The Taoist Cocoon By Alex Anatole The following are several definitions of ‘Cocoon’ from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary A covering usually made of silk, which some insects (such as caterpillars) make around themselves to protect them while they grow: Something that covers or protects a person or thing: An envelope often largely of silk which an insect larva forms about itself and in which it passes the pupa [developing] stage: To cover or protect (someone or something) completely. What is a ‘Taoist’Cocoon? While we believe that every person is responsible for their own actions, we should understand that it is best to find compatible truth-seekers who can help navigate through this difficult endeavor of life. In our branch of Classic Taoism, we call this company of like-minded pioneers our Cocoon. This is a small circle of trustworthy confidants, and some times on rare occasions, a family member, with whom we share mutual values, goals, and most importantly, a philosophical system. For the Taoist Cocoon, the philosophy is the essential base. There are two pillars, or as classically referred to as the‘Two Elephants’, that are the foundation of Taoism - ‘Nature is Unkind’ and ‘Humanity & Justice’. Nature Is Unkind- “Enlightenment requires the understanding that strangers, coworkers, business partners, and your mother-in-law will not make your life any easier unless it serves their own selfish interests. Strangers should be viewed with extreme suspicion and with the expectation that they will bring trouble into one’s life. For instance, a well-known stereotype has strangers to small towns or villages being watched closely and sometimes “invited” to leave. Nature’s distrust and fear of the unknown goes to the core of man’s survival instincts. Recognizing that nature is fundamentally unkind must be accepted with the same clinical attitude as one accepts the existence of gravity.” The Truth Of Tao, Alex Anatole, 186-187 It is natural for us to have self-interests and biases. Self-interest is the engine of our survival. Withoutself-interest, no species could survive. ‘But we are humans. We are rational, logical beings,’ the scientific skeptics have reply. ‘We have opposable thumbs!’ We are also equipped with emotions; it is impossible for us to be entirely objective and impartial. Understanding this truth will help to grasp the concept of partiality. “Impartial unkindness toward the masses with partial love of the few is explained by the concept of the cocoon. A cocoon is a small group of people who are so close that they represent an extension of our being and should be cared for as we care for ourselves. The cocoon in a loving relationship is much like Chuang Tzu’s description of perfect kindness: “Perfect kindness is indeed the ideal. It is so much higher than filial piety,” transcending family relationships. Contrary to the Western saying that “blood is thicker than water,” a relative may not necessarily be a part of our cocoon; in fact, we may sometimes have less in common with relatives than we do with total strangers. In Chuang Tzu’s time, Confucian demands for filial piety pervaded society, while Taoism differed and made commonality of interests the basis for commitment.” The Essence of Tao, Alex Anatole, 111 The Social Structure wants you to believe that their Universal Cocoon is the only place we can find salvation. They want you invest in their Universal Trust that man is inherently good. They persuade you to believe that what’s good for the world is good for you as an individual, even if it means your personal sacrifice will in no way be reciprocated. It is, in reality, a one-way street. The Taoist Cocoon is founded in mutual support. Not equal in its exchange, but harmonious in its give-and-take, joint nourishment. It is a relationship where, vulnerably, one is able to open up. For trust is another essential recipe. Trust that is tempered through the tests of time. The Universal Cocoon and Universal Trust are for those who have no ‘Fear of Losing’ what they value in life. The Theory of Fear- “The Tao man understands that planning involves reaching out through time and into an unknown future. Recognizing and dealing with this mental process involves one of the most important teachings of Taoism: the theory of fear. Understanding this theory begins by recognizing that time is one of the least understood phenomena. We attempt to define it conveniently by establishing artificial markers— seconds, minutes, hours, days—but real comprehension remains beyond our grasp. All we truly know is that our personal time begins with our birth—over which we had no control—and will end in our death, which is similarly beyond our control. The fear of death involves our speculation about the unknown future. The process of fear is thus composed of thoughts projected into the past and future. Fear = Thoughts + Time In other words, fear is the result of thinking about things over which we exert no control. Thus, if we