doc benway

I don't think it's a matter of intelligence - from your posts you are clearly intelligent. It's a matter of how you read him. Read lifeforce's post again (please). That's exactly how it feels to me. To Be Human is a great place to start because it gives you an idea of his unique and precise way of using language and the quality of attention and work you must bring to his material for it to be effective.

With respect, I disagree completely with the second part. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he is one of the few teachers that can teach what it really means to meditate through a book. If you take the time to read his work with the frame of mind that he suggests and do the work yourself as he asks, you will come to understand meditation. Of course, different presentations resonate differently with different individuals, YMMV. It may not resemble what many people imagine when they hear the word meditation, with all the trappings - zafus, robes, bells, sore knees, and so forth; but that is all window dressing. True meditation is a quality of mind, not a pattern of behavior. Personally, I get more from his books than his talks. There's something about his presentation that requires me to read it slowly, pausing frequently to do the work myself in my own mind. It's tough to get this from a recorded talk. This book on the subject of meditation is very insightful. A great starting place for his writings is To Be Human.

One of my favorite authors is famous for saying - "The Truth is a Pathless Land" There is only one truth and there is only one path, it just masquerades as many. The truth is who and what you are and the path is to investigate that very deeply. You've already taken the first step. Good luck on your journey!

I'd suggest mittens if possible, rather than gloves. Mittens allow the fingers to share warmth whereas gloves insulate them from one another and can actually make them feel colder. I'm plagued with cold hands in part due to damage to the ulnar artery in my palms from martial arts practice (too much wooden dummy striking). Mittens work much better for me than gloves.

Unfortunately, none of those locations are anywhere near me. My family is in Florida (~ 4 hours from Miami) so if I can work out a visit, I might be able to hook up with them in Miami. The next best would be Tennessee but that's a long haul. Thanks for the info. Steve That may be true for some but, historically, the majority of high level martial arts instruction was limited to wealthy families that could afford to take the time to train and afford the services of a qualified teacher. The average farmer and peasant didn't have the time to train or the money to pay a teacher and very few teachers in China give/gave away their knowledge to anyone other than immediate family. I think it's worth being aware of that when considering Chinese martial arts.

Nice post Susan - Wishing you success and fulfillment in your unique and joyous practice. _/\_

Gotcha - I recall some of those discussions. That's fine. When and where will Adam be traveling? Will you be traveling with him? Perhaps we could meet. I'd enjoy that. Steve

I've tried cheap kung fu shoes, Feiyue, Discipline, a variety of running and tennis shoes over the years, and my favorite by far is Adidas Sambas. Nothing comes close for me. Good arch support, flat and wide sole, supportive uppers. Great for form, great for aggressive push hands and martial training. Not too expensive. You've got to try them yourself, however.

Two of my all time favorites although the first may be too up tempo.... nm0jieRLYNs 8Qx2lMaMsl8 PS - Congratulations!

Nice topic. This is something my ShiFu talks about quite a bit regarding meditation. He feels that one of the most important side effect of meditation is the unearthing of prior experiences. Some may be quite painful and shocking and this is one of the reasons it is important to have a teacher/guide/coach of some sort to offer support.

Done! It was challenging, but rewarding in the end.... What now? I'll stop now - it's not my intention to pick fights. I would hope that we could discuss things with a degree of mutual respect and civility in a forum dedicated to spiritual growth....

Spoken like a truely sublime master of Tai Ji Quan and Qi Gong. Please teach us more master....

I think the issue has to do with expectations. If you have an idea of how the other person should behave and they deviate from your expectation, you feel betrayed. Why is there any expectation? It generally means that you are trying to control that person in some way. Let go of all expectations for behavior. Become an expert in your own behavior. All motivation is selfish - some is just more obvious and crude, others more subtle and refined. If you really understand yourself, you'll have insight into others. I think it's a good place to start.

I really like the Dutch violinist Janine Jansen Vaughn-Williams' "The Lark Ascending" wbcuteYm-EA Vivaldi's Four Seasons Summer MRXSpldnAM8 Winter SzjGTC04Zbo

Hi Mouse, Would you please clarify what you mean by 'effortless' in "effortless power Taiji fa jin is all about" ? Thanks, Steve

That's an interesting perspective. I figured you understood the translation - probably better than me. In the beginning, it is difficult to believe the effect certain exercises can have, particularly when they appear subtle. So, for example, the benefits of standing meditation are enormous but to the uninitiated, it's tough to imagine what simple standing still can accomplish. One only "gets it" with a substantial investment of practice. Neigong is extremely effective and generally involves no physical movement whatsoever. Yoga's effects on the spine are much more obvious and explicit but not necessarily any more valuable, IMO and IME.

