Taoism's Natural Bullsh*t Detector

In this podcast, we will explain why pretentious virtues emerge when the Tao is forgotten, leading to a world full of hypocrites and a psychology and culture built on fakeness. This is the nineteenth episode of the 81 Meditations of the Tao Te Ching, a series where we explore each chapter of the Tao Te Ching. We will dissect chapter nineteen of the Tao Te Ching to give you ultimate clarity on the meaning of this chapter.
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[@JasonGregoryAuthor]

Please hit the thumbs up, subscribe, and comment. I'd appreciate that deeply. To get exclusive content and livestream replays become a member on Patreon www.patreon.com/jasongregory You can also support me on Paypal www.paypal.me/JasonGregoryAuthor I also have new merchandise available at teespring.com/stores/jason-gregory Your support helps the channel grow. Only love for all.

[@OccamsSabre]

"If I do less, then I may attain more". Love this quote.

[@kevinhan4707]

less is more

[@Stuartrusty]

Namaskar Gayoung & Jason and thank you for this. Addressing your point of meditating on the exchange floor, yes, great statement. I think it took me a long while to realise this, it was only during one of Sadhguru's Satsangs I finally got it when he said "Be as each situation requires you to be." Although I am in full time employment and really enjoy what I am doing, I recognise it is only a role I am playing, doing what I need to do right here as this moment demands of me. Having been through mental health issues and addiction issues, I recognise that these were a direct result of trying to 'fit in', trying to be something or someone other than myself and just letting go and being who I am. With gratitude.

[@kevinhan4707]

when you accept yourself, the whole word accepts you. effortless living.

[@blueskyoutside9000]

This is music to my ears today. Thank you for your podcasts both of you 🙏🏼🙏🏼 Shanti Shanti Shanti

[@tobinharris8107]

Loved this! This issue of roles has been called "The Portable Stage Set" and is definitely a real thing. Be thankful if you can see through the pretensions we must put on at certain times and try not to take them too seriously. Steer clear of being the center of attention. Thanks guys!

[@josesantana27]

Nameste to both of you. Very insightful content. Great breakdown of how society has domesticated Us to conform to a superficial standard. Very humbling to, I definitely have been guilty of striving to have these qualities that Society deems "good " or "righteous" Awesome!

[@johnc.6645]

The Tao is so full of wisdom. Thanks Brother for bringing so much clarity to this wonderful work.

[@valq10]

And sister !

[@ShraddaNiche]

Returning to innocence. Ease of just being. Sounds so simple … I feel like I have built my own golden cage that promised to make me happy. Now at the pinnacle of my career. I feel empty with all the accolades others have placed value in. Thank you 🙏 guys for this podcast and making this scripture understandable.

[@Kumargaret]

Yes, it feels great to look at you and listen to. We do seem to live trying to take cover under our own shadow, shying away from sunlight, as if not worthy to be exposed to light. So, the same culture that puts us in a dark soup, tries to encourage us to get out in the open with the help of accessories. In our more egalitarian and more complex world then Lao Tse time, we probably need more courage to get out and search for ourselves. As you did and keep doing here with your brave modern take on Asian wisdom. I somehow trust that nature knows no waste and offers us countless ways to stay afloat. Sooner or later we shall find the way back to light, though it pains seeing people hopeless and broken in between. Thank you for your time and guidance, it's truly precious🙏From Light to Light

[@globetwig4401]

Thanks for another interesting conversation. I always enjoy them but never come away without feeling a little more perceptive about some things and a little more confused about others. It's when things fit into place and also become slightly blurred at the same time. Very disconcerting but maybe more will more make sense to me further down the line. Great discussion though.

[@CaptainSanchez]

Exceptional episode on the Tao. All episodes here are essential on this channel. When we live from a place of unity as oneness rather than from a place of individual, separate person we naturally live virtuously without effort or pretentiousness also we live in alignment with the Tao. Powerful knowledge being generously and graciously shared. Thank you so much

[@JasonGregoryAuthor]

Well said brother. Hope you are well.

[@CaptainSanchez]

@@JasonGregoryAuthor Doing great brother. Thank you. Wishing the same for you and Gayum. Eternal blessings

[@howiseetheworld3581]

I have a pretty decent tattoo collection that is growing, and I had never really thought about it being to do with drawing attention. Thank you for that perspective, it’s got me thinking!

[@josesantana27]

Nameste once again. Just wanted to say that both of you inspired Me by the story you guys shared about pursuing Your dharma (life purpose, mission). Just gives Me hope to trust The Tao The Way! Thank you guys.

[@andrewjewell3142]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge simplicity and contentment is true happiness peace and love to you both 💖

[@chrisamalathas7846]

Hey Jason! Just finished reading Spiritual Freedom in the Digital Age! Life changing book. Keep up the great work!

