Learning to live with Taoist philosophies is easy...remembering all the time is difficult. Teaching with Taoist philosophies is difficult, but can come with time and practice. In fact, I would say, practice is really the only requirement of the Tao. Practice, as best you can, its philosophies. I am certainly going to try.
This has been a really enjoyable book to read. Even if you have strong religious beliefs, I don't think there is anything in Taoism that you will find to be contrary to what you might already be trying to live.
Thank you for reading my blog,
Thalia
Friday, August 5, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Finishing with the Book, Not ending with the Tao
Be gentle to gain Authority. Wise teachers give students long reins. Respect your students and see what they bring you.
There is victory in non-confrontation if everyday is seen as opporunity for grwth there is no losing. Follow the paths of least resistance. They can bring great rewards.
Obey your instincts.
Strive in Moderation. Value what exists by not striving for what does not exist.
Those who are flexible are superior. Rigidity invites resistance. There is strength in being able to bend. Think of living things- plants that are hard and brittle are dying, plants that are supple and pliant are alive.
Excellence is its own reward.
Be content and find delight in your home.
True words are not fany' fancy words are not true. Depth in learning is preferable to widely scattered bits of knowledge.
FULFILLMENT COMES FROM HELPING OTHERS
There is victory in non-confrontation if everyday is seen as opporunity for grwth there is no losing. Follow the paths of least resistance. They can bring great rewards.
Obey your instincts.
Strive in Moderation. Value what exists by not striving for what does not exist.
Those who are flexible are superior. Rigidity invites resistance. There is strength in being able to bend. Think of living things- plants that are hard and brittle are dying, plants that are supple and pliant are alive.
Excellence is its own reward.
Be content and find delight in your home.
True words are not fany' fancy words are not true. Depth in learning is preferable to widely scattered bits of knowledge.
FULFILLMENT COMES FROM HELPING OTHERS
Monday, August 1, 2011
Repay hatred with Virtue, deal with big while it is still small. Try to attend to problems buffer they can fester and grow big. Without making mountains out of molehills-but deal with the molehills. this requires being attentive and that requires practice. So soes the Tao. Repaying hatred with virtue is a common belief but is a bit different than the Christian concept of turning the other cheek, but it is adopted into Christianity as well. It is difficult to remember to be kind to one who has hurt you but the reward is a hundred fold.
Put things in order before dosorder arises. This aphorism seems really to be the starting point to the one above. If the small things are taken care of first, the larger almost seem to take care of themselves. This includes mental thoughts not just tangile items. Organizing your mind for clarity also takes time and practice--today is a good day to start and tomorrow is a good time to remember to do it again!
Do not try to rule through cleverness. I am sure we have all met that person who seems to think they are always the cleverest in the room? Perhaps they were super smart as children and got used to out-smarting the other children and just never grew out of it? and now they don't even realise they aren't really the smartest? How did you feel about that person? a little anoyed? Cleverness is like dark chocolate- a little goes a long way.
Put things in order before dosorder arises. This aphorism seems really to be the starting point to the one above. If the small things are taken care of first, the larger almost seem to take care of themselves. This includes mental thoughts not just tangile items. Organizing your mind for clarity also takes time and practice--today is a good day to start and tomorrow is a good time to remember to do it again!
Do not try to rule through cleverness. I am sure we have all met that person who seems to think they are always the cleverest in the room? Perhaps they were super smart as children and got used to out-smarting the other children and just never grew out of it? and now they don't even realise they aren't really the smartest? How did you feel about that person? a little anoyed? Cleverness is like dark chocolate- a little goes a long way.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Enlightenment through the Tao
Stay in touch with your original nature. By getting to know yourself better and better each day, you can become more trusting of your own intuition. By trusting one's own intuition inevitabley allows trust of other's intuition.
It is impossible, with a person who ha gained harmony, to be indifferent or intimate, to harm him or benefit him, to disgrace him or honor him. These seems a pretty harsh word at first thought. But if you think about it-following Taoist philosophies allows one to separate out criticisms as well as encouragement. Why? because one learns a sense of distance --that the judgement of others, either good or bad, are just that-judgements of others. The Tao allows one to trust and listen and learn only one judgement-your own.
