Cameron

So your saying there are inherited behavioral traits that are passed down to Chinese babies? What about half chinese half white? Would those traits then be blended according to your view? *question directed to QiDr.

One reason Ime sure it doesn't stress my body is I am always more relaxed after doing those excercises than before. And my body always gave me very positive feeling from doing them. But you should do what you think is best. I can't comment on whether doing a pushup is the way of the Tao or not, not sure I can equate calisthenics as being counter or harmonous with Tao.

A video from Ken Wilber's myspace page I really liked. At a deeper level I would question whether the "I" is even present but this is still a good start. I think 'Sailor' Bob uses the same terminolgy. Ken Wilber

If your tensing and straining while doing squats, pushups or bridging I don't think your doing them correctly. You should be loose and relaxed while doing them is my understanding. Ime done with BJJ. And will most likely get into more internal MA next year. I don't really see it so much as conscious decision making anymore. Whatever will be will be. Cam

Probably most 'purists' arent fans of vigourous excercises. I think they are good but you should keep everything balanced. As far as health goes..I don't think it's really necissary and would pick qigong over vigorous excercise but for cardio, endurance, overall strength and power I don't think these excercises can be beat. I know it's a cheesy line but look at wild animals. They work with there bodyweight like crazy. Run, jump, climb wrestle etc. Sonnon might argue that animals arent doing repetitive movments over and over again but more of a 'flow' type of excercise. And he might be right. But I don't think it's as dire as he says it is and there are many mor epeople that say they have benefited from Karl Gotch's/Matt Fureys excercises than been ahrmed by them. Anyway, I don't really care. If you like Sonnon's stuff and think it's better or Fureys stuff is dangerous stick with that. I'll be having my second knee surgery from a Brazillian Jiu Jitsu injury in two weeks so won't being doing shit for awhile anyway.

I think a moderate approach to bodyweight excercises is great. Especially combined with qigong or yoga. Doing 500 squats or whatever every day the way Gama or Karl Gotch or whatever did is probably not the way to go. But 3-4 days a week and Yoga or stretching/Sonnon stuff on off days is good I think. Those excercises are too hard for most people to do high numbers anyway so some intuflow or whatever is more realistic. Plus there is the boredom factor which Americans like Yoda can't be bothered doing 5oo anything in a row and need to mix things up!

Check out Yogini's myspace. I like this song alot. Yogini

My understanding is everything is the dance of Tao, of creation, of Brahman or whatever language we care to use. Different cultures and spiritual paths use different language for the same one essence that underlies everything. If your getting into this game where the 'real' Taoists in China are the ones who understand this truth more than others than that is your trip. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with you making that trip and making those discovieries for yourself. If I was attracted to it I would do the same. At best I think I would find just another expression of the same awakeness that I can easily find in my own culture in my own familiar language. Right here, right now. If you think all these western people who are waking up are full of shit, again, that's your trip and good luck with all that. Cameron

Of course there is no inherent 'Chinese' mind or 'Western' mind just as there is no inherent real personailty or "self"(With smal "s") Take a Chinese Baby who's family was raised with Chinese values for the last thousand years(ummm...Buddhism, Confusionism or Communism?) and bring him to Paris to be raised by a French family and your going to have one espresso, croissant and art house movie loving 'Chinese' guy(stereotypical example) Or an American baby and raise him in Iran and you'll have one middle eastern food and culture loving grown up who thinks Persian cities and civilization was mugh higher than the US(I recently met a blond hair American guy who grew up in Iran and told me this). It's all conditioning. Of course cultures have conditioning the same way people do. Thousands of years of people speaking a certain language and relating a certain way results in a paticular mental construct and personailty. But take a child out of that conditioning at a young age and put him or her in another type of conditioning and you see pretty quickly there is no real lasting truth to any of it. At the same time I think there is a value in preserving and appreciating each cultures unique expressions. You can see all the different languages and philosophies as myriad concepts but still enjoy the unique expression. For me, the 'higher' level would be appreciating the unique expressions without judging, comparing and contrasting which is better it's all just the way the Self(Big "s") is expressing and will undoubtedly change and change again. ps. Didn't Socrates, one of the founders of western philosophy end up saying "I know that I don't know"? I have never been interested enough in Greek or western philosophy to study it deeply but didn't some of the top guys essentially end up burning out on "thought" and arriving at the silence and stillness that the Eastern sages talk about? Hell, even Jesus, by far the West's favorite spiritual teacher, was by some accounts basically an enlightened teacher who has just been heavily misinterpreted for power and money.

