Bruce Lee- teaching westerners Taoism?

[-disciple-]

My world religious studies teacher told me yesterday that one of the reasons bruce lee was frowned upon by the traditional chinese is because he was teaching westerners taoism, in addition to kung fu. Is there any truth to him teaching the way of Tao? I didn't even know bruce lee was a taoist at all

[CFT]

My world religious studies teacher told me yesterday that one of the reasons bruce lee was frowned upon by the traditional chinese is because he was teaching westerners taoism, in addition to kung fu. Is there any truth to him teaching the way of Tao? I didn't even know bruce lee was a taoist at all

Sounds like BS to me. Taoism doesn't belong to the Chinese! It is just a universal "truth"/model.

[ittokaos]

If you were to read his books we frequently used taoist principles to explain his understanding of fighting (the tao of gung fu/jeet kune do). Going as far as to say that he was teaching it as a religion, I don't really know. I guess that could **** people off but I don't see why. I figured the goal of all religions are to be spread and not hoarded.

[The Willow Sword]

before Bruce Lee died he was working on a film with Sterling Siliphant and James Coburn called The Silent Flute. Bruce was going to play the multi character roles in that movie, unfortunately he died and ole carradine filled the position. It was this movie that Bruce wanted to make to bring to the west part of his Taoist philosophy and ideal. As corny as that movie is, it is a glimpse into the philosophy that bruce followed in his life.


Taoism doesn't belong to the Chinese! It is just a universal "truth"/model.

So the concept of TAO, is from uhhh Judaism? Scientology?


TWS

[David Jamieson]

My world religious studies teacher told me yesterday that one of the reasons bruce lee was frowned upon by the traditional chinese is because he was teaching westerners taoism, in addition to kung fu. Is there any truth to him teaching the way of Tao? I didn't even know bruce lee was a taoist at all

Your teacher is ill informed and shouldn't have said any such thing if he did indeed say this. It is not true.

Bruce Lee himself was an actor and martial arts enthusiast. He used Chinese martial arts to advance the career he really wanted which was -hollywood movie star-.

Not an actual practicing taoist at all in the strictest sense of the word.

But, it is not uncommon for people in North America and western/northern and southern europe to apply very flaky ideas to what easterm religio-philosophies are about.

[CFT]

So the concept of TAO, is from uhhh Judaism? Scientology?

I bet you do find Tao-like concepts in all cultures. Possibly the Chinese had the most formalised and published treatises on the concept, but the Chinese don't own it.

[The Willow Sword]

hmm all the TAOISM books i have are chinese. Since the word TAO is a chinese term. Yeah you can put a universal spin on it and say that you can find the TAO in all walks of life and philosophy, HOWEVER, the chinese have been the forefront culture that has created the philosphy and made it unique to them. so i would say that they OWN their own Language and interpretations of such ways.

Peace,TWS

[SanHeChuan]

Explain to your teacher that there are three forms of Taoism.

Primary Taoism, where most of the concepts come from, it does deal with a divinity but does not define one separate from the Tao. I would say it is more a philosophy for understanding the universe than a method of devotion.

Religious Taoism, this is where Taoism crosses with ancestor worship and you get the worship divine beings like Lao Tzu, and other immortals. All of whom begain as once living men.

Alchemy Taoism is much like Alchemy in Western Europe where you try and turn one substance into another. Alchemical Taoists are primarily concerned with transforming them selves into immortals through potions and chi gongs.

There is a lot of overlap between the 3 types but expressing the concepts of primary Taoism does not make you’re a religious devotee any more that studying Hellenistic philosophy makes you a devotee to the Greek pantheon.

Bruce lee was a student of philosophy not a religious missionary. He majored in philosophy in college right? Not religious studies.

Religion is often what happens when you give philosophy to the masses. Peasant farmers didn't have the time to do the work that understanding and living philosophy takes so they make it into a religion where divine beings do the work for them. They just have to do thier devotion, bow three times and say their hail marries and it all works out.

[mantis108]

Bruce Lee was frowned upon because he didn't talked about Qi. No self-respect Daoist would not not talk about Qi and internal Alchemy.

As for the three kinds of Daoism:

There are basically 3 kinds of Daoism:

1) Philosophical Daoism as in study of Lao Zi (Dao De Jing), Zhuang Zi (Hua Nan Jing) and Lie Zi (Qing Xu Jing). These three works are considered central to the study of philosophical Daosim. Contrary to common believe Lao Zi isn't written by Lao Zi (the historic person). Rather it's a collection of thoughts and edited by follows of Lao Zi. Phliosophical Daoism is influenced by Ming Jia, which roughly translated as School of Names and sometimes translated as Sophist school. The "counter part" philosophical school in Chinese tradition is Confucian. This is mainly practiced by the intellectual elites. They also helped to shape the practice of internal alchemy.

2) Religious Daoism is often about rituals and rites especially concerning the state. There are spiritual practices in Religious Daoism as well. The counter part of Religious Daoism is Budhism. We can find 3 main sects of Religious Daoism - Zheng Yi (ritual and rites oriented), Mao Shan (shamanistic), Quan Zhen (meditation and philosophical study). This has a very broad demographic support including all social classes (officials, peasants, tradesmen, and merchants).

3) Shamanistic Daoism is grass root base. It is largely folk practices sometimes boarderline occult/magic/black magic. It is opportunistic in nature sometimes they absorb other religions' deity and practices. One of the bigger sect of this is the Thunder Sect, which has a pantheon that's slightly different from the Religious Daoism.

It is also of note that both philosophical and religious Daoism study the Yijing (classic of change) as well but they are more concern with the applications (ie internal alchemy) more so then working with it academically (ie writing commentary about it like the Confucian).

Alchemy, either internal and external, although thought of as the major mean of practice but it's not necessarily practiced by all sects of Daoism.

That's Daoism in a nut shell.

Mantis108

[SanHeChuan]

...and here is a link that also address the 3 parts. It's sad that a world religious studies teacher would broach a subject he probaly knows very little about.

A$$!

http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/chinese_taoism.html

[HOKPAIWES]

Anyone have a link to that article of David Chins? Seems like I can remember him writing about this topic of Bruce Lee being looked down on for teaching whites and how blown out of porportion it was.

[SanHeChuan]

The Gold Mountain and Little Dragon

or the one in the Magazine 7/2006

[SPJ]

http://www.bruceleefoundation.com/index900.html

for fans.

[-disciple-]

...and here is a link that also address the 3 parts. It's sad that a world religious studies teacher would broach a subject he probaly knows very little about.

A$$!

http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/chinese_taoism.html

my world religions teacher knows enough ( though not as much as he should, granted ) about taoism to teach it to the kids im in class with. What he said about bruce lee teaching daoism was a simple interest comment, and i was wondering if there were any truth to the statement. The kids im in class with are all white rednecks that believe the world is only 6000 years old. The three parts of taoism he actually covered in class.

[NJM]

my world religions teacher knows enough ( though not as much as he should, granted ) about taoism to teach it to the kids im in class with...The three parts of taoism he actually covered in class.

3 parts of Daoism?

Do you mean the three literary works?

I hope your teacher didn't feed you any crap about becoming one with nature, a little abstraction always screws up the Daoism.