Aaron

Hello people, It has been suggested by someone anonymously, that, "4) We made an honest and complete investigation of ourselves." Might be better explained as, "4) We made an honest and fearless investigation of ourselves." I think both words urge the same practice, but I saw complete as being more important than fearless. In other words if someone did a complete examination, one could assume that it would also be fearless. Input in regards to this would be appreciated. Aaron

I was at the store the other day and I ended up being overcharged $1.10. I went to the customer service counter to get my change back and the girl there added it up wrong, even after I told her it was a $1.10. She called her manager over and he got out a calculator and said, "well look at that, it was a $1.10!" Like I was some math wiz. I am horrible at math! What the heck are these kids learning in school these days? Okay, that's my crabby uncle comment. Enough out of me. Aaron

There is no doubt (in my mind) that Carlos Castaneda was a cult leader or that he was a fraud. Although he may have written some tidbits of useful information, the immense harm and suffering he caused others close to him makes me question the validity of his work. The accounts of his actual life, the hidden nature of his compound, the requirement for the female members to cut all ties with their family and cut their hair short and dye it blonde, the perverse sex games he forced them to participate in, scary, scary stuff. Add to that the fact that "Blue Scout" died less than a month after Castaneda, and you really start to wonder what the heck was going on there (or you could read "The Sorcerer's Apprentice: My Life with Carlos Castaneda" by Amy Wallace and find out for yourself.) All of this can be found on Wikipedia by the way. I'm not saying this to dissuade anyone from reading his books, I would just recommend you take them with the same grain of salt that you would "Dianetics". Aaron edit- Blue Scout's car was found abandoned two weeks after Castandeda's death, but apparently her body wasn't found until 2003.

Hello Badogue, I'm going to say this as kindly as possible, don't worry about it! God you're 23 and in your sexual prime from a biological standpoint. The fact that you want to have sex has to do with the fact that your body is telling you that you need to procreate. You denying that you feel this way or shoving it down deep inside because you feel it will harm your chi or prevent you from being like Buddha is silly. The more you deny your sexuality the more of a problem it will become. If you actually believe you have a problem and you think you're a sex addict, then go to Sex Addicts Anonymous or something, otherwise I would suggest examining why you feel the way you do about sex. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Why the heck are people so hung up on sex. As a comparison, I'm 41 and I guarantee I have more than 2 "day emissions" a week and I'm absolutely healthy. Again stop worrying about it. There's no need to feel guilty or dirty because you want to have sex or find sexy things sexy. If they weren't sexy you wouldn't identify them as such. Who the hell told you sex was bad in the first place? Whoever it was, quit listening to them. Aaron edit- I really mean this in the most compassionate way possible, don't worry about it.

I think that the Tao is very simple, so simple that when we are finally aware of it, we wonder how we ever missed it in the first place. The contradiction that exists, is that the way to simplicity can seem complicated, and only after you realize it's complexity do you understand it's simplicity. My personal belief about Te doesn't matter to anyone really, except for me. If I have something I think is worth sharing and I don't share it, then how will I ever know it was worth sharing. I know few masters who say, "Don't ask questions, just do as you're told." A teacher might say that, but someone who has become aware would see that comment as silly. In the same way the ancient masters spoke about Tao, Te, Zen, and various other things that couldn't be expressed in words, knowing that they couldn't be expressed in words, but that people sometimes need answers to their questions. Aaron

Who am I to question your beliefs or experiences? I am glad that you see truth in what's being said, but I think to an extant there is no truth or untruth, there is just the way things are. Also I think you have a great deal to add to the conversation and I hope you continue to share. You have a very fresh perspective that I think is not only valid, but helps our understanding to grow. Thanks, Aaron

Hello Kate, On one level you're right, but the fact is that most people in recovery at one point realize that recovery isn't just about recovering from an addiction, but also figuring out how to live in a world that is still the same without the addiction. In order to be able to succeed in recovery one must figure out what caused them to resort to an addiction and how to cope with life on life's terms. Some people believe that once you are an addict you will always be an addict, and that is true, in the sense that you can never ever use the substance you recovered from again without risking returning to your old behaviors. In that sense, one never recovers from an addiction, but they do recover from the symptoms of the addiction. That's the reason why it's so necessary to find a higher power or way, because that higher power or way helps to change the way the addict sees life and hence to see things in a different light. To simply state that this is what needs to be done is pointless though, because knowing and doing are two different things. Most people will never successfully recover without the aid of someone else, preferably someone who has also been an addict, to aid them in their recovery, to show them the meaning of the steps and how they actually practiced the steps to recover. With that done, one should no longer need another to guide them in recovery, but rather they should be taught to fish, and not need the teacher to feed them. I would never recommend someone try to recover on their own. It's best to find someone to help them on the path of recovery, if not for the simple reason that they're there for support in case it's needed, then also so that the recovered person can teach them the lessons they've learned. Aaron

