If you're watching this kind of videos, whether it makes a big difference on you or not, give yourself a congratulations, your seeking and being curious, using this the tools you have, like internet.
***** I think that once you put the chaotic thoughts to rest, learning "by osmosis" as you colourfully put it, would happen. It is analogous to when a plant is put in a dark room, with one source of light, it will grow towards that light.
hey thanks but also its important not to spend too much time congratulating oneself, one might become too bound to the perspective of having already achieved something and forget the first part
As a dedicated runner, I can relate to the flow state mentioned here. The feeling of the 4th hour of running feeling like the first minute, body and mind in harmony as I glide through the natural landscape, thinking of everything and nothing all at once. I have acheived enlightenment. (When I'm not dying up a hillside!)
I experienced this only one time on a treadmill after eating a whole lot of carbs, Indian food, with basmati rice. It was initially very hard to run with a full stomach but for some reason I entered the flow state in about 20 mins.
This is really becoming my favourite channel on youtube. The videos are super short and straight to the point and I always feel like I've gained something for having watched it
Chinese Hundred Schools of Thought is a great philosophical model for those who are disenchanted with modern Western consumerist lifestyle. The speaker here does a great job at explaining this small part of it.
I think Yoda's point was that the thing you are doing will happen or not happen and that you should allow the inevitable to happen or not happen without interfering.
I experienced this "effortless action" in a lucid dream once. I wanted to move from where I was to a place where there were some people about 20 feet away. Suddenly I was just moving, through no effort of my own, across the floor. This "force" moving me was incredibly powerful, and there was a sense of awareness in it, but the most fascinating thing was that it wasn't making me do anything I didn't want to do. It's like how Obi Wan Kenobi describes the Force in Star Wars: "It guides your actions, but it also obeys your commands." It was exaclty like that. But the sense of power operating in it was incredible. It's like anytime we have to expend any kind of effort to do anything, we're already out of alignment with this vast cosmic force. Trying and doing has nothing to do with it.
My strategy is to take an "Ah, eff it!" approach. I think westerners are so preoccupied with success and having a "never give up" attitude that it doesn't allow us to let go. It's practically a sin in our culture to just give up, but that, often times, is what's necessary to reach our goals because we actually have very little control over our circumstances.
Get yourself a copy of "The wisdom of Laotse" by Lin Yutang. It contains the "Book of Tao," each chapter of which is followed by a comparable passage from Chuangtse's writings; supplemented by "Prolegomena" and "Imaginary conversations between Laotse and Confucius" by Chuangtse. The translation is well thought out and logical to us westerners, so it makes for good reading and understanding of the Tao with a minimum of head scratching.
Some really interesting stuff here. Reminds me a bit of the teachings in budism about destroying material things, rejecting society's norms and just letting go.
very good brief explanation of very deep and great ancient path. for me it reminds me of zeno paradox: if you want to figure out how to move from A to B; you will be lost ; you will never find an answer because it's paradoxical the solution is not think about it; just do it! ironically as wuwei looks easy in fact it's very very difficult for us who are programmed to think; plan and analyse every step of our movements.. it needs some kind of training to step out of our won minds; for me I am trying to train my self doing it and still find it difficult to do.
I can already see a lot of people not being able to understanding anything he's saying. I love how Dr. Slingerland is able to summarize something that is written in so many words in a 4 minute and 46 second video. This is brilliant! Thanks Big Think.
I've heard it said that Chinese of that time were Confusians at work, and Daoists at home. I have a few daoist books, and many more on Taijiquan which is based on daoist philosophy. However Taijiquan seems to stradle the "sand an polish" and puh (the uncarved block). A good video...thanks big think.
Dear UA-cam? I have succeeded at understanding how to stop trying to do things... And I still do things... People are too scared of letting go of the illusion of controlling things; they think everything will be submerged into absolute chaos and meaninglessness. However, when you truly let go, you find yourself still doing things, but in a spontaneous way. You feel deep down that there is no "correct" way to do anything; and that nature manifests itself, of course, even in your body. So there is no need to be a 'tryhard' and hesitate over what would be okay to do... Just anything that comes into reality will indubitably be THE thing. You embrace it. It's not too logical. Not easy to explain in our language, oriented so long toward thinking contrarily to this whole mindset...
