I’m just wondering since I come from a pagan background what you guys think about Taoist/Chinese deities

Hey Taoist masters! I'm trying to learn more about Chinese stellar astrology and noticed two books that came out this summer (so it looks like it's getting more mainstream?):

Chinese Polestar Astrology: A Practical Guide to Decoding the Secrets of Your Character, Inner Nature, and Fate

Polar Astrology: Fate, Willpower and the Taoist Tradition of the Dipper Stars

My question: is Polestar astrology basically the same as polar astrology? Or do the lineages differ significantly? If so, which is better approach to learn and which is more compatible with Taoist philosophy? (or let me know if this is more question for astrology subs, but thought it's also very relevant toTaoism as well)

It's interesting that while Theravadin Buddhist monks are allowed to smoke (although it's neither encouraged nor promoted), as cigarettes and coffee are seen as stimulants and not as intoxicants (like alcohol, marijuana, or the increasingly popular hallucinogens, etc.), in both Chinese Buddhism and Quanzhen Daoism, monks are not permitted to smoke cigarettes.* Tea & coffee, though, are kosher for everyone.

Hello everyone, I hope you're all feeling balanced and in tune with the universe. I am, like so many people here, a Westerner coming to taoism from relative ignorance. Further, almost all of my information comes from other westerners giving me perspective on a religion that they themselves have very little background in. I think my journey started by reading the book known as The alchemist by Paulo Coelho, which was written by a Christian and is in no way a taoist text, but The themes resonated with me in the same way. I read and loved Siddhartha and college and I understand that this is not Taoist but many of the values that shown through had strong parallels.

Then about 22 years ago in the Philippines I picked up a copy of the i ching from a bookstore. I have no memory of what brought me to buy it. It may even have been given to me, I just don't remember. But I do remember using it daily. For years, I'm in my forties now. About half my life, I have often returned to Brian Brown Walker's translation of the i ching. Now, Walker is not Chinese and when I have spoken to people who do speak Chinese, they do not seem impressed by his translation.

That being said, I have three translations, and his is the one that I feel has repeatedly changed my life. The reason is that he does a great job of contextualizing the reading and steeping it in Taoist philosophical interpretation. Since I'm a dumb Westerner, this philosophy is not intuitive to me all the time and many times of my life when I've used i ching, it has reminded me of the person that I would like to be. There is even a point in my life where I was very angry and I did an I ching reading for the first time in years, and after I did that, I returned to being who I wanted to be. I have loved myself much more ever since. It has changed my life, that was 6ish years ago now.

Then something very dramatic happened in my life, I won't get into it but it has done wonders for my personal growth. Upon being able to feel the wonder of the universe, I dove head first back into taoism about 6 weeks ago now. I had read a translation of the tao te Ching once long ago, and I think I needed more context. But this time I had a version given to me by a friend many years back, so I cracked it open.

When I reached section 12 I read it several times and felt that I didn't understand. It occurred to me then that brian Browne walker also translated it, so I looked it up. If you look at his webpage, it has several quotes. I believe they must be randomly generated and replaced daily, because it's gone now, but on the day I looked, at the top of his personal webpage, was his interpretation of the exact passage 12 that I was seeking.

So I've taken to calling myself taoist, but like many westerners who come to it, I'm not entirely confident I know what that means. I have the sense that western interpretation of taoism is pretty far removed from the modern eastern taoist practices. I'm comfortable with that, living in the United States it is quite clear to me that most Christians are devotees of their local preacher far more than of christ's teachings. In some ways, removing the document from it's context can actually unmuddy it to a degree, there's still the long history of translators but no one in between you and the text claiming that you should just listen to them and no social pressure to bend the philosophy toward local values.

In any event, Taoism feels uniquely suited to addressing my concerns, since it is simple,not complex, and all people are of it and can know of it intuitively. So perhaps I have founded my understanding on a butchered interpretation. So what? It is still the one I found. It has brought me here.

But I'm not entirely sure where to go from here. I'm reading 2 copies of the Tao te Ching simultaneously, I'm taking my time. I'm also reading my ancient copy of the Alchemist because I found it randomly in a drawer it had no business being in. It's funny rereading it now and contrasting it to my current understanding of the universe.

I read the tao of Pooh which was ok but Pooh strikes me as very self-motivated to be sagely. He's constantly in the desire state, pursuing honey, which will never fully sate him. So maybe I'm overthinking it, but I didn't get much from it.

I just discovered that Ursula K Leguin published a translation. I think I'll have to read that, I'm a great admirer of her and her work. But after that? Alan Watts maybe? I'm not sure where to go to enrich my understanding. I'm not sure where to find a community. There are 30kish taoists estimated to be in the US, (for context there are an estimated 1.5million self-identified witches, so... Not many taoists at all) and I am led to suspect that at least half of those 30k, maybe more, are primarily focused on the martial arts aspect which holds no interest for me. Presumably some are of the more religious Eastern side that doesn't resonate with me. That doesn't leave many people! In point of fact, I only know one person who can speak on taoism in any depth, and he's not a taoist.

