Re: [DL]the Tao

[Craig Buchanan <cra6ig@ihug.co.nz>]

>Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2000 16:38:47 -0700
>From: zacharin@pluto.dsu.edu
>Subject: Re: [DL] Greatest Fear? and the Tao
>
>> that she is a self-guided taoist- her teacher is long gone. Any ideas as
>to
>> what sort of things she could be doing to be more 'religious' other than
>> prosthelytizing and / or using miracles?
>
>Well, I don't see any way that proselytizing could be considered "religious"
>to a Taoist.  Preaching to heathens isn't really a staple of Eastern
>religions.  I think that perhaps a way for him to actually do soemthing
>actively would be for him to buy the Sidekick Edge in the form of a pupil.
>Taoism, from what I know of it, is a very passive religion.  Simply
>following the way of the Tao should be all a Taoist should need do to be
>faithful.  There's something in Christianity about going forth and preaching
>to the masses, so that's probably why they do it.  I don't think that a lot
>of other religions have that sort of thing asked of their followers, so that
>makes "Western" religions a bit different from "Eastern" ones.
>
>Nick "of course, I probably got somethign wrong" Zachariasen
>
>

If you can get hold of a copy, "the Tao of Pooh", by Benjamin Hoff ( I 
think ) would be a good source for an accessible guide to Taoism.
As near as I can tell, protelysing for a Taoist would be along the lines 
of setting a example and making the occasional insightful comment.

Craig "I lurk on mailing lists" Buchanan