Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Taoists disdain the social world. Explain.

The basic belief systems of Taoism are ones predicated
upon individual embraces of understanding and enlightenment.  I am not sure if "disdain"
is too strong a word, but Taoists believe that this is a process where individuals find
their own path to follow within the Taoist faith.  This is not necessarily seen as a
communal process, whereby one has to follow a group or social sect of being.  Rather,
the Taoist community is defined by the individuals within a particular group.  The "tao"
itself is something that individuals have to find, the "way" is something that must be
found internally.  A Taoist society can be established, and there are social setting
where Taoism is evident.  Yet, I think that that following of "the tao" is not something
that can be done as a group or as a collective entity.  The ability to find one's own
path is compromised to an extent when in a group.  It might be to this extent that
Taoists perfer the spiritual explanation to take place on an individual basis and not
one that is social, in nature.

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