Power for the Peaceful: A Course in Tao

Taoism joins most faith traditions that cast doubt on the ability of "things" and other items we can hoard (but not use) ... to satisfy our deepest selves. Rangsey Chang is our voice for quotations and two great questions on the hope and spirituality of the "things" in our lives. I mentioned a book in the podcast: The Ego Tunnel: the Science of the Mind and the Myth of Self. He gave a TedTalk on his ideas: https://youtu.be/5ZsDDseI5QI. May your days begin in peace, and become thirstless fields in which we sow the seeds of radical hope. Marc Mullinax

We cannot make the entire world into a garden free of hard things. However, we can make our corner of the world a joyful place. There is then, an art to living softly, as soft beings, living patiently. The wisdom of Verse 43's “the soft overcomes the hard” invites us to pause, and reevaluate our cultural notions of strength and power. May your days begin in peace, to become wombs for radical hope! Marc Mullinax

Verse 42 is the one and only place where Yin and Yang (阴 and 阳) show up in the ENTIRE Tao te Ching. They show up to help us understand the larger creation process (or story, or mythic representation) of how the Universe got here and is sustained, even to this day. My guest, Rebecca Askew, asks a question about Minimalism, and we discover just how widespread Minimalism is spread across the world's spiritual traditions. May your days arise (YANG) in peace, and your nights fall (YIN) into radical hope. Marc Mullinax

In this engaging discussion, Jane Bramham, a passionate reader and outdoor enthusiast, delves into the profound connections between Taoism, nature, and our human experiences. She explores how embracing the unexpected can deepen our understanding of Tao. With insights on the paradoxical nature of life, she encourages listeners to remain open and curious. Jane shares how detaching from sensory experiences can lead to personal liberation and sees beauty in the ordinary moments of life, reminding us to savor each experience with a joyful mindset.

The key Chinese word I refer to often in this episode is "Fan" or 反. "Fan" is the word for "return" or "retire". "Fan" is everywhere in the world's spiritualities, and we explore, through "Fan," how things emerge and grow, and then return or retire to their being No-thing. Being and Non-Being. While I do not have a reader, I have some singers! Hope you enjoy.

This is one of those several times Tao te Ching slows down, so mayhaps we can hear and get in touch with our original nature, a nature deeply rooted in Earth, soil, clay, mud. We are humus ... humus beings. We stay wise when we stay in touch with our humus/humble origins. Stan Wilson (https://www.circleofmercy.org/content.cfm?id=149&pid=67) is our reader and questionS-Asker. Thank you. May your days begin rooted in Earth’s peace, and grow the fruits of radical hope. --Marc Mullinax

This LONG verse starts a conversation or teaching about Te (as in Tao TE Ching), a conversation that will run through the rest of the verses in Tao te Ching. Because Tao and Te are separate, but share one root, their message remains consistent: No compromise! The person grounded in the depths of Tao does not drink from second-best opinions. S/He stays centered at the root and lets the unrooted take care of itself. S/He avoids the outer to live in the inner root. UNC/A philosophy student Ethan Colon delivers the quotes AND, a most decisive and challenging question.

Once our ego-stroked schemes calm and quieten, there is Something Else. That Something Else is Tao, Tao at the Root of all. Always been there, always "is" everywhere, always will be there. When we rest in our roots, the world not only makes better sense, we are also physically, mentally, and psychically healthy. Verse 37 is a quietly radical teaching verse, a reminder that beneath all noise, commotion, chaos, and other crap, there is another place ... the place we are rooted. Our reader today is Michelle Miller, whom you can find out more about here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/259687/michelle-miller/. May your days begin in peace, and become THE ROOTING OF your radical hope. -Marc - mmullinax (AT) mhu.edu

This verse teaches an expansive view of how to become an integrated, peaceful being. Instead of hardening one's categories with dualistic absolutes, it is more wholesome to integrate 'apparent opposites' into a unified view, that one is a mixture of what a dualist culture would label good/bad, ugly/beautiful, and so on. It's ONLY when we allow each energy of yin and each energy of yang to co-exist one with the other, we achieve union, unity, and wholeness. Otherwise, we are at war with ourselves. Tebbe Davis (https://faso.com/artists/tebbedavis.html) lent his wonderful voice to this episode. Thank you. May your days begin in peace, and become wombs for radical hope! Marc Mullinax - mmullinax [at] mhu.edu

Nothing -- not time, not distance, not circumstance, not geography -- NOTHING weakens or diminishes Tao's power for peace. If we experience any weakening, diminishing, or forgetfulness of Tao, that's on us, and ways we have constructed our lives through thinking, culture, and habit. This episode is dedicated to re-understanding and re-discovery (or remembering) Tao in the normal, the everyday, and in the moment. No reader today; it's a vacation week for many.