"Taoism (or Daoism) may be regarded as the esoteric part of the Chinese tradition, and Confucianism as the exoteric. The exoteric is that which is open and available to everyone, whereas the esoteric is hidden and only for those who have the requisite spiritual aptitude" (Tzu, Lao viii).
“The Buddha was not a mystic. His awakening was not a shattering insight into a transcendental truth that revealed to him the mysteries of God. He did not claim to have had an experience that granted him privileged, esoteric knowledge of how the universe ticks" (thinkbuddha.org).
Tzu, Lao, Stephen Addiss, and Stanley Lombardo. Tao Te Ching. Boston: Shambhala, 2007. Print.
Part of what I love about Taoism is the mystery of it. Followers of this philosophy are expected to just go with the flow. If you fight nature and the Tao than you will struggle. The key is to become part of the Tao and than you will understand. It's compared to the flow of water, if you struggle against it you will make no progress. Once you go with the water, you will float gracefully down the stream. The ideas behind this philosophy are so simple yet there is so much you don't know, like what happened before and what is going to happen. I hope that with my work I can capture that feeling of mystery and the hidden. There is the outlying beauty of the images but if you really look at them and let yourself become part of the environment you will realize so much more.
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