Every “-ism” is a “wasn’t”. Every “-ism” as commonly understood by the followers today is not the original ideology in the mind of the Sage who started it. That is why there are many sects in every religion. Of course, Taoism was originally not a religion, but was later turned into a religion due to greed, aversion and delusion. Taoism wasn’t like what it is today; Buddhism wasn’t like what it is today; and Confucianism wasn’t like what it is today.
Taoism ideas started long before Lao Zi who lived around the year of 500 BC. There was no name for the ideology which Lao Zi learnt from his teacher. Lao Zi is remembered today as the founder of Taoism because he wrote a small booklet, with no title but later known as Tao Te Ching. Some historians said the booklet was not written by Lao Zi but contributed by many authors over many years. Does it matter whether it was not really written by Lao Zi? Is it wise to reject wise words simply because the one who spoken them is no one you know or admire? The answer is clear to anyone who has a clear mind.
Let us don’t make thing complicated which is contradictory to Taoism. “Everything should be made simple, but not simpler.” — Albert Einstein. For simplicity, let us assume Lao Zi was the author of Tao Te Ching and he was the founder of Taoism. After all, the opening words of Tao Te Ching said: “Tao which is spoken by anyone will never be the correct or complete description of Tao, because the true Tao is all encompassing and has unlimited extent that it can never be fully described with words. We may give it a name, but no name can actually befit its greatness. We call it Tao just as a temporary name or a tag.” That means we must never accept or reject any words as the truths, including the words of Lao Zi. But listen we must, with no judgmental views on whether the word is right or wrong; like collecting data but not processing it immediately for any applications. This is one major difference between Taoism and other philosophies or religions which force us to accept the gospels without question, or debate to make us believe their words are right and any disagreements are wrong (as if a person who is good at debating knows the truth). Taoism is synonymous with true open-mindedness. Just keep listening, like the sea which becomes gigantic by accepting the discharges from all rivers in the world, big or small. Surely there are clean as well as dirty discharges, but that’s OK; don’t reject anything, no like or dislike, no aversion or hatred. Take the lower position because water flows from high places to low places. Don’t be arrogant even if you are the king of the great sea; there are greater thing than the sea. Keep the useless (don’t discard it) and use the useful as the need arises at different time and space. Everything is impermanent (like what the Buddha said). It is a delusion to think that there is permanent usefulness/uselessness, or there is permanent right/wrong.
A true Taoist can accept everything and learn from all ideologies/religions including Buddhism and Confucianism. The first step to become a Taoist is the wish and devotion; like a person wishing and devoted to become a follower of a religion. That wish and devotion must come from the understanding of how great that ideology/religion is, so that one is not easily swayed to denounce the ideology/religion later. Some religions forbid their believers from reading or learning about other religions due to fear of blasphemy and proselytization; the fear comes from insecurity and lack of self-confidence in their religions. In other words, the first step to become a Taoist is the wish and devotion to become extraordinary rather than ordinary person; one must unlearn the ordinary or common thinking in order to become extraordinary. Becoming a member of a Taoism temple is the last thing you should do; true Taoist wishes to become nothingness instead of having something or everything. True Taoist wishes to have no attachment to anything so that he can self-levitate himself to a higher altitude. Taoism teaches us to accept everything, like the Nature does, although It has no desire to receive anything but only provide everything (without desire to do so) to everybody. Receive naturally and provide naturally; like left hand helping right hand without much thought. See and accept reality as it is; live as a part of the reality, like a grain of salt dissolving in the great sea. The Nature is the greater self; the grain of salt is the small self. The small self is happy when the greater self is happy. The small self forget himself when he merges with the greater self.
When there is no desire, there is no greed, hatred and delusion. This is a similarity of Taoism with Buddhism and Confucianism. In fact, it is the common logical conclusion of the three philosophies. Lack of desire comes with perfect virtue, equanimity, and wisdom. There will be no more suffering; no more fear, obligation, and guilt. That is the perfect happiness and self-interest. The greatest selfishness is selflessness. Finally, when you become nothingness and have no self (truly selfless), you will be neither Taoist nor anything else.
RESILIENT KID 