liminal_luke

Marblehead`s got it right. We are what we are. The boys naturally belong in the Boy Scouts, the girls in the Girl Scouts. Nobody gets to choose; everybody gets sorted out according to their true nature. Most of the time our true nature corresponds to our anatomical genitals: that is to say, most of the time the boys are the ones with the penises. Very occasionlly, there`s a biological glitch and a boy will have female genitals. Hey, it happens. When that happens, that boy belongs in the Boy Scouts. Nobody chooses anything. Everybody goes where they belong.

Yes, the girl scouts should allow all the girls in. Biology does matter. But there`s more to the biology of gender than what`s apparent on a gross physical level with the naked eye..

Beautiful thoughts, Silent Thunder. I hadn`t thought of it previously in terms of trying to "fix" other people, but that`s exactly it. For me, that`s an issue that goes beyond just how I am on Daobums. Something to think about.

Good question. And a very complicated question in my opinion, which is why we`re so stymied by it as a society. People keep wanting it to be simple and get upset that it`s not. I personally think anatomical parts play into the equation, but they are far from the entire answer. Physiology isn`t my area, but if I had to guess I`d say gender has something to do with neurochemistry, with hormones -- with things in the body we can`t clearly see. Perhaps there`s also an element of spirit. We might eventually conclude that gender is, at least partially, an ineffable mystery that transcends the limits of purely rational scientific inquiry.

Not much, no. It`s best, I think, not to get tripped up by penises. For mysterious reasons I`m not sure anybody entirely understands, some people born with penises experience themselves as girls and some people born with vaginas experience themselves as boys. Clearly, this bothers some people. Many wish it wasn`t so but it is, and no amount of kvetching about it is gonna change this reality. If we`re going to have a group for only boys, we oughta let all the boys in -- including those we think have the "wrong" genitalia.

It`s so easy to underestimate the importance of mindset. Someone else can make a lot of money following a particular strategy so you think "OK, I`ll just do what she does" only to discover it doesn`t work for you. Why? Because you don`t have her mindset.

In my experience, you usually are.

Listening more you talk, and believing that you don`t know much: some might call that spiritual maturity.

Although you might be speaking in jest (sort of), I think you`re on to something: perhaps one of the things that marriage can teach us is to let go of our gotta-be-right egoic selves in favor of collaboration. I recently signed up for the "Marriage Minute," a free twice-weekly relationship advice email from couples therapy gurus John and Julie Gottman. Here`s the marriage minute email I received last. (Here`s hoping all our personal relationships -- and especially our marriages -- are more harmonious and collaborative than the average Off-Grid thread. Something I`m working at in my own relationship.) You're on the same team Any marriage problem is like a soccer ball that the two of you are kicking around. You work together, figuring out how to get it down the field. But it isn't just your problem, or your partner's. It belongs to you both. You're on the same team. When it comes to problems in your marriage, try to look at them objectively as projects that the two of you are going to keep working at in a collaborative way. Working together, even if you don't make much progress, will build trust and understanding. And that will keep any given problem, even the unsolvable ones, from harming your marriage.

If this thread is any indication, one thing`s for sure: the "silent majority" -- not so silent. I personally think there is value in both separate and mixed gender groups. It`s not either/or.

Like so many others, I was dismayed to think that the Boy Scouts were being forced to accept girls. (Until, of course, I read TheLerner`s post and discovered that`s not the case.) On second thought though, maybe co-ed programs are best. Those boys and girls will have to get along with each other as adults, so does it really make sense to artificially separate them as children? It`s also possible, I think, that a co-ed organization will be less prone to attract sexual abusers.

The Buddhist householder could not make much progress in his meditative practice while his kids were growing up. There was always so much to do. But eventually they grew and went off to college; only then did he experience true empty nest.

I`ve got a pretty good vocabulary but you wouldn`t want me to try and fix your car. Most people are like this: good at some things and lousy at others. That goes for spiritual wisdom too, I think. Someone can be an accomplished spiritual practitioner and teacher in many ways, and pitifully lacking in others. Sexual conduct is often a weak area, perhaps because it`s such a taboo subject; things that are pushed out of awareness grow powerful and twisted. It`s not that there`s something inherently bad about Tibetan Buddhism (or Catholicism, for that matter), we just need to bring the whole topic of sexuality into the light.

Although I don`t claim any expertise, I`ll share my opinion: "energy stuff" and alchemy are not the same. Energy stuff is you staying in your bedroom, rearranging the furniture and cleaning up a bit. You change the energy, the feng shui, so that with any luck it`s a more pleasant place to hang out in and you can get a better night sleep. Alchemy is leaving the bedroom and going down to the basement where you discover a hidden trap door underneath the floorboards that leads to the center of the earth.

