Hello, jack64-ga!
Thank you for a very interesting question!
I have provided a variety of references which touch on the practical
application of Taoism to daily life. The aspects of Taoism you have
inquired about - awareness, choices, spiritual, practical and
philosophical - are all touched upon in the following links. I did my
best to leave out any sites devoted exclusively to historical,
religious or technical aspects of Taoism, as well as anything that was
too "ponderous"! :)
Forgive me if I open with a link to an overview of Taoism from the
Wikipedia website. It delves into many aspects of Taoist history and
teachings and is an interesting introduction to Taoism for anyone else
who might enjoy reading this answer!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism
ARTICLES PERTAINING TO THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF TAOISM
===========================================================
The following series of articles provides a good initiation into the
modern day application of Taoism:
"Taoism - Ageless Wisdom for A Modern World," by Ted Kardash
http://www.jadedragon.com/archives/march98/tao1.html
"Taoism - Ageless Wisdom for a Modern World, Part 2: Te - The
Principle of Inner Nature," by Ted Kardash
http://www.jadedragon.com/archives/april98/tao.html
"Taoism - Ageless Wisdom for a Modern World, Part 3: Yin-Yang - The
Principle of Harmony and Change,"
by Ted Kardash http://www.jadedragon.com/archives/may98/tao.html
==
Taoism.net has numerous articles which provide observations on taoism
in daily life. http://www.taoism.net/enter.htm
Two that are particularly interesting can be found under the side tab,
under Taoist articles:
The Modern Taoist Sage
How to Live in Harmony with the Tao
==
For an interesting article pertaining to Taoism in modern society and
it's practical application to life, see:
"THE ABDUCTION OF MODERNITY. Part 4: Taoism and modernity," By Henry C
K Liu. Asia Times. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/EH01Ad01.html
Scroll down through the first few paragraphs about history until you
get to the practical application. There is quite a bit about utilizing
Taoism to improve life choices, as you asked about in your question.
Excerpt:
"Every action reduces the range of one's options. Not taking premature
or unnecessary actions keeps all of one's options open, so that the
most appropriate action remains available. Actions always elicit
reactions. Each action taken provokes reactions from all quarters
that, taken together, are always more powerful than the precipitous
action itself. It is the ultimate definition of the inescapable law of
unintended consequences."
....
"Before one chooses a profession, one has the option of a wide range
of endeavors with which to satisfy one's interest and to enable one to
be useful in life. One can become a philosopher, an artist, a
politician, a teacher, a scientist, a lawyer, a doctor, etc. As soon
as one decides to be a lawyer, for example, then one can no longer
afford to spend much time on other fields of endeavor, thus greatly
narrowing one's options. If, in order to be the best in one's field,
one devotes all of one's time and effort to the study of law and
nothing else, one ends up being ignorant of other aspects of life. One
can therefore end up aimlessly as a useless expert. Thus the exclusive
study of law may neutralize one's original purpose which is to lead a
useful life by promoting justice. For a specialization to be truly
useful, it needs to be defined so inclusively that excessive
specialization itself becomes a pitfall to avoid. The corollary: the
desire for one's objective will block one's attainment of it. This is
so because the distracting impact of one's desire will obscure one's
focus on the objective itself.
"It is better not to act unless and until one is certain such action
will not foreclose other options, rendering one paralyzed. But fear of
action is paralysis itself. Unenlightened persons seek fame and
fortune to achieve happiness, only to find that through obsessive
seeking of fame and fortune, they destroy the very chance for
happiness. They mistakenly regard fame and fortune, superficial
trappings of happiness, as happiness itself. They slave after fame and
fortune without realizing that it is that very slavery that will rob
them of their happiness. Incidentally, "happiness" in the Chinese
language is expressed by the term kuai-huo, which literally means
"fast-living"."
==
The Universal Tao website offers numerous articles that deal with the
application of Taoism to daily life:
http://www.universal-tao.com/article/index.html
==
The following references discusses various aspects of Taoism and how
it can be applied to Western issues in a practical and philosophical
sense.
From "How to Overcome without Fighting: An Introduction to The Taoist
Approach to Conflict Resolution," by Key Sun, Department of Law and
Justice, Central Washington University Journal of Theoretical and
Philosophical Psychology, Vol. 15(2), 161-171, 1995
http://www.ccsn.nevada.edu/prs/traghunath/Taoism.htmlExcerpt:
Excerpt:
"The above discussions indicate that although the Taoist approach was
formulated more than two millennia ago, it still can provide a unique
perspective for examining and understanding human behavior and
conflict resolution. Because conflicts, their escalations, and
resolutions characterize various types of human interaction, the
Taoist model has a great potential to be applied to such diverse
domains as business management, the prevention of violence, counseling
and intervention, and the diminution of intergroup conflicts. In
particular, I believe that the following Taoist precepts merit
attention in Western psychological research:....."
