BUILDING BRIDGES
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Youth
WORKSHOP 8: TAOISM
BY MARY K. ISAACS
© Copyright 2013 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 9/29/2014 8:04:35 PM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Thirty spokes are joined together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that allows the wheel to function.
We mold clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes the vessel useful.
We fashion wood for a house,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes it livable.
We work with the substantial,
but the emptiness is what we use. — Tao Te Ching, translated by J. H. McDonald
This session introduces Taoism (DOW-iz-uhm), an Eastern faith more than 2,500 years old. Taoism arose from indigenous Chinese religion. Its unique approach to the spiritual journey was first recorded in approximately 550 BCE, when Lao Tzu (LAU tsuh) wrote the Tao Te Ching (DOW duh jing), Taoism's most important text. Taoism does not usually refer to "God." It teaches instead "the Tao," which translates as "the Way" or "the Path." The Way is indistinct and incorporeal, it has no personality, and it is infinitely soft and infinitely powerful.
The engagement activity will deepen participants' understanding of Taoism and is encouraged; however, if no engagement takes place outside of workshop time, consider using Alternate Activity 2 to provide an experiential component. Further, consider holding the entire workshop outdoors, to express Taoism's connection with the natural world.
The basic concepts of Taoism are supremely simple, yet its very simplicity can be a trap—if something is "simple," it seems like it should be easy! The tendency to underestimate the depth of Taoism is the biggest pitfall in understanding it. You may need to remind participants that Unitarian Universalism looks simple to people, too: Most people agree with the values inherent in the seven UU Principles. However, living those principles—just like living Taoism—is not easy. Nondogmatic religions (those with no specific doctrine relating to such matters as morality and faith) ask followers to bear a huge responsibility for their own understanding of what is true and good.
If anyone in your congregation is Taoist or has a Taoist background, consider replacing an activity with a guest to speak with the group.
GOALS
This workshop will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
WORKSHOP-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Welcoming and Entering | 0 |
Opening | 20 |
Activity 1: Tao Te Ching | 15 |
Activity 2: Story — A Cup of Tea | 10 |
Activity 3: So Little, So Much | 15 |
Activity 4: Equal and Opposite | 12 |
Activity 5: Fact Sheet | 10 |
Activity 6: Time Line | 5 |
Faith in Action: Simply Do It | 20 |
Closing | 3 |
Alternate Activity 1: Engagement | 90 |
Alternate Activity 2: Tai Chi | 20 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
Prepare the workshop materials well in advance so you are not scrambling on the day of the workshop.
Before the workshop, think of an object you can bring to increase the beauty of the workshop space. The object does not have to be large, and no one else needs to know it has been added. It is simply for your benefit. However, you may choose to tell participants you brought a special object and why.
On the day of the workshop, give yourself plenty of time. Don't rush—let things unfold as they will. Practice awareness. Be deliberate, and do only one thing at a time.
If time permits, sit with your co-facilitator for a five-minute silent meditation before participants arrive. Close your eyes, focus gently on your breathing, and relax your body. If you find yourself thinking about something, even Taoism, let it go and refocus on your breathing. Don't check your watch. Instead, set an alarm with a soothing ring or vibration to let you know when time is up, so you are not thinking about that, either.
If you do not have time for the meditation, do not worry. Accept your reality.
See if you can maintain this relaxed posture during the workshop. If you find yourself clenching up in judgment, irritation, or impatience, unclench your body. Take a breath and breathe out the tension in your shoulders. Let go of the tension in your stomach or arms, and concentrate on the spots where you store tension. When our feelings stiffen, our bodies grab hold, too. Relaxing your body will bring you a feeling of greater peace.
WORKSHOP PLAN
WELCOMING AND ENTERING
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
As participants arrive, offer a scarf silently or with very few words. Take one yourself and model how to dance with it, flowing in response to the music. As more participants arrive, offer scarves and invite them to join you in dancing.
Encourage people to be creative in their movements—run in a circle to let their scarves stream out behind them, have two people hold onto both ends of a scarf, or model how to change their levels, so that they go as high or as low as they can reach. These are all actions that will enrich discussion during the workshop.
When it is time to begin the first activity, pick up the box, collect all the scarves, and indicate that everyone should be seated. Do not turn off the music until everyone has taken a seat.
Including All Participants
Pay sensitive attention to participants with physical impairments. These youth may benefit from being partnered with another dancer and changing partners several times during the dance. Encourage the others to move around and with these youth. Later, in your discussion of Taoism, note that the inclusive nature of the group dance was itself an illustration of a Taoist practice, since the Way—the Tao—effortlessly incorporates all, without any fuss.
OPENING (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Answer any questions you could not answer from the last workshop.
Invite the youth to sit in a circle. Light the chalice with these words:
We light this chalice in celebration of Unitarian Universalism and the sustaining faiths of all people of the world. May the flame represent the fire of our commitment to understand all faithful people and build bridges that connect us as one human family.
Invite participants to check in. If they participated in the Welcome and Entering activity, say:
For check-in, say your name and then tell us something you noticed about the dance we just did—for example, how the dancers interacted with each other, or what effect using the scarves had, or how the music affected your own movements—something you noticed as you experienced the dance.
