November 12, 2024

The Classic Taoists are

Lao Tzu--which is more of a collective 
writing under the pseudonym over time
rather than an individual living 
at a specific point in time and space.

Chung Tzu (Or Zhuang Tzu).

Lieh-Tzu and

Wen Tzu (Or Wenzi)

These people and their disciples
lived out of their own intuition/imagination
in crafting a life
lived in the service
of doing what was called for
in each situation as it arose,
and letting that be that.

As Lao Tzu said,
"Do your work and stand aside.
Let nature take its course."

Carl Jung could have been
thinking of them 
when he said,
"A hermit is a primitive person
who trusts their unconscious."

"Primitive" here would be the opposite
of "sophisticated," or "cultured,"
"cultivated," "smooth," "refined."

And more on the order of "one thus come."
A person who is "just who they are" 
without pretension or "airs." 

Taoism is concerned for doing the right thing,
at the right time, in the right place
and in the right way.

It espouses no theology,
which I take to be a collection of opinions
about hearsay.

Has no use for ideas about creation,
saying only that everything is here by way of 
"Circumstances creating circumstances."

Zen is what happened when Taoism met Buddhism,
and the phrase "Zen Taoism" is more accurate
than "Zen Buddhism," in that there is more Taoism
in Zen than there is Buddhism and Dharma.

So, if you are looking for a foundation
which favors emptiness, stillness and silence
as a way of meeting each day
and doing what is called for
in each situation as it arises,
you could do a lot worse than reading
the texts of Classic Taoism
for comfort and consolation,
guidance and direction.