sean

Yah, ditto what dustybeijing said. Pinyin has advantages and enormous momentum. Was created by Chinese (vs Wade-Giles), it's the official method of transcription for all of China, Taiwan, etc., all children in China are required to learn pinyin in school, and (afaik) it's the most popular method Chinese use to input characters into a computer via alphabetical keyboards. If something betters comes along I suspect we'll all be very dead by the time it replaces pinyin. Will be up to some future admin here to redirect us to theDTOWbums.com or whatever. Sean

I'd like to weigh in here and say that I think this issue, as well as many other administration and moderation issues here at TDB are ultimately a result of poor leadership and lack of guiding structure on my end. In the early days I was the only admin here, and I relied entirely on my own instincts. One "benevolent dictator". And I believe, for the most part, this worked relatively well at the time. Yet as we've expanded the (ever shifting) support team I've tried (for years now) to retain and transmit this "just go with your gut" approach. The problem is, with multiple moderators, stewards, admins, tech support, etc., there are too many gut instincts and not enough unambiguous principles on how we, as a team, have collectively agreed to respond to various situations. It's become absolutely clear to me that the forum needs an articulated set of guidelines for participation and rules for moderation. To this end I've started an initial draft that I'm pretty happy with and begun a conversation with the current admins to flesh it out further, iron out the kinks and get a version 1 up in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, I'd like to sincerely apologize for any distress this has caused the community, including the moderation team. Flolfolil, I'd like to invite you to postpone any decision around resignation until after we get the new guidelines written up. Perhaps you will resonate with and feel safer within a new, more coherent structure for moderation here. Best, Sean

sweet! thanks. sean

here are a few: https://web.archive.org/web/20050204203953/http://www.taobums.com https://web.archive.org/web/20060402234115/http://thetaobums.com (broken image was a dragon) https://web.archive.org/web/20061218212133/http://www.thetaobums.com https://web.archive.org/web/20120909102146/http://thetaobums.com (dragon) https://web.archive.org/web/20130313024105/http://thetaobums.com (snake) https://web.archive.org/web/20140207234923/http://thetaobums.com (horse) sean

dustybeijing, can you try thetaobums.com again now and refresh your page? please let me know if this persists. thanks! sean

the accented dào is not english, it's pinyin. the accent here is much more than a pronunciation hint. it indicates tone, an essential component to differentiating chinese words. e.g., dāo, dáo, dǎo, dào refer to completely different words in pinyin. it's also an artistic flourish. blame it on the goat. sean

哦,我全忘了!

Anyone who wants to write an article, feel free. Just post in this Contributed Articles forum like you normally would. However your post won't show up until it is reviewed and approved. {edit: they now appear, no approval required}

One of the things I bump into is that "Taoist Discussion" is already very broad, diverse, eclectic, inclusive, etc. So it doesn't feel quite right to make a distinction between "Taoist Discussion" and any of these. "General" might make the most sense. I'm also really enjoying the implications of "Potluck" as well. It has a kind of resonance with Taoist/Chinese culture. I can imagine a literal potluck gathering where the priests, hermits, shamans shared stew with Buddhists, Confucians, Muslims, lay folk, town crazies, etc. Sean

"Potluck" is starting to grow on me. Sean

Personally I was torn between "Diverse Discussion" and "Eclectic Discussion". Please discuss your preferences, I'm open to renaming. Thanks, Sean

yikes, didn't realize it was so limited. just upgraded to 20 simultaneous users. let me know if you need more. sean