If these observations are mentioned, point out that they are attuned to Taoism: flow, connectedness, peaceful feelings associated with moving to the music, or a balance between people.
If you did not do the Welcome and Entering activity, invite participants to check in by saying their names and briefly sharing something they know or have heard about Taoism.
Ask participants if they know any adults who describe themselves as Taoists. What do they think people mean when they say they are Taoists? What does that mean for the way those people live or think?
Ask what questions they have about Taoism, and write their questions on newsprint. Answer the ones you can. Tell the group that during this workshop, many of their other questions will be answered, and, after the workshop, you will seek the answers to any remaining questions, which you will share at their next meeting.
Read or share with the youth, in your own words, the information in Leader Resource 1, Taoism Background. Use newsprint to list important terms from the resource.
Read the quotation from the beginning of this workshop. Ask for responses. Tell youth the reading was from the Tao Te Ching, the most important text in Taoism. Tell them that although it is a tiny volume (show them the book), the Tao Te Ching is very important as a religious text. It has 81 chapters, which sounds like a lot, but each chapter is only a few lines or paragraphs long. (Open the book and show them a page or two.) Part of the reason for this simplicity is that there is a trade-off of work: The chapters are intentionally spare because they are intended to be catalysts. The reader must contemplate them to discover their meaning.
Remind the youth that during the workshop, they should reflect on how Taoism meets the basic human needs met by religion, such as answers to our big questions, ways to know right from wrong, and a connection to something greater than ourselves.
ACTIVITY 1: TAO TE CHING (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants are introduced to a Taoist holy book, the Tao Te Ching.
Tell the youth this activity involves reading from the Tao Te Ching. Share the name of the translator of the text you are using. Pass out slips, giving no more than three to each participant. Allow the youth a few minutes to read their slips, then ask them to select their favorite.
Have participants each read their favorite to the group and share their interpretation of it. Invite the group to offer other interpretations.
Note that everyone may hear different things and find different meanings in any given reading. Ask them:
Affirm that Taoists believe that there are many different paths that can lead to a happy, moral, spiritual life and that everyone is expected to find their own path.
Ask participants what values and beliefs they heard in these chapters. How do these relate to what they know already about Taoism? What new beliefs are suggested?
ACTIVITY 2: STORY — A CUP OF TEA (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Introduce the story "A Cup of Tea" by saying, in these words or your own:
In every religious tradition, stories are essential to teaching about the faith. Sometimes they are presented as historical, as in, "Such-and-such prophet did this at this time," but more often they are intended to make you think and to illustrate things that that faith finds supremely important to the human journey. "A Cup of Tea" is such a story. See if you can tell what it is saying to us.
Tell or read the story. Ask participants:
ACTIVITY 3: SO LITTLE, SO MUCH (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants compare different interpretations of a sacred text.
Give one slip to each participant. Ask participants to read their slip silently and think about what it means to them. After a few minutes, have them read each slip aloud. Participants may quickly realize that they are reading different versions of the same chapter. Ask:
Record their responses on newsprint.
Say, using these words or your own:
Translations of holy text can differ so radically that it can seem like they did not even come from the same source. This is much more than inconvenient; conflict over scriptural interpretation has led to violence, even to a new sect breaking away from the original faith.
However, for seekers of truth, the abundance of translations of every sacred text can provide clarity and depth. This is also one way that religions change over time. Remember that religions exist to help fulfill basic human needs. As those needs change, religions change, and translations and interpretations of sacred texts change, too.
Translations differ for many reasons, including the time and place that the translator lived, the translator's level of skill with the source language, and what the translator was trying to accomplish with the translation. One especially important influence is the personal spiritual path of the translators, because the aspects that speak to them most strongly in the original will be the ones they emphasize in their translations.
For this reason, it is important to sample several translations of the Tao—or any other religious text you intend to study—if you are not reading it in its original language. Some translations will speak strongly to you and sustain and empower your spiritual growth, while others might say almost nothing to you.
The process of sampling several texts to see which works best for you will seem familiar and is also a Taoist undertaking: Taoists, like Unitarian Universalists, are required to reflect on their own experiences and observations and identify the truth for themselves.
Some scholars say you have to learn Chinese to really be able to understand the Tao. Others say that the teachings of the Tao are broad enough to survive translation without losing much. Do you think there is enough content in what you have heard to be a valuable tool in your own search for truth and meaning—our Fourth UU Principle? Do you think your own process would benefit from using more than one translation? Why?
ACTIVITY 4: EQUAL AND OPPOSITE (12 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This game embodies the philosophy of yin/yang.
Group participants in pairs. If there is an odd number of participants, a facilitator can pair with a participant. Give a set of scarves or scrunchies to each pair. Each participant will "be" a particular color by putting a scarf or scrunchie around each wrist. Partners should represent complementary color pairs—for example, a "red" person is paired with a "green" person, and so on.
Say, using these or your own words:
You may have played a game called Mirror. In Mirror, you face your partner and do not touch each other. One person starts moving slowly, and the other person tries to match their movements exactly. You keep changing leaders so both people get to lead and to follow.
