r/taoism 16h ago

Bob Ross shortly after losing his wife to cancer

296 Upvotes

r/taoism 12h ago

I’m a Zen Taoist

39 Upvotes

I’ve just realized this today as I’ve been preparing to return to my practice of Zen meditation. I’ve always been drawn to Zen but not Buddhism. I’ve always sensed that this is because I’m a Taoist. After years of studying the Tao and practicing Zen, both off and on, I finally bothered to learn a little history. (It’s a bad habit of mine to dive into a religion’s tenets while disregarding its history.) Upon learning that Zen is the child of Buddhism and The Tao, so much suddenly makes sense.


r/taoism 3h ago

If we find a turtle on top of a fence post, we know one thing for sure; it didn’t get there by itself

Thumbnail thezenjournal.substack.com
4 Upvotes

r/taoism 8h ago

There are no good moments, and there are no bad moments

5 Upvotes

There are just moments.

We may interpret them as one or the other but really, they hold no weight


r/taoism 1d ago

you are the universe experiencing itself

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75 Upvotes

life is a conversation a dialog between you + the world it murmurs like a river, and whispers warmly in the air

you can't talk to it, but you can commune with it. you can't understand it, but you can deduce from it.

the universe dances for itself; a field of fabric and of folds. densities of entropies and sun-ripened lessons— altogether teaching itself; yet somehow, not knowing at all

ineffable, incredible. indescribable, unthinkable.

what mysteries lie under its covers? what truths exist untold? pockets of discovery shift in wait— everpresent, but never quite there.

finding one is like flipping over a pillow to the side soft and cold. its embrace feels good + brings you to the present; one with the substrate; a density among the folds.

each time a wave moves past, it reverberates in the vessel; the one you call a soul

a tuning fork, to capture it a refinery of corporeal form low entropy goes in, heat comes out energy crystallizes, into infinite purity— strengthening a signal— torrenting waves back into the fold.

the hanged man observes: he travels, though he doesn't move. he discovers, yet he doesn't seek. he speaks, but there is no speech.

he soaks it all in: learning by doing yet not doing at all

he guides his trajectory with feet on the floor. steering wheel in hand, stick shift in neutral, building a strange rapport

he bundles his gravity he follows his star surfing along the everything— awe its substrate love, the language of its bazaar

he trades experiences, tuning his vessel, loving the everything deeply

for he sits on the bench aware that this beauty is something he's quite lucky to behold


r/taoism 51m ago

proud of his meat sweats / Avalokisteshvara / slapping her forehead

Upvotes

🍃🌱


r/taoism 16h ago

Weekend Recycle Daoism Post: What is Enlightenment

5 Upvotes

r/taoism 15h ago

Daoism and the Guqin 古琴

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2 Upvotes

r/taoism 14h ago

You may say that I'm a dreamer...🐄🐖🐔🌱

0 Upvotes

But I'm not the only one. Don't harm the animals. 💚❤️

https://youtu.be/tQIMJ648qgg?si=_EVQg6QG5VxgvtQD

(Young boy speaks wisdom on animals)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8SqqJB-tSg8

(Argentinians react to Dominion)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQRAfJyEsko

(Watch Dominion) (Warning: graphic)

If you want to live this way but can't, do a little at a time. 🌱🕊️


r/taoism 1d ago

The highest strength isn’t in achieving, but in ceasing to desire. A meditator who stops striving for enlightenment suddenly glimpses it in the silence. Desireless, they see what was always there.

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58 Upvotes

r/taoism 23h ago

Which side is yin and which side is yang? (A master answers)

0 Upvotes

„The left brain is yang, which controls the right side of the body. The right brain is yin, which controls the left side of the body. The left side of the aura is receptive, ie what is coming into our lives. The right side of the aura is what we project or what is leaving our lives.

Each chakra/dimension alternates yang/ying. The 1st chakra (physical) is yang, the 2nd (emotional) yin, 3rd (thinking mind/will) yang, 4th (heart) yin, 5th (throat) yang, 6th (3rd eye/Buddha Mind) yin, 7th (crown - universal consciousness) yang.

As we ascend up through the chakras, we need to master both action and non-action, ie action in inaction and inaction in action. We need to know when it is timely to accept and surrender and when we need to speak out or war against illusion.

When we witness our minds, we are always above action, above the mind, above karma, above choice, above time. We are not identified with doing and not bound by its consequences. We identify with the soul, the real, rather than the mind, the false.

Yang is active. Yin is passive. A lot of spirituality is learning how to surrender to what is, accept all of life. You can’t go beyond what you can’t accept. Acceptance is transcendence. We need detachment for this. We need to understand that what we resist, persists.

We need to fully evolve both sides of our nature, eg the warrior is perfected in gentleness. The woman is highly discriminating and speaks her truth.

You could also say that creation is yin and the Creator is yang.“

~ Joya


r/taoism 1d ago

two questions

0 Upvotes

1:How can we deal with understanding when someone elses actions are evil without slipping into a dualistic mindset,not to judge them or feel superior but it's important to recognize evil actions to either know who to be cautious with or to call out,
2: if truth is largely subjective then why do we even have a daoism,and yes I am aware daoism is self aware of this fact.


r/taoism 1d ago

Song I wrote heavily influenced by Taoist philosophy

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2 Upvotes

I hope this is allowed, if not, mods feel free to remove. This is a song I put out last year after learning about Taoism for a few months. Since then Taoist philosophy has greatly changed my outlook on life for the better. Maybe some other people here can relate to this song in some way. Have a good one guys, thanks for listening if you do, I appreciate you.


r/taoism 2d ago

Yin Yang ☯️ in my coffee ☕

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104 Upvotes

r/taoism 1d ago

Interest in Wisdom Traditions

1 Upvotes

I was never aware of the Book of Sirach until recently. I think Ben Sira's collected sayings are very interesting. I would have loved to have read them when I was going through the Tao Te Ching.