It certainly worked for the Roman Catholic Priests and those Buddhist Monks in Sri Lanka. (Don't worry I'm sure some Taoist monks that practice "celibacy" have molested children as well.) My point isn't that all people who are celibate molest children, but rather that most people who practice abstinence or feel the need to practice abstinence, do so because they have a twisted unnatural perspective of sex. Most people who have a natural and normal view of sex see abstinence as silly and a bit creepy. I have yet to hear of any healthy abstinence and those that endeavor to commit to it, normally do so because they have a distinct issue regarding sex that lends them to believe abstinence will cure that problem. I would recommend therapy rather than abstinence. Aaron

I'm saying this with complete sincerity and this isn't meant to be a joke. Masturbate. If you have thoughts of sex and lust is preoccupying your life, then masturbate. If you have a problem with excessive masturbation (I'll leave that up to you to decide), you may want to check out some types of treatment, but the fact is there's nothing wrong with lust, it's a basic natural physiological response, that we're intended to have. Masturbation is a completely natural way to deal with that innate desire. Aaron

Hello TSoDE, I don't think it's necessary to identify yourself as one thing or another, in fact I think it is just as beneficial to say "Hi my name is Aaron and I'm here because I can't stop drinking" or "Hi my name is Aaron and I come here because I couldn't stop drinking". I think the labels are meant to encourage a sense of community more than help a person to identify themselves as an addict or alcoholic. Most people, if they're in the rooms, tend to understand they have a problem, there's really no need (in my opinion) to state in their introduction what they are. My first goal is to get a working 12 steps going, once that's done I would love to talk about these kinds of things. I think there's a lot of change that's needed to allow the Twelve Steps to be truly universal. Aaron

Thanks Starjumper and TSoDE I appreciate the feedback and look forward to any ideas of suggestions you might have regarding this project. I really don't want this to be my interpretation, but rather an interpretation that includes the inputs of others in recovery, so that it does follow the genuine intent of the twelve steps. Aaron

Really? Semantics? You know the meaning of "higher" yet you're resorting to semantics in an attempt to prove you're right. Everyone should decide what they can consider to be the way to recovery, whether it's the Tao, the concept of good, Buddha, or Christ. I have been sober for five years and I never once believed in "God" as I understood him (because I don't understand the concept of God). Again, if you don't like this idea, then ignore it, but don't try to keep this going. It's going to happen, whether you like it or not. Accept the things you can't change and move on. Aaron

I can see that your concept of a higher power is very narrow. Are you saying the Tao isn't a higher power? By the way, this kind of comment is the exact reason I am doing this, to break free from the absolutism that is presented in AA and allow people the freedom to determine what they should believe, rather than be told what to believe. With that said, if you want to debate this idea, please take it somewhere else. I've neither the inclination or patience to debate something that we will not agree on. I am looking for people that are willing to help with this project, not make snide comments or promote their own agendas. Aaron

No problem TWIV I understand what you're saying and I agree to a degree. I think that it's fine to talk about these things. Understanding how others view things is important, because it allows us to view our own understanding objectively, what better way to do that than discuss it in a general forum? Nix that, I can think of better ways, but this is still a fine way to do it. Thanks again for your clarifications. Aaron

"The Tao of Pooh" and "The Te of Piglet" by Benjamin Hoff are must reads. "The Book" and "The Watercourse Way" by Alan Watts are also good reads. John C. H. Wu's translation of the Tao Teh Ching is my favorite and the one I carry with me. Steer clear of anything claiming to present the "True" or "Authentic" Tao, it most likely is anything but true or authentic. Aaron

Alfred E., I know many people that have you on ignore, so I would suggest, rather than stirring the pot and lashing out at those people who don't follow your own viewpoint, that you simply follow the advice you gave me, open your eyes and shut your mouth. Aaron

