dwai

Indeed...appropriate the knowledge. Discard the source...and if you can't appropriate, discredit it, so more shit can be sold in its place.

Here's a hypothetical topic of discussion (and knowledge mining) -- If you were given the choice and ability to create a Daoist community (let's say in the US), what would you consider to be integral parts of such a community? How would you go about building one? Is such a place even practical or possible in today's world?

I guess the objective in my mind would not be to create a separate isolated community but to be able to co-exist in "normal" society. Today my Sifu talked about how once we develop enough harmony with the Universe the power radiates all around us and even those we don't consciously try to help get benefit from it. I remember reading about the Old Daoist master who goes to a new village which was drought-stricken for years. As soon as he settles in there, the rain comes pouring down from the sky. Can a community not play such a role...relatively unknown, hidden in plain sight yet changing the world around them and radiating the power of Dao?

Interesting point about Hemp...wonder if it grows in the Midwest. This sort of tangentially ties in to the "Life skills" thread, as in that is what triggered my thoughts about such a community (albeit among my taiji friends it has been a topic of recurring discussion). On a more general sense, what would it take these days to build a self-sustaining community that supports say 100-500 members?

I'd say I'd put the following in order - 1) surviving in the wild - this includes navigation skills, hunting, gathering, building shelters, swimming, rock climbing, martial skills 2) settling in for the big haul - planting and growing food, this includes growing, tending to and harvesting crops and cooking. This includes being able to leverage skill set #3 to grow medicinals etc. 3) understanding of being - the physiology, psychology and energetics of the living beings (at a more earthy level) and be able to treat others and heal themselves with energetics and herbs etc. 4) being aware of death - how everything that is born must go and that this life is a gift - to cherish it and make the most of it to the best of their abilities. 5) arts - music, painting, literature, poetry - what ever is their predilection, let them learn one art. In essence, make them beings of the five excellences.

What time of day do you practice? Why? is there any time of day you avoid? Why?

I've been playing with practicing at various times of the day. I did the early morning and evening practice for a long time, and then off late my schedule has been such that I can't do my morning practice when I like. So I do a 12 pm practice at times, or even 2 pm, 3 pm etc. And evening sometimes 6 pm, sometimes 8 pm. Night after 10:30 (sometimes 11:30 or midnight too). I try to get two practices a day, and was looking at the energy shifts during the day. I read somewhere that practicing at noon is not a good idea. But I see that 12 am is maximum yin, 12 pm is maximum yang. So won't practicing at these times be desirable?

Having been born and grown up in india, as a Hindu, I can say that religion is a way more serious and group activity in the West (when and where it still has relevance). For us, religion was secondary, and provided a way to continue learning our culture and traditions. We had a personal relationship with divinity (through personal deity etc) and a very private one. Even the millions who throng the temples do so on a personal level. There are priests but they are merely a conduit to do the rituals and offerings. I probably went to a temple at best a 100 times in my entire life. That didn't prevent me from having a spiritual practice. The 19th century Master of Advaita Vedanta, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had suggested that there is a "ladder-like" aspect to spiritual evolution. We progessively go towards a non-dualist understanding (and not always in a single lifetime). It took me a long time to understand that even though there is non-dual awakening, there is also no denying the dualistic world. So we have to balance both views...a mature approach is to reconcile both...

What do you mean by Good News? Christian teachings? Or spiritual wisdom in general? The former predicates Jesus the historical(?) figure. The latter predicates experiential understanding and an ability to transmit that to others.

There is a difference between having a spiritual identity and lifestyle vs a "spiritual" profession. "Spiritual professionals" have to have a reason to continue their profession. They need people to stay in the "fold" so to speak. Professional spirituality is no spirituality at all. It is religion plain and simple. You want to teach and serve, there are not too many options out that. Start teaching an internal arts class (taiji, bagua, yoga what ever is your tool of choice)...that'll attract the right seekers, if you have the wisdom and the ability to share, imho.

Yes that is a much better expression of what I was meaning to say

I tried becoming a vegetarian in the past and I reverted back after a few months of that. This time I'm more careful and I've become an ovo-pescatarian. But my stopping eating meat is a result of my meeting my teacher. First time he initiated me, I spent a good 10 days or so in a daze...with recurring sudden meditations and absolute peace and love for the entire universe. I lost all interest in eating meat, drinking alcohol etc. While the euphoria is now gone, I realized that I DO feel very strongly the pain of the animals that have been killed (during those 10 days, the very sight of meat would make me want to gag). It is a love based decision rather than one motivated by health concerns. I think in retrospect, meditating on the pain of the animals being slaughtered will help making the vegetarian choice a more long term one.

