TzuJanLi

Greetings.. An exercise i practice every day is have this brief conversation with myself, the earlier in the day, the better: Why do i imagine a conversation in my mind, with my self? I am speaking, in my imagined conversation, to 'me', so i already know what i'm going to say, and.. if i should ask a question, i already know the answer.. So, daily as is my practice, i devote an interval of the day intentionally supressing internal dialogue (mind-talk).. this practice is like any practice, the more you do it, the easier it is and the better you are at it.. The result, is that much of my waking experience is without the mind-talk, that mostly the mind-talk is consciously invoked to deal with specific issues.. those intervals without mind-talk are so much more clear and vivid, crisp and alive.. if you are inclined, i recommend this exercise just for the experience, and.. if it works for you, too.. enjoy it!! Be well.. PS: Yes, my method is working for me, and.. the above is not the totality of my method, just the foundation..

Greetings.. The simplicity of the Taiji Symbol (Yin~Yang) as a graphic representation of 'something', seems to have a profound visual impact on many peoples across diverse backgrounds and beliefs.. it is one of the most recognizable symbols on the planet, so, i'm curious.. how do you understand what this symbol represents? Thank you in advance, and.. be well..

Greetings.. Relativity is is dynamic principle of the 'whole' Taiji Symbol..For instance: suppose we have three bowls of water: 1) The bowl of water is so cold it is frozen.. 2) The bowl of water is room temperature.. 3) The bowl of water is hot, steaming.. So, by temperature, 1's coldness is Yin compared to 2's Yang temperature, but 2's Yang temperature becomes Yin compared to 3's heat.. then.. By structure, 1 is solid/Yang compared to the liquid/Yin of 2, but 2's liquid Yin bacomes Yang compared to 3's steam.. It's all relative.. Be well..

Ditto.. my dad worked for Pan Am as down range support manager, i've also seen hundreds of launches and this is consistent with missile trails.. very similar to Polaris and Poseidon trails.. i've never seen jet engines make that sort of trail, even the old kerosene burners.. Be well..

Greetings.. Thank you all for your replies, i see the wisdom in each.. i have asked this question many times of many people Eastern and western, alike, and.. the answers reveal a distinct cultural difference in the 'way' the symbol is perceived.. As for myself, i understand the symbol from the perspective of stillness, suspending the stuff i have stuck in the mind's srtucture.. so, what i 'see' is balance and change.. the understanding i have of that 'seeing', is balance represents stillness, Yin, and.. change represents activity, Yang.. and together they are the interactive and interdependent contrasting principles that are the foundation of existence, and as the interactive principles they integrate into the Wholeness that is Life.. Be well..

You did not read my post with any level of understanding.. you are seeking a platform from which to reveal your place in the process of Life, and.. you are either playing a game with this cartoonish dialogue, or you do not understand the process of Life at all.. and, you have no insight as to my own place in the process, so please refrain from such brash remarks about someone's character.. the annonymnity of the internet is not a valid excuse to pretend beyond your ability to 'know'.. Reread my post again, and try to engage in discussion.. forget about your own self-image, and just try to have a discussion.. for example: I posted, "anger is wasted energy, channel it's energy appropriately, as food for your awareness.." so, i'm curious as to how you understand that as different than your concept of "the proper way here is to deal with it maturely"? Be well..

Anger blinds you the way, it controls you.. wu wei, reveals the way.. you are not my student, i am responding that you might not needlessly cause more disharmony.. what you refer to as 'anger' i see as opportunity to further understand the nature of humanity, an opportunity to understand how that reaction changes its environment.. anger is wasted energy, channel it's energy appropriately, as food for your awareness.. Be well..

Greetings.. I have come to know Tao as the translations say, "the Way".. as in 'the Way things are', and as in the path/Way traveled to understand this.. the path/way for my own understanding has been 'stillness', as in the stillness when the mind is still, silent and observant.. in this stillness, Clarity reveals 'the Way things Are'.. Be well..

Agreed, and.. 'You', as you are integrated with the mind 'You' have individualized, you are the conscious intention.. as such, the activity of that individualized aspect of mind is subject to your intent, as in stillness.. so that your experiences of existence are not distorted by preference and prejudice, so that Clarity reveals the 'ISness' of existence.. that, is the simplicity of Tao..

Greetings.. From the experiences i have had, the most basic form of 'Taoism', is 'stillness'.. a still mind, reveals what 'is'.. and that 'is' Tao.. Be well..

Greetings.. THIS!! This has the 'feeling' of Authenticity, not of Tao spoken, but of Tao 'known'.. Thanks, Marblehead, that is a breath of fresh air.. Be Well..

Backcheck the sourcing on your quote references.. and, try to understand just how desperate you are to be seen/noticed, for this to be about you.. Be well..

Actually, the Buddha did not.. you choose to believe that in order to validate your own misplaced undestandings.. unfortunately, you are one of those people that will always one-up anything posted, in the name of your master.. The Jonestown result was manifested by the blindness of followers like you.. Be well..

