Iyoiyo

If at all possible I recommend taking a class. Barring that, though, you should be able to get far (if you have motivation) by teaching yourself. I hear rosetta stone is a respectable program, but the Yookoso textbooks are what I used (few complaints) and they also have some online support. You can supplement your learning by watching Japanese television and film. It will help you practice listening and get a feel for the cadence and tone of spoken Japanese. As for Old, if you're learning Mandarin in eight hours it's not because you have the correct program, it's because you're a rare genius.

It's been one of my most important discoveries, or perhaps acknowledgments, to realize that everything inside is me. It's not that some parts are bad, some evil, but that everything just is. After this realization I found what has become one of my favorite quotes (because it so elegantly expresses most of what I discovered) "If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?" - Alexander Solzhenitsy So yes, I have faced my shadow. As weird as it sounds it's almost as if I've created two modes within myself, which I assume for different occasions. That does sound really weird now that I've written it, but it's basically true. You can't deny who you are, no matter what. If part of you is "evil" then so be it, that's the way things must be. You can never understand (if that's the right word) who you are if all you use to describe yourself, to yourself, are lies. Some things are worth repeating no matter how worn: there has to be balance-- or rather: balance prevails. Whether we maintain constantly shifting balance, or allow vast tensions to build and break is something ever person controls. Would you rather the self flowed like a river, or would you dam it and wait for the flood?

The way I understand things duality is not ever strictly duality. What I mean by this is that there are many sides to everything, far more than two. This does not mean I dislike duality though, or disagree with the concepts, they're just not meant to be interpreted literally. Duality does not exist to reinforce separate categories, but rather to highlight the fact that everything is one. Perhaps you can think of it like this and work towards more abstract ideas by yourself-- without identifying one direction, there can be no direction at all. Without negative numbers there are no positive numbers. But, in the end, they are all just different places on the same scale, and not really different things at all, they're all just numbers.

The resolution to these issues lies, I think, in the way that things are done without desire. Now, that sounds pretty vague so I'll try to expound some more. You wrote, "Isn't the idea of creating art based on a desire for the pleasure these things bring about?" I can see why one would think that, although it is not fully true. It's more accurate to say that most people who do what everyone thinks is art are doing it for those reasons. However, there are genuine people who create simply because it's in them to create, and not for any desire greater than just feeling like they want to do it. All the best art is created in this way because its foundation is unshakeable. Imagine two students attending college, both in the same course of study. One is genuinely interested in the subject and loves it, the other is bright, but desires only to impress others. Eventually the effortless interest will surpass the other, because it is impossible to fuel sustained progress on struggle. It's the difference between floating in a current and thrashing against one. I strayed off topic, but that was supposed to explain the dilemma with art: you will only be an artist if you are truly pursuing art itself, but never if you're after fame or acclaim. My thinking is much the same on music, and in this case I have personal experience. I played the violin for many years when I was younger, and many considered me quite skilled. I never really liked it though, because I didn't understand the music. Only moments of success and praise made me continue. Once I realized this my interest vanished completely, and I stopped playing. Since that time, though, I have occasionally picked it up again and played sheerly for music-- it's very fulfilling. I would be a very profound person if I was capable of explaining what music is, but I can't, and so this is the limit of my explanation on that point. As you might expect by now, my thoughts on exercise are very much the same. What is the logic in working out? In the past I could not understand this at all. I viewed gym goers as shallow, foolish beings consumed entirely in vanity. Sadly this is true to a great extent. However, I was not complete in my observation and did not realize the other viable reasons for exercise. In recent years my physical fitness has improved greatly, and to an outside mind it might appear that I am working for the same motivations of those I previously despised. But that is not the case. My current fitness is merely a byproduct of other interests. In order to improve my martial arts, because I love them, my body has gradually become stronger and stronger. This result was not attained through greed or shallow reasoning though. It's as if I owned a car. I have not buffed up the car to impress people, but because I am becoming a person who goes faster. A crude metaphor, but maybe it's serviceable. In summary, if you can identify a true "logic" behind the things you do, it may mean that you are forcing yourself to do them. If your activities are things which require no real explanation beyond "I love it" or "I'm drawn to it" then those are effortless paths (which does not mean they won't require practice or physical effort) Hopefully this will be of use, but there's a good chance it's off topic since I started to forget what I was supposed to be responding to.

You're both right about the "I," but I detest that convention. Thanks for the input though.

