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Hi fallen monk, The best advice I can give you is read and ponder. If you are new to Taoism its probably best to start with a gentle introduction. You may find that if you a reading the core texts of Taoism as a start, they might be hard to grasp. Benjamin Hoffs 'the Tao of pooh' is a good introduction to the Tao. Have a read of it and think about it. Then I would recommend investing in a good Tao Te Ching perhaps by Richard Wilhelm. In this book you will find the core text of Taoism and commentary on its meaning. I have had the same copy for years and re-read it two or three times a year. It never gets old and I learn something new each time. From there you will have a good foundation in what is Taoism and it will be easier for you to learn more. From studying Tao you will gain a much deeper insight into your martial art. Good luck

I would like to see the wudang robe type clothing if you have anything. Also what is the material of your clothing? If you have it in silk and linen that would be excellent.

I would be interested in adding them to my online shop. I currently sell some really nice pure silk tai chi clothing but ive been looking to expand the range for a while now. I have been after some unique high quality clothing but haven't managed to source anything other than the standard tai chi uniforms. When you get some pics please email me and we can discuss it further.

Tao Te Ching the book of meaning and life Translation and commentary by Richard Wilhelm Translated into english by H.G. Ostwald Arkana 1989 Penguin Books Hope that helps. I was quite surprised looking for the info that my copy was that old.

I love subtle bodies too Sorry, couldn't help it!

This is what attracted me to Taoism. It is in accord with modern scientific developments. Not necessarily pointing to a monotheistic god, but something all pervading and interconnected, perhaps made of consciousness. The only way I can express this is by using the first passage in the 'Tao Te Ching' The Dao that can be expressed is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. 'non-existence' I call the beginning of Heaven and Earth. 'Existence' I call the mother of individual beings. Therefore does the direction towards non-existence lead to the sight of the miraculous essence, the direction towards existence to the sight of spatial limitations. Both are one in origin and different only in name. In its unity it is called the secret. The secret's still deeper secret is the gateway through which all miracles emerge. Does anything else need to be said?

Thanks for the article. Often when we learn a martial art or Qigong we wonder where it came from and what are its roots. By giving us a history of the development of QiGong in China we can begin to understand its modern foundation. The crackdown on religious practices destroyed many ancient QiGong and martial styles. It also created new ones that were watered down and less threatening to the Government. This is where Wu Shu began. Many people do not even realize that its a modern form which has a large emphasis on dancing patterns. Thanks for the article

The book looks quite interesting. From what I read in your post it looks quite similar to Stephen Hawking's The Universe in a nutshell. Towards the end of the book he talks about a holographic universe but to be honest most of it was beyond me so I couldn't read past the first few chapters. From what I understand the 'holographic universe' is part of modern physics and is part of quantum theory. Many people believe that this modern theory allows for the existence of things like telepathy and telekinesis although I have yet to hear or read of a scientist that would agree with this point. Most of the discussion about the incredible things that may be possible with the discoveries of modern physics are not from the physicists themselves. They are usually from writers, researchers and other backgrounds. Books like these make for interesting reading but they are science mixed with fiction. They make all sorts of leaps and assumptions to come to their conclusions. They could not give definitive, scientific proof if they did our world would be changed forever. Its like finding the proof for aliens. Enjoy your read but have a healthy amount of skepticism! Please post any interesting points on here that we can discuss.

Sounds like you have had some sort of spiritual awakening. Suddenly becoming aware that something is not quite right. There are many theories. Some reasonable, some laughable and some bizaar. I have often contemplated these problems and have done a lot of research into these problems and causes. To be honest my conclusion was so frightening that it caused depression and a near inability to function in society. I am still quite scarred by it. Believe me, you have opened a pandoras box. Where you go from here may shape your life forever. This sounds very melodramatic but I am talking from experience. I have always questioned even the most basic assumptions out of pure curiosity. When these assumptions no longer hold up to argument then the beliefs they are founded on collapse. Leaving a large void. Replacing these beliefs with a different but solid foundation that holds up to argument will cause many problems. It will give you a different view on life. You will see the world differently as to some extent you already do. What I am trying to say is that its great that you are no longer part of the herd and are self-aware. I don't know if this will make you happier or sad. If you keep asking questions like this then your awareness of these problems will increase to the point where you may wish that you never had asked. I sound like a crazed nutter but my curiosity, questioning and natural desire to explore a subject to its depth has taken me down many paths that may have been better not explored. I hope I have been able to contribute to the discussion

