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The following is an analysis and translation by a Theosophist named Jon Fergus. Here is the first line of the Tao Te Ching by the great Chinese philosopher Laozi (Lao-Tzu) from the fourth century BC. 道可道，非常道。 The first term is 道可道. These three Chinese characters are 道 (dào) 可 (kě) 道 (dào)...

Here is Laozi’s (LaoTzu’s) first line in the Tao Te Ching (道德经) 道可道, 非常道。 (Dào kě dào, fēi cháng dào, ) I have my interpretation of this line. I am curious what your interpretation is. Also, this is only the first line, so you may be referring to the first three or five lines or so.

是的!!

太难了!!

Hey Wil, do you want to learn Taoism?

Well, no. It is a hierarchy of higher and lower co-existing selves. We are presently co-existing in our physical bodies, our emotional bodies (also called astral bodies), our mental bodies, and our nirvanic bodies. When we dream at night, sometimes we leave our physical bodies and do astral...

Steve, I know that Honganji is nembutsu, nembutsu, nembutsu! By the way, I noticed you did not say if you are oriented to Nishi or Higashi. They are very picky about that, so you might want to look into one or the other.

Steve, I am glad I was able to show you another way of looking at things that is different than the way Jodo Shinshu members look at things. Are you a member of Honganji? Nishi? Higashi? Is your tradition’s main temple in Southern Kyoto? Have you visited it? Do you speak Japanese? 日本語が分かりますか？...

True. Many Buddhists think the goal of life is for the entire person to be destroyed. Not true. We have both a lower self and a higher self. The goal is to destroy the lower self but keep and improve the higher self. The Ego is part of the lower self, and yes, it will fight any attempt by the...

Steve, It sounds like you are on the path to enlightenment. Congratulations. By the way, I believe most people in this world have not yet chosen to ‘be on the path’. Everyday they do not do so, they delay their eventual arrival at enlightenment.The opportunity will not exist forever.

Steve, You asked, If you became enlightened - in the mystical, spiritual, Buddhist-Hindu sense - would your outward life change in a way noticeable to others? Or would you continue doing what you normally do while observing it and the world from your newly-awakened awareness? I do not think...

One of a spouse’s biggest responsibilities is to be emotionally supportive when the partner is going through distress. It sounds like your spouse is not doing this. You need to start being assertive about getting your emotional needs met. You need to start being assertive about having your...

I believe in reincarnation, so of course, nothing is lost. We are in a constant state of building up our ideas, tendencies, talents, and habits. These will definitely be carried over to our next reincarnation.

N2B, I use the word angst as a catch-all term to mean depression, anxiety, PTSD, compulsive behavior, etc. It is true that religion can help people deal with their anxiety. For some people, religion is the only thing that will help them deal with their anxiety. But sometimes a more direct...

N2B, I am glad to hear that you are interested in finding out about things beyond the physical world that are important to us. However, I think we must eliminate the possibility that you have a high case of angst. Angst can cause the feeling you are feeling just as much as an interest in...

Crell, I hear what you are saying. It is not a question of you 'finding religion' someday, it is a question of whether she would be tolerant of it if you did. More importantly, it is a question of whether she would be tolerant of your daughter finding a religion other than Judaism (or if your...

Crell, I agree that you should get someone besides a rabbi for any counseling you may receive. Your partner wants the children to receive a ‘bare minimum Bar Mitzvah’. (What would that consist of? Are Bar Mitzvahs only for boys?) Ask her if it would be okay if you also took them to visit...

Wil, As a matter of fact, I was thinking of you when I wrote my post. I know that you have taken your children to churches, mosques, temples, etc., and you were willing to expose them to widely-differing religions. A lot of Crell's success will depend of how much of this type of...

Crell, How would she feel if the children decided to grow up not being practicing Jews? Would she give them that freedom? How would she feel if one day you decided to expose them to, say, Buddhism? Do not go any further in the relationship until you discuss these questions with her.

Dusty, you said i definitely believe in reincarnation. i have been learning jewish mystism for approx. 13 years, and reincarnation is a concept which is reflected again and again and i **believe** it. Reincarnation is an important part of my belief system too. Note: i am new to Buddhism... I...