silent thunder

Yea, I talk big, but instead of filling up my bier stein and cranking the music, I'm gonna go sit on my cushion and face the wall...

I think I need to be that now...

I originally opted for owner permissions, but now don't see the need. I won't be using it. I will not be deleting, or editing the responses of anyone who responds to conversations I initiate. If a post breaks forum rules, I'll let the mods deal with that. I find the old system isn't broken, so no fixing is required. The time for me to control my words, is before I express them and I struggle with that just fine on my own. The time for me to control the words of others is never. In fact I am grateful when abusive, misogynistic, racist assholes spout off freely. It affords me instant recognition that I don't want to spend excess energy in that direction. I don't want the racists, the woman haters, the abusers to go underground. They can fester and breed there more effectively. Let's keep it all in the light where it's more readily identified and dealt with...

Yup, or as I noticed in my recent Dreaming with the Dead topic, Gatito chose to link his response to my topic, into his own thread of the same name, where he will maintain control over it and thus assure that no one else can influence his responses... rather clever. Perhaps we will end up with a forum of linked responses, only posting in areas where we 'own control' over our words. Although, it's still possible to just delete their link to their response, if it degrades the conversation. I'm not entirely certain, but I feel I still favor forums moderated by mods, to the best of their abilities. Mistakes are inevitable, in the end, the only real mistake in my world, is not trying anything. So you tried something and it didn't work. At least you engaged. The only one who never fucks up, is the one who never contributes, but that to me, is the greatest fuck up of all. Connections in life are what give it meaning to me. And the time for me to control my words has always been when I'm about to release them from my big Nordic face. And as for controlling others' words? Yuck, no thanks, fuck that! That's the realm of despots, fascists and dictators. Say what you want to me, if I don't like it, or it offends me, I'll thank you for being honest so I know that I don't need to spend more of my energy and time around you. It's been interesting for me to watch this unfold as it brought the concept of owning things back to my mind. For many years now, I have found the whole idea of ownership of anything patently absurd. What can be owned? Not land, not objects, not our own bodies, not our thoughts, not our emotions, not our breath... in fact, I think breath is the ultimate form of recycling... but I digress... what was I talking abou...

Master Wang reiterated those words to our group on several occasions on the recent retreat when a similar question was asked. He spoke of three types of Taoists... Mountain Sages, Temple Taoists and Family Taoists. The Mountain Sages and Temple Taoists can devote all day, every day to exercises and process, where the Family Taoist is restrained by the functioning of their life and the upkeep of their family. As such, he said, do not be rigid in your practice, but flexible and take time for exercises when you are able. He recommended that optimal practice is four hours at a stretch, two hours being the minimum. We sat for two hours at a time in retreat, but the effect of the field made things more... intense for certain. I have found, as he said we would, if I could sit in that field for two hours unmoving, that I would be able to more easily sit at home for four. He is correct. In fact, since attending the retreat and really refusing to move my legs no matter how much I wanted to, I no longer have any pain, of any kind sitting for hours and hours. I have to stress that he celebrated being a Family Taoist and never once alluded to it being a burden. He repeatedly spoke of how highly he values being connected and enjoying his connection to life and family. For here in the family, in our jobs, in our life, is Tao.

Just like any tool, it may be used to help or harm. I guess it is inevitable that some folks will see an opportunity and push its use for selfish and manipulative reasons, not being interested in open discussion, but rather desiring the illusion of control, or protecting personal feelings and beliefs. I guess that is both fortunate and unfortunate simultaneously, depending on how I view the circumstances. In my case, I'm just paying very close attention to who the OP of any thread is and then I choose refrain from joining in any conversations that are 'owned' by folks whose actions are not trustworthy of being fair and open to real discussion. Let them talk to themselves... seems like that's what's often happening anyway, regardless if others are talking or not. It hasn't really affected my posting as of yet, other than two instances. For the most part, I find everyone here to be exceptionally lucid, open and wise. I sincerely love this place.

gnostic

Bollocks

Yes please!

Inversely proportionate

Perhaps a feature that would substitute the name of the mod with 'moderator' in posts related to mod actions/decisions. This would not require a second acct to manage and may curtail the personalization of the messge...

Conical displacement

When a lit candle is used to light another candle, is a thing gained? If a lit candle is snuffed out, is a thing lost?

I have many times felt similarly. Here is what comes from me now when I consider this... At no point, in no manner are you, I, nor anything, ever separated from source. The one impossibility, is to be even a fraction of a millimeter away from it. Fear, not fear. Exercises, not exercises. You are never separate from source. Everything is the process and there is nothing wasted, lost, nor broken. These feelings are feelings. Like clouds they come and go. Let them. Allow yourself to just be.

