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Everything posted by Aaron
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You're absolutely right here. My point is that morality is to blame because it presents this idea of right and wrong and encourages people to suppress who they really are, which invariably results in deviancy. I keep saying that the best way to live is to simply, "do no harm to yourself or to others." If you can do this, then morality has no purpose. It can really be that simple, but it seems people don't want to live a simple life, but rather they're drawn towards complicated lives. One simple fact is that people want to be directed, they want someone to point the way for them because it gives them a sense of safety, much like the herd of zebra sticking together. The problem is that some people take advantage of this. Anyways, I'm going to bow out for now. I think I've said enough and we both seem to see the root cause of this, so there's no reason to continue. Each and every man and woman is born with a compassionate nature. It's our experiences in this world that cover it up or uncover it. If you ever want to uncover it simply be kind to another person and ask nothing in return. Don't know why I said that last part, but I feel on some level it has to do with this topic. Aaron
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I used to live across the street from a Wah Lum Temple in Orlando, FL. The master there has six students that reside at the temple at no cost. These students teach the children that come to the temple and receive no money from this, which, considering the number of students that show up is probably a good amount of moolah. My point is that they have entered an agreement with the master and are satisfied with that agreement. If you want to learn something, look long enough and you'll find it. I may not care for religion, but energy practice is essential for anyone who endeavors to become more spiritual. If your only reason for learning these things is to attain more power, then you will certainly be willing to spend as much as you can to learn them, on the flip side if your only reason for learning is to deepen your spiritual (and martial) awareness, then more often than not, a master will present themselves to you. Aaron
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So who's abusing who? Did they say he led them on and told them that he was going to be their one and only? I don't think so. I think what they wanted and what they got were two different things. Blame the man all you want, but really it's society's fault. We can examine this on the personal level as well, but the fact of the matter is the society's expectations regarding sex is very much a part of this. As I said to Mythmaker, I'll say to you, religion has been used to manipulate and abuse people for as long as its been around. Whether it's Buddhist (and Taoist) monks abusing boys in monasteries, Catholic priests abusing choir boys, Muslim imams abusing students, or Mormon ministers fostering polygamy, the fact of the matter is that sexuality is a very human thing and denying it is the root cause of these types of "sins". The most deviant man you will find is the most righteous, because he is denying the very nature that makes him who he is. One cannot overcome their own nature by denying it, rather they must accept it and face it, then they can learn to live with it. So long as the world's answer to this problem is piety expect more of the same, just don't complain every time it happens and blame the person, rather blame the institution that allowed it to happen and that, my dear Suninmyeyes, is religion. Aaron
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I dodge your shots with my ancient kung fu prowess! Haieyee! Hehehe... just kidding. I know that, even so they weren't naive innocent lost lambs manipulated into doing something they didn't want to, at least I don't believe that to be so. What happened is that they were attracted to him, had sex with him, didn't receive what they wanted from him and decided to come out against him. I'll tell you this much, this is the exact reason why religion, and believe me yoga is a religion, stinks so much. If you don't like people using religion to influence others sexuality, then be done with religion and it wont happen anymore. If you're not willing or ready to do that, then expect this to be just a small sentence in a very long chapter. Aaron
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No. The point is that we only hear part of the story. Do we demonize a rock star for having sex with a groupy? No. So why are we stigmatizing and demonizing this man because he had sex with one of his groupies? The problem is that we have determined that sex between two adults is sinful and wrong and should only exist under certain conditions, when in fact there was nothing wrong or right about it, except for what the people involved decided. Now if he forced himself upon them, that's awful and something should be done about it, but if there was no force and it was consensual, and the only harm that occurred came when one side didn't receive as much attention as they wanted to, then who is at fault here? If you ask me, I'm surprised that people don't expect something like this to happen. I mean when you're working closely with anyone there is always the chance that you'll become involved sexually. The notion that this is wrong or shouldn't occur is simply bizarre to me. Why exactly is it wrong? Who is exactly harmed by it and also, when does that harm occur? Don't shoot the messenger. I'm the first to condemn rape and violence, but in the same way I'll stand up for those who haven't done anything wrong, other than fail to meet the social mores of society. Aaron
