Source: The Murray State News
The road to harmony with the universe can sometimes be a very lonely street - a path few Murray State students follow. A Taoist path.
John Cosmos, freshman from New Bedford, Mass., became a Taoist three years ago while studying Tai Chi.
"Taoism isn't a religion so much as a philosophy," he said. "Taoism, in my understanding, is taking your place in the universe and understanding where that is. (It doesn't) mention a God because, according to Taoism, God isn't a person, it's just there."
The philosophy, Cosmos said, is rooted in the belief that to be truly happy, a person must become one with the universe. They must take a step back from daily tedium and strive to fully understand life and the course it is taking.
"A great deal of it has to do with perspective," he said. "A lot of people will have some misfortune or they'll be inconvenienced in some way, and they'll think 'Oh, why is this happening to me?' It's not. It's just happening. Being a Taoist is being able to look at the bigger picture and not take things so personally."