Yen Hui

Hello to All Taoists and Taoist Friends ~ I'm presently looking into the art of divination dowsing, and was wondering if there's a Taoist tradition of dowsing to divine things. Any related info would be appreciated. Thanks! ~ Yen Hui

PART TWO:- Speaking of professional dowsers, I recently ordered Paul Smith's DVD Dowsing Course. It has'nt arrived yet, and certainly was'nt cheap, by any stretch of the imagination, so I sure hope it does'nt disappoint. If it's merely a problem of being just too advanced for me, that's ok, as I know that's only a temporary situation! The Silva Method sounds very interesting, and I've heard good things about it from someone else, too, so I'll check into it. I will definitely create my own practical training exercises, but the ones you describe above don't sound too shabby at all, to be honest; so I might try them as well. They are very creative, and I like that! Just out of curiosity, do you remember what kind of pendulum you used in those experiments? As I say, Ayudar, I don't have too many dreams, at least that I remember, but in late November 2006, I had another peculiar dream, very short in length, but clear as day, of a little toddler, maybe 2 or 3 years of age, with a wide-open mouth. And with its mouth fixed in a wide-open position, for whatever reason, I watched an abnormally large Bumble-Bee fly inside the mouth and refuse to fly back out; thus, I was forced to stick my fingers inside the toddler's mouth to retrieve the bug by hand. Strange, huh! Well, it baffled me for awhile, and still does to some extent, but about a month later, the thought came to me that the toddler symbolized my own inner child, and that my fingers inside the mouth were my own efforts to remove the internal bugs from my own internal system or hard-drive, before I'm stung to death by them. Is my interpretation close, do you think? Becoming "the primary tool" kind of sounds a little like what Spectrum was saying on pg 1 of this thread, about his whole body being a dowsing rod. It makes good sense, actually! I'll keep that in mind. By "tapping into life's energy vibrations in all areas," I take it you mean all areas of life, whether in spirit, soul, or body. While that is my intent, for sure, I confess that my first and initial attraction to it was its practical application in physical healing; but I quickly realized its true potential was really wholistic in nature, as you point out. Master Dowser Raymon Grace, for example, uses the art to expell unwanted entities, which he denotes as "low class spooks", something like the entity you have described in one of your patient cases, though I must admit that your description really made that entity appear more "inhuman" and far more sinister, indeed! I have a couple dowsing charts, but I'm not yet sure if they're the ones most "commonly used". Is there any particular place online (that you might know of) which carries a good selection of charts? I like the idea about the anatomy chart(s). I had'nt thought about that. The idea about having different pendulums for different applications also makes good sense, I feel. Regarding how to select the right pendulum, though, one of the links you provided below gives the following advice on that:- "To find a pendulum you resonate with, pick one up with your dominate hand (the one you write with) place it over your non-dominate hand and wait for some movement. The movement can be back and forth or circular. When first starting to use a pendulum the movement may be very small or slow. As you practice and work with it the movement will increase." By the way it sounds, it seems as if it is unwise to purchase a pendulum without first trying out the above resonance exercise with it. Does that sound "kosher" to you, so-to-speak? If yes, then that would seem to rule out Internet purchases; and I was just beginning to warm-up to the Isis model but am now reluctant to put out good money for anything that I cannot run the above resonance experiment on first. Is there a book out there, you think, of pendulum designs, for the do-it-yourself dowser who'd like to experiment with making his own pendulums, etc? I would expect, though, to learn about this from the Association you've recommended. Those are some great book recommendations, Ayudar! Thanks for the tips. I have a recorded interview of Lynn McTaggart in which she discusses both her book on The Field and her newest book on The Science of Intention. I've owned a couple of Targ's books in the past, but not his Limitless Mind. I have never owned anything by Emoto, but have heard great things about him, so I'm certain I'll eventually acquire all 3 of your recommendations. Many kind thanks for them! That's some seriously impressive resume, honestly! Wish it was my own! Maybe someday. Btw, just out of curiosity, have you heard anything about the "new" cutting edge Program called Matrix Energetics? It is a system largely based upon the principles of quantum physics. Dr. Fred Alan Wolf exerted a great influence upon Dr. Bartlett, the founder of ME. Incidentally, Dr. Bartlett agrees fully with your assessment of "orthodox methods" of healing; and describes himself as most "unorthodox" in his approach to the healing art(s). Sorry to disappoint, but actually I have not yet read the Medical I Ching, but have had my eye on it for some time now; along with 18 Buddha Hands Qigong - A Medical I Ching Exploration, and The Yijing Medical Qigong System, each of which I plan to acquire. I was just hoping to "luck-out" as they say, and get some insight on the book from a properly trained Naturopath, with training in multiple other disciplines as well. All of the above links were very helpful. Many thanks for posting them, and for all your recommendations! In regard to formatting links, it took me a little while to figure it out, but here are some examples for you, just in case the thought has ever crossed your own mind:- Example 1: text? [/size ] [/url ] Example 2: [i ]text? [/i ] [/size ] [/url ] Example 3: [b ] text? [/b ] [/size ] [/url ] Example 4: [b ] [i ] text? [/i ] [/b ] [/size ] [/url ] One thing, though, be sure to remove all the gaps, except in the text message spot where you see the 'text?', or it won't work right. I had to leave gaps there for you to see what was happening. In closing, though, I'd like to add two more links to the above list, which strike me as beneficial for the beginning dowser:- 01 - A Letter to Robin: A Mini-Course in Pendulum Dowsing 02 - A Well, Ayudar, once again I'm sorry it took me so long to get around to posting a more complete reply to your excellent post. Thanks again for your kind consideration in taking the time to reply at length to my queries. In the spirit of the Tao, Yen Hui