Lets let this conversation end, nothing productive is being accomplished. Whatever disclaimers Guy and others may be including, it is obvious they're attempting to prove their own infalibility (or are already convinced of it) with disregard for actually listening to each other. The gift of insults-- If somebody gives you a present, and you do not accept it, to whom does it belong?

You may bring proofs to me attempting to prove knowledge. You say it's ridiculous to think that some things cannot be known. But consider this: You may think you know the cause of things, but you do not. You may think, "I ate the cookie because I was hungry, because I exercised earlier, because I wanted to go skiing, because my parents raised me near mountains and brought me up skiing, because their parents did so too, because their parents immigrated to America, . . . because people come from somewhere. It's raining. That's because water is condensing in the air and falling down, that's because it evaporated from the ground, where it collected because it fell from the sky. You cannot logically claim to know anything unless you know the original cause. Do you know the original cause? Everything you claim to know can be questioned. How did you know the thing that led you to that conclusion? Eventually you will be forced to reveal that you have no idea. This is an experience which we often encounter when talking with children-- the endless Why of childhood. Nobody knows the answer. Unless you do ^__^ how pleasant it must be.

Something useful? Something that matters, like science and math? Go out and do something fun? None of us can decide, or usually even interpret, what matters to someone else. I understand you want to help we who you perceive as "us," but the people you're talking to probably don't exist. There are many different types of users on this board and, like any population anywhere, they are all different. Not all of us research our "chakra's," I doubt many, if any, meditate for hours at a time. As an aside, you can learn things through meditation, and meditation does not mean thinking of nothing; although, that is sometimes what people try to do under a certain definition. Perhaps you would be interested in learning more about what meditation can be. In most cases it means deep thinking. The more you look into "this stuff" the more it seems like some kind of cult, you say. I think you may be seeing what you want to see. Like I said before, this board is not a unified and cohesive group following some sort of rules. It's just a collection of people who, somehow or another, ended up here one day and found the conversation interesting. We are not, at least I never thought we were, devoted to developing the mystical powers you mentioned. I'll put down this story, as I really like it, and because I think it explains this idea perfectly: One disciple is bragging about his master to the disciple of another master. He claims that his teacher is capable of all sorts of magical acts, like writing in the air with a brush, and having the characters appear on a piece of paper hundreds of feet away. "And what can YOUR master do?" he asks the other disciple. "My master can also perform amazing feats," the other student replies. "When he's tired, he sleeps. When hungry, he eats"........... or simply, "When he sleeps, he sleeps. When he eats, he eats." You see? We are not trying to become wizards. I, at least, and probably most of us here, are just trying to abide by the simplest and truest common sense, or true intuition, or whatever, that has become to be known as Tao. The simple sensibility required to rest your body when tired, rather than staying up later to work/recreate out of disproportionate desire is more uncommon than you might think. I should listen to who I am, and what I'm trying to do.

Like we've heard, I think anything can be a form of meditation. With that said though, here are the three types of mediation I end up doing when I think to myself, "I feel like meditating." Star Meditation-- this meditation can really be done with anything, but stars are easiest for me. Go where you can see the stars, preferably far from lights and distractions. I lie down, because it's easiest to look up from that position, and it is (to me) the easiest to relax in. Once I've done this I pick a star, or a few, or the space between, what have you . . . and I try to feel the distance between that star and I. I try to let my mind travel the path between my eye in the star, and just recognize that we're part of the same being. This is a good form of meditation for me because oftentimes the stars feel distant and removed. When I realize that we're really so close, it reminds me that everything closer than that distant star is also included. Trick Meditation-- In any position (it's usually seiza for me) I allow the tensions in my body to ebb away into my dan-tien and dissapear. Once my body is totally relaxed, I say this to myself: "you can think of anything you want." Generally what happens is that "I can think anything I want!" just reverberates in my head, as if my distractions try to go in all directions and so go nowhere. This helps me to reach a sort of emptiness. Walking Meditation-- I set out on a walk, keeping proper posture and a relaxed body, and with every step I attempt to make it the perfect step. Not slamming down on the ground, but just setting down perfectly, rolling and rising again. And as I do this I realize that every tiny action, even my single steps, reverberate through the entire universe like ripples on a pond. Most people don't usually remember that energy is neither created nor destroyed, and that the energy I transfer into the earth is embarking on a strange, unknowable path. So, those are some of my favorites.

Does it matter?