We are going to do a variation on Mirror called Equal and Opposite. You will notice that you and your partner are wearing complementary colors. That is because the Yin/Yang (refer to the newsprint), the symbol of Taoism, is frequently represented in colors opposite to each other. Opposite colors are called "complementary" because if they are added together, they contain all the colors. In Equal and Opposite, you and your partner are a living Yin/Yang.
In Equal and Opposite, you will share weight and energy and find balance together. Instead of always doing the same thing as your partner, you will seek to do exactly the opposite, all the while staying in constant close contact with your partner and keeping your balance together.
Here's how it works: Begin by facing your partner and placing your palms together. Decide who will be the first leader. The leader will only move one thing at a time, because any movement the leader makes prompts an equal and opposite response from their partner. The leader will never control everything. When the leader pushes gently forward with one hand, the other will respond equally and oppositely by gently pushing their own hand forward. If your partner pushes with their left hand, you will push also with your left hand, thus receiving in one hand and giving with the other. Experiment for a moment with just your hands and arms.
Give participants 30—60 seconds to try the game. Say, in these words or your own:
Change leaders now. Start adding the experience of level change. Leaders, move one hand up; the partner's other palm should move down. If the leader's torso moves left, the partner responds with the equal and opposite motion, also to their left, so the partners' torsos move away from each other. Keep your palms together, relaxed and flat. Feel the energy flowing between your palms with the movement, your bodies moving as one balanced whole. Stay aware. Be careful not to move in a way that would make your partner lose balance; it is the whole you seek to balance, and your partner's balance is as essential to the whole as your own. Work with all parts of your body.
Give participants another 30—60 seconds. Say, in these or your own words:
Change leaders. Separate your palms a little so that you are no longer touching, but keep your palms close to each other, so you can still feel the energy flowing between you. Continue moving—with equal and opposite motion—but pay close attention so you can keep the balance and flow even without the physical contact.
This is the metaphysical dance we do in our lives, every day. We are Yin and Yang, giver and receiver, leader and follower—feeling the flow, keeping our balance by balancing with others.
Give participants another 30—60 seconds. Say, in these words or your own:
Change leaders. Gradually slow your motion, keeping the connection through your energy and your attention. Continue responding with equal and opposite motion, keeping the balance and harmony, but going a little slower. Gradually bring your movements in, closer to home, closer to the heart, closer to where you began. When it feels right, when you have come to a point of natural ending, touch palms again and stand quietly as you began.
Wait for all pairs to finish.
Invite the youth to share what they felt during the game. If time allows, process the activity further by asking:
End with the following blessing:
Bless all our interactions with such flow: opposition without resistance, tension without discord, positive and negative without conflict. We have felt it in our bodies. We know the possibilities. We know it can be done. May it be so.
Including All Participants
This activity is perfectly suitable for those with physical limitations, because what is required is maintaining balance and harmony, not doing gymnastics: sensitive teamwork and other-awareness are the point. A modification can be made for a participant in a wheelchair by having the partner sit in a chair as well. If they cannot match both their palms, have them match just one palm. The equal and opposite motion still works, perhaps even more effectively, since the partner's less common circumstances will heighten awareness of and increase sensitivity to their capabilities. The requirement to maintain balance and harmony remains.
ACTIVITY 5: FACT SHEET (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Youth discuss a fact sheet on Taoism.
Tell participants you have a riddle for them. Read aloud the riddle at the bottom of Handout 1, Taoism Fact Sheet, and give participants time to think about it. Someone might get it right away, but usually only very little children solve this riddle immediately, so probably it will take some time or they will not be able to figure it out.
When the youth are ready to hear the answer or after they have guessed it, reread the riddle and tell them (or confirm) the answer. Ask why this riddle would be included in a workshop on Taoism. Welcome all responses. Read aloud the explanation following the riddle. Invite discussion by asking:
Distribute Handout 1, Taoism Fact Sheet, and Handout 2, Yin/Yang Symbol, and review them with the group. Ask:
Distribute Handout 3, The Seven UU Principles, or refer to the poster of the Principles. Ask:
Acknowledge that in Taoism, as in all religions or philosophies, beliefs are not necessarily uniform from one participant to another. What they have discussed today are some of the most universal tenets of Taoism. However, some Taoists believe in different manifestations of gods and demons, and some Taoists used to believe it is possible to achieve immortality through alchemy. In China, many people's beliefs are a mixture of Taoism and Buddhism, with some Confucianism thrown in, too. Just as in other religions, much diversity exists among believers, so no individual's faith can be predicted simply by saying, "They are Taoist." Additionally, we know religion is not static—religions change and grow as human needs change.
Revisit the questions generated in the Opening. Point out the answers that have emerged so far during this workshop. Note the questions that remain unanswered, and tell the group that you will do your best to find answers before their next meeting.
If you will be engaging with a Taoist community (Alternate Activity 1), give participants any information they need.
ACTIVITY 6: TIME LINE (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
The Religions Time Line is updated to include Taoism.
Ask participants if they remember where Taoism was born. Mark China on the map or globe with a sticky note.
Ask who remembers the founding date of Taoism. If they do not remember, ask them to guess. After they have finished guessing, put the "Taoism, 550 BCE" sticky note at the appropriate spot on the Religions Time Line.
