Christ the Eternal Tao

[eish]

I don't really trust something written by Fr. Damascene.

[Unseen.Warfare]

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I think he did a great job with this “Christ the Eternal Tao” book. Accompany it with what inspired the book the master thesis of Fr. Seraphim Rose and the Teachings in the writings of Gi-Ming Shien I think it’s very interesting.

“Youth of the Apocalypse”

The Search
The question of truth is a matter of life and death. This is the question that lies at the bottom of every heart. From the beginning of time, philosophers have quarreled over this question - more than any other. The question of truth is itself the core
of all philosophy, science, and religion. Upon the question of truth lies the meaning of life and death.
The negation of Nihilism and its destruction is not by itself a complete proof of truth. How do we perceive truth? Is truth real or just an abstract idea? Can we know truth? How is truth revealed?
A foreshadowing of the revelation of truth took place in ancient China where there lived a wise man named Lao Tzu (about 500 B.C.). He gave his life to the study of human nature and the natural world. After a lifetime spent in contemplation on the mystery of life, Lao Tzu arrived at the philosophy of Tao. Tao means "way" or "path of life." In his book, the Tao Teh Ching, Lao Tzu writes poetically about his observations of certain truths of life revealed in human nature and the natural
world. These poetic observations reveal the philosophy of a universe that is upheld by an unseen force.

Through expressing bits of truth, Lao Tzu reveals the greater truth that governs the whole of creation. This is the beginning ofa n understanding of truth as a singular, unseen, and absolute God.
One hundred years after Lao Tzu came the Greek phi- losopher Socrates. In a world dominated by pagan beliefs in The Greek philosophers.
multiple gods, Socrates taught the philosophy of a universe
supported by a single truth, an unseen wisdom. In Greek this
understanding of truth is expressed by the word Logos, which translates as "word" or "word of truth."
Wholly dedicated to the path of wisdom and virtue, Soc- rates lived an ascetic life of abstinence and meditation on
philosophy, and taught a doctrine of renunciation and the pursuit of the one truth. Socrates was followed by many disci- ples who emulated his style of life. Because of his radical way of life and his great influence among the youth, the pagan world of Greece was stirred up, and Socrates, like a true rebel against falsehood, was persecuted for his beliefs and way of life. Finally he was put on trial. He was given the choice of renounc- ing his philosophy and confessing foolish ideas about the pagan gods, or else being sentenced to death. Socrates chose death.

[Suaidan]

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[Unseen.Warfare]

I don't really trust something written by Fr. Damascene.

At the time of the writing of this book and Not of this World I think his work is more reliable and generally the subjects he’s covered aren’t dealing with topics that are contrary to what many True Orthodox themselves would teach or have a problem with. Of course I don’t agree with everything he has done but I really like this book personally. The topic is absolutely fascinating. I haven’t seen anything in this book that’s an issue. But, I do understand what he has done.

[Unseen.Warfare]

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[Unseen.Warfare]

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道

The Translation of the Tao Teh Ching,
Fr. Seraphim Rose used as his source to write his thesis “Emptiness and Fullness in the Laø Tzu.”

[eish]

What I still want to know is what the Book of Later Han truly says.

https://chinesenotes.com/houhanshu/houhanshu003.html

The Annals of Emperor Guangwu have one meaning according to standard translations, but according to other versions floating around it records the darkness at the Crucifixion and its significance for the world according to their astrologers. Very fascinating.

Unfortunately this is not something that one can resolve with machine translations or even just knowing a little bit of the grammar and vocabulary. One would need to pay an actual scholar of Classical Chinese to go through it explaining if and how it permits both interpretations.