innerspace_cadet

I like Taoism because it seems to be the most open ended belief system I've come across. Taoists don't create elaborate theologies about the Tao, they instead try to just live in harmony with it. So in that sense it is very much a this worldly philosophy/religion. A lot of Taoist philosophers seemed content to accept the mysterious nature of life and death and leave it at that. Personally I'm suspicious of religions that seek to provide all the answers.

My goal is equanimity, basically not to become overly elated when my life is going well, or overly distraught during times of difficulty. Ultimately, I would like to be able to regard both life and death with equanimity as well.

I'm not re-ligious I'm just re-tarded, especially after a night of heavy drinking. But I'm not sure what the etymology of that is though.

As the atheist author Sam Harris pointed out, the problem of religious tribalism gets compounded enormously when these different tribes acquire nuclear weapons. I think the world needs less religious belief, not more. Believing in things you can't prove isn't necessarily dangerous, but when that belief leads you to harm yourself or others, it needs to be dropped. It could be something as simple as guilt about sex, or as monumental as killing infidels. I saw this religious tribalism firsthand when I went with my friend and his wife to her church for Sunday Mass. The preacher labeled other religions "hopeless gospels" and falsehoods. What kept me up that night was the thought that the majority of the congregation probably won't question that nonsense. And they'll go out back out into the community the other six days of the week and mingle with people of supposed "hopeless gospels".

Amen to that. Even Buddhism, when reduced to a religion, becomes as empty as any other religion. I recently met a man a party who comes from Sri Lanka. Even though he is a Buddhist, he has never heard of Vipassana meditation, and I don't think he practices any sort of meditation at all. For most Asian Buddhists, "Buddhism" simply consists of visiting a temple and lighting incense in front of a Buddha statue. They don't seem to know much beyond the Four Noble Truths. Even most of the monks don't meditate. I was raised Catholic, but every time I went to Church I was looking forward to the end of the Mass, because the rituals had no meaning for me whatsoever. Religion is for people who like to be handed answers and who like to be told what to do with their lives...without thinking.

I take cold showers on a regular basis, every day in fact. I find it lowers my blood pressure and actually calms me down.

1. Mahayana Buddhism (100%) 2. Hinduism (97%) 3. Neo-Pagan (89%) 4. Jainism (83%) 5. New Age (80%) 6. Sikhism (79%) 7. Theravada Buddhism (79%) 8. Unitarian Universalism (75%) 9. Liberal Quakers (70%) 10. New Thought (58%) 11. Taoism (58%) 12. Scientology (55%) 13. Baha'i Faith (54%) 14. Reform Judaism (50%) 15. Orthodox Judaism (48%) 16. Orthodox Quaker (42%) 17. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (42%) 18. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (38%) 19. Islam (37%) 20. Secular Humanism (35%) 21. Seventh Day Adventist (27%) 22. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (25%) 23. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (20%) 24. Eastern Orthodox (19%) 25. Roman Catholic (19%) 26. Nontheist (18%) 27. Jehovah's Witness (16%) I've taken this quiz so many times, and at no time has the same religion gotten 100% twice (perhaps with the exception of Taoism). This is because my beliefs change all the time. Today it looks like I'm a Mahayana Buddhist, with Hinduism a close second. I guess I'm too much of a moving target to be pinned down.

I am excited to report that I am starting Baguazhang classes this coming Thursday. I signed a one year contract with the sifu who runs the studio, who studied under grandmasters in Beijing. I was quite nervous when signing the contract, but now I am enthusiastic about it. During the introductory class, he kept reminding me that Bagua is a very difficult martial art to learn, perhaps because he thought I wasn't a serious student. But something in my gut tells me this is the martial art for me, I can't explain it. I don't care how difficult it is. This is something I want to master.

I called Martin Kelly today and left a message, saying I wanted my money for the month refunded. So far he hasn't called me back. At least I'm not locked into a monthly contract, and I have several copies of the letter I gave to him. I should have trusted my gut; I sort of sensed the guy was bullshit from the start. Last weekend I went up to Woodland Park to see David Simeone about Bagua training. What a difference! I asked David about training with him, and he recommended against it, because he only offers private lessons in Bagua and that would cost too much. David was not out to get my money at all. He even gave me some things to do on my own, such as doing a circle walk on bricks. It just so happens that the Tai Chi teacher I've been studying with was taught by David, and he recommends studying with her to get my foundation in Tai Chi before progressing to Bagua. It definitely pays to "shop around."

I am looking to go on a three day fast sometime soon. I'm wondering if anyone on this forum has much experience with fasting who can give me some advice. My reason for fasting is not spiritual; I simply want to flush out some of the extra toxins I've built up over the years.