==
The paper referenced below provides numerous case examples
illustrating how Taoist principles can be used in individual
self-discovery and healing.
From "Taoism and Self-Actualization," by Gary S. Toub, Ph.D., Jungian
Analyst, Denver, Colorado.
http://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Taoism/taoism_and_self.htm
"Seven key principles and ideas from the ancient Chinese philosophy,
Taoism, are discussed in terms of their relationship to
self-actualization: the Way, fasting the mind, following impulses,
assisting nature, yin and yang, who knows what's good or bad, and the
usefulness of the useless. Examples from clinical practice and
concepts from Jungian psychology suggest that Taoism's venerable
messages can be applied to contemporary Western life. While Taoism
itself is not a form of psychotherapy, Taoist spiritual teachings can
be valuable tools in psychotherapy practice, especially when therapy
focuses on self-actualization."
From the Conclusion - "The philosophy and way of life of Taoism is
comparable in many respects to the Western concept of
self-actualization, particularly as it refers to the process of living
one's day-to-day life in accord with the Self. While Taoism is clearly
not a form of psychotherapy, I have found the spiritual teachings of
Taoism to be valuable tools for my own psychological growth and in the
therapy I provide clients. This is especially the case when working
with dreams, irrational impulses, and other unconscious messages,
towards the goal of self-actualization."
==
Michael Winn shares his thoughts on the spiritual application of
Taoism in the following interview:
"On Taoist Internal Alchemy. Interview with Michael Winn."
http://www.freedomhealthrecovery.com/quantum/alchemy.html
BOOKS
======
The following book, which offers some elementary techniques for
incorporating Taoism into everyday life, has gotten good reviews from
readers:
"Western Seeker, Eastern Paths: Exploring Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism & Tantra,"
by David Pond. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1567185355/ref=pd_sxp_f/104-7975471-1663955?v=glance&s=books
From the Editorial Review:
"The book devotes one chapter each to Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and
Tantra, first surveying the fundamental beliefs of each tradition,
then providing specific suggestions for incorporating elements of that
tradition's teachings-such as postures and breathing techniques-into
the reader's own meditation practice....This book is best suited for
those who are interested primarily in finding new techniques to enrich
their own pastiche of spiritual practice; those who want to explore
Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism or Tantra in any depth, however, will need
to turn elsewhere."
==
The Simpkins have two book/cd combinations which teach simple
meditation techiques that can be applied to daily life:
http://members.aol.com/radiantdolphin/radiantdolphinpress/pages/SaleBooksRadDolphin.htm
"Living Meditation with Accompanying CD":
- Living Meditation begins by presenting the philosophical principles
underlying the meditation technique of Yoga, Buddhism, Zen, and
Taoism. The authors then detail the step-by-step process of
meditation, showing how the mind works in harmony with the body to
achieve a sense of well-being. The majority of the book is devoted to
applying meditation through simple exercises and techniques that will
enable you to unlock your unlimited potential. You will learn how
meditation can help to control bad habits, enhance learning, reduce
stress, and balance emotions, as well as improve performance in sports
and at work
"Meditation from Thought to Action with Accompanying CD":
- West meets East in this thoughtful and practical book. Meditation
from Thought to Action begins with a grounding in the philosophies of
the East--Yoga, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, and Confucianism--with the
express purpose of teaching readers to discover their own inner
resources, to meditate their way from thought to effective action in
all areas of their lives. You will find explicit guidelines for
meditation and teach the skills that form the basis of a meditation
practice--concentration of attention, visualization, and body
awareness. Each of the latter chapters ends with specific meditation
exercises, forty in all. Because action is the focus of our everyday
lives, many of these exercises focus on issues that affect action at
its core--what holds us back from fulfilling ourselves and what can
make things flow smoothly. Also included is a unique section devoted
to applying meditation to improving relationships."
==
The Taoist Manual: An Illustrated Guide. Applying Taoism to Daily
Life," by Brock Silvers. http://www.smpress.com/index.dwt
"The Taoist Manual provides invaluable assistance to anyone interested
in the practical application of traditional Taoism to modern, Western
circumstances..."
