Ell

Welcome! Do you speak any pidgin?

Very interesting read. I also keep coming across mention of the Mushashi book....Universe trying to tell me something, probably....

His post indicates he's been alive for AT LEAST nine presidents....but the "vital topic for the world to know" is that Obama is the Demon King. Hmm...can't quite put my finger on what's different about Obama....C'mon. I mean, on a strictly literal level, you're right. I just think this kind of thing is poisonous garbage and I'm disappointed to see it here. Having said my peace, I'm happy to withdraw myself and let you guys wind yourselves into a state paralyzing paranoia.

It seems to me that you have a lot of hate in your heart. I would suggest the only such thing as hell is the prison all that strain - of needing to convince others that the first black president is actually not a human being but a demon spawn - keeps you locked up in. President Obama is just a man, a very intelligent one at that, and one that does his best to do what he believes is best.

There's a lot of good advice here. Certainly take any and all of the elements that work for you. My two cents would be to just not stop doing it - even if you don't feel like you're "getting" anything out of it at first, even if you shift around, even if you break position to itch your head 150 times. Just get through the twenty minutes (or whatever you set out for) consistently. Build the habit. When I was a teenager, I had a mentor who use to tell people who were hesitant about joining a gym or starting a weight program, "Just go in. Go in in your work clothes if need be. Just go in and start moving stuff around. Move the benches from one side of the floor to the other..." I thought he was nuts. It wasn't until years later I realized how helpful that advice was. People underestimate the power of just starting. No matter what the pursuit, you will begin to figure things out on your own and then you can build from there....and that's certainly a more rewarding place to be than not having the habit whatsoever. All the best to you. You'll get it.

I've never had a sip of coffee....not for any particular reason. Just haven't.

I think I will check out Huang's work. I was already beginning to discern that Cleary's might not be the best introduction, in part because of posts from other places in this forum suggesting it was a bit TOO literal to really be practical, but also because the book itself stresses that the I Ching should be taken and read as a whole work....and I am finding the copy kind of hard to read that way. I'm not sure I really grasp "changing lines," but I may just be way overthinking it. Is it just as simple as that your first "draw" should be interpreted as your present, and your second as where you're headed? In any case, challenges aside, I'm still very excited to start this journey. I really like the idea I've seen of a once-daily morning consultation....I will report back. Thanks for all the help.

I think if there's one thing we can all agree on it's that anytime people start dancing like that arrests should be made.

Tao Te Ching, Translated by John Wu (my second translation) I Ching, Translated by Thomas Cleary (my first go-round) On The Beach By Nevil Shute ...and The Warrior Within, Philosophies of Bruce Lee, by John Little, is in the mail

Late to the party here but just wanted to add how the author simply dubbing war "the animating storm" once gave me much new insight into looking at "bad" situations. I agree with you; it's an interesting work even for the peaceful.

Hello all: I've been scoping out the forum from afar for a little while here and finally went ahead and joined up....About me: I'm a twenty-something guy from Massachusetts, USA. My searching the last few years has taken me from Buddhism, to ACIM, to explorations in nondenominational meditation, and most recently to Taoism. I love and utilize different aspects from all that I've studied, but I do feel as though I've landed in Taoism more firmly than anything else before. It seems to me to be in such harmony with many notions that I've felt deep down since before I would've even thought to look into different philosophies or religions. From little things like how I've always been interested in open spaces (as a kid imagining cool attractions in big empty parking lots), to my nagging feelings that much truth could often be found in the middle, to my personality being comprised of seeming paradoxes. Learning more about it brings me a lot of inner peace and in short that's why I'm here: to explore further. My only minor hesitation about joining a forum like this is that I sometimes convince myself that the only real way to practice is to sit under the proverbial tree, all alone, thinking by oneself. A mentor of mine used to say, "Never ask for advice" as a way to highlight the power of one's instincts....Perhaps I'm perverting the sentiment. That aside, though, the larger part of me is excited to meet everybody and be turned onto some new stuff. It seems like a very open-minded board made up of all different personal practices. Looking forward to talking with you soon Ell

Thanks guys. Thanks for having me.