Succeed with Encouragement, not prohibitions. Be positive about your rules-its much healthier. Nothing is worse than walking into a room and reading a whole list of "don'ts". Instead we need to empower people to DO what is right not just avoid what is wrong.
The Tao never rejects a bad person. Are people really bad? or do they just make some seriously poor decisions? All people deserve love and respect.
It is impossible, with a person who ha gained harmony, to be indifferent or intimate, to harm him or benefit him, to disgrace him or honor him. These seems a pretty harsh word at first thought. But if you think about it-following Taoist philosophies allows one to separate out criticisms as well as encouragement. Why? because one learns a sense of distance --that the judgement of others, either good or bad, are just that-judgements of others. The Tao allows one to trust and listen and learn only one judgement-your own.
Succeed with Encouragement, not prohibitions. Be positive about your rules-its much healthier. Nothing is worse than walking into a room and reading a whole list of "don'ts". Instead we need to empower people to DO what is right not just avoid what is wrong.
The Tao never rejects a bad person. Are people really bad? or do they just make some seriously poor decisions? All people deserve love and respect.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Contentment in the Tao
Be Content with Contentment. Just as the Tao has no ending, neither does contentment. There is no beyond in contentment, one simply strives to achieve it. Living simply is the best way.
"Live simply so that others may simply live". Holds special meaning in today's high consumption world.
Cultivate inner knowledge. Take time daily for self reflection and/or for journaling. Reflect on the positive and the negative, finding what to change, what to praise about one's self.
The pursuit of the Tao is not like the pursuit of information. Learning is increased by effort everyday but growing in the Tao means decreasing effort. It's all in the simplicity.
A person who does not strive intensely after life nor tangle with danger can preserve life well. Teaching is stressful. Learning to take time out to learn, practise and follow what you love and you will find that you cannot "burn out".
Care for others without being possessive.
Enlightenment comes from valuing what is small. The Tao is in the details.
One who is established in the Way cannot be separated from it. Just as a musician practises everyday to become better, so do the philosophies of the Way must be practised daily. It isn't striving to be perfect but just striving, learning, growing each day in the Way.
"Live simply so that others may simply live". Holds special meaning in today's high consumption world.
Cultivate inner knowledge. Take time daily for self reflection and/or for journaling. Reflect on the positive and the negative, finding what to change, what to praise about one's self.
The pursuit of the Tao is not like the pursuit of information. Learning is increased by effort everyday but growing in the Tao means decreasing effort. It's all in the simplicity.
A person who does not strive intensely after life nor tangle with danger can preserve life well. Teaching is stressful. Learning to take time out to learn, practise and follow what you love and you will find that you cannot "burn out".
Care for others without being possessive.
Enlightenment comes from valuing what is small. The Tao is in the details.
One who is established in the Way cannot be separated from it. Just as a musician practises everyday to become better, so do the philosophies of the Way must be practised daily. It isn't striving to be perfect but just striving, learning, growing each day in the Way.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Following the Way
Be Humble;teach the Wholeness of things. Children paint pictures quite early on but don't learn about color theory and form until much later. Often, musicians listen to a complete song before breaking it down into individual notes. Teach the wholeness of ideas first-let your students see the big picture-then divide it up into learning moments.
Follow the middle road;it is the heart of knowing. Contrary to many, the middle road does not "straddle" anything, but gives the follower versatility and uniqueness. The middles road allows for various philosophies to be developed and made into one's own.
Avoid using force; don't push.
There is no glory in victory. (Seems rather un-American, doesn't it?) It is true-full power exists only in win-win situations. diminishing an other's pride show a lack of understanding and harmony-it does not show a "winner".
The Way cannot be mastered. (Then why bother, one might ask.) The Tao cannot be mastered by anyone because the Tao doesn't end and it is constantly in flux. This might mean mistakes will be made along the way. Mistakes should be made- and without equating them to wrong.
Know yourself; the influence of Virture is Immortal. To gain insight is to develop inner knowledge. Journaling can help one reflect on personal insights, noting what went well, what did not. Sharing of journals allows for even more insight.
Do not strive for Greatness. (Sounds counter-intuitive, doesn't it?) Instead set standards high and allow greatness to come to you.
