Is Taoism anti Communism?

[Elta]

(Note this is based on the Jonathan Star translation to English of the Wang Pi version all taken from Tao Te Ching)

I understand that in the early days of Communism China all forms of religion were repressed but, two scritpures in TTC right next to each other lead me to belive that the tennants of Communism go directly against Dao and made it an even larger target for Communist.

TTC 57 - 1

To rule the state, have a known plan
To win a battle, have a unknown plan
To gain the universe, have no plan at all

Let the universe itself
reveal to you its splendor
How do I know this should be so?
because of this--

The more restrictions, the more poverty
The more weapons, the more fear in the land
The more cleverness, the more strage events
The more laws, the more lawbreakers

Thus the Sages say,
Act with a pure heart and people will be transformed
Love your own life and the people will be uplifted
Give without conditions and the people will prosper
Want nothing and the people will find everything



TTC 58 - 1

When the ruler knows his own heart
the people are simple and pure
When he meddles with their lives
They become restless and disturbed



Thoughts? anyone from China able to tell me something? I don't really have any questions so much as I want to know more about the realtionship in the past and present between the state and Taoism.

 

[Dida]

No Taoism is neither against nor pro Communism.

Taoism was brutally suppressed by Manchu ruler of China because it was an native Chinese religion. The Communist didn't do much to Taoism. The religion most strongly suppressed was Confucianism.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Taoism =/= Communism.

Communism wants material happiness, Taoism just wants to go with the flow.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Well yes, but then, Taoism was also opposed to the Imperial system, and the Republic. Lao Tse did have a political intent with those passages. He was writing in responce to the legalist school, and so was strongly anti-authoritarian.

 

[Kozmos]

Taoism is about The Way man, the best thing to do is manipulate things as little as possible.

 

[alex994]

May just be me, but not every Taoists/Daoists have read the "Tao Te Ching"; I know I haven't...

 

[plarq]

I'm non-theist, not atheist...

Anyway, you don't have to read it to believe it.

"Tao" is road, way of life, so that is a religion?!

It seems that those Tang Dynasty emperors to develop this idea, and Lao Tsi's works, into a religion because they felt like it, along with brilliant alchemist innovation such as mercury sulfured mineral products to produce hallucination.

 

[Leif]

I believe Taoism is neither for or against Communism.

 

[Tee Kay]

Well, since communism gives the state so much power, it is against Taoist principles which basically holds that too much government and restrictions is a bad thing. (as opposed to legalists and confucianists).

 

[GoodSarmatian]

It's not against communism, it's against despotism.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

"Tao" is road, way of life, so that is a religion?!

It seems that those Tang Dynasty emperors to develop this idea, and Lao Tsi's works, into a religion because they felt like it...

Buddhism... Confucianism... That's usually how it works. Philosophy appears to be the precursor to Religion.

It's not against communism, it's against despotism.

I don't know... I've read a book on Mao Tse-tung, and this excerpt from the Tao Te Ching seems unnervingly prophetic.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Prophetic ?
It reminds me more of the first Chinese emperor Qin Shihuangdi than of Mao.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

It's not against communism, it's against despotism.

And there is usually little difference.

 

[Thorvald of Lym]

It reminds me more of the first Chinese emperor Qin Shihuangdi than of Mao.

Well then, I think we know who inspired Mao!

 

[GoodSarmatian]

And there is usually little difference.

Most communist leaders were despots, but most despots were not communits.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

Most communist leaders were despots, but most despots were not communits.

So we have established that communism is a subset of despotism. So if Taoism is anti-despotism it must be anti-communism.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

So we have established that communism is a subset of despotism. So if Taoism is anti-despotism it must be anti-communism.

No, we have established that most communist leaders were despots.
A Kibbuz for example could be described as a democratic communist society and I don't see where it conflicts with Taosim although I have never heard of a Taoist Kibbuz.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

No, we have established that most communist leaders were despots.
A Kibbuz for example could be described as a democratic communist society and I don't see where it conflicts with Taosim although I have never heard of a Taoist Kibbuz.

And that's why I said there is usually little difference. I have never heard of a Kibbuz before but any rate they are not numerous.

 

[CartesianFart]

It is a somewhat misleading of a question of posing that Taoism and Communism are terms of two things with regard of having the characteristic that is common to both.

What I mean is that the likeness of two different doctrines are neither different in political or religious context nor it is being in the same subject. One is a theory of social organization and the other the theory of how to conduct your life.

 

[cybrxkhan]

I believe Taoism is neither for or against Communism.

Taoism isn't for or against anything for that matter.

Taoism is "to go with the flow", and doesn't really care about commies. in truth, from what i know, a real Taoist sage wouold just retreat to the forest, and meditate there and admire nature. so he probably woudn't really care about making everything equal or balancing the government or voting or which emperor is more corrupt etc.