adept

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INTERNALIZING People think they don't have to learn, Because there is so much information available. But knowledge is more than possessing information. Only the wise move fast enough. The amount of information available to day is unprecedented. In medieval times a few volumes could form an encyclopedia of all known facts, or a despot could control his subjects simply by isolating or destroying a library. Now information is available to us in tidal proportions. Some people take a lethargic approach to this enormity. They feel that if there is so much at hand, they do not need to actually learn anything. They'll go out and find it when they need it. But life moves too fast for us to rely on this laziness. Just as the flow of information has increased exponentially, so too has the pace of decision making accelerated. We can't be passive; we have to internalize information and place ourselves precisely in the flow. It has been stated that the average human being utilizes 10 percent of his or her mental capacity. A genius uses only 15 percent. So we definitely have the capacity to keep up -- if we unlock our potential. This requires education, experience, and determination. One should never stop learning, never stop exploring, never stop going on adventures. Be like the explorers of old. What they acquired for themselves will always surpass those who merely read about their exploits.

Yes. There is far too much time talking about what will happen after we die or before we were born. It is all mere speculation. Better to actually LIVE life in a wholesome way than to worry ourselves about what may happen next.

CONSERVATION Don't let a thread fall without noticing it. Don't rake dry brown leaves carelessly. Think how difficult it was For something to take this existence. Frugality is lauded in almost every culture. Nearly all of us have been taught to conserve and save. Those who do not waste and yet do not become misers are most admirable. We can be aware of conservation every day. We should think whether what we discard can be reused or recycled. We should consider whether our expenditures are really necessary. We should be aware if we are wasting our time and efforts on frivolous activities. We should not abuse our environment with garbage, pollutants, and recreational activities. Conservation is impossible without a sound understanding of the wholeness of cycles. Unless we remember how precious something is, how much effort it took for it to come into being, we will not value it. Unless we think about its proper transformation into its next phase -- a leaf withering, a flower browning, a lake drying up -- we will not know our relation to it. Everything lives or dies in its own time. We too are part of the same cycles, only we have the option of contemplating and acting within that context. To do so with grace and awareness is the essence of one who follows Tao.

SMOTHERED It's daybreak and already The prostitutes are on the street, Addicts are searching the corners with a feral glint. An obese woman, winded from a few steps, Passes an anxious man scavenging a garbage can -- Jester to winos in a fiefdom of pigeons. The summer sky is obscured with leaden clouds. Tao is all around us, but sometimes the weight of our poor habits, our bad circumstances, or our lack of exposure to philosophy hampers us. Although every person should be equally valued as a human being, not every person is equally sensitive to Tao. Ignorance is our predominant mode in life. We may pass through ghettos and consider ourselves more fortunate, but don't we all have dense layers of misfortune, confusion, and selfishness to dissolve? Tao can be known by progressive purification and cultivation. The opposite is also true. Ignorance can be compounded, made denser, until the light of our spirits is smothered. The light of the soul is bright, but dense clouds of human ignorance obscure it. Where are you in terms of your effort to make your life brighter?

Tao just IS. Is doesn't have 'it's own side'. It isn't a 'principle' What the hell is that supposed to mean ?

Nice. Let's keep the Tao alive on this sometimes crazy forum.

Back to the topic in question, is an excellent presentation.

No, we're just interested in the Tao and it's myriad manifestations. Life, and the beauty of being involved in all that it is. Since when was Taoism 'new age' ?

Nothing further needs to be said on this. Wonderful post. Keep up the good work MH.

Yes, but there aren't many of us. You know, I used to have a liking for some forms of Buddhism (Chan, Zen, Son). But the constant fundamentalist preaching by Vaj and a few others on here has made me realize that it's not for me. True buddhists wouldn't even argue or claim superiority over other points of view. How sad.

