Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!decwrl!wuarchive!udel!princeton!vax.oxford.ac.uk
From: MMAC@vax.oxford.ac.uk (The_Edible_Dormouse)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: taoism
Message-ID: <1442@idunno.Princeton.EDU>
Date: 26 Jul 90 14:10:42 GMT
Sender: mukund@idunno.Princeton.EDU
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Approved: mukund@idunno.Princeton.EDU

Just a brief note---"The Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff is most certainly an
entertaining boiok but is sadly marred by Hoff's somewhat bizarre (and, I am
afriad to say, egotistical) view of Taoism. It is nowhere near so strictly
anti-intellectual as he makes out and I find it very appealing as a simple
moral philosophy without having to take on baord any of the mysticism. I am, by
profession,  a scientist who does not accept mysticism very readily yet many of
my friends call me a Taoist (I don't use the label, but I try to avoid them...)

Read the Tao te Ching and translations of Chuang Tzu, also many other good
books on the subject and *make your own mind up*.

May I quote a little Toaist tale? Thanks :-)

Studrnt has been debating philosophy with his master for an hour or so. The
master has run rings round the student, quoting texts, history, people as
examples and countering the student's every argument. In despair the student
says:
S> But master, you are meant to be wise not argumentative
to which the master replies
M> Right now, I feel like having an argument.

Live free.

Edi

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