[@leviathanv3135]

Thank you very much for your videos. I find them encouraging.

[@moonman5543]

I am mind blown. Going to study this philosophy now

[@markdavis1897]

Thank you again for all the effort, you guys are a gift and I truly appreciate you! 🙏

[@TetsuoTheAwakenedOne]

Good to see you making progress with audience numbers Jason!

[@francisalvarado99]

Great work guys!!!

[@saraswati999]

You guys represent here the perfect Tao balance ! Thank You again for the invaluable teachings ! Blessings

[@marshallstamper6436]

This is great, thank you 🙏

[@faccafromklepp]

Just really want to thank you for this podcast. Reading spiritual books and listening to talks is great, but this kind of format catches another side of spirituality that a Swami on stage can not convey. Just two people having a chat about the Tao, so nice!

[@thchen8312]

great talks. I love it.

[@oss8537]

Amazing conversation 🙏

[@ShraddaNiche]

Good Morning.....So glad to be here live

[@snakefich]

Thank you, Namaste

[@alfazveersingh2924]

You are on a big great path ...

[@tmyoshimura621]

So simple. So sensible. 😌🙏🌿

[@TheBorderlined]

I missed this one, great vid. Shanti. Your friend AD

[@Telford-ho4sd]

Accepting the world and others for what it is and what they are is optimal, there’s not really one right way to be, only you know you. Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.

[@leviathanv3135]

I get the feeling that fakes sincerity is rooted at times in trauma. At least, in my case I feel that it is. Social media is causing a supernormal response. A kind of hyper ego psychology. I hope we survive this.

[@lfcfanfromcanada]

can't wait for the verse 20. it's my fav, hope u mention stephen mitchell's version a bit.

[@unpolishedpearl3769]

Ok your podcasts are officially my air

[@universalbeing1289]

Thank You!

[@euclidofalexandria3786]

So be hard on the inside and soft on the outside, thank you for the great post:-)

[@felipefigueira79]

Sooooo good

[@WisdomofMindBody]

I agree with you about the fake sincerity and humility. As a American born Chinese, I never understood the Chinese culture I was raised in because I saw everyone in my family and in Chinese community behave in fakeness. It is even in the characters in the Chinese modern dramas. The person is acting so gracious and kind and a good moral person, to their enemy or the person they have ill will towards. When I asked my mom why she fights and makes a scene competing with the person to pay the meal bill, when I know she hates her guts. So much fakeness, I was very turned off from the Chinese culture. Until now, in midlife I discovered through KZbin, the good things about China I like. I love Taoism and Buddhism and Chinese Classical Music and Dance and paintings which are harmonious to Nature and the Divine. I found out through wikpedia that the orginal Chinese character of Sky or Heaven is actually a mortal. The mortal is the deity, from heaven.

[@alfazveersingh2924]

It is word....read in brhdarnayak upnishada...said by udalk muni for her son shavetketu

[@siewkonsum7291]

Ladies & Gentlemen 🙏 Confucius went to the countryside & met an old farmer who told him, _"Yesterday I was clever - trying to change the World._ _Today I am wise - to change myself instead!"_ 🤭 _"Confucius, don't try to set the World to One's order, as the World can always set itself to order all the time since time immemorial!"_ _"Otherwise Humanity shall have perished long, long time ago!"_ 😂 (Confucius was stunned 😯 by the farmer's wise sayings!) 😊🙏🙇‍♂️🌷

[@alfazveersingh2924]

Your good thinking.waheguru

[@euclidofalexandria3786]

the fear of death, and the unknown, sincerity, how does it play a part in this?

[@josearteaga8877]

It great what you both are doing, tank you very much. According. about the two plays that a person should need to develop when hi or she found the spiritual path, in my opinion its kind of misleading. Only being in present it will make persons understand what is the world of living. Watching our thoughts and understanding we are not these, will take us to really who we are.

[@unpolishedpearl3769]

Lol sorry to have a lot to share, but now that you’re talking about genuine pretending I thought of the whole significance of “be like water”… the whole Taoist chase for flexibility, the whole yogic and Buddhist chase for non-sticky or distanced mind. They’re all the same truth ^^ To use the intellect as a tool and when the job is done, to be able to wipe it clean and put it alway; not to carry such a sharp tool into everything you do!! Hahaha basically, to see the limitation of it just as a tool. I think this point above also relates to the whole Confucian expectation to be a certain way; it’s like creating a cage of expectation, that people feel forced to fit into as compared to the LaoTzu argument that natural traits that are forced to become, can only take us further towards being lost, away from our unique journey, away from truth, and for everyone involved, further into chaos and the need for more forced action.