Some of you may remember back in July I was given an opportunity to interview Chunyi Lin, the creator of Spring Forest Qigong. I started a topic here asking for questions and received some great ideas. It took a bit, but I organized them into an interview format for Chunyi, sent them over, and here are his responses. Pretty awesome, I hope you enjoy. Interview with Chunyi Lin, creator of Spring Forest Qigong Sean: Chunyi, just to start things off with a bang here, what would you say the unique qualities of your Spring Forest Qigong system are, that differentiate it from other forms of qigong? Chunyi Lin: All qigong systems are based on the same underlying principle that everything is energy, including your body. Your body's energy system is designed to be in perfect harmony and balance with your energy flowing smoothly. Problems arise when your body's energy gets out of balance. All qigong systems work to help restore and maintain your body's energy balance. My training began in the traditional forms of qigong, very regimented, very disciplined. It was through this training that I became certified as an international qigong master. However, very early on in my training I began receiving a message from the universe, "Qigong is simple. Everyone can do it." This message kept coming and grew more powerful as I meditated in the cave for days and weeks at a time. It is this message that led me to create Spring Forest Qigong. It is a system that is so simple anyone can learn it and start benefiting from it right away. It is simple yet is also very powerful. In fact, in my experience, simple is usually best. In this way, Spring Forest Qigong is different from most other qigong teaching. Also, from the very beginning I teach my students - You were born a healer. You were born with the ability to help yourself to heal and to help others to heal. So from the beginning I teach my students a technique that can learn in minutes and start using right away to help others. This also makes SFQ different from traditional forms of qigong. The vision I was given for Spring Forest Qigong is "a healer in every family and a world without pain." Everything I teach and do is guided by that vision. Let me add that I am not saying my way is better than other ways. I think they are all beautiful and if the qigong teaching you have is different from mine and you are benefiting from it then I encourage you to stay with it. If it's working for you there is no need to make a change. Keep growing in that system. S: If you could only teach one exercise from your entire system, which would it be and why? CL: Fortunately, neither I nor my students have to make this choice. But, if I only had one option for an exercise to benefit my energy it would have to be the Small Universe meditation. There are many wonderful meditations in the world but the Small Universe is the single, most powerful one I have ever experienced. Small Universe focuses the power of your mind in moving your body's energy. It is specifically designed to open the two most important energy channels in the body - the Front Channel or Governing Channel and the Back Channel. The front channel governs all the female energy channels in the body while the back channel governs all the male energy channels. Keeping these two energy channels open and the energy flowing smoothly through them will bring you the greatest benefit. Keeping them open is the key to experience your optimal health, wellness and happiness. If you are asking for a physical movement, a posture, then it would be the Moving of Yin & Yang. It is the fundamental movement of SFQ. It balances and helps all of the internal organs, helps open the heart and helps align the spine. Six of the body's twelve major energy channels begin or end in the hands. From the top of the head to the bottom of the torso there are multiple energy points associated with all twelve major energy channels. So, in the Moving of Yin & Yang you are stimulating the flow of energy along all the major channels. S: What is the importance of transmission in Spring Forest Qigong? Is it enough to learn from the video and audio programs, or is there something fundamentally unique and necessary that comes from attending a seminar? CL: Transmission is not part of the terminology I use. I will answer in this way. I designed Spring Forest Qigong to be simple enough for anyone and everyone to learn and benefit from. All you have to do is put in a DVD or a CD and follow along. It is just that simple and also very powerful. At the higher levels, Level 3, Level 4 and beyond, being present in a class, seminar or retreat is very valuable. Even in Levels 1 and 2, of course, there will be information that you do not receive in home study. But, it's not about knowledge. Qigong is all about the energy. In Spring Forest Qigong we start with the importance of breathing, the power of your mind, mental focus and intention, then movements and sound. All of this you will learn with the DVDs, CDs or manuals. The key to getting the greatest benefits from qigong, in my experience, is tapping into what Gandhi called "the most powerful force the world possesses," the power of unconditional love. This is where the healing energy truly comes from. So, in SFQ we focus from the beginning on helping you open your heart to connect with this most powerful force. And opening your heart is something you can do anywhere and at anytime. S: There is a lot of talk about "water methods" vs "fire methods", could you speak a little about this distinction? Does Spring Forest Qigong fall into one of these categories? CL: Since these are things I never teach about it would not be helpful for me to enter into this discussion. I hope you will forgive me for not addressing this question but I do not want to create any confusion. S: One of the longest standing debates which shows up again and again on the forums is whether practices such as movements and visualizations that consciously direct energy in specific patterns are necessary, or if it's better to simply cultivate a state of emptiness and allow the energy to naturally and spontaneously "do what is best". Can you shed some light on this debate? CL: In Spring Forest Qigong I always talk about Good, Better and Best. Everything you do to help