Duifang

What was the movie?

"Bardo" just means "transitional state". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bardo The steaming monks are practicing tummo. Search "tummo" on this forum for more on this from the members.

This is good. So simple. Thanks. And it gives more time to practice Zhan Zhuang.

Read the book. (Authored by Jon Krakauer) http://www.amazon.com/Into-Wild-Jon-Krakau...9835&sr=8-1

It seems like the people who thought they would use or control the "baby ghost" were just fooling themselves. I think it was already controlling them. M By the way, what is fu or FU?

I suspect the "baby ghost" may have been there all along. The red FU cloth wrapping a bottle (with bones and hairs and corps' oil in it probably was just a catalyst which caused the "baby ghost" spirit to coalesce. My humble 2 pennies... Mark

There is a history of inner, esoteric practices by those following in the Abrahamic faiths (Jadaism/Christianity/Islam). Certainly in the case of Christianity these practices had been largely suppressed by the church so that today they are very difficult to find and to learn. Nevertheless they exist. Then, of course there are Sufism and the Kabbalah. It does seem like there is an element of dogmatism in a few of the posts on this site, particularly regarding Taoist practice and about how teachers make a living. Ironically, dogmatism is contraindicated by Taoist philosophy.

The idea of tucking the tailbone is not so much bad advice as it is misunderstood advice. Tucking the tailbone is not forcibly jamming one's hips forward. That is just replacing one tension with another tension. What should be happening is a release or a letting go. While maintaining intention in relaxed suspension from the Bai Hui (crown point at top of head), open the ankles, the knees and the hips -- the "tucking" will happen on its own. This is basic Zhan Zhuang.

You're shouting at us. (THIS IS SHOUTING.) The Tao Bums > Tao Lounge > Taoist Discussion > Shocked, Saddened, and Disappointed

Start pracrticing Tai Chi and Chi Gong. Find a good instructor. Learn Zhan Zhuang (Wuji standing). One of my Sifus has scoliosis. Twenty years ago she bagan studying Tai Chi. Today her scoliosis is under control, her posture good and her Gong Fu is superb.

What an excellent idea. The whole process of reading, then vocally re-reading for recording, and then listening to your own reading must be a very self-reinforcing process. The stops and starts of getting the audio correct can only add to the reinforcement. I must try this. How does it feel to hear yourself reading to you? What is mind-mapping?

Truthahnpups.

... Way too complicated. There is no such thing as a free lunch. And morality is context sensitive. Way too complicated....

This is useful. LITANY AGAINST FEAR I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. (by Frank Herbert)

Can you supply the captioned graphics you are referring to? Is there a link to them? It's sounds intriguing. M

Boy, this is a hard topic to keep up with of you don't stay logged in all the time. Here's my two cents worth. In the world of action, I think the whole thing can be pared down to these things: 1) Family & friends, stored food, a wood stove and plenty of amunition. 2) Have your spiritual house in order. For instance, how bound by attachments are you? This will matter if the time comes that you have to flee with nothing but the clothes on your back. Will your attachments hinder you, and cause the downfall of you and/or your loved ones? Will your attachments to things that are no more cause you to despair and give up? Have these things in order and you will be prepared. Everything else is accessories. M

Family & friends, plenty of canned goods, and plenty of ammunition. And remember that nothing lasts forever. (Though you may not live to see it get better.)

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I began learning taijchuan about four years ago in order to deal with chronic lower back pain. I did not know what I was getting into when I started; it just seemed to me that it might be a good thing to do. Since then I have fully embraced learning this art. In the course of learning taijichuan I started reading about Taoism. And now my curiosity has opened up to Taoist health practices and Traditional Chinese Medicine. My dilemma is trying to find a credible, qualified teacher to bring me into basic Taoist practices. From my reading I think that maybe spending my life working my way through the 16 Element Neigung system would be part of my development. So, how do I find the right teacher? Living in rural North Idaho makes me geographically challenged. This means I will probably need to do workshops with a lot of solo practice in between. (Since I can only go to taijichuan classes twice a week, solo practice makes an especially large part of my learning that art.) Regarding the healing arts, my approach, if it makes sense, would be to learn them in a binary fashion. That is to say, in learning to make myself healthy I can learn to help others and in learning to heal others I can learn to help myself. So how do I find the right teachers and establish for myself a "curriculum" to follow? There is a huge amount of stuff about all of this on the internet, and it is overwhelming. I can't figure out where to start let alone figure out what is real and what is bullshit. I'm a forty-something. Life is short and my ignorance is vast. So any useful advice that anybody has to offer would be most welcome. Or if somebody could direct me to a source of guidance that would be welcome, too. Thank you. -Mark-

