Chang San Feng

Is there anyone among the clever Tao bums whos an author? Any of you written something?

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too much ego here

yeah I like this guy, im waiting to see this documentary when it comes out http://quantumactivist.com/

http://books.google.com/books?id=12SDdsoHS...;q=&f=false From the back cover: Ive just picked up this book as im researching the Dao De Jing and wanted to know what this guy Xiaozi had to offer by his addendum to this classic. However there is no indication of his credentials, or what his wider agenda is. Can anyone here shed any light on Xiaozi and what hes about. I have suspicions as to his motives. He calls Lao Tzu, St Laozi for instance, is this just a translation/semantic issue or is he approaching the Dao de Jing from some sort of Christian (or sect of) perspective? Xiaozi has added extra content to the Chinese version of the Dao De Jing (not a commentary but an addendum, a re-write), he is honest about this and makes it quite clear that which is original text and what which he has added. He has then attempted to translate this new work into English, his English is passable but not perfect. Nonetheless there is no indication of how he obtained the extra text he is adding, it is not made clear. Are they from historic documents, are they from esoteric sources, passed down word of mouth or within a secret society of some sort. Is it that he has just added his opinion? He seems to imply that he had some sort of "calling"; I havnt completed the book yet, having only just received it. Giving a quick flick though I was disappointed that the actual book does not shed any new light as to my questions regarding the work and who this Xiaozi person is. The overall message he is trying to put across dosnt seem harmful however, as he seems to be asking for people to live in harmony with nature. This is just the jest that im getting.

go to the google video page. at the bottom under the film is a download link for iPod etc. it will download an .mp4 file to your computer (right click if you have to). You can play this file in VLC. VLC: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ will play just about anything

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You are in personally disagreement with your delusion of Tao. Buddhism is a Tao. If you wish to be truly wise, you would forget everything you have learnt about anything.

do the Buddhist scriptures describe everything there is to know about the believes it talks about?

I concur

The thought game illustrates the inherent problem with the concept of infinity. Then you help prove my point by making yet more infinite possibilities, youre extra "spheres" (your addendum was rather crude and dosnt serve, but I get what youre trying to say)... missing the point entirely. That if something is infinite, how can yet more infinite possibilities come from it, for if that is possible, then, it was not infinite in the first place now was it. 3D, 2D it dosnt matter the problem still exist. Infinity does not exist. Theres always... more than infinity "Buddhist" "Taoist" are just labels and are meaningless to ultimate truth. Yes I study Buddism, but I follow the Tao Taoist text have a lot to teach about nature, the cosmos etc, but that is not Tao. This is what these two Buddhist fail to see, Buddhism is a Tao in itself. Theyre trying to make mystery of something that is not mysterious when we speak of the meaning of the word 'Tao' and are just misunderstanding the meaning of Tao (like there is a meaning beyond the word 'tao' itself). Understanding that, is the first epiphany one should have. lol the universe IS, the void IS, it is the WAY things are, it is TAO, it cannot be explained, its simple yet profound. im no one and you should not listen to me, good night

true. but. let me describe infinity in a simple thought experiment. lets imagine a perfect circle, in a 2D universe. around that circle we put an infinite number of dots, or points. Infinite remember, no spaces, no gaps. Now lets draw a line from the centre of the circle to one of the dots, and continue drawing that line outward and beyond the circle to an outer extremity, let say a mile out from the centre, and the circle is a metre wide (it really does not matter just so long as you get the point, no pun). We do this for each of our infinite dots. We come across a problem, because if we look at the ends of each line drawn out from the centre of the circle, we have gaps between each line. this little simple thought experiment hi-lights the problem inherent with infinity. of course youre a Buddhist and infinitly more wiser if all possible probabilities existed. then, it would be like there are not possibilities at all.

i'm not saying it cannot be experience, that is to know the ultimate. Im saying that language in and of itself its not sufficient to describe that experience. But thats besides the point. While you are having this experience, of everything, everything that ever was and everything that ever will be... Where do YOU reside? the truth is, there is no YOU, YOU seise to exist, because YOU is an illusion, SELF is an illusion.

of course it is, otherwise Buddhism would lose its essence. BTW infinity does not exist. I can prove it to you very simply

are you here or not? Look to complicate the Tao with lengthy descriptions is just going to confuse you. No one here can tell you what the Tao is. You either get it or you dont, it cannot be expressed in words. No, stop trying to label the Tao, to summarize, to conceptualize in words. It cannot be done. You are wrong again. Im not being defensive, you are being offended at the truth that im telling you. Either you get it or you dont, I cannot write words to describe the Tao like you are after, its impossible. Im not trying to be rude, just stating a fact. Its an intuition, or a epiphany that you have... a realization. That cannot be put into words. You cannot pick up a book and know the Tao.

You do not understand this very simple statement? I'm sorry but the arrogance you guys have been showing is just ridiculous in light of this comment.

most of the time you are actually confusing the concept of yin and yang as being Tao. the fact is, everything you describe as being Buddhist... is a part of Tao. Just like your 'name' is a part of you... but it is not You is it. You are more than a name. Just as a the Tao is more than yin and yang, and more than Buddhist theories of reality.

No, you misinterpret its meaning. Like many westerners you miss the point, there is no meaning. It just is. youre trying to say that Tao is synonymous with God in the eyes of a Taoist, which it is not, maybe some, but they also have miss interpreted the Tao Te Ching, and if you rely on English Translations, remember that the views and believes of the translator have influenced the text, to call them translations is misleading, more of an interpretation. Lets put it this way, do you exist or dont you?

Id like to point something out to you. Buddha was not a Buddhist.

So your friend is saying that 'Taoist' make real something that is not real. Well the whole point of Taoism is that you cannot reify the Tao. There is no abstraction and conceptualization of the Tao. So why would a Taoist do so, only in so much as a Taoist, like a Buddhist is a human experiencing existence and creating his own reality through his own belief filters... but a wise Taoist knows that is not Tao... does a Buddhist? It would seem this one does not.