₦airaland Forum

On a average thread I make, I get thousands of veiws but I posted the philosophy of not trying 4 times and get an average of 50veiws
So I'll post again.


The Act of Not Trying

“Those who stand on tiptoes do not stand firmly.
Those who rush ahead don’t get very far in life .
Those who try to outshine others dim their own light.” — — Lao Tzu


How can we improve when we stop trying to improve? Many people waste their efforts trying to better their lives with questionable results. They gain knowledge and chase external things while exhausting their bodies, and burdening their minds (They call the Rat race).
The Taoists observed that humans tend to act in ways that are counterproductive. And in their attempts to alter the natural way, they only make things worse. All these strivings, rules, ethics, values, surely are invented to benefit humanity. But according to the ancient Taoist sages, we should get rid of them all. Why? Because all these manmade ideas only remove us further from the natural flow of life.

Trying to alter what nature has intended, is like swimming against the stream: it's exhausting and gets us nowhere. This story is about not trying to change the world, to gain the world. Behind the ever-changing universe lies a mysterious and undefinable force that the Taoists call "Tao", for the lack of a better word. The "Tao" is all-encompassing, and it's all about Balance.

Still, we can know and feel the Tao, even though we cannot comprehend it. This symbolizes the tragic attempts by humans to conceptualize things that are beyond their understanding. They use names, categories, they select and discern, but fail to grasp what the universe is truly like. So, they create a deception; an artifice that makes life understandable for humans. But by trying to comprehend, they lose the Tao.

"Five colors blind the eye. Five notes deafen the ear. Five flavors make the palate go stale," wrote Lao Tzu in his work the Tao Te Ching. So, by arranging colors, notes, and flavors, we might enhance our understanding, but we also limit it, as there's so much more outside of these fixed concepts. The same goes for the human tendency to make rock-solid rules for everything, to get a sense of control.

Again, we limit ourselves by doing so because the world is ever-changing, and what works today, may not work tomorrow. Also, from a sense of solidarity and justice, people create immense bodies of ethics, moral codes, and rituals, that form an artificial way of life. Even though the intentions are good: they try to make things work while building their own prisons.

Now, let's talk about the word 'trying'. I think most of us are familiar with the idea that we should simply 'act' and not 'try'. This idea is closely related to the 'flow-state'. In a flow-state one becomes the act, like a dancer who becomes the dance, or the poet who becomes the poem. This is wu wei, a concept that can be literally translated as 'non-doing' or 'doing nothing'. In the context of the flow state, wu wei translates best as 'effortless action', because we act in a smooth and painless manner.

In the context of this story, however, translating wu wei as 'non-doing' or 'doing nothing' fits best. Literally 'doing nothing' is often seen as unproductive, and as a useless way of being, in which there's no progression. But according to the Taoists, nothing is further from the truth. When we keep in mind that the universe is in flux and in a state of change and evolution, we'll realize that there's always progression in the natural flow of life.

So instead of using force, and exhausting ourselves (which is the favorite method of today's culture), we could travel through life much more easily by using intelligence. Because isn't it so as we have all noticed , that so many times, problems seem to solve themselves? And that by 'taking action' we often make things worse? When we waste our time trying to improve things we distance ourselves from the natural course. We repeatedly act in ways that are (according to the Taoists) unnatural and waste our bodies and minds doing so.

So, why do we this? Well, it has a lot to do with how we attribute value to certain things. For example, when we're averse to poverty, but desire money and fame, and when we're averse to being lonely but desire to be part of something. So we try to eradicate the former, and increase the latter, while the latter cannot exist without the former. Also, we think that it's necessary to conform and alter nature based on certain belief systems. We try to better the world, while the results of our interventions are kind of questionable.

Now, how can we bring these ancient theories into the modern world? According to Taoist thinking, in what ways do we, modern humans, 'try', while our efforts only leave us with peanuts in the end? Let's explore some examples of how we 'try', using the ancient Taoist scriptures the Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi. The first one is Trying to improve the world Alan Watts, who was a fervent scholar of Taoism and a FreeThinker , once pointed out that the goodie-goodies of society are the biggest troublemakers. Their 'must-save-the-world' attitude often disrupts the natural course, simply because they seek to enforce man-made ideas of what's good and evil. An example is 'communism' which originally sprouted from a desire to change humanity for the better, based on equality and honest distribution of goods.

However, apart from the discussion if this approach is natural or not: the ways in which the communists spread their ideology were absolutely brutal. In the Zhuangzi, we find a story about a man named Yen Hui, who asked Confucius for permission to travel to the country of Wei, after he heard that it's ruled by an incompetent ruler.

Yen Hui wanted to use everything he learned about governance, to improve the country of Wei. Confucius, however, discouraged him to do so. Not only because Wei's highly disagreeable leader probably wouldn't listen, but also because people, in general, don't like outsiders coming in, telling what's better for them from a place of moral supremacy. As Confucius stated and I quote:

"If you do not understand men's minds, but instead appear before a tyrant and force him to listen to sermons on benevolence and righteousness, measures and standards - this is simply using other men's bad points to parade your own excellence."

We could ask ourselves: in what way is using other people's faults to create a nice role on the moral high ground. This only creates more division, more tension, and will unlikely change things for the better in a sustainable manner. As Lao Tzu puts it in the Tao Te Ching, and I quote:

Do you want to rule the world and control it? I don't think it can ever be done. The world is a sacred vessel and it can not be controlled. You will only make it worse if you try. It may slip through your fingers and disappear. End quote.

Now, the second one is... Trying to be happy No matter if it's the pursuit of money, status, fame, power, or knowledge; these ongoing efforts to be happy are the reason why we aren't. We think that we're happy when we've got a million dollars in the bank or when we finally published that story or when our YouTube channels have a 100k subscribers, but this is hardly the case. Sure, we enjoy some momentary pleasure, but that's not happiness according to the Taoists. Moreover, by this pursuit, we exhaust our bodies and minds, while, tragically, never achieving what we're looking for. I quote:

This is what the world honors: wealth, eminence, long life, a good name.
This is what the world finds happiness in: a life of ease, rich food, fine clothes, beautiful sights, sweet sounds.
This is what it looks down on: poverty, meanness, early death, a bad name.
This is what it finds bitter: a life that knows no rest, a mouth that gets no rich food, no fine clothes for the body, no beautiful sights for the eye, no sweet sounds for the ear.
People who can't get these things fret a great deal and are afraid - this is a stupid way to treat the body. People who are rich wear themselves out rushing around on business, piling up more wealth than they could ever use - this is a superficial way to treat the body.