Say, in these or your own words:
There are almost a thousand years between the founding of Judaism and the birth of Taoism. But then, something amazing happens right here in history: the birth of three major world religions in only fifty years' time. Between 550 BCE and 500 BCE, we see the birth of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, all of which are still major world faiths, and together represent almost 400 million people.
CLOSING (3 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the group around the chalice. If needed, relight the chalice.
Distribute Taking It Home. Invite participants to sit in a circle and join hands and say together:
All our bridges meet in the middle, in a Unitarian Universalist circle of faith. We are connected with all that lives. We continue with all who seek. We belong with all who love. Go in peace until we meet again.
Extinguish the chalice together.
FAITH IN ACTION: SIMPLY DO IT (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants practice simplicity while doing a clean-up activity.
Say, in these words or your own:
We are now going to put our faith into action, a part of our faith that resonates with Taoism. This is an exercise in awareness, presence, spontaneity, and nonattachment. We have mentioned how Taoism and Unitarian Universalism are alike in requiring a great deal of their practitioners. One thing required by both that sounds so simple is presence—simply being aware of what is going on around you. Taoists need to be present and aware at all times to stay balanced and in harmony with the Tao. Awareness is a simple idea, but it requires constant effort to put into daily practice. We are going to make that effort today.
Ask participants to get into a comfortable position and close their eyes. Read the following to the group:
Start with the breath. Your breathing keeps your body alive and connects you with the air, the wind, the sky. Feel that easy, natural connection.
Give participants a moment to focus on their breathing. Continue:
Widen your awareness now; rise up through the air that you connect with in every breath—rise up, widen, and find that you are one with the sky. You are the wind, flowing through the treetops, swimming in the grass, blowing children's hair, stirring the flowers. Rush and ebb and flow. You are one with the wind.
Give participants a moment to focus on this imagery. Continue:
Whoosh! Whoosh down now, flow easily through the sky and across the earth and over the sea. Blow over the sea foam, brush ridges across the surface, feel at every moment your connection to the water.
Give participants a moment to focus on this imagery. Continue:
Move onto the very skin of the water now; move with it as you blow, become one with the water—wind and water, one. Now move into the water, the motion the same, only the cool medium is different, whooshing, swimming, stirring, flowing. Feel the flow around plant and sand bar, tiny pebble and glacier alike. There is no difference here. You are your body, you are the wind, you are the water—not separate, the same, flowing with the same motions, rising to the same urges, and sharing the dance of life.
Give participants a moment to focus on this imagery. Continue:
Return—gently—now, to awareness of your body, to this room. Here, there is peace. Outside our door, there is much to be done. There is always much to be done. But we know we can carry peace into the world by remembering—remembering that our breath, the wind, the water, the earth, all flow together.
Sometimes we choose the work that is to be done, and sometimes the work lets itself be known. We soon will venture out for the work, which will tell us what needs to be done. At the end of this meditation, we will rise and go together into our church grounds [or building]. We will move slowly, feeling our connection to the earth under our feet, the breath in our lungs, and the light to our eyes. We will see work—and we will simply do it. A picture will need straightening, a piece of trash will need throwing away, a person will need help. Simply do it. Nothing is too small. No discussion is necessary. Ask for help if you need it. No calling attention to yourself. No expecting praise or recognition—we will simply see something that needs doing, and do it.
Do not look for the next thing while you are doing this one—do only one thing at a time. Know that with your calm, and your presence, and your hands, doing one tiny thing at a time, you are bringing peace to your heart—and this is what will bring peace to the world.
Open your eyes now. We seek utter simplicity. Purity. As you do each thing, however small, keep your mind on it only. The acts themselves are meditation.
Stand and lead the group out of the room to the area or areas chosen for the activity. Keep the group's energy as calm and focused as possible.
Once the activity is completed, collect the participants and return to your room. Allow participants to sit in silence for a few minutes if they seem inclined to do so. Invite participants to share their reflections on the experience.
Including All Participants
Make sure the area you have chosen is accessible to all participants and that each participant will be able to perform a meaningful task.
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
Review today's workshop with your co-leader:
Plan for any adjustments that could make future sessions run more smoothly, and decide who will seek answers to the remaining questions about Taoism that arose in the workshop.
Workshop 9, Activity 3, involves hearing from a UU Buddhist guest. Make sure that you have the details arranged for this guest speaker.
TAKING IT HOME
Thirty spokes are joined together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that allows the wheel to function.
We mold clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes the vessel useful.
We fashion wood for a house,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes it livable.
We work with the substantial,
but the emptiness is what we use. — Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
IN TODAY'S WORKSHOP... we discussed Taoism and the concepts of simplicity, spontaneity, a realistic understanding of your world, being present, "going with the flow," being peaceful within ourselves, and having a peaceful influence on our world.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
EXPLORE THE TOPICS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Lao Tzu (570-490 BCE), author of the Tao Te Ching, wrote:
If there would be peace in the world,
There must be peace among nations.
If there would be peace among nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there would be peace in the cities,
There must be peace among neighbors.
If there would be peace among neighbors,
There must be peace in the home.
If there would be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart.
Read this quote to some of your family members and friends. Do they agree with it? Do you? If this quote is true, and there must be peace in individuals' hearts before there can be lasting peace among people, how is the individual's peace to be nourished? What small changes can we make to feel more peaceful in our lives?