Hello, My name is Leigh Robinson. I first learnt about taoism around 8 years ago when I was learning Kungfu. The instructor unfortunatly didnt know anything so I learnt from reading books on martial arts and Chinese philosophy. I had a few lessons of Ving Tsun whilst at university and they way it was taught was more taoist orientated than martial. I then got a copy of the Tao Te Ching and I Ching. I started learning tai chi about three years ago and have become heavily interested in the Tao. I wanted to share my thoughts, feelings and experiences as I develop my understanding and tai chi practice, so I searched the internet for forums and found this site. I practice classical yang style tai chi. I planned to progress to the sword form so I started looking on the internet for a decent sword. I wanted a real sword so I could practice as authentically as possible. I couldnt find anything that was of a decent quality so had to source the sword direct from China. I now want to share these swords with martial art practitioners to improve their quality of practice. Handling a real sword is completly different from handling a machine pressed sheet of steel shaped into a blade. The sword feels like it has life. You can view my range at MASTERforge I hope to be posting and reading more in the forum soon. So, hello everybody!

Just thought I would add to my greetings that I have changed my site and it is now a shopping cart system. We have added a traditional Chinese spear and there are pictures of twistcore blades. Thanks for everybody's help and support. Leigh www.masterforge.co.uk

I used to live very cerebrally while at university. When I was creating reports I would delve so deep that I would find an answer. I would dig deeper and find a different answer. Then dig deeper and find no answer! The deeper I studied the less answers I had! This was really painful as I had to produce reports with solid opinions. This meant I had to be bias or not cover the subject deep enough to be fair. Needless to say I became quickly dissolusioned with academics. So I realised that the most profound experiences and knowledge are beyond words. You cannot explain them, others simply understand or not. This is what brought me to the tao. Tao is beyond words.

Welcome to taobums

Welcome to taobums there are lots of excellent topics on here with friendly, intelligent people to share.

I regularly have lucid dreams. For me its like another world to exist in, with less boundries free to explore my consciousness, will and desire. I used to have regular dreams when I was younger of flying. I remember this morning I was dreaming of snowboarding. I have never snowboarded but have had this dream several times. I'm sure Freud would have something to say about that. My most memorable one was where my consciousness woke before my body. There was no dreaming, just my mind awake without its body. It wasn't a dream, it was absolutely terrifying because I couldnt feel my body. I could see only darkness but worst of all I couldnt feel myself breathing, I thought I was dead. I dont know how long it was for but this experience has stayed with me ever since. I would like to explore lucid dreaming more. I have a lot of commitments for tai chi and meditation so I dont know if i need more things to work on. It would be great if I could be lucid during my dreams to do energy work Its an interesting topic that can expand to astral projection, other realms and all sorts of crazy stuff. The thing that concerns me is that it may become that we prefer these other realms than the one we exist in here. I understand this can be a problem for meditators too. Hand forged swords www.masterforge.co.uk

The user's manual for the brain volume 1 & 2 by L Michael Hall Phd and Bob G Bodenhamer DMin. This is about as comprehensive as it gets. Quite heavy reading but its all there and not watered down. The problem with NLP is that the jury is still out on it. Some people think its a valid science while others think its pseudoscience. NLP is a mix of hypnosis, linguistics and a few other tools. Used to improve communication in business, life coaching and similar subjects. You will learn how to communicate more effectively by inderstanding how people interpret communication. There are topics on body language, changing the way you think to improve results in your life etc. It can be quite an interesting read and I have used some of the skills to help me in life and they have given results. For example I have used relaxation techniques for job interviews and also body language techniques to gain rapport with the interviewer. The problem with NLP is it tries to give definitive answers to complex problems. For example if a person speaks a certain way it advises to use similar words to gain rapport and friendship. This is called mirroring. Communication is so complex that it is almost impossible to give a set of rules that will create rapport. This is magnified with cross cultural differences. My opinion is that if you buy the books they are an interesting read and if you apply the techniques then you may find positive changes in your life. To gain the skills of derren brown mean mastership of NLP and many other subjects. The question you have to ask yourself is, it it worth the effort to do neat tricks? I would recommend learning about NLP but dont expect to gain any funky skills like Derren Brown

If i remember rightly it is a translation of Da Mo's marrow and brain washing technique. I think its neigung (internal training) to strengthen the body. If you can get into the book I think it results will prove rewarding. I am currently learing Embryonic Breathing (prenatal breathing) from his book QiGong Meditation, Embryonic breathing. The book is absolutly massive and the process is quite complex and commitment is needed. The majority of the book consists of translations of known recorded documents to help your learning. If we can learn these rare techniques then perhaps we can share and pass on our experience. I wonder if anyone else in the U.K. practices embryonic breathing? I would like to know how you get on if you choose to study it Good luck

Interesting topic. Worth looking into more. If anyone has similar experiences please share, or give us links or directions so we can learn more about the topic. Makes me wonder what the actual mechanics are behind it and the psychology involved and other factors.