It depends on the level we are learning at (teacher is capable of teaching, thereby their level of attainment), imho. Every time I go to my teacher's home for a lesson, he also adjusts internally (energetically) and gives more material to focus on, corrections (not physical but energetic and mental). For a teacher to be able to keep track of our development is a coveted thing. But my teacher always knows if we've not done the "homework" He says if you don't do your homework, you cannot grow. My teacher also says we should teach others too. Best way to learn more about yourself and your limitations, correct yourself is via teaching others. However, that said, we will probably know when we truly are ready to teach. If someone is teaching "taiji" after doing 6 months of practice, it's likely a case of the blind leading the blind. I think it takes at least 7-8 years of dedicated practice to get to a level where we can disseminate some of the internal details along with the obvious external forms.

I noticed that "seeing the energy" seems to need a slightly "crossed" vision - not focusing on anything, not closing the eyes either. Almost like seen from the peripheral vision.

Eyes open connect you with the outside. Eyes close connect you internally. Practice both ways is good. Don't do only one.

By High Level, do you mean "famous" or with High level of attainment? These don't necessarily always go hand in hand. Both my teachers don't want to bother with Internet Forums because there's too much noise and even meaningful discussions degenerate into pointless "shouting matches" between noisy individuals.

Store the Qi as Jin(g) in the Bone Marrow and Lower Dan Tien. Then it won't be lost

Someone famous had said this -- “Wisdom is knowing I am nothing, Love is knowing I am everything, and between the two my life moves.” And also, “The consciousness in you and the consciousness in me, apparently two, really one, seek unity and that is love.” Nisargadatta Maharaj

A thought has been pounding on the doors of my intellect since many years, but I do think it's becoming more pronounced and emphatic off late. The cautionary advice from a little voice in my head is "What's the rush? Relax, Enjoy, move when you have to". The context being - cultivation and practice. Yes, we have to practice. For some of us it is an imperative that cannot be controlled. Not that I'm saying it should... But to practice with a set time window (I'm going to practice 90 minutes everyday) somehow dilutes the process of practice. Practice should last as long as we can flow, vibrate with the energy. My teacher cautioned me - He said "if you practice with a lot of things on your mind, about things that need to be done, chores that need to be tended to, your Qi will get "programmed" to be agitated in a similar manner. If you want the full benefit of your practice, just be patient, let it happen. If you have to stand in preparation form for 90 minutes, so be it. It can be the most powerful practice you'll have ever done..because you will find stillness and the motion that lies within" This I feel is a central concept of being Wei Wu Wei. To not be in a hurry, to be relaxed...enjoying the present moment. Then we will be in harmony within ourselves, and also the universe.

My teacher emphasizes emptiness. The feeling we get when we are doing taiji forms or qigong etc - that is emptiness. It feels like something, but perhaps it is the absence of something we feel. Thoughts?

Yes someday soon that veil will be dropped, but for practical tai chi purposes, its a spectrum of experiences/feelings. We can't deny the duality of this universe anymore than I can deny the itch on my back right now, can we?

There are two aspects to this. One is complete absence of mind-stuff. That is something I've had happen during seated/supine meditation and form practice (holding taiji ball etc). But this emptiness I'm referring to is a "feeling". In Tai chi, we have to use feeling...even lack of "feeling" is in essence a feeling, is it not?

IMHO, this "Eastern vs Western" in what is inherently an Eastern system is nonsense. If you don't do Daoist practices as taught by the Daoist masters, then you are not doing Daoist practices. If you do the practices but then chose to ascribe certain explanations and rationalizations to these practices, that's your personal choice. Why should the tenets and end goal of a system be different based on what part of the world you live in? If they are affected by our socio-cultural paradigms, then it's just an aberration. Its not the "real thing". The "Real thing" cannot be labeled (Daoism 101 )

my feet used to "go to sleep" too, after long meditations (north of 45 minutes). But I think your advice is sound - doing proper standing meditation/practice results in the energy channels opening in the legs and more qi flow there. After that, when we do seated meditation, the circulation seems to be better in the lower body. Albeit, seated meditation allows to focus on lower dan tien and up more. It's a good idea to combine both, ime. First stand and then sit. My teacher says we don't have to sit cross legged even...sitting on a chair and meditating is also just as well...and less stressful on the legs.

I like to understand it this way -- In classical indian traditions, there is the concept of "nama-rupa" (name/label-form/shape). As we all know, Lao Tzu clearly stated "the Dao that can be named is not the real Dao". What it implies is that it (Dao) is beyond labels and forms. But Lao Tzu also called it the Mother, so it gives rise to everything that has name and form.