The Way Of Daoism: Origins, Wisdom, And Applying It In Modern Life (Andrew Nugent)
The Way Of Daoism: Origins, Wisdom, And Applying It In Modern Life (Andrew Nugent)
Bringing back ancient teachings from 28 years in China
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Andrew Nugent is the founder and president of the Association for Traditional Studies which is dedicated to bringing the wisdom of eastern traditions of medicine and mindfulness to the modern world.
He spent 28 years in China studying traditional Chineese wisdom culture, Daoism, Chinese medicine, and martial arts before coming back to the states to translate and share this largely lost wisdom.
In this conversation, we discuss the essence of the original teachings of the Dao and how to apply them to your life.
Ideas that really stuck out to me:
1. Unlike many cultures, there was no concept of Gods to ascribe to what was happening in nature. As a result, they became focused on studying patterns of nature to understand the laws of the universe. This was called Naturalism which eventually contributed to many of the ideas in Daoism and Confucianism.
2. The Dao Te Ching is intended to be read over and over again as a catalyst for perspective shift. Each time you read it, it will hit differently and help you see your existing reality in a new light.
3. The essence of the Dao is about living in harmony with the universe and recognizing our insignificance. To know the Dao is to understand its laws.
4. Chinese medicine evolved from treating war wounds and epidemics that were rampant, not mystical meditation. The conditions forced people to understand things quickly out of necessity by paying attention to cause and effect.
5. "The best ruler is the one whose name no one knows." What a counterintuitive idea in our fame-obsessed culture.
6. The idea of "cleaning your tuning fork" to align with the Dao resonates deeply. The idea isn’t not about adding more, but removing the crud that keeps us out of harmony with the universe.
7. Many ideas in Chinese medicine that seem bizarre like certain plants being more effective at different seasons are easily observable phenomenon in nature. For example, a plant in full bloom or ready harvest at is more healing than when it is of season and not ripe.
Andrew has some amazing stories and lots of wisdom.
I hope you enjoy this conversation!
- Scott
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Episode Transcript
Show notes:
00:00 - The Journey Begins: Early Influences and Interests
06:45 - Exploring Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Personal Experience
12:35 - The Role of Daoism: Understanding Naturalism and Its Evolution
20:28 - The Essence of the Dao: Practical Wisdom for Everyday Life
27:44 - Reflections on Ancient Wisdom: Parallels with Modern Times
34:09 - Naturalism: Patterns and Harmony in Life
49:04 - Gong Fu: Mastery Through Dedication and Time
52:32 - The Transformative Power of Understanding the Dao
01:00:08 - Simplicity and Clarity: The True Nature of Wisdom
What a fantastic interview. Thank you so much for the wonderful work you’re doing here!!
I pray that millions of people who are suffering emotionally-mentally-spiritually will find teachers like Andrew!
And will read the Doaist teachings over and over as he so beautifully articulates here!
Keep up the great work Scott!
Thank you for making Daoism so easily digestible! I've been delving into TCM, Ayurveda, macrobiotics and longevity since joining the Academy of Healing Nutrition in 2020 and it's a fascinating world when we consider ourselves a clog of the universe and draw conclusions from observation, paying attention to our inner body responses (or intuition) and pragmatic application. The Order of the Universe was a good read... I particularly love the "the one who rules the world is the one whose name is not known..." it supports the feeling I am getting at the moment of retreating and making myself unknown in order to birth powerful things (written texts, meditations and other projects). Thank you Scott!