The Way has its own rhythm; use it. When individuals are engaged and motivated they end up losing track of time. Allow activities to go on to their natural finish.
The weak and tender overcome the hard and the strong.
Seek simplicity and honor what is known. Questions, skills, and knowledge already held by students become springboards for future endeavors. Build upon their answers in shared planning for the future.
Virtue is its own rewards; differences arise when the Way is lost.
Teach oneness, not fragmentation. To be one, whole, is to be fulfilled.
Something comes from nothing; nothing comes from something.
Appearances can deceive. The Tao doesn't offer quick learning. Quick learning is quick forgetting. A student may not appear to be progressing but perhaps the seed has been set and the learning is taking time.
Harmony is to be achieved through the blending of the passive and the active- the yin and the yang- where yin is the personal insight and the yang is the linear way of thinking.
Use your resources. Sounds simple enough but can be very hard to remember and takes quite a bit of creativity sometimes.
Keep a sense of balance.
Tranquility is more important than perfection.
Follow the middle road;it is the heart of knowing. Contrary to many, the middle road does not "straddle" anything, but gives the follower versatility and uniqueness. The middles road allows for various philosophies to be developed and made into one's own.
Avoid using force; don't push.
There is no glory in victory. (Seems rather un-American, doesn't it?) It is true-full power exists only in win-win situations. diminishing an other's pride show a lack of understanding and harmony-it does not show a "winner".
The Way cannot be mastered. (Then why bother, one might ask.) The Tao cannot be mastered by anyone because the Tao doesn't end and it is constantly in flux. This might mean mistakes will be made along the way. Mistakes should be made- and without equating them to wrong.
Know yourself; the influence of Virture is Immortal. To gain insight is to develop inner knowledge. Journaling can help one reflect on personal insights, noting what went well, what did not. Sharing of journals allows for even more insight.
Do not strive for Greatness. (Sounds counter-intuitive, doesn't it?) Instead set standards high and allow greatness to come to you.
The Way has its own rhythm; use it. When individuals are engaged and motivated they end up losing track of time. Allow activities to go on to their natural finish.
The weak and tender overcome the hard and the strong.
Seek simplicity and honor what is known. Questions, skills, and knowledge already held by students become springboards for future endeavors. Build upon their answers in shared planning for the future.
Virtue is its own rewards; differences arise when the Way is lost.
Teach oneness, not fragmentation. To be one, whole, is to be fulfilled.
Something comes from nothing; nothing comes from something.
Appearances can deceive. The Tao doesn't offer quick learning. Quick learning is quick forgetting. A student may not appear to be progressing but perhaps the seed has been set and the learning is taking time.
Harmony is to be achieved through the blending of the passive and the active- the yin and the yang- where yin is the personal insight and the yang is the linear way of thinking.
Use your resources. Sounds simple enough but can be very hard to remember and takes quite a bit of creativity sometimes.
Keep a sense of balance.
Tranquility is more important than perfection.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Finding the Way
The Way is real but elusive; intuition leads. Being in harmony with one's self means trusting one's own instincts--deep down inside all of us, we know what is right and what is wrong. Trust in this knowledge.
Teach by example. A teacher is more effective when they show rather than just tell.
Use few words. Encourage students to be active participants by letting them do most of the talking. Use your words to help guide.
Take your time; be attentive and receptive. Good teachers are good listeners. Listening doesn't mean always agreeing nor does it mean a response.
Discipline yourself before trying to discipline others. "Do as I say, not as I do" has NEVER cut it anywhere.
Teach by example. A teacher is more effective when they show rather than just tell.
Use few words. Encourage students to be active participants by letting them do most of the talking. Use your words to help guide.
Take your time; be attentive and receptive. Good teachers are good listeners. Listening doesn't mean always agreeing nor does it mean a response.
Discipline yourself before trying to discipline others. "Do as I say, not as I do" has NEVER cut it anywhere.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The "Way"
Know one's own roots to embrace others. Take time to explore your heritage-as it will always be reflected in your personal perspectives and values anyway. Find ways to understand yourself and share it with others.
