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The purpose of the following list is to
address particular issues which weigh heavily on our lives, and to give examples
of how Reform Taoist principles might be used to cope with them. Please
feel free to e-mail us with any
suggestions you may have pertaining to this list (i.e. subjects that should be
added, revisions, etc.)
 Abortion Alchemy Animals,
Rights of Capital Punishment Chi Creation Death, The
Soul and Immortality Diet and the Consumption of Meat Divination Education
and Knowledge Euthanasia Evangelism Extraterrestrial
Life Gods and
Other Deities Good and
Evil Health Illness Interpersonal Connections Intoxication Laozi and
the Tao Te ChingABORTIONOn the exclusive grounds that the destruction of life and the disruption of Nature is in direct conflict with the Tao, we would oppose abortion without hesitation; however, other factors are involved. Abortions are almost always sought by people who must take such action to preserve their own lives (or way of life) and perhaps the lives of people they love. Thus, the situation takes on the same feel as the discussion of euthanasia in this list of our beliefs.We advise that the choice to abort a pregnancy be avoided whenever possible and reasonable, but we support those who choose to have an abortion, providing that their reasons for doing so are generally sound. ALCHEMYSome of the ancient teachings of Traditional Religious Taoism place a high value on the practice of alchemy. Originally, the purpose of so-called "Alchemical Taoism" was to seek physical immortality by literally converting the body into an ageless material. This was done by some practitioners through the ingestion of gold, as well as other minerals and Earthly substances (some of which were poisonous!)Reform Taoists still place a value on alchemy, but its purpose for us is simply to promote health, not to seek immortality. In fact, we perform our "alchemy" with herbs, medical treatments and sensible diet and lifestyle, rather than through the ingestion of heavy metals or adherence to strict codes of "internal alchemical" meditation and visualization. Although our application of the term "alchemy" is obviously very different from the Traditional application, the concept is the same: We simply live our lives in ways which will make our bodies healthier and stronger. ANIMALS, RIGHTS OF(SEE TOLERANCE AND DIET AND THE CONSUMPTION OF MEAT)CAPITAL PUNISHMENTCapital Punishment (i.e. the "death penalty") is another of the relatively few sociopolitical issues on which Reform Taoism takes a strong stance — in this case, a negative one. Our Creed contains the following statement: "We reject hatred, intolerance, and unnecessary violence, and embrace harmony, love and learning, as we are taught by Nature." While the discovery of an unstable and dangerous element in our society — in this case, a criminal — does indeed warrant action on our part, that action must be limited to the removal of the dangerous element from our midst, thus protecting the relative civility and stability of our society in general. Our judicial and prison systems (despite their well-known flaws) are generally quite capable of carrying out that task. Once a convicted capital criminal is imprisoned, he or she is no longer a threat to society; the murder of that criminal, then, can serve only as vengeance, as a state-sponsored satiation for bloodlust. Thus, assuming that we aspire to be creatures driven by something more noble than bloodlust, capital punishment obviously constitutes "unnecessary violence."Furthermore, it is an unavoidable facet of the human condition that violence begets violence. Each time we execute someone — despite the ostensibly "humane" methods by which we do so — we lose a little bit of our civility and humanity. Each time we stand by quietly while our government takes a life (or worse yet, support such action through political or other means), we send our children the message that murder for vengeance is an acceptable concept in our society. Finally, what are we to make of current research data, which indicate that capital punishment is not the deterrent to crime that it was once thought to be? How are we to atone for the occasional (but certainly significant) execution of criminals who are posthumously exonerated of their crimes? When we consider all of these troubling aspects of capital punishment, we feel that we must reach the same conclusion that so many other "developed" societies and cultures around the world have reached: Capital punishment is an archaic, socially-brutalizing practice, and one that we must strive diligently to abolish. Within the context of Reform Taoism, it violates our Creed, and it works to distance us from the benevolent harmony of the Tao. CHI(SEE QI)CREATION"The Tao begot one. As a product of Nature and the Tao, we essentially believe in the current theory of Evolution, although we are certainly open to other possibilities. The concept of a divine Creation (as it is applied within a theistic context), however, is completely unreasonable to us. To assume that such an event occurred would imply not only that a sentient, creator deity exists, but that the deity invests a personal interest in Earth and specifically humans. We hold the view that humans, as well as all other life and non-life in the Universe, were and are still being created as an act of sheer Natural process, nothing more. DEATH, THE SOUL AND IMMORTALITY"The beginning of the universe Humans naturally consider their "lives" to consist of the time between mortal birth and mortal death. We believe, however, that only the body — the physical conglomerate of skin and bone — is subject to age. The spirit of a person, his or her soul, is immortal. But what exactly is a soul? The soul is what makes each human being unique. After all, we all have the same muscles and bones; we all have skin, a face, hands and feet. One person's brain even looks and operates very much like another's. Neuroscience has identified most biological and psychological functions. Given our similarities and this vast store of knowledge about the mind and body, can we explain why each person has a distinctly unique aura and intangible effect on those around him or her? Can we determine why one person feels pain, pleasure, love or jealousy in a different way than another? For that matter, why are there people that you could never fall in love with, and people you could? These questions simply cannot be