doc benway

You just did it. Read the pinned up note, join in and welcome aboard!

To start things off, it appears that everyone who has replied so far is comfortable with Mal's recommendation of Taoist Yoga: Alchemy and Immortality by Lu K'uan Yu (Charles Luk). This will be our first selection. My intention will be to begin discussion on this book around March 1st. This will give everyone nearly a month to read and formulate questions and topics of discussion. When we start the discussion, I'll try to come up with a few discussion points to help guide us and keep us from getting too far off track. Thanks for the suggestion Mal! http://www.amazon.com/Taoist-Yoga-Immortal...2552&sr=8-1

I've opened the new first book thread and will close this one for clarity's sake.

Excellent idea! I'll work on something - more great ideas! Thanks

OK - as expected, things don't go as smoothly as one would like in getting a new project going. No worries - this is going to be fun! Wednesday is 2 hours away and I've yet to see any additional suggestions for basic books on Daoism. Eva Wong's book has been mentioned by a few folks, is widely available, and a few people seem to already have it. As some of us are getting concerned about the time factor, I think we should bite the bullet and dive in. Rather than waste a few more days with a poll on basic books, I'm going to make Eva Wong's : The Shambala Guide to Taoism our first selection. I would like to start discussing it ~ March 1st but we can always delay that by a week or two if some of us are late getting our copies - please let us know if that is a problem. I hope no one is too disappointed. Things will be more democratic moving forward. I just think it's important for us to get started and see what happens. Let the games begin!!!!

I'm going to have to disagree with you Craig. We discuss a lot more on this forum than Daoism and I'd prefer that we not limit ourselves too much. I'd like to see us have the freedom to make recommendations from a wider range and the book selection process will take care of the rest. Steve PS The nature of Krishnamurti's work is about first hand experience of the Dao - it doesn't get much more Daoist than that. He just doesn't use that particular label...

That? is the question Autumn leaf tossed by the wind I am! the answer.

I think I'll stick with requesting recommendations for books then narrowing that down to no more than 5 options and go with a poll. Otherwise, we may have too numerous a selection - 17 different books, each getting one or two votes. If certain people choose not to read the selection, they can rejoin the discussion the following month. I appreciate your input. Steve

There appears to be a less expensive paper back edition of this book. There are several for sale on www.abebooks.com. Steve

I don't want things to get too complicated. Here's how I propose we work this out. We currently have 3 possible book suggestions. The floor is open for additional recommendations. On Wednesday, I'll create a poll with no more than 5 selections and we'll vote. We'll close the poll on Saturday and have our selection. In the interim, Pietro's idea of listing your choices of a basic, introductory text on Daosim in order of preference, #1 being the highest, would be a good way to generate the poll options. Does that sound fair? Thanks for all the input, everybody.

I could try a direct transmission...

I think we're all more or less in agreement that a more basic overview of Daoism would be a good place to start for this endeavor. Here are three titles that I think would qualify. Please post any other introductory or basic books you'd suggest and we'll select one and move forward. 1. Eva Wong: The Shambala Guide to Taoism 2. Livia Kohn: Daoism and Chinese Culture 3. Isabelle Robinet: Taoism: Growth of a Religion

This master, Feng Zheng-bao, studied xingyi, bagua, liu he and probably incorporated training elements of each with one another. I don't think it's typical to see circle walking in xingyi training. There could be in some style but I'd bet it was added later. I haven't seen any in the classical styles. There's none in the style I practice which is Hebei style. This is Shaanxi style, I believe.

Well said Wayfarer. Whatever you are tapping into - existence, being, reality - I feel that I'm connecting with it also. My interpretation is that through training (particularly neigong, taiji, and Dao meditation), I'm becoming more sensitive to that connection to existence directly, physically, yet sensed consciously, if that makes any sense. That interaction of awareness with existence is what I refer to when I use the word qi. That's why I think of it more as a process than stuff. In Chinese theory, all living things have qi. THis would be consistent with the sort of picture we're describing of qi being an interaction of the living awareness with the vessel.

