The Tao Te Ching, and aspieness.

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The following is verse 20 of the Tao Te Ching, by Lao-Tzu who was arguably China's greatest sage. In it he seems to describe himself and his way of life. To me, it resonates with the aspie mindset, albeit one who has found the courage to make peace with the unknown. Does anyone else see themselves in these lines?

Banish dogma, no more grief.
Between Yes and No
How much difference?
Between good and evil
How much difference?
What others fear I must fear-
How pointless!

People are wreathed in smiles
As if at a carnival banquet.
I alone am passive, giving no sign,
Like an infant who has not yet smiled.
Forlorn, as if I had no home.

Others have enough and more,
I alone am left out.
I have the mind of a fool,
Confused, Confused.

Others are bright and intelligent,
I alone am dull, dull,
Drifting on the ocean,
Blown about endlessly.

Others have plans,
I alone am wayward and stubborn,
I alone am different from others,
Like a baby in the womb.

I love it. Tell me which translation you used!!

I first read the Tao Te Ching when I was about age 40. I had never encountered anything that felt so true, so right. Thirty some years later I decided I have Asperger's. Coincidence?

i was just reading some on the net, and i notice that the text repeats itself a lot too... but a small dose is good.

saw the verse re being and non-being creating each other, and long and short defining each other.

and i like how it advocates almost complete inactivity!! No ambition, no competition, no striving.

also, dry remark that the more locks on doors there are, the more robberies! ...

(The more society pursues pure objectivity the more pure subjectivity there is.

that one's mine! )

i get a bit irritated/bored after a while cos it does go over and over the same ground rather. Similar in that way to many parts of the collected writings called the Bible. I see how it might be more in tune with allegedly aspie characteristics, but on the other hand it recommends a consistently middle road, whereas aspies are "supposed" to suffer from tendencies to thinking in black and white terms.

Though it occurs to me that perhaps this teaching is based on directly observing this black and white tendency.

Last edited by ouinon on 03 Mar 2008, 5:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

If you haven't ever read the Tao, I suggest it. It is a great stepping stone for those who shun religion and philosophy.

oh i like the sound of that. i think that indeginous indians religions are the best ones, far more natural for my liking. i'll check it out. i wonder if god sent that chinese dude to hell because he wasnt a christian? actually i wonder if also god sends indians and any pre human race that existed before us to hell because they wernt a christian? it would be a shame really if he did

WTF!?!

Rich, I don't understand your context. Maybe you could elaborate?

According to your message, perhaps all autistics are automatically going to hell as well because we aren't on the same par as NT's: A perpetual groveling inferior to that of those with 'normal' human capacity and slightly better than that of an animal.

I've read a couple of editions. One was illustrated like a comic-book. Me like.

I always translate the Wade-Giles into Pin-ying instantly. Which is dumb, because I should learn how it's written in ideograms. Which would be way too difficult, and maybe just as dumb. I'm rambling. I'll stop now.

Taoism seems awesome. I've heard that it has similarities to quantum physics. I can totally see why.