MANDALA What did I do today? I exercised. I said good-bye To a departing friend. I went to market, ate my meals. Took a walk. Took out the garbage. Read a little. Meditated. Slept. This was my mandala. A mandala is most commonly a diagram or painting that one uses during meditation. the painting is usually brightly colored and extremely complicated. By beginning at the outer perimeter of the picture and gradually working inwards (sometimes pausing at certain parts to contemplate), the meditator becomes completely absorbed. By the time that the center is reached, all normal egoistic notions should have been dissolved and the profundities of the mind should have been opened. Other religions have various other ways : mass, chanting, sacrament, reciting holy scripture, contemplating. These too become their mandala -- their objects of worship. But it is not enough to go to church or temple once a week, or to read a bit of a holy book every morning. Can Tao be confined to such simple rituals? No. We could fly to the very height of the cosmos, plunge to the greatest depth, swim the length and breadth of eternity, and still not come to the limits of Tao. Therefore, we should look for Tao in every day. We should ask ourselves each day how Tao manifested itself to us. Our daily activities are our mandala. Tao reveals itself to us in our mundane doings.

Excellent Drew. Thanks for sharing.

GRATITUDE When you drink water, Remember its source. If your spiritual understanding is sound, then you will constantly be aware of the subtleties of life. If you fritter away your concentration on minor entertainment and trivial distractions, then you will never attain a profound level of awareness. It is not the grand sweeping religious celebrations and heroic moments in life that are the only important spiritual occasions. Every ordinary moment, every little detail should be a celebration of your personal understanding. Your smallest act should be permeated with reverence. One of our most basic acts is drinking water. Without it, we could not sustain ourselves. Water cleanses us, cools us, and is an essential component of most of our biological processes. But when we drink it, are we aware of what it does? Do we think of its source and all the efforts that make it possible for us to have this simple glass of water? Being spiritual means not taking things for granted. Quite the opposite, you remember how everything that comes to you fits into an overall scheme. You acknowledge the precious quality of everyday things. An you maintain a gratitude for both the good and the bad in your life.

SEARCHING Where is Tao right now? You say that it is all around me, but I Only see my surroundings, only feel my own heartbeat. Can you show me Tao without reasoning it out in my mind? Can you help me see it here and now? Can you help me feel it as doubtlessly as I touch? You argue that Tao is beyond the senses, But how do I know it exists? You say that Tao is beyond definitions, Then how will I understand it? It is hard enough understanding the economy, my relationships, The bewilderment of world events, violence, crime, Drug abuse, political repression, and war. With all these things requiring years to fathom, How can I understand something that is Colorless, nameless, flavorless, intangible, and silent? Show me Tao! Show me Tao! Look within, beyond the physical body; you have the faculties to do so. Focus your mind away from sensual input, and you will discover a new mode of perception. With this mode of perception, you can sense Tao. Once you search in this way, you will find Tao and have no doubts about it.

Dao Chang Lu Tzu Chueh – Daoist Secret of the Six Healing Sounds.Six Healing Sounds. 1) Ho = Heart. 2) Hu = Spleen. 3) Szu (i.e. ssss) = Lungs. 4) Hsu (i.e. xu) = Liver. 5) His (i.e. hissss) = Stomuch. 6) Ch’ui (i.e. chu-way) = Kidneys. This exercise is performed in a seated position, with natural breathing throughout. Clean, fresh qi, or ‘vital energy’ is breathed into each of the six organs, and old qi is breathed out. The ancient text advises that one faces east – the direction where all things begin. The window should be open, but draughts should be avoided. The exercise should be performed between midnight and midday, the positive yang – but anytime can be beneficial. For best results however, between midnight and midday is preferred. With the thumb and finger of the right hand, rub all the fingers of the left hand. With the thumb and finger of the left hand, rub all the fingers of the right hand. Massage the face, nose and eyes by gently rubbing with the fingers of both hands, including the ear area. Place the palms over the ears, with the fingers resting on the back of the head. With the index fingers tap 6 or 36 times on the back of the neck. Knock the teetn together 6 or 36 times. Move the tongue around the mouth 6 or 36 times, making and retaining saliva in the mouth. Swallow the saliva in three gulps and imagine in your Mind’s Eye, the saliva as a ball of qi energy travelling down to beneath the navel. You are now ready to perform the breaths. Breath in fully through the nose, and then exhale making the elongated sound of ‘ho’. As you do so, you will feel as if negative energy is leaving the heart area, and being replaced by positive energy. Perform the sound 6 or 36 times, depending upon requirement. It is exactly the same for the other 5 sounds. The sound maybe loud or gentle. When the exercise is completed, remain seated for a few minutes breathing in and out the nose. You may then go about your day. This exercise was developed by Daoist immortals who lived in the hills of ancient China. They were used to keep the Mind and body fit when in seclusion, particularly if that seclusion was harsh, with cold weather and lack of food. Results maybe expect more or less straightaway. The organs are cleaned and invigorated. Lineage: Daoist Master Chao Pi Ch’en (born 1860). Charles Luk (Lu Kuan Yu) studied and presents this masters works in his book ‘Taoist Yoga’ – translated from the Chinese. Luk also translates important Daoist texts is his The Secret of Chinese Meditation. Richard Hunn (Wen Shu) preserved and passed on Luk’s teachings to Shi Da Dao (Heng Yu).

