Daoism is a religion that’s sole purpose to me is to have its followers thinking. It’s very hard to read a passage from a Daoist text and not question the meaning. But still I think Daoism is interesting. The fact that Daoism can’t really be explained is appealing. The Daoist culture is hard to understand period. If we were to read a passage out of the Dao De Jing or any other Daoist text we try really hard to understand it. But to me nothing is ever “clear” in Daoism and I do not think it is meant to be. I think Daoists don’t want people to question anything but just to simply go with the flow of things. Maybe we are meant to live without wondering since what is cant be explained. But at the same time I guess Daoism is something you see every day and know but can’t describe or explain. Well at least that is what I take from the text and the background on Daoism. When I try to explain Daoism I feel like I don’t make any sense and maybe that’s the whole point. I worked on the presentation on Daoism and I still barely understand it and while I was working on it I was really regretting my decision to present it. But nonetheless, Daoism still grasps my attention; I think the practices of Daoism are pretty cool. Daoism influences our culture quite a bit. When we see the yin yang symbol we are all recognize it. I think the yin yang symbol is one of the simplest characteristics about Daoism to understand. There has to be a balance with all things one is negative and the other is positive, such as light and dark or good and evil.
Kung Fu Panda really grasped some of the practices of Daoism. In the movie, Po had to believe in himself to develop all the powers he needed to defeat Tai Lung. Another important practice of Daoism is health; people who practice Daoism want to live for a long time. They practice meditation, dieting, regulating their chi and exercising to achieve this goal. Po had to have his body in order to be able to do Kung Fu and fulfill his duties as the Dragon Warrior. Po had to think really hard and channel his lust for food to help him master Kung Fu. Throughout the movie there were a lot of Daoist quotes. For example, when Master Oogway is talking to master Shifu and telling him that he cannot control the peach tree, make it bloom another fruit or even bear fruit before its time. He is basically telling Shifu that he cannot control the nature of things and that he cannot change faith, Po is destined to be the Dragon Warrior. That being said I believe he is playing into the Daoist belief that you do not question things but go with the flow and make do with what you are given.
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I think that the Daoist mind, body connection is pretty cool. And that we don't realize it, but many of us do practice this way of living only due to the fact that now a days many of us know that understand that in order to stay around on earth for a long time we must eat healthy to do so.
ReplyDeleteI actually mentioned that scene in my blog as well, where Oogway tells Shifu about the peach tree and Po. I totally agree that it is hard to explain Daoism, but your diagram of yin and yang breaks it down and simplifies it for sure. I think that one of the biggest things with Daoism is balance and peace; that is probably why a lot of Daoists watch their health and chi.
ReplyDeleteI like that your diagram codifies positive and negative rather than good and evil. As I read Daoism, evil and good are less used terms that fail to really express the philosophy.
ReplyDeleteDaoism is tough to work with, but also possibly the most likely of what we read to make you perk up and pay attention to the way you interact with the world.