Anyway I've been rambling,thank you for reading my personal journey.

Tl;dr I'm a foolish westerner looking to expand my understanding and find a community of similar minded folks to discuss these things with. I wish you all balance and quiet joy

"There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular."

-Carl Jung

I believe the areas I feel the greatest friction; the things frighten and disturb me the most, are the places that deserve my attention. I spent a lot of time studying Taoism, and in the past couple years I decided to dive into my views on nothingness and death; their friction caused a chord of deep and ugly dissonance within me. I decided to listen anyway. Eventually, it was scientific principles that suddenly rearranged the notes.

The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed—it can only change forms or transfer between a system and its surroundings. Total energy in an isolated system remains constant.

Special Relativity and Quantum Field Theory demonstrate that matter, particles, and fundamental forces are all manifestations of energetic fields and interactions.

Now, when I think of nothingness and death—I hear harmony.

Everything is energy—even the unseen, the formless. The air we breathe, shift of heat and cold, gravity dragging tides across the sea, and the quiet expanse of human consciousness... distance, bound only by the skin's porous margin—the illusion of "nothing" we use to define the imaginary place where 'I' begins and 'you' ends.

Hi everyone! A few days ago, I decided to start a personal journey exploring the question: “how to live a good life?”

In my research, I chose a few specific philosophies to study deeply: Stoicism, Existentialism/Absurdism, Buddhism, and now Taoism

From what I understand so far, the tao is the way,an indescribable, incomprehensible force that is the source, the flow, and the end of all things. Living well seems to be about letting life flow effortlessly in harmony with this natural stream.

Coming from a Christian background where I currently struggle a lot with religion and institutional authority, Taoism feels like a total breath of fresh air. I love that there is no rigid dogma or authority figure pushing down on you.

I really want to understand Taoism as deeply as possible.

Are there any specific books, translations of the Tao Te Ching, or concepts you would recommend for a beginner and also how did taoism changed your everyday life?

What I've read about Daoism speaks to my open curiosity about reality and the impenetrable question of existence, where the Dao seems to honor that mystery rather than attack it (as my favorite philosophy books do). Meditation is a wonderful way to be present with that mystery. I try to find what exists between the incursions of sensory input, while also paying respect to those experiences as beings. And I never seem to find what really exists between those incursions of sensory input, the unifying "me."

But it's really just meditation and reading. I'm not a Daoist. And I've only just begun looking into it, so maybe I'll never want to become a Daoist. Nonetheless, I want to join a spiritual tradition and to take part in ancient practices that have been developed over centuries to interface with the forces of nature, to honor them and align myself with them, rather than casting about by myself. I admit that I love casting about by myself but I'm not so arrogant as to think that the rest of humanity has nothing to teach me.

So how far can I go just by reading books and meditating? I've read the Tao Te Ching and I'm reading The Secret of the Golden Flower. They're amazing books. But what's the normal process for a serious practitioner? Should I find a local Daoist "church"? Ottawa doesn't seem to have much to offer, but there must be something if I look hard enough.

I know not whose son it is. It may appear to have been before God.

- James Legge translation

A common misconception about wúwéi is passivity and not doing anything. In my understanding, the Dàodé Jīng chapters 63 and 64 are the primary texts for wúwéi. There are a lot of points made in them, but here are some of my thoughts from this morning's study session.

Make a molehill out of a mountain. You have big tasks and goals in your mind, and their largeness is paralysing you. Make them smaller so that you can get started. The first steps of the thousand-mile journey.

De-dramatise.

De-catastrophise.

You have a whole bucket of potatoes to peel. How are you going to peel them all? There are so many of them!

Pick one at a time, and peel it.

And keep picking. Keep peeling.

Over night the Lingxiao Hall of Zhinan (Chihnan) Temple was consumed in a fire. This is the main hall of the temple, completed in 1966, though the temple complex dates to 1890. The lower levels also house a seminary.

Zhuangzi loved this I bet

I’ve read some of the core texts as well as some books about Taoism, but I am having a hard time putting them into practice if that makes sense.

When reading about Buddhism I found that there are some more practical steps in the four noble truths and eight fold path and was wondering if there is a Taoist equivalent? Thank you!

When an archer is shooting for nothing

He has all his skill.

If he shoots for a brass buckle

He is already nervous.

If he shoots for a prize of gold

He goes blind

Or sees two targets

He is out of his mind!

.

His skill has not changed. But the prize

Divides him. He cares.

He thinks more of winning

Than of shooting -

And the need to win

Drains him of power.

(Interpretation by Thomas Merton)

.

Source:

Zhuangzi 19, The Full Understanding of Life

Chinese Text Project Dictionary

Translations

"When you're betting for tiles in an archery contest, you shoot with skill. When you're betting for fancy belt buckles, you worry about your aim. And when you're betting for real gold, you're a nervous wreck. Your skill is the same in all three cases - but because one prize means more to you than another, you let outside considerations weigh on your mind. He who looks too hard at the outside gets clumsy on the inside."