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On the notion of intuition, Cat had it right from the beginning in my opinion. Good job there Cat. Intuition has nothing to do with knowledge, it is a natural response to what is happening around you, a response based on an instinctual understanding of the world born of experience, rather than a logical understanding based on knowledge. The problem that most people have is that when they do reach a state of intuition, they oftentimes are unaware that they are reacting based on intuition. My own experience stems from AA and the twelve steps. One of the promises for those who have worked all twelve steps is that they will 'intuitively know how to handle situations that used to baffle them.' Most people don't understand what this means early in recovery, because they are so used to logically deducing what the issues with the world "really" are, based on their own experience with the world, but when they learn that they aren't the center of the universe and begin to accept life on Life's terms, then they will start to react to things in a way that they previously didn't, not because of some knowledge gained, but rather because they're tapping into their original nature, the instinctual part of them that understands intuitively how to handle life on life's terms. Or maybe not. Intuition is so difficult to talk about, simply because it is much like the Tao, it is really undefinable, because it is an action that takes place without thought or knowledge, but rather is born of the one that begat the many within. Aaron
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I just want to interject that undivided light can't have anything to do with Tao, simply because that which gives birth to one cannot be defined, it is the mystery of mysteries. The only way we can learn aspects of it is by understanding the things that have been created from it. Even then we never know everything about it and the moment we believe we're discussing it, we lose it, because it is not something that can be conceived with the human mind. Aaron
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Okay... well let me give you a heads up regarding surrendering, Alcoholics Anonymous was teaching surrendering in the 1940s, so it's not a novel idea, not even within the modern context. It seems to me that most people who have studied any philosophical or religious ideology runs across the notion of surrender. I think the notion of surrender is erroneous, in that those who use it to denote the action of acceptance, do so to ensure that the one surrendering is supplicating to a greater power. This is indicative of a tradition bent on submission, rather than intervention or introspection. In AA they teach it simply as, "Living life on Life's terms." The act has nothing to do with surrendering, but rather giving up those things you have no control over, in order to prevent them from causing you to suffer. However this isn't always as simple as forgetting about them, especially in the case of the girl who lost her leg and family, rather it is a process that comes once one has accepted this loss and recognized that they have no control over that loss, upon becoming aware of this they have two choices, to accept they've done everything they can and move on, or remain in the depths of that suffering. Those that remain are often not ready to move on, so remaining itself isn't an inherently wrong action, even though those witnessing it may perceive it to be painful, in fact it is required by all who experience loss. One who does not experience loss has no connection to this world, and without a connection, they cannot experience the beauty that perpetuates the feeling of loss. This is why I have such an issue with detachment, because the notion of detachment seems to promote a desensitization from the world itself, when in fact the problem we're having in modern society is that many people are desensitizing from the experience of self, an experience intimately involved with others as well, which results in their inability to form a lasting and spiritual bond with the world around. Keep in mind spiritual bond isn't necessarily a mystical undefinable bond, but rather one that is demonstrative of one's natural inclination towards others, based on their original nature. Anyways this is becoming much longer than I intended. Thank for the info regarding dental pain. I will suffer until I stop suffering, their is no salvation from it. The trick for me is not allowing the suffering to become the sole determination of my soul's compass. Aaron
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I think she's entitled to her opinion and that she's right to a degree. I've suffered from a toothache for the last week, it was so bad that all I could do at times was go to work come home and go to bed. I didn't eat for two days because it was too painful to chew. I'm wondering if the answer to this suffering is to surrender, or perhaps the more practical solution is to take painkillers and wait for it to pass? I did do some self-hypnosis and breathing exercises to minimize the pain, but again, surrendering is a silly answer and I'm glad other people are calling out Tolle on his self-professed enlightenment. I mean if Tolle can be enlightened, why can't Jerry Falwell or anyone else who gives you a feel good message with no practical application? Aaron edit- As a side note, I saw the Ruthless Truth folks replying to her blog, so the whole cult thing could be there too, but even cults sometimes have good ideas.
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Every psychopath I've ever known has been a republican. That's not to say that all republicans are psychopaths, rather that people who lack empathy for others (sociopaths and psychopaths) tend not to care about social programs so much, unless it directly involves their own well being. Aaron
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And I find myself asking, why the <bleep> does anyone care? He was an adult, I'm assuming the women were adults. Is there some law that says rich and powerful men can't use their status to lure naive women into having sex with them? If there was another 1% of the population would be in jail now. Aaron
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Not true... Giving up religion is returning to your natural state of being. Unless of course you think religion is something we're born with. Aaron
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do you carry a copy of the tao te ching with you?
Aaron replied to mewtwo's topic in Daoist Discussion
LOL! Aaron -
do you carry a copy of the tao te ching with you?
Aaron replied to mewtwo's topic in Daoist Discussion
In four months you've surpassed me in total posts, which leads me to believe you're a really bored man or woman. Aaron -
do you carry a copy of the tao te ching with you?
