deci belle

No Apech, I sorry— What little I've found is from reading Nat'l Geo, then the museum exhibit— and a bit of a History Channel program I stumbled on a few days ago. I've been so inspired by the thought of this culture that I've wanted to name a band Steppe Sisters for years~ which I'd just mentioned that fact on another thread!! But I'm going to look too …I've never been much of a web-searcher though… now only if I4L got hot on this~ heehee!! (ed note: added part about the band name)

I believe dwai hasn't experienced this personally so was making the reference to those who have. This is valid and also follows the logic that was complicit in the conversation that was taking place. I'm not conversant in "logic", but it is a fine example of dwai's understanding and practice!! I enjoyed that, dwai. And Suninmyeyes' honing in on that is how people create buddhas!❤ (ed note: add last line)

Celebrity is a yoke. It means nothing. If someone is ready and their time arrives, then they go forth. If someone is ready and their time never arrives, they simply die ready. Those who are destined have their upbringing and retainers provided or no. Fulfilling destiny, cherish your anonymity. Do not waste too much time idly pondering personalities or spiritual gifts. Your own essence is not one iota more or less than any other person who has ever lived, be it buddha, lama, saint, sage, immortal, your mom, whatever. That which starts from the most incipient beginnings and takes the longest to develop ripens naturally without attracting negative energies. Mastery is no mistake. After a long time of single-minded dedication, far-reaching study and fearless application, anything can be mastered. The only ones you hear about are the ones you hear about. Blooming has no correlate in notoriety. You only see the mountain flowers if you go far into the mountains in certain times of the year. That bloom is no less an achievement than some rarity in a museum. I'd rather live out a life-time in a remote unknowable location moving along with the rarified breeze and dying unknown, forgotten and free. Who needs spiritual powers? Do you believe you would be the envy of a world-honored celebrity of true merit? Assess your own mastery. If is is found wanting, then do what you must without delay.❤

In a way, yes, absolutely. The essence of human is heaven. It is a matter of refining the human away till only the heaven in oneself is all that is left. Then there is nothing to prevent the essence of primordial reality within one's self to extend itself into another realm and re-unite with the realm of nothing whatsoever. One then returns and solidifies the achievement before expressing sameness within difference in ordinary affairs.

Me too, cat!❤ I only have A Guide to the I Ching.

No words apply, but the tao totally digs my 6L6str driven tube amp and 15" speakers. I believe buddhists go for 12" stacks and Marshalls.❤ heehee!!

Hi Samuel! I have nine or so editions of the I Ching… I've even worn out some~ and tossed some too! I don't even have Legge/ Wilhelm-Baynes versions. The Taoist I Ching/Cleary, that Harmonious recommended is great cuz it presents types of time in terms of energy potential which helps one divorce emotional/psychic/intellectual content from the analysis being abstracted from study of situations. The Buddhist I Ching/Cleary is helpful for a more astringent, culturally amoral Chan approach and has its overview based on the inter-related aspects of the three realms within the constants of concentration and insight. Great compliment to Cleary's taoist version. The Complete I Ching/Huang is wonderful in its overall breadth of presenting the ancient symbols and their analysis, which preceded the development of the hexagrams and the lines. Each Hexagram is then given two levels of elucidation— 1st, the name and structure, based on the organization of the historical, cultural and elemental terminology as reflected within the document's living reality, which includes Confucius' commentary and yao text. 2nd, the significance of the hexagram in its meaning and application is discussed before analyzing each line in turn, listing its changing correlated hexagram and the symbolism of the lines' construction. Each hexagram is then provided additional reference information that follows a traditional teaching mnemonic. Practical Guide to the I Ching/Kim-Anh Lim is another full-featured rendition translated from the original French. Perhaps the author is Vietnamese? She has an excellent volume here. It has a very lengthy treatment of the historical and cultural background and levels of analytical organization built into the I Ching. The presentation has a "modern" element to it without feeling "hip". It has a certain elegance (French?)— a streamlined worldly contextual element as well as a quickly referenced +, ++, +++ or -, --, --- feature, kinda like some newspaper horoscopes have so you can gauge a line's yum/yuck factor at a glance. The unasuming Guide to I Ching/Raymond R. Bullock is a little English gem that has an esoteric Confucian element to it— simple, concise and deep. It has a shamanic vibe, not trendy at all; ancient, but fresh. Thomas Cleary also wrote a small volume titled I Ching Mandalas that is based on strains of alchemic teaching. It is no longer available alone, but is now included within larger hard-bound volumes published by Shambhala. This is the best way to initially familiarize yourself with the I Ching. Excellent!! I can only suggest that you keep a journal of all the questions and dates that you choose to apply to the oracle. That also helps to help you reflect on the quality of your concerns and how the oracle responded to the level of reflection you brought to your practice. (ed note: typos and a few finishing touches)

