evZENy

Too bad! I guess the basic concept of Compassion, Suffering of all Living Beings etc. is not fit for everyone, if the Head Master can't follow it. I am vegetarian for the same reasons, without being BUddhist => one doesn't need this religion to be compassionate. And one can be the leader of the religion and still ignore its bases. (and yes, yes - I've read tons of literautre about BUddha himslf said on meat eating etc - don't strat it :-)

True. Beautiful way to say it. And having a doubt seems to be the right way...

You don't have to be. Tao is. It's not a choice you make. Energy moves. You are alive - you have energy. I like CHI deciphered as "Continuous, Harmonious, Infinite". Could be stillness. Could be movement. And as we are talking about energy - it is movement. The moment Tao is not in movement, Yin and Yang are created and the interaction between them. And the constant interplay between them is movement. Everything in the Universe moves, though many things look still. And in many of the movements, you have this calm filling of stillness. Doesn't have to be Qigong moves. I just finished 3 sets of tennis - got few glimpses, when the swing, the ball and me were Continuous and Harmonious :-) True. I hate definitions too, exactly because they create disagreement, where (e.g. in this case) probably it does not exist. Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan) - a martial art Tai Chi (Taiji) - "is a Chinese cosmological term for the "Supreme Ultimate" state of undifferentiated absolute and infinite potentiality" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiji (for example) Yet, I like to say I practice Tai Chi, which I see as form of Qigong - moving my body, energy and spirit. No martial art, though I am awre of the possible applications. The goals are way beyond them. Too far for me to see them :-) labels, labels, labels...

Both TCM and Ayurveda advise against cold foods and drinks. Even today, most of the Chinese boil the water that they will drink and use it hot or warm (my Chinese co-workers for sure do). One can argue, that this had to do with being sure the water is sterile and this is not needed so much today. But it also goes with the principles of the TCM and Ayurveda, beyond the possible complication of non pure water. And boiling the water today helps get rid of the Chlorine/Fluorine in it, if nothing else, as well as making it softer by depositing the Ca/Mg ions.

You can confuse people by making a statement that can not be understood. Right now you are asking questions, that you can not understand :-) I don't understand where you are going with this. Or why. Zen and Tao are both ways of life. Beyond mental consttructions, moving or meditation. Both have them all. Washing the dishes can be both.

Avoiding my question, you are :-) If Buddha's is the only way, one doesn't state "i want to connect with Taoism", ask for books on Chi massage, taoist masters etc. Accepting one view point for the Truth already means you refuse to change, unless the point changes. So all this is indeed an ego contest or projection of doubts and fear. There won't be Buddhist misconceptions if no one brings the topic of Buddhism :-)

Well, mikaelz - what did Buddha recommend ? :-) Fasting once a week is a great idea. But the other 6 days should be also considered. Otherwise it won't be the Middle Way :-)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=59...mp;client=opera I am watching it right now (half the way through). Starts with the statement, that this is a hermits' way of life in China for more than 5000 years. But obviusly because of the inclination of the author, it talks about Buddhists. Interesting people for sure. Reminds me of the saying, "it's not as easy to be a Buddha in the village market as in the forest". Obviously only in the forest not quite easy either. P.S. Enjoyed the silver watch and the soda bottle. It's hard to hide from civilization nowadays....

Not for me. Tao is about infinite motion, but always with stillness in it.

Cultural differences. The first Zen patriarchs in Japan are also considered prominent scholars in China. And they speak of the Way - check Hsin Hsin Ming, for example.

To balance 11:33 - my short answer: "Yes. The movie/book "The Secret" is bull shit. Too superficial."

Reading all these parallel threads I wonder something else: If one accepts that the Buddha gave a clear, well structured and the only working method, why discuss here? I don't mean Tao Bums - it is open for ANY discussion. I mean here like the VIRTUAL world, where we communicate (and which I am sure is more Maya than everything else we think we comprehend :-) Why keep on looking for other books, DVDs, teachers, methods...? Don't get me wrong guys - nothing personal. Just curious. I haven't achieved anything. I've read lots of books on all religions (yes, yes - I admit, I love Osho and his explanation and that's where most of it came). I do practice Tai Chi as a way of life - the philosophy, the qigong exercises, meditation, breathing and sexual techniques. I wouldn't call myself Taoist - it's a label of belonging to a religion and structure and as such - dead to me. But I like to come here, to meet others who search, learn things I've missed or didn't follow correctly. We humans are tribal animals - we like to know there are others like us and we belong. And that we can be missed (nice talk by Seth Godin: http://www.ted.com/talks/seth_godin_on_the...s_we_lead.html) But if one has accepted that given teaching (let's say Buddha's) is the only one that can lead to liberation, why bother search for anything else!? With risk to bring the Consciousness topic again - what is it due to? Unconscious doubt? Desire to convince the others just to convince oneself in one's righteousness? I mean - feel free to come and write, and share your experience, and question that of the others. I enjoy it! But ask yourselves - why? Do you really help the others (is that the compassion Buddha talked about?)? Do you help even yourselves? I saw few recent clips of U.G. Krishnamutri on a similar topic. Thought provoking. Your curious friend, Evgeny

Really? I assumed that it's quite universal that one starts with visualization. As energy follows the mind etc. There is a reason why T.T. Liang called his book "Imaginations Becomes Reality"

What goal !? :-)