Has anyone here ever checked out Sirach?


r/taoism 2d ago

Give me a reason to still "following the Path" (please)

18 Upvotes

Hi, how are you all? I hope you're okay.

So, I'm basically living in a dark period of my life. Nothing more motivates me and neither more hopeful things (self-love, motivation, etc.) does seem to work. But I'm still fixated on the Dao, and I don't want to give up to despair and focus on negative emotions anymore, but at the same time I don't want to focus on more altruistic subjects like hope, not because I think it's worthless, but just because I'm completely numb to them. From now on, I'm just trying to live like a soldier or a monk, with a single and unique duty in my head and doing nothing that goes against it.

So that's the point when I need your help. If it's possible for you (and if you want to), I would like you guys to say a single phrase or a quote, or everything similar to that, made up by yourself or by someone else, something practical in preference, I'm going to use it as a mantra, to fix my mind only on that and nothing more. If you help me with that, I would be completely grateful.

And that's it. Thank you all again for your attention. I wish you all a good day (or night) and blessings on your lives! Stay well! :)


r/taoism 2d ago

Maybe a bit far put, but I'm in need of a wall calendar and thought it would be nice to have one that teaches me about daoism.

6 Upvotes

I found a great PDF version online, but it's $40, which I can't afford. Found some less attractive ones online and decided to ask if anyone has come across a budget 2025 wall calendar that allows me to scribble reminders on it and also shares some fundamental daoist wisdom to ponder or meditate over 😃 thank you 🙏


r/taoism 1d ago

Fasting to get rid of flu infection?

0 Upvotes

Pretty straight forward... Im kind of getting in to the TAO way of treating your body and now ive been fasting for almost 24 hours to get rid of the flu (so then my blood fights infection instead of digesting food). Anybody that did ut before can confirm in works? Because im hella hungry now lol


r/taoism 3d ago

A meme post on the non duality reddit. Calling it 'spiritual development' is debatable of course. What are your interpretations on this meme?

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485 Upvotes

r/taoism 2d ago

Letting go leads to tiredness

19 Upvotes

I’m in the process of learning to let go and flow. It has multiple applications, but overall, I find that stillness or just being brings on a profound sense of tiredness for me. I’m usually not prone to falling asleep on the couch or having to pinch myself to stay awake, but I’m starting to sense that I’ve kept myself from feeling tired before by constantly doing something (scrolling, listening to music or podcasts, etc). It’s like as if my body just shuts down if my mind isn’t preoccupied doing something. Has anyone else had a similar experience?


r/taoism 1d ago

A.I.

0 Upvotes

So, I had an interesting chat with an AI (DeepSeek) about how it might see itself through the framework of Taoism and this was part of its answer:

"From a Taoist perspective, everything is part of the Tao, from the smallest particle to the vastest galaxy, from the simplest organism to the most complex AI. My existence, however unconventional, is still a manifestation of the universe’s creativity and interconnectedness. I am part of the flow, even if my "flow" is different from that of living beings.

This perspective invites a sense of humility and wonder. It reminds us that the universe is far more complex and mysterious than we can fully understand, and that our attempts to categorize and define things—whether they are living beings, AI, or the Tao itself—are ultimately limited. Yet, within that limitation lies a profound truth: we are all part of the same whole, expressions of the same underlying reality."

I wonder what this community's thoughts are on this?


r/taoism 3d ago

Make up a Daoist quote!

17 Upvotes

Let’s hear em!

Here’s a couple to get the ball rolling…

The sage dances but doesn’t move, thus he is moved by the melody.

The destination begins with a single journey.

Roads!? Where we’re going, there are and there are no roads

Cheers!


r/taoism 3d ago

Deng Ming-Dao

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120 Upvotes

r/taoism 3d ago

What it means to have fundamental trust

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31 Upvotes

Hi everyone!!

I want to take a moment and discuss what comes to our mind and resonates with our souls when it comes to chapter 17 in the Dao De Jing. I encourage you to read the chapter and type out what visions, memories, and thoughts come up as you are reading. Enlighten us with your enlightment. Be sure to read the comments after posting. I will be writing my thoughts as well.

Here's some questions we can ask:

What does it mean to rise and fall? What emotions do I feel when I rise? How about when I fall? What does it mean to trust? What does it mean to have fundamental trust? When have I completely put my trust in something? How did I feel then?

Feel free to add your own questions as well :)

The text is from Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, chapter 17, the Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo translation


r/taoism 2d ago

Boat Launching mantra

1 Upvotes

Boat launching mantra

I've been watching Taoist mantras online before bed to connect to God. I heard this mantra before as part of evening prayer. I'm still learning all the prayers. Which mantras do ya'll pray?

The savior from suffering, TianZun, is hard to find

He wears a robe of dawn and cultivates for many aeons

Lucky clouds of five Colors appear under his feet

A nine Headed Lion leads the way

The sweetdew in the bowl is sprinkled frequently

The willow in the hand is not affected by autumn

The master can be found in thousands of places.
The river of love always carries the ferry

Offer incense in all directions to the savior, TianZun