Awake-- my advice to you is this: You are yourself, friend. You cannot allow anyone, including yourself (any aspect, subconscious, conscious, what have you) to convince you that you're insufficient-- that the way you are isn't good enough-- that you should be more like somebody else. This is not asking you to remain who you currently are forever. Rather, once you understand you will naturally, gradually begin to transform. Try to understand the source of your unhappiness. You worry that you don't get along well with girls. Ask yourself why it matters. What are you seeking in relationships? When you understand what you are seeking it may appear that the problem would not in truth be solved with relationships. You only imagine that it will be solved. There may be deep shields in your personality, which at one time, in a short term, helped you gain self esteem-- but which are harmful to you now, since they give a false foundation for thought. It's brash, but I'll put my insight down anyway: You're depressed because you want to be somebody else. The disparity between you and this imaginary person obsesses your mind, and you've become convinced that, should you become this person, you will be happy. Misled thinking. On a simple level, try (like some others have said) getting a bit of exercise every day, or perhaps just stretching every day. Try getting enough sleep, go to bed before twelve at least. Eat simple wholesome foods if you can afford it. I was deeply depressed for years. I hid it from everyone: my family, friends, and probably even myself. I want to help you, but I'm almost sure the subtle things I want to convey have not come across in this post. If you wish, feel free to send me a PM to discuss things further. Don't feel that you'd be imposing, or that I don't actually want you to-- just send one if you want.

I was ripped off $160 by a guy I met recently. I started to think of all the ways I could back at him, and of all the reasons that he was a terrible person. But then I realized he wasn't a terrible person and it would be best to let it go (for a number reasons, but they're really all the same reason in a way). So I left, without getting angry-- and I was rather pleased with that turn of events. The next day a book was pulled from one of my classes and I got a $169 dollar refund from the bookstore, which I'm likewise rather pleased about. So that's that, for what it's worth. I felt like posting it.

I was using it for a figure of speech. I suppose I don't believe in karma. Nonetheless (to me at least) the patterns of existence appear rather "karma like" if you get what I mean. This explanation is probably only clear to me-- but I think it's fairly close to what Marblehead said too.

I'm surprised to say that I've been feeling this also.

You might say that, but I don't think the site is here to send a message, people won't find it unless they're looking.

I've seen it as well, Mushi-shi is great-- very calm, nice artwork, subtle music, no violence, mysterious feel. I recommend watching in subtitles though, which excludes Hulu.

He knows he doesn't know it all-- But in a way, you know, there isn't that much to know, and that's the whole point. Also, you say when people talk about energy practices they aren't talking about physics etc, etc, but I don't think that's a refutation. It's true, but not in the helpful way I think you think it is. People "talking about energy practices" should, pardon me, realize that all energy is the same on some level. A physics novice takes Speed=distance/time and acceleration=(final speed-initial speed)/time to completely different things, and memorize two different equations. However, someone farther along will realize that one, these rules aren't actually true and only work in very limited situations, two, that they are fragments of more complete rules, and that those more complete rules have actually been the same rule all along (a=dV/dT). And that rule too is just a smaller part of something else. It's the same with these "different" concepts of energy, and I think this is what gold was trying to get across.

when looking for advice: be careful. when giving advice: be patient. when in a fight: be confident, keep your guard up. when fighting more than one person: intimidate. when choosing a teacher . . . if you meet someone and fall in love: go for it. when you have nothing to do: go outside. when you feel life is testing you: pay no attention. when you have to do something that you are afraid: of do it without fear. when people don't agree with the way you live: remember it doesn't matter.

to those who wonder why he is "insulting" you before he goes, he's just trying to wake everyone up.

There are a lot of different factors, but if you can manage it I think having a place for children to play outdoors nearby is invaluable. (congratulations)

I think this song is great (and applicable). The video itself doesn't do anything for me, but the lyrics are good eh?

Yin and Yang are important concepts, and I love the symbol. There is a pitfall though, right? By using our concise symbol it's easy to forget that Yin and Yang are just names, and that there are not simply two elements in existence. To me the key concept is that of shared existence, one cannot exist without the other. That and, nothing is wholly of one element. Everything has uncertain components, eh.

I guess the only thing I can say is, "I have no idea."

I'm curious, how many of you play Go? It's an excellent game and I have a hunch at least one of you does ^__6. I find it's a good way to condense life practices into a single game. Go is all about balance and being greedy or angry will lose you the game.