Bindi

But I am still left wondering if nonbeing/wu/Dao is a philosophical alternative to God as the 'ground of being.' I did read that 'God' fell out of favour with the Chinese at a certain point, was 'Dao' the replacement philosophy?

It would be so much easier if you just gave me a link, or a brief description of the concept of shakti in KS, I'm not interested in wading through KS, and can't find the 35th Shakti tattva easily.

You state they are similar concepts, "the Primal mother" concept in Taoism is similar to the shakti concept in KS, but I can't examine this statement because now you decide there's no point in defining these concepts because they can't be compared?

Clear about how you are relating the "primal mother" in Taoism to Shakti in Kashmir Shaivism. Best to define shakti clearly first, before trying to see whether it is the "controlling energy dynamic" in Taoism.

Can you give me a quote regarding the nature of shakti in KS to be clear?

How is this related to tantra and shakti?

Yang fire is used to extract the yin from the yang, likewise water, which is yin fire, is used to extract the yang from the yin...This alchemical interaction reminds us that there is yin in yang and yang in yin, and the interactions involve unravelling the tangle of mundane yin and yang energies and reuniting them in their primordial pattern. ...The yin in the yang and the yang in the yin “long” to return to their original state. This natural attraction between li and k’an forms the basis of the alchemical reunion of the yin and yang energies and their return to their original prenatal or primordial state. ...When li (sun) and k’an (moon) embrace, the sun (the Great Yang) produces mercury or the mysterious water, which is the yin energy embodied in the yang; and the moon (the Great Yin) produces yellow gold or the true lead, which is the yang energy embodied in the yin. ...The cultivation of the supreme medicine does not require anything other than water and fire. When water and fire copulate, the energies of the dragon and the tiger will unite in the cauldron to become the golden nectar. Harmonizing Yin and Yang: The Dragon-tiger Classic edited by Eva Wong

And this faculty beyond intellect or normal cognition is what I understand to be True Yin and True Yang, which are initially embedded in Yin and Yang and have to be extracted from the yin/yang level.

I mean the Dao must be able to be known and experienced at some point in time, when the neidan practitioner "returns to the Dao." At least this is what they think, I don't mean that the Dao is in their mind, or in a certain place.

If there is internal conflict within a person then I would say Yin and Yang are not united or balanced, yin and yang are looking in opposite directions and have different objectives and different methods. When they are united they share their essence with each other and work cooperatively, their two different but complementary functions combine and order can be restored. “When the qi of yin and yang are not in harmony, and cold and heat come in untimely ways, all things will be harmed.” (Zhuangzi ch. 31) On the other hand, “when the two have successful intercourse and achieve harmony, all things will be produced.” (Zhuangzi ch. 21)

Nassssty duality.

Are you equating the Dao with 2/1? Two in One?

Neidan is a way of "returning to the Dao." The Dao must be able to be known and experienced at some point at least in the minds of neidan practitioners. Inferior virtue is the way of "doing" the Neidan practice in order to "return to the Dao." Liu Yiming In Li Daochun's explication, the three stages of the Neidan practice consist in reverting from the "ten thousand things" to the Dao.

I'm happy to agree yin and yang are more fundamental than mental/emotional, but this level is the first place that yin/yang shows up for me that I can consciously and actively scrutinise and understand within myself and positively affect, so maybe it's just the first iteration that I am personally interested in engaging in. Manas can be polarised as mental/emotional, swami j refers to it in these terms and I generally like his portrayal of these things.

I always viewed male as mental/mind and female as emotions, because this is how my dreams described these forces, and I have spent my time (decades) teasing apart and understanding and healing only these two aspects within myself. At a certain stage (in the UDT) the male/female differentiation evolved into something remarkably similar to the white Yang (male) and Black Yin (female) qualities that seem to be encapsulated in Daoism's taijitu. These seem to be the better and more specific terms to understand the dynamics in the UDT. Still male/female, but with white/black added, and certain clear characteristics. Yang 'gives instructions', but Yin listens and is the force that can carry out Yangs instructions. This is when they manage to unite and cooperate. I think they are looking after all human functions, and are the level that is affected by karma and conditioning. Even united there is still a process to finish sorting the mental/emotional level out. Beyond this level there seems to be 'True Yin' and 'True Yang', they seem to be more related to the 4th kosha, and to beyond normal 'earth' functions, more wise and compassionate than the fundamental yin/yang.

This to me is what you are trying to not identify with. I understand this kosha as the equivalent of yin and yang. There are deeper or higher levels, but this 3rd level still exists, and works perfectly well when it is properly examined and understood. In fact this level working properly is the basis as I understand it in starting the real work on the 4th kosha.

All explanations, or just for the most part? Are you saying my explanations like most are from yin/yang perspective, or all explanations are from yin/yang perspective? A camera focus is either/or, foreground/background, but yin/yang are complementary and simultaneous when they unite. Uniting yin/yang would be to see foreground and background at the same time, and how they relate to each other as well as to other dual pairings like heaven/earth.

Is the Dao beyond Yin and Yang or another instance of Yin and Yang?

All nouns I believe.

Fair enough, to me they are the same. The mind misaligned gets the title monkey mind, and maybe even rightfully so, but I always believed (and still do) that this same misaligned mind could fulfil its full 'earth based' potential if it was re-educated and realigned.

Nothing wrong with monkey mind anyway from my dualistic perspective, it's just not well aligned with the 'monkey doer' - it's like a low level commander who never connects properly with the ennabling force it was designed to direct... until it does connect. We need some level in ourselves that can very efficiently be able to feed ourselves, after planning on how to get our food in the first place, finding somewhere safe to sleep, protecting ourselves from the elements etc, maybe even 'higher' chores like healing our bodies, healing our psyches etc. Looking after the human level and all its needs to be perfectly healthy on all physical and mental and emotional levels. 'Spiritual' is admittedly a different level, I just don't like the dismissing of the value and potential of 'monkey' mind.

It's specifically about allowing all feelings without judging them, because they have value in guiding us to our innermost essence. But the role of feelings in the awakened state is so vastly different from simply feeling emotions freely?

When I say engage, I mean something along the lines of Rumi's 'The Guesthouse' This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice. meet them at the door laughing and invite them in. Be grateful for whatever comes. because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. — Jellaludin Rumi

Do you engage in any emotions?

Adyashanti who self-identifies as awakened, refers to karma beyond awakening.