Michael Sternbach

White Hole

Black Hole

Whereas I am a minority in maintaining that Buddhism (as well as Christianity etc) is essentially polytheistic (whether you talk about gods or bodhisattvas, angels, etc is of no consequence, in my view).

Qicat, I am sure you are going to love this one... The cat eye nebula in the constellation of Draco. What is peculiar about it is not just it's designation NGC 6543, but that it's positioned at the North Ecliptic Pole (just imagine an axis perpendicular to Earth's orbit; this nebula will be on it). Which means that it's at the center of a circle described by the various stars that have been/are going to be our polar star over a precessional cycle of about 26.000 years. Some of its traits as a nebula are a bit of a mystery too...

It's been awhile!

Sitting back with a bag of popcorn. Going to enjoy the show...

WuDao, Not sure if it is of any help - but when I was reading through the suggestions, the word "undulate" came to mind.

In a fighting situation, it doesn't matter who is right, but who is left.

Yet to be patient with yourself helps you to be patient with others.

These translations are essentially from the Victorian age, with its emphasis on Moralism/Dualism. A view which Lao Tzu transcended already in the next sentence (the one you preferred to ommit). To learn the limitation of matter (and what to do with it) is what we came here to do, otherwise we could just have stayed in the spirit realm. It may not be in line with your Dao, but it's in line with mine. Good luck to you.

Hi Renee WuDao, It's the one by D. C. Lau. https://terebess.hu/english/tao/lau.htm

Actually, we don't have to look far for this: The way that can be spoken of Is not the constant way; The name that can be named Is not the constant name. The nameless was the beginning of heaven and earth; The named was the mother of the myriad creatures. Hence always rid yourself of desires in order to observe its secrets; But always allow yourself to have desires in order to observe its manifestations. These two are the same But diverge in name as they issue forth. Being the same they are called mysteries, Mystery upon mystery - The gateway of the manifold secrets. Why should I? Giving them up altogether turns one into an living dead. I do like to observe the mysteries of the manifestations. Maybe it's because you have pulled in the dirt a practice that many here do and love?

Cancer growths are the result of obstructed life energy. If you manage to reestablish its flow, whether by Taiji or something else, the tumor will vanish.

Ideally, we would be constantly living in accordance with the Dao, and we wouldn't need Taiji or any other Daoist art to attune. But things being the way they are, methods that help us reconnect often come in handy. And being in harmony with the Dao, sometimes great things indeed can be accomplished. A word about desires... Desires aren't bad per se. They are natural, and we have them for good reasons. What matters is how we manage to deal with them. I have watched plenty of people who pretended to be desireless. Most of them even believed it themselves. But it was just a mind f***, after all, as they were in fact shivering with expectation - ready to seize any opportunity that would offer itself. Much better to be honest with yourself and pursue your dreams. Or, in some cases, reach a place where you can truly let them go and be at peace with it. But repression is obstructing the flow of the Dao in yourself. Practicing Taiji is a way to reestablish the flow. Not everybody is interested in developing "superpowers." But if you are, there may be reasons for that too. kpodhayski, I feel that if you were really as content as you claim to be, you wouldn't care so much about what others believe and do...

If everybody were a Daoist, it could work.

And it's easier to be self-governed if you are self-reliant.

Because there are so many variables in street situations, it's good to have plenty of tools in your toolbox. The one shown in the video is surely not the only one that Mr. Clear or any other good martial artist has. But it is a skill that may well come in handy in certain situations.

Okay that I chime in? Fish are self-governed. Humans should be as well, in the Daoist view.

May the Force be with them!

The form that psychic perception takes is a bit individual. Some are natural "seers", others are better at "hearing" things, or "feeling" them, or they just "know" things etc.

That may be so. However, it refers to an important concept not only in Buddhism, but also in Daoism. I always liked chapter 11 of the DDJ:

What exactly do you mean by that?

I doubt that you will easily find Daoist instruction in Japan, but there are plenty of temples that offer Buddhist activities for visitors. As I didn't spend much time in Tokyo and Nagoya, I will limit my suggestions to the Kansai area, mostly to Kyoto. First off, near Kyoto train station, there is (hard to overlook!) the Kyoto Tower, in which you will find the Kansai Tourist Information Center. The staff there is well equipped to provide you with information about training opportunities in all cultural traditions (such as Zazen) in Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara. During my one-year stay in Kyoto back in 1989/90, Sosenji Temple was offering lectures and meditation in the Soto style of Zen Buddhism, but this seems to no longer be the case. A web search did not indicate it, anyway. However, it turned up Jyoren-in Temple, Kennin-ji Temple, Myoshin-ji Zazen hall, Nanzen-ji Temple, Manpuku-ji Temple, Shintoku-ji Temple, and Shokoku-ji Temple as places in Kyoto where you can join Zen meditation sessions. Check out the other ones on that website too, if you are interested in Buddhist chanting or meditative Sutra copying. The most interesting option in the area however might be Kyoto's International Zen Centre , where you can spend several days with the monks at a reasonable price. It represents the Rinzai style of Zen Buddhism. Hope this helps. I would be interested in hearing later where you ended up going, eventually. Consider sharing your Japan experiences - I am sure that many on this website would love to hear about them. Best wishes, Michael

I understand where you come from. But I can't help thinking that you did learn something from those 'fake Gurus', even if the insights they conveyed to you were not their own. And couldn't it be that the most important lesson they taught you was actually not to rely on 'Gurus', but to seek your own inner self? A 'Guru' can only take you so far. And no neuroscience is ever going to change that.