Ryan T.

So you would rather a person squander a lifetime(hyperbole) doing practices inefficiently instead of finding tools to become the best they could be in a focused self-actualizing manner. Because that is what I am recommending and that is what that book tries to get across. I read that book and it improved everything, and I mean everything, ten fold in my practices, work-life and life in general! But I do agree with your sentiment regarding competition.

It isn't energy work and such like you requested...but Talent is Overrated by Geoff Calvin is an invaluable book for providing a better framework for your practice, whatever that is for you. A person can have many books and practices but it is about how you practice, not necessarily what or how much you practice.

I would also add: Avoid useless engagement in political affairs. The Taoists of lore ALWAYS avoided any calling to the Royal Court. They understood the futility of such involvement. In fact they saw how it detracted from their practices. The same is true today.

You may not be aware of this but there is a difference between being argumentative(a good thing) and verbally aggressive(generally not so good). You may be trying to back up a good argument but you do it with unprovoked insults attached. I was only trying to illustrate one piece of how Taiji can be good for your back. If you feel insulted by somebody trying to offer ideas other than your own you may not want to trade posts on a public forum. And if you do want to be on a public forum I suggest you respect the rules of that forum(no insult policies and such) as well as giving basic respect to the other members of that forum. Don't you expect the same?

My experience is that it is not if people will screw you over, it is when. I still always try to give people the benefit of the doubt, whatever the situation might be. I would try to keep in mind that people are inconsistent creatures with a lot of competing forces in their lives. Maybe you just need to be a little more guarded in your relationships.

A more historical description of the beginnings of Taiji. This comes from one of the two disciples of T.T. Liang, who was one of Cheng Man-ching's highest students. To believe that these forms have been handed down for hundreds, if not thousands, of years is romantic and tends to serve as poetry more than anything else. It is probably more like Santa Claus than we want to admit. And just so you know, what you describe is how everyone talks about their lineage. We tend to believe our teachers/schools about this stuff. But it doesn't make it reality. I do, however, think there is agreement that Taiji in its current form, whatever style it might be, originated from the Chen style and the Chen village.

You know very little of the SYSTEM of Taiji. There is the form, but that is only the beginning. There is also chi kung, weapons and push hands as part of the complete system. Push hands on its own does all the the things you just said that Taiji doesn't. Learn the SYSTEM of Taiji and you will get everything you need. And probably more than you thought was available!

Your premise and your question are false. Why does one have to be better than the other or vice versa? A person will just find what works best for them at the time. No absolutes that I have seen. And yeah. Yoda for sure. As much as I love Pai Mai, he just didn't quite get to Yoda's level. But he didn't have the 700 or so years that Yoda had either. So that isn't exactly a fair comparison either.

How do you mean? Like the video I linked? Or one of us just videoing ourselves saying how great tassels are?

Tassels are used in a many forms. They help you keep your focus on waist movements and can have quite a powerful effect on one's practice. I wouldn't minimize something's importance just because I didn't understand its usefulness. Here is a video that shows part of a sword form utilizing tassel. The Tamo sword form starts at about 2:17 or so. That is 1 of 2 sword forms that is taught at the school I attend. I am sure that you are familiar with it as you have mentioned the Twin Cities in the past. And please...it's pronounced "Tie-Gee".

A cabin in the mountains/woods. Get rid of your computer/cell phone(at least turn them off). A knowledgeable teacher you trust. An extra hour of daily standing meditation. Less is more! Techno-spiritual materialism will not advance the spirit.

Along with what most others have said I also like to think as the "rubber meets the road" aspect of meditation. "The stillness in stillness is not the true stillness" which I take to mean that anybody can be a spiritual god/meditation-mindfulness master when they are sitting in their apartment or facing the wall or on the cushion. It is only in relating to the uncontrolled world that our practice takes real root and has real meaning. That is at least part of it for me and that doesn't even get into what others have said about practices such as Taiji. But it is all very much connected. What steve f. wrote resonates with my own experiences with the internal boxing styles.

A person couldn't really consider it free will if they are doing it under the duress of a debt. Whatever the reason the debt "a pound of flesh" is hardly a reasonable means of payment. An invasive alteration of the body is frowned upon by TCM and Chinese culture in general. It's definitely frowned upon by "Taoists"(whatever they are).

