ODENSE AGORA: BE LIKE WATER

Water naturally finds its way down to the valley - it flows around the large stones and moves entirely of its own accord. Like Baloo drifting with the current and getting everything he needs, the philosophy of Tao is something one must learn to enjoy life without stress. Mowgli must learn to become a real bear, the Taoist sage Baloo believes, in order to act spontaneously and relax completely - doing non-doing - and then the universe will take care of the rest.

Taoism is a Chinese natural philosophy about the mystical universal essence called Tao: the interconnectedness of all things, the world's eternally changing nature, and the fundamental goodness of humans and nature. It has inspired, among other things, the idea of "the Force" in Star Wars and lives on in Tai Chi and Qi Gong. Kristoffer Steensgaard discusses in this talk the central texts and sages of Taoism, the contrast to a Western, Christian worldview, and how to become one with the universe.

Odense Agora is a collaboration between Dolphin Philosophy and Teater Momentum, reviving the ancient Greek agora tradition with a series of talks at the theatre. The agora was the central gathering place in Greek city-states - the birthplace of Europe's first enlightenment, public discourse, and democracy - and it is in that spirit that these conversations take place.