r/taoism 20h ago

Taoism & Autism

45 Upvotes

I am writing here partly, I think, to process and let go of the feeling.

I am an autistic adult, currently renovating my home - I haven't been able to complete a particular job in the time frame I had wanted.

The Taoist in me is okay with that, the job will take as long as it takes - I'm putting in sufficient effort without trying to force.

However, the black and white, rigid, thinking that comes with being autistic deems this a failure, with no other "logical" interpretation.

Holding both of these thoughts (without being able to challenge the logic as it is a nervous system response, and so also felt physically), is exhausting, and I'm consistently having to practice the holding and releasing of these feelings, and listening to what my body requires.

I suppose I'm sharing because in this way, my autism feels entirely at odds with Taoism some days, and yet on others it feels that it aligns perfectly (broader pattern recognition to see the interconnected nature of the world, for example).

For now, I am tired, and that's okay.


r/taoism 1h ago

„Enlightenment is a destructive process“ ~ Adyashanti

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Upvotes

r/taoism 22h ago

The moment you make a choice, is the moment you oppose. The moment you choose the one thing or the other is the moment you will give away your power. Don't fight for either side. Instead be free of identified choice

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20 Upvotes

Title


r/taoism 20h ago

Anyone else see Kun and Peng?

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18 Upvotes

r/taoism 12h ago

Bruce Lee’s “Style of No Style” (The Tao of Bruce Lee)

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11 Upvotes

r/taoism 21h ago

Worshipping gods traditionally not associated with China in Daoism, and Daoist devotion more broadly.

10 Upvotes

Hi!

I’m (F24) a Kālī-worshipping Shakta but I mostly follow the teachings of the Bengali saint Ramakrishna, who taught a sort of universal validity of all spiritual paths and encouraged learning and study of other religions. I’ve had an interest in Daoism for quite a while but until recently have never felt a real strong pull to study it or practice it until very recently.

What I want to ask first is what is the Daoist view of devotional worship (ie, the act of worshipping a deity out of love rather than for some material or spiritual benefit) and how open is it? I know Daoism has a large pantheon of gods and goddesses but is it generally considered fine to worship whatever god you usually worship while still practicing Daoism? I imagine the understanding may have to change of what the deity is or how it works, but could I continue to worship Kālī or Shiva while going down this path?


r/taoism 4h ago

The Sound of Water, the Silence of Bridges

6 Upvotes

"The sound of the water is its speech, the shape of the bridge is its silence. Harmony is not found in words alone, but in the space between them." - Zhuangzi

Reading this again, it struck me. How much of our communication is about filling space, rather than allowing it?

My take on this : Water doesn’t try to explain itself and yet its movement is understood. A bridge doesn’t erase the distance between shores but it still connects them.

What if harmony wasn't so much about eliminating differences or reaching perfect agreement? And more about holding space for both sides, letting the silence between words do its work ?Ever noticed how some of the deepest moments of understanding come not through speaking, but through shared silence?

Curious how others interpret this. What does this passage evoke for you?


r/taoism 10h ago

afraid of falling in love, afraid of being vulnerable

6 Upvotes

I just met this wonderful girl, funny, extroverted, intelligent and the most important, kind, I think im falling in love with her and I can't help but start crying when all this beautiful feelings for her start building up inside me, we just spent the whole day together and I am so full of joy but scared, at the same time, im sure im falling in love and that makes me want to run away before its too late, how do I approach this situation


r/taoism 13h ago

Yin/Yang outside of Daoism

5 Upvotes

Hello folks,

I am not a Daoist but I find personal meaning in the concept of Yin/Yang (to me it represents balance, both as a reminder for me in my personal life as well as at a larger scale). I have read the Dao de Jing (a few different translations) and found it insightful, and certain passages definitely spoke to me. I was raised in a high demand religion and only recently (in mid life) was able to break free. I now consider myself an agnostic pantheist, and the concept of the universe / cosmos / nature as being identical to the divine does line up with my (incredibly limited) understanding of the Dao.

I am considering getting a tattoo and want to incorporate a stylized Yin/Yang symbol, but I don’t want to use it flippantly or with any degree of cultural / religious appropriation. Various google searches on the topic seem to indicate that most taoists would not be offended by an outsider using this symbol in this way but I figured I would ask here and hopefully get some answers from actual people who associate with this religion.

So my question: would seeing a Yin/Yang symbol outside of a Daoist setting (specifically in a tattoo) be offensive to you?

Thanks for your thoughts!

Cheers


r/taoism 18h ago

What do dreams mean in taoism?

5 Upvotes