What she really said: Taoism is bullshit, Buddhism is the true way! At least that's my read on it.

There will never be a finer answer to any question. Ever.

What kind of training? Standing chi kung-type stuff or boxing-type stances? Which stances? Can you reverse/alternate these stances(shouldn't you be doing this anyway?)? Are you stretching, especially at the end of training sessions? Is the pain on the sides of the knee or the top and bottom?

If I missed something, feel free to fill in the blanks?

While I agree that there are many factors that impact any subject, please do not minimize the negative impact that genetically modified foods have in our environment and in our bodies. GM foods are nothing like cross-pollination practices that farmers have utilized for centuries. To even bring it up shows a real lack of insight into what companies like Monsanto, Northrup King and ADM are doing and why. Those companies want to bottle-neck the seed supply so all control is through them. They do it under the guise of increased production and feeding food-starved areas of the world. It is only about control and money. Talk to some farmers and ask them how chemicals in farm production have impacted there water-supply, animals and farming in general. GM foods are just an extension of chemical use. The impact of such foods in our bodies are not in any way understood. Why would we want to take such risks? So Monsanto shareholders get a better dividend?

I suppose it's all in how you define meditation. "Stillness is the master of unrest." "The stillness in stillness is not the true stillness." I take stillness to be meditation. Plus, I think the whole of the Tao Te Ching is a meditation. Generally those that are enlightened are only said to be that by others. I think it rare that someone that is enlightened says "You know I'm enlightened right?", just doesn't really work that way. I think there are many enlightened people walking around. But enlightenment is not a one-size-fits-all hat. Enlightenment fits the individual like a glove, it can be quite personal, and perhaps is why it cannot be universally recognized. Also keep in mind that one man's enlightenment is another man's garbage. I would say the two are not mutually exclusive or mutually inclusive. I'm going to meditate on that one.

This is probably some of the best advice I have seen on this forum!

As long as you are always learning and moving forward on the path you can be on the right path. Keep in mind the path is rarely straight and has many forks to choose from. As far as your learning goes, martial arts are great as are chi-kung/nei-kung. I personally think more "Western" -style learning such as anatomy and physiology(to learn about actual functioning of the human body, very handy in the martial arts), psychology(to better understand your mind and the minds of those around you) and mathematics(another way to look at the world). A person can learn much from whatever they focus on as it relates to the "Way". A book you may want to look at is Scholar Warrior by Deng Ming-dao. It outlines the path you write of above in more elaborate detail. Regarding the "running away to the mountains" idea, remember "the stillness in stillness is not the true stillness." How enlightened can one really be if they choose to hide away from the world. There is, of course, a time and a place for seclusion and isolation but one should not think this is necessarily the way of enlightened beings. Good luck on your journey!

Or do you mean Da Mo? Link.

Personally, it would depend on which was more accessible to me, a qualified Tai Chi instructor or a qualified Qi Gong instructor. I do also think that Tai Chi is a bit more accessible to most people. I have found Tai Chi to be a great opening to various other Qi Gong practices that might be a little more obtuse for the otherwise uninitiated. But it really depends on the individual.

Be careful with juice fasting. There is a lot of sugar in those juice drinks. A glass of carrot juice has a similar amount of sugar to a can of Coke. Juice fasting is generally recommended for those suffering more serious illnesses as it is quite strong medicine. Juice fasting has its place but most people should avoid it if they can help it. A more subtle, methodical approach is going to be much healthier for the body. Better to avoid all those sugar spikes in the blood if one can. These days there are too many good proven systems that incorporate the clay/psyllum husks AND really good detoxifying herbs all with terrific instructions to allow for the best process for a body with the least negative impact.

I think it would lead to a higher level of accountability. Quite a few people, of late, seem to be hiding behind the anonymity of the internets. Some seem to think they can say whatever they like without repercussion. I doubt most of these folks would actually say such things in "real" life. With the possibility of poor ratings and possible suspension from the forums they might attempt to stay a little more positive. Nothing wrong with a little conditioning to keep things on the up-and-up, IMO.