Hi there Ayudar ~ Many apologies for the long delay in replying to your very helpful post. While I have only recently discovered the art of dowsing, I ultimately took up I Ching divination for the same reason, more-or-less, why you took up dowsing; that is, because I acquired some degree of understanding concerning the mysterious operations of the subconscious mind; in part through my early study of Book 2 of Wilhelm's I Ching, his Lectures on the I Ching, and to some extent Carl Jung's writings. The ancient writings of both Taoist and Confucian sages also deeply moved me toward the art of I Ching divination, but in the end, I would say the greatest influence was from Book Two itself, of Wilhelm's I Ching. For the sake of the newcomers, though, who have not yet taken up the study of that particular text, and for the sake of zeroing in a little closer on some of the quotes in Post #32, I have selected a number of the more important or relevant ones to re-post here below:- Not to needlessly belabour the apparently obvious, but perhaps it might help some of the newcomers (reading along) if I make a few observations on the above, beginning with Quote #7, which is critical to mastering the art of I Ching divination. At the close of Part Two of The Treatise, we are told very clearly, in no uncertain terms, that only the right person will receive intelligible replies from the Oracle. Thus, it is incumbent upon all those who sincerely wish to master the art of I Ching divination to understand what it means to become "the right person". Now, according to the above, Quote #7, the Oracle is a divine tool to assist us in completely realizing our innate capacities. So, first-off, this must be the attitude in which we approach the Oracle. If it is'nt, then we disqualify ourselves from receiving what is termed, in the I Ching itself, as "an intelligible answer", as in the following:- The Great Treatise: Part 2 - Chapter 8:- 4. First take up the words, Ponder their meaning, Then the fixed rules reveal themselves. But if you are not the right man, The meaning will not manifest itself to you. "In half rhythmic and half rhymed prose, we are here admonished to study the Book of Changes diligently. It is pointed out with praise that continuous change is the rule of the book. In conclusion, attention is called to the fact that an innate capacity is essential to an understanding of the book, otherwise it will remain locked as if with seven seals. If the person consulting the oracle is not in contact with tao, he does not receive an intelligible answer, since it would be of no avail." Secondly, a state of emotional clarity is required, achieved through effecting a state of central harmony, or a correctly centered intellect and will, through the practice of deep concentration and meditation, as intimated in Quote #6, above. This is the way of making contact with the Tao, that is to say, spiritually tuning into It, with our intuitive mind. In Quote #5, it says that supreme concentration causes a mysterious force to emanate outwardly, from within our deepest centre, which stimulates the yarrow stalks, coins, or pendulum, causing them to manifest our innate wisdom mind. But without emotional clarity, we cannot unlock the revealed mysteries. Quote #1 informs us that the divining tools obey or operate according to the laws prescribed by the mind of man, outwardly manifesting the categories (or universal archetypes of the unconscious) which have been activated within its deepest centre, or universal core. Assuming we have effected central harmony, and are in contact with Tao, the Universal Way, then the Oracle