Help Me Write a Taoism Paper

Every month I get emails from students asking for help writing a paper on Taoism. This page collates many of the commonly asked Taoist questions regarding the template school paper questions asked to pass a letter grade system.

However, more importantly this Taoist answer page will teach you the student how to answer your own questions so instead of a school defining you to a school paper, you can turn the experience around and shake things up a bit. If you dare to push the boundaries… Because if you are to learn Taoism, then you must also be willing to break past any pre-assumed boundary the school system is trying to box you into.

If you truly want an “A” in writing a Taoist paper, you have to show some spunk and personal zeal other wise you are just parroting facts… and Taoism isn’t only about the facts,

Now some of my answers at times could seem flippant or avoiding the question. But in reality the answers are usually not about the question! The answers are about: how to help start a person to think and to explore the world. After all questions are doorways into exploration. Sometimes an answer must assist a person along rather than stop them in their tracks.

For each person I will answer differently depending on their perspective in life. It’s one of the reasons as a Taoist Guide as I am able to work with so many different people. Trying to answer questions in a one size fit all answer is just silly: as many of the answers here will be wrong for close minded teachers wanting fixed results never to change while being right for more open minded Teachers moving along in their life. So also know you have to allow these answers to shift to meet your audience’s nature.

Just because you are a student doesn’t mean your teacher isn’t learning from you.

This process is more than writing a paper.

It’s about how you live your life…

People merely limit their life to only be about facts. Those who do this, only live 1/3rd of a life and miss so much more that will always remain hidden from the facts.

Taoism is about freedom of expression, and school is in session, now…

Answers to 10,000 Student Questions about Taoism

Student Question:

How do Taoists tend to interact with those of other religions?
(any animosity, etc?)

When any religion sets up crusades, jihads, animosity or any such ludicrous behavior .. It stems from personal vendettas creeping into the religion for purposes of control and power.

Sadly in too many religions people subvert the religion to push personal agenda’s towards others, to justify how they should act.

In other words.. people are people and people will act like people.

Taoism is a system teaching people how to live to full “potential” , Generally speaking Taoist’s do our best to treat other religions with respect and acceptance since understanding other religions increases the potential from which we can work with. To limit oneself to “animosity” or other such silly behaviors just reduces potential down.

Taoism doesn’t define what the “potential” should be.. rather it leaves it to each person to decide for themselves how best to fullfil life with their own potential. We teach many techniques and practices that make sure you are healthy, to teach clarity, to show how to be aware… everything you need in order to support living one’s life to full potential.

If we were to limit how we view other religions we would likewise limit our own world view…

SO generally speaking Taoism can be very open… but people being people… not every Taoist will be open and so be aware my answer is just that.. my answer… You will find other answers to this and other questions…

Learn to take all the answers given to you and then compile it up into an answer that best fits your life and do you best to live to grace, with kindness and full potential of your life.

Student Question:

What is the difference between a Confucian superior man and Taoist superior man?

A Taoist is taught to release the need to measure and accepts life as it unfolds. But acceptance is not passive, it is a process moving with graceful actions, living to potential. So a true human in Taoism would not judge another and in that you find the key difference.

• A Confucian will strive towards a potential that is predefined by their society
• A Taoist will not be limited by forced outside measurements.

Student Question:

How did you come to choose Taoism as your personal belief system?

It is what I am… don’t explain oneself, live as oneself…

Student Question:

What is the thing that you like most about Taoism?

To define a open ended practice, about life itself, to a single thing one likes best.. contradicts the whole practice and limits how one lives life.

I like pie…. How can one go wrong with a good pie?

So at this moment I will answer i like pie the best. Tomorrow you are likely to get another answer.

Student Question:

Are there specific days on which you worship, and how do you worship?

Details of worship and prayer are personal. There exist many Taoist sects and many variations to Taoist worship.

Follow your heart to how one should use that heart to worship… i.e how one should give devotion usually directed to the spirit of life, the universe and such trivia….

If you want to limit your worship to days of a week then yes you can find Taoist holidays to keep you happy.

Easier to just Google that question to get a sampling of holidays.

Student Question:

Are there any holidays that are unique to Taoism?

Sure… but as above consult the mighty google oracle…

Student Question:

What are a few main beliefs that Taoists hold?

See the above answer for worship and then refer to this blog entry about looking closer at belief.

Student Question:

What is the Taoist belief on war? Does it generally support or disapprove of warfare?

War is part of humanity… understand humanity to understand and work with what war is.. Read : Sun Tzu and Art of War if you want to understand how a Taoist would fight…

War is generally a waste of humanity’s energy but humanity is as humanity does…

Student Question:

If you could tell the world one thing about Taoism, what would it be? Are there any common misconceptions that you can clear up?