Have Faith in others so others will have faith in you. Believe in one another. Strive to eliminate distrust and suspicion.
When the Way is not followed or family relationships are not in harmony, hypocrisy and pious advocates arise. Trust yourself in knowing. "Experts" may try to lead you from following your path to harmony by pushing numbers and statistics. Trust your students to help you continue on the path to harmony
Reduce selfishness, have few desires. Good teaching comes from within- it doesn't need material things."Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity.These are the ways to seek wealth in experience".
Do not see things in black and white.--context and culture make a big difference. Learn to see actions and events as part of a larger context, withhold judgement.
Have Faith in others so others will have faith in you. Believe in one another. Strive to eliminate distrust and suspicion.
When the Way is not followed or family relationships are not in harmony, hypocrisy and pious advocates arise. Trust yourself in knowing. "Experts" may try to lead you from following your path to harmony by pushing numbers and statistics. Trust your students to help you continue on the path to harmony
Reduce selfishness, have few desires. Good teaching comes from within- it doesn't need material things."Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity.These are the ways to seek wealth in experience".
Do not see things in black and white.--context and culture make a big difference. Learn to see actions and events as part of a larger context, withhold judgement.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Words of Wisdom
Respect and apply the past. Experiential teaching at its core-relating to the present brings knowledge full circle. It isn't about teaching history--its about learning the human experience.
Be cautious, reserved, flexible,sincere, honest. Students, most people, can pick up on people who are inauthentic very quickly. Distrust is then soon to follow. Be real and when in doubt --don't.
Be cautious, reserved, flexible,sincere, honest. Students, most people, can pick up on people who are inauthentic very quickly. Distrust is then soon to follow. Be real and when in doubt --don't.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Taoist Teaching
8) Be Careful with Words. Competition in the classroom is something the Taoist tradition would discourage. By encouraging some and not others, competition could be inadvertently set in place. Encourage all or none/
9) The Material is Fleeting, the Spiritual is Everlasting. Help your students to learn about families, religions, relationships, different cultures. These last forever, textbooks change.
10) Do not be Authoritarian. Try to teach each student to become their own authority in what they learn, how they learn it. By giving power to others, one reaps more back.
11) Turn non-being into Utility. The Taoist concept of "wu-wei" is likened to an empty vessel. The empty space in a cup is very important if one wants to fill it. Taoism teaches people to be empty vessels-that having a space of nothing is important. In teaching, a bit of "down-time" provides a needed break from the stresses of the day or just a time of reflection and contemplation.
12) Control input to the Senses; avoid Confusion and respond to Inner Depth. Tuning out extra noise can help us concentrate and see what is important.
9) The Material is Fleeting, the Spiritual is Everlasting. Help your students to learn about families, religions, relationships, different cultures. These last forever, textbooks change.
10) Do not be Authoritarian. Try to teach each student to become their own authority in what they learn, how they learn it. By giving power to others, one reaps more back.
11) Turn non-being into Utility. The Taoist concept of "wu-wei" is likened to an empty vessel. The empty space in a cup is very important if one wants to fill it. Taoism teaches people to be empty vessels-that having a space of nothing is important. In teaching, a bit of "down-time" provides a needed break from the stresses of the day or just a time of reflection and contemplation.
12) Control input to the Senses; avoid Confusion and respond to Inner Depth. Tuning out extra noise can help us concentrate and see what is important.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
The Tao Never Wears Out
Chapter 5 "Be Impartial"-in Taoism, no person is more important than another. In teaching it is very easy to forget and show favoritism to those we personally like best. Obviously, try to avoid it. Everyone has a contribution to make. One can learn something from every person one meets.
Chapter 6-The Tao Never wears out with use. Its very essence is flexible and changing. I often think of the Tao, instead of "the way", as more of a path - or many paths-that invite exploration. The path doesn't get old because it changes based on one's choices. In the classroom students can help dictate the curriculum-bringing in their aspects of the topics they find interesting- more often then not more than the teacher even requires. Students can bring so many more additional and varied ways of looking things than a teacher might even imagine.
Chapter 7-Do Not Think of Self- others come first. You, as teacher, are not un-important but student come first. This student-centric approach often brings more respect and interest in the topic when they see a teacher putting their own interests, thoughts, and ideas after the student's.
