Fundamentals of Taoism
First entry in over 89 weeks!
So, I am studying Chinese Medicine and I have to write journal entries for my Taoism class. I thought I'd like to post them here, since I sort of miss the ol' LJ!
'Calamaties and blessings do not come through any definitive distinguishable door, it is the person that invites them.' Is this statement true?
I have always believed that thought creates energy which manifests results; thus positive thinking manifests positive results and vice versa. There have been many days when it seemed I rose on the wrong side of the bed and everything was going wrong. On days like that, it was always easier to fall into that negative frame of mind and let one thing after another get to me and as I reached the end of the day I would be mentally and emotionally exhausted. I sometimes consciously think to myself, “just pull yourself out of it, rise above and let it go and you’ll feel better,” but it seems like I want to feel that “angst”.
One of the best examples of inviting a blessing into my life was simply letting go of a fear. I had attached so much fear and negative emotion to a particular situation, and was kind of blinded by what I wanted to get out of it, versus what I knew was the best outcome. I was feeling miserable, so I started to pray. I consciously let go of my expectations and desires, and asked the Universe/God to just let it happen for me. I opened myself up and let go of the fear, and it all worked out beautifully, (and most unexpectedly I might add)!
How does your view of God effect your everyday life?
My view of God is always changing. I was brought up in a fairly religious home, and my parents had a very structured view of God and spirituality. When I was a young teen I began to seek God on my own, because I think that one can only have faith if one seeks it, and establishes a personal relationship. On my search, I studied many different religions and faiths, and connected with my deeper spirituality. At the moment I don’t consider myself an adherent to any one religious belief, but I do have a strong faith in something greater than myself, something that is incomprehensible and beautiful, and always there. Part of my personal belief is that we are here to learn and grow. Everyday has the potential to be easy or challenging, and everyday we’ll be forced to make decisions based on our ethics and morals, and how we view the world and other people. I think that my belief (or view of God) forces me to look at every situation and ask myself “Why am I in this situation? How and why did I put myself here and what am I going to take from this experience?” I like to call it living consciously (hardly an original thought, but useful all the same). There is something to be said about gratitude. Being conscious and mindful of the world we perceive and interact in gives me a sense of gratitude- just simply being thankful that something, somewhere inside me, has learned to recognize the divine spark that is present in everything.
Fin.
So, I am studying Chinese Medicine and I have to write journal entries for my Taoism class. I thought I'd like to post them here, since I sort of miss the ol' LJ!
'Calamaties and blessings do not come through any definitive distinguishable door, it is the person that invites them.' Is this statement true?
I have always believed that thought creates energy which manifests results; thus positive thinking manifests positive results and vice versa. There have been many days when it seemed I rose on the wrong side of the bed and everything was going wrong. On days like that, it was always easier to fall into that negative frame of mind and let one thing after another get to me and as I reached the end of the day I would be mentally and emotionally exhausted. I sometimes consciously think to myself, “just pull yourself out of it, rise above and let it go and you’ll feel better,” but it seems like I want to feel that “angst”.
One of the best examples of inviting a blessing into my life was simply letting go of a fear. I had attached so much fear and negative emotion to a particular situation, and was kind of blinded by what I wanted to get out of it, versus what I knew was the best outcome. I was feeling miserable, so I started to pray. I consciously let go of my expectations and desires, and asked the Universe/God to just let it happen for me. I opened myself up and let go of the fear, and it all worked out beautifully, (and most unexpectedly I might add)!
How does your view of God effect your everyday life?
My view of God is always changing. I was brought up in a fairly religious home, and my parents had a very structured view of God and spirituality. When I was a young teen I began to seek God on my own, because I think that one can only have faith if one seeks it, and establishes a personal relationship. On my search, I studied many different religions and faiths, and connected with my deeper spirituality. At the moment I don’t consider myself an adherent to any one religious belief, but I do have a strong faith in something greater than myself, something that is incomprehensible and beautiful, and always there. Part of my personal belief is that we are here to learn and grow. Everyday has the potential to be easy or challenging, and everyday we’ll be forced to make decisions based on our ethics and morals, and how we view the world and other people. I think that my belief (or view of God) forces me to look at every situation and ask myself “Why am I in this situation? How and why did I put myself here and what am I going to take from this experience?” I like to call it living consciously (hardly an original thought, but useful all the same). There is something to be said about gratitude. Being conscious and mindful of the world we perceive and interact in gives me a sense of gratitude- just simply being thankful that something, somewhere inside me, has learned to recognize the divine spark that is present in everything.
Fin.