religion. but you can have powerfull experiences in it.

i have seen on many occasions groups of boys and men cutting into their own toungs and hitting each other on the head with cleavers and other extremely painfull and bloody mutilation.

taoism is all about the trance state, and getting your mind to a place where you feel no pain and have no real thoughts

the mutilators had rice wine sprayed into their faces to bring them out of the trance

I own Sun Tzu's Art of War, and Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do (the way of the intercepting fist). Both are great books, and are very famous. They have a lot of practical application, in particular related to fighting, but the "Taoism" is not BS. From what you said, it sounds that you don't know what Taoism is. Taoism is not a religion, it is more of a philosophy.

As for the mutalating each other. If you are refering to samurai practice, in feudal japan and the older times, there was no Kendo, shinais, or good practice weapons. Swordsman trained with real swords, because that is all the had. People died practicing often, or lost limbs. Over time they realized that something had to be done because they were losing all their warriors who practiced against each other, and eventually wooden bokens (wooden katanas) and Shinai (bamboo sword/stick) became more practical, and then Kendo armor followed, because even with a wooden sword, you could break bones still. So this evolution was logical. You are very ambiguous about what you speak of in regards to mutilation, but it has little to with Taoism being a religion or bull shit. Taoism is also NOT about a trance state, some euphoria, or what not...You must be thinking of drugs like ecstacy.

Like I said, you have no idea what you are talking about.

[This message has been edited by Aeon (edited 03-31-2005).]

quote:Originally posted by Aeon:

I own Sun Tzu's Art of War, and Bruce Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do (the way of the intercepting fist). Both are great books, and are very famous. They have a lot of practical application, in particular related to fighting, but the "Taoism" is not BS. From what you said, it sounds that you don't know what Taoism is. Taoism is not a religion, it is more of a philosophy.

As for the mutalating each other. If you are refering to samurai practice, in feudal japan and the older times, there was no Kendo, shinais, or good practice weapons. Swordsman trained with real swords, because that is all the had. People died practicing often, or lost limbs. Over time they realized that something had to be done because they were losing all their warriors who practiced against each other, and eventually wooden bokens (wooden katanas) and Shinai (bamboo sword/stick) became more practical, and then Kendo armor followed, because even with a wooden sword, you could break bones still. So this evolution was logical. You are very ambiguous about what you speak of in regards to mutilation, but it has little to with Taoism being a religion or bull shit. Taoism is also NOT about a trance state, some euphoria, or what not...You must be thinking of drugs like ecstacy.

Like I said, you have no idea what you are talking about.



Kudos Aeon. Well written.

Also, there are plenty of new-age religions focused on the inducing of pain for the effect of the endorphins. He may have also meant this. Though I've never heard them running under the banner of Taoism, generally they are Hindu, or Buddhist revisionaries.



-Uncle Rusty

P.S. Jeet Kune Do is - in my opinion - the most complete work on what it truly means to be a Martial Artist. There are few people who walked this earth, that I believe deserve a full-bow. Bruce Lee is one of them.

As for Jeet Kune Do, I agree. It is a complete martial art, and yet it is an empty one. It is the composition of all martial arts, and all the techniques which are useful to you. You throw out that which is useless to you, or simply not practical.

My Jeet Kune Do is different than many other martial artists (mixed or not)who practice JKD. My style consists mostly of Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Those are the two styles from which I take most of my practical techniques. So I can say I practice Jeet Kune Do, but most people don't understand what that means - so often I just say I am a mixed martial artists.

[This message has been edited by Aeon (edited 03-31-2005).]