Here are some activities you might try:
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: ENGAGEMENT (90 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Pre-engagement
Participants prepare to engage more fully with Taoist practices.
Tell participants the group will now take its explorations into the field in order to better understand the kind of experience that Taoist practitioners seek to create. It is important that participants understand this will be a "Taoist kind of experience" rather than actually "practicing Taoism."
Tell them the group will go to a beautiful location where they will be led in Tai Chi by an instructor, share some food together, then sit in quiet contemplation of the beauty around them before returning.
Remind participants of the fundamental ideas of Taoism. Ask participants which they recall as some of the important basic beliefs. In the ensuing discussion, help bring out the importance of nature, balance, harmony, flow, and chi, the energy force that imbues and connects all living things. Suggest that participants, during the engagement, allow themselves to feel connected with their natural setting, release themselves to feeling the harmony of the lovely setting, and notice the flow of energy that Taoists call chi (chee), which connects them to the earth and to each other.
Engagement
Remind participants that tranquility and harmony are important to this activity, so all are expected to maintain a contemplative tone. At the site, gently instruct participants to set up their mats, towels, or blankets, spaced far enough apart that their Tai Chi can be done without limiting movement. Set up the food.
Have all participants stand calmly on their mats, close their eyes, and simply breathe for a moment. Read aloud Chapter 2 from the Tao Te Ching.
After the reading, the Tai Chi instructor will take the group through a Tai Chi exercise for at least 20 minutes.
At the conclusion of the Tai Chi segment, suggest that the group move quietly to the location where the food is waiting and sit in groups of three or four. When everyone is settled, read aloud Chapter 16 of the Tao Te Ching. Sit in silence a moment.
Distribute the serving platters to the center of each group. Suggest that instead of serving themselves, each person serve others and allow themselves to be served, and that, aside from courtesies, the food be shared in silence. Participate in this sharing, or at the very least do not provide a distraction; any organizing or chores can wait.
When all have finished, indicate that everyone should help clear away the food, supplies, and trash, with as little disturbance as possible.
When clean-up is completed, have participants move back to their Tai Chi mats. Suggest that they sit comfortably, facing a view they like. Say, in these words or your own:
One of Taoism's fundamental teachings, which it shares with Unitarian Universalism, is that humans are part of the natural world, described in our seventh Principle as "the interconnected web of all existence of which we are a part." Taoism also teaches that if we act in accordance with the natural order of things and don't fight with the way things really are, then we can accomplish much without toil, worry, or strain. Here in this beautiful place, let us release our customary stresses, expand our awareness to all that is around us, feel our place in the interconnected web, and relax into its vast embrace. This is one way we can be at one with the Tao.
Read aloud Chapter 32 of the Tao Te Ching.
Sit down with the other participants, and contemplate the peaceful surroundings. Allow about 10 minutes for this contemplation.
Stand and say, in these words or your own:
Thank you. This has been a [choose an appropriate adjective, such as thoughtful, serene, helpful, intriguing, or important] time for me, and I hope it has been beneficial for you as well.
Ask participants to help shake off and neatly stow the mats and other supplies in the vehicles, and to then rejoin in a circle for the closing reading.
Say, in these words or your own:
Taoism is full of seeming opposites—active and passive, judging and nonjudging, open to the universal and attentive to the minutest. May we be successful in finding balance in our own opposites and in nurturing peace in our lives and in our hearts.
Read aloud Chapter 8 of the Tao Te Ching. Return to the vehicles together.
Post-engagement Discussion
Open by mentioning that the group recently engaged in a Taoist-like experience. Ask for reactions; note participant responses on the newsprint. Thank contributors. Add one or two of your own responses to the list, if you wish.
Ask youth if they enjoyed the experience. Ask if it made them feel closer to God, or the divine, or the Tao—however they define those terms.
Say, in these words or your own:
Taoism, like Unitarian Universalism, leaves the discernment of truth up to the individual—and, also like Unitarian Universalism, it requires much: great energy, discipline, and application from an individual who earnestly quests for the truth. We are charged with a great responsibility—and in order to accomplish that charge faithfully, we must keep not only our eyes and ears but also our hearts and minds open and ready.
Listen to this chapter from the Tao Te Ching.
Read aloud Chapter 11 from the Tao Te Ching. Ask participants what the passage says to them. Does the message they hear seem true to them? If so, what does it imply they should do? What will make that happen?
Thank participants for their contributions to the discussion. Tell them that this concludes our group exploration of Taoism, but if any of the youth would like to discover more, you can provide them with additional resources outside the workshop time.
Including All Participants
Be sure the location you choose is accessible to all your participants.
If any members of the group have physical challenges, discuss with the Tai Chi instructor ahead of time how to ensure that all the youth can participate in Tai Chi in a meaningful way.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 2: TAI CHI (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants experience Tai Chi, a Taoist practice.
Introduce and welcome the guest instructor. Allow the guest instructor to briefly explain Tai Chi's relationship with Taoism. If the instructor prefers for you to do the introduction, say something like:
Tai Chi grew out of Taoism to fill the need for exercise that would strengthen the body and also keep it supple, responsive to its own messages, and free from blockages for the flow of chi, or spiritual energy, throughout the body. Smooth control of the muscles mirrors the smooth flow of chi through the body. Calm, steady concentration helps practitioners develop the awareness needed to be attentive to maintaining balance in all areas of their lives.
