Apech

Oh no ... don't turn this into one of those threads

I've got a few plancks in my back garden ... so I went and measured them and they're def not the smallest things in the universe. So much for science.

All relationships have specific issues I think. Tell me a yin-yang relationship which doesn't have issues LOL. In fact that's almost the point in a way ... some people think compatibility looks like a kind a calm sameness or something ... but I think compatibility (between people in relationships) can look ... in fact probably should look very dynamic ... like a dance I suppose, and sometimes a fight. All else is a kind of abstract deception. Otherwise we are dead. If qigong, nei gong or whatever have any virtue then it is in dealing with a (possibly) infinite variety of relations and inter-relations, gay, straight and so on.

little relations children of the family familiar kids.

Tyrant originally meant lord, absolute ruler ... a king in other words. It came to mean someone who illegitimately seizes absolute power ... a despot ... but this was from a time when it was thought that there was such a thing as a legitimate absolute ruler ...the rightful, hereditary monarch ... as distinct to the usurper of power. Nowadays mostly anyway we don't make this distinction (even though it seems to emerge sometimes in political dynasties e.g. Kennedy and Bush families). There was a time .... in fact for most of our recorded history when this was probably the prevalent type of rulership. In fact during the Warring States period this would be the case I think (Chinese history is not my strong point). So it could be argued that the TTC is exactly advice to an absolute ruler = tyrant on how to rule ... a way of absolute rulership. The cooking a little fish analogy could be read as just advice on restraint ... don't fiddle too much or it all falls apart. A kind of laissez faire style of tyrrany ... not based on the good of the people by the way who are straw dogs but in what is most effective in holding a country together and retaining one's position in power. Not a popular interpretation I don't suppose but one that has some merit.

If I may say so it is a mistake to think that primitive means ignorant or superstitious when it it actually just means first. All these things are codifications of what human's originally understood intuitively. This is why the roots of Taoism is in shamanism.

As Obama said : "Yes we Khan"

Forget about beliefs. Concentrate on what benefits you (and others) and what is effective. Not all Buddhist or Taoist schools are atheist exactly. For instance the Buddha recognised that gods exist but said that worship of them does not lead to liberation. However there are Buddhists who would classify themselves as atheist and the same goes for Taoist. For me its praxis first ... meditiation, qi gong, nei gong yoga or whatever you feel a connection to ... allow the process of actual experience to educate you in terms of ideas about the nature of things. When I say forget beliefs ... there is nothing wrong with using ideas to define for yourself what you are doing ... but don't cling to them ... Some people talk about god but have a sophisticated view of the nature of divinity which is closer to Tao and so on. For them that's the way to talk ... maybe not for you. Homosexuality ... well if you read old Buddhist texts then they do define certain acts as sexual misconduct. This could be read as being against gay sex. As far as I know there is no equivalent in Taoism (but stand to be corrected). There is a debate (including on here) about whether gay sex is ok energetically and if the lifestyle is healthy. These would be the Taoist concerns I suppose. In my view a lot of this is ill considered along the lines of its different so its wrong ... which is clearly at best lazy thinking and at worst discrimination. I agree with whoever said forget the labels. Its not necessary to pigeon hole yourself. Just see yourself as someone who is learning and then just see what helps you. Just my thoughts of course.

In the real world I am actually a white cat ... I need a special keyboard for my paws ... and I really give that mouse a hard time ... I also have a friend who is a dog called Browser ... hope this clarifies things ....

It is well known that unicorns can only be captured (and hence be eaten) by virgins. Therefore all gnomes are either virgins or have virgins associated with them for unicorn capture and eating purposes. Leprechauns hide pots of gold at the end of rainbows. rainbows are sacred to the goddess Iris who s married to Zephyrus and therefore clearly not a virgin ... meaning that leprechauns are unable to lure, capture and eat unicorns through her intervention. As the winter is a time of darkness and cold, without sufficient unicorn meat the leprechauns can hardly survive and thus the answer is none.

yellow aubergines.. with pendulant capsicum day glow and night shade.

OK ..... nice edit.

exactly what?

sense of self righteousness? I was just checking what I thought was true and found it was true.

Oh well ... since you posted I have checked several websites and reference books and they all agree with me ... heres one example .... http://seanrobsville.blogspot.pt/2009/11/four-seals-of-dharma.html I think you will find it is generally accepted that the four seals distinguish genuine Buddhist teachings from others.

seeking redemption slaughtered a lamb, forgot God's vegetarian.

Have you tried painting your fingers? Its not easy.

I know that wasn't addressed to me but my understanding is that what is and is not dharma is defined by the four seals: 1. compounded phenomena are impermanent 2. phenomena contaminated by 'self' are suffering 3. phenomena are empty 4. nirvana is perfect peace ... if this is taught it is dharma ... if it is not then it's not ...

I think paganism is more natural to human's as witness by the fact that we were all pagans for a long time before monotheism appeared. Seeing the divine in all things ... seeing there being an infinite expression of this ... including beings, intelligences of all kinds ... like the ideas fo Edward Butler http://henadology.wordpress.com/ and others ... polytheistic polycentrism ... or whatever you like to call it ...

eat before it's cold retch and vomit in the dark the bean-sprouts were bad!

I'm knot geddin dumma, 4 shure. I'm a fukkin genias. Tru.

takes little to laugh! but even less to complain which is my birth-right.

while galaxies yawn... we live miserable lives on a ball of dung. (honestly I'm feeling good today)

today is a new one. it's very like the old one can't tell them apart.

@Soothsayer : some merit in all those I think also saw temperance in there somewhere but can't remember why