Lost in Translation

Amen, brother.

Make sure you know yourself first. Know what you value and why you value it. Learn the counter opinion. Try to understand why someone would hold a view opposite yours. If you still feel strongly one way or another then own it, otherwise perhaps political discourse is not your thing. That's OK too.

What I'm hearing here is "my cultivation includes the discontinuation of cultivation." Was this what you meant to say? If so, I think this is a discussion topic worthy of discussion.

The world is getting smaller. It's become increasingly difficult to maintain ignorance. Of course it's become easier to misdirect. Time will tell.

Huang and Wilhelm are my go-to translations.

There is a correspondence between the trigrams and specific body parts/organs. You can use this connection to help collect information about illness and possible cures. I'm sure someone here is skilled at TCM and can give you a detailed description. I tend towards the cerebral in my practice. That's something I am continuously struggling to avoid. That said, the I Ching provides a nice balance between cerebral and visceral experience. It's not uncommon for me to spend many hours pouring over a reading, letting the hexagram sit with me as I turn the images, judgments, and changing lines over in my mind while allowing myself to feel the relationships between the component trigrams and individual lines. I suppose you could call that a form of meditation. Wilhelm's version of the I Ching is quite detailed and includes much supplemental data. If you don't have a copy of that translation in your library then I highly recommend getting a copy.

It seems the cannibalization continues. People are eating each other here in the US. I see similar dishes being served in Europe. Is this what a global civil war looks like? Are we birthing a new era from the dying carcass of the past or is this something altogether different? Maybe China really does have mind control...

Welcome! I look forward to learning more about you in the days to come.

This is worthy of repeating (emphasis added by me): No, human kind can't fathom the full complexity of ultimate truth, but we can fathom its approximate complexity. This is the role that the I Ching plays. It reminds us that we are floating in a river of forces that we cannot control, and helps us to orient ourselves with the flow rather than fight it. This lesson, regardless of one's religion, is invaluable. It helps ground us so we don't sink into despair and nihilism over our state in the cosmos.

Each thread has its own URL. For example, this thread's URL is 'https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/48912-finding-threads/'. I suppose you could bookmark that if you like.

Must... resist... urge...

I still can't tell the difference between a "Sweet Potato" and a "Yam." I think the guy at Whole Foods is pulling my leg.

Believe it or not I have never watched a single episode of GOT. Some day I may have a lot of binge watching to do...

I've been in a mood lately. Spending way too much time in The Pit, but it feels like we're having some real conversations instead of just bashing each other over the head. Yum, yum. Cannibal.

True. There's also a big difference between this is what I think and this is what I was told to think. That's the main issue I struggle with, since my entire life is spent in pursuit of the question: what do I think? That's the essential reason why I am not doctrinaire in my thoughts. I am not a Taoist although I follow Tao. I am not a Christian although I believe in God. I am not a conservative although I believe there is much that deserves conserving. I am not a liberal although I take a live and let live approach to life. It's maddening to hear people parrot talking points in lieu of their own thoughts. That's the worst part of people, but I understand why it is so: following doctrine and embracing orthodoxy is easy; It's also lazy.

Response to the first question: I don't feel any satisfaction at being argumentative or critical. Perhaps there is a fleeting satisfaction, but it lasts about as long as it take to click send, which is to say not long at all. As for being critiqued, I don't mind that. My thoughts complete enough to withstand criticism. I actually want legitimate criticism since it sheds light on areas that I may not have considered and gives me opportunity to grown. What I find frustrating are the poorly constructed, highly emotional, knee-jerk talking point arguments that I see. Response to the second question: Dominant/aggressive behavior in and of itself is not an issue. It's the passive-aggressive behavior that flaunts the rules of established society that concern me. For example, there is a growing mob mentality that demands absolute conformity of thought. Disobedience is met by ostracism and repudiation. People online have had their personal information leaked, their houses surrounded by protesters, their spouses and children attacked. This is not the act of a corrupt government, but of a corrupt people, and I see this corruption growing daily. It is a big concern to me, since if the people of a nation are unable to contain their passions then the government of said nation will control their passions for them, and that IS the road to fascism.

This is so true. To the outsider, walking along the spiritual path looks like a path of roses; to the one walking the path, each rose has a thorn, the underbrush is strewn with thistles, and the invisible insects just love to bite; so my advice to anyone outside looking in is this: be careful what you ask for. That said, @2ndchance you need to start small. Don't focus on the "end-game," that's too far off. You'll only drive yourself crazy if that's your focus. Instead, focus on what is right before you. Focus on today. Focus on now. Focus on what you are doing at this exact moment. Focus on what you are feeling in this exact moment. Listen to your own heart beat. Feel your own breath. Feel your own emotions as they well up inside you then crash like waves against a jetty and flow back to the sea. Don't try to be the best for all time. Simply do a good job today.

Could you be more specific?

Maybe. The problem is I'm judgmental enough as is. I'm afraid to unleash my full judgement in column form. It might be cathartic but would probably get me banned. Perhaps twitter...

I sometimes fail to take my own advise. Seriously, though: "Moral Scourge" is an awesome phrase. It would be an excellent title for a blog or a weekly opinion column.

@liminal_luke @Stosh I actually like the phrase "Moral Scourge." Perhaps I'll have some label buttons whipped up..., wear one proudly on my chest.

Let's back up a bit. I was asking about "moral scourge." I don't see that mentioned before in the thread so I asked about it. Also, who are "these guys?" Do you mean the people in this thread, or on TDB, or was there supposed to be a link to some external page? Lastly, where does the "Spanish Inquisition" come in to this topic? Is it related to hawks and doves, or is that a response to what I wrote a couple hours ago about choice?

You have piqued my interest. I don't know where this came from but am eager to find out.

Behavior, hawkish or otherwise, is a choice. Provided that a choice is made consciously and owned then there is no problem, per se. For example, it is perfectly acceptable for a person to say "I value my own well being above yours and will do what I can to provide for myself, even if that means taking away from you." That is honest, and it gives the other person a chance to reciprocate in kind. What is reprehensible is the person who acts like they care about your well being when they do not, and who takes from you while pretending not to.