Apech

Groovy shades Cap'n.

Just use the old joke 'my members are revolting' and nothing can go wrong. Congrats on everything ... obviously meant to be its happened so quickly. Enjoy the beginning of a new life.

My top five in no particular order: - maintenance through daily practice - meditating by not meditating - learning to make things (by trial and error) - remembering ethics - cultivating uselessness.

Young man! how's that going to pay the rent (Seriously love your top five).

http://www.posturalhypertension.com/

maybe try less conceptualisation about what you are doing.

These sorts of things are normal ... just carry on.

When I grew up and fell in love I asked my sweetheart What lies ahead Will we have rainbows Day after day Here's what my sweetheart said Que sera, sera Whatever will be, will be The future's not ours to see Que sera, sera What will be, will be

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.

I liked Weaveworld but not so keen on Imajica. Its ok to have artistic crushes and even unrequited obsessions ... don't feel guilty it probably makes your relationship with your partner better and more healthy anyway. BUT just as a boring old Moderator type ... does this really belong in Taoist Discussion? Can I move it?

I agree with HE that treating people as straw dogs (which by the way is given in my copy of the Richard John Lynn trans. of Wang Bi) does not mean treating them badly. I think the point was made by me and others way back in this thread that a straw dog has an actual function and effect while it is being used ... its just when that function has ended it is thrown away. This kind of goes back to the 'life is sacred' from that other thread ... life is an amazing thing and doing harm to it is to be avoided ... but in nature things are born and die and life goes on regardless there is no attachment to individual things.

Yes but doesn't bu ren mean non-benevolent? In any case non-benevolent does not mean nasty, aggressive or hateful. It just means the sage acts out of wu wei, spontaneously responding to whatever the situation or the person before him needs ... or perhaps what is appropriate to them. I think its like this ... when they are in front of him he deals with them naturally, when they walk out the door they are gone ... no clinging, no attachment, no ties.

I would like to suggest that very few people anywhere have a serious interest in spirituality (as distinct from religion). Nothing particular in that regard in Russians or Americans.

I'm not convinced your translation can be found in the original text either but just for the sake of argument perhaps it can ... but even then I don't see a tie in with 'all life is sacred' ... a phrase become meaningless through repetition.

Heaven and Earth are impartial They regard myriad things as straw dogs The sages are impartial They regard people as straw dogs The space between Heaven and Earth Is it not like a bellows? Empty, and yet never exhausted It moves, and produces more Too many words hasten failure Cannot compare to keeping to the void

I thought it was Rogered In Posterior ... those hard bike saddles you know.

Brilliant post, always good to read you GiH, please continue.

- good morning I am your hospital customer care assistant. - good morning. -this is the receptionist, she is your friend. - hello. -this is the nurse, she is your friend. - hello, nurse. -this is your doctor, he is your friend. -good morning doctor. - and here is your enema.

Be sure to send us a pic of all your belongings loaded up on the back of the electric bicycle.

Doctor, Doctor I'm suffering from premature ejac .... ooops sorry I'll come back later.