Limahong

Hi vonkrankenhaus, Outside the womb. Inside the ~ tomb. No ~ bloom. Only gloom. Get me a new broom. I want some ~ room. - Anand

Good morning OldDog, Let us finish the specialist off ~ good and proper... "A specialist is one who knows more and more about less and less, until ... finally he knows nothing at all... because he knows everything about nothing when he lost his Way" But since nothing is 'zero'... The specialist gave birth to none, and none gave birth to two. With none, his two gave birth to zero... ? So a specialist spans from none to zero... and since 1 and 0 are not found digitally in no. 42, let us have him nailed as a non-Taoist. But as today is Easter ... the specialist is resurrected... Happy Easter! - Anand

Hi Creighton, Zzzzzzz ~ now dreaming - no thought. Don't disturb. - Anand

Hi dawei, It is now 4+am at my end and I know it is time for me to sleep. Good night. - Anand

Hi vonkrankenhaus, But now that I am out of the womb, I don't know what I don't know. - Anand

Hi vonkranenhaus, When I decided to engage myself with this thread, I jumped on its bandwagon with an inclusive open mindset hoping to meet kindred souls on a road less traveled... When I accept One as the known Brahman... ... I am also mindful of the unknown Brahman. I am a wandering star... When One comes before polarity and 'known' is words, what is 'unknown'? I am also a wondering star... A Blessed Easter to ALL! - Anand

Hi voidisyinyang, When it comes to synergy, I have only 'parts' in mind. For better clarity, I will rephrase... Synergy (may or may not) => ONE part + ONE part > TWO parts. When there is synergy, where is 'TWO parts'? - Anand

Hi OldDog, Yes ~ system thinking. In terms of outcomes, a system can be more than the sum of its parts. Systems theory is the interdisciplinary study of systems. A system is a cohesive conglomeration of interrelated and interdependent parts that is either natural or man-made. Every system is delineated by its spatial and temporal boundaries, surrounded and influenced by its environment, described by its structure and purpose or nature and expressed in its functioning. In terms of its effects, a system can be more than the sum of its parts if it expresses synergy or emergent behavior. - Wikipedia Can the Tao be considered a system with Yin and Yang as its parts thus...? If Yin and Yang are looked upon as 'negative/postive' energy, is the Tao more than energy? Perhaps the Tao is closer to synergy? In system thinking, synergy can be mentally thought of as ~ '1 + 1 > 2'. How can/do we aligned synergy with Chapter 42? - Anand

Hi OldDog, I too can/will shield away some layers of conditioning after meeting some people. Very nice feel to know that lots more will be unfolding like the petals of the chakras. - Anand

Hi Yueya, Thank you ~ a good perspective that is timeless/contemporary. I like to be on the same page as I cannot force Nature. I need to cultivate the tree for its growth ~ to flower and bear fruits. Nature is Nature ~ cannot... 'expel the old... and draw in the new'. The types of cultivation will be perpetually controversial. Why? To each his/her own. But any truthful sharing by trusted travelers on roads less traveled will bring on the light. 'Cultivating inner nature' ~ self-cultivation to bring on the light and energy? Synergy when we have trusted brother/sisterhood of (wo)men for sharing? - Anand

Hi vonkrankenhaus, (a) One thing though:...So maybe that guy is confused a bit. Soft tones. Good... nothing is cast in stones. (b) Infinity/Zero is not a polarity, not polar. But as in Purusha and Prakriti... for instance? (c) Infinite/Finite is that polarity. In (b) we are dealing with nouns... here we focused on adjectives? (d) And One/Zero would be the other. Digitally - yes... not a polarity. (e) The Void is "not finite" - so not polar to "Infinite", which means "not finite". Because ~ the Void cannot be known or knowable? (f) Associations between 1, 0 and ∞ They have philosophical, mathematical, physical, metaphysical... relationships ~ ... (g) What are ONE, ZERO and INFINITY in Taoism? - Anand

Hi voidisyinyang, Are you into Prakriti and Purusha? Good choice of membership image-name ~ Void is yin (and) yang... - Anand.