limit our thoughts to only the present moment, we eliminate the fear of death. Constant speculation about the future creates continuous mental turmoil. Social sages use this fear to manipulate the common man. They use the fear of old age, the fear of eternal damnation, the fear of poverty, the fear of loneliness, and the fear of ridicule to manipulate him into sacrificing a comfortable daily routine for an unknown future. Advertisers, politicians, and religious leaders exert incredible pressure to mold the common man into an ideal slave. While no centralized authority coordinates this “conspiracy” of society’s elite, it is unbelievably powerful and pervasive. By living for today and devoting all of his resources toward achieving a comfortable daily routine, the man of Tao resists this pressure and stands apart from the vulgar masses. He does not allow irrational fear to dissuade him from living a content life.” The Truth Of Tao, Alex Anatole, 182 Fear Of Losing- When one is faced with fear there is one of two paths that can be taken. The most common is passivity, burying one’s head in the sand, which can have deadly results. The other course is to transform fear into aggression. Aggression during stressful periods fuels action. Action to deal with whatever difficulty, because you realize you must face it or lose what you cherish. The Taoist concept of ‘Fear of Losing’ addresses the reality that fear, when not misused, can be a powerful instinct that helps us to survive. Unlike irrational fear, the Fear of Losing helps us to prioritize what we need. It is about losing something tangible and concrete. It’s not anxiety, which can paralyze you and prevent you from taking a tough but necessary action. ‘Fear of Losing’ is realizing one’s limitations, having a clear picture of reality, and genuinely appreciating what one has as an indispensible instrument for survival. This Fear of Losing what they love, what they need, ensures that the individual will behave in an appropriate manner. They arrive to work on time for Fear of Losing their job. They exercise for Fear of Losing their health. They spend their money wisely for Fear of Losing their possessions. They treat their loved ones with kindness for Fear of Losing their cocoon. Unfortunately the easier one’s life becomes, the further one gets from the healthy Fear of Losing. The harmful consequences of one’s actions become abstract and immaterial. When the Fear of Losing is lost, the void is filled with illusions. And this vacuum, ripe with fantasy, is why the masses are so easily swayed by false ideas. Humanity And Justice- Why does Humanity and Justice cause so much confusion at first glance? What can be wrong with Humanity and Justice? Mankind should be full of Humanity and Justice, shouldn’t it? Why do sages say it breeds confusion? Because Humanity and Justice are artificial values that only represent a temporary moment in time. Humanity and Justice are just one set of values that represent manipulation of the masses. They constantly change to reflect the needs of the few. Look through history at the ever-changing alliances of nations- one day they are friends, then bitter enemies, and eventually become allies again. “LaoTzu warns us to be vigilant against the values of humanity and justice. They are the mechanism by which society interferes with an individual’s original nature, manipulating the common man to behave in ways that reinforce society’s structure at his expense. The values of humanity and justice replace an individual’s own desires and needs, inevitably resulting in actions contrary to his self-interest. These seemingly benign values, like love, honor, and patriotism, are wickedly subtle and powerful. They enable society to achieveits goal of control—and ruin one’s life. How can values that are so blatantly against the individual’s self-interest become so pervasive? Shouldn’t these fraudulent social values, which inevitably lead to an unhappy life, fail immediately on introduction? What is Taoism’s explanation for such absurdity? Chuang Tzu answers, Then came confusionbetween joy and anger, fraud between the simple and the cunning, recriminationbetween the virtuous and the evil-minded, . . . -The Wisdom of Laotse, 126 Lao Tzu’s disciple explains that the values of humanity and justice cause so much confusion that they can flourish, leading an individual to act against his own interests. These social values sound so incredibly wonderful. Unfortunately, they don’t work in real life and are a certain prescription for confusion and suffering.’ The Truth Of Tao, Alex Anatole, 158 The Student of the Tao recognizes that life is difficult and must be viewed as a constant struggle to survive, whether in the harsh environment of the jungle or society. Society will endlessly try to manipulate you through their artificial values, breeding hypocrisy and confusion, creating one more member of their herd. Only when an individual is willing to accept the core of these two vital tenets can they begin their lifetime quest to study and implement the principlesof the Tao. A map and compass are useless instruments if you are unable to grasp their utility. The craving to learn and question the world around them through the prism of the Tao is the greatest bond of commonality that is embedded in the Taoist Cocoon. It is these principles that provide the glue that holds the Students of the Tao together. Because these are tenets that guide rather than rigid rules and regulations meant to manipulate and suppress freethinking, they have been able to endure time and geography. But it is not just the Taoist philosophy that is their core. It is love that draws them together; a natural love as opposed to the popular idea of ‘Universal Love’. Natural Love- “Tigers and wolves are loving animals,” said Chuangtse. “What do you mean?” [asked Tang.] “The tiger loves his cub. . . .” —The Wisdom of Laotse, 67 “Chuang Tzu explains that the most vicious and feared of nature’s predators are loving animals when caring for their cubs. Nature allows for unconditional love, but only among a small handful of close animals. Such love is most powerful and romantic. An individual would literally fight to the death to protect another within this small group, sometimes called a “cocoon.” For a Taoist, it is natural to love and protect a few select people fiercely; all others are viewed as inconsequential sources of trouble—nothing more than straw-dogs. Importantly, this small cocoon of loved individuals transcends the traditional definition of family. As Chuang Tzu taught, Perfect kindness has no regard for particular relations. . . . It is so much higher than filial piety.” —The Wisdom of Laotse, 67 Love is a word that is used in society frequently yet is seldom reflected in the actions of people. Perhaps this is because the semantics of the word is confusing. Apart from its intimate and romantic sense, it is often applied to loving everyone. Love of children, countrymen, fellow ethnicity or even the whole population of the world. This misuse of the term love defies the powerof the word. If one’s affections, loyalty and passions are so diffused, then they are sorely diluted and are ineffective when put to use. A love that is ‘one size fits all’ probably isn’t very valuable. Our Taoist definition of Love is expressed in the following three components: Acceptance + Taking care of = Simplicity. ‘Acceptance’ of the people in your cocoon for who they are. You do not seek to change or improve them. You will hopefully evolve on your path together, but the character of people rarely changes. ‘Taking care of’ because you consider the person in your cocoon to be a part of you. Their well-being affects your well being and vice versa. Your responsibility is internal and voluntary, not socially compulsory. There is the emotional element that you want to see this person do well. ‘Simplicity’ because it is natural emotion, untainted by social interference. There is no need for pretention or political correctness. A mother does what she must for her child simply because it is what a mother does. It is unambiguous and uncomplicated. Natural Love vs. Universal Love- “But as oneness dictates, the Tao man’s impartiality to the masses is offset by the partiality he exhibits to the small group of people about whom he truly cares. He treats these people as if they were indispensable parts of his own body. This cocoonis an extension of the individual, since it includes only those who share common values, likes, and dislikes. True love, or “perfect kindness,” entails action. Love without action is just a word. For the ever-skeptical Taoist, verbal expressions of caring are inconsequential, and only acts of love are recognized. This further reinforces the Taoist’s impartiality toward the masses. When was the last time a stranger sacrificed something of significancefor you? Universal love from the masses boils down to a bunch of sentimental blatherings supported by little tangible action. A Taoist, by contrast, voluntarily spends time, money, and effort on those within his cocoon. This acknowledgment that action or energy is required in any truly loving relationship in turn leads to the recognition that such relationships must be limited. Perfect kindness takes effort—considerable effort. Universal love is therefore meaningless, for it entails spreading this effort over the multitude. It is akin to distributing wealth: one could give riches to a select few or pennies to the many. To care for the entire world (with corresponding effort) is to care for no one. Not wasting energy on the masses is therefore most consistent with the natural way, for it allows the individual to devote his limitedresources to his cherished cocoon. The Truth Of Tao, Alex Anatole, 194-195 A simple yet clear example we use to contrast Natural Love and Universal Love is the sharing of a bottle of wine. You can share the bottle of wine with two or three friends and truly enjoy its rewards, or