So, when chasing happiness is a blind alley, what should we do instead? Well, the Taoists give us some suggestions. But before we go into them, let's look at the third one: Trying to be something else The Zhuangzi tells us a story about animals and the wind that envy each other for their inborn characteristics. The centipede envies the snake for the fact that it can move without legs, but the snake envies the wind for its ability to travel great distances without having a body at all. However, the wind argues that it takes just a finger or foot to hinder it. All in all, nature has created everything with its own attributes. Nothing is better than the other; only judgment makes it so.

Thus, we feel the need to change who we are, just to fit an ideal. White-skinned people try to be tanned, while East-Asians try to look more European, brunettes try to be blondes, and blondes try to be brunettes. Also, we try to change ourselves because we want to conform to a manmade standard; to fit in, simply because we're seen as defects when we don't. So, a sixth' finger is cut off, just to comply with the five-finger standard.

Why can't we just be who we are, the way nature intended us to be? That would be so much easier. Everyone and everything has its place in the whole. And by trying to alter this, we bring the world in disbalance.

I quote: When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created. When people see things as good, evil is created. Being and non-being produce each other. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short define each other. High and low oppose each other. Fore and aft follow each other. End quote.

So, how can we put these ideas into practice? The Taoists suggest several things. First of all, the Zhuangzi points to the benefits of taking the middle-path. This means that we shouldn't stretch ourselves beyond our means, but stay centered, so we conserve our health and stay close to our own nature.

"Follow the middle; go by what is constant, and you can stay in one piece, keep yourself alive, look after your parents, and live out your years." smiley.

The Tao is constant. And one who seeks the Tao unlearns something new every day, according to Lao Tzu. So instead of limiting ourselves to a belief system, we let go, keep an open mind, and give the universe room to show itself as it is. Trying to change nature is a futile pursuit, as is trying to blur our vision of nature by man-made constructs. Instead of adding to knowledge, we let go of knowledge, until we reach a point of inner stillness. Only then, we're opening ourselves up to the Tao.
In this state of emptiness , we feel content. And contentment is true happiness. The Taoists call this process the fasting of the heart. By unlearning something every day, the Taoist arrives at non-action. It's the art of not trying(Meditation) while nothing will be left undone . You will be left Emptied ,yet fulfilled

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f82XCDgNqY0?si=kaLf6A-8mmaC9IyL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96QtPk_XdW4&pp=ygUkSmVzdXMgdnMgbGVnaW9uIGV4b3JzaXNtIG9mIGRhcmtuZXNz


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd2Ax_ZXoU0?si=tEp-FKBny7A10Rnf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMTmf3iEss4&pp=ygU5VGhlIHN1cGVyYm9vb2tzIHRhbGUgb2YgZGl2aW5uZSB3cmF0aCBzb2RvbSBhbmQgZ29tb3JyYWgg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4__1yQerEw&pp=ygUwVGhlIGJvb2sgb2YgZ2lhbnRzIG5lcGxpbSBuZWFybHkgZGVzdHJveWVkICB0aGUg




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhrVj2fOkmA&pp=ygUsVGhlIHJpY2ggbWFucyBhZ29ueSBsYXphcnVzIGRhcmsgc3RvcnkgaGFkZXM%3D




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ7du6x1Dqk&pp=ygUxTmlnaHQgb2YgdGVycmlmeWluZyBkYW5pZWwgdHJhcHBlZCBpbiBhIGRlbiBmYWl0aA%3D%3D

StillDtruth:
Look at your argument, now you are calling rats and ants animals and redefning the meaning of civilization because you insist on advancing your point.

So by your argument, you would vote and campaigm for an ant to be voted in to be your president since it can build castles ; or you could invite us to your wedding where you are marrying a rat because you are equal?

Or when sick you would go to the giraffe's hospital for healing?

Clearly, man is already superior even proven by the fact that he can wipe out every other specie including himse and none of them could stop him. No animal can achieve that not to talk of his other achievements which no animal can replicate.

Similarity and resmblance does not mean sameness and it is fallacious to say

Man is an animal
A baboon is an animal
Therefore a man is a baboon or a baboon is a man!

love and light ❤️

StillDtruth:
Sorry! Similarity and resmblance does not mean sameness.

So humans are not the same as animals and no animal is equal to man and it is fallacious and Lie for anyone to say that!

you know even rats have a nursery ?
A school
Ants build hills ,castles? They have workers , they have an Army

Lol no one like humans....
In fact do you know only "humans " pay for their food
And only humans are capable of destroying their own species to extintion just out of spite ?

Do tell me how again how we humans are superior to these 'Animals'


Hope you know these animals have civilizations too?

And you think the average animal does not see the human as uncivilzed?

fredwill1357:
Sorry brother, I should have indicated I spoke out of my own current understanding.
I do not currently have answers to your questions, maybe because I do not know or do not remember. No problem brother, enjoy the rest of your day.

You too and Thnak you for been awesome

fredwill1357:
yes, prayer and meditation are two different things. However, the prayers I advocated for are silent and brief, nobody will police you on whether you participate or believe in it.
When I said pray to God, you can also pray to yourself because you are a part of God. Those minutes can also be spent on silent positive affirmations or on silence. Nobody will police you.

Lol I am not part of any gods brother , I am a mix of my ancestors genetic pool
May I ask you how the moon was formed

And how God created fire?

StillDtruth:
Who cares about what animals feel?

because we are equally animals , so if we have souls or spirits then animals should too, oh and ghosts too a chiken we killed last Christmas having a ghost would be fascinating. It's just logical brother.

StillDtruth:
How did you think you flew in a plane? Did you not exercise belief/faith and reasonable thinkings before you climbed into that noisy iron bird with fear and increased blood pressure?

Same thing in climbing into a canoe to cross River Niger especially when you can not swim

belief is not believe , belief is faith, I believe when I get into that iron bird I shouldn't drop , if I drop, it is life , que sera sera , again no belief is based on fact.

The Act of Not Trying

“Those who stand on tiptoes do not stand firmly.
Those who rush ahead don’t get very far in life .
Those who try to outshine others dim their own light.” — — Lao Tzu


How can we improve when we stop trying to improve? Many people waste their efforts trying to better their lives with questionable results. They gain knowledge and chase external things while exhausting their bodies, and burdening their minds (They call the Rat race).
The Taoists observed that humans tend to act in ways that are counterproductive. And in their attempts to alter the natural way, they only make things worse. All these strivings, rules, ethics, values, surely are invented to benefit humanity. But according to the ancient Taoist sages, we should get rid of them all. Why? Because all these manmade ideas only remove us further from the natural flow of life.

Trying to alter what nature has intended, is like swimming against the stream: it's exhausting and gets us nowhere. This story is about not trying to change the world, to gain the world. Behind the ever-changing universe lies a mysterious and undefinable force that the Taoists call "Tao", for the lack of a better word. The "Tao" is all-encompassing, and it's all about Balance.

