posted
Kwea, I think those are beautiful examples of wei wu wei. One of the common misunderstandings when people are first exposed to this concept is that by "not-doing" you just sit around like the guru on the mountain in cartoons and never get anything done, or that you shouldn't train or prepare. But truly doing not doing is performing a task perfectly, combining your training, instinct, skills, and the natural flow of the universe to do whatever it is that needs doing... and then just step back. Those moments are incredibly fullfilling experiences.
--Enigmatic
Edit: The Tao of New Page!
Posts: 2715 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
I've been looking a little more into general classical Chinese...philosophy, I guess, although that's a poor word to use. Right now I'm reading A Daoist Theory of Chinese Thought by Chad Hansen. It's been very interesting. If people are interested, I may post a summary of the main points and some of my thoughts after I finish it. I'd recommend it, but with reservations.
There have been a lot of eye opening observations, but Hansen makes no bones about strongly disagreeing with the orthodox interpretations (or at least those from 1992, when the book was written). Unfortunately, I don't have the background to assess his claims. I know some about Confucius and that's lined up with what he's said, but all adrfit when it comes to other non-Daoists.
All I really knew about Mozi was that he was strongly interested in classification and utilitarianism. And I knew that Mencius (and Hansen tears into Mencius) was two generations removed from Confucius and that he was actually the one who popularized Confucianism.
I expect I'll be looking for other sources, but I was wondering if any one here knew more about, well, any of this? Also, tis a good thread. It could use some bumping.
edit: Forgot an all important negative, as I am wont to do.
posted
That sounds like an interesting book, and I would like to read your thoughts on it when you have a chance to share them. I also do not know as much about non-daoist chinese philosphers as I'd like, so unfortunately can't help much in that regard.
The bump of this thread reminds me of a few other tao related things that I'd wanted to write about, but since I'm behind on NaNoWriMo at the moment they will wait for another time.
posted
Thanks, Enig, I had not seen your response to my post before right now.
I have not had any of those moments recently, other than playing pool, and even then it hasn't been often.
I remember feeling a little bit like that on my wedding day, but it was a very emotional day for me and that is unlike these "CMT"'s...those are usually fairly absent of emotion, or at least the emotion hits afterwards, but while it is occuring I am somehow more myself...but at a distance from myself as well.
It is weird, there really aren't a lot of words to discribe it, hinestly. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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