I'd asked about immortal's threads when they were first moved cuz they weren't necessarily articles being written in this instance. Apech commented that it was due to the extensive use of additional links supporting the common subject matter that warrants inclusion of immortal's coverage of the ancient/new age subjects in the articles section. I immediately responded that the moderators' rational was ok with me. Because of the stylized subject matter, it's not necessarily conducive to discussion anyway, so until there are too many other bums with similarly formatted material loading up what is almost a private forum for my ramblings, I feel that immortal's threads are appropriate in the articles section, if that's what people want. Along with what I'm wont to write, I occasionally edit and compile my comments from posts in the other sections and create new threads in the articles section in order to "save" them for others' convenience in the articles section. Maybe immortal should use the articles section of the forum to store the links with the stipulation that the content of his threads in the discussion section develop a real organization and evidence of a personal exploration? I can and do appreciate the issue of "integrity" and authentic investment being brought to bear in presenting views on this site. And I can't imagine consideration of certain subjects without recognizing the requirements of extensive depth and breadth being exercised by those who attempt to present them. If immortal is the only one doing this kind of thing, it has to go somewhere~ and the articles section is kinda the kook's corner anyway! It's kinda lonely out here in the articles section though… just wind, sand and stars❤ As the links are kinda like a reference section, there is a research criteria being met. Maybe mr immortal will even be able to find some tasty Terrence McKenna recordings buried deep in the web to add to his latest thread!! heehee!!❤ (ed note: add "tasty" in last line.)

Dear Truth, within you is some small openness and sincerity to come from, so that you don't even have to open the door to a life full of self-confidence and comfort and sophistication to be whole from within. In spite of your extreme situation, the inner space you come from will be there before, during and after. As you make the effort to meet your life-challenge, also strive to maintain an intimate awareness with what requires only subtle constant reflection to radiate from within. With that, you can take steps toward your goal as Encephalon has suggested.❤

Ya, the hard part is always forgetting the confusion whipped up by the compulsion to keep up with the flow, the speed of a given situation. My estimation is that only about 2% of the time or less, something actually needs to be acted on. Sometimes you really need to act. But one waits until the time arrives. One responds on ones own terms. One makes the universe wait— it is something the universe needs; you do not need anything. The interval one is awaiting is according to celestial timing, not human timing. If you can be dedicated to now, it is as if you are in the eye of the situation as creation acts in concert. The mountain is going to pop up, but since you know that you can decide when. Taoism calls this taking over creation, because you do …and no one knows. Only you know. The alchemical classics all tell us to refine the self and await the time. They also say neither rushing ahead nor lagging behind, like a cat watching a mouse-hole, ever vigilant, careful not to miss the timing. When the celestial time arrives, human energy is responsive. The whole point of this kind of subtle intensity is to follow the breath of creation, waxing and waning. It is really a curious affair in that one does not have to go along with creation at all. One leaves the matrix and enters the mystery. It is so for no reason. It just is and no one knows why. But the ancients have left this teaching for those who have the affinity to follow in their footsteps. In the final analysis, the benefit is this: taoism calls it stealing potential. It is as if the spiritually aware potential energy that makes manifestation possible is gathered by the individual not going along with the particular situation one is a part of. This gathering of potential is real, yet one doesn't actually gather anything. It goes back to following the heart's desire within unknowing. One last thing… it is like the story of the monkeys who do not want 3 nuts in the morning and 4 nuts at night. So the monkey feeder says, "Ok, I'll give you 4 in the morning and 3 at night"— at this the monkeys are very pleased. First of all, you adapt to the situation selflessly and respond impersonally to give the universe its arbitrary causeless requirement in each situation as it arises. Secondly, one uses this situation to master the 3rd and 4th hexagrams. Imagine that! You see, the world gets it all backwards! Those of you who know the I Ching, know that the 3rd hexagram is Difficulty. This should be done before i.e., in the morning. This is advancing the yang fire. This is effort. This is following desires. This is entering the tiger's lair. The 4th hexagram is Innocence. This should be done last. This is withdrawing the fire when the killing energy of the yin convergence first arises in order to gather potential and seal it within innocence void of intellectualism. This is non-doing. This is not stepping over the line. This is stealing potential. I am directly divulging the secret. Who can put it to use? (ed note: delete word "for" in second paragraph and add "in order" in last big paragraph)