enhance your energy flow and balance your energy are good for you. The more you can do it the better you will be at it and the more benefit you will receive. The very best, in my opinion, is connecting with the limitless, unconditional love of the universe and the infinite source. Opening your heart, connecting with this unconditional love is always the best. There simple is no more powerful healing energy than unconditional love. When you open your heart like this you can get into the emptiness/the oneness faster, then the Qi will do what is best for you naturally and spontaneously. S: Would you speak a bit about how sexuality fits into a Spring Forest Qigong practice? I know that is a huge questions, but more specifically, is it true that having an orgasm depletes qi? If so does this effect men more than women? Would celibacy improve results with SFQ, or not necessarily? CL: These are, as you say, "huge questions," and I do not have the time here to go into them in detail. However, I will say this. Yes, sexual relations and orgasm can deplete your energy. And, sexual relations and orgasm can enhance your energy flow and development. This depends on many things, The level of love, commitment and connection you have with your partner are very important. At the right level you can utilize the moment of orgasm to take that sexual energy and move it up through your heart and to your mind to develop "wisdom energy" which is very beneficial. For some people celibacy may help them focus and enhance their energy development. Again, and I cannot emphasize this enough, the most important factor in your energy development is opening your heart and connecting with the unconditional love of the universe and learning to live your life in this love, powered by this love and radiating this love to help others. S: From a spiritual and healing qigong point of view, how would you describe the "ultimate goal" that we are trying to achieve through all of this? Is it Enlightenment? Immortality of some sort? Or maybe something more basic, like simply living in harmony with Tao or nature? CL: An "ultimate goal" would be a very individual decision. We all take this human form to experience life as human beings. Through these experiences we shape so many things. As for "immortality" we are all immortal. Our energy, our souls, will continue forever. It is only this human form that will change as it is designed to be a temporary home, an important home in our eternal development but only temporary. It is very important for each of us to have goals. I would not presume to establish those goals for others. My views on this subject have evolved as I have deepened my personal connection with the universe. My goal is to continue to deepen my connection with the unconditional love of the universe and to live in this love every moment of every day, to live as my friend Marci Shimoff would put it, "Happy for No Reason." Living in unconditional love brings happiness to me every moment. Sharing this love with everyone I encounter deepens this connection even more. This is my ultimate goal and I think it is an excellent goal that everyone will find rewarding in ways we cannot even begin to imagine. S: Given your sense of the ultimate goal, is it possible for you to describe a basic road map of steps or stages a person has to take to reach this ultimate goal? CL: I make the following suggestions to all of my students. 1. Smile. S.M.I.L.E. = Start My Internal Love Engine! 2. Connect. Make the Love Connection 3. Enhance. Enhance the Flow 4. Radiate. Let it Glow - Become a Love Radiator! 1. Put a Smile on your Face S.M.I.L.E. = Start My Internal Love Engine! The simple act of smiling immediately helps your body to relax. A smile also sends a message to your brain to produce endorphins, the body's natural feel-good hormone. If you're helping another person, your smile will help her or him to relax, too. By smiling you help to open your connection to the unconditional love in your heart. That's what S.M.I.L.E means: Start My Internal Love Engine. A simple smile helps you open your heart. 2. Connect - Make Your Love Connection Breathe, slowly, gently and deeply - take three slow, gentle, deep breaths Breathing is the Key to Connecting your Mind, Body & Spirit. There are three aspects to every human being - Mind - Body - Spirit. In our busy stress filled lives, our minds are too often filled to overflowing with so many things we have to get done, while our bodies are racing around trying to get everything done, and our spirit is simply ignored. With your mind buzzing, your body racing around and your spirit lost in space we have divided ourselves. A person divided can never be as strong, as powerful, as wonderful and as a whole person - a person united in all three aspects. Breathing is the key to uniting your mind, body and spirit into one powerful whole person as God intended each of us to be. 3. Enhance - Enhance the Flow of Unconditional Love Visualize the Light of a Beautiful, Golden Sun, coming from the center of the Universe, flowing into your body and collecting in your Middle Dantian - Your Heart Center Feel the warmth of the light filling you up ... filling you with joy ... filling you with perfect peace ... You are feeling the limitless, healing Love of the universe ... a Love of Perfect Purity and Perfect Peace. Even if you don't feel Loved or Loving, this Love exists within you. Even if you don't see this Love within others, it always exists within them, too. It is the Source of our Existence ... and, it is the most powerful, healing force in all the universe. Feel how wonderful this Love feels, flowing into you and throughout your body. This Love is always available to you. In this Love, in this golden light, you are always connected to the infinite wisdom and power of the universe. You are never alone. 