[@unpolishedpearl3769]

Some of the words that come to me when I watch this is: getting stuck in the mental process, the expectation you and others have of you. I think a lot of Taoism is about losing the mind… not going mad, but seeing the shortcoming of any mental exchange and communication and this eventually dropping the mind as the leader of your interactions and actions. Having said this, i run into the conflict between that truth and the aspect of keeping actions conscious and married with the intent, instead of impulsive/reactive (like the animal mind is)… this aspect I’m bringing in from Indian spiritual traditions esp. the yogic traditions. Can you guys help reconcile the split I’m experiencing between these truths? Thank you 🌬✨💖

[@billzepp69]

When misunderstanding true dominance ends then all the things flourish. This is the least amount of words I can use to describe this passage.

[@metasamsara]

By creating good, you make room for evil. By creating wisdom, you make room for stupidity. By creating spirituality, you make room for apathy. By creating love, you make room for hate. Everything in this universe is a shift of imbalance towards neutrality. But can you be neutral without opposites? Once you accept that no matter what you do it will impact people, you can become aware of the extent of your impact in the world. There is no drop in the sea that doesn't influence the course of ocean currents. You can avoid having an impact, or you can direct your energy towards manifesting long lasting improvements. If you let go of your ego and personal gain to fight for the greater good, you will become invulnerable to personal attacks, and impossible to corrupt. We are all part of a never ending transformation, the question is where do we need to go, and how do we want to settle? If everything was neutral, the universe heat death would happen and a new cycle of samsara would rebirth. Life and energy are imbalances in and of themselves. The teachings of the Dao will never disappear, because they see clearly through reality. One does not need to know about the texts to come to the same conclusion, I am proof of that.

[@madarasamanta2494]

After listening to this I look over everything that I put on FB. I guess I could call it self reflection of what I put out to others to see. And then I asked myself the question. What is the purpose of what I am doing. And I couldn’t answer it. I mean if I ask, is it to show my pictures of nature and animals to others “then yes” but purpose of it? I actually couldn’t answer. Because in big picture I don’t care if I get a comment under my posted picture or a like. Soooo then the question still the same… what is the purpose of it? At first (teenage years/young adult) it was really about likes and comments that friends and family liked my posted pictures .. but now…. I don’t know if it is really that important? With that I want to say… thank you both to let me and your followers to re-think our paths and actions what we take. 🙏😌✨

[@euclidofalexandria3786]

How do you keep certain wisdom sayings true thru the Aeons...

[@annadrozdzynski529]

Just be who you are, some are naturally kind naturally helpful but some are the total opposite. Being a showoff is actually rude in some cultures. it really depends on what you really believe.

[@donbrady1173]

At 64 I have seen way to many job loss sucides.Luckily I have had my share of job loss and health loss to be where I am now. A gymnosophist v in the desert less is more but still need Alexander's gold in this strange world.

[@jimmymcgill6868]

Mind if I ask you a question Jason? If the universe (or multiverse) is growing in complexity with a myriad of forms for consciousness to express itself then why should one try to escape it? The Panpsychist approach to this is that diversity among many forms is good, that consciousness (you) is fundamentally one and void of identity, if many different forms is a bad thing then why is reality making diversity in the first place? It seems to me consciousness wants more forms to express itself, not the other way around. I actually think Mahayana Buddhism’s approach to this is sound, a Buddha doesn’t lose access to either Nirvana or Samsara, Non-Abiding Nirvana seems better because you’re embracing all your bodies but embracing your void nature at the same time. If increasing complexity was an inherently disadvantageous thing then the Tao wouldn’t be like that in the first place, the Tao is what creates egos, egos arise through evolution, sure ego and the sense of self is a construct but why would reality make it that way to begin with? It seems like Human hubris to think one can escape it, it’s better to just accept the diversity, peace and chaos you see everywhere.

[@brandonwilliams9560]

How do you know what is the universal plan for you?

[@jayros4269]

Where do you guys live now?

[@euclidofalexandria3786]

9:11 secs hyposcrisy, know when to oscillate between the extremes, contextual knowledge helps, the grey area.

[@usarmyveteran177]

Once you realize society is a game, a social game, and your role in it is just that, a role and not the real you, one can play the game and role with gusto, and actually find joy in it. Otherwise you will be miserable.

[@marilynwarbis7224]

Young children, before their natures are warped and distorted by society, naturally follow the Tao. They have learned no other way.

[@bernardofitzpatrick5403]

Guys this talk so on point. Guess it’s just damn easy to live simple life in mountains. No one to impress because people don’t give rats ass what look like or how much money have. Christianity only thing which is crap but not for me but for Luca , because he can’t be himself. Just easier to be self and say f..k them and will just enjoy being so beautifully alive. Am there for Luca so together can go w Tao and give finger to society. 🤣🤣 love from Bernardo.