explained with biochemistry. We must look further than science; we must accept that there are things in this Universe which are simply intangible to us and to our scientific methodology. Although we cannot prove the existence of the soul, or even of the Tao, we see overwhelming evidence of their existence all around us. We believe that the true essence of a person is in the soul, not the body. The body, ultimately, is little more than an "environment suit" for the soul. It allows a person to interact with others, manipulate his or her physical environment, and to experience sensory perception. Thus, when a body dies, the person does not. Reform Taoists believe that mortal life is just one of the infinite number of experiences we will have throughout our journey along the Path. It is an opportunity to get our feet wet in a very hands-on way, as we learn to feel love, hate, pain, and pleasure; as we come to understand the world and the Universe around us. And then, when the body can no longer function, it dies, and the soul is free. We must learn to overcome the human instinct to view mortal death as the "ultimate end". So, will we be reunited with our loved ones after mortal death? There is no way to know. We rest comfortably knowing, however, that what happens to our souls after mortal death is determined by the same laws of the Universe which govern our mortal life. Therefore, if we learn to live in harmony with the Tao during our mortal lives, we will be in harmony with the Tao after our mortal death. If we can manage that, then everything else will fall into place; that is Nature's way. DIET AND THE CONSUMPTION OF MEATReform Taoists, like the majority of Taoists over the last 2500 years, need not adhere to any particular dietary restrictions or guidelines. We believe that each individual must decide, for himself or herself, what foods are appropriate for his or her physical and psychological health and balance.Our Creed, of course, forbids unnecessary violence, and the "Tolerance" section of this document contains the following statement: "Furthermore, other species are not exempt from our tolerance. Every creature must be treated with respect, lest we injure the harmony of the Tao in Nature. We must never harm or kill unless it is unavoidable." These two instances have led some visitors to the Reform Taoist Congregation to question the strength of our beliefs. How can we decry unnecessary violence against any creature, but then not take a strong stance in favor of veganism or vegetarianism? The answer is that we believe that rational thought and the ability to compromise and deal with relativistic concepts are essential elements for healthy human existence. Followers of Jainism (a religious group generally localized in India), by contrast, believe strictly in a concept known as ahimsa, which translates as "non-injury". As Niels C. Nielsen, Jr., of Rice University explains:
Obviously, even the dietary and daily-living habits of most Western vegetarians would be barbaric from a Jain standpoint, and, likewise, we accept that our refusal to officially denounce the consumption of meat is likely to be seen as barbaric from a Western vegetarian standpoint. By using words and phrases in our Oath of Benevolence and statement on tolerance that are open to a certain degree of personal judgment, though, we demonstrate that we trust Reform Taoists to use their intellect as well as their spiritual sense of morality and understanding of the Tao, and to draw from all of these sources as they make moral and ethical decisions in their daily lives. Readers may have noticed that Reform Taoism does not take strong administrative stances on intensely personal issues (like diet, sexuality, and abortion). We do not believe that such issues are appropriate for administrative proclamation, and must rightfully be left to individuals to resolve for themselves. Hence, regarding the consumption of meat, we leave it up to individual Taoists to decide, for themselves, whether they feel that the killing of animals for food is "unavoidable" for them personally. DIVINATIONDivination is a point on which Reform Taoism and Traditional Religious Taoism take very different stances. While the practice of various forms of divination was a large part of ancient Taoist practice, we avoid such practices completely, and do not formally recognize the I Ching ("Book of Changes") as an element of our religion. We feel that divination is an attempt to gain enlightenment to the Tao which is not so much spiritual as it is superstitious. In other words, divination qualifies as a "shortcut" to the true Path, and that can only lead to a loss of one's true goals and objectives.EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGETraditional Taoism taught that education and knowledge could only lead away from the Tao; Laozi believed that the less "common people" knew about the cruelties of their world, the happier and more content they would be with their lives. It is generally accepted that Laozi probably had political motivations for such statements — obviously, the less people know about their government, the less likely they will be to find cause to revolt (some have even accused Laozi of advocating a policy of "keeping the people ignorant," and thereby making the populace easier to control).Reform Taoism takes a very different approach. We believe that knowledge and education are essential for personal growth. In order for a person to develop the ability to form opinions and take a stand on issues he believes strongly in, he must be exposed to and challenged by opinions which he naturally opposes (hence the adage, "Only in the face of adversity can we grow"). Modern human society is in desperate need of people who have the courage to think for themselves, who are aware of important issues, and who are willing to stand up for what they believe. We promote education and knowledge to the greatest extent one chooses to pursue them. We emphasize, however, that the pursuit of knowledge and the study of the Tao are two very different endeavors. The study of the Tao is spiritual, and the pursuit of knowledge is not. Ultimately, though, we need knowledge and education in order to apply our Taoist beliefs to modern life and relationships. EUTHANASIAEuthanasia (and here we are talking about passive euthanasia; we do not condone illegal activity) is indeed one of modern society's most debated topics. Some see it as the deliberate destruction of life (in effect, murder), and