I Judge People

March 29, 2010 · Posted in Social · Comment

Rating: +4 (from 4 votes)

I often wonder why people say “you shouldn’t judge”. Is it just one of those politically correct things people say so others think of them as more socially enlightened?

Everyone makes judgments about others. If you claim you don’t, you are only deceiving yourself and others who are deceiving themselves in a similar fashion.

Even animals make judgments. Is the approaching person going to be dangerous, will they pet me, or can I eat them? Making judgments of others is essential to functioning in a society.

Tags: first impression, friend, judgment, politically correct, society

Exercise: Experiencing Tao

March 25, 2010 · Posted in Tao · Comment

Rating: +11 (from 11 votes)

I think one of the best ways to learn about Tao is to sit in a city park on a busy (and comfortable) day. Watch people. Watch nature. Listen to all the sounds. Don’t think about what the people are doing. Don’t ponder their intentions. Just watch the movement as a whole.

Tags: birds, dog, listen, park, people, symphony, watch

Life and Death

March 24, 2010 · Posted in Tao · Comment

Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)

I am often asked questions such as “Do you believe in the soul?” or “Do you believe in an afterlife?” First, I make it clear that Taoists as a whole do not all share the same views on this subject. Views can range from a type of reward or punishment existence to reincarnation. What follows are my own personal views:

Tao is the source of all things. What this means is that I consider all matter, all energy, all things and the emptiness between things to be part of the Tao. It’s similar to saying, “everything in the universe”.

To quote Carl Sagan, “We are made of star stuff.” We understand matter to the point where we can trace everything down to protons, neutrons and electrons. These same basic building blocks can be found in everything from a grain of sand to the brightest star.

Tags: afterlife, Carl Sagan, death, life, reincarnation

Ginger Tea

March 18, 2010 · Posted in Health · Comment

Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

I love hot teas for the wide variety of flavorful blends as well as being a lot healthier to drink than sodas. Recently, someone sent me a recipe to make a “Ginger Tea”. Technically this is an herbal drink as no tea leaves are involved. My first attempt was a bit strong, but enjoyable none the less.

From the local market, pick up a fresh ginger root, a lemon and some all natural honey. I like Really Raw Honey personally. I put some water on the stove to boil while I prepare. I washed the root and cut it in half. The half I used was then cut into thin slices and placed in my little stoneware teapot. It’s not big, and holds about three or four cups of water.

Tags: ginger, herbal, honey, medicine, tea

Patriotism

March 17, 2010 · Posted in Tao · Comment

Rating: +4 (from 4 votes)

The Daodejing has some things to say about what happens when a nation strays from the natural flow of the Tao:

When Tao is forgotten, piety and righteousness are empowered.
When a nation falls into confusion, there is a call for loyalty to officials and patriotism.

I know that, at least where I’m from, patriotism has always been considered an essential trait. As children we learn such things as the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem to inspire pride and commitment to our nation. Isn’t it however, a bit paradoxical if not outright hypocritical to promote the idea of patriotism while at the same time teach that discrimination is bad?

Tags: discrimination, hypocricy, patriot, patriotism