Part 1 Echoes of the Tao, Seeking Truth Across Traditions: An Examination and Comparative Study of the Tao Te Ching, Panel Discussion

In this exploration of the Tao Te Ching and other traditions, the conversation opens to introductions of the five Panelists and a invocation of hope of others to investigate the Tao Te Ching.

Bob, Brian, Rich, Henry and Joel share Verse 1 and questions arise:

• What is Reality?
• Is the Tao Reality?
• What is the Tao?
• What does the term Anti-foundational mean?
• Reversal Yin/ Yang in relation to Tao.
• Paradox and the Tao.
• Everyday consciousness is the pathway to the Tao.
• What is the relationship with Buddhism, Hinduism, Christiainity and Tao?
• What does silence offer in relation to the Tao?
• The Beginningless Beginning?
• Is the Tao directly knowable?
• Tibetan Buddihsm and the Tao.
• Verse 17 and Verse 38 are explored.
• Wu Wei.
• How do we serve God?
• How do we serve Tao?
• Why did God create?

Biographies of Panel:

Dr. Bob Insull is an New York State Licensed Psychologist with more than 60 years experience teaching, training, and treating in the arena of human behavior. In his clinical practice, he has worked across the developmental stages (children to golden-agers), across the diagnostic spectrum (chemical dependency, severe mental illness, relationship issues, depression, anxiety, and PTSD), and treatment settings (clinics, inpatient psychiatric centers, and private practice). During the closing years of his practice, he became interested in the area of psychological trauma and worked with survivors in individual and group settings. He has been retired from active practice for about 15 years and spends his time engaged in self-discovery on the Sufi Path and social-change activities with his church.

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Brian Mistler enjoys communing with fellow inquirers and reflecting together on revealed perennial wisdom.

• Hari Om Tat Sat. Peace, peace, peace.

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Richard Grego is Professor of philosophy and cultural history at FSCJ. His research interests focus on cross cultural themes in religion and science - including philosophy of mind, comparative world religions/world civilizations, and the metaphysical - theological implications of theoretical physics and cosmology. His publications have included studies in the history - philosophy of science and conceptions of nature in the history of western philosophy, as well as cross-cultural perspectives on mind/ consciousness in western philosophy - psychology and the neo-Vedanta Hindu tradition. Prior to his academic career, he was a criminal investigator - polygraph examiner for the Florida Office of the Public Defender and in the private sector Instructor at the Criminal Justice Institute and International Academy of Polygraph Science in Florida, and national Academic Director of the Criminal Defense Investigation Training Council.

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Joel David Lesses is President and Executive Director of Education Training Center, Inc. and his work experience is in education, psychology, and counseling for people marginalized by trauma, addiction, and psychological distress. He is deeply vested in addressing the effects of mental health distress and its marginalization including, incarceration, homelessness, and institutionalization. Joel is dedicated to reframing mental health distress as a potential spiritual marker and existential opportunity. He holds dual Master of Science degrees from University at Buffalo in Rehabilitation Counseling and Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Epidemiology.

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Henry Cretella, M.D. studied and practiced Tibetan Buddhism for several years along with training in martial arts. He then immersed himself in the more universal Sufism of Inayat Khan, an Indian mystic, for close to twenty years. He functioned as a senior teacher in the Inayati Order and the Sufi Healing Order before pursuing his...