Hi vonkranhenhaus, Very good insights - thank you. They brought me back to the time when I was working with a multinational company (XYZ) and I was tasked to have it certified to ISO 14000. ISO 14000 is a family of standards related to environmental management that exists to help organizations (a) minimize how their operations (processes, etc.) negatively affect the environment (i.e. cause adverse changes to air, water, or land); (b) comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements; and (c) continually improve in the above. - Wikipedia When XYZ wanted to be certified thus, ISO 14000 was embryonic ~ it had just arrived on the management scene. As such, it was tricky to interpret its concepts, content, context... So how can XYZ be prepared, audited and certified to ISO 14000? Certified to ISO 9000 is easy ~ it is more focused on tangibility - products, services, processes, procedures... But ISO 14000 is on the environment and its management. How, what... aspects of management? Which countries' laws and regulations (XYZ was export oriented)? ....? ...? XYZ wanted to be certified to ISO 14000 by an internationally recognized accreditation body (RST). On the onslaught we were very open/honest with RST and we asked very pointed questions to be professionally on the same page. To cut to the chase, RST sent one of its experts to look at XYZ prior to the audit/certification... leading to a happy win-win ending. I maybe deemed to have digressed from this thread ~ but I beg - is Chapter 42 very far beyond ISO 14000? If so, how...? I am recently in contact with a trusted TDB bummy (DC) on certain Taoist aspects and Universal consciousness crops up. I like to share these two pointers from him ~ (1) Universal consciousness is an interesting concept but changes one's thinking once experienced. (2) Universal consciousness isn't just an interesting concept but an experience of existence. Who's concept? Who's existence? ... ? I am now down sitting on the Wayside of the road less traveled ~ contemplating on how to hit back at DC, above the waist. - Anand

Hi OldDog, A real question ~ otherwise cleansing is just a word. Its importance pertains to each his/her own ~ as no two persons are the same? - Anand

Hi dawei, I am inclined to think of the Tao as a journey without a destination. To me it is not possible for me to know everything about the Tao ~ but to openly/honestly/experientially... register my personal milestones (or lack of) on its road less traveled. I was asked once which comes first ~ truth or trust. I opt for trust first even both are equally important to me. Why? I am into research by training and I must verify/cross-reference/trust the sources of data/information/knowledge/wisdom before I delve into their truth(s). I will be truly blessed if I can find a fellow traveler with whom I can share my experiences - trustingly and truthfully. Sometimes without words... - Anand

Hi dawei, I am not going to find out what is 'Neiye' anytime soon, but such cleansing is important to me. The following depicts 'three'... in our hearts? A + B => C => ... - Anand

Hi OldDog, Yes. The more I try to know about the Dao, the more I realize how shallow and hollow I am. This realization has humbled me. I am still trying to fathom 'What is the Dao?' in relation to 'Who am I?' If I do not know myself well, I will bow to the Dao from a distance... whilst on a road less traveled. I recently squared off with my Guru-ji face-to- face whilst he was in Singapore. Why? I was coming on 'monistic' with the Dao, and Guru-ji is 'dualistic' with the Samkhya philosophy. I refused to have anything to do with him for a few days even though I kept on making for him his favorite curry puffs. But just before left for home in India, he asked me to see him. When we met up, nothing had happened and we love each other even more... Now I am hooked on Brahman and Guru-ji is to be blamed. And Guru-ji is still hooked on my puffs ~ he brought back 20 frozen puffs to India. My parting shot to him ~ "I will be a good boy". Why? To me the Dao is also about respect, humility and TRUST. - Anand

The Nadis?

Hi vonkrankenhaus, "Because until some thing moves, there is no way to discern "Stasis" - nothing to compare it to to see that it is "Stasis". WuJi means no polarity is there - no comparisons are possible. This is what we could call "Stillness", but if it is, it is a "Stillness" we cannot discern. It is "Nothing". It isn't until we have the TaiJi that there is the polarity that enables us to discern. And the first Movement is Yang because ALL Movement is Yang." I am not lost with your above account even though it is laced with no, nothing, no, no, cannot, Nothing and isn't. The laces do not imply nonentities/nothingness but some awakening in ourselves is necessary to bring some consciousness into their beings? "It isn't until we have the TaiJi that there is the polarity that enables us to discern" ~ such a thought dances around Prakrti/Purusha of the Samkhya Philosophy that is recently introduced to me by my Guru-ji in India. The 'Yin & Yang' dance steps and the 'Purusha & Prakrti' steps can (I believe) be integrated into a bigger common Dance of Life. "And the first Movement is Yang because ALL Movement is Yang" - I agree that generally Yang makes the first move. But without Yin, Yang cannot dance in tandem. But sometimes Yin makes the first move and teaches Yang how to dance... 1 => 2 => 3 .... Like this? No? Yes. Come! - Anand

Hi OldDog, Thank you. I have superimposed your Pregadio's excerpt ~ on this experiential encounter... A + B => C => DC ... and I am inclined towards these corresponding analogies ~ Unity ~ Trust Yin and Yang ~ A and B "three" ~ C "ten thousand things" ~ DC Apology for not sharing the experience explicitly ~ it was a private path on a road less traveled. As "Confucian in its sufficiency and correctness" ~ TRUST is key. - Anand

Thank you for the the invitation... but please excuse me... - Anand

Hi ilumairen, Get ready for your Sunday's "Quiet Corner". A great weekend. - Anand

Thank you dawei, "Junzi" ~ correct...? Apology if it is incorrect - perhaps I am a xiao ren. - Anand

Hi dawei, My apology ~ I left out C as a gap. This is what I am trying to put across... A + B => C => DC - Anand