Assist the instructor as needed.
Including All Participants
If any participants have limitations in regard to movement, plan with the Tai Chi instructor ahead of time how you can ensure all are able to participate in the activity in a meaningful way.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 8:
STORY: A CUP OF TEA
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era, welcomed into his home a university professor who had asked to see him. The professor arrived, answered the master's simple, polite greeting with a brusque, arrogant reply, and strode past him into the house. The old man followed his guest quietly into the sparsely furnished living space and watched, his customary peaceful expression undisturbed, as the professor seated himself without being asked.
"Will you honor me as my guest for tea?" Nan-in asked the professor.
"Yes, I'd like tea," was the blunt reply. "And I want to ask you some questions," the professor continued with a self-satisfied smirk. "They say you are very wise, and I would learn what you have to teach."
"Certainly," Nan-in replied. "I will gladly share all I know. But first, let us have tea."
The professor frowned at Nan-in, then sighed impatiently. "Very well," he said, his voice curt. He rearranged his silken coat. "After tea."
Nan-in focused on his task. He prepared the tea to the perfect temperature, steeped it just long enough but not too long, and set the simple, lovely dishes in an orderly arrangement on the cloth. The professor cleared his throat and adjusted his coat again. Nan-in at last finished all his preparations and was ready to pour.
The master held the pot over his visitor's cup and began to serve him tea. The professor impatiently reached for the cup before it was half-full, but Nan-in continued filling the cup. He poured his visitor's cup three-quarters full and then kept on pouring. When the cup was full to the brim, Nan-in kept pouring, and the tea ran over the edge of the cup into the saucer. Nan-in, gazing calmly at the cup, continued to pour, and the tea overran the saucer and began to run over the table.
The professor watched the overflow until he could no longer restrain himself. "The cup is full. No more will go in!"
"So it is," said Nan-in contentedly, and he stopped pouring tea into the cup. He looked at the professor with his kind, steady gaze, and said, "Like this cup, you are full to the brim with your own opinions, your own importance. How can you learn anything unless you first empty your cup?"
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 8:
HANDOUT 1: TAOISM FACT SHEET
Founded/Created: It is estimated that the Tao Te Ching (DOW duh jing) was written in China in 550 BCE; however, the origins of Taoism go back hundreds of years before that.
Adherents: 20 million—predominately in Asia but distributed worldwide.
Ranking: Seventh in size, behind Christianity, Islam, Atheism/Agnosticism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.
Prophets: Lao Tzu (LAU tsuh), who is often considered the father of Taoism because he authored its primary text; also Chuang Tzu (JWONG tsuh) and Chang Tao-Ling.
Texts: There are many, but three key texts are the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu by Chuang Tzu, and The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
Symbols:
Terms and Fundamental Precepts:
Shared with Unitarian Universalism:
A Taoist Riddle
What is greater than God, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you die?
Answer: Nothing.
Why can this riddle be seen as Taoist? Because the "nothing" in this riddle is an active principle, not a passive one. It speaks not to the absence of something but to the presence of Nothing. It is not that the rich do not want for anything; it is that people who have too much could use more emptiness and would benefit from embracing the idea of Nothing. They need to empty their cups.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 8:
HANDOUT 2: YIN/YANG SYMBOL
Download a high-resolution PDF (at www.uua.org/documents/tapestry/bridges/yinyang.pdf) for printing.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 8:
HANDOUT 3: THE SEVEN UU PRINCIPLES
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 8:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: TAOISM BACKGROUND
Taoism is a faith practiced by more than 20 million people around the world. The name comes from the word "Tao," which means "the Way." In this case, "the Way" means a way of living in balance and at peace with all that is.
Taoism is very old. We know that it existed before 550 BCE and that it originated in China. Many Chinese today consider themselves Taoist, although they might also say they are Buddhist or Confuciust as well—believing in Taoism does not preclude engaging in other religions. Some would say that Taoism, like Buddhism, is more a philosophy than a religion because of its emphasis on how you live your life rather than on worshipping gods or goddesses. However, Taoism takes many different forms, and some Taoists do worship deities—and some do not.
Taoism is not a popular religion outside of China. In this country, not many people consider themselves Taoists. However, popular culture has embraced a few Taoist practices and beliefs, such as the exercise Tai Chi, the decorating principles of Feng Shui, and the yin/yang symbol. A popular book is The Tao of Pooh, which compares Taoist principles with the lives of characters from Winnie-the-Pooh.
For this workshop, we will focus on the most common and crucial tenets of the religion. While there are several ideas central to Taoism, or, following the Way, we will focus on these three:
Taoism is like Unitarian Universalism in that the search for truth is the individual's responsibility. Taoism tells you that balance will lead to peace and happiness, but it will not tell you what balance looks like in your own life. That you must discover for yourself. For all of its followers' appearance of peace and stillness, Taoism requires a great deal of energy and discipline to implement fully into practitioners' lives.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 8:
LEADER RESOURCE 2: RANDOM TAO TE CHING CHAPTERS
Written by Lao Tzu. Translated by J.H. McDonald, 1996.