Hi Yuen Biao, As my previous posts make clear, I do advocate Taijiquan for back problems. You hit on one of my pet peaves, though, and I'd like to respond. "Supreme Ultimate" is a terrible translation of Tai Ji. It does not imply the best and greatest martial art to the native Chinese speaker from a literal perspective (although many may believe that for cultural reasons). Supreme Ultimate Fist gives this impression in English but it is a very misleading translation of Tai Ji Quan. Tai Ji is the Daoist principle of Yin and Yang and how balance pervades all existence and how opposites give rise to one another and define eachother, and so forth. I'm sure you know this but others may not. So Tai Ji Quan would be much better translated as Yin Yang Fist. It is the application of the Daoist philosophical principles of Tai Ji and Wu Wei to fighting. I despise the translation Supreme Ultimate Fist - it's meaningless and completely misses the point. I'd also like to comment on the similarities and differences of Tai Ji Quan and Yoga. Tai Ji Quan was originally a martial art. Developed for the purpose of fighting. The health benefits arose from linking the martial techniques into what we know as forms today. That was a much later development. Sure the early practitioners may have practiced Qigong (probably physically demanding martial forms) and some may have practiced Daoist cultivation but the intent of Tai Ji Quan was not to facilitate meditation. Yoga as a physical discipline was developed to promote health and flexibility to allow yogis to endure the rigors of prolonged meditation. Despite their differences, modern Tai Ji Quan training and Yoga have striking similarities. Both promote health and fitness through relatively safe and gentle exercise. Both emphasize building core strength and flexibility and optimizing posture. Both have at their foundation, the development of a deep integration of conscious awareness and physical being (movement, posture, breath, and so on). In fact, Tai Ji Quan forms are performed very slowly and mindfully largely to achieve this. Sure, the isometric benefit of slow motion is important, but I would argue that the effects on mental/physical integration is much more important than any physical benefits (from a martial perspective). I don't believe that the goal of Tai Ji Quan training was ever intended to be a spiritual one, unlike Yoga. Daoist cultivation methods are much more suited to those goals than Tai Ji Quan training and such methods were well known and reasonably accessible in China during the early days of Tai Ji Quan development. Yoga on the other hand literally means union and was specifically intended to create union in the division between 'self' (the illusory separate individual) and "Self" (the foundation of all being inclusive of life and consciousness in Hindu tradition).

I took no offense at all - I'm glad you posted your question. Based on your stated goals I believe that Yoga or Taijiquan would be equally reasonable alternatives for you. I would also encourage you to practice meditation with any of the above. I don't think any one system is better than any other for your needs. More important than system is to find a credible teacher that you work well with. Taijiquan and yoga are both founded on the principle of bringing the mind and body into better integration. Both are wonderful for improving posture, releasing tension and blockages, and helping you to become more aware of your natural state. I personally like Taijiquan because of my martial arts background. The important thing to remember is that you don't need to return to your natural state of flow, you are always already there. You are just distracted or I like the metaphor - asleep. It is simply a matter of awakening to what your natural state is and living in touch with that.

zazaza - is that a young Ramana?

Well said Taomeow - Human ignorance and insensitivity know no bounds, fortunately that is the case for love as well.

But did it bring you to your knees?

All Taijiquan practice must include warmups and standing or it is incomplete. I agree that the warmups are a key component but I don't view them as separate. Most back pain is actually caused by repressed anger, not poor muscle strength, although both are major contributers... So, in my view, it is not just the exercise that helps. It is the overall sense of well being, the self confidence generated by physical activity, the emotional and psychological healing that is experienced with Taiji and Yoga practice and so on. Exercise alone won't solve the problem.

Thanks - I'm a big fan of Krishnamurti. Compare his teachings about labels and images with the first chapter of Dao De Jing. He tells us to drop our labels and images and experience the world directly. Dao De Jing tells us that everything we think we understand by naming it is not the truth. Reality cannot be substituted with concepts and ideas and names, it must be experienced. JK was a Daoist of the first order. _/\_

I think this is my favorite Satie piece - Gnossienne #1, originally for piano but I like this guitar transcription as well. Zq3rSwX4QHM

So true - and we always label. It is extremely difficult not to. It's how our brain works. We can't possibly know everything there is to know about anything around us so we make a very quick observation and create an image of everything and everyone we meet. We also have an image of ourselves which is a consequence of our conditioning and memory. So all of our relationships with people are really our image of ourselves interacting with our images of the other person. This is the illusion we all live in. The work we can do is to see through this. Look at everyone as if you are seeing them for the first time. Really look at them, really listen to them, let go of all assumptions and preconceptions to whatever extent you are able - it is an entirely different experience when you can do this and it is a skill that develops with practice. That is meaningful living, otherwise living is just being a robot created by conditioning. One of my favorite saying goes something like this - It's the people who don't know how to live that are constantly concerned with dying and what comes in the afterlife. Live fully now and all concern with what comes later simply falls away.