If it were me, I wouldn`t bring Taoism into it. Philosophizing can be intellectually stimulating and fun but I suspect it`s besides the point the point in this case. The real question is this: do you want to be in the military? If the answer is an unequivocal no, then I`d do whatever is prudent and reasonable to keep yourself from being enlisted against your will. I say life is short. If you don`t want to serve, don`t serve. Don`t mess around justifying your decision with verses from the Tao De Ching, just live your life on your own terms. What could be more Taoist than that?

I`d also love to attend a workshop and feel challenged by the price (and my inability to sit in full lotus). At the same time, I have no doubt that it`s worth it, don`t harbor resentments toward anyone for charging what they like, and think that life is all about the choices we make. The other day I had an interesting experience -- for free! -- that I`m not sure what to make of. I was looking through student questions at the Dragongate website when I suddenly felt myself swept up in...well, I`m not sure what. Anyway, resonance happens.

“She understood as women often do more easily than men, that the declared meaning of a spoken sentence is only its overcoat, and the real meaning lies underneath its scarves and buttons.” – Peter Carey

Beautiful interview and just what I needed to hear -- thank you!

Hi Taomeow, Kar3n, I`m in Ensenada, just south of Tijuana and San Diego. Just found out about the quake myself from my mom. Didn`t feel a thing. Thanks for checking in with me! LL

My original answer, which is an unattributed quote from another Bum who used those same words (or nearly those same words) in another context, was meant as a spoof. Unfortuntely, my practice hasn`t been consistent enough to lead to the kind of the results that could usefully be listed here. If you search the archives, you`ll find many testimonials, both positive and negative. Max and his minions draw snickers from the spiritually jaded and photoshop savvy, but spontaneous movement qigung forums, like Kunlun, are ubiquitous and generally well-regarded. What experienced practitioner has not done some form of shaking?

Question: Where`s the Kunlun crowd these days? Answer: Members of our group are still here though we`re largely quiet for obvious reasons.

I found something Michael Winn wrote in an old newsletter about a past eclipse, so I thought I`d pass it along in case it`s of interest. The cosmic threesome is played here by Father Sun, Mother Earth, and daughter Moon. Their exact alignment during the eclipse creates an especially intense show for us by infusing their this triple force into the deep Yin Womb of Earth that opens up during Winter Solstice. The challenge is not to just witness the show, but capture its essence in our body, and thus speed our soul’s journey. An eclipse is what I call a “post-natal void”. It is “emptiness manifested physically before our eyes”. Void spaces want to fill themselves, so they naturally and suddenly suck on any psychic forces in their path, a kind of subtle-body tornado. That’s why traditionally there was a lot of fear around eclipses. For those brave enough to whole-heartedly leap into this void space, it makes eclipses a fantastic opportunity to break out of old stuck patterns. The psychic patterns literally get sucked into the post-natal void. IF we are aligned and willing, Nature pulls us iinto its temporary void at the same time that we push our stuff out. That moves stuff like nothing else you’ve tried by yourself, at other less auspicious times of the year. Michael Winn

We`re cool, Hancock. It`s understandable that you`d have strong feelings and views about white supremacist groups.

The above is the best argument for the suppression of free speech we`ve heard yet.

Hancock, Free speech is fundamental. If we take it away because we don`t agree with someone or some group (like the KKK) then freedom for all people is at risk. Supporting free speech for white supremacists is not the same as supporting white supremacists. I believe all people should be able to speak freely, even those whose opinions I abhor the most. In your first reply back to me in this thread you said "your kind of idealism is the worst there is." In a subsequent thread you claimed I did something racist by mentioning that the poet, Claudia Rankine, is black. Let`s just say we weren`t off to a very good start as potential Daobums friends. Honestly, I felt a little hurt by your comments. But here`s the point: even though I didn`t like what you said, I don`t think anybody should try to shut you up. I believe in Free Speech for Hancock, and I`d even carry a sign. You have a right to be here, and to voice whatever opinions you care to. Everybody does. I don`t think, by the way, that anybody considers you an expert on blackness here. You are an expert on your own experience, as we all are. We are all educating each other. If you are black (you haven`t exactly said, or maybe I just missed it) that certainly gives you a valuable perspective on the question of racism. Still, most of us have experiences and opinions around this issue and everybody deserves to be heard. I do agree with you that many people, including myself, make "subconscious" judgments about people based on appearances, including race. If I may be so bold, I`d wager that you do it too. We need to become aware of these tendencies within ourselves if we`re going to have any luck in treating people fairly. As an aside, I also like your emphasis on personal story as opposed to philosophical argument. You point out that sometimes philosophical argument can get a little "dry" and sometimes lacks "soul." I agree. Not everyone is comfortable sharing personal stories over the internet, and that choice is a personal matter. Anyway, I love personal stories and appreciate it when people do share. LL