Deal!

The feeling of being pinned down would be what is This can go forever..we better Stop *Nods at correct use of Advaita lingo*

Yes. But it still is all just what is *applies for patent on the words what is*

Listening to it right now My Mom and I are probably going to visit Australia in 2008. Apparently the Pope is coming then. I told her the day you go see the Pope Ime going to see this guy in Melbourne. I think him and Adya are a nice balance of expressions on the same truth of what is Hey..can we trademark the term what is like some people we know do?

Yeah...that holding onto a concept that you shouldn't hold onto concepts thing. Real knowing or realization or whatever language we care to use is all what is . Sailor Bob said you don't have to discard concepts but just understand they are concepts. You don't need to cling to any of them. Emotions about people, money or whatever still come up. Attraction to people or teachers may come..or not. It's all still what is and in the present moment there is no holding on to anything. It comes and goes. What's that first passage of Tao Te Ching again?

From an ultimate point of view, it's probably correct to say it isn't "all good" or "bad", it just IS. From the ego's standpoint, we all have our personal preferences of how we want things to be. Hell, even Adya likes his coffee a certain way, you want to design a t shirt that you can wear out to Bay Area bars that says "I would rather be meditating" on it. I like expensive teas.etc etc. But maybe all those so called "ego" preferences are all just "What is" to? Ohhhhhhhh..

Cool. I need to remember to make a list of all the Australian Tao Bums for when I can find the time to visit my family down under and check out Sailor Bob.

Wanted to get this post up top for those who missed it. Check out the "Advaita Show'" podcasts for some entertaining conversations about truth with this awakened Australian guy.

Oh, that's far. Not sure what you should do then. My personal favorite is Ken Cohen. He has an excellent Qigong program for beginners called The Essential Qigong Training Course that I think you can pick up on Amazon for about $60. That should keep you busy for awhile along with all the other books that have been reccommended to you. Check out a live teacher when available or the opportunity arises. Cameron

How far are you from the SF Bay Area? That is considered Northern California, yes? If your close there are quite a few excellent teachers over there like Fong Ha. Our webmaster Sean lives there too.

How many years do you think it will take the Democrats to clean up the shitpile produced by the Bush administration? Ime going to go with 10, provided they get a strong candidate in '08 and can control the House and Senate.

What about studying directly with westerners who are "authentic" Taoists? I have done workshops with Ken Cohen who is a Taoist priest(was the principle apprentice to Longmen Sect Taoist Abbot KS Wong). The guy Sean studies with is considered a "real" Taoist initiate, no? Nothing wrong with going to China and studying with people but I don't see what's wrong with taking advantage of studying with "real" Taoists who spent years studying from Chinese teachers and can present the material through the lens of western culture very skillfully but also mantain the intergrity of the original traditions. Not that Ime particularly interested in being a real Taoist over a Tao bum anyway, just saying.

Mine charges $45 for 1 hr acupuncture and chi nei tsang.

Good points. I think we need grass roots change and responsible leadership that will encourage and support change. Basically, the opposite of our current government.

Nothing else comes close to Cartman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yOigy7WjT0...ted&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P06U2KKSek...ted&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImHdBrnbY7A...ted&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_yZy_BYT9k...ted&search=

Cool! I missed alot of episodes and will check them out when I have time. My favorite episodes are Woodland Critter Christmas and Smug Alert from season 10.