Still, we can know and feel the Tao, even though we cannot comprehend it. This symbolizes the tragic attempts by humans to conceptualize things that are beyond their understanding. They use names, categories, they select and discern, but fail to grasp what the universe is truly like. So, they create a deception; an artifice that makes life understandable for humans. But by trying to comprehend, they lose the Tao.

"Five colors blind the eye. Five notes deafen the ear. Five flavors make the palate go stale," wrote Lao Tzu in his work the Tao Te Ching. So, by arranging colors, notes, and flavors, we might enhance our understanding, but we also limit it, as there's so much more outside of these fixed concepts. The same goes for the human tendency to make rock-solid rules for everything, to get a sense of control.

Again, we limit ourselves by doing so because the world is ever-changing, and what works today, may not work tomorrow. Also, from a sense of solidarity and justice, people create immense bodies of ethics, moral codes, and rituals, that form an artificial way of life. Even though the intentions are good: they try to make things work while building their own prisons.

Now, let's talk about the word 'trying'. I think most of us are familiar with the idea that we should simply 'act' and not 'try'. This idea is closely related to the 'flow-state'. In a flow-state one becomes the act, like a dancer who becomes the dance, or the poet who becomes the poem. This is wu wei, a concept that can be literally translated as 'non-doing' or 'doing nothing'. In the context of the flow state, wu wei translates best as 'effortless action', because we act in a smooth and painless manner.

In the context of this story, however, translating wu wei as 'non-doing' or 'doing nothing' fits best. Literally 'doing nothing' is often seen as unproductive, and as a useless way of being, in which there's no progression. But according to the Taoists, nothing is further from the truth. When we keep in mind that the universe is in flux and in a state of change and evolution, we'll realize that there's always progression in the natural flow of life.

So instead of using force, and exhausting ourselves (which is the favorite method of today's culture), we could travel through life much more easily by using intelligence. Because isn't it so as we have all noticed , that so many times, problems seem to solve themselves? And that by 'taking action' we often make things worse? When we waste our time trying to improve things we distance ourselves from the natural course. We repeatedly act in ways that are (according to the Taoists) unnatural and waste our bodies and minds doing so.

So, why do we this? Well, it has a lot to do with how we attribute value to certain things. For example, when we're averse to poverty, but desire money and fame, and when we're averse to being lonely but desire to be part of something. So we try to eradicate the former, and increase the latter, while the latter cannot exist without the former. Also, we think that it's necessary to conform and alter nature based on certain belief systems. We try to better the world, while the results of our interventions are kind of questionable.

Now, how can we bring these ancient theories into the modern world? According to Taoist thinking, in what ways do we, modern humans, 'try', while our efforts only leave us with peanuts in the end? Let's explore some examples of how we 'try', using the ancient Taoist scriptures the Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi. The first one is Trying to improve the world Alan Watts, who was a fervent scholar of Taoism and a FreeThinker , once pointed out that the goodie-goodies of society are the biggest troublemakers. Their 'must-save-the-world' attitude often disrupts the natural course, simply because they seek to enforce man-made ideas of what's good and evil. An example is 'communism' which originally sprouted from a desire to change humanity for the better, based on equality and honest distribution of goods.

However, apart from the discussion if this approach is natural or not: the ways in which the communists spread their ideology were absolutely brutal. In the Zhuangzi, we find a story about a man named Yen Hui, who asked Confucius for permission to travel to the country of Wei, after he heard that it's ruled by an incompetent ruler.

Yen Hui wanted to use everything he learned about governance, to improve the country of Wei. Confucius, however, discouraged him to do so. Not only because Wei's highly disagreeable leader probably wouldn't listen, but also because people, in general, don't like outsiders coming in, telling what's better for them from a place of moral supremacy. As Confucius stated and I quote:

"If you do not understand men's minds, but instead appear before a tyrant and force him to listen to sermons on benevolence and righteousness, measures and standards - this is simply using other men's bad points to parade your own excellence."

We could ask ourselves: in what way is using other people's faults to create a nice role on the moral high ground. This only creates more division, more tension, and will unlikely change things for the better in a sustainable manner. As Lao Tzu puts it in the Tao Te Ching, and I quote:

Do you want to rule the world and control it? I don't think it can ever be done. The world is a sacred vessel and it can not be controlled. You will only make it worse if you try. It may slip through your fingers and disappear. End quote.

Now, the second one is... Trying to be happy No matter if it's the pursuit of money, status, fame, power, or knowledge; these ongoing efforts to be happy are the reason why we aren't. We think that we're happy when we've got a million dollars in the bank or when we finally published that story or when our YouTube channels have a 100k subscribers, but this is hardly the case. Sure, we enjoy some momentary pleasure, but that's not happiness according to the Taoists. Moreover, by this pursuit, we exhaust our bodies and minds, while, tragically, never achieving what we're looking for. I quote:

This is what the world honors: wealth, eminence, long life, a good name.
This is what the world finds happiness in: a life of ease, rich food, fine clothes, beautiful sights, sweet sounds.
This is what it looks down on: poverty, meanness, early death, a bad name.
This is what it finds bitter: a life that knows no rest, a mouth that gets no rich food, no fine clothes for the body, no beautiful sights for the eye, no sweet sounds for the ear.
People who can't get these things fret a great deal and are afraid - this is a stupid way to treat the body. People who are rich wear themselves out rushing around on business, piling up more wealth than they could ever use - this is a superficial way to treat the body.

So, when chasing happiness is a blind alley, what should we do instead? Well, the Taoists give us some suggestions. But before we go into them, let's look at the third one: Trying to be something else The Zhuangzi tells us a story about animals and the wind that envy each other for their inborn characteristics. The centipede envies the snake for the fact that it can move without legs, but the snake envies the wind for its ability to travel great distances without having a body at all. However, the wind argues that it takes just a finger or foot to hinder it. All in all, nature has created everything with its own attributes. Nothing is better than the other; only judgment makes it so.

Thus, we feel the need to change who we are, just to fit an ideal. White-skinned people try to be tanned, while East-Asians try to look more European, brunettes try to be blondes, and blondes try to be brunettes. Also, we try to change ourselves because we want to conform to a manmade standard; to fit in, simply because we're seen as defects when we don't. So, a sixth' finger is cut off, just to comply with the five-finger standard.

Why can't we just be who we are, the way nature intended us to be? That would be so much easier. Everyone and everything has its place in the whole. And by trying to alter this, we bring the world in disbalance.

I quote: When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created. When people see things as good, evil is created. Being and non-being produce each other. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short define each other. High and low oppose each other. Fore and aft follow each other. End quote.

So, how can we put these ideas into practice? The Taoists suggest several things. First of all, the Zhuangzi points to the benefits of taking the middle-path. This means that we shouldn't stretch ourselves beyond our means, but stay centered, so we conserve our health and stay close to our own nature.

"Follow the middle; go by what is constant, and you can stay in one piece, keep yourself alive, look after your parents, and live out your years." smiley.

