doc benway

Sorry - no. Just came across the photo while snowbound last year and loved it. I have to admit, I'm nearly that size and have dark hair so it's pretty close...

Wu Wei doesn't necessarily prevent indigenous cultures from being decimated. In fact, one could argue that Wu Wei is nearly incompatible with living in "civilized" society - one of the reasons for Daoist, Buddhist, and Christian monks living in seclusion.

Another good example of Wu Wei is Zhuangzi's parable of the archer - When an archer is shooting for nothing he has all his skill. If he shoots for a brass buckle he is already nervous. If he shoots for a prize of gold he goes blind or sees two targets - he is out of his mind! His skill has not changed. But the prize divides him. He cares. He thinks more of winning than of shooting and the need to win drains him of power I think one way to interpret Wu Wei is to act without letting the self get in the way. When the expert archer shoots, there is only shooting, the archer disappears. The division between self and universe is the illusion. When that is seen through, there is no separation of doer and what is being done, just the happening.

I don't disagree with you Seth and I Stand Alone was even worse - nearly walked out. On the other hand - I do think Noe was trying to remind theater goers that the statistics we breeze through as we flip through the paper and tv news are really people whose lives have been destroyed forever. Modern society has become so desensitized that we enjoy a steady diet of rape, murder, and so forth in our daily "entertainment." I'd like to think that Noe is rubbing our faces in our complacency and decadence. Maybe I'm being a bit to generous with him... I agree with you that these films cannot be recommended viewing. Nevertheless - they were intense. Oh, and I've got to mention two more - Pan's Labyrinth Children of Men

Some of my favorites have already been mentioned. And I have to give a big +1 on: Breaking the Waves Requiem for a Dream The Holy Mountain Here are a few more: Life is Beautiful The Whale Rider Slumdog Millionaire Saving Private Ryan Amores Perros Across the Universe (the gospel number made me cry like a baby) Irreversible and I Stand Alone by Gaspar Noe are probably the most intense films I've ever had the misfortune of seeing. The intensity arises from extreme horror and revulsion associated with common crimes. The brilliance of the films lies in bringing the true devastation to the audience that is inherent in crimes that have become so commonplace in our daily lives as to be banal. Can't really recommend that anyone watch them - truly horrific. Images I wish I could un-see. Lot's more that I can't think of right now.

Excellent book - my understanding and appreciation for Daoist ideas has developed more from "non-classical" sources than from the classics. Alan Watts' books, Osho's When the Shoe Fits, J Krishnamurti's work, Anthony Demello's Awareness, and most of all - meditation and Taijiquan. The classic Daoist works are certainly worthwhile but have a lot more to offer once some fundamentals are assimilated. The fundamentals, IMO, are best integrated through practice rather than study. One beautiful image from "The Book" is the "bag of skin" illusion. Once that is seen through (not so much intellectually but in one's bones and breath), real understanding begins.

Science is necessarily rooted in human thought which will always have limitations. It is no surprise to conclude that science will always have limitations. One of the most fascinating explorations of a very specific limitation is explored in a book by Huw Price called Time's Arrow and Archimedes' Point: New Directions for the Physics of Time. It may or may not present defensible arguments but the discussion about our concept and experience of asymmetry in time's motion and how it arises from inherent and generally unrecognized bias in our approach to physics and philosophy is really compelling. It's not a light or easy read but I liked it.

Exactly - that is the specific name of the exercise - the three treasures. I think another word that can be useful is that man is the intersection of heaven and earth. Intermediary and go-between both imply separation, intersection is useful as it implies unity.

Yes - there is correlation between Jing-Qi-Shen with Di-Ren-Tian. It is a broad concept and is also associated with very focused and specific practical methods.

Never - it is not a matter of learning from mistakes. It is a calculated risk of political/economic profit vs likelihood of disaster in the short term. And the short term profit nearly always outweighs the risk in the minds of those in power...

It is a very important and fundamental Daoist theme. One of the exercises in the Daoist meditation system I practice is known as Tian-Ren-Di and involves the unification of the three. I can't say anything about writings, however - I'm not well read. Good luck in your search.

I posted this about a year ago. It still speaks to me and I still feel for the Haitian victims. Praise Tina Chang Brooklyn Poet Laureate All night long there was digging, and the bodies like accordions bent into their own dying instruments, and even after this, after the quake, there was, in news reports, still singing: A woman's clapping was followed by another who shuffled and dragged her own apparition through the ruined streets, though each one knew the anthem the other was singing. History taught them better. No one was coming. The film crews had their sights on the large hotels, the embassies. So they set to digging with their hands and with the shoes of those who were no longer alive. And with that, night fell and fell again like an old black pot tumbling to the ground. When a man dies, the first thing that goes is his breath, and the last thing that goes is his memory. I once saw this civilization passing through a great white door, people weeping, then the weeping was followed by the sound of tambourines rattling the heavy air, something that sounded like celebration only livelier and more holy, voices rising, and then a marching into the dusty road of the next century. When shelter is gone, find your solace on the ground. And when the ground is gone, lift yourself and walk. And after all the great monuments of your memory have collapsed, with the sky steady above you, you shatter that too, with song

I know nothing about Flying Phoenix but here is a great book if you want to train yourself to sit lotus or half lotus. If you try to force it you will injure your knees. It is important to prepare with a methodical approach to stretching the hip joints. http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Lotus-Martin-Faulks/dp/1885928181

+1 - it is also a gamble if you have a history of addiction. Off cigs and booze for 20+ years but only off the bong for 1? Hmm...