you can take that bottle of wine and ration out but a thimble’s worth to everyone in the neighborhood. On a shallow level you may feel that you have performed a noble feat, but in reality you have benefitted no one. The universal sharing of one’s love stretches it beyond usefulness; it is diminished and squandered. All of our resources in life, including our emotions, are limited and finite. If you try to love everyone, you ironically love no one, because your love is ineffectual. By focusing your love on just a few select and worthy recipients, you share something of value. Natural love also means that you take responsibility for them. So you take care of them. For by doing so you are, again, taking care of yourself. Universal love holds no actual responsibility or consequence. Straw-dogs- “In the oneness of nature, the ability to love and the ability to destroy are inextricably bound, because in nature the ability to destroy means the ability to survive. A tiger that can only love will soon starve as its unthreatened food strolls by. Thus, it’s impossible to find an animal whose sole modality is compassion. Similarly, the ability to care deeply for oneself and one’s family (the Taoist cocoon) is not exclusive of the ability to do harm when necessary. Like it or not, the human animal is mostly animalistic; therefore, Lao Tzu wrote that man’s natural core is unkind: The Sage is unkind: He treats the people like sacrificial straw-dogs.” The Truth Of Tao, Alex Anatole, 255 “With nature as a model, the sage uses the principle of impartial unkindness in governing himself and how he deals with society. To treat “people as sacrificial straw-dogs” is not a recipe for interacting with all individuals but rather to humanity as a whole. Lao Tzu advises us to be impartial to humanity in general, but very partial to a small group of loved ones.” The Essence of Tao, Alex Anatole, 109 Straw-Dogs were effigies used in Chinese rituals. They were used only during the ceremony and once it was over they were thrown away immediately in the trash. In Chinese tradition, negative attributes were written on paper or transferred to vessels such as effigies. They were then destroyed and disposed of, but not burned.Only positive wishes or symbols were burned, for they would materialize in another realm. Burning a negative sentiment could actually bring it to the practitioner’s life. For example, during a New Year celebration, a person could write down ‘contentment’ for the future, and burn the piece of paper. They could write down ‘disease’ as something they want to get rid of and then tear up the paper and throw it in the trash. Healthy Egocentrism- The Social Structure uses the concept of selflessness to manipulate the masses into performing deeds of charity or even heroism. ‘Give, give, give…More, more, more…’ But there is never enough that an individual can give to cure the ailments of the world. There will always be a deficiency of fulfillment when one sacrifices self-interest over the needs of the many. “Thus, the Taoist must understand the concept of “healthy egocentrism.” It is healthy to love yourself and the select individuals you consider your loved ones. This small group forms a cocoon. The Taoist experiences natural love for this cocoon, reinforced with action. And since we all have limited time and resources, the cocoon remains small by necessity. This means the Taoist views the world outside the cocoon with ambivalence. The man of Tao maintains a state of cease-fire with those outside his cocoon until such time as war erupts. Similarly, the rest of the world really doesn’t care about us. We understand and accept this. Healthy egocentrism is how we should avoid hypocritical and unnatural expressions of love, reserving our natural love for a special few and letting the rest of the world deal with the hypocrites of artificial love.” The Truth Of Tao, Alex Anatole, 86 Conversely,‘Unhealthy egocentrism’, is simply selfishness. And selfishness is self-destruction, for man cannot evolve if he only cares about himself. Unhealthy egocentrism is having concern for only yourself, which is just as empty and dangerous as selflessness. It can be poison to your cocoon, and thus ultimately damaging to yourself, to act in a way that is only beneficial to you. To step on those who support you for your own benefit shows a lack of character. You can no more punish your left hand over your right, because it is a part of you. To take advantage of those within your cocoon is the same case. There is a big difference between healthy egocentrism and unhealthy egocentrism. To clarify confusion ask yourself ‘Is this good for me?’ And then ask yourself ‘Is this good for my cocoon?’ Family- “Chuang Tzu clearly states that the family relationship is not a prerequisite for perfect kindnessand love, blatantly dismissing the Confucian reverence toward family. He instead emphasizes kindness toward those who share true connections—tangible and intangible—to the individual. For the Taoist, kindness is extended only to those who share common values and interests. Further, in the case of man and woman, there should be a physical attraction that goes to the heart of animal desire.” The Truth Of Tao, Alex Anatole, 191 “Cultivated in the individual, character will become genuine; -Wisdom of Laotse, 54 Character is composed of the attributes of individuals, their moral and ethical traits. This means that there is a profound difference between building character using the traits of nature and using those taught by the government and the church. The most glaring difference, reflecting animal nature, is that as Taoists we forge relationships with those who share the same moral and ethical traits. These people become members of our “cocoon” and should be treated as we would treat ourselves. Sometimes they are family, but most often they are not. We’ve discussed how Taoists, not trusting others or even their own instincts, constantly challenge themselves by asking why. We need to ask with every decision, “Why am I doing this?” From this all-encompassing question, a whole line of thought-provoking ideas follow. “Is this right for me as an individual? Is this going to hurt me or someone in my cocoon in favor of political, religious, or outdated cultural beliefs?” Such self-inspection requires great fortitude and honesty. By contrast, the social man does things because everyone else does them, not because they make sense. So the line “Cultivated in the individual, character will become genuine” means that if we concentrate on fostering and developing ourselves as individuals, our moral and ethical values will be genuine. Our decisions and actions will then be based on reality. Cultivated in the family, character will become abundant; This line is an extension of the principle of the Taoist cocoon. As stated before, what constitutes a cocoon are shared values, which may sometimes—but not always—exist among family members. Membership in our cocoon has little to do with genetics; it has everything to do with having the same beliefs. Using this definition, the line from the poem has two implications. If our family does share our value system, then cultivating our character within the family will be productive, and our character will become “abundant.” If, however, our family does not share our values, fostering our character within the family will be harmful. Contrary to the popular saying, blood is not thicker than water. In a sad way, our modern industrial society has tarnished the idea of family and its commonality of values. In the old days, if you were a farmer, the whole family worked on the farm and had some shared interests based on a mutually supportive daily existence. Modern lifestyles, however, have subverted the idea of family as each person develops his or her independent schedule and interests.” The Essence of Tao, Alex Anatole, 151-153 The Taoist practitioner does not view the Cocoon as being defined by the boundaries of family or tradition. The beliefs of one’s forefathers are not necessarily the path to enlightenment. What is important to me? Why am I doing this? Is this person good for me? Your cocoon is organic; it grows and contracts through time based on the times and on the character of those within it. The Student of Tao must test a person, gradually to see if they are worthy of your friendship. The flaws in their character will eventually come to light, at which point one must decide if the positive attributes outweigh the shortcomings. These questions are for your internal investigation. Returning to the definition of the cocoon that is found in nature, The Taoist Cocoon is an analogy of a group of people that not only share common interests and help and protect one another. It is a place of metamorphosis. Within this chamber a slow yet dynamic process is underway. There is an intellectual and spiritual nourishment taking place. The Cocoon is like your right-hand. It is an important part of you. Don’t be self-absorbed in only your wants and needs. Be on guard against undo selfishness as much as the artificial trappings of Universal Love. You may already be fortunate to be part of a cocoon, but perhaps you haven’t thought of it in these terms. Ask yourself “Is this person good for me?” Do they help you or are they a constant burden? If they are good for you, do you reciprocate… or are you guilty of unhealthy egocentrism? Examine the individuals in your family and ask the difficult questions, such as “what do we have in common?” Don’t be afraid to seek out the answers, for if it turns out that they don’t fit in to what you consider your cocoon, you don’t have to shun them. Just by determining where they stand, and deciding how much of a priority they are to you will benefit your life. If you conclude that they are a part of your cocoon, then be thankful and cherish them.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 13:50:05 +0000
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