1
The tao that can be described
is not the eternal Tao.
The name that can be spoken
is not the eternal Name.
The nameless is the boundary of Heaven and Earth.
The named is the mother of creation.
Freed from desire, you can see the hidden mystery.
By having desire, you can only see what is visibly real.
Yet mystery and reality
emerge from the same source.
This source is called darkness.
Darkness born from darkness.
The beginning of all understanding
2
When people see things as beautiful,
ugliness is created.
When people see things as good,
evil is created.
Being and non-being produce each other.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low oppose each other.
Fore and aft follow each other.
Therefore the Master
can act without doing anything
and teach without saying a word.
Things come her way and she does not stop them;
things leave and she lets them go.
She has without possessing,
and acts without any expectations.
When her work is done, she take no credit.
That is why it will last forever.
81
True words do not sound beautiful;
beautiful sounding words are not true.
Wise men don't need to debate;
men who need to debate are not wise.
Wise men are not scholars,
and scholars are not wise.
The Master desires no possessions.
Since the things she does are for the people,
she has more than she needs.
The more she gives to others,
the more she has for herself.
The Tao of Heaven nourishes by not forcing.
The Tao of the Wise person acts by not competing.
11
Thirty spokes are joined together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that allows the wheel to function.
We mold clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes the vessel useful.
We fashion wood for a house,
but it is the emptiness inside
that makes it livable.
We work with the substantial,
but the emptiness is what we use.
18
When the great Tao is abandoned,
charity and righteousness appear.
When intellectualism arises,
hypocrisy is close behind.
When there is strife in the family unit,
people talk about "brotherly love."
When the country falls into chaos,
politicians talk about "patriotism."
36
If you want something to return to the source,
you must first allow it to spread out.
If you want something to weaken,
you must first allow it to become strong.
If you want something to be removed,
you must first allow it to flourish.
If you want to possess something,
you must first give it away.
This is called the subtle understanding
of how things are meant to be.
The soft and pliable overcomes the hard and inflexible.
Just as fish remain hidden in deep waters,
it is best to keep weapons out of sight.
40
All movement returns to the Tao.
Weakness is how the Tao works.
All of creation is born from substance.
Substance is born of nothing-ness.
42
The Tao gave birth to One.
The One gave birth to Two.
The Two gave birth to Three.
The Three gave birth to all of creation.
All things carry Yin
yet embrace Yang.
They blend their life breaths
in order to produce harmony.
People despise being orphaned, widowed and poor.
But the noble ones take these as their titles.
In losing, much is gained,
and in gaining, much is lost.
What others teach I too will teach:
"The strong and violent will not die a natural death."
43
That which offers no resistance,
overcomes the hardest substances.
That which offers no resistance
can enter where there is no space.
Few in the world can comprehend
the teaching without words,
or understand the value of non-action.
44
Which is more important, your honor or your life?
Which is more valuable, your possessions or your person?
Which is more destructive, success or failure?
Because of this, great love extracts a great cost
and true wealth requires greater loss.
Knowing when you have enough avoids dishonor,
and knowing when to stop will keep you from danger
and bring you a long, happy life.
54
That which is well built
will never be torn down.
That which is well latched
can not slip away.
Those who do things well
will be honored from generation to generation.
If this idea is cultivated in the individual,
then his virtue will become genuine.
If this idea is cultivated in your family,
then virtue in your family will be great.
If this idea is cultivated in your community,
then virtue will go a long way.
If this idea is cultivated in your country,
then virtue will be in many places.
If this idea is cultivated in the world,
then virtue will be with everyone.
Then observe the person for what the person does,
and observe the family for what it does,
and observe the community for what it does,
and observe the country for what it does,
and observe the world for what it does.
How do I know this saying is true?
I observe these things and see.
62
The Tao is the tabernacle of creation,
it is a treasure for those who are good,
and a place of refuge for those who are not.
How can those who are not good be abandoned?
Words that are beautiful are worth much,
but good behavior can only be learned by example.
When a new leader takes office,
don't give him gifts and offerings.
These things are not as valuable
as teaching him about the Tao.
Why was the Tao esteemed by the ancient Masters?
Is it not said: "With it we find without looking.
With it we find forgiveness for our transgressions."
That is why the world can not understand it.
64
Things are easier to control while things are quiet.
Things are easier to plan far in advance.
Things break easier while they are still brittle.
Things are easier hid while they are still small.
Prevent problems before they arise.
Take action before things get out of hand.
The tallest tree
begins as a tiny sprout.
The tallest building
starts with one shovel of dirt.
A journey of a thousand miles
starts with a single footstep.
If you rush into action, you will fail.
If you hold on too tight, you will lose your grip.
Therefore the Master lets things take their course
and thus never fails.
She doesn't hold on to things
and never loses them.
By pursing your goals too relentlessly,
you let them slip away.
If you are as concerned about the outcome
as you are about the beginning,
then it is hard to do things wrong.
The master seeks no possessions.
She learns by unlearning,
thus she is able to understand all things.
This gives her the ability to help all of creation.
67
The world talks about honoring the Tao,
but you can't tell it from their actions.
Because it is thought of as great,
the world makes light of it.
