Taoism
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A Taoist Mother’s Day
In the US today is Mother’s Day, a day to stop and recognize the love and work and beauty of our mothers. Although the commercialization of the day would likely repel a Taoist – it seems perfectly invented… Continue reading
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The Ancients on the Web
The new Google Trends feature provides an insight, perhaps not wholly accurate but interesting nonetheless, of what people search for on the web. You can even compare two or more terms to see which is more widely searched. … Continue reading
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Maybe That Taoist Idyll Is Not So Idyllic After All
The NYT ran this story, with a big picture, above the fold on page one today: Leaving the Wild, and Rather Liking the Change: Since time immemorial the Nukak-Makú have lived a Stone Age life, roaming across hundreds… Continue reading
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Taoism in Everyday Life
Perhaps many of you have seen this before, but yesterday I noticed for the first time this bumper sticker – a take-off on the old "I’d rather be sailing," "I’d rather be golfing," "I’d rather be….," etc. I’d… Continue reading
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The Tao, and Non-Tao, of Engineering
Henry Petroski, an engineer who writes, comes up with some Taoist sounding ideas in a discussion of his recent book, "Success Through Failure." Success masks failure. The more a thing operates successfully, the more confidence we have in… Continue reading
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PAP Ministers: “Vainglorious Thievery”
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post, "Inequality, Again," that reflected upon the large and growing gap between the incomes of the richest US CEOs and the average worker, using Mencius and the Tao Te Ching… Continue reading
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Mike Mussina: Almost a Taoist Sage
Can’t resist commenting on this story: Mussina Finds Out That Less Can Be More. When I saw the headline this morning I thought, great, another example of an accomplished sportsman following Way. But not quite. Mike… Continue reading
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Chuang Tzu in Everyday Life
Harriet McBryde Johnson writes the "Lives" column in yesterday’s NYT Magazine. She is disabled and has written about her life extensively. Her encounters with philosopher Peter Singer, who takes a rather dim utilitarian view of disability, are bracing. … Continue reading
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Why Kill Moussaoui?
This morning I heard the family members of some of the victims of 9/11 testify against, in a oblique sort of way, the death penalty for Zacarias Moussaoui. Outside the courthouse, one woman pointed out that, while some… Continue reading
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One Month
Yesterday was a nice day: the sun was warm, warmer than usual for April in the Berkshires; the promise of Spring was everywhere. It was the kind of day where happiness was close at hand. Yet in the… Continue reading
The Useless Tree 