nothing more. We admit and acknowledge that euthanasia is taking a human life, literally speaking. However, we must remember that our highest duty is to the Tao. When a person who should Naturally have died is kept alive (and possibly suffering) through extensively artificial means, an imbalance is created; we have effectively disrupted the Natural cycle for that person. Death must be accepted and welcomed as naturally as birth, for they are both part of the same cycle.The issue becomes complicated, unfortunately, when we consider people who are being kept alive as a result of sustaining severe injuries. How does one make an ethical judgment about a twenty or thirty year-old who was in an automobile accident, and will die if taken off life-support? The only resolution to such a situation is to consider all of the circumstances relevant for that particular individual (i.e. how long has the person been unable to survive on his/her own? Is he/she in pain? What are his/her chances of living a normal, full-length life? And most importantly: What would he/she want?) These are questions for which we encourage the family to search for answers among themselves, without outside interference. EVANGELISMReform Taoism encourages and condones only "silent" evangelism. By this we mean that we do not press others to join us, because such an approach will certainly arouse feelings of defensiveness in those who do not hold our beliefs. Rather, we lead by example, "silently", and embrace and nurture those who inquire about our beliefs on their own volition.EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFEThis is a subject upon which many frown in the Western world. We, however, accept the existence of other intelligent life in the universe as a given. With the countless stars that inhabit our night sky, how can we be so arrogant as to assume that we are alone? Humans are simply not special enough to warrant such an assumption. Most importantly, if we and our planet are indeed simple products of Nature and the Way, then others must surely exist, representing the infinite range of Natural variety and diversity.GODS AND OTHER DEITIESReform Taoism is an atheistic religion; we do not believe in the existence of any god or deity. We do believe that an order to the Universe exists, and that this order is defined and maintained by the Tao. Unlike a deity, however, the Tao is not personified or anthropomorphized; it is, rather, the indefinable power that regulates and manifests all Natural processes. (For more information, see TAO.)GOOD AND EVILThe yin-yang model teaches us that all complimentary forces flow into each other. This is but the first step, though, to enlightenment on the Nature of the Way. The spiritual goal of a Taoist is to reach a level of enlightenment at which he or she can perceive complimentary forces as not simply flowing into each other, but in fact as one unified system. At a certain level of spiritual enlightenment, the distinction between complimentary forces falls away, and we are left with the harmony and unity of opposites, the true Way.As Taoists, we follow the Way of harmony and peace. We never harm or kill unless it is unavoidable. HEALTH(SEE ALSO DEATH, THE SOUL AND IMMORTALITY) During our mortal lives, we are at least capable of conceiving of the Tao as a concept; we may not be able to fully understand it, but we obviously possess the ability and desire to pursue that understanding. That pursuit is our deepest purpose and mission in life, and all that we do as people serves to deepen our understanding of the Way. Our minds and bodies are constructed in a manner which permits us to undertake this spiritual journey. For that reason, mortal life should be treasured and nourished. We should keep our minds and bodies uncontaminated and strong, so that we can pursue and perceive the Way clearly at all times.ILLNESSHuman bodies are, after all, little more than complex machines. They require a proper balance of exercise and rest, nourishment and excretion, light and darkness, etc. When that balance is disrupted, illness or death can result. The agent of this imbalance can be internal or external.One example of an internal agent of imbalance might be a chemical imbalance in the brain (this, in a simplified sense, is largely responsible for the vast majority of mental illnesses). Another example would be cancer, in which the body's balance of growth is altered by a fast-growing mass of cells. Many internal imbalances are difficult to detect, and we usually must rely on medical science for help. An external imbalance, on the other hand, is something that we can detect and correct ourselves, if we know what to look for. Examples of external imbalance would be a lack or excess of sleep, temperature extremes, lack or excess of food or water, too much or too little exercise, etc. External imbalances usually result from decisions we make ourselves, and hence can be changed at will (though not always easily, to be certain). Illnesses (or rather, our susceptibility to them) always result from an imbalance of some kind. This is one of the ways in which we are reminded of our dependence on and connection to the Tao, and a primary reason for our interest in health and strength. INTERPERSONAL CONNECTIONSOne of our most cherished beliefs is that all things — and all people — are interconnected, though often on levels that we are incapable of consciously perceiving. It is via these unconscious connections that we experience love and hate, compassion and isolation, intuition and "gut feelings." We must endeavor to trust these feelings and sensations, and not to repress them or push them away. After all, they may be our most direct link to our deepest selves and to the true nature of existence.INTOXICATION(SEE ALSO HEALTH) We do not particularly condemn the use of potentially intoxicating or mind-altering substances, so long as such activity is practiced in moderation (and in accordance with applicable laws; we do not condone illegal activity). Specifically, individuals should not use such substances in sufficient quantity to disable their senses or reflexes — the body and mind must be kept healthy and strong, so that the Tao and its manifestations can be perceived and followed at all times. To intentionally dull the senses through intoxication and inebriation is in conflict with the Tao.LAOZI AND THE TAO TE CHING(SEE TAO AND TRADITIONAL TAOISM, OUR CONNECTION TO) |
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