TzuJanLi

Greetings.. Yin and Yang are relative, interactive, and never isolated..each is ever-present in the other, either of the principles being dominate dependent on the situation.. Be well..

Greetings.. It isn't magic, it isn't "Qi balls", and.. if you believe it is, you need to visit a 'Fantasy' forum.. momentum, speed, and well-disciplined body mechanics will cause the clothing to make 'whipping sounds', the 'stomp' is a signature of the Chen style.. stop feeding your fantasies. It is just good training and practical common-sense.. Be well..

Greetings.. With humble gratitude.. What is the dynamic relationship between WuJi, Taiji, and Tao.. What is the Principle that governs the dynamic movements between Wuji, Taiji, and Tao.. Be well..

Greetings.. Firstly, i accept that i am of 'western' origin.. it is my preference to utilize concepts formulated or reformulated consistent with the 'common' usage of western language.. so, i find the following description of "Awareness", from Wikipedia, to be consistent with my understandings: Awareness is an attribute of Consciousness, controlled and directed/focused by Consciousness.. Be well..

Greetings.. 'Religion' is the 'business' of spirituality.. it is that which interferes with our direct relationship with the 'Source' of all things.. religion is what people turn to when they doubt their own 'truth' it is the 'ritual' of misunderstanding.. Be well..

Greetings.. Existence is a dynamic and constantly changing process.. it is my experience that cultivating the skills of 'listening' to energies will enhance the ability to identify resonance and dissonance in the changing environment.. my mentor(s) suggect that forcing experiences into preconceived standards like frequencies is counterproductive.. rather, they suggest that the ability to identify frequencies and energetic coherence will reveal the appropriate 'way' of your experiences.. Be well..

Greetings.. From an energetic perspective, the gender issue is balanced.. the majority of this thread is based on preference, perjudice, and emotion.. Be well..

Greetings.. SKL is as 'real' as it gets.. i've trained with him on several occasions, and each has left me without words to describe the experience.. after the weekend of Taoist Cloud Hands QiGong (not to be confused with Taiji Cloud Hands), SKL made 'corrections' to my structure and 'Energy'.. the effect was profound and permanant.. His Dit Da Jow is the best i've ever used.. It is widely believed he is the last of the Yellow Dragon Sect, although at our last meeting he and his wife we going in search of two of his Yellow Dragon brothers rumored to reside in Northern China.. If you have the opportunity, don't miss it.. He's in San Diego.. Be well..

Greetings.. Taoist/Taoism.. 'words' that describe something.. something that existed 'before' the words were crafted to describe it.. i sense that the people which were the models for the words Taoist/Taoism would not recognize much of what those terms have come to represent, especially the 'religious' aspect of Taoism.. it is amusing to observe people praising a fundamental text, Tao Te Ching', and passages like, "The Tao that can be spoken, is not the true Tao", then.. proceed to tell others what Tao is.. Tao, and its students, should not be categoriced, that seems like a process designed by what some call 'Ego'.. The choice to 'label' one's self as any particular 'ism' or 'ist', is a choice to confine their limitless potential.. yes, even the label of 'Taoist' is confining. It is particularly unsettling to observe people trying to include or exclude specific practices as Taoist or non-Taoist.. my understandings suggest that Tao is all-inclusive, and the 'Taoist' is one that approaches any experience with sincere and unconditional curiosity.. other practices or disciplines might be favored by students of Tao, but not defined by them.. Be well..

Greetings.. Fear is the absence of a 'choice' that you 'believe' will solve a particular situation.. "fright', a sudden and unforseen circumstance, should not be considered as fear, fright is a survival instinct.. Be well..

Greetings.. Four cycles (inhale/exhale) per minute.. Be well..

Greetings.. Hi Steve F: Of course there's a very real "I", your sense of your 'real "I" just replied to the previous post.. Taoists are not fond of 'illusionary' activity, hence the practice of understanding the 'real I' in relationship to its 'real' environment.. That "I" IS a sparate entity, AND it is wholly unified with the Cosmos, simultaneously.. Be well...

Greetings.. How utterly sad.. given this gift of tangible existence and you dismiss it as 'illusion'.. that same "I" is no less real than than the Cosmos itself, no less real than the Source from which it flows.. Be well..

Greetings.. One of my mentors, a 'Taoist' with an impecable pedigree.. tells the story of visiting a fishing village in Vietnam.. he sat on the beach early one morning intending to complete his morning practice of meditations.. his attention was drawn to fisherman weaving a net.. he tells that he was transfixed with the fisherman's total awareness of his environment, the fisherman's movements seemed to flow with the 'pulse of Life', as he was fond of describing Tao as the pulse of Life.. he recalls that he should have become that fisherman's apprentice, the fisherman was wise enough to leave the Tao unnamed.. Be well..

Greetings.. Of course it was, but.. now you are manipulating mental images and memories, mind-play.. Someone plunges an icecicle through your hand, the icecicle melts.. was it 'real'? I'm thinkin' your wounded and bleeding hand will suggest that it was.. Be well..