markern, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I intend to stay within the Taoist fold, so to speak, for the curriculum I want to develop. I have spent a lifetime sampling and learning from various sources and have a personal set of spiritual beliefs that have been born of that self-discovery. And when I started reading Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi I found a very deep resonance between what they were saying and the beliefs I had begun to develop on my own. I am at an age where it is time to start distilling what I have learned on my own. To that end I have chosen Taoist philosophy as the framework or ladder to foster that distillation. In the mean time I have embraced Taijijuan, and intend next to delve more deeply into Qigong, concurrent with my sudy of Taijijuan. (Thanks for the heads-up on Spring Forest Qigong, btw.) That still leaves me looking for the proper elements to develop a set of healing practices (particularly to heal others, too, not just myself). My instinct is to get into something that is directly hands-on; no implements or chemicals (ie. needles or herbs). I seem to have the hands of Fonzerelli, and I would like to see if that gift extends to animate objects, too. I am sure that you are correct in your observation about the potential difficulties in finding good teachers. But I have the patience and the well-tuned b.s. meter to deal with that. Also, I do not intend to chase spirituality. Chasing after something is the epitomy of desirefulness, and desirefulness impedes spiritual growth. I think if I mindfully follow the path I have set for myself (maybe with occasional side trips to enjoy the views) I will achieve satisfactory spiritual results. Orb, finding teachers is one of the reasons I got on to this forum, but its going to take some screening and shaking to find them. And PM-ing them once I find them is a good idea. Thanks. Trunk, I have already found www.alchemicaltaoism.com and bookmarked it. There's some good stuff there. mantis, when I have the time and money, I hope to make a pilgrimage to China. Maybe I'll see you there. -Mark-

I think what you might be looking for in the 5 Elements is a "static balance". That exists only in mathematical abstractions, not in the living Tao. There is always transition through the balance point, then back, then back again. Like the cyclical transition between kinetic energy and potential energy in the swing of a pendulum. Like in the movements of Tai Chi. So to that end the 5 Elements Theory represents the living Tao. -M-

Hello All, I began studying Taijichuan about four years ago. I initially wandered into Taiji looking for a means to deal with chronic back pain. Since then I have embraced the art as a spirtual, health and martial practice. The practical and spiritual depth of Taiji is truly remarkable. My study of Taiji has led me to Taoist philosophy. I have found a deep resonance between basic Taoist ideas and the personal spirtual system which has grown and evolved over the course of my life. I disdain religion and I have absolutely no desire to become a religious Taoist. Nevertheless, I want to learn more about Taoism and Taoist philosophy. I have been very much taken by that deep resonance. And I especially want to learn more about Taoist practices which are related to my Taijichuan. If asked about my spirtitual system I have no -ism to offer. Before I discovered Taoist philosophy I knew that I did not want to give a name or a label to my beliefs. My study of Taoist philosophy has validated my position on this. This can make for awkward conversations, when the subject arises, particularly with rank-and-file Christians (or other children of Abraham). However, in this forum, I suspect I will be forgiven this failing. Namaste. -Mark-

Thanks Trunk and Steve for the welcome. I'm pretty excited about this place. I haven't quite dived in yet, but I have waded around in the Taoist discussion and have already learned a very useful, new (for me) metaphor for what chi is. I also wandered into "The Pit". (Interesting...) I expect to learn a lot. In fact I also stumbled over a cautionary essay about "semen retention" something I had never even heard of before. I think it was by you, Trunk. It was at http://www.alchemicaltaoism.com/. What a place! -Mark-