LOVE how this man says the clear distinctions btw Daoist and Confucian approaches and not leave us at a vague conflation of "overall Chinese thought".I now am more inclined to learn about Confucianism whereas for a while before this I was getting skeptical b/c of how historically Confucianism lended itself to the political paternalism like during the imperial days but now realize that,that is as grave a mistaken notion to make like saying all Christianity has been the same since the Middle ages in having backed up European royalty with "the divine right of kings" and such.Similarly it makes me more open to Shinto and it's I'm sure like 98% non-political stuff that isn't about the imperial family's descent from Amaterasu. :D..ah,how I'm warmer to other spiritual customs when politics making me reluctant is taken out!.
The first strategy feels like every time I keep trying to learn a new riff. Those first times I play are horrible but suddenly I just get good at it and don't even have to look at my hands to play the riff =P And it's not something gradual, one time I play horribly and the other it's "wonderful"
Thanks for the great content! One interesting thought, is Transcendental Meditation counter productive for achieving flow state since it increases the activity in the default mode network brain region? Love to hear your insight on this! All the best!
I know the writing, and am only just starting with actual words ^^' they're difficult cause I don't tend to use "real" words often... well online but that's about it
To all interested in Dao I recommend the book The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. It explains what Taoism entails in a very simple and hilarious manner. It enriched my life a little at least :)
“hedonistic treadmill....” hedonism and Taoism are not necessarily different from each other. Materialism is not a necessary component of hedonism. In fact, it is far easier to be ecstatic in this moment if one’s happiness is not tied to acquisitions, to things. In the best hedonism, there are in fact no things. There is only joy, and joyous people unencumbered by things enjoying that joy together.
"Inert" Intrinsic and Extrinsic values. Though it is cool and understandable to get back to our roots, one couldn't just let the Lion of modern times ROAR you into flight. Stand your ground only then can YOUR true path be Illuminated. This guy is AWESOME! Wisdom is true. Knowledge is unproven(with-in thesis){ only more questions will arise}. Love is the lesson. It's very interesting in Chinese culture how the value of Ying and Yang has expanded, one upping the anti every step of time. Like prey and predator in a ancient tango. He makes a good point about age as well. Most men don't become men until they reach 25-30. I say this from my bias as a man, and my interests in learning from science that the brain stops developing(growing) around these ages for men. Slower to grow BUT (more) developed in the end. If this guy had classes for $$$ it would be worth every penny, every second. That's just my opinion though. What would a colorful master piece of art be without proper shading? This guy makes me feel like a lazy Plato, watching the sun all day. Western cultures have their own versions of this kind of Philosophy. It is a bit more complicated though. It lies with-in the realm of "National" borders and has led to tragic consequences through out time. It has even landed at the doorstep of China many times and even now is at its doorstep. Abstract as I may think I actually do know what I'm talking about. Good article.
BTW this is the true "Philosophy" of Christianity. The transition phase is related to the point when a Christian renames themselves. If you go to Big Think.com they have this saying, "Brain is Hungry feed me more." LOL
This is for people that live a dynamic life on the grind that tend to be an office in which being in a slump has consequences. Another popular choice is seeing the dali lama in India.
***** Houston Davis Daoism is a philosophy created to oppose/rebel against Confucianism in Chinese society of the time. Where Confucianism believes that human interaction/society is the highest good, Daoism sees society as an artifice that seperates one from their true self. In this video the two concepts from both ideologies don't seem contradictory, but in their ideological "tenants" or "guidelines" they are two polar opposites. This is a very lacking explanation but a good one would require far more time than I have. (and most likely I would do an insufficient job)
Andrew Schumacher Nicely put, except it's tenets, not tenants... but I think that's a UA-cam thing, as everyone on UA-cam seems to get that wrong :D We are individuals, but we are a social species. We cannot deny one and embrace the other, they are both in our nature. There is absolutely no reason why we can't do both, indeed, i would venture, we should do both, and find a natural balance between the two that suits who we are.