speaks. According to Quote #2, the Oracle reaches down into the ultimate source of our inner world and experience, that is, into the unconscious realm. Quote #3 and #4 confirm this; intimating that the Oracle is a means of uniting the conscious and supraconscious aspects of the mind. This relationship is symbolized in the structure of the hexagram itself, in which the inner world is symbolized by the lower trigram, and the outer world by the upper trigram. According to Quote #3, the reply we receive from the Oracle - if we fulfill the necessary conditions - is a kind of divine echo emanating from the unconscious realm. According to Quote #4, fate, or the world of conscious experience, as it is, is ultimately shaped by the power of the unconscious mind. As I say, Ayudar, I share this for the sake of the "newcomers", as it is obvious that you, personally, are in no need of such pointers. But what you have shared has stimulated you me to share the above with the others. I hope you don't mind. Now, while the art of dowsing is clearly unique, in its own particular way(s), as you have kindly and eloquently pointed out for us, it is clear that the role played out by the subconscious in both arts, is more-or-less identical, and entirely central to their ultimate effectiveness. Please forgive my slight deviation here, but since you have intimated your training in dream interpretation, I would like to share with you a recent dream of mine, which I had just a few nights ago. I don't normally recall my dreams, but the other night I seemed to have a fairly lucid (though very short) dream just before I awoke for work. I was present at some sort of indoor meet or gathering, and I was observing a series of secret hand- shakes and arm movements being exchanged between two society members. They then asked me some questions, and it seems they were probing my interest in joining their society. I replied that I did not know enough about them yet to make a truly informed decision, and that I'd like to research a little more. When I asked about the name of their founder and their historical origins, it seemed as though the room suddenly grew silent. Then, with apparent reluctance, (it seemed,) they gave some a name and a few details to check into. The last word they spoke, that I recall hearing before awakening, was the word "Bogomils". I had no conscious recollection of either what that meant or where it would lead. I immediately went to my computer and did a quick Web search. Lo and behold, I discovered it belonged to a medieval French society known as the Cathars, which was heavily persecuted by the Catholic Church and forced underground. I have'nt had the time to engage in any detailed research, but it seems as though they were persecuted for their belief in some form of cosmic dualism. The whole dream strikes me as very odd, since I 've not seen, read, or listened to anything recently, that I have any conscious recall of, related to the "Bogomils". And yet that term was fixed in my mind, as clear as day, upon awakening from that dream. Very, very odd, I must say! I have owned several different versions of the I Ching, most of which I developed deep respect for, but Wilhelm's managed to remain my favorite, despite its few obvious flaws. I am eager to hear the details about your "method of developing a hexagram for evaluating omens," but perhaps it's a good idea to reserve that discussion for a thread dedicated entirely to I Ching studies and applications. Sure glad to hear, though, you kept good notes on it! TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST, DUE TO FORMATTING DIFFUCULTIES ...