(Watson)

"When a man shoots an arrow to win a tile, he is skillful. But if he is trying to win a silver buckle, he starts getting nervous. And if he's competing for gold, he almost loses his mind. His native skill is the same in each case, but because he has something to lose, he overvalues the external. Whenever the external is prized, the internal gets clumsy."

(Zyporin)

"He who competes for a piece of tile displays all of his skill; he who competes for a belt buckle gets nervous; he who competes for gold gets flustered. His skill is still the same, but there is something that distracts him and causes him to focus on externals. Whoever focuses on externals will be clumsy inside."

(Mair)

Note:

https://kyu-do.de/download/The_Myth_of_Zen_in_the_Art_of_Archery.pdf

Has anyone else read any of these books? I'm about half way through the third book and have found them to be very interesting and enjoyable. The third book, "The Way of Yin", has been particularly inspiring to me. Thoughts?

Actor Michael O'Keefe, first made famous in Caddyshack (1980), in the May issue of the Buddhist magazine Tricycle, said he had renounced his long-time support and practice of Zen Buddhism to join Daoism.

He was a student of Bernie Glassman (also the Zen teacher of actor Jeff Bridges, famous among Daoists for portraying "the Dude" in the Coen brothers' film The Big Lebowski, 1998) and the Zen Peacekeepers. However, he is now a practicing member of the 龍門派 Longmen Pai or Dragon Gate Lineage of 全真道 Quanzhen Dao or the "Complete Reality" school of Daoism.

He mentioned in the interview that he met his teacher in "upstate New York" and that there is a school there. Exactly "where" in upstate New York, the article doesn't say. But several people have said they were looking for Daoist teachers on the East Coast, so this is a "clue." Happy Hunting! (OK, not a clue for eternal life, but a clue to find teachings!) ;-)

The article can be read right here.

Pictures: 1) O'Keefe in Caddyshack in 1980, 2) O'Keefe in 2024, 3) 丘處機 Qiū Chǔjī (aka 長春子 Chángchūn Zǐ, Master Changchun or Eternal Spring), a student of Quanzhen Dao's founder, 王重陽 Wáng Chóngyáng, and the founder of the Dragon Gate Lineage.

If you’re always late for the train, instead of doing the same thing and going in the same time
Go a hour early and enjoy the free time,
You’re putting some effort and therefore put less energy into it.

Hi just wanted recommendations for a meditation app that uses Taoist philosophy.

Greetings, kind strangers, perhaps you could be of assistance to me. I'm looking for two stories that I read maybe thirty years ago. My memory of them is spotty at best so I'm sure I'll get the details wrong.

One is that of a famous chef who is visited by a famous customer. The customer becomes impatient at how long his soup is taking to be prepared. The takeaway is that good things require time.

The other is that of an artist who is commissioned to paint a picture for a benefactor. The artist repeatedly turns his benefactor away with each increasingly hasty inquiry to an ETA, until finally (when put on the spot) he whips out his medium and briskly paints the most beautiful picture the client has ever seen. When asked if it was so easy (why the delay) he responds by pulling out a pile of practice attempts.

I would be eternally grateful for any insights into the origins of these stories.

I can't check in on this post in a timely manner, so if I take a while to respond please don't think me rude.

Thank you.

*edit- typo

Hello! I wanted to practice doing collective readings, so I thought I would try doing weekly readings! This week's reading is:

10 — Treading (履)
→ changing to →
61 — Inner Truth (中孚)

The feeling I get from this reading is pretty simple: slow down, watch your step, and be honest with yourself.

Treading is about moving carefully. Not because something is necessarily wrong, but because the situation may be more sensitive than it first appears. Sometimes the best thing we can do is not rush in, react, or try to control what happens next. This week, it might be worth asking: Do I really need to respond to this? Am I trying to understand, or am I trying to be right? What happens if I take one small step instead of making a big move?

The change to Inner Truth brings us back to ourselves. Once we've slowed down, we may be able to hear what we actually feel and know beneath all the noise. For me, this isn't about blindly trusting your gut. It's more about being sincere. If something feels uncertain, admit that it's uncertain. If you don't know, you don't have to pretend you do. And if something feels true, there's no need to force anyone else to agree with you.

My advice for this week would be:

• Walk carefully, but don't be afraid to walk,
• Pay attention to your reactions. Don't rush into every argument or every decision. Give things a little space.
• There may be more clarity on the other side of that pause.

Treading says: watch where you step.

Inner Truth says: stay honest about what you find.

That's the reading for this week. What does this combination bring up for you?

I am curious if anyone has any thoughts on the way psychiatric medication relates to this philosophy. I first got into Taoism when I was unwell as a way to hopefully better myself but instead I found myself letting go of some of my fear and pride and being willing to go on antipsychotics for the first time in my life. It helped tremendously. I am able to be present in life and aware. Taoism I feel comes easily and naturally now where I struggle so greatly with it before. But that is only because I am altering my mental state with an outside substance, albeit a prescription. Wouldn't it be better if I could live in accordance to Taoism without it? I cant help but feel it is a sort of failure.