rene

The things I see coming... I dont want to be right about.

They're hung over cribs & cradle boards to catch bad thoughts & bad dreams before they float down on sleeping infants. (-:

And if a boy wanted to join the Girl Scouts? That's okay, too. Right? smh, lol

Welcome, Brigid; we have similar intetests, looking forward to your interactions. (-: warm greetings

New York Times article, from 2010: "The Rise of the Tao" Link to full article YIN XINHUI reached the peak of Mount Yi and surveyed the chaos. The 47-year-old Taoist abbess was on a sacred mission: to consecrate a newly rebuilt temple to one of her religion’s most important deities, the Jade Emperor. But there were as yet no stairs, just a muddy path up to the pavilion, which sat on a rock outcropping 3,400 feet above a valley. A team of workers was busy laying stone steps, while others planted sod, trees and flowers. Inside the temple, a breeze blew through windows that were still without glass, while red paint flecked the stone floor. “Tomorrow,” she said slowly, calculating the logistics. “They don’t have much ready. . . .” Fortunately, a dozen of her nuns had followed her up the path. Dressed in white tunics and black trousers, their hair in topknots, the nuns enthusiastically began unpacking everything they would need for the next day’s ceremony: 15 sacred scriptures, three golden crowns, three bells, two cordless microphones, two lutes, a zither, a drum, a cymbal and a sword. Soon the nuns were plucking and strumming with the confidence of veteran performers. Others set up the altar and hung their temple’s banner outside, announcing that for the next few days, Abbess Yin’s exacting religious standards would hold sway on this mountain. ....

RIP indeed. All things change; some I like, some I dont. This one I dont.

:rene waves to all from her home in simplicity: 🌲🦋

Nice topic, Ijazztrumpet, very much agree with the idea. Regardless of what one's beliefs are - the fullness, richness and depth of this wonderous life is something to behold; gratitude comes with every breath. (-:

In a post in this thread Jeff describes the blended perspective, (my bolding) The unboundaried nature of Tao means that the source is present in all things at all times, and can be perceived easily, everywhere, all the time! Along with the DDJ, other traditions' sayings also point to this 'Both, same time' perspective: One of them is: Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood carry water. First take might be: If nothing changes, why bother chasing enlightenment? There's more to it though...and my favorite saying is: First there are mountains Then there are no mountains Then there are mountains again First there are mountains: Life is lived on the base level, coming and going, interacting with the manifest. Then there are no mountains: The unboundaried nature is realized, the idea of separateness falls away. Then there are mountains again: Life is again lived on the base level, coming and going, interacting with the manifest - but with the new blended perspective, the view of the numinous comes down the mountain with us. The joys and sorrows that life brings are mitigated, balanced, and life is lived fully; not while stuck only at the base level, or stuck up on the mountain with a misguided rejection of half of the whole, but fully - without the need to turn our back on one world or the other. We dwell in Both. Same time. All thoughts welcome. (-:

Yueya, I re-read your thread, yes! This post of Steve's stands out & fits here nicely, too. Thanks for those words, Steve. Sometimes words do work. Yay! warmest regards

Thanks for this post,Marblehead; it shows the wrong impressions that can be created by not choosing better words! These 'roads' are not side by side, like train rails running down a track. Better to consider them as being on top of each other, like a surface we walk on (manifest) on top of a foundational base layer (Dao). You are very right that straddling them, if that was how it was set up, would very often not be useful. Life is always throwing shit at us, lolol, and dealing with whatever comes is made a helluva lot easier with both roads under our feet at the same time.

You're right, it is different, indeed! It might be that the 'view from Dao' actually is our default perspective (at birth, the 'can you be like a newborn babe'). This bell does not un-ring. It can be muffled though, until maybe unheard, or drowned-out, by the anthropocentric perspective...but it's still there, in full resonance. Likely the cultivation Scott refers to is unmuffling, No objections there, for those still at the base of the mountain - but once the unboundaried is perceived... none needed. imo. (-: I look forward to reading his book, to see what he really thinks! I need to go read/re-read your thread! There might be just semantic issues going on here... highlighted by Marblehead's post below. Wish we could just ring bells at each other, leaving words behind.

Yueya, hi and thanks for the reply! And thanks for the pointer to Bradley's book. (-: The passage you shared well describes a blended perspective; it's a gift to find writings that do at all, let alone nicely (if the excerpt is any indicator). The only part that is a bit different for me is: (my bold) To me, it seems both are always present, with whichever is most needed at the fore; with the other still there, unboundaried, in full support. Sorry, that was unclear. What I mean to say is: No active prioritizing seems necessary. All is Well in the Great Mess - is now on my winter's read list. Thanks again! warm greetings

Nice post, Wisdomkeyz. Glad you are here. (-:

That's one option, yep. My method of choice so far is a quick application of one of these:

lol I haven't had my ID checked in years; now its like the young guys are just fannin' for tips.

9 8 1 22 5 20 15 13 21 3 8 20 9 13 5 12 15 12 13 5 20 15 15! 12 15 12 15 12

That's the problem with all you whippersnappers. You want everything handed to you on a silver platter. Well, it aint gonna happen I tell ya. 1=A 2=B 3=C Go ahead kid, make my day.

1 18 5 1 20 19 6 4 5 19 9 18 5 4 9 14 6 12 21 5 14 3 5, 16 5 18 8 1 16 19?

and...if you number the alphabet... a=1, b=2 etc.. .3=c, 8=h, 9=i, 14=n, 1=a.

It sure is for me! Mom told me every time I took off from home to go exploring I'd head north - so she always knew what direction to go looking for her little girl, lol. The pull is very strong.

Thankyou for sharing that, C T; it made for a peaceful morning. 🦋🌲

Hi Wisdomkeyz, kind words, thanks! One thing that might help you is to know that here at TDB are folks of many different paths: Philosophical Taoism, Religious Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, other -isms and even non-isms. Of those who identify with Taoism, only a very few of us stop at only the words of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Many, if not most, include more of the Taoist Cannon and other works that are considered to be part of 'Religious Taoism'. There are even debates as to 'what is a Taoist' and are there even two separate things (Religious/Philosophical)? Each of us have our own ideas about categories and labels; it's enough, perhaps, to just enjoy hearing about others ideas as there is no "right" answer. Your takeaway, here, should be that most bums draw their ideas from much more than just the TTC. Your words about 'actual adults' made me chuckle; thanks for the grin! Age wise - many here are in late teens, mid 20's; some are in the 40's range; a handful of us are 'over 60' (cough) except for Kar3n, who will be 29 forever. (-: That said, not always does actual age correlate with 'spiritual age' - meaning how long someone has been following a specific spiritual path, or they might be new to a path after following a different one. I think you will do fine here, as long as you maybe re-read your posts before hitting 'send' - to make sure your words aren't making fun of someone, or the path they are following, or what they believe, etc. Everyone will find out, on their own, eventually, what will work or not, what rings true for them or not. And, actually, it might be better for them to find out on their own, yes? We learn more through our own experiences - than through what someone else tries to tell us. At least it seems to me. (-:

The levels of common sense here at TDB varies with each user, and all here are entitled to courtesy, whether we think they are lacking or not. May I gently suggest you use some of the common sense you clearly have and rethink insulting others' choices and paths? Might be a useful idea for you, if you want to interact with others, here, in any meaningful way, or at all.