I successfully pulled away from the materialistic thing. As an American, it is insane to live in this consumer based society, if you have done so. People are such victims of the capitalist marketing machine. However, I can't develop the type of acceptance that this paradigm spoken of in the video would manifest. I am critical and intolerant and that just makes for a petty person. However, I can be objective about myself, so maybe there is hope.
Some have it Some don t..... The capacity precedes birth ( transmigration of the soul ) Marketing, re-naming, restructuring "old" Which is actually refinement of " then" It's in my d.n.a. ( no choice in that, Yet it is every "choice")
Wow I’m a little shocked how he mixes Confucianism and Taoism and talks about the Confucianist path of polishing the wooden block as one Taoist method... Also talking about the original Taoists as remedying withdrawal from society and living isolated lives.... but referring to hippie communes as an example? Those were also a type of society... I dunno, I think what we’re experiencing here is a very generalized Confucianist Perspective on Taoism ^^ I hope you research the topic further and don’t let these words be your one-stop-ship ^^ - a Taoist
I think you mean "Tao". A lot of people pronounce it with a D, but it's spelled with a T. Anything gets better with practice (including spelling/language). Just don't give up before it's second-nature. Otherwise, pay attention, or just hope for the best.
Go to nature and be simple...I will never get why these corrupted minds would understate something like that while doing the total exact opposite...jeez
Wow he spent his life learning a lot of BS. Ancient philosophies are over-rated. Not that we are perfect. That said i really appreciate the Human Mind finding ways of living in harmony with other humans , hence formulating such socio-philosophical strategies; IDK i hate it but i admire the effort of the ancients, just as ones millennia after me might, for me for i would be an ancient then.
I've heard it said that Chinese of that time were Confusians at work, and Daoists at home. I have a few daoist books, and many more on Taijiquan which is based on daoist philosophy. However Taijiquan seems to stradle the "sand an polish" and puh (the uncarved block). A good video...thanks big think.
If you're watching this kind of videos, whether it makes a big difference on you or not, give yourself a congratulations, your seeking and being curious, using this the tools you have, like internet.
good for u
I think learning by osmosis can occur on a subconscious level ,especially when accompanied by an appeal to emotion in forms such as music and art.
***** I think that once you put the chaotic thoughts to rest, learning "by osmosis" as you colourfully put it, would happen. It is analogous to when a plant is put in a dark room, with one source of light, it will grow towards that light.
Straight. Up. So true. Personally, I've been practicing Taoism for decades. Although I did not know it had a name until only 3 years ago.
hey thanks
but also its important not to spend too much time congratulating oneself, one might become too bound to the perspective of having already achieved something and forget the first part
As a dedicated runner, I can relate to the flow state mentioned here. The feeling of the 4th hour of running feeling like the first minute, body and mind in harmony as I glide through the natural landscape, thinking of everything and nothing all at once. I have acheived enlightenment. (When I'm not dying up a hillside!)
I experienced this only one time on a treadmill after eating a whole lot of carbs, Indian food, with basmati rice. It was initially very hard to run with a full stomach but for some reason I entered the flow state in about 20 mins.
Action without attachment!
That's called intent
This is really becoming my favourite channel on youtube. The videos are super short and straight to the point and I always feel like I've gained something for having watched it
Chinese Hundred Schools of Thought is a great philosophical model for those who are disenchanted with modern Western consumerist lifestyle. The speaker here does a great job at explaining this small part of it.
The more you try to control something, the more out of control it becomes ^_^
yes
But Yoda said that either "do or do not. There is no try."
I think Yoda's point was that the thing you are doing will happen or not happen and that you should allow the inevitable to happen or not happen without interfering.