My thoughts FWIW... I know of only one way to cultivate true love and compassion. Go very deeply into yourself and find out exactly who and what you are. This needs to be a very profound investigation. There are lots of "methods" to do this but a method doesn't do the work for you. Being totally aware of everything inside and around you on a prolonged basis is what is needed. It's a lot of work but you don't have to DO anything. Just watch, listen, pay attention to everything that is in and around you. Your own moods, feelings, thoughts, movtivation, behavior patterns, conditioning - all of it. But just as important - the trees and birds, stars and people - pleasure, pain, terror, exploitation. See it all for what it is. Don't just say the words in your head that you see written or hear spoken. It needs to be felt and experienced and that can only come through awareness and attention. When you realize who YOU are or better stated, who I is - there is true love and compassion. No other way. Very nice to see this question asked...

Why is this so complicated? I am writing this.

Some silly musings from the bath tub... it's where I do my best (and worst) thinking these days... I once read someone's ideas on the differences between belief and faith. It may have been Watts or Krishnamurti or Demello or someone else entirely. Many people confuse belief and faith. In fact, most people confuse faith with a fervent hope that their beliefs are true. They really, really, really, really want to believe that their religious or spiritual ideas are an exact or reasonably close estimation of the ineffable. The perspective I prefer is the following. Belief is a system of ideas that someone holds to be true or representative of a truth that is beyond the capacity for measurement or proof of any sort. Faith, on the other hand, is the conviction that when all beliefs are shed, whatever remains is the truth - reality. Faith is what occurs in the absence of believe not something we use to reinforce belief. Belief cuts faith off at the knees. Religious institutions are all exactly the same. They offer a spectrum of ideas, methods, rituals, explanations, parables, images, and so forth, which hint at or lead one in the general direction of, the truth. The truth will always be outside the capacity of words and ideas. The ignorant mistake the system or method for reality. The wise understand that reality transcends words and ideas and systems and wisdom can be gained through any system and through no system. True religion or spirituality is the personal voyage that occurs once beliefs and methods are discarded entirely and one comes into direct experience with whatever remains. Faith is the confidence that whatever remains is reality.

Wow Steve - that was very courageous of you to share that. I have been wrestling with my own demons in recent years related to my childhood and my parenting choices. Two observations - 1. I have hope for the future. I am much more tolerant and accepting than my father was. My children are similarly better than me. 2. Despite your terrible childhood experiences, somehow you have managed to find a more positive direction and outlook. In part this is a result of your insight and hard work. At the same time, it somehow arose from the ground substance of your childhood and parental relationships. So even though your experience was very negative - it has had a very positive outcome. Best wishes for the holiday season and I hope you continue to find the strength to heal your wounds and move forward.

RAOTFLMAO! Sorry to disappoint my friend! When I realized that I am truly an ass, it was very liberating. Now I have no fear of ridicule because it means that offending party is simply confirming what I already know! Be well.

Why the apology?

In the interest of full disclosure that is not me in the avatar but I love the pic and it snowed here 2 days ago so it seemed apropos... Thanks for the comments everyone.

The mind by and large is composed of its contents (memories, knowledge, experience, desires, sensory experience, dreams,...). These contents are exclusively within the realm of the known for, if it is not known, how can it be in the mind? There is something that is outside of the known and outside of the mind, however. There is something that animates awareness. It is a brilliant spark that defies description although it can be hinted at by the poets and artists (and yes even the scientists) of the world. Call it what you want, I'm guessing this is what the word mindstream is pointing to.

Is compassion an emotion? Or is it empathy in action? I feel empathy but I act in a compassionate manner. I think the two are intimately related. It's all just word salad anyway. It is good to take the time to be considerate of others and act accordingly. I agree that this has been a nice a thread. I rarely participate anymore but Aaron's wonderful initial post got my juices flowing again. Namaste.

First, I've spent years chipping away at what makes me tick. I've been able to expose a lot of my conditioning and self-deceptive patterns. Next, I try to be honest with myself regarding my motivation and intention. Consequently, I've been able to identify some of my core values through this process. What seems to work for me is to act in accordance with these values. When I do so, I invariable feel "right" about my decisions and actions. When it comes to discussion about where certain lines should be drawn in terms of what is acceptable or tolerable and what is not, I don't think there is a clear answer that everyone will ever agree upon. Too much is a result of parental, cultural, and societal conditioning and other influences that are too numerous to discuss. These variances are simply a reflection of the infinite variety of manifestation (the 10,000 things). Perhaps if all of humanity could strip away the conditioning, we would all agree on the basic human values (and to be fair most people do agree on the basic core values). Until that happens (I'm not holding my breath) we will struggle with our varying ideals and values. There is nothing unnatural about this, it is the human condition. Struggling against this is a source of suffering, accepting it is Wu Wei or non-attachment.

Yes, that is what I'm saying. When someone commits violent acts, it not only is harmful to the victim but also to the perpetrator, his/her friends and family and future generations. It has karmic consequences, psychological consequences, emotional consequences, etc... Intervening through prevention and/or punishment is an act of love and compassion in my view. At least such a perspective helps me to reconcile these paradoxical ideas of love and equanimity.