Daily 1_31 – Buddha Zhen Discusses TAO #18c about Rules, Nature and Obedience to Society
Alright. Daily Taoist here. I told you I was gonna try to finish these 18s, and I’m on #18c. And I’ve g5 mileote ined a ‘d’ and an ‘e’ to do. Let’s see if I can blast you.
I’m reading from my book, TAO OF TAOISM – USING THE DAO TE CHING TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE based on Lao Tzu’s book, The DAO TE CHING.
Okay, let’s see. Where are we? We’re on #18c page 31 of my book.
And I’m claiming Lao Tzu said,
Tao #18c
When families are organized and maintained by following rules:
Nature is ignored.
Ah darnit. This is where people put that battle between Confucius and Lao Tzu out there. Because this seems like its at all odds with him. Most of the translations were of course like this. But I’ve come to have a broad understanding and realize the two were completely in harmony.
Okay. Here we go. But it’s the same as like a speed limit. It’s obeying the speed limits on the freeway. You can say, “Well I don’t want a speed limit. I want to go 100 miles per hour.) Well, it doesn’t matter. You’ve got to realize that organization is important. Rules, and following and maintaining those rules is important. Okay? And that’s all that Confucius is saying is that rules are better than not having any rules.
And it’s saying that Nature is ignored. And that’s true. We’re ignoring Nature when we go 65 miles an hour. You should be walking. [laughs] You’re defying Nature in that car. But anyway the Nature of that car is to only go so fast. And the Nature of the turns is to only go so fast. And the Nature of the traffic is to not go too fast and run into the car in front of you. l
So there’s all these Natures. All these Taos going on all the time. So even when we can change and create a mechanical Nature we’re still creating a mechanical Tao. A new Nature withing the real big natural Tao. Building a city on this planet is an unnatural environment but it’s still connected to the Tao. And within the environment of the city there’s a different kind of Tao when you are in the city, and sleep in the forest as opposed to sleep between two buidlings. It’s a little different, I mean two trees and two buildings. There’s all– but anyway.
So.. this is not the battle between Confucianism and Taoism everybody makes it out to be. They are in harmony.
When families are organized and contained by following rules Nature is ignored. That’s not all true. Because Nature requires harmony. If you go to a pack of wolves there’s certain rules that they have to keep the cubs from wandering off and getting eaten by another animal. So all Nature has rules. And this translation needs– Well you can see how it misleads people.
We’ll say Nature is ignored. Okay, so in that sense we’ll say it’s kind of right. So, I’m not gonna have to rewrite this but– We’re saying we’re ignorning the Nature that says we’re supposed to be walking. We’re saying we’re in a car going 65 miles an hour. When you born I don’t think that was predicted. You know, saying oh this guy’s gonna be cruising at 65 miles an hour in a machine sometime. So anyway, you define Nature. That’s something you created and imposed on Nature.
So you’re ignoring Nature when you’re in that car. You’re ignoring the wind. You’re rolling up the windows so you don’t even feel the air that’s outside. You are ignoring Nature.
So in that sense you’re right. But it’s not saying that it’s a problem–it’s a bad thing…
Just remember that some people– Don’t react to this information. Try to figure out how to use it. See, that’s why I’m here. Okay? I’ll show you how to use it.
Here we go.
What rules were you raised by that seemed unfair but simplified your parent’s control?
I’ve been a parent. I know this. You made rules that the kids don’t like but it makes your life simpler. Like, keep them in the house. Don’t let them run out where you can’t see where they’re at. So you make all kinds of rules that keep life simpler for YOU. That the kids may not appreciate at all. [laughs]
What rules do you employ that simplify life?
That’s a bit general. I didn’t say whose. I guess I’m saying the whole life around you.
What rules do you employ that simplify life?
I know of one woman who liked to simplify her life by having the kids watch TV. So that’s how she simplified here life was by having the kids watch TV.
Although a contemporary of Confucius, why does it appear he conflicts [LAUGHS] just remember I was already talking about this with Confucius and Lao Tzu.
What does it take to keep a family organized?
Rules. You can’t do it without rules.
I’m sorry. I shouldn’t answer your questions.
What does it take to keep a family organized?
There’s all kinds of answers.
I said, “I’m sorry.” I’ll interject again.
When should parents get a divorce?
When should parents get a divorce?
I got scolded a year ago. Sommadebody actually doesn’t like me and got mad at me about that I’ve been divorced. A fellow Catholic. Weird. That anybody’d get mad at you for being divorced. But anyway, he was saying, “You should get back!” She’s already remarried somebody else.
The whole concept of getting ge a divorce. When SHOULD parents get a divorce?
What is an ideal family in your opinion?
What is an ideal– You should write that down on a piece of paper and say, “Oh, when I get up in the morning my family does this… My wife does this…My kids or dogs are…Maybe you family doesn’t have any– it’s all pets. I don’t know. But whour at is your ideal family? YOUR ideal family.
