Maddie

Ooooor..... and hear me out, find an actual primary source like documentation that proves the point.

That's fine but it doesn't change the fact that if you're going to make a claim that the Buddhas teachings got corrupted you need to have a way to support this claim.

Well as a history major I can tell you there's several ways it can potentially be proven such as an older document shown to be authentic differing widely from more contemporary documents just for one example. But I would rather know if something's correct before I waste 20 years of my life practicing it.

I was responding to your claim that the Buddha's is teaching were corrupted, but you have presented no evidence to support this claim.

Scholars agree that the majority of the pali cannon probably contains most of what the Buddha actually taught.

That article explained why Daoist alchemy and Qigong are not the same thing. I didn't say anything about the Buddha's teachings being corrupted.

I don't know if this will make you feel any better but I can find merit in all three of those. 1. In Aikido you learn to fall properly and this is really useful for real life. 2. And Tai chi you're moving and especially the joints and specifically the spine and this is really good for you. 3. Sitting is the basis for Jhana again a good use of your time. Hopefully this helps you not feel like you wasted so much time because I think these things are useful.

This basically sounds like the dilemma that Bodhidharma came across at The Shaolin Temple when he first got there and the monks were out of shape. He developed exercises for them.

What source do you have to show that your position is correct?

In Theravada these days it almost seems like it's an unwritten rule that exercise is forbidden.

The eightfold path as taught by the Buddha includes Dhyana but there's nothing about energy.

After years of studying Theravada I think this is a weak area as I got really out of shape with this nothing but the mind matters approach. But you are correct that is how they approach things.

Ok 🙂

Hey calisthenics are good for you! Lol. I came to the conclusion years ago that most Qigong was calisthenics and I got disillusioned and I quit. And then one day I was like wait a second, calisthenics are really good for you there's nothing wrong with that. LOL

I don't think doubt is useful for its own sake. I prefer the Socratic method. Ask oneself why do I think I know what I know? Ask others why do you think you know what you know? Socrates pissed a lot of people off this way but he just wanted to know what was true.

This is excellent!

I get it. We don't get paid for this LOL 😂🤭

I was about to say that the prerequisite for Jhana isn't energy rather it's concentration. 😉

And that's what I was asking for your source for. Because your claim differs from the typical historical sources available.

Yes, and it doesn't make sense to me.

That seems to support a top-down approach.

What are your sources for these claims?

Is there such a thing as an understanding of a spiritual experience that is not subjective?

I have no idea honestly. Ask ten Taoists get thirteen answers.

What's wrong with calisthenics?