Abstract

This Product Demonstrating Excellence illustrates the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism, a Spiritual, philosophical, psychological body of wisdom and knowledge, a way to understand the conditioned self, the True Self, and marital intimacy. Fulfilling and lasting marriage requires the interdependence of two authentic people. Only through encountering and confronting the psycho-social and cultural obstacles within oneself and those affecting the relationship can contemporary marriages be improved. A contextual essay covering methodology, interpretation and other issues begins the document. An introduction follows discussing problematic psychological precursors as motives for marrying, the problem of family disintegration and the suffering that results, lack of self-understanding and capacity for intimate relationship. Also discussed will be the high level of authenticity and integrity required for finding existential meaning in life. ;The goal of the PDE is to apply Taoist wisdom to the process of self-realization and marital intimacy actualization. The author attempts to provide a vision for integrating and applying these perspectives to enhance personal understanding and growth and, therefore, marital intimacy. The text provides a prospective path for repairing personal and relational difficulties through an understanding of an early philosophical Taoist perspective. ;Part One of the PDE, a critical essay, explores the bases of, manifestation of, and effects of true authenticity on one's life and the quality of one's relationships philosophically, psychologically, and Spiritually by drawing upon Taoist philosophy. It also examines particular perspectives of Western existential humanist philosophy and psychology from psychoanalytic and systemic perspectives, and Spiritual Humanism. A literature review continues through remaining chapters exploring personal meaning, authenticity, intimacy, Taoist cosmological and ontological perspectives. ;Part Two, The Tao of Self in Marriage, a creative project, covers forty of the Tao Teh Ching chapters from the interpretations of various scholars. At times the author has re-interpreted them in consonance with the purposes stated above. Reflections follow, including relevant poetry written by the author and selections from other literary sources