==
To get an idea of the many ways that Taoism has infiltrated Western
culture, you might also be interested in:
"The Tao of the West: Western Transformations of Ta," by Clarke, J. J.
http://shopping.msn.com/search/detail.aspx?pcId=14810&prodId=645135
"In The Tao of the West, J. J. Clarke shows us how Taoism has
transformed many key areas of Western life and thought. Taoist texts,
ideas and practices have over several centuries been assimilated into
a whole range of interests and activities found in the West. From the
everyday impact of practices such as Feng Shui and Tai Chi to more
esoteric formulations found in religion, philosophy, ethics, politics,
and ecology, Taoism has inspired the Western world. The Tao of the
West not only provides a fascinating introduction to Taoism but offers
a timely insight into the history of the West's encounter with this
ancient tradition."
==
The Healing Tao USA website has some interesting articles and learning
materials: http://www.healingtaousa.com/
See "Taoism (Daoism) Made Simple and Practical."
http://www.healingtaousa.com/winn_courselist.html
The site offers a series of practical articles that you can access by
subscribing to the newsletter -
http://www.healingtaousa.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl
Home learning materials:
http://www.healingtaousa.com/cgi-bin/prod_list.pl?pauthor=Michael%20Winn
FORUMS
======
RealTao Message Board
http://pub18.ezboard.com/brealtao
Siutao Forums
http://forums.siutao.com/index.php
Discussions on all aspects of Tao
http://forums.siutao.com/viewforum.php?f=6
Taobums
http://www.taobums.com/forum/index.php?
Yahoo Groups - Applied_Taoism · Discussion of Taoism and its
interpretation, application and practice in western society
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Applied_Taoism/
==
FINALLY - Go to the Daily Tao for a daily quote:
http://nauticom.net/www/asti/asti.htm
==
I hope these references provide a good start for your continued
journey into Taoism along with many hours of interesting reading!
Sincerely,
umiat
Search Strategy
using the concepts of taoism to increase awareness
applying taoism to western life
ncreasing awareness through taoism
practical application of taoism
spirituality AND taoism
applying taoism to modern life |
Clarification of Answer by
umiat-ga
on
08 Jul 2005 10:14 PDT
Hello again, jack!
Of course - I'm happy to provide more inforamtion relating to the very
interesting concept of Yin and Yang1
The Symbol
===========
The Yin / Yang Symbol:
1. "The circle symbolizes the wholeness and infinity of chi. There is
no beginning nor ending, and pervades through everything. This outer
circle is the cosmos that contains the yang (light) and the yin
(dark)."
2. "The dividing line between the two sectors is a curved one. This
denotes movement and a constant flowing of yin into yang and yang into
yin. It signifies the eternal motion of the combined elements."
3. "Within the largest portion (when it has peaked and grown as big as
it possibly can) of each colour there is a dot of the opposing colour.
This can be considered as a small seed. Therefore we see that there is
a small black dot (seed) in the white section and a small white dot
(seed) in the black section. Everything contains the seed of its
opposite within it. This is symbolic that all things contain both yin
and yang."
4. "The two colours are in equal proportion, equally balanced. When
there is more of one aspect, then there is less of the other."
From "Yin and Yang."
http://www.soton.ac.uk/~maa1/chi/philos/yin.htm
What constitutes Yin and Yang?
===============================
"The yin and yang represent all the opposite principles one finds in the universe.
Under yang are the principles of:
maleness,
the sun,
creation,
heat,
light,
Heaven,
dominance, and so on,
and under yin are the principles of
femaleness,
the moon,
completion,
cold,
darkness,
material forms,
submission, and so on.
"Each of these opposites produce the other: Heaven creates the ideas
of things under yang, the earth produces their material forms under
yin, and vice versa; creation occurs under the principle of yang, the
completion of the created thing occurs under yin, and vice versa, and
so on. This production of yin from yang and yang from yin occurs
cyclically and constantly, so that no one principle continually
dominates the other or determines the other. All opposites that one
experiences?health and sickness, wealth and poverty, power and
submission?can be explained in reference to the temporary dominance of
one principle over the other. Since no one principle dominates
eternally, that means that all conditions are subject to change into
their opposites."
From "Yin and Yang."
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/CHPHIL/YINYANG.HTM
==
1. The T?ai Chi
"The T?ai Chi symbol represents the endless cycle of Yin and Yang,
and how each contains the seed of the other. The T?ai Chi and Yin/Yang
are one of the central ideas of Taoist philosophy, symbolic of the
Eastern view of opposites being two halves on the one entity, such as
Heaven and Earth, Light and Dark, Male and Female, Good and Evil."
