Aetherous

I agree with that in theory. Although, I'm not convinced our Middle East efforts are all about oil. I'm interested to learn more about that.

Not that I'm for it...but targeted strikes are a whole lot different from chemical weapons used against civilians. Just like signing the Monsanto Protection Act is a whole lot different from the Syrian chemical weapon attack. It's not a good thing, but there's such a huge difference between these. It's good to be intelligent when disagreeing, and not to rely on senseless memes.

I thought he was sending weapons and over a billion dollars to the Sunni Syrian rebels (possibly including al-Nusra Front, Al Qaeda of Iraq's group in Syria).

That's not what he said in his speech today. "...deter this kind of behavior, and degrade their capacity to carry it out." - Obama

What you say has merit sometimes.

Wikipedia is not a trustworthy source; the graphic may also be confusing since Africa is a continent and not a country. Google it...the information is very easy to find. I mean for one thing, we have the AFRICOM webpage. Here's another source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/27/us-usa-africa-military-idUSBRE95Q1EZ20130627 From that website: Besides the fact that we always have special operations units literally everywhere, lol.

Sounds like Obama's plan is just to slap Assad on the wrist and disable him from using chemical weapons, with some targeted strikes. I guess that's the best option which could come to mind. Taking out Assad would just create a vaccuum that Al Qaeda would easily fill. I hope there is a better decision than any of this, though.

We are in Africa.

I can see both points of view here...I think it's a huge mess if we get involved, but I also think we'd be wrong (as the world's military superpower) to sit aside and watch a chemical weapon genocide of innocent civilians occur. I hope the decision is a very strategic one.

First step is to form your Taoist religious organization, and then file for tax exempt status. Also look into property tax exemption, which I am pretty sure is a separate consideration...so that you don't have to owe hundreds each year for your land. Or at least find land with cheap property taxes...some are less than $100 a year. Make sure the land is zoned so that you can farm and have residential buildings. Make sure you have a clean source of water, that your soil is good, etc. There is really a lot to consider if you plan for your future, and you must become proficient in working the system...or else you'll get screwed over. I would personally not worry so much about going off grid and being fully self sufficient, as I would about just living closer to nature...especially in the beginning. No one will want to join you if it's uncivilized...but "if you build it, they will come". An especially important consideration, I think, is making the buildings with good feng shui. I really like Baolin Wu's book, as well as Vastu (from India, which seems to be a much more complete system of knowledge). Consider having an income...you can have the place be an organic farm, partnered with Organic Valley for instance. This way, you're supporting positive food practices in the bigger society, as well as getting a steady income from the cooperative. Free range grass fed dairy, to the highest quality, is something many people want. Do beekeeping and sell (and eat) that. Cultivate specialty plants...for instance, Saffron is a very expensive spice. Or personally, I was thinking of having an Ashitaba farm and making the raw stalks (with the yellow sap and its healing properties) more well known in America. In addition, I would host meditation retreats there once you get the buildings set up...don't limit it to Taoism. Invited teachers of all traditions. Have the cost be reasonable compared to other retreat centers. Basically, an income makes you comfortable so you won't have to worry about basics of survival...and it also makes you capable. You will be more capable to actualize your dream of being a self sufficient community of like minded individuals, who give away their excess production.

Whoever wrote that practiced improperly and disabled themselves. They also mistook themselves to be Taoist immortals.

What do you guys think that the opposite of lust is? I've been looking into the question a little bit...one idea is that self control/will power/discipline is the opposite (in general, not just in relation to sexuality).

Drink a gallon of water a day...this will help get rid of any negative detoxing symptoms. Get a wide array of whole food sources for all possible nutrients. One thing: it might help to have 2 oranges or 1 grapefruit mixed with one fresh organic egg yolk first thing in the morning. Someone mentioned wild goose qigong...that one may be better for you if you're in this primarily for general well being. That's just what I intuitively feel. It's a common occurrence that when you stop practices (messing with the CNS), the body heals itself and you feel better. Nothing wrong with taking breaks...rest is extremely important.

