Daoism Q&A! Yay!

[TricksterWolf]

You said that there have been philosophers in Daoism that are also in other religions... i am curious about this... does it mean that Daosim recognizes other ways to the Dao? or can Daoism be a supplemental on top of other religious beliefs?

Daoism is pretty open-ended. The wisdom of the Dao De Jing incorporates a number of separate elements: observations about the inherent perfection of nature and reality, virtues that all people should strive to follow (moderation, humility, compassion), opinions on proper leadership qualities (the best leaders are not loved--they are silent, and the people are led to believe they alone are responsible for the leader's successes; also, they favor filling the basic needs of people, like food and shelter), and opinions on proper law and governance (trust people to be moral when you can; do not enforce religion or morality). All of these are fairly compatible with other beliefs.

Daoism has the "flavors" of favoring baser material needs over intellectual pursuits, favoring natural processes over controlled ones, and favoring faith in the individual over enacting laws. For this reason it is sometimes seen as anti-intellectual, anti-scientific, or anarchistic. But people who are intellectuals, scientists, and political activists may discover that this philosophy compliments their lives rather than detracts from them.

Daoism is different from most other religions in that it sees the world as good and people as good, if only you have the faith to trust the people to make the right decisions and trust in God to make things happen. Because of this nature, it is a path to serenity.

And is the Dao something that you become a part of, something that you simply become, or something that is above you? im having difficulty trying to understand how Dao is similar to the idea of God... if it is...

The Dao is similar to God because it is timeless and the source of all things. This places it in the role of the Creator, though speaking about the Dao in this way is a little inaccurate because Creation is so much larger and greater than the words we can use to describe it. It is an active God, not a passive one; it is in all processes and actions. It is not anthropomorphic, nor anthropocentric...though clearly people are creatures with some favor of nature.

The Dao is also something you try to live in your life in two ways: by using natural processes to make your actions easier and more effective, and by allowing the inherent morality within yourself to come to the surface without forcing it. It's something you listen to; it's something you lean on for strength. It's always within you and everything else, and you have permission to use it any way you like. However, those people who understand how to use it are already naturally moral, I think.

Trickster