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- #221
i love his voice and accent, got like an authentic old british english style which i like
Spirituality, Meditation, Prayer?
- Thread starter saj
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- Thread starter
- #222
so what is this book? is it like a philosophy or a guide to the way of life?
i havent read it, which copy translation is the best to read would you say?
I would say "both". I like these two the best:
Tao Te Ching: With Over 150 Photographs by Jane English: Lao Tzu, Feng, Gia-Fu, English, Jane, Lippe, Toinette, Needleman, Jacob: 9780307949301: Amazon.com: Books
Tao Te Ching: With Over 150 Photographs by Jane English [Lao Tzu, Feng, Gia-Fu, English, Jane, Lippe, Toinette, Needleman, Jacob] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Tao Te Ching: With Over 150 Photographs by Jane English
www.amazon.com
Like with many things... the ideas in the Tao te Ching are better than the religions it has inspired. That is just one man's view, however.
It's a very short book.... 82 "poems", if you will.
I have had a copy of the Jane English translation for 35+ years...a true classic.
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- #225
So it's more of a book of wise sayings?
I'll try reading a bit of it online
I like books with quotes and wisdoms read some of imam ghazali so this might be something I'll like too
Does confucius and lao tzu have the same beliefs or were they from different philosophies?
You might find this interesting: Did Lao-Tzu and Confucius Know Each Other? - https://lithub.com/did-lao-tzu-and-confucius-know-each-other/
I don't know much about Confucius, truth be told. I would say the Tao (pronounced "Dao: Dow") te Ching could be called a philosophy.... a more relaxed way of living... letting the river take you with it on life's journey. That is a bit of a oversimplification, of course. If you read it, you'll see what I mean.
My memory is not great on this, but he may have gone to seminary school even, so Christianity, for one. Probably all the Eastern religions--Hinduism, Tao. Maybe Sufi. Back in the day folks seems to like mix all of these together. I do not know that this is really proper at all. There are huge differences among, say, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen, and Sufi. Arguably the Tao is its own thing. Much less something like Pureland Buddhism, if I have the name right. Hinduism is diverse in and off itself.
Very different perspectives.
Well, yes and no. I am guessing Watts would not have been talking about highly medically supervised therapy. There was the theory back in the day, espoused by Timothy Leary, and probably Ram Dass, in particular, that if the population just did enough psychedelics collective minds would be expanded and world peace would result. It could be argued that certain segments of the population gave it a good faith effort, but it did not happen. And those who did the most did not necessarily come back fully intact. I agree that there is a certain similarity in thinking about ayahuasa.
All I know of Alan Watts is "Alan Watts Blues" on Van Morrison's Poetic Champions Compose. 
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- #230
Ohhh okay, well i like reading confucius quotes, seemed like a wise man
Prayer and meditation are different things. Prayer is a one-on-one conversation with God. Meditation has several facets: concentrating on a single thought or idea with focus; entering a state of mushin, or no mind.
it is interesting, at least to me, to read about the mystics from the various religions.... most of the time, they end up at the same place.
A life’s journey is like a navigating a river, the 12 books of faith are life’s guideposts for arriving safely at your final destination. Within bounds and in harmony with your fellow man.
I find that faith, hope and love can transcend any belief system one may have. There are many ways to the oneness of life that we all search for….and my personal belief is that the law of gravity is unchanging throughout the universe most likely, so by it i shall abide; so in other words please watch out for that left turn in Albuquerque because it can be a doozy!
Something that has transformed many lives is praying morning and evening prayer, and then compline (before bed) from the original Book of Common Prayer. I would point you to one, but since I edited it I will get in trouble. I find I get a lot of peace through this. There is a reason they have inspired so many songs and poems and works of literature.
