thelerner

Scary isn't it. Seemingly for $10 worth of 'bump' keys the world is your wide open.

The rational construction of the spirit of Taoism as per semi legendary figures seems either like an oxymoron or someones Graduate thesis. Forget exact, are you willing to spend years delving into the classics that influenced them? To read up on the history and cultural relevances of there time? Or are you just looking for a meditation technique people will assume they used?

Glad the OP found a skillful solution. That reminds me. For all it's noise and distraction the internet is in some ways a Sage holding all the information in the world, if you ask it properly. Somewhere there's a post (or dozens, or hundreds) on picking the lock similar to the post box. A solution to his problem, maybe using his magnet trick or some other one. These days when crazy technical problems happen with my computer, car or home repair, I'll often look to Youtube first, to see if there's a video solution then progress to the greater web.

It may be problematic to aim at the 'scientific' methods of semi-legendary figures who lived 1,000+ years ago. In that you're likely to end up with people's projections.. maybe good maybe bad and probably off. In truth to be 'authentic' you might have to learn ancient Chinese, get a couple of classics they might have read and seclude yourself for a decade or two in a hermitage. Perhaps more practical is to find a living person (or in the past century or so) or tradition and start there. That way you can get closer to there genius, versus best guess at someone long dead in alien culture. Have an actual map instead of throwing darts.

He's lucky he had a moderate Zen Master. In the old days the master would have cut it off! In a couple of ye olde Zen Master stories the cranky master is always cutting off parts of his devoted disciples to make a point. It's usually the finger pointing to the moon that gets it first..

I feel it's a good thing. Either the Universe is saying Wake UP! and become enlightened! or Wake UP, notice the puddles and avoid them either way is good.

Let me look up the abridged version- ATHEISM I don't believe this shit. BA'HAI All shit is truly shit. BUDDHISM Shit happens. BAPTIST FUNDAMENTALISM Shit happens because the Bible says so. CAPITALISM How much will this shit cost? CATHOLICISM If shit happens, you deserved it. : TAOISM The shit that happens is not the true shit. There it is- Shit happens. There is much truth in jest. Buddhism imo, has very accurate, self evident descriptions of human nature and reality. It can be distilled down to Shit Happens. A longer lecture might add- deal with it skillfully.

1. Its firmest virtue seems but poor and low; Its solid truth seems change to undergo; Its largest square doth yet no corner show Interesting how both versions rhymes. The greatest square will rightness desert. I wonder if square has other meanings in the ancient tongue. Addon> I see this was answered well above by OldDog, Square in the past referred to Earth. 2. "The solidest virtue seems not alert, The purest chastity seems pervert, The greatest square will rightness desert.

I think Paradox Is the theme. like The straightness of the Way seems curved. The highest virtue seems as low as a valley. The purest white seems stained. The grandest virtue seems deficient. The sturdiest virtue seems fragile. .. The perfect square lacks corners. Perhaps a wake up call to see the world in a different way. To appreciate the low, the stained, the deficient, fragile..

I was wondering peoples thoughts on reincarnation. Being a Westerner I don't give it much though, though of after lives it has more proof then say the Western heaven, ie what I consider to be well researched factual books finding young children who remember past lives with details that prove accurate. In some cases even having birth marks that correlated to past life causes of death. Interesting stuff. Course reincarnation isn't the only explanation but its up there. Course reincarnation can seem like the 'prosperity' brand of Christianity, ie God loves you so you're born rich, or conversely you were bad so you're born poor. That sorta belief in rebirth or theology doesn't sit well with me. Guess its because I don't see rich as ethically better or poor as worse (or vice versa). For those who believe in reincarnation what 'sorting' system do you see working? Does the system include rebirth as animal? And what does it say about getting off the 'wheel'? Does getting off mean, silent 'true' death, or getting to be other dimensional godlike beings? What are your thoughts? Personally, I don't know. The logical/material side of me says death is simply an off switch. I kinda hope that there's more, a return of essence with a basking in a certain universal satori joy. Though one doesn't always get what one hopes for.

I hope so. So far, so good with me, but I don't trust the Universe, further then i can throw it.

Patience is a skill most are sadly lacking. Nothing teaches patience quite as well as futility. One's mind either rebels and one is in hell, or accepts, knowing its futile but keeps going til its done.

Earlier Dwai- What if there was nothing other than your Self? For the money ofcourse. I'd be bluffing, but seems to me, if there was nothing other then mySelf, then my bargaining power would be immense. I should be able to get whatever I demanded.

I'd probably turn mastermind terrorist and tell the Universe, if it didn't give me untold riches I'd kill myself, destroying everything.

hmnn, maybe thats why my VCR cassette Series hasn't been doing well, and the 5 1/2 floppies have completely tanked.

