How we cite our quotes: (Chapter. Paragraph)
Quote #7
A person who believes, as she did, that things fit: that there is a whole of which one is a part, and that in being a part one is whole: such a person has no desire whatever, at any time, to play God. Only those who have denied their being yearn to play at it. (7.148)
It's interesting that even though Heather is not depicted as some kind of big symbol of Taoism, she still seems to share the same kinds of thoughts that George has about religion. She's not interested in power or in changing everything about the world. She just wants things to stop being crazy.
Quote #8
"I believe it's time for you to know that, within the frame of reference of those standardized but extremely subtle and useful tests, you are so sane as to be an anomaly. Of course, I'm using the lay word 'sane,' which has no precise objective meaning; in quantifiable terms, you're median. Your extraversion/introversion score, for instance, was 49.1. That is, you're more introverted than extraverted by .9 of a degree. That's not unusual; what is, is the emergence of the same damn pattern everywhere, right across the board. If you put them all onto the same graph you sit smack in the middle at 50. (9.46)
Taoism is sometimes called the way, or the Great Way, or even the Middle Way. (The word "Tao" has many meanings, including "way" or "path.") Why the Middle Way? Because it seeks to avoid all extremes. It's not so much about giving stuff up as it is about finding balance. So guess who's super-duper in the middle of everything? That's right, George.
Quote #9
He had straightened up and towered over Orr, who was still sitting down. He was gray, large, broad, curly bearded, deep-chested, frowning. Your God is a jealous God. "I'm sorry, George, but you're not in a position to say that."
Orr's gods were nameless and unenvious, asking neither worship nor obedience. (9.106)
Here, Dr. Haber is standing in for the Judeo-Christian viewpoint, while George is standing in for the Taoist viewpoint. Even though it might be a little surprising, there actually are a large number of Taoist deities (at least in some forms of Taoism), but they are very different from the monotheistic God of the Abrahamic religions. Instead, they are like beings that have roles to play, and they have titles instead of names. The basic idea is that the gods, just like everyone and everything else, are just manifestations of the Tao.