4. Radiate - Let Your Love Glow - Become a Love Radiator Allow this unconditional Love to flow into your heart center, filling you up and radiating out to everyone. Focus on Sending this Love - this beautiful, golden light - out from your Heart Center to the person, or persons you are interacting with ... or will be interacting with. You can visualize sending this Love directly to the other person's Heart Center. You can visualize filling an entire room, or house, or building with this Love. Like a radiator filling a room with warmth. This Love has no limits. Again, as Gandhi also said, "Love is the simplest force in the universe. It is also the most powerful." S: Where would you say Spring Forest Qigong fits into these stages toward the ultimate goal? Can SFQ take someone "all the way"? CL: Spring Forest Qigong has done this for me and I believe SFQ is helping many of my students in this way as well. There are many ways for each of us to reach our "ultimate goals," whatever they may be. If your goal is like mine then I believe Spring Forest Qigong can be very helpful in assisting you in achieving that goal. This is why I created Spring Forest Qigong, to help you and to help you help others. S: Spring Forest Qigong is generally advertised as a medical qigong system. Is SFQ limited to physical and mental health or is aimed at "higher levels" of alchemy, such as Kan & Li and fusion? CL: Spring Forest Qigong is a tool to help you open your heart to unlimited possibilities. S: Are there practices from any other systems you have found that might safely complement or even enhance Spring Forest Qigong? CL: There are many practices that can help you in so many beautiful ways. I don't want to slight anyone by overlooking something so I won't list them here. I will only say that with energetic practices it is never helpful to mix them. So, if you are practicing different systems take a break in between sessions, an hour, a day, whatever you feel most comfortable with. I say this because different systems move your body's energy in different ways. Practicing them too close together can confuse your energy system and limit the benefits of each. S: Specifically, could you speak a bit about Kundalini? What is your opinion about practices that try to pro-actively awaken Kundalini? CL: Kundalini is a powerful form of energy in the body. SFQ does not focus on it. It is a different system. S: What is the significance of reverse breathing? Do you recommend practicing reverse breathing frequently throughout the day, or would it be better to only practice this when doing Spring Forest Qigong exercises? CL: Reverse Breathing is a very beneficial technique in balancing your body's energy. In Reverse Breathing you pull your lower stomach in a little as you inhale and let it out a little as you exhale. The upper part of the body belongs to yang energy; the lower part of the body belongs to yin energy. Breathing in is a part of yin energy; breathing out is yang. One of the reasons we get sick is that yin and yang energies are not communicating well. By pulling your lower stomach in as you inhale and letting it out as you exhale, you are enhancing the communication of the yin and yang energies. When you do Reverse Breathing focus on your skin that is even better. While I believe Reverse Breathing is the most beneficial way to breathe and I breathe this way all of the time do not get caught up in trying to breathe this way if it is challenging for you. Remember, we teach Good, Better and Best. It is more helpful for you to relax than to be stressed over how you breathe. Breathing slowly, gently and deeply is the most important thing. This automatically helps your body to relax. It helps expand your lung capacity enabling you to uptake more oxygen which is critically important since oxygen is your body's number one fuel and you get most of it from breathing. S: There is a lot of discussion on the forums about the full lotus posture. What is so uniquely powerful about the full lotus? For those that cannot achieve this posture, is there an alternative that can give the same or similar benefit? CL: There are a lot of benefits you can get from this posture. One of them is to strengthen your vitality faster. It can also help you stay in the emptiness/oneness longer. But, other postures can also help you with these, too. The most important thing is the level of your unconditional love. S: It seems like it would be a good thing for the world if more people knew about qi and qigong. Why not engage with scientific skeptics and prove without a doubt that qi is real and physically exists? CL: I am always open to talking with anyone at any time if my schedule allows and I work with doctors and engage in independent research practices to help establish the benefits of Spring Forest Qigong practice. I don't know that anyone, as the state of science stands today, can ever "prove without a doubt that qi is real." Dr. Shin Lin at the University of California/Irvine, who is also a Tai Chi and Kung Fu master, has probably done more research in this area than anyone and he never talks about "qi" as being real. Instead, he focuses on the results of "qi" based, or "energetic" based practices. I don't feel the need to convince anyone of anything. I simply want to live my life as an example and offer my assistance to everyone who is interested. I can fully understand their skepticism. Before my life was totally changed by qigong I was a skeptic myself. S: What are your feelings about the future of humanity? Is the human race improving at all? Any cool predictions for 2012? CL: I live in this moment and I live with joy from my heart. I strongly believe tomorrow will be a better day than today. S: Ok, last question. Could you tell us 3 simple things we could do every day to enhance our lives, no matter what system or path we are following? CL: 1. Put a S.M.I.L.E. on your face. 2. Breathe slowly, gently and deeply as often as you can each day. 3. Focus on your heart and connect with the limitless unconditional love of the universe. Be a love radiator. Remember, the more unconditional, healing love energy you send out to others, the more you will draw into yourself. Just doing these 3 simple things can help to enhance your life and the lives of those around you in so many, many, wonderful ways. S: Chunyi, I want to thank you personally, and on behalf of the entire community at The Tao Bums for taking the time to do this interview. It's been a pleasure. Thank you. *Deep Bow* Sean If you are interested in getting started with Spring Forest Qigong practice, check out the Spring Forest Qigong Fundamentals course. For more information about Chunyi Lin, visit the Spring Forest Qigong website.

