24 Oct 2009
I took this quote from a post by Ray of Light in the "Good Quotes" section. It mentioned "Taoism" which sounds like it is another religion - and has been made into, in some quarters - but it really just a study of "the way of life. It does not feature at all in the BKWSU version of the history of religions despite a tradition of 2,000 years. Tao is often translated as "The Way", and given wonderful 'mystical' properties beyond most people's abilities, or ambitions. It is applied everywhere it can be sold; business, children, motorcycling ... you name it. (Yes, I know it was 'Zen and the Art of ...' rather than 'Tao and the art of ...').
It made me think about what we could say about the 'way of life' ... living ... spirituality ... after the Brahma Kumaris.
The philosophies those portrayed as "Taoist" ... "Way-ists" by translation ... are often seemingly godless philosophies, but I do not know if that is true. As indeed with Buddhist, the apparently atheist religion. I translate both rather to say, "look, it does not matter if there is a god or not, you still have to live in harmony, balance with the world around you".
The stanzas Ray quote from the Tao Te Ching make me question two elements of BK or ex-BK existence. The first is to ask the obvious question of "who are the real 'thought leaders' in or of the BKWSU". I don't automatically think of them as the public face leaders. Second, where are they leading the BK followers? Are the leaders the one's keeping the family business running, defending it from change or criticism? Or are the 'real spiritual leaders' the ones that are walking away from the worldly, limited and corrupt core that the BKs have become to find their own path? And in between all that, obviously, there are individuals adding extras or performing maintenance on the core philosophy.
Secondly, I also take from it something very deep and serious; "the very highest is barely known by humanity, then comes that which they know and love, then that which is feared, then that which is despised".
"The very highest is barely known by humanity" ... I think this is true much more than we realise. That real spirituality is much less obvious and much further beyond. Brahma Kumarism sells us something at a much lower, albeit more tangible level perhaps. Definitely on the admire/fear axis. To capture us by our longing for God or Knowledge, it presents something as God or "The Knowledge that really it is not. It is an analogue/analog of the real thing. Perhaps it is still better than "ordinary" life, I do not know though because it seem to diverge from both 'ordinary life' and 'ordinary people' quite quickly and become some kind of supremacism.
So ... no criticism, no living in the past now ... how does one live, or what does one practise, after the BKWSU and into the future?
I find the Tao Te Ching to be perfectly good enough to be working on for whole of one's life. All in a handful of poems. For me, the best of living philosophies should be 'just poetry', perhaps sung. There is really no need for much more.
Unfortunately, people often mistake the literary criticism, the critics and the book dealers; for the poetry and poets themselves.
I looked at few other translations of that stanza. No rights or wrongs ... they both apply in other ways. Usually, I like the Gia Fu Feng and Jane English book/translation. Gia Fu was, by all accounts a character, and is barely known by humanity these days, or even back then.
It made me think about what we could say about the 'way of life' ... living ... spirituality ... after the Brahma Kumaris.
The philosophies those portrayed as "Taoist" ... "Way-ists" by translation ... are often seemingly godless philosophies, but I do not know if that is true. As indeed with Buddhist, the apparently atheist religion. I translate both rather to say, "look, it does not matter if there is a god or not, you still have to live in harmony, balance with the world around you".
The stanzas Ray quote from the Tao Te Ching make me question two elements of BK or ex-BK existence. The first is to ask the obvious question of "who are the real 'thought leaders' in or of the BKWSU". I don't automatically think of them as the public face leaders. Second, where are they leading the BK followers? Are the leaders the one's keeping the family business running, defending it from change or criticism? Or are the 'real spiritual leaders' the ones that are walking away from the worldly, limited and corrupt core that the BKs have become to find their own path? And in between all that, obviously, there are individuals adding extras or performing maintenance on the core philosophy.
Secondly, I also take from it something very deep and serious; "the very highest is barely known by humanity, then comes that which they know and love, then that which is feared, then that which is despised".
"The very highest is barely known by humanity" ... I think this is true much more than we realise. That real spirituality is much less obvious and much further beyond. Brahma Kumarism sells us something at a much lower, albeit more tangible level perhaps. Definitely on the admire/fear axis. To capture us by our longing for God or Knowledge, it presents something as God or "The Knowledge that really it is not. It is an analogue/analog of the real thing. Perhaps it is still better than "ordinary" life, I do not know though because it seem to diverge from both 'ordinary life' and 'ordinary people' quite quickly and become some kind of supremacism.
So ... no criticism, no living in the past now ... how does one live, or what does one practise, after the BKWSU and into the future?
rayoflight wrote:Lao Tzu presents the essence of the East Asian philosophy of Taoism, which is the best way to learn the importance of paradox.
Lao Tzu wrote:True Leaders
Are hardly known to their followers
Next after them are the leaders
The people know and admire;
After them, those they fear;
After them, those they despise.
To give no trust, Is to get no trust.
When the work’s done right,
With no fuss or boasting,
Ordinary people say,
Oh, we did it.
I find the Tao Te Ching to be perfectly good enough to be working on for whole of one's life. All in a handful of poems. For me, the best of living philosophies should be 'just poetry', perhaps sung. There is really no need for much more.
Unfortunately, people often mistake the literary criticism, the critics and the book dealers; for the poetry and poets themselves.
I looked at few other translations of that stanza. No rights or wrongs ... they both apply in other ways. Usually, I like the Gia Fu Feng and Jane English book/translation. Gia Fu was, by all accounts a character, and is barely known by humanity these days, or even back then.
The very highest is barely known by humanity.
Then comes that which they know and love,
Then that which is feared,
Then that which is despised.
He who does not trust enough will not be trusted.
When actions are performed
Without unnecessary speech,
People say, "We did it!"
In the highest antiquity, the people did not know that there were their rulers.
In the next age they loved them and praised them.
In the next they feared them;
in the next they despised them.
Thus it was that when faith in the Tao was deficient in the rulers, a want of faith ensued in the people.