The Tao is constant. And one who seeks the Tao unlearns something new every day, according to Lao Tzu. So instead of limiting ourselves to a belief system, we let go, keep an open mind, and give the universe room to show itself as it is. Trying to change nature is a futile pursuit, as is trying to blur our vision of nature by man-made constructs. Instead of adding to knowledge, we let go of knowledge, until we reach a point of inner stillness. Only then, we're opening ourselves up to the Tao.
In this state of emptiness , we feel content. And contentment is true happiness. The Taoists call this process the fasting of the heart. By unlearning something every day, the Taoist arrives at non-action. It's the art of not trying(Meditation) while nothing will be left undone . You will be left Emptied ,yet fulfilled

fredwill1357:
I didn't say there would be no morals and civilization without faith. Formal education inculcates a level of knowledge and common sense, does that mean this things cannot exist or be acquired without formal education?

Morals and civilization can exist without faith, but faith can serve as a ground for a society to reason and agree on things together. Hearing each other out and looking at things from different or new perspectives, thereby leading to more harmony, cooperation, civilization and widespread morals.
Faith also serves as a ground for more enlightened people to pass teachings and directions to laypeople, leading to quicker knowledge and maturity.

No , but I hope you see how ironic these bolded words are , faith does not give room for thinking outside the box, let alone give room for people with different opinions or perspective to anything aside what is already within the box , hence heresy or blasphemous thinking arises , leading to factions that leading to Religious or holy wars .

fredwill1357:
Your first question, I do not know the complete nature of animals, humans or the world. I do not claim to be an authority on this matters, spiritual or physical. I am spiritually gifted, however I am a seeker like many other people, ignorant of a lot of things and searching for answers.
I do not trust the universe, nature, e.t.c. I am wary of them all, however that shouldn't prevent us from exploring and seeking answers.

Yes, meditation is very important, it is one of the purpose of the Sunday worship service, to teach people meditation and enhance their minds.

I do not like labels, it a lot of times creates hostilities and divisions. I prefer worshiping God in spirit and truth like Jesus advised. I am open to Godliness, wisdom and true knowledge in whatever religion, culture or anywhere it can be found.

Nah , prayers and meditation are two different things, let's say I have a problem , do you feel prayers would answer "my problem " or silent meditation, I believe the later would find me a solution , definitely not violent or quiet prayers .
Even now I'm on my meditative pose texting you

fredwill1357:
For e.g: if you knew you would die in 10 days time and are largely certain of this. You would likely do some things differently, you might withdraw all your savings and spend it on yourself, give it away to charity or share it to family and loved ones.

Why aren't you and I living today like it is our last day? Because we believe it is not, even though we aren't certain or guaranteed of this.

This is faith/belief, is it unreasonable? NO

No it I not reasonable at all to give all my savings to charity ? Why because according to your analogy I would die in 10 days making everything I do including spending all my savings on myself very unreasonable , why because it is not our of reason but out of fear or desperation or the fact of knowing the date of my death , nothing done within this time frame would be reasonable ,
And again this is not based on faith or belief I would die in 10 days probably a medical fact not based on faith lol .

fredwill1357:
Your first question, I do not know the complete nature of animals, humans or the world. I do not claim to be an authority on this matters, spiritual or physical. I am spiritually gifted, however I am a seeker like many other people, ignorant of a lot of things and searching for answers.
I do not trust the universe, nature, e.t.c. I am wary of them all, however that shouldn't prevent us from exploring and seeking answers.

Yes, meditation is very important, it is one of the purpose of the Sunday worship service, to teach people meditation and enhance their minds.

I do not like labels, it a lot of times creates hostilities and divisions. I prefer worshiping God in spirit and truth like Jesus advised. I am open to Godliness, wisdom and true knowledge in whatever religion, culture or anywhere it can be found.

Hmm a Christian. It's a tag yes but you must stand somewhere I'm sorry , explains why this conversation is a bit on a different than I expect from a freethinker , um so why was I tagged though
Because lol I cannot even argue with a Theist
Why? Well because it always ends nowhere ,
How's your morning going so far though , going smoothly I hope? Genuinely mean that. Good morning

accused:
Ok and how re doing too?

had a great day , sipping tea now and belive even tomorrow's tea should taste better, maybe not , and that's life que sera sera , thank you for been awesome

fredwill1357:
It is like saying what about apathy to physical exercise. Ignoring our spiritual aspect is like ignoring our essence, there is more to life than our fleshly suit. However, aside the spiritual aspect. The faith can also be seen and adopted as a human and societal building organization. Building morals and civilization.

so according to your analogy, without faith there could be no morals? Hmmm do explain why I don't go around killing or raping whoever I meet since again according to your apology faith builds morals and civilization?

fredwill1357:
Something being logical and something being factual are two different things. Logical can simply be called reasonable, and yes faith can be reasonable, depending on the requisites and beliefs.

hmm faith been reasonable ? Do explain how belief/faith can be reasonable though?

Lucifyre:
Logical and faith do not belong together. It's almost an oxymoron 😄

it is

fredwill1357:
It is like saying what about apathy to physical exercise. Ignoring our spiritual aspect is like ignoring our essence, there is more to life than our fleshly suit. However, aside the spiritual aspect. The faith can also be seen and adopted as a human and societal building organization. Building morals and civilization.

do animals share this spiritual aspect like us though?


Btw meditation is paramount to me
Hence my spirituality.

What religion are you affiliated with basically?

accused:
You just said it all.i always tell my friends that there is no need to query,fight or over stress on self,I will always try my best in any situation then I leave it to nature to bring a balance in a situation I find my self.thank u just made my day with this great work

Thank you and this is all that matters , how is your day going so far ?

How about Aparty from all religions?

missjekyll:
Absolutely peachy, Thank you kindly. And you?

smooth and thank you for having a peachy day, that's all that matters really

PhenomenalAustin:
Wouldn't be surprised 😂. Not saying he did or did not but I don't like this man 😂😂😂

hi hello ? hope you are having a good , day , just checking up on you ?

missjekyll:
1.Kindly provide evidence to support labelling me as "far left"? If you cannot, then you must correct the record. I am absolutely left of centre as a social democrat and have been from time immemorial but definitely not far left. I can explain what far left is but I cannot understand it for you.

2. I seem to have made a few unlikers with my stance on tax. I know a country where very few people pay taxes. That country is called Nigeria,a veritable heaven on earth(I m being sarcastic). Tax is the price you pay to live here in security and comfort. Everybody pays something but the richest pay the most. This is the same concept used all over the world.

3. This may sound strange to you but not every rich person complains about taxes. Tony Benn didn't, warren buffet,keir starmer doesn't, J.O.B doesn't. I m nowhere as rich but I don't ,as well. I only want everyone to be taxed,there should be no sacred cows. You live here,you pay your taxes.

hi hello , how are you ? Hope your morning is going well so far?