Hi MH: Thanks for noticing.. at the more subtle levels of "I", there is a relationship between the existent I, as its individualized perspective, and the reality within which it is separated from.. this is the beauty of we/us/Life, we actually are the experience experienceing itself, revealing reality to itself in an endless dynamic relationship.. Be well..

Greetings.. Of the selections, i feel like i might be a mix of the first and last selection, but.. find the ritualistic and codified versions to inspire disonance in my understandings.. overall, though, i am a curious being that tends to avoid labels.. i simply find that Taoism, in its interesting variations, most closely appeoximates my understandings and experiences of Life.. Be well..

Greetings.. The purpose of Life is the Experience of it.. The Source, however you understand it, sets itself aside as we/us/Life so as to experience itself as itself, freely discovering the 'nature' of its own existence.. the Experience is the purpose, we/us/Life add meaning.. Be well..

Greetings.. There is no division of essence in reality itself. Words/thought place arbitrary labels on aspects of reality. Therefore the division between an apple and a chair and I (not the words but the reality towards which these words point) is not really present in reality itself, but only in thought. The essence which is manifest as apple chair and I is understood as essence rather the shapes and actions of its manifestations.. This could lead me to say that there is no 'I' but it could likewise lead me to say that there is no apple and no chair. There is just the essence of reality, which is everything. But the experience is happening from a certain point of view which is always the same point of view. 'I'/me/we refers to this point of view. There is no experience as a flower, there is only experience of a flower. There is only ever an experience as the awareness from this point of view of everything else. So, although in reality itself, everything may be one, the experience of reality is always as something, 'I', of itself and of everything else. 'I' refers to that consistent, unique, localised experience of reality. Be well..

Greetings.. You, are the person that is the body/mind reading this post.. You are experiencing your own existence, both as the Individuality and as the Whole through itself as the Individuality.. There is Oneness/Wholeness AND there is Individuality, and You are both at the same time.. There is no 'Truth', it's a conceptual nightmare that births the conflicts of duality/nonduality.. There is "ISness", it is the experience itself.. experience is the relationship YOU have with YOUR 'SELF' manifested as Individualitiy.. There is just You... You will experience you as Oneness, whole and complete, this searing realization strips away all belief and reveals ISness.. which IS 'You', yourself, having the realization.. THIS is the movement that never stops, it is the 'process' of Life.. discard Truth, it creates False and births lies and deception.. See what IS, Life is just You experiencing your own self-discovery.. even in the still and silent intervals of direct experiencing, you are present for your own existence, it is not an illusion, it just IS.. it doesn't matter if 'you' are present as oneness or as individuality, it's still 'you'.. Trying to categorize what is True/False, is what separates you from the experience of you.. the distance between thinking "True or False" about what just happened, and what is actually happening while you are thinking, distorts the experience of what IS happening by requiring you recall it rather that being present for it.. this is the vicious circle we call 'lost in thought', it is difficult to 'catch-up' to Now.. In the stillness, there is no True or False.. there is only Life happening, and You are present as Life itself, whole and complete, and.. Simultaneously, You are necessarily individualized so there is a relationship through which Life is experienced.. and, when all of this begins to seem like it makes sense.. 'You' are neither Oneness nor Individuality.. 'You' are not 'ISness' nor awareness.. 'You' are not True or False.. 'You' are prior to and pre-existing all that IS.. and you will exist when all else IS NOT.. Be well..

Agreed, i deeply appreciate the absence of a 'destination'.. the image of the 'Wandering Taoist' has a freshness to it.. when i think of modern warriors, Hatsumi Sensei comes to mind.. i have had the great good fortune to train with him, he and his senior students are extra-ordinary people.. ruthlessly generous and benevolent as the situation inspires them.. Be well..

Get started Seth.. no more unverified propoganda, no more "cruel" cheap shots, though that is your 'stock-in-trade'.. back-up your claims with vetted facts and verifiable citations, i'll do the same.. Be well..

Greetings.. Excellent!! i practice the "Gait of Power".. as a land surveyor in Florida, a stroll through the under-brush will often stir-up wasps, or yellow-jackets, or honey bees.. Florida under-brush is thick and uninviting, escape from quick-flying insects with intentions to deliver negative reinforcement is no easy task.. so, over time i deliberately developed Don Juan's "Gait of Power", and.. it works, you find yourself almost floating through the woods.. now, i'm doing the same practice at night, i love the expanded awareness.. Be well..

Greetings.. Humble apologies for my tardy response acknowledging the clarity of Stigweard's post.. very nicely articulated, and seasoned with the insight of someone that has made the journey.. Be well..

Please don't speculate about such matters, i did read them, there were 25 minites between you posting and mine.. they are piece-meal conjurings of people with agendas, and no objectivity is noted.. c'mon, look at those articles again, they are trying to create an image that isn't actually there.. let go of your own desire that it mean something that it doesn't.. Be well..

I read each link in its entireity.. what i see is speculation built on suspicion based on a desire to create 'stories'.. there is NO evidence proving any of the allegations.. yes, what i see is your paranoia based on these stories.. the stories aren't based on paranoia, they have the specific agenda to create paranoia.. now, who's being spoon-fed? Be well..