If 'we' accept reincarnation- Do 'We' want to come back? What are the alternatives? myself- Here my theology is affected by a movie (What Dreams May Come), which is always a bad sign. If its between, nothingness and reincarnation, I'd roll the dice. I enjoy life, why not try it again. If its between reincarnation and a type of heaven, then its harder. Like the aforementioned movie, I might get tired of heaven, of myself and at some point want to re-experience the world.. might take awhile though.

Let's face it, 'proof' is not a strong point when it comes to the afterlife. Though reincarnation does have some. Yet even there the mechanisms and proofs are a bit sketchy. Plus it leaves open the does it really matter, because if we don't remember our lives and not given a piece of paper what we should do better, then maybe it doesn't matter. Probably this world should be most important focus. Or should it? If we had a fundamentalist twist we could well conclude the afterlife is more important and infinitely longer then our moments on Earth. In the past I thought dreamwork might provide the best avenue towards understanding death or perhaps solidifying the identity in midst of the forces of unconsciousness. Never had much luck in it. Though an afterlife lived out as a lucid dream might be very pleasant. That was a focus in the Movie What Dream Might Come.

Its not so much importance as.. destructive. Nature finds balance.. mankind.. not so much.. we disrupt systems without much notice. Too much and dominoes fall back on us. Still, I'm hopeful. We're smart, technology is an awesome tool. But we need to be careful, set borders and limits on our polluting and intrusions.

It may not be logical, but seems somehow they're closer to me, kin. course if starvation loomed, such sentiment may well be discarded. also. I get the horrible feeling mankind is destroying ecco systems of the earth with knife and fork. maybe his health too.

Yeah I'd been thinking 'eating dolphins' was an exercise in logic vs Socratic method, not that people were actually eating them. I guess we all have to draw our lines somewhere. I don't eat dolphins or primates or parrots because they're all very intelligent. Ofcourse that opens me up to criticism and hypocrisy for eating pigs that show emotion and are quite intelligent. Maybe part of being human is looking down at those who draw their lines lower then yours. All claiming there line is correct. Yet while we all have to eat, we don't have to eat everything. And logical or not, no smart creatures or veal on my plate. And my kudos for those who are vegetarians. Though I don't keep it, it would be seem in most places, not all, to be a more ethical sustainable diet.

I like it, constructively, perhaps more deeper tones buh bummnns, and less of the higher pitched 'ripping' ones.

Yeah, its easy to become 'top heavy' with too much book learning. Not that I have any particular expertise but most commonly thinking less, judging less tend to bring one closer to Tao. In part we sit in emptiness, not for the sitting but to able to keep that state of mind going during our active day. Find a dharma source that connects to you. I like listening to InfiniteSmile.org, for there perspective. I enjoy the writings & talks of Ajahn Brahms. Finding a wisdom source that feels true, listening and letting the truth echo through your day.

back to OP Horse-pucky or the words of Taoist Sages? Here's the information about the book (Publishers Weekly) from "These five Taoist treatises, written from the 7th to the 19th century, offer Chinese sages' thoughts on meditation, "alternative" medicine, body energy, human nature, the martial arts and life and death ("Everyone likes life but not the path of long life. Everyone dislikes death but not the things conducive to death"). The first selection, "Anthology on the Cultivation of Realization," is a vivid assortment of reflections taking up nearly half the book's text; it is long but fascinating. The esoteric "Treatise on Sitting Forgetting" is also a jewel, closing with some fundamental principles of Taoist meditation ("Arrest thoughts as they arise, in order to make your mind peaceful and quiet")" So, what the writer considers BS is from reknown sages. It's done in the classical poetical, typically hard to understand allegory/5 element theory. This stuff is hard to understand. For someone without extensive background it's easily seen as B.S. but with study and long years of practice you might find deep meaning, that matches your own experiential findings. There are easier tomes to start with. Just practicing equanimity, learning to keep a quiet mind, learning to sit in silence.. can be a powerful teacher.

In the Book The Taoist Manual, the writer (Brock Silvers) makes it clear that the DDJ is one amongst 100's of books that a Taoist would study. It just happens to be the most notable one in the West. I could look up some of the ones he suggests as the most important, but probably that bird has flown. When you want to get hardcore into a subject that isn't widespread, you have to be ready to do some travel. At least to a Taoist Monastery, which may be cross country or around the world if you want to get serious. Same with many esoteric arts, you want to get deep, don't expect it handed to you over the internet.

Gain..Loss Disappointment.. Satisfaction The Tao takes these in stride and does not get so attached to them. also we tend to be more bum then Taoist sage here.