mat black

Virtue is loving kindness. All other virtues come from loving kindness. Taoist, Buddhist, whatever, loving kindness embraces and harmonises everything. It is non-discriminating virtue. The highest of all. It is really amazing. It is inherent within us as our authenticity, and it's nature is to radiate out in all directions with no conditions just like the sun.

Karen, i'd never heard of xylitol before, thanks for mentioning it. So i had a bit of a look for some info about it, here's some of what i found: http://www.xylitol.com.au/g/176/about-xylitol.html Xylitol looks, feels, and tastes exactly like sugar. Although that is where the similarities end! Xylitol is really sugar's mirror image. While sugar wreaks havoc on the body, xylitol heals and repairs. It also builds immunity. Xylitol is a five-carbon sugar which means that it is anti-microbial, preventing the growth of bacteria. While sugar is acid-forming, xylitol is alkaline enhancing. All other forms of sugar are sic-carbon sugars which feed dangerous bacteria and fungi. Xylitol has been shown in numerous clinical studies to be very slowly metabolized. The Glycaemic Index measures how quickly foods enter the bloodstream. Sugar has a 100 GI and xylitol has only 7. The lower the GI the better. This makes it the perfect sweetener for those who are on controlled diets as well as people who are looking for a suitable alternative to what they currently are offered. Along with significantly cutting down on sugar and carbohydrate cravings, xylitol causes none of the abrupt rises and falls of insulin that occur with consumption of sugar.It is beneficial to both adults & children. Over 1,500 scientific studies have found that the more you use xylitol, the more you can eliminate sugar cravings, reduce insulin levels, and alkalinize your body.

Jakara, that was nice. Thanks. It could be the intro to the whole site. A reminder of keeping perspective so to speak Yes. Because it's our true nature which is known when it is revealed. Like a bubbling spring from inside. This is when that within us which knows and remembers the source begins to awaken and we follow the lead to nuture it. Your post reminds me of this from The purity and Tranquility Scripture: ...... Get rid of desires for good And the mind will be calm Cleanse your mind And the spirit will be pure..... Those who have abandoned their desires Observe your mind by introspection - And see there is no mind...... In purity and tranquillity Gradually enter the true Tao When the true Tao is entered It is realised When we speak of 'realised' Actually there is nothing to attain Rather we speak of realization When someone begins to tranform the myriad beings The highest gentleman does not fight The lesser gentleman loves to fight Highest virtue is free from virtue Lesser virtueclings to virtue All clinging and attatchments Have nothing to do with the Tao or the Virtue ...........Those who understand the realization of the Tao Will rest forever in the pure and tranquil

Most of the questions he was asked were pretty ordinary, but among it all, i feel that there were some valuable points he made. I read it twice, which was good. The second time, that which was important sunk in a bit more. Trunk & Mals quotes are perfect examples. I noticed these too .

Hi Cloud. Master Tao does very effective treatments on all sorts of disorders, spinal being one of them. Some people travel from queensland and other states to be treated and learn from him. I've been learning from him for almost 2 years and have the highest respect for his therapy and teachings. I've been treated a few times, the most amazing was when i pinched a nerve in my neck and couldn't move without agonising pain. I was better in about 15 minutes from the session. I think you're in Melbourne right? Master Tao is in Camberwell. http://www.daoyintherapy.com.au/feedback.htm I can tell you more personal experiences via PM if you want, but in any case, I think your friend would benefit greatly from seeing him. Best wishes. mat

I can only say thanks Drew for that explanation. Thank you. What you wrote reminds me of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi saying: "The feet of bhagavan are everywhere. So where can you gather except at his feet? Time and space are no bar to the gathering of hearts" ".....a rishi's thought concieved in a cave affects the whole world. It is literally true"

Drew, what do you think of the kora? Guys like Toumani Diabate etc. The style is very different to western music, and there's a very potent high frequency kind of feeling from this instrument. Pops Mohamed from South Africa plays a song on the kora that almost lifts me off my seat every time i hear it. Hearing the kora played live is amazing, kora and mbira toghether is even better. Have you had any experience with the kora or mbira/kalimba? I think the tuning on both is different to western instruments for the most part. Thanks.

The way i understand that is: If we feel a strong desire/lust for a person, that effectivelly projects our energy away from us. So then the body responds by releasing/projecting semen. the body simply follows the mind habitually and unconciously It's all projection resulting from craving/desire. But when we really look into the cause of these desires, really look at them with awareness, the very looking at them burns them up, they just dissolve. The light dispels the darkness (unconciousness) So then, with the cessation of desire, there will be no urge to project - mentally or physically. This is my experience anyway. Yeah, centered within yourself, free from projecting. Mal, what a quote! so concise.

Love his explanation of the Pureland & straight up honesty about tantra. ..and his sense of humour. hahaha Thanks for posting it Drew Must have been an honour to meet him Lin.

here's the scricture of forty nine chapters. http://taoistresource.home.comcast.net/~ta...ource/0018.html this is a jewel. BTW does anyone know of a print version?

