We aren't sure what this chapter is saying. We think we might disagree with what it's saying. This week, we discuss how we read the Tao Te Ching differently than we read the Bible during our youth in Evangelical youth groups and why indoctrination of even something we think is true is not helpful in the long run. Come experience the interpretive discomfort with us and consider the ways in which education plays into the emancipation of all minds, yet sometimes confuses minds.
Read MoreWe discuss Tao Te Ching 63, which encourages us to tackle major projects by focusing on one component part at a time. Applied to our lives and community building projects, instead of focusing on grand ideological constructs, it might be best for us to ask whether each small action we take serves our overall plan. We cross reference a similar teaching from Jesus in Luke 14, where he encourages us to count the cost before setting off on a spiritual or material quest. This is the chapter with the famous line: A thousand mile trek starts with a single step.
Read MoreAlongside our discussion of Tao Te Ching Chapter 62, we contrast New Age interpretations of the yin-yang symbol that is so familiar today. It turns out to be more about the ebbs and flows of existence and less about fining symmetry, balance, or moderation. Surfing the Tao also provides a perspective from which we can view our own failures compassionately and in a way that helps bring healing and freedom.
Read MoreFriend of the pod, poet and rapper Micah Bournes is back at it with another powerful protest album. On it, he challenges us to consider seeking the freedom of even those who've committed crimes against humanity. This is a challenging but timely conversation, given our recent discussions of parts of the Tao Te Ching that encourage us to draw former enemies into the virtuous community (this of course, for Micah is inspired by Jesus' teachings on reconciliation, repentence and restoration).
Read MoreLao Tzu explains how to cook a small fish and govern a great nation. A discussion of how the Tao Te Ching has been seen differently over the ages, due to different emphases throughout the commentary traditions. Regardless of whether one assumes that the ghosts of our ancestors and the demons of our human nature are literal or figurative (or somewhere in between) this chapter teaches warns against authoritarianism and aggressive governments.
Toward the end, there's a discussion of the ways in which Ancient Chinese shamanism might have conceived of spirits and demons.
Read MoreDrawing from Tao Te Ching 59, we critique the idea that cultures have a fixed life span. Surveying the longevity of various societies from the Indigenous Australians to the end of Imperial China in the twentieth century, we suggest that Lao Tzu was right that a deeply rooted, maternal, nurturing society that is adaptable
Read MoreDrawing from the second half of Tao Te Ching 58, Jeff and Stacie discuss their plan for surviving the economic challenges ahead. If you are serious about considering living a different lifestyle, in terms of your domicile, feel free to reach out and we will be glad to share what we've learned about living nonconfentionally. In the mean time, peace upon peace.
Read MoreJeff and Stacie share what’s been going on in their lives since their last episode. Then they launch into part one of a discussion of TTC 58 and it’s relevance these days. Sorry we’ve been out of touch friends. We hope to stay in conversation as we all help each other make sense of a rapidly changing world. Withthe crumbling of old its good to compare notes and promote ways in which we can keep our wits about us and our humanness vibrant.
Read MoreHow might working with the gig economy factor into the pursuit of happiness and freedom? What are the similarities and differences between the Aristotelian tradition on happiness and that of Lao Tzu?
Read MoreSinger and songwriter Jenna joins us to discuss finding one's voice and addressing life traumas with the healing medicine of music. We share her newly released single "Trigger" which is now available online.
Read MoreThe warrior archetype and why peace loving people might need to be ready to be more engaged on behalf of vulnerable groups in our precarious times. Part one is a general discussion of the theme and what the Tao Te Ching teaches about engagement with an enemy. Part two surveys some current events that arguably require a warrior's perspective.
Read MoreStacie leads us through three chapters from the Tao Te Ching that discuss the mysterious mother. What does this archetype and symbol say about our perspectives on femininity, society and the sacred? How does this differ from traditional American evangelical views of women and feminine characteristics of the divine? Is there a difference between being a source and being a creator? How can we let children and the things we cultivate grow spontaneously rather than through our constant control?
Read MoreA reflection on the power of receptivity as illustrated by the valley, which is an important symbol throughout the Tao Te Ching and philosophical Taoism. This is also an episode about the power of yin, and the concept of the mother goddess.
Read MoreReflecting in the wake of a wave of border traffic, Jeff and Stacie explore how what's going on at the US's southern border illustrates a global sickness that will continue to lead to immigration and refugee crises around the world. Couple capitalism with climate change and we can only expect more human suffering along borders for generations to come--that is, if we have generations to spare and unless we recognize that another world is possible.
Read MoreThe path. The way. The journey. Such concepts shift our focus from dogma and religious hierarchies, which helps us get out of the way of the way (tao). Behind all of this is a discussion of Guy Debord, the Situationists,the dérive, and psychogeography. We explore meditation through wandering and walking, the importance of attending to space, looking for synchronicities in our environment, and recognizing the ways in which capitalist society separates us from direct experience and connections with each other. Mindfulness techniques like aboriginal walkabouts, prayer labyrinths and religious pilgrimages can be powerful tools for emancipation.
Read MoreThe importance of natural wood (also rendered as the uncarved block) and undyed or unbleached silk for aesthetics and mindfulness techniques in the ancient Taoist tradition. What does this have to say for meditation practices within our modern anxieties, clothing, and values? It may seem too simple, but contemplating nature has strong medicinal value for our ailing times.
Read MoreA look at the over-promised land: political turmoil surrounding Benjamin Netanyahu, American attitudes about Israel and Palestine, Dispensationalism, and Orthodox services in the Holy Land.
Read MoreWhy does the invasion of Ukraine matter? How does the history of religion and anarchism intersect with this question? How does this relate to the persecution of trans people in the US? How ought we confront seemingly endless threats to liberty in our world? We discuss these and other currently-relevant questions that require a bit of historical backstory.
Read MoreWe examine the significance of the symbol of a twisted tree described in the Taoist text known as the Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) and a related set of stories about deformed sages. This is a discussion about recognizing the beauty and intrinsic value of things and people who might seem unimportant at first glance. It’s also a conversation about why we shouldn’t trust in the wisdom of people, institutions, and political ideologies who despise those with disabilities.
Read MoreThe Great Peng is a mythical bird that transforms from a giant fish and then into a winged beast that can fly for a year and a half, to the southern sea, stirring up the oceans and propelling the cycles of nature. The cicada and the dove are skeptical about this massive bird’s existence, since they can’t comprehend how it could fly so far and so high and be so huge. They think it would take too much flapping. But the Great Peng floats on the vast warm air, without struggling. It is the opening image of the great Taoist Classic The Chunk Tzu. When contemplating this image, you will do well to contemplate one or more of the following questions. Where in your life do you need to restore a sense of proportion? Are you feeling too small for the great task ahead of you? You might need to be compassionate on yourself and recognize the limitations of your current resources. Or, might you be in need of higher perspective? Consider starting or increasing your meditative practice. Maybe try out a new technique to help you gain perspective. Finally, is there a way that you can do less work but rise up on the powerful resources you already have?
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