Apech

https://www.wired.com/2009/05/dayintech-0529/ Sir Frank Watson Dyson, Astronomer Royal of Britain, conceived in 1917 the perfect experiment to resolve the issue. A total solar eclipse on May 29, 1919, would occur just as the sun was crossing the bright Hyades star cluster. Dyson realized that the light from the stars would have to pass through the sun's gravitational field on its way to Earth, yet would be visible due to the darkness of the eclipse. This would allow accurate measurements of the stars' gravity-shifted positions in the sky. Eddington, who led the experiment, first measured the "true" positions of the stars during January and February 1919. Then in May he went to the remote island of Príncipe (in the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa) to measure the stars' positions during the eclipse, as viewed through the sun's gravitational lens. Eddington also sent a group of astronomers to take measurements from Sobral, Brazil, in case the eclipse was blocked by clouds over Príncipe. Outfitting and transporting the dual expeditions were no small feats in the days before transoceanic airplanes and instantaneous global communication. Both locations had clear skies, and the astronomers took several pictures during the six minutes of total eclipse. When Eddington returned to England, his data from Príncipe confirmed Einstein's predictions. Eddington announced his findings on Nov. 6, 1919. The next morning, Einstein, until then a relatively obscure newcomer in theoretical physics, was on the front page of major newspapers around the world. The bending of light around massive objects is now known as gravitational lensing, and has become an important tool in astrophysics. Physicists now use gravitational lensing to try to understand dark matter and the expansion of the universe.

No, that would be nihilism which is expressly refuted in Buddhism. Emptiness in Buddhism is used in two compatible ways. One is to show that 'things' do not exist independently - which is the result of analysis of the nature of phenomena. On the other hand - when somebody realises emptiness (of thoughts and things) what is revealed is the formless nature of Mind, full of potential (whether expressed or not) and this also is called sunyata. In fact it is the very same distinction made in the papers quoted in the OP as far as I can tell on quick scan reading. But I would have to take more time to be sure. Its a fact that when Buddhist sutras etc. were translated into Chinese the Buddhists 'employed' a Chinese classicist (who was probably a Daoist or Neo-Daoist or perhaps Confucian) to convert the text into good Chinese. Many terms were borrowed from Daoism - but this was possible because some ideas were compatible - such as the non-being of the Xuanxue and so on. By the time you get to a later period some of these ideas had been shared so much between Daoist and Buddhist masters that the borrowing was complete. This is the so-called 'contamination' quoted above - which as a matter of interest the commentary in the spoiler box offers a critique of.

gulp

My knowledge is a little limited - but I thought there were seasonal deities and the like (?) - spring, harvest and so on.

He says that myths were inimical to Confucian rationalism - but how does this sit with Confucius' own veneration of the Zhou rituals?

Thanks for the link -added to my read list

That is a different use of the word emptiness - as in the cup is empty so there is space inside. The Neiye deals with the normal jing-qi-shen process and not the alchemical process. The medicine of the alchemical process is formed by uniting Xing, Ming and Yuan Xi, while the natural energy is the jing-qi-shen for health and longevity. Xing (nature - thru quiescence to emptiness/non-being) and Ming (life, energy, destiny) are united thru YuanXi (the primordial breath). This is equivalent to the Buddhist tantra idea of uniting emptiness and luminosity, or citta and prana ... or indeed wisdom and compassion. Not posting any more on this thread.

OK but no. This is my very last contribution and comes from the Cantong qi - the very first book written on Internal Alchemy in 142 AD and it in turn cites the Daodejing which is from about 500 BC - neither of these works have any Buddhist influence.

It's not my preference or otherwise that counts I am quoting from Neidan texts themselves:

I don't think you understand what emptiness means in Buddhism.

That's a long subject but certainly not by suppressing them. The union of emptiness and luminosity. (yab/yum) OK but there's more - what do you fundamentally possess? what is fundamentally yours anyway?