@@JeffreyGillespie Correct. "Trying" implies an outcome. Doing is just action. "There is no starting or stopping, only doing"
Right. And his dialogue was written by George Lucas.
I experienced this "effortless action" in a lucid dream once. I wanted to move from where I was to a place where there were some people about 20 feet away. Suddenly I was just moving, through no effort of my own, across the floor. This "force" moving me was incredibly powerful, and there was a sense of awareness in it, but the most fascinating thing was that it wasn't making me do anything I didn't want to do. It's like how Obi Wan Kenobi describes the Force in Star Wars: "It guides your actions, but it also obeys your commands." It was exaclty like that. But the sense of power operating in it was incredible. It's like anytime we have to expend any kind of effort to do anything, we're already out of alignment with this vast cosmic force. Trying and doing has nothing to do with it.
My strategy is to take an "Ah, eff it!" approach. I think westerners are so preoccupied with success and having a "never give up" attitude that it doesn't allow us to let go. It's practically a sin in our culture to just give up, but that, often times, is what's necessary to reach our goals because we actually have very little control over our circumstances.
Cheers to that booboo
Beautiful summary of these ancient philosophies and ways of being
Sometimes you need to try hard to do something for many years and then the moment you realise it will never work and you quit is when you succeed.
Get yourself a copy of "The wisdom of Laotse" by Lin Yutang. It contains the "Book of Tao," each chapter of which is followed by a comparable passage from Chuangtse's writings; supplemented by "Prolegomena" and "Imaginary conversations between Laotse and Confucius" by Chuangtse. The translation is well thought out and logical to us westerners, so it makes for good reading and understanding of the Tao with a minimum of head scratching.
Some really interesting stuff here. Reminds me a bit of the teachings in budism about destroying material things, rejecting society's norms and just letting go.
very good brief explanation of very deep and great ancient path.
for me it reminds me of zeno paradox:
if you want to figure out how to move from A to B; you will be lost ; you will never find an answer because it's paradoxical
the solution is not think about it; just do it!
ironically as wuwei looks easy in fact it's very very difficult for us who are programmed to think; plan and analyse every step of our movements..
it needs some kind of training to step out of our won minds; for me I am trying to train my self doing it and still find it difficult to do.
I can already see a lot of people not being able to understanding anything he's saying. I love how Dr. Slingerland is able to summarize something that is written in so many words in a 4 minute and 46 second video. This is brilliant! Thanks Big Think.
Superbly explained
Good information. Thanks.
Yaaas 🙌🏽 the path of everything and the path of the void. Great explanation 💛✨
I've heard it said that Chinese of that time were Confusians at work, and Daoists at home. I have a few daoist books, and many more on Taijiquan which is based on daoist philosophy. However Taijiquan seems to stradle the "sand an polish" and puh (the uncarved block). A good video...thanks big think.
so true, thank you for this. I think it's going to help me.
So... did you guys saw frozen?
Dear UA-cam?
I have succeeded at understanding how to stop trying to do things... And I still do things...
People are too scared of letting go of the illusion of controlling things; they think everything will be submerged into absolute chaos and meaninglessness.
However, when you truly let go, you find yourself still doing things, but in a spontaneous way. You feel deep down that there is no "correct" way to do anything; and that nature manifests itself, of course, even in your body. So there is no need to be a 'tryhard' and hesitate over what would be okay to do... Just anything that comes into reality will indubitably be THE thing. You embrace it. It's not too logical. Not easy to explain in our language, oriented so long toward thinking contrarily to this whole mindset...
LOVE how this man says the clear distinctions btw Daoist and Confucian approaches and not leave us at a vague conflation of "overall Chinese thought".I now am more inclined to learn about Confucianism whereas for a while before this I was getting skeptical b/c of how historically Confucianism lended itself to the political paternalism like during the imperial days but now realize that,that is as grave a mistaken notion to make like saying all Christianity has been the same since the Middle ages in having backed up European royalty with "the divine right of kings" and such.Similarly it makes me more open to Shinto and it's I'm sure like 98% non-political stuff that isn't about the imperial family's descent from Amaterasu. :D..ah,how I'm warmer to other spiritual customs when politics making me reluctant is taken out!.
