baiqi

but then true spirituality is called destruction of the self.. Not exactly: transformation of the self. There is destruction in a way, just like a butterfly is no longer a worm. The worm no longer exists, but it's a completely different thing than a dead worm.

Sure, go ahead. Sleep on needles, whip yourself, torture yourself. Actually....kill yourself That's what you really want, don't you? Get rid of this shitty life. All life on earth is crap, so we should avoid it. By killing ourselves. What better way? Think: in death, you don't have a body, so you don't crave for sex nor food. So, what is better than that? So if you really want to escape this prison called life, just do it. Don't waste your time on mediating, being some kind of monk. No. Just kill yourself. End note: this post was purely ironical. I don't encourage anyone to kill his or herself, because, hey, I value life.

I am french. Not proud to be one, nor am I ashamed. I am just happy to be one:)

Well, I think this can help: http://www.daoistcenter.org/organizations.pdf

道安 Peace in the Way!

'Beware of Dog' Hey, nobody said dogs were involved in the peace process! They will still remain predators... I know some nice pitbulls though (although I'm always scared when I have it around me. I know it's a nice dog, but still...) The dog's master is a jerk however. I feel sorry for the dog, that stays all day long at home to "protect" it. Honestly, to finally answer the question, I don't believe peace can exist forever. We may tend to it, but the very nature of this world (and others!) is that once oneness is lost, individualities tend to conflict. This being said, we can reduce the warlike elements in society and in ourselves. I absolutely agree with reducing the competitive element in education for example. However it is a part of us, we cannot totally deny it. We are, for now and I think for a long time, living in an envirronement where there is always a possiblity of aggression. Even if we usually live peaceful lives, we also need to accept the possibility of violence. At all levels.(physical, verbal, mental...) Lao Zi basically said that "the wise man does not use weapons, excepted if he needs to do so".

I believe Musashi called this "The Way to be Followed Alone" (I prefer this translation) because no one but you can do it. Musashi was quite a solitary person, from what I've read about him.

意到气到 Where the intent goes, so does the qi. So yeah it works, to some extent.

Creating a world without sexual desires is- by definition- destroying this world. No sex= no life. That would be the end of humanity, if it were possible... A quite painless death, compared with other options though. However I believe it is good to reduce, or rather re-balance many human's sexual desires. Sex in itself is natural. The problem is when the mental-mind-ego takes the experience and makes it its own.

Just one thing to start with: 手 means hand(s) These are the name of hand postures in a particular martial art (which one?) I think it is useless to translate if you don't have the pictures... For example: 砍手 would be translated by "slicing hand". But in which form, from what angle and so on...?

@ Tulku: prove me wrong.

I prefer the concept of charity to compassion. It might sound chrisitian, but I believe the idea of suffering with (com: with; passion: suffering) is not so taoist. (ie: it's no good at all! ) I want to be happy and the others to be happy too. I don't see the point of being unhappy together. This being said, you need to feel the pain of the others in order to be able to help. If don't give a sh** about the other's pain, you won't even try to help. But this mustn't be a permanant state, just the starter. Actually too much compassion can block you. Too much indiference you don't even start anything.

This is a tibetan buddhist point of view. Not mine. I do not feel this to be the right path, honestly. There is a reason to be on this Earth which is not "let's get the hell out of here". I feel closer to daoists and zen buddhists: " Nirvana is inside Samsara" " Man is between heaven and earth"

Oh yeah, he is from the Nanzong lineage, that is why I had heard of him.

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzc3NjY4OTY=.html Here is one! Sorry, all is in Chinese...

I have! I did not meet him personnaly, but he's apparently a very nice person. Other priests told me about this man because he was trying to make translations (with the help of a few laowai) in english and other european languages of some taoist classics. He did spend some time in the US (I don't know how long), he can speak english, and drive a car Usually, taoist priests don't really "show off", even if they are responsible for a lot of work. You don't really have a "Tao superstar" in China by now... But some are more famous than others in taoists circles. I remember a video of him in Chinese, he was talking about self-cultivation that was interesting. If I find it I'll post it.

I'd say no. It is a kind of suffering, which is not the same in my opinion. A pain doesn't last, although it can be very intense. Suffering is a state.

Findley you did not waste your time completly! First you learnt self-discipline. It is extremly hard for people to do zhan zhuang for hours (or less!), for example, but you probably have the ability to do that. Maybe you needed something "extraordinary" like unicorns supra-mental perception experiences and such to make you want to practise. After a while, you lost your illusions and went back to reality. So it's ok. So you should thank Chia and Winn instead of fucking them? (Well, your choice anyway) I had the same kind of beginning, it took me time to realise that there was nothing extraordinary in the Daoist way. Daily existence IS extraordinary, we just fail to see it. Don't worry about teenagers wandering on such forums. I think most people here are OK, and if there are some cultish ones, there are skeptics as well (just like you) so in the end it is all balanced. If I had told you that the fusion of the 5 elements was BS at the time, you just would not have believed it. Maybe you would have been very angry against me.

Oh, and I forgot something else: being too rational can be a good way to protect one's ego. Many overly rational people I know are kinda:" oh we are far superior from these superstitous folks". But some superstitious (and I mean people actually believing the earth is flat...) people are way happier! Actually, when I see the world today, I can see that the rational mind did at least as much damage as narrow religious fanatism. And when you have a combination of both...

That is a good question. I think rationality is something usefull for that kind of problem (and others...). The "thinking mind" can be a great tool. The only problem is we tend to use it too much. (Or rather, we are used by it) Actually, lots of "very rational people" have been scammed! Including scientists and so on. Why? Because they feel- and they are right- that there is something behind "all that". But no one has give them the understanding of it. The Spirit (whatever you call it) is not rational, it is much above this. We are linked to it by what is called intuition, which is meta-logical. If we could always do what it tells us, there would be no problem. But very few of us can. So, when you are searching for a spiritual guidance, you can use your rational mind. (And see the actings of a "spiritual teacher": are they ethical for you?) However, in time, you will need it less and less.

Welcome! Good to be in Beijing, especially if you like Bagua zhang. There is the 白云观, the most important Taoist temple of the 全真branch of taoism in Beijing. Their taoism is said to be the heritage of 吕洞宾. Some of them might know a little english and help you in your translations.

Sorry if I don't take the time to read you. I'll just answer the question of the topic: YES, YOU CAN. The next question is how. There are ways, search for them.

Not close enough! But yeah, BKF's bagua is great. I was trained by another senior instructor, and that was the first time I could see how deep bagua is.

Don't be attached too much to synchronicities. Just pay attention, say: "oh cool, a synchronicity" and let go! Synchronicities are usually good, they show you this world is much more than your mental. But that is also the reason why your mental cannot fully understand them, nor make something useful. Your heart/mind can. So do not try to understand them fully, you won't (well unless you're lucky). Again, just let go.