Aaron replied to mewtwo's topic in Daoist Discussion
I guess I touched a nerve. Sorry about that. You are as unique as you want to be and there's nothing wrong or right about it, so don't worry so much what I say, because none of it matters in the end. I say if people want to blindly follow something, then so be it. I think my only duty, and it's not a required duty by any means, is to point out what I feel is beneficial, how someone chooses to take that advice is up to them. Aaron -
You're poking the bear here. What do you mean by feeling special, different, superior, or inferior? I think this characterizes the vast majority of Westerners who decide to practice Eastern traditions. In fact the people that practice religion, philosophies, and esoteric practices, more often than not, are doing so to feel special and different from the unclean masses. So when I say give up religion and philosophy it's the exact opposite of being special, unique, etc. but rather it is a call to understanding how we are not so special after all. When you realize that you are not the center of the universe then you can begin to understand the true nature of compassion. Compassion is not the act of a special or unique person, but the natural act of one person towards another, that springs forth from your empathetic connection to others. Religions are for those who need to feel special, giving up religions is necessary to understand how you are not special. Diversity is an illusion, the only thing that allows it to persist is the notion of self evident in the beliefs that cause us to feel separate from each other. Aaron
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Now that is a loaded question, if I've ever heard one. I think the problem is that this is a question you should answer for yourself, rather than have others answer for you. In Taoist terms it would mean, not to acquire material wealth, not to compete with others, to be frugal, and to be compassionate. Now in these modern times, in the materialistic world we live in, this ins't very easy to do. The nice thing is that most teachers, aware that most people are not willing to moderate their consumption, will be happy to approve of their lifestyles, so that the money keeps flowing. So we have "The Tao of Wall Street" and the "The Tao of Poker" which are completely contrary to the nature of Taoism, which is never striving to be first in the world. I would say again, though, that this is something that each person should decide for themselves. Forget about what you know about simplicity (be done with knowledge) and ask yourself, "what does it mean to live simply?" Aaron
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do you carry a copy of the tao te ching with you?
Aaron replied to mewtwo's topic in Daoist Discussion
Laoism and Chuangism are the two main schools of philosophy related to Taoism. You don't need to follow one or the other, but both are considered the basis for current Taoist philosophy. Now traditional Chinese practices, which you seem to be heavily into, are influenced by Taoism, but less so the philosophy, and more the religion, which is drawn from the Chinese mythology, Chinese Medicine, the I-Ching, etc. Now to say these things aren't Taoist, is like saying the pebbles on the river bed aren't part of the river, which is untrue. The river consists of not just the water, but everything that makes up the river; the fish, the seaweed, the mud, and the pebbles. Now to call this a lifestyle is erroneous too, because people who call something a lifestyle often do so to separate their own practices from others, to compete with others, and that's not the purpose of Taoism (remember we should never strive to be first). Also, what most people misunderstand is that Taoism is very much about learning to become attached to others, not detached, so the practice of Taoism is meant to help integrate us more closely into the natural order of the world around us. So in this way, your practice should not be a lifestyle, or a way of life, but rather a natural way of being. If you have to integrate rituals into your life, then you are forgetting what is said about virtue by both Chuang Tzu and Lao Tzu, that ritual is the lowest form of virtue. Now Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu both commented on the need to eliminate ritual from one's life. It is really up to you to decide what is ritual and what isn't. What is the difference between "eh" and "oh"? What is the difference between stopping at Starbucks for coffee every morning or ringing a bell for your ancestors? There really isn't, in fact the problem that arises is that you are making your life formulaic, when in fact it should be dynamic. So for me, I try to be aware of those things I do that are ritualistic, that are repeated without purpose, so that I can be more aware of the spontaneous nature of the universe around me. I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you regarding this. Also this isn't meant to denigrate your beliefs or discourage you from practicing, it's just one man's opinion. I hope you are doing well. Aaron -
4.0 Earthquake in Missouri Shakes 9 States By Jim Salter | February 23, 2012
Aaron replied to Informer's topic in General Discussion
I was in a few in Washington State. several small ones and the Nisqually Earthquake (which was 10 miles from where I lived) in 2001 which was a 6.8. That one was very scary, but compared to some of the other big quakes around the world, was not so bad. No deaths, tsunamis etc. I would consider Hurricanes to be the scariest, at least when you're near the eye of a class 3+... really awesome power. Tornadoes are very scary too, but don't last very long. Really nature can be terrifying, powerful, and ultimately unbiased. My rating for terrifying natural phenomena scariest to least scariest would be Hurricane, Tornadoes, Tsunami, Earthquake. Aaron -