1. Bad translations of Taoist texts by people who have no knowledge of the original Chinese. 2. Spiritual salesmen like Wayne Dyer who see Taoism as a craze they can cash in on and therefore mislead people about what Taoism really involves. 3. A preponderance of people who see Taoism as simply a self help therapy and fill up the bookshelves at Barnes and Noble with self help books that are of no or little help at all. Buddhism encounters this very same problem. 4. Being raised in a cultural mindset that sees opposites as being utterly separate.

Is fasting contraindicated with antidepressants?

Okay, cool, thanks for the tip!

Where in Colorado are they located?

Well, I handed him a notarized letter today saying that I wanted to cancel the contract, which is in the grace period. He offered to have me try a month for 99 dollars, then see at the end of that month if I want to continue. I told him I'd check out a school in Woodland Park that also teaches Bagua and get back to him in a week. Kelly Martin is his name. I don't know the exact lineage, but he says he trained with masters in Beijing, and also under Kenneth Cohen.

Sloppy Zhang, I know, I know. But he's the only guy who teaches Bagua in the Colorado Springs area; trust me, I searched exhaustively on the Internet, in phone books, and in Bagua directories, and he's the only one. My misgiving is I have to pay this dude $136.00 USD a month for his services. My other misgiving is that another potential student showed up to the introductory class, who had more experience with Bagua than I. And the sifu seemed to kiss his ass, while belittling me. When he asked me what I knew about Bagua, I told him my "book knowledge" because I had no practical experience with it. He made some snide remark about me getting the information from wikipedia. He seemed to compare me with the other student, saying "his goals are somewhat loftier than yours." I really want to learn Bagua. But I feel this dude is somewhat of a dick. But what choice do I have? This guy has no competition. The only other place I can learn it is in Woodland Park, which is 30 minutes through the mountains.

I am interested in taking the herb Gotu Kola for its health benefits, namely cleansing the liver, promoting vitality and mental tranquility. But I also take several antidepressants. I am wondering if there is a potential dangerous contraindication here.

Thanks for the reply. None of my meds is an MAOI, so I'm in the clear.

Wow, this thread is really striking a chord with me. I am the veritable Rand McNally of spiritual maps, because I have collected so many of them, but as of yet have been unable to stick with one or two long enough. I have explored Vipassana, Tai Chi, Chi Gung, Silent Illumination, yoga, Shikantaza, Kung Fu, shamanism, Hinduism, etc. etc. etc. There was a wonderful book called "A Path with Heart" where the author recommends "taking the one seat." By this he means finding a spiritual practice that works for you and sticking with it. I think part of the problem is that so many Westerners are so bookish, that they think reading and intellectualizing can carry them to enlightenment. But you have to apply what the books teach; that has been my weak spot all along. I think it is a good idea to have a map that outlines the potential pitfalls of spiritual practice, so you can recognize them when they come up. For example, most spiritual traditions emphasize that psychic powers are signs of spiritual progress, but they are not to be sought in themselves, because you can end up feeding the ego. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. Maps are a guide, not the territory.

Thanks for sharing. When I first practiced the Inner Smile, I felt something I never had felt before--grateful to the universe for my own existence. You're on to something.

I am thinking of practicing Bagua. Has anyone here had good experiences with it? Any advice or pointers for someone just starting out? Thanks.

Well, since many of the Chinese martial arts are grounded in Taoist principles, it doesn't hurt to start threads about them here. A thread about Muay Thai kickboxing or just MMA would be significantly less relevant.

I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I am already looking at a couple of places for Bagua instruction. There aren't many here in town.

There is a verse in the writings of Chuang Tzu where he states that "happiness is the absence of striving for happiness." I think one possible interpretation is that at the end of the spiritual quest, when one attains Tao, nirvana, enlightenment, moksha, etc. one no longer experiences dukkha and no longer has to struggle or fight through life. The Buddhist monk Ajahn Chah once said that you have to suffer before you overcome suffering. A book I was reading by a Hindu swami about jnana yoga said that those on the path struggle, but those who have reached the end of the path do not. Another possible interpretation is that happiness is not a "thing" to be acquired, and thus it makes no sense to strive towards it, it is a natural state that needs uncovering. In other words, it can't be striven for because it isn't something external to you. I'm wondering if you really need to "do" anything to be happy. I also wonder if you already are unhappy, do you need to "do" certain things such as meditation, yoga, etc. to release oneself from dukkha? But isn't that a form of striving? I guess it depends on what Chuang Tzu means by happiness.