The first strategy feels like every time I keep trying to learn a new riff. Those first times I play are horrible but suddenly I just get good at it and don't even have to look at my hands to play the riff =P And it's not something gradual, one time I play horribly and the other it's "wonderful"
Any students at UBC should definitely take ASIA 371 - Foundations of Chinese Thought with Dr. Slingerland. Amazing course, amazing prof.
Thank You
Yes I found this practice is based on understanding, not knowledge
I'm gonna tell people I practice the art of duh
I prefer the art of Derp. It means just sit there and poop your pants, and expect a miracle.
😂👍
@@sparky7718 I think that's also known as "The Law of Attraction ".
It is that way. Duh about it all.
Thanks for the great content!
One interesting thought, is Transcendental Meditation counter productive for achieving flow state since it increases the activity in the default mode network brain region?
Love to hear your insight on this!
All the best!
so much better than mini lectures about netflix.
Letting go of the teacher, putting being and action in the world. Trust.
It is spelled as tao, not though.
So, it's the Myagi method. The training becomes a natural part of you - muscle memory.
Lao Tzu told me “wisdom is important”
Dang. I’ve actually been performing an ancient art form for the longest time without being aware
does staying in my room all day watching anime for the past month count as "wu wei" ?
No it just means you are a ひきこもり．：）
Hikakomoi??? :/ I'm no good with words yet Q~Q
well... yea... but I think I'm just not motivated to do anything
Do you study Japanese? It's a great way to drive your self crazy.
I know the writing, and am only just starting with actual words ^^' they're difficult cause I don't tend to use "real" words often... well online but that's about it
To all interested in Dao I recommend the book The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. It explains what Taoism entails in a very simple and hilarious manner. It enriched my life a little at least :)
“hedonistic treadmill....” hedonism and Taoism are not necessarily different from each other. Materialism is not a necessary component of hedonism. In fact, it is far easier to be ecstatic in this moment if one’s happiness is not tied to acquisitions, to things. In the best hedonism, there are in fact no things. There is only joy, and joyous people unencumbered by things enjoying that joy together.
"Inert" Intrinsic and Extrinsic values. Though it is cool and understandable to get back to our roots, one couldn't just let the Lion of modern times ROAR you into flight. Stand your ground only then can YOUR true path be Illuminated. This guy is AWESOME! Wisdom is true. Knowledge is unproven(with-in thesis){ only more questions will arise}. Love is the lesson. It's very interesting in Chinese culture how the value of Ying and Yang has expanded, one upping the anti every step of time. Like prey and predator in a ancient tango.
He makes a good point about age as well. Most men don't become men until they reach 25-30. I say this from my bias as a man, and my interests in learning from science that the brain stops developing(growing) around these ages for men. Slower to grow BUT (more) developed in the end. If this guy had classes for $$$ it would be worth every penny, every second. That's just my opinion though.
What would a colorful master piece of art be without proper shading?
This guy makes me feel like a lazy Plato, watching the sun all day.
Western cultures have their own versions of this kind of Philosophy. It is a bit more complicated though. It lies with-in the realm of "National" borders and has led to tragic consequences through out time. It has even landed at the doorstep of China many times and even now is at its doorstep. Abstract as I may think I actually do know what I'm talking about.
Good article.
BTW this is the true "Philosophy" of Christianity. The transition phase is related to the point when a Christian renames themselves.
If you go to Big Think.com they have this saying, "Brain is Hungry feed me more." LOL
Anyone recommend a good book on Tao?
This is for people that live a dynamic life on the grind that tend to be an office in which being in a slump has consequences. Another popular choice is seeing the dali lama in India.
Reminds me of materialism vs. non-materialism.
Why not do both strategies at once?
I too saw no contradiction to the two ideas...
