Daoism

WOMEN OF THE RED DRAGON: CHINESE MYTHOLOGY AS A CATALYST FOR FEMINISM

February 9, 2024

 The male gaze defines Chinese women as adorable and docile lotus blossoms–that is, subservient and shy women created for the pleasure of men. Make no mistake, though: There are many powerhouse feminists in Chinese mythology who have reiterated for centuries that Asian women are not play-things. Mythological women such as Bai Mudan and Chinese goddesses Nuwa and Mazu combat objectification and redefine age-old narratives...

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What's your religion? In US, a common reply is now 'None'

December 14, 2021

Nathalie Charles, even in her mid-teens, felt unwelcome in her Baptist congregation, with its conservative views on immigration, gender and sexuality. So she left.

“I just don’t feel like that gelled with my view of what God is and what God can be,” said Charles, an 18-year-old of Haitian descent who identifies as queer and is now a freshman at Princeton University.

“It wasn’t a very loving or nurturing environment for someone’s faith.”

Source:...

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An Exhibition Offers an Ode to the Nuances of Diasporic Identities

July 19, 2021

Across the second floor of the Shed, Open Call invites monumental remembrances of real and imagined communities molded by urban landscapes, diasporic identity, and grief. Equally playful and entrancing, a wide range of multimedia installations lights up an otherwise dim space, the collective hum of looping video works masking any silence. At first glance, the exhibition presents itself as slices of New York City itself. In spite of a steady stream of critiques denouncing the Shed’s artwashing of Hudson Yards to distract from its controversial financial backing, Open Call offers a glimpse...

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Woman identified in connection to Taoist Temple fire: ‘She really wiped out a whole chunk of history’

June 29, 2021

HANFORD, Calif. (KSEE) – According to the Hanford Police Department, felony charges of arson have been submitted to the Kings County District Attorney’s Office after surveillance video showed 37-year-old Maxine Montenegro sitting on the front steps of the Taoist Temple setting items of clothing on fire.

The fire that followed in May destroyed artifacts described as “irreplaceable.”

“We have surveillance cameras, so we were pretty much sure we knew what had happened,” said Arianne Wing, the president of the China Alley Preservation Society. “It’s hard for me to find...

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Daoist group plans to build temple with public nature area in Petersburg

July 6, 2021

PETERSBURG - Lush, wooded areas are often hard to come by in the middle of a city where houses and buildings are packed on top of each other. A Daoist group in Petersburg is hoping to turn the vacant woods next to Blandford Academy into a publicly enjoyable nature area, which will double as its future temple site. 

Plans for the site include features like a meditation trail, a gazebo, picnic areas and a community garden space complete with edible and possibly medicinal plants for visitors to enjoy. 

Source: ...

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'It's devastating': Fire heavily damages Hanford's Taoist temple, museum

May 16, 2021

HANFORD — The Taoist Temple Museum in the China Alley Historic District of Hanford was heavily damaged by fire Wednesday night, and on Thursday, the Hanford Fire Department was still putting out hot spots. 

The cause of the fire, which has left supporters of the well-known landmark reeling, has not been determined and the overall damage and losses are still being assessed. However, the stairway leading to the upstairs portion of the temple is gone.

Source:...

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A road trip to the remnants of California's early Chinese communities

March 31, 2021

There’s an old storefront in my hometown — a bright, pretty building that mixes brick walls and a terra cotta roof with ornate bluish-green tiles. It’s sandwiched into a block of Spanish-style storefronts across from one of the city’s oldest historic sites. For the first couple decades of my life, I walked right past it without really noticing. It wasn’t until I moved away, spent time in larger Chinatowns across the country, and even lived and studied in China that I realized what I was seeing: a glimpse of a part of my city’s history that my childhood history lessons left out.

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California State Parks Invites The Public To Virtually Celebrate Chinese New Year Of The Metal Ox

February 9, 2021

History will come alive once again in Weaverville in a virtual Chinese New Year Celebration and Lion Dance presented from Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park. This virtual event is being offered on the California State Parks PORTS Home Learning Program as well as the Park’s Facebook page. The virtual celebration will be broadcast on the first day of the Chinese New Year – Friday, Feb. 12 at 10AM from...

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How Taiwanese death rituals have adapted for families living in the US

July 23, 2020

Taiwanese people living in the United States face a dilemma when loved ones die. Many families worry that they might not be able to carry out proper rituals in their new homeland.

As a biracial Taiwanese-American archaeologist living in Idaho and studying in Taiwan, I am discovering the many faces of Taiwan’s blended cultural...

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Children celebrate Chinese New Year with parade, temple visit

February 21, 2020

The Year of the Rat came alive in Mendocino last Thursday. Despite the gloomy overcast, local school children carrying signs, banners and rattles coursed down Main Street as the culmination of class lessons about Chinese culture.

A dragon led the procession, weaving its way toward the ocean. Right behind, the little ones led off the march in a formation complete with a colorful dragon head.

Passersby and visitors couldn’t help but smile. Older students followed behind. Parents walked among the children, herding them in the right direction. Teachers resolved last...

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Daoism in Boston

Though there are significant Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean immigrant communities in Greater Boston, East Asian traditions such as Confucianism, Daoism, and Shintō are difficult to survey as there are very few religious centers. These traditions are deeply imbedded in the unique history, geography, and culture of their native countries and are often practiced in forms that are not limited to institutional or communal settings.

Daoism
The ancient Chinese sage Lao-Tzu from the sixth century BCE taught a way of living in harmony with the Dao (“the...

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The Critical Angle: Is 'Star Wars' really about Taoism?

December 19, 2019
I was raised in a hippy household. We started our meals with a reading from the Tao Te Ching, the founding text of Taoism. I also had the more conventional experience of growing up obsessed with Star Wars. I loved the original film trilogy, and though I watched Return of the Jedi until the VHS tape broke, it’s the scenes with Yoda in Empire Strikes Back that ultimately resonated with me the most. Yoda was the first experience I ever had with a taoist sage. He managed both the irreverence and wisdom that goes with living in harmony with the Tao. As an adult, I’ve... Read more about The Critical Angle: Is 'Star Wars' really about Taoism?

Healing Tao

The Healing Tao organization is the largest Daoist organization in the United States with its network of Healing Tao centers. Since the early 1980s, the organization has been led by Mantak Chia, trained in both Daoist practice and Western medicine, who has trained hundreds of practitioners which have led to dozens of Healing Tao centers being established across the globe.

Jade Emperor

Since the 12th century CE the Jade Emperor has been the head of the Daoist celestial pantheon. He presides over the councils of heaven and, on the last day of each year, he receives reports on the activities of all gods and humans so that he may mete out the appropriate reward or punishment.

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