Taoism: A Simple Escape

Sometimes people have hardships brought upon their lives, such as losing a job or breaking up with a partner, and end up putting so much effort in trying to figure out why it had to occur. Seeking some sort of justification for their misfortunes, they hope that if an explanation is revealed that their pain will finally subside. However, in these labors they will find that most unfortunate occurrences really cannot be explained, and even if they can, it usually just leads to regret.

The lessons of Taoism offer the sufferer a much more effective way of dealing with bad circumstances. An ancient Chinese set of spiritual guidelines, Taoism stresses the importance of understanding your perceptions. Maintaining a concrete recognition of Tao, meaning “the Way,” the Taoist is able to control his reaction to anything that may come across his path. He does not see life’s obstacles as barriers obstructing the journey to his goals. Instead, he decides to appreciate these hurdles as he would anything else, for he always maintains a positive perception of reality, regardless of the circumstances. The solutions to his problems are not of his concern, since he understands that his struggles are a natural component to P’u, the Uncarved Block. Grasping the idea of P’u means accepting that everything exists and occurs in its natural simplicity. Taoists strive to ensure that they do not try to “carve into” this block. It is the ultimate essence of beauty, so any puncture would only diminish its natural perfection. The concept of P’u also dictates the Taoists’ view of knowledge. Since they do not want to carve into the block, they learn not through books, but only through direct experience. This ensures that they only absorb knowledge that is vital to their existence, leaving unnecessary facts and ideas out of the equation. They value wisdom much more than intelligence, and they use wisdom to assure they live as simple of a life as possible. Intelligence is based on complexity, which can only cause the mind distress. Taoists want their minds to be at peace, so they value simplicity. They do not search for answers, they allow answers to be exposed naturally.

The struggle of the American Taoist is that he will never be viewed as “successful.” Americans judge success solely by how much you own and how much money you make.  He is seen as somebody who lacks ambition simply because he is not attempting to reach a goal. But who is to say that he ought to be working toward a goal? The Taoist feels satisfied in any circumstance, never feeling the need to change his current situation. He already feels successful simply because he is graced with the miracle of life. Unfortunately, these types of people will always be looked down upon by those who are “more successful” than them. However, if success was measured by how much satisfaction you get out of life, the Taoist would be the most successful of all.

I personally envy the way that Taoists think. I would gladly give up on all of my obligations in order to live a life of simplicity. However, since my mother works for the Penn State chain, I have been graced with an opportunity to attend college at an exceptionally low price. It would be an insult to her if I did not go forth with secondary education. Another issue for me is that I wish to raise a family one day, so I need to have a career in order to ensure that we will not struggle financially. It might be burdensome to put forth so much effort to make money, but assuring that my family lives comfortably will make all of my toil worthwhile. I will still apply many of its teachings as I progress through my life, so long as it does not infringe on my ability to take care of the ones I love, for love is my main priority in life.

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4 Responses to Taoism: A Simple Escape

  1. cpc5169 says:

    This is the first time I have heard of the ideology of Taoism and I think it is very interesting! The measure of success in America is definitely materialistic and I think its interesting how you would embrace this lifestyle but am impressed that you realize it might not be the most realistic thing to do.

  2. Jordan Dover says:

    That is a very interesting way of life, the only problem, while yes successful is in the eye of the beholder, money is kind of important to be able to live a sustainable life. I understand that simplicity is nice and all, but education is nice too, because of instead of just waiting for something to appear you make it happen, because it might not happen otherwise.

  3. bys5320 says:

    I’ve never heard about the ideology of Taoism that’s crazy. Part of me says it sounds like a really good idea to have peace of mind about everything that sounds like a really good life. But at the same time you’re right we live in a country where success is measured by knowledge and power not by happiness and satisfaction. Being a Taoist would certainly be awesome but I don’t think it could ever work for me, I’m too curious about things and about the way the world works I could never accept a situation where I never know things. So although our lives may be stressful, I don’t think it should be viewed as a negative thing because we get to satisfy our curiosity.

  4. shd5066 says:

    Ben, that was incredibly deep and insightful. It is kind of ironic as I am righting my passion blog about billionaires, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I strongly agree with many of the thoughts you presented and love your take on successfulness. Though I often see wealthy people and call them successful, it is simply because it is the society norm. I truly share many of your success values, but also acknowledge the need in todays world to make money to survive comfortably. I had never heard of Taoists before reading this, but I am glad I did.

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