Completely in tune, as usual!

Time to start dowsing our oranges to enhance the concentration levels and potency of their vitamin C! And dowse our bodies, too, to train them to both preserve vitamin C longer and to utilize it better.

Wolf's treatise on The Spiritual Universe is an eloquent treatment of the nature of "self" and gets to the very heart of your original question. Link #10 (below) takes you to an online audio of Wolf, in which he is being interviewed about this particular book, on The Spiritual Universe, and will give you some insight into what the book's all about. 10 - Free Online Audio Interview with Fred Alan Wolf 11 - The Yoga of Time Travel: How the Mind Can Defeat Time 12 - A Watched Pot Never Boils: In the Quantum World There Ain't No Luck In Link #11, Wolf discusses his book on Time Travel, and notes that the techniques taught in that book include how to slow down, and eventually reverse the aging process. While that's not really addressing your concern, I have included it since the subject of time travel is clearly alluded to in the excerpts from The Treatise, which I have referred you to, in Post #32 of The Dowsing Thread. Link #12 indirectly addresses the subject or question of random events.

says who?

Here are the links to six free online articles by Fred Alan Wolf, author of the following works of excellence:- 01 - The Spiritual Universe: One Physicist's Vision of Spirit, Soul, Matter, and Self 02 - Mind into Matter: A New Alchemy of Science and Spirit, and its sequel ... 03 - Matter Into Feeling: A New Alchemy of Science and Spirit These FAW articles (below) shed a brilliant light, imho, on the I Ching teachings, and especially those which are presented in Book 2 of Wilhelm's version. They will explain fully what I meant by the words "not exactly", in reply to your question regarding the apparent "random" production of a hexagram, when consulting the Oracle. Enjoy and feel free to post questions for discussion:- 04 - The Soul and Quantum Physics 05 - The Quantum Physics of Consciousness: Towards a New Psychology 06 - Awakening Your Soul: Becoming Aware That You Are a Spiritual Universe 07 - The Quantum Mechanics of Dreams and the Emergence of Self-Awareness 08 - The Quantum Physical Communication Between the Self and the Soul 09 - The Timing of Conscious Experience

Hello Ayudar ~ Many kind thanks for another very informative and helpful post. There is much within it that I wish to chat with you about, but time does not permit today. It's great to hear about the successful result of your remote work on the patient in the hospital. I look forward to learning much from you in this regard. I hope you stick around as you certainly have much to contribute, without question! I've just read through all your Taobum posts and was unable to locate the one in question. If you still have a copy of it on your hard-drive, please pm it to me. Warm regards, Yen Hui

Not exactly. But to really understand why not, that would require a fairly close study of Book 2 of Wilhelm's version of The I Ching. However, since it contains some fairly heavy material, it can be a little forboding and tough to work through, the first time around. In lieu of that, I suggest reading the extensive excerpts from it in Post #32 of the relatively current Dowsing Thread. Some rudimentary knowledge of Rupert Sheldrake's theory of morphic fields and Jung's theories of synchronicity and universal archetypes would also help you to more easily assimilate that material. At the risk of oversimplification, though, the Oracle is a divine method of tapping into cosmic consciousness and universal wisdom. If you believe The Treatise, it was a gift from the ancient sages to those persons who sincerely seek to cultivate the Way, but have no human access to completely realized teachers. If you're the right person, that is, if you fulfill all the right conditions, you'll receive intelligible responses, from the Oracle. The following links also provide the beginning I Ching diviner with everything s/he needs to learn the art:- 01 - An Introduction to the Yijing Dao 02 - Me, Myself, and I Ching Also, pay close attention to the information about the art of dowsing, which is the perfect compliment, imho, to I Ching divination. With regard to the way in which you frame and present your question(s) to the Oracle, though, keep this tip in mind:- "The most important words in using the I Ching are Good/Not Good. Whatever the question - Should I take a trip? Should I see this person? Good, not good? Not: What's going to happen, or what kind of year am I going to have? You must at least take the effort to form the question: Is it good or not good that I take this action?" ( Professor Cheng Man-ch'ing, in There Are No Secrets, pp. 78-79 )

Well, maybe it has something to do with needing more than one life time to achieve immortality.

Hi there TP ~ Well, while I see what you're getting at, I'm not altogether sure why you immediately perceived this as a competition. It is commendable that you are thinking about the other persons needs as well, but you must learn to trust fate and follow its intimations. This also requires self-denial, or being "selfless". It is a good thing to examine your motives for seeking this new apartment, but avoid excessive penetration, as that is able or likely to cripple your power of decision, and your ability to act in harmony with the clear intimations of fate. However, having said that, there is no denying that a lot of things factor into making the correct decision; but even still, you can plan and factor all you want and still end up deviating from the correct path, unless you also learn to cultivate the Way and become receptive to the intimations of fate. Have you consulted the oracle yet?

Regarding the vulgar, Chuang Tzu says the following:- "Rites are something created by the vulgar men of the world; the Truth is that which is received from Heaven. By nature it is the way it is and cannot be changed. Therefore the sage patterns himself on Heaven, prizes the Truth, and does not allow himself to be cramped by the vulgar. "The stupid man does the opposite of this. He is unable to pattern himself on Heaven and instead frets over human concerns. He does not know enough to prize the Truth, but instead, plodding along with the crowd, he allows himself to be changed by vulgar ways, and so is never content.