The Act of Not Trying

“Those who stand on tiptoes do not stand firmly.
Those who rush ahead don’t get very far in life .
Those who try to outshine others dim their own light.” — — Lao Tzu


How can we improve when we stop trying to improve? Many people waste their efforts trying to better their lives with questionable results. They gain knowledge and chase external things while exhausting their bodies, and burdening their minds (They call the Rat race).
The Taoists observed that humans tend to act in ways that are counterproductive. And in their attempts to alter the natural way, they only make things worse. All these strivings, rules, ethics, values, surely are invented to benefit humanity. But according to the ancient Taoist sages, we should get rid of them all. Why? Because all these manmade ideas only remove us further from the natural flow of life.

Trying to alter what nature has intended, is like swimming against the stream: it's exhausting and gets us nowhere. This story is about not trying to change the world, to gain the world. Behind the ever-changing universe lies a mysterious and undefinable force that the Taoists call "Tao", for the lack of a better word. The "Tao" is all-encompassing, and it's all about Balance.

Still, we can know and feel the Tao, even though we cannot comprehend it. This symbolizes the tragic attempts by humans to conceptualize things that are beyond their understanding. They use names, categories, they select and discern, but fail to grasp what the universe is truly like. So, they create a deception; an artifice that makes life understandable for humans. But by trying to comprehend, they lose the Tao.

"Five colors blind the eye. Five notes deafen the ear. Five flavors make the palate go stale," wrote Lao Tzu in his work the Tao Te Ching. So, by arranging colors, notes, and flavors, we might enhance our understanding, but we also limit it, as there's so much more outside of these fixed concepts. The same goes for the human tendency to make rock-solid rules for everything, to get a sense of control.

Again, we limit ourselves by doing so because the world is ever-changing, and what works today, may not work tomorrow. Also, from a sense of solidarity and justice, people create immense bodies of ethics, moral codes, and rituals, that form an artificial way of life. Even though the intentions are good: they try to make things work while building their own prisons.

Now, let's talk about the word 'trying'. I think most of us are familiar with the idea that we should simply 'act' and not 'try'. This idea is closely related to the 'flow-state'. In a flow-state one becomes the act, like a dancer who becomes the dance, or the poet who becomes the poem. This is wu wei, a concept that can be literally translated as 'non-doing' or 'doing nothing'. In the context of the flow state, wu wei translates best as 'effortless action', because we act in a smooth and painless manner.

In the context of this story, however, translating wu wei as 'non-doing' or 'doing nothing' fits best. Literally 'doing nothing' is often seen as unproductive, and as a useless way of being, in which there's no progression. But according to the Taoists, nothing is further from the truth. When we keep in mind that the universe is in flux and in a state of change and evolution, we'll realize that there's always progression in the natural flow of life.

So instead of using force, and exhausting ourselves (which is the favorite method of today's culture), we could travel through life much more easily by using intelligence. Because isn't it so as we have all noticed , that so many times, problems seem to solve themselves? And that by 'taking action' we often make things worse? When we waste our time trying to improve things we distance ourselves from the natural course. We repeatedly act in ways that are (according to the Taoists) unnatural and waste our bodies and minds doing so.

So, why do we this? Well, it has a lot to do with how we attribute value to certain things. For example, when we're averse to poverty, but desire money and fame, and when we're averse to being lonely but desire to be part of something. So we try to eradicate the former, and increase the latter, while the latter cannot exist without the former. Also, we think that it's necessary to conform and alter nature based on certain belief systems. We try to better the world, while the results of our interventions are kind of questionable.

Now, how can we bring these ancient theories into the modern world? According to Taoist thinking, in what ways do we, modern humans, 'try', while our efforts only leave us with peanuts in the end? Let's explore some examples of how we 'try', using the ancient Taoist scriptures the Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi. The first one is Trying to improve the world Alan Watts, who was a fervent scholar of Taoism and a FreeThinker , once pointed out that the goodie-goodies of society are the biggest troublemakers. Their 'must-save-the-world' attitude often disrupts the natural course, simply because they seek to enforce man-made ideas of what's good and evil. An example is 'communism' which originally sprouted from a desire to change humanity for the better, based on equality and honest distribution of goods.

However, apart from the discussion if this approach is natural or not: the ways in which the communists spread their ideology were absolutely brutal. In the Zhuangzi, we find a story about a man named Yen Hui, who asked Confucius for permission to travel to the country of Wei, after he heard that it's ruled by an incompetent ruler.

Yen Hui wanted to use everything he learned about governance, to improve the country of Wei. Confucius, however, discouraged him to do so. Not only because Wei's highly disagreeable leader probably wouldn't listen, but also because people, in general, don't like outsiders coming in, telling what's better for them from a place of moral supremacy. As Confucius stated and I quote:

"If you do not understand men's minds, but instead appear before a tyrant and force him to listen to sermons on benevolence and righteousness, measures and standards - this is simply using other men's bad points to parade your own excellence."

We could ask ourselves: in what way is using other people's faults to create a nice role on the moral high ground. This only creates more division, more tension, and will unlikely change things for the better in a sustainable manner. As Lao Tzu puts it in the Tao Te Ching, and I quote:

Do you want to rule the world and control it? I don't think it can ever be done. The world is a sacred vessel and it can not be controlled. You will only make it worse if you try. It may slip through your fingers and disappear. End quote.

Now, the second one is... Trying to be happy No matter if it's the pursuit of money, status, fame, power, or knowledge; these ongoing efforts to be happy are the reason why we aren't. We think that we're happy when we've got a million dollars in the bank or when we finally published that story or when our YouTube channels have a 100k subscribers, but this is hardly the case. Sure, we enjoy some momentary pleasure, but that's not happiness according to the Taoists. Moreover, by this pursuit, we exhaust our bodies and minds, while, tragically, never achieving what we're looking for. I quote:

This is what the world honors: wealth, eminence, long life, a good name.
This is what the world finds happiness in: a life of ease, rich food, fine clothes, beautiful sights, sweet sounds.
This is what it looks down on: poverty, meanness, early death, a bad name.
This is what it finds bitter: a life that knows no rest, a mouth that gets no rich food, no fine clothes for the body, no beautiful sights for the eye, no sweet sounds for the ear.
People who can't get these things fret a great deal and are afraid - this is a stupid way to treat the body. People who are rich wear themselves out rushing around on business, piling up more wealth than they could ever use - this is a superficial way to treat the body.

So, when chasing happiness is a blind alley, what should we do instead? Well, the Taoists give us some suggestions. But before we go into them, let's look at the third one: Trying to be something else The Zhuangzi tells us a story about animals and the wind that envy each other for their inborn characteristics. The centipede envies the snake for the fact that it can move without legs, but the snake envies the wind for its ability to travel great distances without having a body at all. However, the wind argues that it takes just a finger or foot to hinder it. All in all, nature has created everything with its own attributes. Nothing is better than the other; only judgment makes it so.

