RE: Something from Nothing
March 7, 2018 at 1:49 pm
(This post was last modified: March 7, 2018 at 1:49 pm by Aegon.)
(March 6, 2018 at 10:21 am)rskovride Wrote:(March 6, 2018 at 10:10 am)Aegon Wrote: I could if you really wanted me to. You have to say please though.
I would certainly like to witness a zen argument and responses.
I think I already made one to be honest. At least... in essence. I know very little about the cosmology; I'm much more interested in Taoist philosophy, broadly, and probably about 0.5% of Zen Buddhism. I definitely DO NOT consider myself a Taoist, for two reasons: I don't know enough to really be one and there are parts of Taoism that are way too mystical for my liking. I enjoy the bits that essentially offer a new way of looking at and studying the physical world as well as a way of living which can reduce anxiety and increase overall levels of enjoyment. This drivel has been wildly successful in doing both those things for me.
There's a few main creation myths in Taoist literature and they all imply that something was always here (the Dao.) I have read several texts that I would argue are essential to understanding Taoism, but I only retain the parts I like. Creation myths don't particularly interest me except for the place they have in the philosophy's general logic. BUT the initial comment about the relatively of something to nothing. Recognizing the utility of nothingness and its importance relative to something is key in Taoist philosophy. It's the core ideal behind the concept of wu wei, which translates to a few things but I like "effortless effort." That is about action (or lack thereof) though. It can apply to the creation of the universe because: if the Dao flows completely naturally and effortlessly, and the Dao had always existed, formless, prior to the universe, then the progression of the universe's creation was entirely natural and did not require anybody or anything to take any sort of action (i.e., no God or supreme being necessary.) I feel like I'm free to interpret Laotzu in so many ways, I could probably say that there very well may have been NOTHING before the universe, but nothingness could still be described as the Dao.