Lovely stuff as usual Marblehead. Thanks.

J.P. Lau's Yiquan Research website is awesome. You can find it here Xingyiquan's San Ti Shi here

IMMEDIACY When washing your face, can you see your true self? When urinating, can you remember true purity? When eating, can you remember the cycles of all things? When walking, can you feel the rotation of heaven? When working, are you happy with what you do? When speaking, are your words without guile? When you shop, are you aware of your needs? When you meet the suffering, do you help? When confronted with death, are you unafraid and lucid? When you meet conflict, do you work toward harmony? When with your family, do you express benevolence? When raising children, are you tender but firm? When facing problems, are you far-seeing and tenacious? When you are finished with work, do you take time to rest? When preparing for rest, do you know how to settle your mind? When sleeping, do you slip into absolute void?

There are different ways of pronouncing the sounds, I'm just highlighting one method. There are others here.

Well, a lot of Chinese Zen (Ch'an) practitioners also used Daoist methods to keep the body fit, strong and healthy, which obviously helped in their meditation. When we remove the 'labels', there just IS.

AUSTERITIES Self-discipline leads to higher spiritual states Only if practiced with understanding. The clearer the goal, The greater the result. We must distinguish between discipline with a purpose and blind discipline. Discipline with a purpose is merely a means to an end and is healthy. Blind discipline does not have a true purpose and so becomes fanaticism. In the past, there were many spiritual people who believed in harsh asceticism. They would flog themselves, live in cold and damp caves, twist themselves into uncomfortable postures, fast for dangerous periods of time. All too often, these people lost sight of their goals. We must be strongly disciplined, but we must not lose sight of our inner meaning. Austere living with a clear understanding of why and how we are doing things does not require esoteric practices. Few of us mind going through extra effort and even hardship if we know that we will gain something better for it. That is all that discipline and austerity are about : You make extra efforts to gain a better life.

In this post I mentioned opening up another thread dealing with the above topic. Well, here goes. These all look good qualities to have when written down and contemplated on, but how do we actually go about putting them into practice ? 1. Mercy 2. Gentleness 3. Patience 4. Non-Attachment 5. Control 6. Skill 7. Joy 8. Spiritual Love 9. Humility 10. Reflection 11. Restfulness 12. Seriousness 13. Effort 14. Controlled Emotion 15. Magnanimity 16. Concentration Is it possible for a human to possess all these, at all times ? I highly doubt it. However, it certainly gives us something to aim for.

Here we go again ! Popcorn at the ready :lol:

FIELDS Worship by cultivating nine fields : Diet. Herbs. Clothing. Recitation. Movement. Meditation. Creativity. Teaching. And most important : Compassion. Worship is not a matter of making an obeisance to a god. It is a matter of achieving godlike qualities in yourself. This is done through the cultivation of nine areas : Diet should be moderate, healthy, and of living foods. If you want to be sustained, eat things that themselves sustained life. Learn to use herbs, for they heal and maintain health Be moderate in your clothing; wear natural fibers. What you wear is an expression of your state of mind Recitation includes prayer, song, chanting, and finally, the practice of silence. What you say becomes reality Stretch, move, and exercise every day. The universe moves; so too should the energy within your body Meditate every day -- once in the morning and once in the evening, if possible. Only then will you attain tranquility and triumph over your dilemmas Be creative. Thus we contribute, and thus we elevate our souls Acquire a good education. Treasure what you learn, and preserve it so that it may be passed on to others. Never be selfish with what you know Above all, be compassionate. This is a stand against all evil, and it opens your spirit People ask, "How can I worship properly?" Cultivate these nine fields