Thus, we feel the need to change who we are, just to fit an ideal. White-skinned people try to be tanned, while East-Asians try to look more European, brunettes try to be blondes, and blondes try to be brunettes. Also, we try to change ourselves because we want to conform to a manmade standard; to fit in, simply because we're seen as defects when we don't. So, a sixth' finger is cut off, just to comply with the five-finger standard.

Why can't we just be who we are, the way nature intended us to be? That would be so much easier. Everyone and everything has its place in the whole. And by trying to alter this, we bring the world in disbalance.

I quote: When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created. When people see things as good, evil is created. Being and non-being produce each other. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short define each other. High and low oppose each other. Fore and aft follow each other. End quote.

So, how can we put these ideas into practice? The Taoists suggest several things. First of all, the Zhuangzi points to the benefits of taking the middle-path. This means that we shouldn't stretch ourselves beyond our means, but stay centered, so we conserve our health and stay close to our own nature.

"Follow the middle; go by what is constant, and you can stay in one piece, keep yourself alive, look after your parents, and live out your years." smiley.

The Tao is constant. And one who seeks the Tao unlearns something new every day, according to Lao Tzu. So instead of limiting ourselves to a belief system, we let go, keep an open mind, and give the universe room to show itself as it is. Trying to change nature is a futile pursuit, as is trying to blur our vision of nature by man-made constructs. Instead of adding to knowledge, we let go of knowledge, until we reach a point of inner stillness. Only then, we're opening ourselves up to the Tao.
In this state of emptiness , we feel content. And contentment is true happiness. The Taoists call this process the fasting of the heart. By unlearning something every day, the Taoist arrives at non-action. It's the art of not trying(Meditation) while nothing will be left undone . You will be left Emptied ,yet fulfilled

Good evening beautiful Homo sapiens

The Act of Not Trying

“Those who stand on tiptoes do not stand firmly.
Those who rush ahead don’t get very far in life .
Those who try to outshine others dim their own light.” — — Lao Tzu


How can we improve when we stop trying to improve? Many people waste their efforts trying to better their lives with questionable results. They gain knowledge and chase external things while exhausting their bodies, and burdening their minds (They call the Rat race).
The Taoists observed that humans tend to act in ways that are counterproductive. And in their attempts to alter the natural way, they only make things worse. All these strivings, rules, ethics, values, surely are invented to benefit humanity. But according to the ancient Taoist sages, we should get rid of them all. Why? Because all these manmade ideas only remove us further from the natural flow of life.

Trying to alter what nature has intended, is like swimming against the stream: it's exhausting and gets us nowhere. This story is about not trying to change the world, to gain the world. Behind the ever-changing universe lies a mysterious and undefinable force that the Taoists call "Tao", for the lack of a better word. The "Tao" is all-encompassing, and it's all about Balance.

Still, we can know and feel the Tao, even though we cannot comprehend it. This symbolizes the tragic attempts by humans to conceptualize things that are beyond their understanding. They use names, categories, they select and discern, but fail to grasp what the universe is truly like. So, they create a deception; an artifice that makes life understandable for humans. But by trying to comprehend, they lose the Tao.

"Five colors blind the eye. Five notes deafen the ear. Five flavors make the palate go stale," wrote Lao Tzu in his work the Tao Te Ching. So, by arranging colors, notes, and flavors, we might enhance our understanding, but we also limit it, as there's so much more outside of these fixed concepts. The same goes for the human tendency to make rock-solid rules for everything, to get a sense of control.

Again, we limit ourselves by doing so because the world is ever-changing, and what works today, may not work tomorrow. Also, from a sense of solidarity and justice, people create immense bodies of ethics, moral codes, and rituals, that form an artificial way of life. Even though the intentions are good: they try to make things work while building their own prisons.

Now, let's talk about the word 'trying'. I think most of us are familiar with the idea that we should simply 'act' and not 'try'. This idea is closely related to the 'flow-state'. In a flow-state one becomes the act, like a dancer who becomes the dance, or the poet who becomes the poem. This is wu wei, a concept that can be literally translated as 'non-doing' or 'doing nothing'. In the context of the flow state, wu wei translates best as 'effortless action', because we act in a smooth and painless manner.

In the context of this story, however, translating wu wei as 'non-doing' or 'doing nothing' fits best. Literally 'doing nothing' is often seen as unproductive, and as a useless way of being, in which there's no progression. But according to the Taoists, nothing is further from the truth. When we keep in mind that the universe is in flux and in a state of change and evolution, we'll realize that there's always progression in the natural flow of life.

So instead of using force, and exhausting ourselves (which is the favorite method of today's culture), we could travel through life much more easily by using intelligence. Because isn't it so as we have all noticed , that so many times, problems seem to solve themselves? And that by 'taking action' we often make things worse? When we waste our time trying to improve things we distance ourselves from the natural course. We repeatedly act in ways that are (according to the Taoists) unnatural and waste our bodies and minds doing so.

So, why do we this? Well, it has a lot to do with how we attribute value to certain things. For example, when we're averse to poverty, but desire money and fame, and when we're averse to being lonely but desire to be part of something. So we try to eradicate the former, and increase the latter, while the latter cannot exist without the former. Also, we think that it's necessary to conform and alter nature based on certain belief systems. We try to better the world, while the results of our interventions are kind of questionable.

Now, how can we bring these ancient theories into the modern world? According to Taoist thinking, in what ways do we, modern humans, 'try', while our efforts only leave us with peanuts in the end? Let's explore some examples of how we 'try', using the ancient Taoist scriptures the Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi. The first one is Trying to improve the world Alan Watts, who was a fervent scholar of Taoism and a FreeThinker , once pointed out that the goodie-goodies of society are the biggest troublemakers. Their 'must-save-the-world' attitude often disrupts the natural course, simply because they seek to enforce man-made ideas of what's good and evil. An example is 'communism' which originally sprouted from a desire to change humanity for the better, based on equality and honest distribution of goods.

However, apart from the discussion if this approach is natural or not: the ways in which the communists spread their ideology were absolutely brutal. In the Zhuangzi, we find a story about a man named Yen Hui, who asked Confucius for permission to travel to the country of Wei, after he heard that it's ruled by an incompetent ruler.

Yen Hui wanted to use everything he learned about governance, to improve the country of Wei. Confucius, however, discouraged him to do so. Not only because Wei's highly disagreeable leader probably wouldn't listen, but also because people, in general, don't like outsiders coming in, telling what's better for them from a place of moral supremacy. As Confucius stated and I quote:

"If you do not understand men's minds, but instead appear before a tyrant and force him to listen to sermons on benevolence and righteousness, measures and standards - this is simply using other men's bad points to parade your own excellence."