Several posts have suggested the possibility of a more basic, introductory book for our first discussion. I think there is definite wisdom in this. I would like to reconsider the first choice unless there is strong opinion to the contrary. I think reading a basic work first will help prepare us all for some of the more subtle, complex, and difficult language and concepts of more advanced works (such as Taoist Yoga). I have read Eva Wong's introductory book and think it is a good overview but I'm sure there are other good basic intros as well. What is the general consensus about starting with a more basic book? Are there any other suggestions for a basic, first read for the group? I have no problem if we take a day or two and make sure the way we get started appeals to the largest number of participants. We can certainly revisit Taoist Yoga in the near future.

Usually referred to as Chen Pan Ling's form. Here it is called Wang Shu-Jin's form: It is a synthesis of Yang, Wu, and Chen styles as well as Xingyi and Bagua elements. Chen was vice president of the Academy at one point and their mission was to collect elements of traditional styles and develop a standardized style during the Republican period. Like everything in martial arts, there's politics involved...

Excellent suggestion - I agree with alternating themes and will try and incorporate that into the selection process somehow. Krishnamurti's To Be Human is spiritual/philosophical but the reader is asked to participate in reaching their own conclusions. Not exactly a practice but your mind will probably play with the ideas moving forward - it had a profound impact on my thinking. There is a huge selection of good stuff out there, I'm looking forward to seeing suggestions

That was soothing and beautiful. Well done Steve

I, for one, appreciate the tough questions and challenges that Buddy or anyone else posts. In matters of the spiritual, gratuitous assertions are easy to make and people can be easy to exploit. Without the tough questions and challenges, how valuable are our ideas? Buddy's certainly not the first or only skeptic but has lately been the most vocal and steadfast. I share his skeptical point of view (as anyone knows from my early posts on Max's "Kunlun" presentation will recall). I also try to maintain an open mind and a sense of tolerance. I do think it's important to maintain a respectful tone and presentation, as electronic communication is notorious for leading to miscommunication and conflict. I also think it's important that each of us be mindful of what is going on when we feel threatened, defensive, or become belligerent, argumentative, and so on. The more sensitive we feel, the more that indicates some insecurity somewhere. If we look for the source of that, it can be very instructive - I've learned alot from my own reaction to forum arguments. Cheers! PS I don't have a dog in today's fight but I'm hoping it'll be as exciting a game as NY and Green Bay was. Good luck Buddy! Your team has been pretty impressive this year - almost as impressive as mine (the Ravens... )

This is a pretty good film I recently stumbled on. http://www.stage6.com/user/Kunio9/video/20...pons-of-kung-fu

No, I'll look for it.

I've PM'd Sean to get his input. Hopefully he'll share his thoughts with us on this. Steve

Very nicely said - I agree with you on that, win. Steve

I like it very much. Since you've mentioned a bit about what Daoists believe about the Dao, you may want to mention the concept of wu wei. I think this is really a common belief among Daoists that one goes with rather than against the Dao and would have a role in a general introduction of Daoism if I were writing one. Just my $.02. I look forward to seeing more of your work. I plan to order a copy of your book on training manuals at some point - it looks interesting. Steve

Extremely cool to see interest. I've read Taoist Yoga in a casual and relaxed way, certainly not meticulously. That would be as good a place to start as any. Here are a few options: 1. We could have a book club thread, give a start date for a give book and let it rip. When we've tired of discussing that one, go on to the next... OR... 2. We could have a "book club" sub-forum and in it, each book could be a different thread. That way the discussions could be ongoing on different books simultaneously. That way, as new people join, or read it, they could contribute. We could start with one (otherwise, it'll get a bit wild and crazy) and just add new threads, one at a time, but revisit the old ones as needed OR... 3. We could do #2 above but let people start as many book threads as they want, although that would end up being just like random posts about books. I'd vote for #2 most likey... What do you all think? Also, how to choose future books? I can see this getting interesting and competitive (no way! not us Daoists! ) Maybe people contribute suggestions and we choose randomly. Or post 5 options and vote. Or .... I'll pick 'em because it was my idea!!! Any other suggestions?