As always - well said by someone who knows how to use the words, even when he doesn't want to. Thanks! Yes, I agree with that - it does restate the previous quote. BTW, no reason to repost my quote - some of you do it all the time and I personally find it quite annoying to see everything twice or more on the same screen :-). Should work on my emotions, I guess :-)

And so on... "There is much difference between awareness and witnessing. Witnessing is still an act, you are doing it, the ego is there. So the phenomenon of witnessing is devided between the subject and the object. Witnessing is a relationship between subject and object. Awareness is absolutely devoid of any subjectivity or objectivity. There is no one who is witnessing in awareness, there is no one who is being witnessed. Awareness is total act, integrated, the subject and the object and not related in it, they are dissolved. So awareness doesn't mean that anyone is aware, not does it mean that anything is being attended to. Awareness is total - total subjectivity and total objectivity as a single phenomenon - while in witnessing a duality exists between subject and object. Awareness is nondoing, witnessing implies a does. Bue through witnessing awareness is possible, because witnessing means that it is a conscious act, it is an act, but conscious. You can do something and be unconscious - our ordinary activity is unconscious activity - but if you become conscious in it, it becomes witnessing. So from ordinary unconscious activity to awareness there is a gap that can be filled by witnessing. Witnessing is a technique, a method toward awareness. It is not awareness, but someting more still has to be changed. That is, the activity has to be replaced by inactivity. That will be the second step. ... There is still a difference between consciousness and awareness. Consciousness is a quality of your mind, but it is not your total mind. Your mind can be both conscious and unconscious, but when you transcend your mind, there is no unconsciousness and no corresponding consciousness. There is awareness." Not "precisely" because I didn't say that :-) I say that the yellow light was there before humans can detect it. And the sounds are there that we don't here. But NOT because we can't physically do it! Because we can't realize what this is we just don't register it. Remember Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring' premier in the recent 1913? Yes, people managed to register the sounds, yet the latter caused a riot and many people were injured! And they WENT to the concert expecting to hear SOUNDS :-) But weren't ready for THOSE sounds :-) As we are obviously not ready to see beyond our posts and computer screens. Otherwise would not have been here :-)

Are we sure? There are theories, that Humans didn't register and recognize all the colors at the same time, for example. Or fragrancies (examples were tribes which even today don't have words for smells. And ancient texts, incl. Hindu, which do not discuss that sense among the others). There is the story about the Native people of the Americas not seeing the European ships in the ocean - just the waves they made. Or in modern times - people in Canada hitting an airplane landed in emergency on a highway. They didn't see what they didn't know and didn't expect. Many say this is the reason why we don't see many pheneomena around us - ghosts, energies etc. Not because we can't. Myths? Maybe. Don't know - haven't experienced it :-)

By our nature and the nature of the forums, we repeat the thoughts of the others. I will do it directlyand not pretend they are mine. This one - from a guy that was trashed in a parallel thread here :-). And just one more view. As are the views of Buddha, Hegel, Kant etc. "Phenomena means all that you see, all that you experience. All that can ever be experienced is all phenomena. Remember, not only are the objects of the world phenomena and dreams, but also objects of consciousness. They may be objects of the world, they may be just objects of the mind. They may be great spiritual experiences. You may see Kundalini rising in you: that too is a phenomenon - a beautiful dream, a very sweet dream, but it is a dream all the same. You may see great light flooding your being, but that light is also a phenomenon. You may see lotuses blooming inside you and a great fragrance arising within your being: these too are phenomena, because you are always the seer and never the seen, always the experiencer and never the experienced, always the witness and never the witnessed."

Dude, I made the methaphor - thank you for telling me how to take it :-) The tools don't lead to bikes, the same way religions don't lead to realization. The tools help you to ride the bike. I guess :-( By the way - the methaphor came from the bike I ordered for my daughter and just arrived. I don't like it and plan to return it back. Don't get attached to the bike! If you don't enjoy riding it - change. If you like it - don't convince everybody else it's the best one. That's all!

Why do you say I assume that !?!? How do you read my words !? Different bikes, need different tools! Of course - we have 4 at home. Don't have to tell me :-) And exactly because different bikes need different tools, Buddhism won't work for everyone! :-) I am not interested in Taoism as religion. I am interested in Tao, which as UncleS said, goes much further back in the dark/golden days... For example, I followed a link from here today to a site that you pay money and you become Taoist. That's not how I understand that word. as I am sure different Buddhist see themselves differently despite the same name. Just names. Different labels. You don't pronoune Audi and VW as the Germans do. Symbols, names, concepts, words... Of course - once applauds what one agrees with :-)

Absolutely right - I already pointed that and the links I posted say the same. I do of course take B12 supplement. Even non-vegetarians should.

True, true... I use tools to change the tubes on my bike. Then I enjoy the ride. If someone asks me how did I enjoy the biking I don't explain the tools I used :-) And while I bike I enjoy the experience, not the bike :-) [got in so much mud last Sunday - real, non-dualistic one. Loved it! :-)]

That's the problem of those who have decided to discuss the undiscussable using their concepts :-) I am still amazed how attached to concepts and words are some people (including in the forum here), while following the path of detachment ! :-)

True. The reason being that things were not so sterile. Some claim that walking barefeet in the dirt gives you some B12 as well. I do it when I work in my garden. And don't go crazy on washing my vegetables which I grow all natural :-) Tested B12 few months ago - kind of low, but still there :-)