We could ask ourselves: in what way is using other people's faults to create a nice role on the moral high ground. This only creates more division, more tension, and will unlikely change things for the better in a sustainable manner. As Lao Tzu puts it in the Tao Te Ching, and I quote:

Do you want to rule the world and control it? I don't think it can ever be done. The world is a sacred vessel and it can not be controlled. You will only make it worse if you try. It may slip through your fingers and disappear. End quote.

Now, the second one is... Trying to be happy No matter if it's the pursuit of money, status, fame, power, or knowledge; these ongoing efforts to be happy are the reason why we aren't. We think that we're happy when we've got a million dollars in the bank or when we finally published that story or when our YouTube channels have a 100k subscribers, but this is hardly the case. Sure, we enjoy some momentary pleasure, but that's not happiness according to the Taoists. Moreover, by this pursuit, we exhaust our bodies and minds, while, tragically, never achieving what we're looking for. I quote:

This is what the world honors: wealth, eminence, long life, a good name.
This is what the world finds happiness in: a life of ease, rich food, fine clothes, beautiful sights, sweet sounds.
This is what it looks down on: poverty, meanness, early death, a bad name.
This is what it finds bitter: a life that knows no rest, a mouth that gets no rich food, no fine clothes for the body, no beautiful sights for the eye, no sweet sounds for the ear.
People who can't get these things fret a great deal and are afraid - this is a stupid way to treat the body. People who are rich wear themselves out rushing around on business, piling up more wealth than they could ever use - this is a superficial way to treat the body.

So, when chasing happiness is a blind alley, what should we do instead? Well, the Taoists give us some suggestions. But before we go into them, let's look at the third one: Trying to be something else The Zhuangzi tells us a story about animals and the wind that envy each other for their inborn characteristics. The centipede envies the snake for the fact that it can move without legs, but the snake envies the wind for its ability to travel great distances without having a body at all. However, the wind argues that it takes just a finger or foot to hinder it. All in all, nature has created everything with its own attributes. Nothing is better than the other; only judgment makes it so.

Thus, we feel the need to change who we are, just to fit an ideal. White-skinned people try to be tanned, while East-Asians try to look more European, brunettes try to be blondes, and blondes try to be brunettes. Also, we try to change ourselves because we want to conform to a manmade standard; to fit in, simply because we're seen as defects when we don't. So, a sixth' finger is cut off, just to comply with the five-finger standard.

Why can't we just be who we are, the way nature intended us to be? That would be so much easier. Everyone and everything has its place in the whole. And by trying to alter this, we bring the world in disbalance.

I quote: When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created. When people see things as good, evil is created. Being and non-being produce each other. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short define each other. High and low oppose each other. Fore and aft follow each other. End quote.

So, how can we put these ideas into practice? The Taoists suggest several things. First of all, the Zhuangzi points to the benefits of taking the middle-path. This means that we shouldn't stretch ourselves beyond our means, but stay centered, so we conserve our health and stay close to our own nature.

"Follow the middle; go by what is constant, and you can stay in one piece, keep yourself alive, look after your parents, and live out your years." smiley.

The Tao is constant. And one who seeks the Tao unlearns something new every day, according to Lao Tzu. So instead of limiting ourselves to a belief system, we let go, keep an open mind, and give the universe room to show itself as it is. Trying to change nature is a futile pursuit, as is trying to blur our vision of nature by man-made constructs. Instead of adding to knowledge, we let go of knowledge, until we reach a point of inner stillness. Only then, we're opening ourselves up to the Tao.
In this state of emptiness , we feel content. And contentment is true happiness. The Taoists call this process the fasting of the heart. By unlearning something every day, the Taoist arrives at non-action. It's the art of not trying(Meditation) while nothing will be left undone . You will be left Emptied ,yet fulfilled

Good evening beautiful Homo sapiens

The Act of Not Trying

“Those who stand on tiptoes do not stand firmly.
Those who rush ahead don’t get very far in life .
Those who try to outshine others dim their own light.” — — Lao Tzu


How can we improve when we stop trying to improve? Many people waste their efforts trying to better their lives with questionable results. They gain knowledge and chase external things while exhausting their bodies, and burdening their minds (They call the Rat race).
The Taoists observed that humans tend to act in ways that are counterproductive. And in their attempts to alter the natural way, they only make things worse. All these strivings, rules, ethics, values, surely are invented to benefit humanity. But according to the ancient Taoist sages, we should get rid of them all. Why? Because all these manmade ideas only remove us further from the natural flow of life.

Trying to alter what nature has intended, is like swimming against the stream: it's exhausting and gets us nowhere. This story is about not trying to change the world, to gain the world. Behind the ever-changing universe lies a mysterious and undefinable force that the Taoists call "Tao", for the lack of a better word. The "Tao" is all-encompassing, and it's all about Balance.

Still, we can know and feel the Tao, even though we cannot comprehend it. This symbolizes the tragic attempts by humans to conceptualize things that are beyond their understanding. They use names, categories, they select and discern, but fail to grasp what the universe is truly like. So, they create a deception; an artifice that makes life understandable for humans. But by trying to comprehend, they lose the Tao.

"Five colors blind the eye. Five notes deafen the ear. Five flavors make the palate go stale," wrote Lao Tzu in his work the Tao Te Ching. So, by arranging colors, notes, and flavors, we might enhance our understanding, but we also limit it, as there's so much more outside of these fixed concepts. The same goes for the human tendency to make rock-solid rules for everything, to get a sense of control.

Again, we limit ourselves by doing so because the world is ever-changing, and what works today, may not work tomorrow. Also, from a sense of solidarity and justice, people create immense bodies of ethics, moral codes, and rituals, that form an artificial way of life. Even though the intentions are good: they try to make things work while building their own prisons.

Now, let's talk about the word 'trying'. I think most of us are familiar with the idea that we should simply 'act' and not 'try'. This idea is closely related to the 'flow-state'. In a flow-state one becomes the act, like a dancer who becomes the dance, or the poet who becomes the poem. This is wu wei, a concept that can be literally translated as 'non-doing' or 'doing nothing'. In the context of the flow state, wu wei translates best as 'effortless action', because we act in a smooth and painless manner.

In the context of this story, however, translating wu wei as 'non-doing' or 'doing nothing' fits best. Literally 'doing nothing' is often seen as unproductive, and as a useless way of being, in which there's no progression. But according to the Taoists, nothing is further from the truth. When we keep in mind that the universe is in flux and in a state of change and evolution, we'll realize that there's always progression in the natural flow of life.

So instead of using force, and exhausting ourselves (which is the favorite method of today's culture), we could travel through life much more easily by using intelligence. Because isn't it so as we have all noticed , that so many times, problems seem to solve themselves? And that by 'taking action' we often make things worse? When we waste our time trying to improve things we distance ourselves from the natural course. We repeatedly act in ways that are (according to the Taoists) unnatural and waste our bodies and minds doing so.