Hello Dwai, That's the crux of this for me. If one examines Vedanta in depth one begins to understand that the underlying message is to look past what you conceive yourself to be, and examine yourself as you actually are. This is the same message that's presented in Taoism and Buddhism and I would even go so far as to say it's found in the Abrahamic traditions as well, but the inherent problem with religions is that they place more emphasis on other's preconceived notions of the truth, rather than allowing their followers to figure it out for themselves. Religions have a lot invested in keeping people entrenched in dogma, it keeps the begging bowls and donation pans full so that the priests get their dues. In my mind much of this dogma has been distorted and convoluted in an attempt to make sure that people are obedient and follow directions without question. If we follow things blindly, if we do not ask questions, if we do not question everything, not just from our own subjective experience, but examine it from it's root source, putting aside our own opinions and instead look at it as it actually is, then what we invariably do is learn exactly what is being taught, rather than the actual truth. It may seem that I'm anti-religion, but that's not it at all, I'm not anti-religion simply because I believe people have the right to decide for themselves what the truth is, what I actually try to do is encourage people to question what the truth is, to feel those warning signs when someone comes and tells them what the absolute truth is. The first thing you should ask yourself when someone says, "this is the truth and if you don't follow it you will never find salvation/enlightenment/an end to suffering/etc. is "why?" If they can't answer this in plain language, without semantics and dogma, then what you have is an answer intrinsically linked to dogma and not objective reality. Be done with knowledge. Once you are done with knowledge, then you can begin to experience things on an entirely different level. Aaron
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Throughout my life I've had this issue with electricity. I get static shocks all the time, not just when it's cold and dry. I get them doing the stupidest things, not just opening car doors, but getting silverware, turning off a light switch, picking up tools, etc. I've had this problem for as long as I can remember, it's gotten so bad that I consciously touch door knobs and metal objects with my knuckles first, to try and discharge it, since it's much more painful through my finger tips. I've had other problems with electricity as well, like light bulbs tend to burn out faster around me, especially florescent bulbs, I've actually had them blow out on me twice and on one occasion the bulb actually exploded. I think I mentioned before that I have an odd experience with street lights as well, they will go off as I go under them. I'm not sure what's causing this, but it's finally gotten to the point that I'm getting a shock when I go touch my laptop keyboard and I'm worried I might cause damage to my computer. Anyone got any tips as to how I can reduce the shocks I've been getting? As an aside, I can't wear electric watches because they tend to go kaput on me, including most watches that use batteries, I tend to buy only windup watches. My mother has this same problem, so it may be hereditary. I'm also highly alergic to metal, the rashes get so bad my skin actually peals away. I got an ulcer on my stomach because I allowed the metal belt buckle to touch my skin over a prolonged period of time. I had to stop wearing an earring because even with gold and silver, my ear kept getting infected to the point I had to go on antibiotics. I'm wondering if the two could be related. I know, weird, way out topic, but I'm at my wits end regarding finding answers. Aaron
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I'm not inferring so much what the book says, I have no money and I'm bumming a room from a fellow unnamed taobum, so I don't have time to go out and buy it, what I'm saying is in reference to the general tone of the thread. Again, for me I could care less about the dharmic or abrahamic traditions. I urge people to look past these things and examine the self without any preconceived notion. When one allows themselves to seek truth through a lens, then invariably what they will see will be colored by that lens. It may appear to be the truth, but they will never know if it's the actual appearance of truth or not. So perhaps the answer doesn't lie in harmonizing the two cultures, but rather in getting rid of both and starting completely from scratch. Aaron
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That I get shocked a hell of a lot and I'd like it to stop. Aaron
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I'm sorry, I didn't mean to infer you were. I was just making a comment about what I saw as the potential evolution of this thread. Aaron
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I just wanted to point out that this topic seems to be a consensus of people that agree that the western view is inferior to the eastern view and that in order for westerners to realize their full potential they must understand how that's wrong and begin to think like Easterners. This is a common topic on Taoist forums, in fact this is the fourth time in two years I've seen it pop up. The stance I've taken, and still take, is that this is really a matter of intellectual supremacy, one side views their beliefs to be superior and thus they tend to deprecate those practices they see as inferior. I see nothing inherently wrong with the Western frame of mind, nor with the Eastern frame of mind, especially since there is no such thing as wrong when one investigates these sorts of things. It's like saying an amazonian tribe is superior to american culture, because they have a healthier diet. What people should be focusing on isn't the differences, but the actual experiences that exist within both cultures, to understand what these mean on a deeper level, but also how these views of self effect one's own self identity. I have no desire to become "eastern", nor do I have any desire to remain "western", rather my goal is to understand on an intimate level the reasons I am who I am, and most importantly who I actually am. I don't think the east or the west have an advantage when it comes to this, (they certainly all suffer from the same ills of society) but rather that the trick is to understand the cultural bias surrounding your own view of self, so that you don't trade one bias for the other. As for being different, well that's just another way of saying something is wrong with someone else. Aaron