Taoism is a practical philosphy, a philosophy
which recognises that verbal knowledge is
not the only knowledge, and that the
rational mind, divorced from its proper
context, as just one aspect of a whole
human being embedded in the Universe,
cannot achieve the deepest wisdom.
In effect, this implies a radically different
point of departure to that taken by the
Western intellectual tradition.
Unlike Descartes " I think, therefore I am ",
a Taoist might say, " I can feel my toes
wiggling, and therefore I am ".
The initial ground is sensual, not intellectual,
not verbal or cognitive.
The foundation is the whole body, the
whole person, not merely the trained
scholarly thought-patterns produced by
reading books, learning information 'parrot
fashion', and conducting academic debates.
Indeed, the precious inner fountains of
intuitive wisdom and guidance do seem to
atrophy and disappear from the lived
experience of many people who live
' all in the head '.
Such people will quite sincerely deny the
existence of phenomena because they do
not understand, do not know, anything else.
All that they experience is their own ideas,
reflected back at them.
Sadly, for them, they are prisoners, captive
in a wretched dungeon of their own making.
Thus, they do not experience the sparkling,
awesome, miraculous, nameless, that is
' What Is'.
Taoism recognises that the sensation of the
breeze caressing one's skin is saying
something to us, something every bit as
profound and important as any of the
recorded utterances of Plato or Aristotle.
This does not mean that Plato, Aristotle,
and their successors, up until the present
day, are to be dismissed, denigrated or
rejected. Rational thought is wonderful, a
wonderful tool. But it doesn't take you to
the top of the mountain. There is more !
Taoism hears the sermons sung by the
birds, and perceives therein a purer doctrine
than is commonly found in the preaching
and admonitions we receive from
institutionalised religion and social celebrities.
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