All negative thoughts, actions, words, feelings, desires, etc...drain your energy more than anything. Replace them with positive ones; as well as an empty mind that's aware of novelty or beauty outside of your body sensations and feelings (energetic, emotional, memory based, etc). Kind of have a zen like attitude all of the time when looking, listening, tasting, smelling...simple beauty. Attention stuck on body sensations and feelings is another way that energy gets drained...and this can be a common effect of qigong type practices. We feel what we think is "energy flow", which are just changing body sensations, and think that by being aware of it we are increasing our personal energy. Actually the opposite is happening...have no attachment to your results. Physical sensations should be considered meaningless. The body's energy flow should be so smooth that you don't feel it throughout the day, but you can notice if anything abnormal is happening, or you can have full "kinesthesia" when you need to use it to move or whatever other physically skillful task you need to do. Just think: healthful, smooth, effortless, calm, capable. That's how you should be. It's important to exercise when working with energy. Walking for an hour is great. In addition to that, I also lift weights...that has many great effects for energy workers, such as grounding, increasing personal strength on mental and spiritual levels, increasing testosterone which is very healthy for men, increasing bone density, squatting for instance is one of the best exercises for developing balance...the list could go on. Basically I think everyone should be doing free weight resistance training...but at least some form of exercise is essential. "Pride in what you're doing is the greatest source of energy." Having fun is also. Being calm is also. Simply believing that you have limitless energy and can do anything is also. The first step in Taoist alchemy is stilling the heart-mind. When the mind stops moving (through either resting silently for long periods and letting go of thoughts, connecting with nature, or doing single pointed concentration (shamatha) meditation), energy is restored to its full potential and you heal. Those are some ideas for you to keep in mind.

This thread can be a place for people to point the way to living traditions around the world, if it's permitted and feels correct for you to do. Please don't share any modern schools which are offshoots of other schools (they should be a legitimate and recognized branch at least), amalgamations of different traditions to form a new tradition, or newagey reconstructionist attempts at schools. Have the mysteries survived to this day?

An offshoot can be unrecognized (by the original school) and illegitimate, a reconstruction based on outsider or partial knowledge, based on the incorrect piecing together of multiple traditions which don't mesh; lacking in the original intent, knowledge and explanation, methods of practice, and ultimate purpose and results. Also the schools we could discuss might not be related to the mystery schools. I just basically think it'd be amazingly awesome if the Eleusinian mysteries, or something similar, were still practiced today. I don't see why the initiates would ever let it be lost to history. It's totally possible that some of these types of schools still exist.

Mine was created on http://weavesilk.com/ which is a really great way to waste a lot of time and zone out, lol. I think stars are cool symbols...although I don't like the feel of this current avatar. Change is coming.

Extremely good work.

Personal view: Start with picking up a good loose leaf oolong, or green. I mean really good; one which they recommend at a tea store (or online (linked is one of my favorite green teas)) that will likely be higher in price per oz. Steep it for 30 seconds to 1 minute at the correct temperature; I personally do it immediately when I hear the water begin boiling in the kettle. You may also want to wash the leaves first for a few seconds with the hot water (then pour it out), before actually steeping. This will wash off contaminants, in theory, as well as begin to open the leaf up. With this way, you will get all of the subtle flavors and essence, without the bitterness, and without a lot of caffeine. Just how it should be. I think a good cup of tea is really the foundation of the rest of your considerations...which could include gongfu tea sets, gaiwans, water filters and enhancers, etc. Those are just ways of making a cup of perfection even more perfect.

I must be stupid today; this chocolate bar thing is absolutely blowing my mind.

Can you expand on this? What does it mean?

Bolded some areas that are easy to miss, which are possibly in relation to the holy spirit.

Apparently he had some gender dysphoria prior to being detained...I read that he emailed pictures of himself dressing up as a woman to his higher ups titled "my problem". So this stuff was before the military turned on him. I do agree that he did the right and legal thing, and that he shouldn't have been punished like he was...but the military is a strange organization. It doesn't operate by the highest ethical standards, even though many of its soldiers do, such as Manning. These good soldiers can tend to be crushed by the organization, at times. As they told me before basic training, "Keep your head down and you'll make it through".