Welcome to TAOBUMS With you substantial experience, hope to be hearing some of your thoughts and opinions soon Leigh

I think a short definition of force can help this topic: Force 1 physical strength or energy as an attribute of action or movement 2 coercion backed by the use of threat or violence 3 mental or moral power. An influential person or thing. 4 an organised body of military personnel, police, or workers 1 depending on the purpose can be used for very positive results. 2 It is never ok to use force. Its counter dao, its the opposite of natural change and growth and will only bring problems. 3 Tai chi teaches us that when we meet with an incoming force we yeald, then redirect the incoming force. Through this redirection the force is neutralised so we are in a better situation to deal with it. Taking that force head on expends a lot of energy and causes problems hence the tai chi tenent 'redirecting a 1000lb with 4 ounces'. We use mental and moral power to develop our minds and body. 4 These organised bodies are essential for a safe and cohesive society but can also be used for very negative purpose. So you can see that force has a relevance in our lives and necessary for our progession. Hopefully we can practice the right kind of force. It should never be contrived but should follow naturally and be perfect for that moment. Does that help? hand forged hand folded custom tai chi swords www.masterforge.co.uk

Hi, I got interested in reading your post about Microcosmic breathing because I practice tai chi and have been using the book QiGong Meditation Embryonic breathing by Yang, Jwing-Ming. In the book it mentions microcosmic breathing and small and grand circulation breathing. I think Microcosmic breathing is an advance on embryonic breathing. I certainly didnt know that people practiced it and it sounds like you are having good results. Has anyone practiced embryonic breathing? From reading your posts its clear many are advanced in meditation practice. I am just a beginner and try to put in an hour a day. Hopefully I can share experiences with you in the future. Leigh Robinson

The I Ching as a Mirror on the soul I have a copy of the I Ching. I read it page by page and used the divination method. What most struck me is its depth and life contained within it. The best way I can describe it is as a mirror reflecting the depth of your understanding or spiritual development (I hate to sound like a new age cliche). I found a few lines from the Tao Te Ching that describe it perfectly, and also how people react to it. If a sage of the highest order hears about Dao he is keen to act in accordance to it When I read the I Ching I realised that the divination does not connect to something external like a god or entity. The passages make you seek understanding to the very depth of your soul. Its very much an internal process like meditation, in fact it is meditation, you meditate on its answers to find meaning. if you are able to do this you can find new meaning or answers to the question posed other than you may normally have thought. The depth of your answer can only reflect the depth of your personal development as the answers come from within (there I go sounding new age again). This is probably how some people have a deeper understanding of the bible. Understanding its metaphors and not taking things as literal. The best stories have metaphor in them. The readings gently guide you to a more flexible way of dealing with issues. If you can comprehend its depth, the value of the I Ching is limitless. If a sage of the middle order hears about Dao he half believes and half doubts Im sure many people read the I Ching and find that it has very wise words but is on the same level of Tarot or star signs. It can be quite fun and novel. The book will probably go on the shelf not deeply read but only comprehended superficially. The information is consumed but not absorbed. All the answers are there, but disbelief halts progress and understanding. If a sage of the lower order hears about Dao he laughs loudly about it Many people are not even capable of reading the book and if you try to explain it to them cannot comprehend any of its meaning. Their ignorance makes the book a worthless piece of paper. Not understanding subtlety or metaphor how can they understand? The more I learn about the Dao the more profound it becomes and the less I can describe it. The I Ching is core and central to my development and understanding of the Dao along with tai chi and meditation. They are different things but all lead to the same aim which I can only describe as spiritual enlightenment. Leigh

Thats a valid point Michael thanks for bringing it up. I had been considering that subject for a while and after some research I will be adding sword cases soon that have key locks and PIN numbers to access the sword. That way I think people will feel more comfortable having it around. I havent had much of a chance to look around the site yet only a few posts. I am going to see how many 'taoists ' are in the U.K. and what they get up to. I am not too into ceremonial practice but would like to learn more. I also wonder how many members practice tai chi, and how they discovered Taoism? Leigh

Thanks The sword you see in my signature is in stock at the moment so you dont have to wait for it to be made. The swords are incredible. They feel like they have the personality of the forger, and to see the swurl patterns in the folded steel is a beautiful thing. They are great to practice with. The one in my signature is based on an excavated sword from the Han Period in China. Leigh