Sketch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugang

In relation to eastern religion the idea that the individual has to guess right on a philosophical proposition that can include anything from crossed legs, bells, masks, monkeys and incense or be wrong forever - can be less of a thing. The gods are often at the local level, associated with festivals and plants. Village festivals often involved making the gods behave - sometimes by making them into good Buddhists. The officiate at these festivals is a type of Taoist. Specifically, ordained to a type of Taoist order, and trained in special techniques that include all the "Qigong" you could want.

Considered by people with less understanding of what is "strictly Taoist ". Than yours at this time. Including scholars and practitioners.

Sure looks Taoistey to me. It does indicate a different direction to consider; the individual as a component of their environment. An importance to air, light and water, to direction and angle.

Much of my reading suggests otherwise. Although "strictly Taoist " is the loaded phrase here. I'd recommend Kristopher Schipper's "Daoist Body" or Livia Kohn's "Pristine Affluence: Daoist Roots in the Stone Age", et al, for background. The different kinds of Daoism you can see are the tip of the iceberg. It has to do with making empire wide changes mesh with village life over long periods of time, it has to do with who had the right and knowledge to officiate at what ceremony, where to dig the canal, all sorts of things. I'm certain many Feng Shui consultants, including the non Chinese, would have an idea that they were being "Daoist" on some level.

Have you considered Feng Shui in your survey? Consecrated space has manifestations beyond that public place labeled "temple".

To add an example from outside Buddhism, another "path" to internal exploration I've messed about with is floating in the dark- been mad about the idea since the movie "altered states" was in the theaters, I've used tanks a number of times and really enjoy the experience. I get a deeper experience sitting, and I think the position of my breathing stuff while floating is the main reason. On the other hand, would my perception of things within my practice be the same without the time in the tanks? Or without the sheen of pseudo science from the movie - and Dr. Lilly's books, for that matter? As I've mentioned elsewhere, I worked with an Alexander technique instructor for years and it did a lot of good. In the spirit that "meditation " is described as preparation for other things above, Alexander could be seen as preparation for meditation. In the same sense, I can't make a distinction between my "meditation " and time I've spent singing in the long run. Certainly needed both.

Oh yes! Monks dragging a slow cart up a mountain's spine is one of the clearer alchemical allegories. Monkey gets himself cooked in Lao Tzu's oven, too.

What I'm looking forward to is the next Murderbot. Fantastic science fiction series from Martha Wells. I notice that Taomeow has read the "Remembrance of Earth's Past " books from Liu Cixin. Hope the rest of you jump on board because these are a great ride.Murderbot fanart!

More than the Tripitaka , This is the conceptual crossroads of Chan and Dao. "You" are a story You are telling yourself.