This sutra is on the same site as the one that has the scripture of forty nine chapters. but because of it's pertinence to daily practice, i think it's maybe worthy of it's own thread Please enjoy The Spiritual Treasure Of Concentration and Contemplation Sutra http://hk.geocities.com/akrishi0/taoism/setwatch.htm

yeah, thats a beter way of saying it. do you know any stories about the three pure ones?

Glad you like the scripture of forty nine chapters. When you say that essentially, Buddhism & Daoism are about cultivation of the way to remembering the original Mind - yeah that's smooth In my mind, I've always sought to strip away the superfluous excesses of any system and find the core, the essence. Undiscriminating virtue seems close. Ah, thank you

Awesome story Lin, thanks. Much of the book is about virtue and purity (or rather a return to purity ) This book is really amazing, atomic. It's actually an honour to read it. Check out chapter 23.

Lin, i feel you sister is wonderful. i got something when i read about her i like how you say that it's the intent of the cultivation that is important = my feeling too. if the intent is sincere for understanding, clarity, compassion, then, what comes comes. a foundation of virtue naturally produces nice fruit. the fruit of love and compassion. it's in everyone.

THANKS

keep practicing. it's kind of like learning to wiggle your ears the muscles and nerves need to be trained. there's some Daoyin that can help facilitate it. once you've got it, it can kind of kind of create a gentle sucction which can draw the qi up from the perineum. as with all things, go steady, don't force, remain open.

Mikaelz, i read your signature quote: That which is the finest essence--this whole world has that as its Self. That is Reality. That is the Self. That art thou. -Chandogya Upanishad Mate, that goes deep - so potent. tattvamassi

There are pros and cons each way which i feel Karen explained well. Whatever the intention of sharing 'spiritual experiences', due to their nature, they can at best be spoken or written about with limited conveyence. One reason for this is the fact that they are usually beyond the realm of ordinary sensory experience. So, i feel that it's generally better to share the fruits of the experience/cultivation. By this i mean: share the love you feel, share the peace you are in, share the compassion that's in your heart, share the grattitude, the joy, the song and the silence....................

That was sweet Lozen. Gratitude is very powerful. It occured to me today while meditating that this life is such a privelege of unlimited potential - a divine opportunity. In what ever is happening during ones life, to be sincerely thankful awakens us to the sacredness of existence. May all be blessed.

Nice! and letting them be just 'things' without holding onto them in our mind keeps us free all the time.

To understand sexual preferences, as well as any other 'preference', i think it essentially comes down to realising the difference between causitive nature and inherant nature doesn't it? To live in a dualistic reality, (of mind) is still to be bound by causitive nature, right? ....which due to habit and ignorance, can very easily be confused with ones inherant nature. So most humans being bound by causitive nature, think "this (fill in the blank) is who i really am", and based on that, formulate an identity. It can be difficult to see through because we might have been following the same habits for many lives, but essentially if it's dualistic in any way, (i think) it's only still causitive nature. (results of karma) In the Vimalakirti Sutra it says: "..........these flowers do not stick to the bodies of the Bodhisattvas! This is because they have eliminated contructual thoughts and discriminations........Therefore the flowers do not stick to the bodies of these Bodhisattvas, who have abandoned all instincts" This seems to be saying that, through wisdom and insight, one can come to the understanding that instincts and preferences and the identities that go along with them, however pleasurable are still only due to causitive nature. By contrast, i think, by observing that which comes and goes without reacting: "The sage knows what is true reality, And sees all conditioned things as empty and powerless" This seems to be describing inherent nature.

Thanks Vee Cee. The reason i said that is that i think it's all really about 'us'. We read this site with our mind (with all of it's varying degrees of habits, conditioning and so forth). It's the conditioned mind that reacts, agrees, dislikes, prefers and even argues. Master Hsuan Hua said "to have vision and yet be without views is happiness indeed" an old Chinese proverb says: "no one can offend you without your consent" Zen Master Sosan: "when the mind exists undisturbed in the way nothing in the world can offend. and when a thing can no longer offend it ceases to exist in the same way" this then puts the responsibility on us. This isn't directed at anyone, just my experience: It can sort of feel wierd at first, but when we choose not to react to something that would usually annoy us, we can then encompass the other side of the duality. Allowing them both to exist can create an amazing space within us. (this also helps when reading the paper, or watching the news too, ) it just feels like such a better way to be in the world. when i look back years ago, at how opinionated i was about some things, i have to laugh. to invest in opinions and views is the fastest way to grow old haha

If I may humbly add something which i feel is consistent with this, here are some quotes from Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. "Although powers appear wonderful to those who do not possess them, they are only transient. It is useless to aspire for the transient. All these wonders are contained in the changeless self" "The greatest miracle is to realise the self. All others are sidetracks" "What good will powers do? Suppose you exercise wonderful powers. Have you tossed worry out of your mind?. Self abidance alone is the real miracle."