Class of November 16th

Today in class our first paper about The Sacred in Taoism was due, we reviewed the Te of Piglet Template of Analyzing the Logic of an Article questions and watched a scene from the Karate Kid and recorded examples of Taoism and Confucianism, some examples are listed below:

Taoism:

1. Focus and concentrate on moment

2. Outside and surrounded by nature

3. Qi-internal energy- the essence of life

4. Yellow clothing, meditation, and taoist priests praying.

5. Chan displays wuwei as he climbs the mountain without difficulty, but Jayden is suffering and complaining instead.

6. Tai Chi

7. Ying and Yang Water Bath

Confucianism:

1. "Did I say come in?"

2. Jacket on and off

3. Kung Fu is in everything

4. "Be Quiet"

5. Discipline and Obedience

In the Te of Piglet the author leaves it up to the reader to decide if what he is saying is truth or not. He presents a view point and we are to determine if we agree or not. He encourages us to think about if our priorities are reflected in our actions.

Class of November 10th

Today's class was the Fabulous Picture-Taking Wu Wei/Yin Yang Axtravanganza, or FPTWWYYA as I like to call it.  Try pronouncing THAT without getting tired...

Assignment that were due today: Just Circumlectio and to bring a digital camera, which I failed at.
Assignments that were assigned today:  Circumlectio with photos and to begin writing Taoism Essay #1.

And now to the main event!  These are pictures that were taken during class by our Circumlectio group that we believed were examples of wu wei (actionless action) and yin and yang (opposites living in balance and harmony).

This is an example of Yin and Yang.  Yin and Yang represent opposites who live in harmony with one another: hot and cold, light and dark, male and female, heaven and earth, or in this case, wet and dry.       The water on the sidewalk doesn't go and attack the dry sidewalk.  The dryness and wetness just passively lie next to each other, though the very different.

This photo here depicts the wonderful Troy Sinha planking in the Main Office of Good Counsel.  He is displaying Wu Wei very nicely.  To fight against the Tao and act assertively would be to stand up straight using your body strength to hold you upright on your feet.  To act with wu wei would be to allow the Tao and gravity to pull you down until you comfortably lie on the ground.

This picture is an example of Yin and Yang.  It is a patch of dirt and eartth in the middle of the grassy area some may refer to as the GC auditorium or "Aqua Theater".  The dirt and grass, polar opposites, lie peacefully next to each other, defining each other.

This picture displays wu wai.  It is a photo of a flag pole with the Maryland state flag and some other flag I do not recognize.  Wu wei means to live passively in harmony with the Tao.  These flags are flowing passively with the flow of the wind.  This is a good symbol because a gentle breeze is a very good metaphor for the Tao and we are its flags, if we act like proper Taoists.

This is an example of the balance and symmetry between Yin and Yang.  The tiles' colors are Yin or Yang, representing opposites balance harmoniously with each other.  The goal for Taoists is for all creation to live with each other like these tiles.









Because of all these pictures, I'm assuming I don't need a picture or a connection of some sort, as these count as BOTH.

November 8, 2011

Today in class, we first watched a short video on Derek Redmond. He was favored to win the 400m race at the 1992 Olympics. However, soon into the race his hamstring tore- but that did not stop him. He knew he wanted to finish the race. He hobbled to the finish line, clearly in pain, and his father came running right beside Derek to finish the race with his son. This was the beginning of our prayer, and I really thought it was a very interesting and eye-opening video. God will always be by our side, helping us through the struggles in life; but we must have the passion to want to overcome these struggles, just like Derek.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz05WW8abX0

Next, we watched a video of the song, "Honor to Us All" from Mulan. We had to point out the examples of Confucianism and write them in our journal. As a class, we saw examples of obedience to our ancestors and family- Mulan is helping her grandmother help her to fit in and be the woman society wants. This is extremely important in Confucianism. Also, behavior and being on time is important- as seen in this song. Confucianists also serve an emperor and was mentioned in this song. The underlying message for Mulan is to "bring honor" to her family and not disappoint them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkmsyhSEaWc

The last thing we did in class is start watching "Little Buddah." We watched only parts of the movie but so far have learned that Buddah was called Siddhartha. He began to see the evil and bad in the world that his father had hid from him. He wants to make the world a better place and be the one to change this. There are four passing sights relating to Siddhartha: the old, sick, dying, and wandering ascetics. Also, we watched a part in this movie where Siddhartha realizes that your sense of self is only an illusion. Your ego can only make you feel pain. When you realize this, is when you are enlightened.

Class of November 3 2011

In this shortened class, we engaged in a few activities.

A quiz was held on the terms: taixi, tai chi, and shouyi, off of the Daoism unit.

Also, texts analyzing the striking similarities between Winnie the Pooh and the teachings of Laozi of Daoism were distributed. Winnie the Pooh, a character known for his extreme simplicity of life as well as the mind is a great example of the ideal follower of Daoism.

Introduced today was the parable of the Three Vinegar Testers. Three representatives of the major Chinese religions of Confucism, Buddhism, and Daoism were said to have tasted vinegar. The Confucist tasted sourness; the Buddhist bitterness; and the Daoist sweetness. This parable masterfully demonstrates the three schools' distinct outlooks on life, which in this case was represented by the vinegar. For of course, the Daoist finds beauty in even the vinegar and does not let something so lowly as taste alter his flow with the Dao.

Class of November 1st, 2011

This class we continued studying Taoism and the other religions of China.
Assignments Due:  March for Life Permission Form
Homework:  Circumlectio and to study for next quiz.

We started this class with a prayer led by Mrs. Egan, and then proceeded to have our first quiz on Taoism Vocabulary.  The words were:
Tao - In China or in Taoism, the path, course, or way of the universe.  Although its influence is in nature, the eternal Tao is believed to be hidden from empirical experience.
Tao te Jing - "The Way and Its Power", A book attributed to Laozi, founder of Taoism.
Laozi - The sage of China believed to have been the author of the Tao Te Jing.  He is regarded as the founder of Taoism.

Mrs. Egan then presented a powerpoint with a handout on Taoism with some general background notes.  Then we recieved a handout called "Chinese Religion: An Introduction".

We also learned a little bit about a book called "The Tao of Pooh", which relates the behavior of Winnie the Pooh to Taoist practices.

This is a picture of LaoTzu, the beleived father of Taoism.  It is widely believed that Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Jing, the primary sacred text of Taoism.


Connections:
http://webpages.charter.net/sn9/literature/pooh.html
Some excerpts from the Tao of Pooh which will probably help you understand what the book is about.

http://www.squidoo.com/lao-tse-quotes
Here are several quotes from the Tao Te Ching which will give you a better understanding of its general message.

Class of October 28th

Taoism Chapter:

During this class we got to get hands on with Taoism and Chinese culture and religion. We were able to participate in tai chi. We learned the importance of taking in deep slow breaths, and relaxing. Letting go of all anxieties and worries is important in daoism and is done through tai chi and taixi which is embryonic breathing. These focus on simplicity which is key in daoism.

This is a great website, which gives many different suggestions and instructions on tai chi. There are many different exercises that someone can do.

http://www.everyday-taichi.com/

This discusses the history of tai chi in taoism and the value taoists derive from it.

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/tao-chi.html

Here you can see the fluid movements present in tai chi, and how it maintains harmony. This picture is very symbolic.