I don't think that early Buddhism has a separate word for emotions and they are seen as thoughts with a certain 'pull' or force perhaps. In the type of Buddhism I study emotions are not controlled they are transformed into wisdom - in fact five key emotions become the five wisdom buddhas. There is a sense of the need to not be a puppet of emotions and this is to do with deep seated identification with the outcome of experience or karma. So there is no sense of controlling emotions in the sense of suppressing them. In fact if your statement were correct what would be the point of controlling something that is illusory in the first place. While in meditation in order to settle in shamatha there is a basic need to untrammel yourself from distrating mental chatter - and there are deep states where thoughts cease, the idea of silencing thoughts as I think you imply is wrong. In fact if you try to silence thoughts they usually get worse. It is more about letting go of identification with the stream of mental 'traffic' so that you can sit one-pointedly and ultimately realise the mind in its natural state. But even then beyond this there is a need to link back to the active mind to see that it also has the same nature as the mind at rest. Gampopa the great teacher of the Kagyu tradition went even further - he said 'the nature of thoughts is dharmakaya' - in other words the nature of thoughts is the ultimate reality. He got a lot of stick for this because people didn't understand what he was saying. But this was actually one of his great Mahamudra pointing out teachings. Developing non-attachment is misunderstood I think, its more about seeing how things arise and case, letting them come and go and being able to see their nature. Being attached is a form of identification wherein you limit your own freedom, put yourself in a box from which it is hard to get out again.

OK serious answer. Nibanna (Nirvana) does specifically refer to the burning out or exhaustion of the three poisons of desire, hatred and ignorance. Actually the idea is that the cycle of these three prevent you from enjoying life. It's not so much the experiences of a good movie, girlfriend and so on that are the problem but the way you screw up the experience with your mind. The Buddha taught awakening to how things really are - but there is a tendency especially in the West to favour a kind of abstract Nirvana which is somehow distant from both you and life. And so people get the idea they are fleeing from life to some austere detachment. I can readily understand how this happens because much of Hinayana (and Theraveda ) (and also some Mahayana) teaching seems to suggest this. However in my opinion this is a product of a style of Buddhism prevalent in the first century BC when the Pali Canon etc. were first written down and that is scholarly monasticism. Many people call this early Buddhism but I don't think so. But I guess the important thing to say that there are other teachings/systems non-Buddhist which are more overtly life affirming and may suit you more than Buddhist practice (I am assuming given you are here on DBs you have some interest). I don't think people should follow any system with which they feel no connection as it would be forced an unnatural.

It's a shame that dualistic Buddhism is so promulgated in the West. I don't think that these kinds of ideas accord with what he actually taught. But anyway - each to his own of course.

Some Buddhists have forgotten that the Buddha tried austerity and asceticism and rejected this path. Many Daoists, especially Nei Dan practitioners do live as hermits because of the intensity of their internal practice.

For years I strove to be immoral until one day someone pointed out I'd missed out a 't'. So much time wasted enjoying myself

You said that already

If I could bend over that far ... well I'll leave that to your imagination.

What if I finally discover my true self and it turns out I'm not me but I'm you. What then?

I'm not a master so these are just my thoughts. 1. Qi is not really like gas in your car, some people have more dynamic qi than others and so on, or circulate it better or are more tuned into it. While there is a quantitative side to it - really its more about something that transmits information/movement in your being. Maybe you could think of it as a vibration? Its more about how operational it is than how much there is. 2. The Lower Dan Tien is in your abdomen - located about 1.3 inches below your navel and in line with a vertical line rising from your perineum, not your stomach. The size of your build is irrelevant. 3. The idea for health is to circulate qi naturally and also to transform it into shen in the middle Dan Tien to promote health and mental function - unless you are doing internal alchemy when there are other processes involved. 4. This sounds more like your solar plexus area, if it is tension then natural breathing should release it, or make circular motions on your body with your hands until it warms slightly.

What do you mean by Early Buddhism?

I know ...