再来一个
In many ways Christianity is, to my mind, a logical extension of Taoism in the search for spirituality. Many of the principles of Christianity have parallels in Taoism. For example, the benefits of service and charity:
“The sage never stores things up.
The more he does for others, the more he has.
The more he gives to others, the greater his abundance.”
Compare this with Acts 20:35 – “I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’”
The wisdom of avoiding materialism:
“Amass a store of gold and jade, and no one can protect it
Claim wealth and titles, and disaster will follow.”
Similarly – Matthew 6:19 – “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:”
The contentment of being satisfied with what we have:
“He who knows he has enough is rich.”
Note Paul’s observation – Philippians 4:11b-12 – “for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”
The value of service and humility:
“Why is the sea king of a hundred streams?
Because it lies below them.
Therefore it is the king of a hundred streams.
If the sage would guide the people, he must serve with humility.”
Note the teaching of Jesus – Matthew 20:26-27 – “But it shall not be so with you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:”
More generally Taoism teaches the rejection of blind materialism, mistreating others and striving to change the natural order of the creation:
“The universe is sacred.
You cannot improve it.
If you try to change it, you will ruin it.
If you try to hold it, you will lose it.”
In many ways the teachings of the Bible mirror the teachings of Taoism. Yet there are important differences between these two approaches to life. The reason I felt the need to move on from a Taoist approach to life is that I found the philosophy of the Tao incomplete. While Lao Tsu had a deep and penetrating view of life, this view did not go to the absolute conclusion we need. Anything short of the absolute truth is less than we should be willing to settle for.
Specifically, the Tao never answers two critical questions.
First, what is the reason for our being or why are we here?
Second is how do we achieve this “better way of living”?
Taoism suffers from the same problem that all manmade religion does. Religion can tell us what we need to do to be “good” but it cannot tell us how to do it. This is the same limitation of the Law of Moses. The law tells us what is right but is totally impotent in allowing us to achieve it. As we know all too well from the experience of law based Christianity, knowing what is good is little help in actually doing good.
As to the first shortcoming – why are we here – I have found no understanding apart from biblical Christianity that answers this question. The reason for the physical creation can only be found in the understanding of God as creator and Father. We are here to become children in God’s family. This answer is found nowhere else. The question is not raised in Taoism or any eastern religion. This question is not (and cannot be) answered by western science. Apart from biblical teaching we are left with the idea that the universe just is – without reason or deeper purpose. While this may be fine in the superficial it leaves us with a world that contains no hope.
While Taoism is one of the best human attempts of giving guidance for meaningful living, it suffers from the same problem that all purely human efforts have. Namely, without God our efforts to live correctly are merely efforts to be the god of our own life. Given this we can see that all human attempts at right living lack the resources
【 在 ibm221 的大作中提到: 】
:
: 你吧， 没本事就不要来趟这个浑水了
: 看点历史地理，红楼梦多好，
: ...................
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