Damn! Am I the only one that didn't know about AYP? This is an incredible resource. Can't wait to check this out in depth once I get a few books I'm reading off my plate. Sean.

system needs a reboot sometimes when it gets overwhelmed and sometimes i don't catch it for an hour or two.

i occasionally contemplate an optional "inner" forum where, in order to gain access, members have to use and validate their real full name by sending a pic of a valid photo id along with a self pic while holding up a sign saying "the tao bums". sean

hey bums, i'm moving back to the bay area next month and won't have much room at first. so i'm selling and giving away most of my stuff (so refreshing). i've just put up my copy of bruce frantzis' bagua mastery program on ebay. i thought one of you might be interested: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281081147868 i made it through the first section. from the little i know of bagua, i found the presentation to be high quality and i was really enjoying the practice. but alas, i allowed myself to get busy, distracted, <insert other excuses here>. let me know if you have any questions. thanks, sean

yeah the bids jumped way up at the last minute. cat pillar, you won the books? hah, well don't judge me too harshly. a lot of the books in this lot were for old research projects, e.g., four entire volumes on anger management. btw - i'll throw in a bunch of related taoish cds/dvds into the package if you don't mind. sean

thanks gerard! > Looks like the bidding war is on for the bagua program.

gerard, thanks for the encouragement. i actually can feel in my bones with certainty that i will be back to bagua in the future, and with sincere dedication. ideally with an in person teacher. can you recommend any teachers in the bay area? cat pillar. awesome, thanks. sean

oops. sorry about that. should be fixed now. thanks for pointing this out. btw, bitcoins have been skyrocketing in the last few months, and even in the last few days. vive la resistance! sean

top left of the editor, you can toggle wysiwyg / code modes.

this "product" must have snuck under zazzle's radar and then, worse, got auto-included into their ads. sean