***** Houston Davis Daoism is a philosophy created to oppose/rebel against Confucianism in Chinese society of the time. Where Confucianism believes that human interaction/society is the highest good, Daoism sees society as an artifice that seperates one from their true self. In this video the two concepts from both ideologies don't seem contradictory, but in their ideological "tenants" or "guidelines" they are two polar opposites. This is a very lacking explanation but a good one would require far more time than I have. (and most likely I would do an insufficient job)
Andrew Schumacher Nicely put, except it's tenets, not tenants... but I think that's a UA-cam thing, as everyone on UA-cam seems to get that wrong :D
We are individuals, but we are a social species. We cannot deny one and embrace the other, they are both in our nature. There is absolutely no reason why we can't do both, indeed, i would venture, we should do both, and find a natural balance between the two that suits who we are.
Thanks for the correction! As my zen teacher puts it "Truth is negotiated between two seemily paradoxical concepts"
Actually I was thinking the same... Why not combine both strategies to make a hybrid theory?
Do you see what follows abc?
well my last name is Dao--what a coincidence....
LET IT GO!!!!!!
I wish my friend Elsa watched this before she started going all cray cray.
His voice
I successfully pulled away from the materialistic thing. As an American, it is insane to live in this consumer based society, if you have done so. People are such victims of the capitalist marketing machine. However, I can't develop the type of acceptance that this paradigm spoken of in the video would manifest. I am critical and intolerant and that just makes for a petty person. However, I can be objective about myself, so maybe there is hope.
You seem very honest, which is essential.
德 is not pronounced as "duh", but as dé
Some have it
Some don t.....
The capacity
precedes birth
( transmigration of
the soul )
Marketing, re-naming, restructuring "old"
Which is actually refinement of " then"
It's in my d.n.a.
( no choice in that,
Yet it is every "choice")
Wow I’m a little shocked how he mixes Confucianism and Taoism and talks about the Confucianist path of polishing the wooden block as one Taoist method...
Also talking about the original Taoists as remedying withdrawal from society and living isolated lives.... but referring to hippie communes as an example? Those were also a type of society...
I dunno, I think what we’re experiencing here is a very generalized Confucianist Perspective on Taoism ^^ I hope you research the topic further and don’t let these words be your one-stop-ship ^^
- a Taoist
Like the great golfer Ty Webb said be the ball Danny be the ball
Let's say someone owes me money, how would I manage this situation using Daoism?
Receive the money when you receive it.
#YangGang #Yang2020
They call it BEING AMISH!
I think you mean "Tao". A lot of people pronounce it with a D, but it's spelled with a T. Anything gets better with practice (including spelling/language). Just don't give up before it's second-nature. Otherwise, pay attention, or just hope for the best.
"Wu Wei" like... Huawei??
getting into a state of wu wei ... isn't that striving?
i like wuwei, coz im lazy
I thought it was Adhd N non cognitivism on 'sad'...
Daaaaaooooooooowwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaa
if only more people in America DID less and THOUGHT more!
Three words: The Fourth Way.
Go to nature and be simple...I will never get why these corrupted minds would understate something like that while doing the total exact opposite...jeez
?? Really?? It's "Tao", pronounced "daow"......
What is "dao"?? lololol
***** Ohhh, oops.
Daa…
Doing-not-doing requires a lifetime of training - under a fully qualified teacher
?
All pretty generic, I wonder why don't they talk about particular cases and show how to apply this... Otherwise this is useless
Dao? Last time I checked it was Tao.
Wow he spent his life learning a lot of BS. Ancient philosophies are over-rated. Not that we are perfect.
That said i really appreciate the Human Mind finding ways of living in harmony with other humans , hence formulating such socio-philosophical strategies;
IDK i hate it but i admire the effort of the ancients, just as ones millennia after me might, for me for i would be an ancient then.
But "God" loves a trier right?!!
I've heard it said that Chinese of that time were Confusians at work, and Daoists at home. I have a few daoist books, and many more on Taijiquan which is based on daoist philosophy. However Taijiquan seems to stradle the "sand an polish" and puh (the uncarved block). A good video...thanks big think.