"The White part of the symbol represents Yang, with a small circle of
Yin within it, whilst the Black section represents Yin. The symbol
shows how the strength of Yang increases only to be replaced by the
growth of Yin. This symbology is used within Taoism to reflect the
cycles of Seasons, Months, Hours, as well as how opposites are not in
opposition, but are merely two parts of the one thing."
From "The T?ai Chi and the Cycle of Chinese Months," by Mark Shackelford
http://www.fengshui-magazine.com/Trigrams.htm
==
"One yin, one yang, that is the Tao."
Chapter 5, Hsi-tz'u of the I Ching
"The quotation above is the first known reference to yin and yang, the
pair of polar energies whose cyclic fluctuations and interactions
cause and govern Creation. Together they are polar expressions of the
supreme ultimate, t'ai-chi, the eternal Tao. Yin originally was the
name given to the colder, north-facing slope of a mountain, and yang
to the warmer, southern, sun-facing one. Thus yin corresponds to the
dark, the receptive, the passive, the feminine; while yang corresponds
to the bright, the creative, the active, the masculine. Yin is the
moon, water and the earth. Yang is the sun, fire and the heavens."
From "Yin Yang."
http://www.byzant.com/symbols/yinyang.asp
==
"Yin and Yang - the Dual Principle in Nature that represents the
inter-action of opposing types of energy or contrasting forces in
nature - refer to heaven and earth, or yin (feminine, negative) and
yang (masculine, positive)."
** The dark half, Yin represents the female, yielding, passive,
negative, earth, moon, dark, quiescence, absorption, tiger, orange
color, duad, valleys and even numbers."
** The light portion Yang is male, dynamic, assertive and positive,
heaven, sun, light, vigor, penetration, dragon, monad, azure color,
mountains and odd numbers."
"The two energies are opposite and yet mutually dependent. Yin may
become yang and vice versa, just as day becomes night, cold becomes
hot, and the reverse. The behavior of yin and yang describes the
structure of any event or thing. Their dynamic relationship describes
the operation of the Dao in its cycles of creation, and their
alternating movement underlies the structure of everything in the
universe. The concept of yin and yang is conveyed by the "tiger and
dragon" and by the Taiji symbol."
From "Yin and Yang." Gotheberg.com
http://www.gotheborg.com/glossary/glossaryindex.htm?http://www.gotheborg.com/glossary/data/yinyang.shtml
==
"Although yin and yang may appear to be opposites, they only exist by
virtue of each other. Things are yin or yang only in relation to other
things. i.e. dark and light; night and day; earth and heaven; front
and back; down and up; cold and hot. It must be understood that one
thing can be yin to another and yang in relation to a third, i.e.
earth is yin in relation to heaven; heaven is yang in relation to
earth; earth is yin in relation to the sun (which is hotter) earth is
yang in relation to the moon (which is cooler) Or: tepid is yin in
relation to hot; fiery hot is yang in relation to hot; icy is yin in
relation to cold; moderately cold is yang in relation to cold."
From "Yin and Yang."
http://www.soton.ac.uk/~maa1/chi/philos/yin.htm
Yin and Yang in Medical Theory
===============================
"Chinese Cultural Studies: Yin and Yang in Medical Theory."
http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/yinyang.html
=
An interesting set of yin and yang diagrams corresponding to physical
symptoms can be found on TCM Central:
http://www.tcmcentral.com/OM/om_yinyang.htm
Other
======
The following Yin and Yang charts are interesting:
http://goto.bilkent.edu.tr/gunes/yinyang.htm
Yin and Yang dietary chart:
http://goto.bilkent.edu.tr/gunes/yinyangdiet.htm
IMAGE OF EQUINOX
=================
I cannot be sure what image you previously found of the earth at
equinox, but I have posted links to a few:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/pl/thumb/8/89/320px-Earth-lighting-equinox_PL.png
http://bonairenews.com/sample/img73.gif
http://daphne.palomar.edu/jthorngren/images/equinox1.gif
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/images/solstice.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Earth-lighting-winter-solstice_EN.png
http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Sfigs/Sterm2.gif
http://www.worlddreambank.org/T/TAREARTH.JPG
http://littlesun.canalblog.com/Tao_YinYangEarth2_1_.jpg
http://beirut.indymedia.org/images/2005/03/2377.jpg
http://global-air.com/global/graphics/top%20vernal_equinox.gif
MORE IMAGES FOR YIN AND YANG
=============================
http://images.google.com/images?q=yin+and+yang&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLD%2CGGLD%3A2003-47%2CGGLD%3Aen
Thanks again for a great question!
umiat
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