Not the one– well actually, if you start writing it–you’ll realize, “Hey, this is my parent’s idea of an ideal family. But I don’t know if I buy into this.”
That might be good for you to realize. So anyway, just write it douuu’ve bwn right now and see what it is. Okay? Because you might actually realize you’ve been fooling yourself.
What is an ideal family? (In your opinion.) I put that in parentheses. So I guess I was trying to lead you to your own answer.
What do you know about filial piety?
Huh? Americans don’t know anything about that. It’s so embarrassing how Americans… Filial piety is one of the most ikmportant things you can learn in family structure. That’ll answer one of your questions from earlier.
What do you know about filial piety?
Filial piety is the one thing in the Eurd aop– In the Asian cultures: has proven to provide success–and huge success. it’s the filial– Filial piety I think has created has created an amazing amount of success. Obviously, there’s a down side to it too
If you’re– When I was– Like I said, I’ve been buying Kung Fu weapons since the seventies in Chinatown. I got to know a lot of store owners. Really personal over the years going there on a regular basis. And their kids grew up. I watched their kids in the store. Then they grow up, go to college and then they leave. And, I haven’t seen them– well, ten years ago, the last times I was visiting there buying weapons with my students–I was talking to them and they were like–these people are old and older than me and, they’re retired and their kids don’t want to have anything to do with the stores. They’ve gone on to their own businesses or other careers… whatever it is. But by filial piety their kids would run that store and take it over but– See, that would be more like a prison to put them in that position to take over that store. And they don’t want to. “I want to go to college. I want to go to Europe.” Don’t want to run a Chinese merchandise store.
So filial piety can unfortunately go astray In my own kids. I was– I pushed that on my own kids. I wanted them to run the school but realized, No, this wasn’t right for them, to take over my Kung Fu school. But that’s the normal thing in Chinese and even the martial arts thing is: your kids grow up and take it over. KIn fact a lot of martial artists who’ve passed away, have died and they say, “Where are their kids? ” And they didn’t do their martial arts. Like Bruce Lee’s daughter never did any Kung Fu. And she’s running the orgainzation. And Parker. I think Ed Parker maybe. I think he’s very famous as a martial artist. But his kid didn’t graduate the system. So since then I think they’ve tried to beef him up so he could kind of keep that thing going to represent the lineage of these other people who followed him
There’s all these things about propping people up into that filial piety thing that didn’t even exist. So it’s kind of an interesting thing.
How would your family be structured the same as your parents’ family?
Oh I’m gonna hurry and see if I can make my ten minute mark.
How would your family be structured the same as your parent’s family?
In other words, are you following– And if your parents have a good family and it’s going good and you follow it–That’s great.
See, that’s the problem with President Trump. He followed into the soup but he wasn’t suited for it. He didn’t have the acumen, the talent, the ability, or the honesty to do real estate business. He’s a crook. He’s a liar and a cheat. That’s not the kind of person you want to do business when you’re doing real estate. Especially big money like that. Cheating people out of little money’s bad, horrible… But cheating people out of millions of– well, it’s the same thing.
Okay. Here we go. Describe someone’s family that you envy or respect.
There you go. So you can start over. Maybe you were born in the wrong family. “Oh, I wish I was born in that family.”
Look at that and structure that. Just decide what your reality–your Tao.
Remember? This is the TAO of TAOISM.
There’s always different realities. And none of them are wrong. Unless you’re in the wrong place, at the wrong time, in the wrong Tao. They can’t be right.
That’s what your goal is: to make the RIGHT TAO.
Should a wife obey her husband?
There’s a question that will open up a lot of understandings for you because this is very important.
Should a wife obey her husband?
Remember I wrote this thirty years ago. Before i actually learned Confucianism and everything.
If you’re a Methodist, they took it out of the vows. A wife never says she will obey her husband.
Should a husband obey his wife?
I’m not sure what your other answer was but what’s your answer to this one?
Should a husband obey his wife?
Who should the children obey?
The mother? The father? Nobody?
Who should the children obey?
How do you teach children to be obedient?
Ooops. Ten minutes.
How do you teach children to be obedient?
Or do you? Should you? Some people think you shouldn’t.
So okay, there’s your questions.
And now let’s go back to the very beginning of it and see what Lao Tzu said. See if I kind of led you to integrate that into your life.
When families are organized and maintained by following rules. Nature is ignored.
Ah! Let’s look at that as a positive. If people’s Nature is to be selfish and greedy and do terrible things and run out in the street and get run over–
Then we want to basically ignore their Nature and say, “No. This is the new Tao and this is what you should do. Forget your Nature and your wants and your desires to fit into this Tao. Artificial Nature I’m creating– which is my Tao.”
Okay. So hey. There’s the positive of this. IS that sometimes you need to ignore Nature. You need to ignore your desire in order to get something accomplished correctly.
Daily Taoist outta here. In 10:59.
Whoops. I missed the button.
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