Daoist Perception

[Kevin Chung]

Daoist's believe to let things happen naturally without regulation.
Does that pertain to things such as plants growing without
restriction? Should we let the grass grow without regulating its
height and style? It's part of our lifestyle, since we either have a
yard or don't. Perhaps it only pertains to the social view as a
person. To let things a person does, to be natural. In that case,
does that mean we shouldn't regulate cutting our fingernails or
trimming our hair?
Perhaps these examples aren't related to daoist idea and i am just off
topic, but what do they say about that lol?

Also, under the section of what an ideal daoist ruler is, there is a
suggestion of "anticipating problems." By anticipating, wouldn't that
be considered an "active" action opposed to a "passive" action which
is correlated with the Doaist idea of being passive and responsive?

-kevin

[caldwe...@osu.edu]

Here's the answer to this question: "In that case, does that mean we

shouldn't regulate cutting our fingernails or trimming our hair? "

The answer is whatever the hell you feel like at the time, do it.
There is no right or wrong answer as a daoist, and as long as you are
harming no one, why should one care what you do? So if you feel like
cutting them, do it! Or else you are going against nature. If you
don't feel like it, say screw it.

Also, anticipating for a daoist is fine, and especially in this day
and age, it is damn near impossible not to if you have a social life.
The point is, do not make rigid plans. Try to make as little SET plans
as possible, and that way, when they don't happen the way you planned,
there will be no stress.

Basically for Daosim, remember this: No one can know or prove an
absolute truth, so be rid of concepts, and don't let anyone tell you
how to live. Try doing what you want, don't stress, chill, and try to
be open minded and kind. Try not to hurt people, too. :) Be open to
everyone's ideas, and embrace them

[den...@osu.edu]

I think that sometimes you are thinking a little too far into his
concepts. I don' think that Daoists ever thought about cutting their
fingernails. But from what I am interpreting from the philosophy is
it doesn't matter if you cut your nails. He is just saying that do
whatever. If you feel like cutting them, then cute them. If you
don't want to cut them, then don't. He is just saying don't put it in
your agenda that every Tuesday at noon that you have to cut your
fingernails. Daoists want you to just go with the flow.

[Nicholaos Jones]

Both replies to this original post are very good.

The main issue that seems to be causing confusion is something like
"What does it mean to act naturally?"

The common misconception is that acting natural = living like a
hippie. That's oversimplifying. You don't have to not wash your hair
and eat naturally-grown foods (or do other stereotypically-hippie
things) to be a daoist. You just have to live in such a way that you
don't resist your circumstances and environment. Suppose you like
eating expensive steaks at fancy restaurants. Then go ahead and do
that. Just don't behave in a way that you end up resisting
circumstances if it happens that the restaurant is closed or you can't
afford the meal you want -- instead of getting bent out of shape,
adapt and do something else. Have a high-powered job working for a
faceless corporation that doesn't pay a living wage to its ground-
level employees -- just don't get stressed out when you have deadlines
to meet and mind-numbing paperwork to do: either like what you're
doing, or get a different job if you don't. Because if you stay at
your job despite being miserable there, then you're resisting your
reaction to your job. And if you think to yourself "I hate this job,
but I need the money to support my lifestyle", then think hard about
whether the situations that come with the job are worth it to you: if
they are, stop being schizophrenic and hating your job for the work
but liking it for the money and either change your attitude toward the
job or find another job that you don't hate. When an animal is in an
unpleasant situation, the animal leaves. But when humans are in
unpleasant situations, they rationalize why the unpleasantness is
worth it after all, and they do this without taking their reasons
seriously (because, despite the rationalizations, the unpleasantness
remains) -- and that's one way of acting against the flow of nature.
If you want to cut the grass, cut it. But don't complain about it --
if you don't like cutting the grass, don't. And if you think the
grass needs to be cut whether you like it or not, then either take
seriously the reason for why the grass NEEDS to be cut and stop
resisting that necessity, or else stop fooling yourself and admit the
grass doesn't NEED to be cut after all. You don't have to act on
every impluse to be a daoist, as if you were a child and the whole
world is your playpen. Instead, you have to be willing to let some
impulses pass without lingering on them if you think acting on those
impulses wouldn't be the best thing to do, or else indulge the impulse
when you think there's no harm in doing so.