What do you think of the statement below, how do you view it, and what is your religion.?

Question

When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.

Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other.

Therefore the Master
acts without doing anything
and teaches without saying anything.
Things arise and she lets them come;
things disappear and she lets them go.
She has but doesn't possess,
acts but doesn't expect.
When her work is done, she forgets it.
That is why it lasts forever.

Wow, this is facinating. All the people who claim to be Catholic like it. Atheist see it as mombo jumbo, but so do prodestants. By the way people, this is not written by me. It is from a very famous book. I just was tired of atheist and christians attaking each other, so I tried to ask a question that went a little beyond. Some of you couldn't get beyond, but that's ok. This has been very interesting. Shows to me that people really don't read anything outside of what they percieve to be true.

Answer 1

Sounded like a build-up to a theodicy to me, until the last line. That last line threw me for a loop.

I view it as an existential lesson on yin and yang. The existence of anything necessitates its complement.

I have no religion.

Answer 2

The first two sections are completely inaccurate except for the line "Long and short define each other". All of those examples beautiful to ugly, good to bad, difficult to easy etc. DEFINE each other. They don't create the opposite...they only offer a standard with which to define the opposite. That being said, the last section that speaks about the master acting without doing anything, teaching without saying anything is also a leap in logic. A agree however with the statements "Things arise and she lets them come ----to---That is why it lasts forever." I think that it's saying that creation is so self perpetuating and that creation is basically an eternal circle of perfection that no interaction is needed from God in order to "keep the wheels turning" so to speak.

I am sprititual...but not religious

Answer 3

It is an odd point of view only because I do not see life from that perspective. This view of life is like a zero sum game or state of nothingness. Even the state of non doing lasting forever is like there was no impact done at all by a person's life.

In this life man is born. Not to achieve nothingness but to bring completeness. And all actions have a start and an end much like life and death. As the good book says "we spend our lives as a tale that is told." So life can only be told when a definite impact has been made from one person to another.

I am a Protestant and non denominational.

Answer 4

I'm a Christian and I don't mean to be insulting but here's what I think about the statement.

"When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly"

That's nonsense. Just because I see beauty in a flower for example doesn't mean that something else becomes "ugly" to me.

"When people see some things as good,
other things become bad."

Another false statement. It presupposes that just because I think something is good that this is the basis for thinking something else is bad when in reality I don't compare things and say "Well since this is good then this other different thing is bad".

"Being and non-being create each other"

How can "non-being" create anything?

It goes on and on. It sounds like some sort of mysticism where a person comes up with these wise sounding thoughts that require deep contemplation to appreciate the inner truths but when you shine the light of logic on them they disintegrate into vain philosophy.

What do you think of this statement?

Colossians 2:6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

Answer 5

As an Atheist, I agree with the second paragraph. I would disagree with the use of "become" in the first paragraph. I would phrase it more "if people are to see some things as beautiful they must see other things as ugly."

Unfortunately, the third paragraph tends too much towards what I would see as a zen focus on inaction. To my mind the master must act so that her inaction can be recognized, she must teach aloud so that her silence will also have meaning, et cetera.

Answer 6

a thought about things that hate each and are opposite sides to a coin working together for the greater good.

It's junk but that's what I think it means

Atheist/Agnostic

Answer 7

theres a good and bad to everything and in the end every will fix itself out, like yin-yang, with a really peaceful ending

a not so great catholic, i think i mghtve eaten meat already

Answer 8

Here is the Truth ...God Loves You


I was raised a Baptist...married a Catholic but above all I am a Christian

Answer 9

Paragraph 1 describes attachments and aversions and how we react to things we think bring us happiness.

2. "Non-being" is illogical. The rest is about dualism.

3. About letting go of attachments and aversions, and so on... someone in balance, or enlightened.

My Buddhist pov.

_()_

Answer 10

Sounds like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to me.

atheist.