Not really. To try would only muck up something else. Typically, misconceptions are based on how person holds their view point in life. If I were to try to change a person’s view point I would also be trying to tell them how to live their life or how I am living my life. No need to shout to the wind who you are, nor to try to explain to others how to be something else… enough holy wars exist over trying to tell the world how something should be… Ah the pie on so many faces for fighting wars over such answers to such questions.

More importantly

To be human is to have misconceptions. Learn to transcend such need to remove such parts of your fundamental nature. As Taoist’s we even embrace our own misconceptions as a tool to learn more about life. Allow your truths, falsehoods, facts and misconceptions all to change over time. We cannot remove all erroneous materials but we can use it to make our lives more colorful and fun.

In awareness extend your nature to be clear, kind and compassionate

I wrote the Personal Tao book to answer this, so honor me by reading it and see how you can apply the lessons there for your own experiences. Use the Personal Tao book as a guide to piece together an answer that makes you smile. Good as any other answer really..

Answers are a waste of time

When they merely lead you on a merry chase for more answers. But in time we live so enjoy the answers that help you live gracefully and with clear consciousness… When answers waste your time, release them, when they enrich you, hold to them gently, but allow them to run free when no longer adding value to your life.

Student Question:

How do you know what is the right thing to believe?

There is no right nor wrong, merely what you hold as your center… the further you hold something from your center the more likely it will rip out your heart to agony…(torque is a bitch)… pretty simple really

Student Question:

What do you know about the geography and demographics of your system?

Where people are people, those who follow their heart: can be consider as Taoist in nature… Map those points for each person you find that fits this description, and then that is good enough for paperwork…

Student Question:

May I ask how you became involved in Tao?

By living

Student Question:

Or do you find that your beliefs actually mitigate the stresses of life?

Taoism teaches many practices of release. In release you can find relief from stress. But to live is to also experience suffering or stress. We use every edge in life to climb upon, to become fuller beings in Taoism.

Student Question:

What are the biggest themes portrayed in Taoism?

~laughter~ … OK yes there are common topics due to our human nature. So look to your life and every theme there is in life – we work in our Taoist practice to explore and become full in our nature- .

The problem is what you ask for me to list here creates limitation, forces a person to divide topics, which then creates sects and differences of approach… and then in time spiral in to dis-agreement and such. Taoism is a unique “ism” since our core value, the Tao.. is universally agreed upon as being undefinable in human terms. As a result Taoists have a common base to work from no matter what perspective we each might be coming from (in other words: how we each decide to approach practices to embrace the Tao)

Taoism works to potential not limitation. Asking to list themes by default creates limitation at the start for what a person will expect in a Taoist practice.

At times yes I do create lists for purposes of illustration, but we are careful about how we teach it, to keep it open to human nature.

So it spins back to me ~laughing~ a little as the best answer.

Student Question:

Are writings like Tao Te Ching widely read in the Far East?

Yep

Student Question:

Who do you think Lao-tzu meant his main audience to be?

It doesn’t matter.

Student Question:

In Lao-tzu’s legendary journey to the west, he wrote his book in two sections of 5,000 characters….which translation do you find to be most accurate?

None, find the one that speaks to your heart and be happy with that.

Student Question:

Do you think Taoism is interpreted differently in America than in Asia? If so, what are the differences and similarities?

Yes, very much so! But in the end the Tao is undefined! So who can practice Taoism “the Undefined Way” and claim to have it right? Seriously think about that for a moment.

Student Question:

Is there a historical person… Lao-tzu?

It doesn’t matter, the work is there, enjoy it , as it is…

Student Question:

When read centuries ago, do you think that Taoism had a different affect than now?

It doesn’t matter, any answer would merely be a story on how we think it influenced history. And history itself is merely a story itself with extremely strained connections to what people call truth.

The work is there, enjoy it , as it is…

Student Question:

Is it possible to follow Taoism in today’s society with all the new technology and time devoted to work?

Yes now more so than ever it is an important practice to follow:
So people can release into their heart.

Student Question:

What made you decide to make your own translation of Tao Te Ching?

I never will publish a translation of the Tao Te Ching. It would be meaningless to do so. Any translation I do is for myself, don’t use my words to define your own heart!

A Personal Tao isn’t a translation, it’s an examination of how to explore the Tao from a modern western perspective.

Student Question:

Do you think Taoism is more effective if taken completely literally or when looked at with a looser interpretation?

Doesn’t make a difference, pick the style which helps you make more sense of the work. Then to go further, examine the materials using the style which is harder for you to use. This will let you push further in your understanding. Personally for me, I am a poet so I primarily view the materials as poetry. Since I have students who need more literal view points, that gives me the time to exercise on the other side of the fence.