[@alanhehe4508]

Interesting. As someone engaged in politics, I'm always railing against wokeness because it has so damaged the true, economic Left. I never considered how this superficiality has affected spiritual disciplines..

[@donbrady1173]

As children we are conditioned to compete. If you don't do as expected much stress is applied. Inherent u must yield to toxic electronic gods of industry. Your personality is formed by script writers. In the western world. And we are expected to go against our nature stress out and compete.

[@ezreality]

Many believe I know the secret of the Elixir of Life, lay hidden in a place which depicts Earth's final destiny.

[@rebeccamurray9196]

I'm a genuine pretender. I'm 5000km away from my family and I play the role as a happy wife

[@edduardozamboga4082]

Man Bhagavad Gita Ch 2 verse 62-63 attachment breeds desire, desire breeds greed or Anger, Greed and Anger cause Delusion, Delusion causes capacity of discernment to disappear, when discernment is lost the man is lost. A hippocrite tries to find Kama from The I thought due to insecurity (contemplating sense objects ) then leads to the Desire of fitting the image that gets the most Attention from mechanical sleeping people when it's fulfilled it becomes greed, if someone stronger then you calls you out it leads to fear if someone weaker than you calls you out it leads to 🤬, when you've whigged out you become deluded and when your deluded your functioning in that cloud of illusion that sends you into an invisible day dream, and depending on your tendencies you'll act weirdly for a few days. trust me this is me I swear to it. Gurdjoeff, Carl Jung, Sadhak Sanjivani translation of Gita, get your minds right 👍 yuh feel me y'all it isn't worth it. "he who worries of what another thinks always remains their prisoner" Taoist quote.

[@alfazveersingh2924]

Tatv......wahe.....tuam...guru....asi is brhm...

[@freds4814]

Break out of the circle of concepts ...

[@laomasterandstudent]

How many people are one with Tao,yet they look Like "common Stone".They do Not preach,they are not writing books,sharing wisdom, extra.....?

[@euclidofalexandria3786]

12:32 so its like an atheist. god must exist, before it can be refuted...

[@Nottoification]

I have to say that, to me, culture is part of human nature, and to judge it as "unnatural" seems to be going against the dao. Peacocks are flashy, encumbered and put a lot of energy into getting noticed. Are you saying they are unnatural? Humans just use tools and trinkets to do so. That might just be natural behavior to us. Forcing yourself to not do so because you guys told me I am perfect as I am would then also go against my nature. I get your point and agree that a lot of people do it for attention they do not authentically crave. But is this not a natural thing to human beings? To strife for attention and connection? You can do so through jewelry, the way you speak (as you are doing), or other ways. Something about your judgement of what is natural or unnatural seems to be coming from your own culture and comes across as hypocritical to me.

[@katejudson8907]

Interesting chat. Out of interest, did you know that Jason you spoke twice as much as your female cohost? Myself, I see and hear the voices of a vast ocean of male Daoists . I know that the teachings are comprehensible and teachable by and for all humankind. Yet always this male voice drowns out the female. Isn't it interesting? It feels out of balance. But thankyou at least for having a female cohost.

[@patriciajob7829]

As you claaim to be à buddist you know that what's every one wants is to be happy. What you forgent to say is that our consciousness drive us as much as our brain and feelings and fears and "conditionnements"(french Word) when they feel thé urge to have a tatoo or a percing it May not be to be long to à group or to do thé same to get acceptance but something more deep, inconscious... Feelings protected because you belong to a group cause your environnent is not secure or because deep inside your Body heart and soûl know that it's not Good to be alone. I think you are Really Quick to juge others and with no compassion (as a buddist should) you compare Confucianisme and Dao. You say that thé first one is the biggest hypocrite. But you call yoursrlf à philosopher so you know how important are words. Confucius like us is human.he was tourn like us, between what Hé felt Good for him as à beeing and what's needed for à society to be in peace and prosperous. The Dao is an encrypted writting to leave the dual world and Find reunion (self and cosmos). As the aim is différent you can't compare them and can't juge the Man especially when you don't give the contexte of the writting (how many thousound of years, in witch society...) the prince he had to pay. Words are important he was authentique cause he put on act on himsrlf too what he beleaved in and payed the price He had to pay. Hé knew it but hé had to do it cause that's authenticity. So don't be so Quick to compare and juge things, People. As buddist you know we are not all in the same path to awakeness. Here in the world of duality we must make our expériences. Theory is not enough to improve. Reading, talking about others think and wrote do not give you thé expertise. Only expérimentation des. It takes more time for some but as you know... Time is not réal. They Will get there too... With your deep understanding, your compassion, awarness you have and you Will get later one. Carefull you are on the path you discribe we shouldn't Take ! 😊