Trimsatika (Thirty Verses) of Vasubandhu February 13, 2008 at 11:03 pm (Yogacara) 1 Everything that is taken as a self; Everything that is taken as other: These are simply changing forms of consciousness. 2 Pure consciousness transforms itself Into three modes: Store consciousness, Thought consciousness, and active consciousness. 3 The store consciousness holds the seeds of all past experience. Within it are the forms of grasping And the dwelling places of the unknown. It always arises with touch, awareness, recognition, concept, and desire. 4 The store consciousness is clear and undefinable. Like a great river, it is always changing. Neither pleasant nor unpleasant, when one becomes fully realized, it ceases to exist. 5 The second transformation of consciousness is called thinking consciousness. It evolves by taking the store consciousness as object and support. Its essential nature is to generate thoughts. 6 The thinking consciousness Is always obscured by four defilements: Self-regard, self-delusion, self-pride, and self-love. 7 The thinking consciousness also arises with the mental factors Of touch, awareness, recognition, concept, and desire. This consciousness ceases when one becomes realized. It also falls away when consciousness is impaired, And when one is fully present. 8 The third transformation of consciousness Is the active perception of sense objects. These can be good, bad, or indifferent in character. 9 This active consciousness arises with three kinds of mental functions: Those that are universal, those that are specific, and those that are beneficial. It is also associated with primary and secondary defilements And the three kinds of feeling. 10 The universal factors are touch, awareness, recognition, concept, and desire. The specific factors are intention, resolve, memory, concentration, and knowledge. The beneficial factors are faith, modesty, respect, distance, courage, composure, equanimity, alertness, and compassion. 11 The primary defilements are: Passion, aggression, ignorance, Pride, intolerance, and doubt. 12 The secondary defilements are: Anger, hatred, jealousy, Envy, spite, hypocrisy, deceit… 13 Dishonesty, arrogance, harmfulness, Immodesty, lack of integrity, sluggishness, Restlessness, lack of faith, laziness, idleness, Forgetfulness, carelessness, and distraction. 14 Remorse, sleepiness, reasoning, and analysis Are factors which can be either defiled or undefiled. 15 The five sense consciousnesses arise in the store consciousness Together or separately, depending on causes and conditions, Just like waves arise in water. 16 Thought consciousness manifests at all times, Except for those born in the realms of beings without thought, Those in the formless trances, and those who are unconscious. 17 These three transformations of consciousness Are just the distinction of subject and object, self and other– They do not really exist. All things are nothing but forms of consciousness. 18 Since the storehouse consciousness contains all seeds, These transformations of consciousness arise And proceed based upon mutual influence. On account of this, discrimination of self and other arises, 19 All actions leave traces, And because of grasping at self and other, Once one seed has been exhausted, another arises. 20 That which is differentiated In terms of self and other, Or by whatever sort of discrimination, That is just mental projection: It does not exist at all 21 Appearances themselves Which arise dependently through causes and conditions Exist, but only in a partial and dependent way. 22 Ultimately, perfect nature, the fully real, arises When there is an absence of mental projection onto appearances. For that reason, the fully real is neither the same nor different from appearances. If the perfected nature is not seen, the dependent nature is not seen either. 23 Corresponding to the threefold nature, There is a threefold absence of self-nature. This absence of self-nature of all dharmas Is the secret essence of the Buddha’s teachings. 24 Projections are without self-nature by definition. Appearances too are without self-nature because they are not self-existent. Perfect nature is without any differentiation whatsoever. 25 The true nature of consciousness only Is the true nature of all dharmas. Remaining as it is at all times, it is Suchness. 26 As long as consciousness does not see That subject-object distinctions are simply forms of consciousness Attachment to twofold grasping will never cease 27 By merely thinking The objects one perceives are forms of consciousness One does not realize consciousness only 28 One realizes consciousness only When the mind no longer seizes on any object When there is nothing to be grasped, there is no grasping Then one knows – everything is consciousness only. 29 That is the supreme, world-transcending knowledge Where one has no mind that knows And no object that is known Abandoning twofold grasping The storehouse consciousness is emptied 30 That alone is the pure, primordial reality Beyond thought, auspicious, unchanging It is the blissful body of liberation The dharmakaya nature of the enlightened ones Adapted from English translations of the Sanskrit original

I am realizing that a certain closed mouth is another thing I need to cultivate along with my practice, even at close quarters. Points of practice that came up at the breakfast table have not always lead to desired results when my wife has tried them out In the context of her own practices. A completely different set of disciplines than my own. Other things I've already experienced ( Unlocked?) could be quite damaging out of context.

The Simon Bastian book, "The Way Of Demons" , went from eh to awful. He cites Damo Mitchell, and Kristopher Schipper's excellent "The Taoist Body", so he's got that much going on. But the writing. Like a presidential tweet. Careless. Full of mistakes. Evidently Dion Fortune was a notary, a magical notary. I was raised to be a grammar nazi. I try not to dump on everyone on the internet about their spelling and such but in a published book...Enough is enough.

Serve it with my favorite heretical sounding dish, Imam Biyaldi. Sacrilicious! (Means " the priest fainted" in Turkish.. So good!)

Sounds delicious

When I'm concerned with the "unfairness" of it all, or how much I want that next slice, I'm not considering anything but the narrowest view.

But I don't, not when I'm desiring stuff.

For me it will have been the desire to see life as fair.

One of the better things I found Archive diving on here, but I can't find it now.

The image of Buddha strolling along in overalls with a red steel tool box knocks me out though.

I've often referred to breath awareness as part of meditation as something I "stole from Buddha's tool box" so there goes me.