Student Question:

Being a teacher of Taoism…do you have any stories that may offer inspiration to potential students?

Yes: A Personal Tao

Student Question:

Do you know of any more groups or activities that an active Taoist can participate with and learn more from?

Just live. All groups and activities teach of the Tao. To live to heart is to discover Taoism.

If you are looking for a starting place:

Qi-Gong practice groups or Zen Meditation Circles are both often a good places to start in the United States with more limited Taoist resources. If you can’t find either of those, Yoga is a rich practice to explore, while not Taoist, it walks a similar enough path to help people discover more about their life.

In parts of Asia you can find Taoist temples easily enough.

In other parts of the world where Taoist temples are few, then learn from the local religions that teach acceptance and you will discover more about the Tao. On the Internet many Taoist Discussion groups exist also. One Taoist Temple has even placed its temple to be online.

Honestly life is your temple as a Taoist: open up to your life and you will discover what is needed to continue the practice. Taoist materials are more deeply woven in western society than most people would guess or suspect.

Student Question:

Do you have anything to say about Taoism that you were hoping I would ask about and didn’t?

Nope, why should I?

Student Question:

Why do you continue to find faith in your religion instead of converting to the popular masses of Christians?

The number of people in a religion doesn’t define it as being right… pretty silly to convert to something just because everyone else is doing it.

Student Question:

What is it specifically that makes you hold true to your beliefs?

Because it’s how I see the world.

Student Question:

Do you believe anyone could follow your faith?

How can someone follow my faith my heart? Each person follows their own faith, their heart. As soon as you define faith outside of yourself you lose yourself.

Having said that, I don’t see any reason why anyone can’t be a Taoist, if that is what they desire to be and they act from their nature.

Student Question:

Do you actively try to convert Christian’s? Why or Why not?

No. Why should I? Conversion is a process of consumption, people actively trying to consume other people’s conversion to validate their own faith. It’s empty and serves no greater purpose other than to support a person’s ego and vanity.

So nope, no conversion in Taoism, we are quite happy just being ourselves. No need to validate who we are outside ourselves.

Student Question:

Is there any part of your faith you find confusing?

Nope

Student Question:

Do you think that socialism clouds the true meaning of your religion?

What? Egads politics and religion… It’s like doing drugs and alcohol at the same time. Not recommended for many, and when done usually screws up everyone doing so, as they trying fight over whose opinions is more correct than another person’s opinion.

This question is meaningless since it is a matter of judgment and judgment is never about what is right, it is about how people fight with each other to force their view points.

Trying to answer this question only will invoke conflict since it invokes judgment. Not a valid question as a result.

Student Question:

What is the difference between Daoism, Taoism and Confucianism, if any?

They are all spelled differently.

Sometimes it’s worth it being literal, if only to save time.

Daoism and Taoism is the same thing, consult Wikipedia to find the story why this is the case.

Confucianism is a different beast than Taoism. Consult the mighty Google for an answer about the differences.

Student Question:

What happens to you when you die? Or is there immortality?

Well most likely my body will be feasted upon by various critters unless for some reason someone decides to cremate my remains.

However, I suspect you are asking about what happens to “You” That essence of “I” and “Self” that the body acts as a lens to project outward. That’s the problem with questions, people never truly ask clear questions. In most questions you find embedded applied ideas or content, the questioner assumes others connect automatically to their applied context. This isn’t the case. This messes up seekers beyond belief since most times the answers they receive are missing context or they apply the wrong hidden contexts back to the answers.

Here are two chapters on the subject, death and immortality

Other Common Student Questions:

• I’ve been told the “way” (Tao) is just common sense but I’m kind of dumbfounded about several Taoist topics…
• What does an ordinary day look for you?
• How do I learn from the Tao Te Ching?
• I want a clear Taoist Answer to find direction…
• What does a Taoist Think about Today’s Events…

Answers to all other Taoist questions!

Below in the comments ask questions from your own heart based upon curiosity. I would be happy to answer such questions.

However Google standard questions based for the average comparative religious exploration….

Taoism isn’t about standard answers it’s about how to go beyond limits to be fully yourself. Standard questions will only generate a standard pre-canned responses. This is how many people live life: canned and predefined… so it goes.

One gets what they shape life to be…

Also know

If anything is missing then fill in gaps with a story, PROVIDED you make the story a reflection of your heart’s journey since then you get graded on how creative and elegant it is… truth is never truth, but rather what we make it to mean. All Religions are based on damn good stories… Make of this truth what you will.

Best of luck in your report and all stories you tell to your teacher.

PS
Don’t forget the apple, a bit of honest bribery never hurts either…

PPS
If you are one of my students writing a paper for me. Make it a peach rather than an apple..