So I posted this video yesterday:
After I made this video, I genuinely didn’t assume there’d be something controversial about it. I’ll even proceed the belief now and say that in case you really watch it within the entirety, you, too, wouldn’t attain the conclusion that it’s attempting to be anti-male. Nor will you discover it laced with any ulterior motive of gender politics.
Heck, now looking back, I in all probability may have titled the video “Tao Te Ching & the Divine Female.” Proper? It’s simply that I’ve a sophisticated relationship with the idea of “divine female” therefore I went with “feminist metaphysics.”
Inside hours of its posting, I obtained the next feedback:
This weblog submit begins with my response to the above responses, however then I’ll go off on a tangent to share some unfiltered ramblings with respect to Eurocentric Taoism and cultural appropriation.
Thought experiment: If I had made a video titled “Tarot and Feminist Metaphysics,” do you assume it will have obtained the identical quick random backlash? Now I kinda want I had made such a video earlier than posting this simply to see what would have occurred and evaluate. Dangit.
My assumption can be no, it will not obtain the feedback you see above. Why not? A few knowledge factors leads me to that assumption. After I submit tarot movies, my demographics are 90% feminine, 10% male (self-reported). After I submit movies on Taoism, it’s wherever between 50/50 to solely 30% feminine, 70% male. After which usually talking I’ve this impression of seeing extra feminist-leaning conversations occurring amongst tarot readers and barely do these conversations get perceived as controversial.
I additionally checked out outdated dialogue threads on Aeclectic, key phrase search feminist and feminism. Optimistic characterizations of the MotherPeace Tarot as coming from a feminist perspective got here up. Likewise for Shining Tribe Tarot, at all times basic reward for the feminist perspective being represented. Commenters self-identifying as males would be part of within the conversations supportively and be encouraging of extra feminist-leaning tarot decks. Discussions and debate turned on whether or not a specific deck was really “feminist” or not however by no means discouraging of feminism normally. It’d simply be “oh, I don’t know if that’s extra feminist than it’s merely female…” like that. Actually the “worst” remark I may discover was “Why would you need an all-female (or, for that matter, all-male) deck?” And I don’t even essentially think about {that a} unhealthy remark. It simply expressed a private choice. The commenter didn’t go nuts just like the YouTube feedback I confirmed above. A commenter would declare, “I’m a radical feminist” and nobody appeared to even bat an eye fixed.
Additionally, I used to publish authorized analysis and commentary in peer-reviewed regulation journals on feminist jurisprudence, essential race idea from a feminist perspective, and intersectional feminism, and would obtain optimistic suggestions. I can’t even recall any males taking subject with my writings. In truth, you realize who have been the largest champions of my publications, sharing them, writing their very own articles citing my works? Males. Particularly Asian and Asian American males. However that was additionally half a lifetime in the past. Possibly the social local weather has modified since then?
Seeing these feedback as the primary responses to a video I made on a subject close to and pricey to my coronary heart actually jolted me, as a result of I wasn’t anticipating it.
My intestine response to studying these feedback? “Properly now I don’t wish to share with you anything I had deliberate to kindly share with you.”
All this occurred on the heels of me nonetheless attempting to course of just a few dialogue threads I regrettably stumbled throughout. (Now we get to the “tangent” half.)
Right here’s one I saved as a result of I contemplated doing a video on the topic (however now I gained’t be, so let’s discuss it right here). The unique submit introduced the query, “Do Taoists imagine in gods, or does it rely on the particular college/sect?”
Declarations comparable to “Everytime you assume ‘Taoism is…’ you might have missed the mark” are humorously illustrative of fundamental Taoist philosophy — it’s not an unfaithful assertion earlier than it was uttered aloud, however the act of uttering it aloud makes it deceptive.
It continues:
The Eurocentric assumption of Taoism is that it’s solely a philosophy, and there aren’t any gods in Taoism. In the meantime, the belief is that Buddhism is “all of the gods.”
It fascinates me that the Asian/Japanese assumption is the polar reverse. If you happen to ask your common Asian particular person, they’d make the belief that Buddhism will not be about god worship, whereas it’s Taoism that’s about “all of the gods.”
I’d not opine that both of the 2 views are 100% correct. I’m simply amused by how two sides can have a look at the identical factor and are available away with completely reverse and conflicting observations.
Plus, my quick reply can be it is dependent upon who you ask. I do assume nearly all of lay Asian practitioners in each camps will have interaction in what appears like deity worship, and also you’ll actually discover lay Buddhists who strategy Buddhas and bodhisattvas as private sky gods who reply prayers, simply as you’ll in Taoism.
And but equally in each traditions you’ll discover practitioners who take a extra philosophical and esoteric strategy to the idea of deity and Buddhas.
I’d make the case that there’s a basic consensus that each traditions “meet you the place you might be.” So in each instances, it’s completely “proper” to imagine in private sky gods or to strategy it as a philosophy of life.
What irks me, although, is how extraordinarily sure non-Asians can get with their claims of understanding Asian traditions. The place are they getting their confidence?
I additionally couldn’t assist however discover how ethnically segregated Taoist dialogue teams are on-line. You’ve obtained the non-Asians (largely white) forming their very own Taoist dialogue teams with only some straggler Asians right here and there, and when these straggler Asians chime in, they usually get shot down or advised they’re unsuitable.
And then you definitely’ve obtained the Asian-only Taoist dialogue teams the place many of the posts are in Chinese language. There could or might not be just a few straggler non-Asians, although to be honest, straggler non-Asians in Asian-majority Taoist teams are usually respectful and sort. (Thanks and kudos!)
Taoist dialogue boards which are predominantly white go for minimalist inkbrush work, fortune cookie proverbs, a number of qi gong and martial arts, and by no means talking straight – let’s use as a lot round converse as attainable to sound like Laozi.
In the meantime the Taoist dialogue boards which are predominantly Asian look and vibe like what I’m used to – a number of shade, extra is extra, extravagant ceremony, talismans and colourful photos of gods galore.
Libra me, after all, falls someplace in between these two extremes.
So why this submit? Assist discuss me off my ledge, please.
One comment particularly that I lately stumbled throughout obtained underneath my pores and skin. I want I used to be zen and big-hearted sufficient to not care, however it obtained my blood boiling and made me assume I ought to pack up and stop sharing any extra aspects of esoteric Buddhism or Taoist mysticism to the English-speaking public. Highlighted in yellow is what obtained to me.
It’s a type of “this is the reason we are able to’t have good issues” moments. It justifies marginalized communities locking the gates and declaring that our practices are hereinafter closed.
Most disappointingly of all, personally, it proves that almost all AAPI stance on cultural appropriation (in advocacy of closed cultural traditions) is true.
And I used to be unsuitable.
Am I doing extra hurt than good to my very own AAPI neighborhood? Shitballs. Have I been unbearably naive?
Seeing what non-Asians are saying about Asian traditions – with a lot vanity, too – actually made me cease and surprise. Have those that’ve been advocating for all marginalized traditions to be closed practices — are they those who’ve been proper all alongside?
Okay nice. In between the time I began this draft this morning and now once I got here again to complete writing out my ideas and probably posting it, loads of sort and inspiring feedback got here in, swinging me again to middle. =) With out figuring out it they’ve talked me off my ledge. =)
Nonetheless posting this anyway as a result of I believe consciousness will be useful.
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