Taoism
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Ghosts and Taoists and Confucians
A fun story in today’s LA Times about ghosts and Chinese culture. It turns out that the best place to study the relationship of spirits and Chinese-ness is Taiwan: In Taiwan, ghosts are rarely a laughing matter. On… Continue reading
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Bad News
Yet more sad stories in the news these days: havoc in Iraq; war in the Middle East; tsunami in Indonesia; fires in California. Any silver lining in all of these dark clouds? The Tao Te Ching, in its… Continue reading
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The Chickens Come Home to Roost
This story ran on the Xinhua wire yesterday (hat tip: China Digital Times): KFC Sullies Chinese Classic BEIJING, July 15 — Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is under fire, for its latest video advertisement depicting an old Taoist surrounded… Continue reading
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A little Li Po
I have been working through various papers and blogs all day but can find nothing to write about. Too much tragedy: the bombings in Mumbai; the tunnel collapse in Boston; the various wars. Perhaps it is the summer… Continue reading
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George Washington, Taoist Sage
Andrew Sullivan links to a piece by Peter Berkowitz which repeats Gordon Wood’s praise of George Washington’s greatest political virtue: Washington stunned the world a first time after leading the Continental Army to victory. Even as many of… Continue reading
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The Tao of North Korea
It is clear now (again?) that the Bush administration’s policy toward North Korea has failed. Pyongyang’s July 4th missile launches were a product of the ineffective tough-guy stance Bush has assumed since taking office in 2001. … Continue reading
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A Taoist July 4th
It may seem improbable but I think we can find a Taoist angle on the US Independence Day, July 4th, holiday. Patriotism and nationalism, which are basically what July 4th is all about, are rather alien… Continue reading
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It’s Official: The Taoists Were Right
This just in: A Bigger Bank Account Isn’t Going to Buy You Happiness, Study Says By Jamie Talan, Newsday June 30, 2006 MELVILLE, N.Y. — A psychologist at Stony Brook University on Long Island, collaborating with scientists at… Continue reading
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A Favorite Passage
We set out like ingenious machines declaring "yes this" and "no that." Or we hold fast like oath-bound warriors defending victory. We can say that to fade away day by day is to die like autumn into winter. But we’re… Continue reading
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How many meetings have you been in where something like this happened?
To wear yourself out illuminating the unity of all things without realizing that they’re the same – this is called "three in the morning." Why "three in the morning?" There was once a monkey trainer who said at feeding time,… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 