Marblehead said: Yes. It is in the interval between "is" and "is" that transformation occurs. One does not "cut" insofar as LaoTzu's dictum that the master carpenter does no cutting. The interval is pure alchemy, effortless response within unknowing. By managing the interval selflessly, one meets conditioned potential with causelessness. One yin and one yang equal one change. Those who do not see change are compelled to go along with creation. Those who see change somehow stand outside the conditional evolutionary cycle and are not subject to the killing energy of its yin convergence. Invariably, changelings are blessed with amnesia because they reflect on phenomena and disregard potential. It is a matter of perspective. Without the perspective of selfless causelessness, one submerged in the flux of phenomena has nothing to effect objectivity outside the blur of time. Whereas knowing "no mountain" will inevitably return to its alternate, an enlightening being just waits. Just waiting is the crux of self-refinement it seems. That's why it is not a matter of doing. In following the heart's desire unknowingly, it's what you don't do that counts.

There are many prescriptions and methods in the world. Some value darkness, some value light; some value strength, some value weakness. If you cling to them, they are all occupations; if you don't cling, they're all the Way. The Way ultimately cannot be attained; what can be attained is called virtue, it is not called the Way. The Way ultimately cannot be practiced; what can be practice is called practice, it is not called the Way. Sages use what can be attained and practiced to live well, and use what cannot be attained or practiced to die well. After hearing the Way, those who contrive anything or cling to anything are relying on the human; those who do not contrive anything or cling to anything are relying on the divine. Whatever is contrived will inevitably fail, and whatever one clings to will inevitably be lost. So "if you hear the Way in the morning, it's alright to die that night." Obliteration of the whole mental state makes a sage (this is no mind; this is not insensitive oblivion); goodness of the whole mental state makes a savant; badness of the whole mental state makes a petty person. Those whose whole mental state is obliterated have gone from being to nonbeing; this cannot be pointed out. Those whose whole mental state is good or bad produce being from nonbeing— this cannot be concealed. Goodness and badness imply having knowledge. All mobile creatures have this. Those whose whole mental state is obliterated are considered to have no knowledge— the Way is everywhere in the world. Don't think the Way is accomplished by diligence because sages endeavor to practice it tirelessly. Don't think the Way is attained by clinging because sages keep to it firmly, unchanging. Sages' diligent practice is like shooting an arrow— it goes by itself, one does not put it into practice oneself. Sages' firm discipline is like gripping an arrow— it is kept by itself, one does not keep it oneself. If you seek the Way by sayings or practices, learning or knowledge, you'll toss and turn and never attain. If you realize sayings are like the babbling of a fountain, realize practices are like the flight of a bird, realize learning is like grasping shadows, and realize knowledge is like interpreting dreams, you stop entirely and don't keep them in mind; then the Way will come and accord. This is an excerpt from "One World", the first section of the 13th century classic Wenshi's Classic On Reality, from The Way of the World, said to have been originally entitled Keeper of the Pass; translated by Thomas Cleary. (ed note: danged typos in first paragraph and last sentence)

Desire is a wonderful thing. Attachment to desire is something else altogether. Attachment to anything is conditioned and dependent. I would have to say either you are or you aren't. But mostly it is a matter of gravity and degree. In terms of the most basic necessity, observing the disease of the mind means it entails suffering. This is an habitual relationship not with the world, but with oneself. It is neurosis. This neurosis is a mental crutch. This is the dependency one must acknowledge and cut away from one's life. Don't be sidetracked by externals in this regard. One follows the heart's desire without stepping over the line. The most subtle veils are of your own making and must be swept away until there is nothing left of you. When you don't want, then self and other turn into mutual response because the situation becomes the context. Sure, no one else knows that— but when you do, you are not at issue with conditions. So when others are, you detach from their issue, not the situation. The situation may very well go on, but you don't. Who can start and end here without further deliberations? Patrick said: An enlightening being sees both— as delusion and absolute are both empty. Also, seeing oneself in terms of delusion, along with conditions that are themselves delusional, whereas the deluded do not see themselves nor conditions as delusional. Seeing both is the path of the Great Vehicle, entering where there is no entry. Seeing is seeing through phenomena without denying characteristics. Knowing the mystery is knowing creation as causeless phantom scenarios. So following the heart's desire is going along with creation's cycles While not stepping over the line is not following conditions. What is there to want from desires knowing the images are complete illusion? What is there to attach to situations with the knowledge that creation is entirely unsubstantial? (ed note: added Patrick's quote and the comment)