Over at Tao Speaks, there is a heated discussion over what is considered as ‘American Taoism’, a phrase coined by a member who started the thread after reading Dr. Michael Saso’s article on ‘Daoism: The Oral Tradition’. His article is available at this site: http://www.whpq.org/visitor/200203/200203/004-1.htm
The gist of his well researched article is on how for over two thousand years, Daoist masters had orally passed on to lineage students, their sect’s practice secrets and rituals including interpretations of ancient texts. He also proposed that Western translators had and will continue to mistranslate Daoist texts unless they become lineage students of such masters in China who can then pass on these oral teachings to them.
What started out as a scholarly discussion on Tao and Saso’s findings quickly degenerated into arguments and bashings when a sighted ‘zookeeper’ (probably from the East) started to describe the ‘proverbial’ elephant. He had been specifically invited as he knows Saso well. Personal enmities between supposedly friends had even surfaced. Not a good thing to happen between friends and Daoists over nothingness.
If you are interested in looking at different views of Daoists from the East and West, perhaps you can check out the thread titled ‘American Daoism’ at Tao Speaks. (Website made available under Links.) You can easily discern the scholars and the pretenders by their contributions to the once interesting discussion. Even if Laozi or Zhuangzi were to join in now to discuss their ancient texts, they could be ridiculed. Therefore be prepared to nurse a ‘bruised’ ego or heal frayed nerves, if you decide to join in the fray.
When asked today, my Daoist friend confirmed that there are such oral teachings in Quanzhen. He expressed surprise that so many Westerners are keen to learn Tao. I had assured him that it is so. The only drawback, one lamented, is that there are no Quanzhen temples in the West to cater for them.
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