Comparing Religions

[Sir Perineal]

If Discordianism is an interpretation of Zen Buddhism, then the Church of the SubGenius is an interpretation of Taoism?

[rygD]

Where is your evidence?

[B_M_W]

If Discordianism is an interpretation of Zen Buddhism, then the Church of the SubGenius is an interpretation of Taoism?

Wasn't a discordian said to be a Taoist with an odd sense of humor and the innability to sit still?

[Dr. Cow Ass]

If Discordianism is an interpretation of Zen Buddhism, then the Church of the SubGenius is an interpretation of Taoism?

Wasn't a discordian said to be a Taoist with an odd sense of humor and the inability to sit still?

I never herd that before, but I really like it. I'm gonna start using that as the answer when someone asks me the question of our time, "What is Discordianism?"

[Idem]

Pretty sure the CoS is to Scientology as Satanism is to Christianity.

[Sir Perineal]

Where is your evidence?

To me, Discordianism is one big collection of "koans," while "Slack" is analogous to the "Tao."

[LMNO]

All things are true in some sense, false in some sense, etc etc ad nauseum.

[P3nT4gR4m]

"Every statement contains falsehood" - Douglas Fairbanks

[Mourning Star]

Hmm, I know I've often seen discordianism described as "Zen for roundeyes"

Charles Manson might as well have been describing discordianism when he said "No sense, makes sense."

And as far as scientology goes... I'm still waiting for the punchline.  The corpse of L. Ron to reanimate long enough to make a speech to all of his followers and just say, "FOOLED YA!  SUCKERS!"

and I know not much stock is put into the PD, oddly enough, but this statement has always stuck with me.

"All things are true"
'Even false things?'
"Even false things are true"
'How can that be?'
"I don't know man, I didn't do it."

[P3nT4gR4m]

There's a lotta good stuff in the PD but that part is basically just something acid does to you.

[tyrannosaurus vex]

the inverse of "All things are true" is your average case of solipsism, and since we know from our investigations that everything equals its opposite, the statement "All things are true" is synonymous with the statement "I only exist inasmuch as you insist that I must exist," which is probably a reference to Taoism, but the relationship is a strained one.  If they are not already divorced by time and culture, Discordianism has surely filed a restraining order against Taoism, and there's probably a child custody case on the horizon, too.

Comparing Discordianism to Zen, on the other hand, is like comparing a coffee mug to a travel mug.

[Triple Zero]

"All things are true"
'Even false things?'
"Even false things are true"
'How can that be?'
"I don't know man, I didn't do it."

i always thought that bit to be the most funniest as well.

[Mourning Star]

There's a lotta good stuff in the PD but that part is basically just something acid does to you.

I don't know.  My views on acid always involved some level of what I THINK I am correct in describing as Microcosmic and Macrocosmic...

the idea that each and every atom that exists in every single thing is it's own universe identical to this one and that our universe is also a single atom in another part of another identical universe, and so on...  That everything that happens is happening infinitely in scales both large and small and that all events that happen repeat themselves as the universes expand to their outermost limitations, and then collapse, and then begin expanding again.  That we've all done this before, and we'll do it all again.

that was MY major acid experience...  most of the rest was just giggly shit and watching my hand make trails across the sky and shit of that nature...

[P3nT4gR4m]

Lucky yuo I had fucking yahweh to contend with.

Aint easy to not believe in a deity when he's sitting on the end of your bed in a grubby raincoat.

[Lies]

I feel that PD was just borrowed a whole lot of things from practically every popular religions for its time, that being of christianty, Taoism, Zen, Hindu, hell, theres even elements of scientology in there.
Actually, the way I see things, CoS is an organised church, it's very comparable to christiainity and well, most types of "western" religion. (IE for profit, relies on ordained priests for people to pay attention to to "learn" something)

PD is very much more Tao based, "We must stick apart" shows this, "The highest authority is in the peniel gland" "think for yourself", Tao works with or without a "master" to teach, for masters have a habit of discoverning themselves, if they are lucky. There is no profit involved, unless you choose to flesh out elements of it in order to make a profit. The knowledge that the PD shares is supposed to be self-apparent, The knowledge that CoS shares is really just the thoughts of one man, spreading a virul meme throughout the masses.

I just find it funny though, because at the end of the day, PD and CoS are not in compitition, that is to say, there is no deep hate between each of us discos and bobbies, more like a mutual "hey lets make fun of the other fake religion" prodding going on.
Whereas, most western religions would like you to believe that theirs is the only true and real faith to follow, and will lead you to damnation if you don't follow it. our faiths say that we got the answers, if you don't believe us, we'll just laugh at you till you come around or die.

Actually, really, disregard most of what I just said.
At the end of the day, all religions are manisfestations of the Tao, but most people probably just don't get this.
"Tao" in itself is a placeholder for a concept that cannot really be named or described, for in doing so, you have already broken it down from its true shapeless form.

"Tao can be talked about, but not the Eternal Tao,
Names can be named, but no tthe eternal name

As the origin of heaven-and-earth, it is nameless:
As the mother of all things, it is nameable,

So, as ever hidden, we should look look at its inner essence:
As always manifest, we should look at its outer aspects.

These two flow from the same source, though differently named;
And both are called mysteries.

The mystery of mysteries is the door of all essence"

There are many way of looking at the world, you can choose to follow a belief system that promises you a "end goal" if you follow it properly, or you can choose to follow a belief system that's only goal is that of experiencing the journey itself, without regard to the "goal".

This is why I consider myself a discordian. No one has to tell me what it is or what to do to be a "Good" discordian, I just have some suspicions and I follow my whims.
I have friends who are sub-genii, and are really cool, we get along fine, but I personally feel I don't need to pay someone $30 just to get slack, but I'm not opposed to anyone who does, I've seen what you get for that $30 and it ain't bad really, but I can live without it.
But even when they pay their $30, some of them are still trying to figure out what slack is.