I absolutely love this film! Jerzy Kosinski wrote the book in 1970 as political satire, but he had a strong handle on Taoist principles, as did whoever adapted it to the screen. It's one of the best depictions of a Grand Taoist Idiot you will likely ever see. I remember being taken with how simple, gentle and odd Chance the Gardener was when I saw it in the theaters with my Father (I was only 10). I remember my Dad being disappointed, as many were, that it was not like the usual Peter Sellers films of the time, but even though it was very simple and rather slow, I remember it left a strong impression even at that age. I saw it again in College when I chose it as the subject of a paper and recall being blown away by its understated potency again. Subtle, poignant and very powerful in its depictions of how many of us, will project what we would like to see onto a person or event, when little or no information is offered. Interesting synchronicity for me that you post it now Gerard. I just shared it with my wife out of the blue a couple days ago and the next day, as I am having tea at the new tea house in town here, I see a flyer and they are showing it this Monday as the first in their "Tea and a Movie Night" series. I had no real formal training in Eastern or Taoist philosophy when seeing it the first two times... so this recent viewing left me utterly stunned and highly impressed with the writing team. I'm going to order the book now and devour it soon. Obviously, I can't recommend this film highly enough. It is an incredible modern Taoist tale and I think it's Mr Sellers finest, most impressive work by far. Ok, rant over...

edited out in lieu of the truth that it's often better to remain

I stopped trying. I have to keep things very, very simple, or my unbelievable active monkey mind just kicks right in again and I'm right back in the mix of shit and tension. I don't try and relax. I don't set out to relax anymore. I can get myself to let go though. Trying anything, for me is an oxymoron, it's impossible. For me, TRY is an acronym that stands for To Resist Yourself, 'trying' just gets in the way of any process, it adds an unnecessary level of mind. But I can let go... Like dropping a heavy bag at the top of the stairs. I can drop stuff, mental stuff usually, then relaxing is natural. The result of no longer using effort. Couple things that help me let go: 1: i no longer ever, ever, ever try. fuck trying anything, that's effort, the opposite of relaxing 2: i put my entire awareness on the sensations in the soles of my feet as i inhale, really feel them, then exhale and feel myself dissolve, for me, the feet work really well, not sure why... but settling awareness into body sensations, helps me to interrupt the carrier signal of my monkey mind. 3: i lie down and tighten up my entire body, every muscle as tight as i can, for as long as i can, i squeeze the fuck out of my old nordic self until i can't possibly hold it and then... 4: i will sometimes (late at night usually) get these seemingly random anxiety rushes. Where i am awakened by a hot energy spike of anxiety/panic energy that race up my spine, that bring a deluge of fear based thoughts. In these cases, i use my monkey mind and have a mantra that i scream in my mind so loudly that nothing else can endure in its presence. The mantra is one that came to me instinctively as this was occurring one night and is not special or particular, it's just another form of noise to drown out the ridiculous, useless fear based stupidity.

Seems to me, everything flows. I can't recall ever encountering any thing that was static, solid, or unchanging. But if really trying to answer the question, then I would say, neither. Dao is not a verb, nor a noun. Those are words, symbols for mental constructs... dao is...

That is freaking awesome! Good on ya mate!

Over the last three years, I have witnessed the process of seemingly spontaneously re-emerging, repressed memories in two people who are very close to me. For one of them, the memories were terrifying, debilitating and paradigm shifting. In the other, they were not. Both had specific triggers. Having spent hundreds of hours talking to them both, it occurred to me that many things happen to us in childhood that we simply cannot process. Even if adults take the time to try and explain, some things are simply beyond our ken. I suspect, after these experiences that many events of this nature are repressed and emerge later in life, when we have arrived at a place where we have the wisdom and tools to process them, painful though it may be... For one person, the memories were opened up, upon listening to a rather hateful voicemail, in the other, it was while seeing a film that dealt with the subject. In both cases, resolution and calm have been restored, through some very open, honest and at times, painful talk. In neither case, did they seek out professional help. They merely sat with things as they came up, refusing to hide from them and spoke with people they loved and trusted when they felt the urge. As for specific ways to resurface memories that you suspect are hidden, I witnessed on several occasions, while in advanced acting classes people release emotions that were deeply embedded in muscle and organ tension. We were doing sincerely, intense extended periods of Grotowski inspired yoga and exercise along with intense, deep tissue massage to induce exhaustion that would render our normal behavioral patterns inert. In most cases, it was simply an emotional burst with no accompanying memories, or specific thoughts. In one case, the young woman had a similar release of many, traumatic and specific memories. In each case, my response has been the same. When asked, I advised them not to run, or hide from it. To share what they wanted, with someone they trusted and loved, and most of all, to remind them consistently, that this is not happening any more, take stock of your life now and allow these waves to wash over you, but not consume you. The greater the storm, the quicker it will dissipate. Constantly re-anchor yourself in the present and while accepting and processing what you remember, don't feed it, or fuel it into something more than a memory. The past is gone and other than bringing clarity, or release of energies better spent other places, memories have little use.

To me, religion is the expression of conditioned contradiction through the medium of cognitive dissonance via the process of dogmatic inheritance. Except that is of course for the lovely bits, particularly the candles and the incense. I rather fancy those. The End. p.s. true story

I love things like this, as it reminds me just how fragile and inaccurate our senses are... As for the 3d pics, they are rather easy to detect, but there is a sweet zone and you must not focus on the actual paper or surface the image is printed on, but allow your eyes to focus a few centimeters behind the paper. This soft focus will bring the latent image out in 3d and it's always a blast to see what's hiding...

Nice one Chang! *bow of respect*