Chapter 6-The Tao Never wears out with use. Its very essence is flexible and changing. I often think of the Tao, instead of "the way", as more of a path - or many paths-that invite exploration. The path doesn't get old because it changes based on one's choices. In the classroom students can help dictate the curriculum-bringing in their aspects of the topics they find interesting- more often then not more than the teacher even requires. Students can bring so many more additional and varied ways of looking things than a teacher might even imagine.
Chapter 7-Do Not Think of Self- others come first. You, as teacher, are not un-important but student come first. This student-centric approach often brings more respect and interest in the topic when they see a teacher putting their own interests, thoughts, and ideas after the student's.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
More on The Tao of Teaching
In each short chapter, Nagel continues with a Taoist affirmation and then follows it with a short narrative on how it seen in a teaching environment. Chapter three is titled "Wealth Breed Competition" where the competition in schools is challenged. Between spelling bees, top scores on tests, best grades, best clothes, etc., schools should instead be teaching students to measure themselves, not against each other, but against themselves.
Monday, June 27, 2011
The Tao of Teaching
Mirroring the TaoTe Ching, Greta Nagel divides her book into eighty one chapters, each with an aphorism or established tenet of Taoism and then a narration or story highlighting the example. The first chapter is labelled "The Way is Nameless". The "way" (or Tao) cannot be limited by ascribing a name to it-it is limitless. So to in teaching, Nagel asserts, when one "names" their teaching style- one limits oneself , and often in a political manner.
How often as adults do we get caught up in labelling? "I'm a Democrat, I'm a Salesman, I'm an American, perhaps even I'm a non-conformist". But are we ever really just what a label says it is? We would all need to string a mile of labels to make up who we are. We are all individuals.
The second chapter is titled "Silence is a Virtue". Over-talking can cause other to "timeout". Speak once and expect to be heard. Good Teaching can take few words.
How many times has a person walked up on stage, or gone in front of the classroom and just stood there not saying anything and after awhile the audience becomes quite attentive-what's going on? The power of the presumed speaker triples without saying anything! They have now much more attention than they would have gotten had they bounded up, said a few jokes, and then carried on. Silence is a powerful thing.
How often as adults do we get caught up in labelling? "I'm a Democrat, I'm a Salesman, I'm an American, perhaps even I'm a non-conformist". But are we ever really just what a label says it is? We would all need to string a mile of labels to make up who we are. We are all individuals.
The second chapter is titled "Silence is a Virtue". Over-talking can cause other to "timeout". Speak once and expect to be heard. Good Teaching can take few words.
How many times has a person walked up on stage, or gone in front of the classroom and just stood there not saying anything and after awhile the audience becomes quite attentive-what's going on? The power of the presumed speaker triples without saying anything! They have now much more attention than they would have gotten had they bounded up, said a few jokes, and then carried on. Silence is a powerful thing.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Tao of Pooh
I know...I'm supposed to be reviewing The Tao of Teaching but I thought it would be worthwhile to take a step back and brush up on Taoist philosophy and, short of reading Tao de Ching, Benjamin Hoff's book is very cute, light read. I highly recommend it! (as did the Tao of Teaching author Greta Nagel)
The Tao of Pooh reminds us that the basic concept of Taoist living is to live simply, seek wisdom, shun publicity, live activily and in the moment, and that knowlege for the sake of knowledge is useless. There are many more concepts that will be explored as I read further in the Tao of Teaching. The basic premise of Benjamin Hoff's Tao of Pooh is that Pooh, through being simple and child-like, always seems to find the answers the Knowledgable Owl, the always Busy Rabbit, and ever Fearful Piglet cannot.
The Tao of Pooh reminds us that the basic concept of Taoist living is to live simply, seek wisdom, shun publicity, live activily and in the moment, and that knowlege for the sake of knowledge is useless. There are many more concepts that will be explored as I read further in the Tao of Teaching. The basic premise of Benjamin Hoff's Tao of Pooh is that Pooh, through being simple and child-like, always seems to find the answers the Knowledgable Owl, the always Busy Rabbit, and ever Fearful Piglet cannot.