In regard to a healthy mind, I would hope to fully retain all knowledge of the I Ching, that I've been able to acquire, and that I would not retain any knowledge of vulgar thought, speech, and practice.

Hi there Ayudar ~ Thanks for a very interesting post! I am curious about how, or from whom you happened to learn the art of dowsing in regard to remote healing. Are you able to recommend any books or courses on that subject? Btw, can you also post the link for the post on the remote healing case you've referred to? I'm also curious about which is your perferred version of the I Ching. Are you acquainted with The Medical I Ching? Thanks again.

This was precisely my own feeling regarding Lama Surya's description of the essential nature of Dzogchen, as quoted above. It struck me as a statement that could have just as easily been made by any Chan master, in regard to his own Chan philosophy and practice. Incidentally, here is a selection of online articles which I thought might interest persons reading this thread, as they touch upon issues relevant to the topics either broached or under discussion within this thread:- 01 - Chan and Taoism 02 - The Taoist Influence on Hua-Yen Buddhism 03 - The Understanding of Mind in the Northern Line of Ch'an 04 - Chuang-Tzu And The Chinese Ancestry of Ch'an Buddhism, and Also Here 05 - A Case Study in the Assimilation of Daoist Influence and the Formation of Chan Identity 06 - Northern Ch'an and the Sudden vs. Gradual Enlightenment Debate In China And Tibet 07 - Common Grounds in the Practice Paths of Chuan Chen Tao and Dzog Chen Dharma

We should ask ourselves, however, why Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche even perceived there was a need to address this question, if the resolution to it is so self-evident or crystal clear, as many wish us to believe. Is it not because this precise relationship between Dzogchen and Chinese Chan has continued, even to this day, as a standing controversy among distinguished persons on both sides of the debate? But what has Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche actually stated? Other than that there is no difference between Chan and Dzogchen regarding their fundamental basis in the principle of emptiness: "Form is emptiness and emptiness is form, etc." It is what he says, though, regarding the particularity of Dzogchen that causes me to raise an eyebrow! I do not wish to present myself as wiser, in any way, but in all honesty, Chan teaching is very clear regarding the inherent self-perfection of original mind. Nor is Chan's "introduction to the primordial state," as the self-perfection of original mind energy, any less direct. Such a statement leaves me entirely baffled, to be perfectly honest. Perhaps he has a point, but if so, it is surely one that is far from being self-evident, if evident at all. I'm afraid that is something which has yet to be demonstrated. Is there a kind soul here that would care to take up that particular task? Namaste! ~ Yen Hui

Great post Fat Mao! Thanks for taking the time to contribute. You have saved me a lot of work at attempting to support my original claim by quoting from several different sources. Had I actually gone ahead with that plan, though, it would have only demonstrated what you have already kindly indicated for us, which is that ... Regarding the question you have asked, though, concerning It's true nature, there is no denying that it is Tao! Namaste! ~ Yen Hui

Lama Das describes the essential nature of Dzogchen in the following terms:- "One ongoing controversy in Buddhism revolves around how long it takes to become enlightened. Some schools feel that enlightenment is a gradual process that takes place over many life-times. Dzogchen is a tradition that believes one can become enlightened within one life-time - even within a decade. The direct path of Dzogchen was first practiced and taught in Tibet by Padma Sambhava 1,300 years ago although it is actually much older than that. "The earliest Indian Dzogchen master, Garab Dorje, who lived two centuries before Jesus Christ, wrote about Dzogchen saying, 'Don't follow past thoughts, don't anticipate the future, and don't follow illusory thoughts that arise in the present; but turning within, observe your own true nature and maintain awareness of your natural mind, just as it is, beyond the conceptual limitations of past, present, and future.' "Dzogchen is a naked awareness practice; it does'nt depend on cultural forms or unfamiliar deities. In fact, nowness - awareness - is the true Buddha, as my own lamas said. Dzogchen's unique message is that, by nature, we are all Buddhas for whom enlightenment is possible within this life-time." (from Awakening the Buddha Within, p. 44-45) I am both curious and eager to hear from any or all of you how the above description distinguishes, or fails to distinguish, the essential nature of Dzogchen from that of Chinese Chan. Namaste. ~ Yen Hui

Now, this thread is more like it. Thank you Heaven! I would contribute but I'm running off to see David Copperfield. Cheers ~