11:33

Just wondering what you all think of all the mention of this or that Taoist is 130, or whatever. Do real Taoists actually live this long? Or is it some form of cultural exaggeration done to venerate the wise and elderly? If they do live that long, then what do you think most contributes to that long life? Preferably with some evidence to back up the reason why you think it One thing that concerns me are the monastic vegetarian even VEGAN diets. Vegan diets just plain aren't good for people. There's so much science to back this up, so for me it puts some of the Taoist stuff into question for me. Maybe these vegan diets are giving them amazing longevity, but making them very weak in the process? I know that calorie restriction is a known scientific method of extending lifespan, so maybe? All the Best, 11:33

I'll clarify. Happiness is *it*. There's nothing more. You can make it complicated, but that's not my game. So there's nothing to discuss. I'm not subscribed to this thread anymore so I won't see any replies. All the Best.

Sounds like malarky to me. Ok ok ok... My point is I think you have made the concept of happiness wayyyyy tooooo complicated. It's not complicated. It's extremely simple.

I was thinking this same thing today, hehe. I guess I agree. There isn't much to say about the subject. Though I did enjoy your post Dream on

@Biff, Well said. But, I don't even think my Sifu does 3 hours standing in our school, hehe. 3 hours Golden Bridge would be amazing.

What is more interesting to me is that, the 'real' world is just as dream-like as the dream world.

I haven't attempted lucid dreaming in many years, its just never interested me, I think that is because I am more interesed in teh waking lucid dream Anyhow, a very effective technique for inducing lucid dreaming that I used 7 years ago was this: When you are awake, anytime you see a light switch look at it, note whether it is up or down. Then turn your head away and look again. If it changed then you are dreaming. Also, when you are awake, and you see a clock, note the time it says, then look away, then look back. If it has changed then again... you are lucid dreaming. You do this while awake, and the habit ends up being a habit you have while asleep, and you will eventually look at a clock and have the time change wildly. Then you go, oh snap I'm asleep! And wake up. Then knowing you are asleep you can manifest things into your dreaming reality. GoldIsHeavy, I asked, because some of your posts I read int he past made me think you would agree with me that all of life is born out of the mind. I'd be very interested in a long discussion about that concept. The "life is a dream" concept, that is.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the idea of life itself being a lucid dream?

Lol. Hey That Guy, on another note, since we seem to be talking more about meditation than "chi stuff", isn't meditation pretty thoroughly studied scientifically? Well either way, I have got to get to work. Peace.

That's not obvious to you? Or are you trying to lead the conversation towards some deeper point you are trying to make.......? My only point is that either you are happy or you're not. No amount of intellectualization, aka mixing around of words, thoughts, and concepts, will change it. You're either happy now, or your not happy now. And of course it's on a spectrum, so there are shades of gray. Less happy, more happy, etc.

You trust your judgment on your life. Sure, makes sense. Except you don't realize how limiting your thought process is. You basically are acting like every teaching is the same, when really there is a huge variety of both type and quality of teaching. Did you ever learn directly from a master? And if he/she was a master were they REALLY a master? If not, then basically you are deluding yourself. You think you know what all this stuff is about and you haven't even done the fundamentals/basics => find a genuine master and do what they say! If you have done the basics, and found (what you thought was) a real master, then I agree with you. If your practice feels like a waste, then it probably is. If you aren't getting anything out of it then stop doing it. Very sensible, and I agree. The important thing here is to be absolutely sure you were learning from a real master. If you weren't then once again you'd be deluding yourself, as you would be acting like you know what a real master could offer, even though you had never actually learned from one. My teacher has changed my life profoundly. Qi is real. If you're not experiencing it, find a better teacher. That's the short version, and not meant to be insulting. All the Best, Alex I'm not breaking any rules. Of course. I know what I feel is chi because it follows all the markers of what chi is. How do you know what you feel blowing outside is wind? You know there was a time when they couldn't measure wind either. They didn't have the technology for it.

I would say you FEEL happy. Happiness is a feeling.

I voted #2. I say the biggest problem is and always will be finding a genuine master, willing to teach you.

Yeah, all good points. I think the secret to it is in what you said. She THINKS she's happy. Either you're happy, or you're NOT. Intellectualizing whether you are happy or not hasn't got much to do with it. On the other hand I see no reason why some people couldn't be perfectly happy under 'strange' circumstances like you are describing (getting beaten). Everyone doesn't filter reality the same way.

I never said anything about a secret. When discussing things, it is good to be careful what words you put in which peoples' mouths. My teacher Wong Kiew Kit teaches any deserving student who can follow our 10 Shaolin Laws (school rules basically, not meant to be generalized beyond our school's bounds). And willing to travel to see him in Malaysia or attend a regional course in Europe and sometimes the US. I can feel chi. I need no more proof than that. Just like no one needs to convince me that wind is 'real'... What have I really gained spending my time and money on this stuff? Everything. It's changed my life in a large way. Not all 'masters' are real. But not all are NOT real either. That Guy, Reading your further posts it seems clear that you have decided that based on your limited experience you now are the authority on what is 'real'. Look deeper into that, and you will see that isn't a logically sound thought process. Good luck in all your endeavors.

No personal attacks. That is the core, main rule in my mind. If people cannot come to discuss and know they will be treated with respect (the respect EVERYONE deserves), then you can be sure that no one worthy of respect will want to talk with you. Just my two cents :-)

There is no such thing as "real happiness"... There is just happiness. Either you are it, or you're not.

Sunshine, In our school, Shaolin Wahnam, the weight is even through the feet. The instructions are very simple. Assume the posture, and relax relax relax. The chi will flow and build naturally. Like someone said earlier, you may appear to be still, but the chi is moving, and your body is technically still in a state of chi flow and is highly relaxed even though you may be in a relatively low stance like Golden Bridge. This is Flowingly Still.

If you had learned from a high-level master you might not be talking so much silliness, That Guy. There's more to life than you think. Suffice to say that qi is absolutely real. Zero doubt whatsoever for me. And the rabbit hole goes much further than that (yi leads qi) I'm not going to spend much time explaining it to you though, because I don't do that (it's policy)

I'm a white American. Ancestry is Italian and Polish. Perhaps it is genetic, because I don't function as well on vegetarianism. You would think that those of Asian ancestry may do better on vegetarian diets. Who knows.

I don't think there is a proper vegetarian diet. I don't think vegetarianism is healthy unless you eat a loooootttttt of eggs. And good quality (raw) dairy. Veganism is just a mess waiting to happen. Just one man's opinion.

I thought the idea of Taoism, as said in the Tao Te Ching, is that Te arises from the Tao naturally. That Te cannot be forced.

Hi everyone, I am wondering about Taoist alchemy methods. I've been practicing chi-kung since 2001, and now I'm learning about Taoist Alchemy methods. I am interested in pursuing them, especially transmuting jing to chi (sperm)... However I hear a lot about the potential danger in this. So I would like to discuss potential pitfalls. Are there any methods that are known to be safe? Who of you have been doing sexual retention and internal alchemy for ohhhh at least 6 months, preferably a year, or more preferably 10 years? Is anyone who has been doing this for years having the doctor check their prostate health etc? I have the book Taoist Yoga from the library, and would like to know if anyone out there is using these methods? Are there any methods to do these practices while still staying sexually active? Ok, enough questions for now All the Best, Alex

It's not taboo. I don't have an answer for you though. Hopefully someone will pop out of the woodwork.

Because without the names you can't research the sources. Without being able to resource the sources, then it is just more of the spew you find on the internet.