From: drake+@cs.cmu.edu (Drake)
Subject: Re: RFD: misc.taoism
Nntp-Posting-Host: seismo.soar.cs.cmu.edu
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
Lines: 58

In article <1993Apr21.172806.679@megatek.com> tims@megatek.com writes:

>> Let us not limit
>> 'misc.taoism' to 'philosophy'.  
>
>But if we don't limit it to *something*, the discussion degenerates into
>a big amorphous glob. 

Hmm...are you a Taoist?  Imposing limits *does* do something useful...it gives
you something to go beyond.

>It seems to me that these questions more properly fall into the
>category of "general metaphysics". I would prefer any misc.taoism
>to deal more closely with topics and works more closely associated
>with at least "semi-orthodox" Taoism: with established classic works 
>definitely included and works like Mantak Chia's argued about! 

I tend to be a bit critical of any stratification of Taoism.  I especially
tend to frown on any suggestion that "orthodoxy" or "classics" have any
special place in Tao.

>I think "neo-Taoism" should be excluded or get its own group (what I
>mean by this is "Humpty-Dumpty Taoism", in which Taoism means whatever 
>a poster says it means.) This "alt.taoism" could also be a refuge 
>for debates about what "Taoism *REALLY* means" or speculations on sexual
>alchemy, etc..

So rather than debate what "Taoism *REALLY* means" you are suggesting that
we take someone else's word for it and work thusly?  I'd rather not, thank
you.

>What's happening is that that the term "Taoism" is becoming
>completely polluted and trivialized like the words "magic", "Alchemy", 
>"Zen," etc., by writers appropriating the word to mean whatever they 
>want. This is seen by the spate of new age books entitled "The
>Tao of" this, that, and everything else.

Whereas you, of course, have a clear idea of what the word means?  Can
you tell the Tao? :-)

>Any other comments/ideas? I look forward to seeing them. On balance,
>I say let misc.taoism rip and let the chips fall where they may.

Wonderful idea.

>it just gets filled up with college freshmen asking about the
>Tao of Sex then it will have been a failure and people will post to
>these groups just as they do now.

Only if you choose to define failure in that way.  Or to define it at all.



-- 
I believe in the flesh and the appetites,
Seeing hearing and feeling are miracles,
	and each part and tag of me is a miracle.
	                               -- Walt Whitman