So, why do we this? Well, it has a lot to do with how we attribute value to certain things. For example, when we're averse to poverty, but desire money and fame, and when we're averse to being lonely but desire to be part of something. So we try to eradicate the former, and increase the latter, while the latter cannot exist without the former. Also, we think that it's necessary to conform and alter nature based on certain belief systems. We try to better the world, while the results of our interventions are kind of questionable.

Now, how can we bring these ancient theories into the modern world? According to Taoist thinking, in what ways do we, modern humans, 'try', while our efforts only leave us with peanuts in the end? Let's explore some examples of how we 'try', using the ancient Taoist scriptures the Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi. The first one is Trying to improve the world Alan Watts, who was a fervent scholar of Taoism and a FreeThinker , once pointed out that the goodie-goodies of society are the biggest troublemakers. Their 'must-save-the-world' attitude often disrupts the natural course, simply because they seek to enforce man-made ideas of what's good and evil. An example is 'communism' which originally sprouted from a desire to change humanity for the better, based on equality and honest distribution of goods.

However, apart from the discussion if this approach is natural or not: the ways in which the communists spread their ideology were absolutely brutal. In the Zhuangzi, we find a story about a man named Yen Hui, who asked Confucius for permission to travel to the country of Wei, after he heard that it's ruled by an incompetent ruler.

Yen Hui wanted to use everything he learned about governance, to improve the country of Wei. Confucius, however, discouraged him to do so. Not only because Wei's highly disagreeable leader probably wouldn't listen, but also because people, in general, don't like outsiders coming in, telling what's better for them from a place of moral supremacy. As Confucius stated and I quote:

"If you do not understand men's minds, but instead appear before a tyrant and force him to listen to sermons on benevolence and righteousness, measures and standards - this is simply using other men's bad points to parade your own excellence."

We could ask ourselves: in what way is using other people's faults to create a nice role on the moral high ground. This only creates more division, more tension, and will unlikely change things for the better in a sustainable manner. As Lao Tzu puts it in the Tao Te Ching, and I quote:

Do you want to rule the world and control it? I don't think it can ever be done. The world is a sacred vessel and it can not be controlled. You will only make it worse if you try. It may slip through your fingers and disappear. End quote.

Now, the second one is... Trying to be happy No matter if it's the pursuit of money, status, fame, power, or knowledge; these ongoing efforts to be happy are the reason why we aren't. We think that we're happy when we've got a million dollars in the bank or when we finally published that story or when our YouTube channels have a 100k subscribers, but this is hardly the case. Sure, we enjoy some momentary pleasure, but that's not happiness according to the Taoists. Moreover, by this pursuit, we exhaust our bodies and minds, while, tragically, never achieving what we're looking for. I quote:

This is what the world honors: wealth, eminence, long life, a good name.
This is what the world finds happiness in: a life of ease, rich food, fine clothes, beautiful sights, sweet sounds.
This is what it looks down on: poverty, meanness, early death, a bad name.
This is what it finds bitter: a life that knows no rest, a mouth that gets no rich food, no fine clothes for the body, no beautiful sights for the eye, no sweet sounds for the ear.
People who can't get these things fret a great deal and are afraid - this is a stupid way to treat the body. People who are rich wear themselves out rushing around on business, piling up more wealth than they could ever use - this is a superficial way to treat the body.

So, when chasing happiness is a blind alley, what should we do instead? Well, the Taoists give us some suggestions. But before we go into them, let's look at the third one: Trying to be something else The Zhuangzi tells us a story about animals and the wind that envy each other for their inborn characteristics. The centipede envies the snake for the fact that it can move without legs, but the snake envies the wind for its ability to travel great distances without having a body at all. However, the wind argues that it takes just a finger or foot to hinder it. All in all, nature has created everything with its own attributes. Nothing is better than the other; only judgment makes it so.

Thus, we feel the need to change who we are, just to fit an ideal. White-skinned people try to be tanned, while East-Asians try to look more European, brunettes try to be blondes, and blondes try to be brunettes. Also, we try to change ourselves because we want to conform to a manmade standard; to fit in, simply because we're seen as defects when we don't. So, a sixth' finger is cut off, just to comply with the five-finger standard.

Why can't we just be who we are, the way nature intended us to be? That would be so much easier. Everyone and everything has its place in the whole. And by trying to alter this, we bring the world in disbalance.

I quote: When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created. When people see things as good, evil is created. Being and non-being produce each other. Difficult and easy complement each other. Long and short define each other. High and low oppose each other. Fore and aft follow each other. End quote.

So, how can we put these ideas into practice? The Taoists suggest several things. First of all, the Zhuangzi points to the benefits of taking the middle-path. This means that we shouldn't stretch ourselves beyond our means, but stay centered, so we conserve our health and stay close to our own nature.

"Follow the middle; go by what is constant, and you can stay in one piece, keep yourself alive, look after your parents, and live out your years." .

The Tao is constant. And one who seeks the Tao unlearns something new every day, according to Lao Tzu. So instead of limiting ourselves to a belief system, we let go, keep an open mind, and give the universe room to show itself as it is. Trying to change nature is a futile pursuit, as is trying to blur our vision of nature by man-made constructs. Instead of adding to knowledge, we let go of knowledge, until we reach a point of inner stillness. Only then, we're opening ourselves up to the Tao.
In this state of emptiness , we feel content. And contentment is true happiness. The Taoists call this process the fasting of the heart. By unlearning something every day, the Taoist arrives at non-action. It's the art of not trying(Meditation) while nothing will be left undone . You will be left Emptied ,yet fulfilled

zeuss:
Lies from the pit of hell ........Fulani is the alien in Nigeria geographical space. The Fulani migration originates from Futa Jalon....Hausa on the other hand spread over a large area greater than the Nigerian space just like the Yoruba also spill into Benin.

OP is an astronomical liar struggling to turn history on its head, Either that or he is a well rounded illiterate.

OP jus use Google and spare yourself this shamelessness.

Good luck to you buddy . Oh and where are your facts Meathead?

PaZwoD:
I'm not entirely criticising this research but there are lots of anomaly there e.g Oghede, Ifufe and Okan; these are not correct Spelling of the supposed subjects: Oghede- Ogede, Ifufe - Afefe, Okan- Ookan.
Meanwhile, going deeper, these spellings have marks either up or down to enhance and naturalise the pronunciation and meaning.

Note: there is no "h" in Yoruba alphabet.

yeah I noticed the adultrated form too ,genuinely appreciate you , we really know little of our history, but still we are all one of the same , how is your day going!? So far

How could we not have seen this , why was History written out of the curriculum?

Do have a lovely day beautiful Nigerians