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- CommentAuthorLynn Cornish
- CommentTimeJul 8th 2005 edited
Can anyone talk about the Taoist view on morality? The Tao talks about the behavior of the sage and we all know that with wisdom comes morality (the wise choice is the moral choice). But what about Taoists who are not sages? What is their moral code?
I found this on the Internet, referring to Chapter 18 -- http://centertao.org/commentary.php?c=18
When original oneness with all is lost, morality arises. The presence of morality presupposes the absence of peace and harmony. There is no need for morality when people are naturally attuned to nature and to one another. Confucian humanism arises in times of disorder. When family harmony becomes a goal, it means that family harmony has been lost.
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Lynn Cornish:
...But what about Taoists who are not sages? What is their moral code?...
First, all Taoist are sages, i.e., sage has no mind of his own . Are all sages Taoist? Well, the Taoist that can be named is not the is not the constant Taoist.
I don't see moral codes in nature. Nature is naturally so. It is ruthless, it is nurturing, it is nature. We desire the pleasant and avoid the unpleasant and meddle with 'what is' to bring about the perfect situation where we can have it just 'right'. In our cleverness to make the world 'just right' we screw it up and then add insult to injury by attempting to correct the situation moral codes.
Moral codes are the path to hypocrisy. Like Lynn alluded to, wisdom is 'morality'. With wisdom you can not be immoral, without wisdom you can not be moral... you can only pretend to be moral, but in fact, just end up being a hypocrite.
Yes, I know, it takes one to know one
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