Greetings.. Something i posted in another thread, but.. it seems appropriate here, too.. Among the most crippling of attachments is the attachment to 'power'.. my interest in Taoism has spanned four decades, since a four-week portion of a course in high school called 'Cultural World History'.. the 'Taoism' section was only supposed to last a week, but.. in 1968 we were fascinated with the simple practicallity, and it helped that the teacher was an early student of Zen.. from that point till today Taoism has revealed itself as a practical guide to living well.. what has happened since that early introduction to the 'mysteries of Taoism' is that science has been able to reveal the processes that were once the domain of 'Mystics'.. 'Mystics' rather enjoyed their 'power' as keepers of the wisdoms.. Tradition is the strangle-hold applied by Mystics, fearful of losing their grip on the 'mysteries'.. what is eluding the Mystics, is that science reveals even more mystery, and.. it has done so largely on their shoulders.. Mystics are needed, they blaze the trails that science paves.. but, stagnant Traditions will burden the expansion of consciousness.. Ancient traditions are ateeped in superstition and myth, Mystics have always been the visionaries.. why stop now, why let the greed of power confine the expansion of consciousness.. Mystics were respected and feared, they were paid for their services and often immune to bureaucracy... Tradition is worthy of respect and deeply intense study, but.. if it can't evolve with the expanding consciousness it will stagnate and wither.. Since that time, i have studied with numerous Taoist adepts, 'masters' and 'schools'... my current understanding are the culmination of cultivated learning and practical life experiences.. any attempt to define/confine Tao, is quite futile.. Be well..

Greetings.. Among the most crippling of attachments is the attachment to 'power'.. my interest in Taoism has spanned four decades, since a four-week portion of a course in high school called 'Cultural World History'.. the 'Taoism' section was only supposed to last a week, but.. in 1968 we were fascinated with the simple practicallity, and it helped that the teacher was an early student of Zen.. from that point till today Taoism has revealed itself as a practical guide to living well.. what has happened since that early introduction to the 'mysteries of Taoism' is that science has been able to reveal the processes that were once the domain of 'Mystics'.. 'Mystics' rather enjoyed their 'power' as keepers of the wisdoms.. Tradition is the strangle-hold applied by Mystics, fearful of losing their grip on the 'mysteries'.. what is eluding the Mystics, is that science reveals even more mystery, and.. it has done so largely on their shoulders.. Mystics are needed, they blaze the trails that science paves.. but, stagnant Traditions will burden the expansion of consciousness.. Ancient traditions are ateeped in superstition and myth, Mystics have always been the visionaries.. why stop now, why let the greed of power confine the expansion of consciousness.. Mystics were respected and feared, they were paid for their services and often immune to bureaucracy... Tradition is worthy of respect and deeply intense study, but.. if it can't evolve with the expanding consciousness it will stagnate and wither.. Be well..

Greetings.. I am not a 'Taoist', or any ist or ism.. but i find that Taoism most closely approximates my understandings.. so, to choose which of the perspectives polled would most closely approximate my understandings, it would certainly be Literati.. Be well...

Greetings.. The problem begins by separating 'truth' into 'reality and illusion'.. even the illusion is real.. Be well..

Greetings.. Many humble thanks, Scotty.. ( i have no idea what i'm doing, you know that, right?) Be well..

Greetings.. Tao.. The 'Way'.. the 'way' things 'are'.. and, things are different for many people in many cultures.. Tao is like water, it takes the shape of that which contains it.. mostly, the assorted rituals are humanity's attempts to mold Tao into its preferences and desires, longevity, immortallity, enlightenment, etc.. Be well..

Greetings.. Clarity!! If you can experience your 'co-existence' with your environment with Clarity.. you are 'Authentic'.. Clarity is acheived when that little (or big) voice in your head is quiet.. when you can experience your existence without that 'voice' describing, remembering, and predicting.. that voice is the programming of your parents, teachers, clergy, peers, mentors, etc... this process often referred to as 'stilling the mind', more appropriately it is true Meditation.. It is important to note that the original 'Taoists' weren't labeled 'Taoists'.. Taoism modeled itself after these originators, people that experienced Life with Clarity, with unconditional sincerity and gusto.. Be well..

Greetings.. Hi Pandit Tree: Brevity and sarcasm are good companions.. if you understand the history of Chinese Martial Arts, the west simply chose the 'eye candy', robes, incense, and flowery-dance.. there's another side to CMA history, tough, rugged and brutal.. thugs, bandits, smugglers, bodyguards.. this side trained hard and proved themselves constantly, they had to live or die by their skills.. there is only one test that verifies the claims of a Martial Artist.. wisdom determines when you 'take the test'.. Be well..

Greetings.. The menu is not the meal.. Be well..

Greetings.. Immersion in the practices of Awareness and Clarity.. a journey with no destination.. it's not about the competition, the winning or the ego.. it's a direct lesson in the nature of 'who/what you are'.. i know world class fighters that you would never guess are capable of such power, they are humble and respectable and compassionate beings.. The name of my former martial arts school was "Extreme Harmony Martial Arts", in fact.. i think i will change the name of my current school, "Three Harmony Tai Chi Club" (Body, Mind, Spirit), to Extreme Harmony Internal Arts Club".. Harmony is, currently, too narrowly defined/watered down.. there is stunning harmony even in extreme circumstances, that is, or should be, the task of an 'Internal Martial Arts system.. harmony even in extreme circumstances.. I study MA because it is among the the most pure and revealing tests of character and 'understanding'.. i am willing to be tested and to test myself.. MA is one of the few tests you really can't cheat at.. if there's no rules you can't cheat, and the results are, generally, clear.. Be well..