It seems too easy for anyone to use.
There are three jewels that I cherish:
compassion, moderation, and humility.
With compassion, you will be able to be brave,
With moderation, you will be able to give to others,
With humility, you will be able to become a great leader.
To abandon compassion while seeking to be brave,
or abandoning moderation while being benevolent,
or abandoning humility while seeking to lead
will only lead to greater trouble.
The compassionate warrior will be the winner,
and if compassion is your defense you will be secure.
Compassion is the protector of Heaven's salvation.
71
Knowing you don't know is wholeness.
Thinking you know is a disease.
Only by recognizing that you have an illness
can you move to seek a cure.
The Master is whole because
she sees her illnesses and treats them,
and thus is able to remain whole.
78 Water is the softest and most yielding substance.
Yet nothing is better than water,
for overcoming the hard and rigid,
because nothing can compete with it.
Everyone knows that the soft and yielding
overcomes the rigid and hard,
but few can put this knowledge into practice.
Therefore the Master says:
"Only he who is the lowest servant of the kingdom,
is worthy to become its ruler.
He who is willing to tackle the most unpleasant tasks,
is the best ruler in the world."
True sayings seem contradictory.
BUILDING BRIDGES: WORKSHOP 8:
LEADER RESOURCE 3: CHAPTER 10
Excerpt A is a 1939 translation by Dwight Goddard. Excerpt B is a 1995 translation by Peter Merel. Excerpt C is from a translation by Charles Muller, revised in 2009. Excerpt D is a translated by James Legge, 1815—1897; used with permission. Excerpt E is from Tao Te Ching: Annotated and Explained (c) 2006. Translation, annotation, and introductory material by Derek Lin. Permission granted by SkyLight Paths Publishing, Woodstock, Vermont.
A.
During the daytime, our senses are kept busy in activities, but if we keep our minds concentrated, we will better preserve their potentialities. If, in our practice of concentration, we preserve humility and tenderness and retain our natural breathing, we will become like a little child. If, in our practice of concentration, our minds retain their purity, we will be kept free from faults.
If the perfect Sage truly loves his people and wishes to bring his state into peace and order, he must practice wu-wei. If in our practice of concentration our heavenly eye is suddenly opened and we gain enlightenment, thenceforth we shall be free from lust and greed. If we attain transcendental intelligence, our minds penetrating into every corner and into everything, then our minds will lose their self-consciousness.
A father begets children and sustains them while they are growing, nevertheless his children are not to be considered as his personal property, nor is his care of them to be done for any hope of reward, nor should his parental authority continue after they have reached manhood. This is the profoundest virtue of TAO.
B.
"Harmony"
Embracing the Way, you become embraced;
Breathing gently, you become newborn;
Clearing your mind, you become clear;
Nurturing your children, you become impartial;
Opening your heart, you become accepted;
Accepting the world, you embrace the Way.
Bearing and nurturing,
Creating but not owning,
Giving without demanding,
This is harmony.
C.
"Pacifying the agitated material soul..."
Pacifying the agitated material soul and holding to oneness:
Are you able to avoid separation?
Focusing your energy on the release of tension:
Can you be like an infant?
In purifying your insight:
Can you un-obstruct it?
Loving the people and ruling the state:
Can you avoid over-manipulation?
In opening and closing the gate of Heaven:
Can you be the female?
In illuminating the whole universe:
Can you be free of rationality?
Give birth to it and nourish it.
Produce it but don't possess it.
Act without expectation.
Excel, but don't take charge.
This is called Mysterious Virtue.
D.
When the intelligent and animal souls are held together in one
embrace, they can be kept from separating. When one gives undivided
attention to the (vital) breath, and brings it to the utmost degree of
pliancy, he can become as a (tender) babe. When he has cleansed away
the most mysterious sights (of his imagination), he can become without
a flaw.
In loving the people and ruling the state, cannot he proceed
without any (purpose of) action? In the opening and shutting of his
gates of heaven, cannot he do so as a female bird? While his
intelligence reaches in every direction, cannot he (appear to) be
without knowledge?
(The Tao) produces (all things) and nourishes them; it produces
them and does not claim them as its own; it does all, and yet does not
boast of it; it presides over all, and yet does not control them.
This is what is called "The mysterious Quality" (of the Tao).
E.
In holding the soul and embracing oneness
Can one be steadfast, without straying?
In concentrating the energy and reaching relaxation
Can one be like an infant?
In cleaning away the worldly view
Can one be without imperfections?
In loving the people and ruling the nation
Can one be without manipulation?
In the heavenly gate's opening and closing
Can one hold to the feminine principle?
In understanding clearly all directions
Can one be without intellectuality?
Bearing it, rearing it
Bearing without possession
Achieving without arrogance
Raising without domination
This is called the Mystic Virtue.
FIND OUT MORE
A website on Taoism is Taoism (at www.taoism.net/).
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (NY: Penguin, 1982) is an excellent and accessible introduction to Taoism. Hoff's follow-up book, The Te of Piglet, may also be of interest.
The Mayo Clinic has information on the health benefits of Tai Chi (at www.mayoclinic.com/health/tai-chi/SA00087), as does the International Taoist Tai Chi Society (at www.taoist.org/content/standard.asp?).