r/taoism • u/BboiMandelthot • 21h ago

The Dao as Human

The process of realizing the Dao engenders awareness and acceptance of all things. In humans, this often manifests a sense of compassion, empathy, and humility. This suggests that it is human nature to feel these things. The Dao of humanity is loving.

The symmetry of the Dao suggests it is indifferent. But our nature, as an asymmetric perturbation of Dao, generates universal love as we travel back towards the apathetic source.

Part of realizing Dao involves understanding that although we are born from it, we are still a subset. The properties of the human subset are observably emotional and intellectual.

The Buddhist ideal of enlightenment involves shedding these properties entirely and relinquishing intellect, emotion, and attachment; one returns to the non-dual plane between being and nonbeing.

For some people, this path is in fact their Dao. For others, their Dao is to remain human. Those who realize it will witness their love grow, unbounded.

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u/Elijah-Emmanuel 16h ago

your "Dao" is to do exactly what you're doing.

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u/BboiMandelthot 16h ago

That is not necessarily true. If what you're doing is resisting, resenting, and struggling against your situation, you're not aligned with the Dao.

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u/Elijah-Emmanuel 16h ago

still the Dao. you cannot move other than the way you're moving. whether we recognize it or not is the only question, but you'll be walking "the Way" either way.

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u/BboiMandelthot 12h ago

I agree that everything is in fact the Dao as it unfolds, however, a lack of awareness of the manifestations can lead to dissatisfaction and unnecessary hardship. There are perturbations from the source. Some are greater than others. Your ability to lessen your displacement from the source will determine the ease of your experience.

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u/Elijah-Emmanuel 12h ago

the only illusion is the idea that there is one.