Hello Thewayisvirtue, I understand what you're saying. I'm not a religious Taoist, but rather follow the ideas set down in Neo-Taoism (20th century western Neo-Taoism that is). I think in light of your nick and what you've stated I would assume that you consider High Te to be Virtue. I think that might be part of the confusion, I am addressing this question from the perspective that virtue isn't Te, but rather (High) Te is the innate action that springs from Tao. We don't have to debate this, if you feel differently that's fine. Also in the spirit of drawing conclusions, I would ask if perhaps what you're warning against, is drawing conclusions that are different from the ones being taught in Traditional Taoism? This is just what I see on the surface, perhaps you could clarify this a bit more? In regards to the topic at hand, I'm much more interested in what your own personal views of compassion are. Aaron

Hello Manitou, I think you've repeated much of what I was saying from a different slant. I think our viewpoints on the nature of compassion are founded on similar principles. I wouldn't say that the AA steps started me working on the process, in fact I think I ended up taking a few steps back from understanding the process. For me the 12 steps are saturated with morality, guilt, and ethics. I am currently trying to develop a program of recovery that isn't based on those precepts, but rather spirituality and self awareness. Of course that's a different topic. Thanks for your input. Aaron

Hello Alwayson, Before you worry too much about the rapture, I recommend you learn a bit more about Revelations. The book is oftentimes taken out of context. Everything that occurs in Revelations relates to the Roman Empire and things that were happening in the world at the time it was written. It was not meant to be "prophetic" in the sense that many modern day Christians tend to view it, but rather as an allegory for what was occurring in the world around 1900+ years ago. Also, I would ask how he came to his conclusion and whether it was based on fact or faith? If he can actually provide indisputable factual evidence, then so be it, but I'm sure if you look at it objectively you'll find there's not much water keeping the idea afloat. Rest easy, I can assure you that the rapture will not occur on May 2011. Aaron

I agree Sloppy, But there's a distinct difference between paranoia and truth. If someone came up on the street and told me this stuff, I'd probably think they were crazy. It's the whole idea that the truth can't be that simple, that something can't just happen, there has to be a reason that makes sense to us, when the fact is most of the time very little seems to make sense. Accept the things you cannot change. There's this saying that I paraphrase. I will strive to find serenity, so that I can accept those things I cannot change, change the things I can, and through wisdom know the difference. Every once in awhile I am able to do this and when it happens, life becomes much simpler and those things that I used to worry about, the conspiracies that seemed to occupy my time, simply fade away like so much dust. My preference these days is to try to develop compassion, humility, and insight, and through them a deeper relationship with the world around me. Aaron When I suffer you suffer.

Alfred E., When you stop telling people to shut up and start treating them with a bit of compassion, perhaps they will take the time to listen to you. Until then remember that with compassion comes great insight. You and I are the same, so what you say about me, you say about yourself. Aaron

I always thought the true way to find inner peace was to, "neither regret the past, nor wish to shut the door on it." Finishing things is all fine and good, but if you have a habit of not finishing things, perhaps the best thing to do is figure out why you don't finish things in the first place. Aaron

I'm not up on all of the conspiracy stuff these days. It doesn't seem useful to worry about what might have happened, I try to spend my time thinking about what is happening. In regards to that, rather than trumpet the "Chinese Holocaust" or allude that the American government caused it (i.e. we drugged Mao via his Doctor then drugged Reagan for God only knows what reason), why don't you worry about Darfur or something relevant to the here and now. Aaron

Hello people, Truth is subjective. First thing to keep in mind is that this chapter doesn't appear in the Guodian Text. This is another chapter that found its way into the Tao Teh Ching as Taoism began to incorporate Buddhist and Confucian values. With that said, that is perhaps one of the reasons it's so hard to fit this into what we've learned from other chapters so far. In keeping with the Guodian retrospect, the only chapters that do appear in those texts that we've looked at so far are chapter 2 and 5. Hence the idea of duality that is coming into play may be a result of the Buddhist idea of ego that became popular after the Tao Teh Ching was originally written. If we examine this chapter, then there are two ways to do that, examine it in it's original context, as it relates to the other chapters we've read that have appeared in the Guodian (original intent we could call it), or examine it as it relates to the Three Religions/Philosophies that were becoming accepted as being of equal value at that time. Both examinations are valid. With the latter method of examination in mind, we should keep in mind the previous chapters regarding sentimentality, which follows the Guodian view of nature. This chapter could be an attempt to reconcile that notion with Buddhist and Confucian thought that was popular at the time. Aaron