Harmonious Emptiness
-
Content count
3,364 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
3
Everything posted by Harmonious Emptiness
-
Is the only reason not to commit suicide - Fear-based, shame-based, or guilt-based?
Harmonious Emptiness replied to InfinityTruth's topic in General Discussion
I suggest checking out this website that explains the role of the 5 elemental spirits to our spiritual/mental health: http://fivespirits.com/hun.php It has some good pointers to note as to whether there are certain things that we can do to reinvigorate our lives and our spirits. When I was 13 I had a martial arts teacher who often said that the most important thing was "to have endeavor." Now, this was a bit of a language issue, since endeavor is not like an emotion that you have, but we say "She endeavors to do this.." Still, the way he put it speaks well to the five spirit health reality. When our spirit is weakened, we lose that "endeavor", and that is one of the most central and basic foundations to the spiritual health of an individual especially in traditional shamanic cultures. Most people in western culture overlook the power that they have over people, because it is so easy to destroy this spirit in people and to LOSE this spirit to other people. To be able to bring that spirit into someone is one of the greatest healing functions a laymen, shaman, or anyone can have. Music is a powerful tool in this way. So are sports, exercise, and everything that breaks down barriers put there by others, put there by ourselves, and put there by ourselves by acquiescing to others. Tony Robbins -- out! -edit: Another thing I should add here too is that, though other's might put barriers in front of/on us, to blame other people for our problems is one the most dis-empowering things we can do, so don't fall into that either. It might be other people's fault, but it's really wrong for our own sake to fall into this default view. Hopefully you'll see what I'm saying by that. Blaming ourselves for everything is not the best approach either, but acknowledging that we can change things... good..- -
Personally, I'm all over his translation of the Dao De Jing, meaning, it's renewed my study of it. There are plenty of reasons to caution about the self-destruction of humanity nowadays, even more so than before, so it's no surprise that he takes the potential seriously. It's not like he popped out of a new-age cult either, since he is associated with a legitimate, and rare, Taoist temple. I don't think there is a "most important Taoist" since people contribute to different spectrums, but I'm certainly grateful for his English illucidation of the Lao Zi, which has been receiving much positive acknowledgment by Chinese speakers in the TTC forum
-
Just gonna put in that I found myself using "Dance With Tao" in my head. I think it would have been there even without this Etymology, but nonetheless, with this I'm seeing that Wu Wei is the same principle. Interesting..
-
[TTC Study] Chapter 40 of the Tao Teh Ching
Harmonious Emptiness replied to Marblehead's topic in Daodejing
This translation by Shaman Flowing Hands illustrates the Taoist principle to me and, whether people accept its alignment to the chapter, is a very necessary principle to to Dance With The Tao. Just want to put this up: CHAPTER 40 The Dao is a constant flowing source of creativity; for everything is born of it, and then returns to it. Observe this motion of giving and taking, for the Dao gives as well as takes. It is an on-going process. If man gave as much as he took, the world would be in more balance. But because he only knows about his own needs, he becomes blind to the whole. And so he upsets the balance Opinions? Not word for word I presume, but an insightful translation of the essence of the chapter -
Is the only reason not to commit suicide - Fear-based, shame-based, or guilt-based?
Harmonious Emptiness replied to InfinityTruth's topic in General Discussion
Hi Adishakti, I suspect there is an extra gravitational pull during the last quarter of the moon. In Taoist terms the last quarter might be called yin of yin (new moon yang of yang, 2nd quarter yin of yang, 3rd quarter yang of yin, 4th yin of yin) and this is why there is downward pressure, since yin moves downwards. This makes for struggle in life, but also probably strengthens whereas without resistance things(plants) would not push. The new moon probably (I'm just comparing what I know with other things I know) has more of an upward pull, in accordance with yang of yang. New planting was done during this phase to take advantage of the creative forces. I suppose women would mentruate during this time to drop the excess so that they can move onward and upward with the positive energy -
Is the only reason not to commit suicide - Fear-based, shame-based, or guilt-based?
Harmonious Emptiness replied to InfinityTruth's topic in General Discussion
-
Falun Dafa thread - open discussion...
Harmonious Emptiness replied to Gauss's topic in General Discussion
Perhaps there is a slight language thing here, but you still speak as if the act of interracial marriage, sex, etc. is a warped behaviour, even though the child is not at fault for being born to interracial parents. Your word choices in this post also point to a deeply embedded racism, and I'm sure most if not all of the many intelligent people on this site can see them quite easily by the way the sentences follow. There are prejudiced and ignorant people all over the world. I already know this. For some reason they are so unwilling to realize their inconsistencies and do something about it. -
Why the Shaman needs Constant Virtue (Heng Te)
Harmonious Emptiness replied to Stigweard's topic in General Discussion
Excellent. Thanks. -
Falun Dafa thread - open discussion...
Harmonious Emptiness replied to Gauss's topic in General Discussion
That's insulting to anyone with bi-racial parents, since you are saying they engage in warped sinful behaviour by being together. My language is pointed, but I'm just trying to get you to realize the double-think here -- you're holding two opposing beliefs about the same thing. These types of warped beliefs cause immense struggle and pain in society for those they are directed against, and have been the "justification" for numerous senseless crimes throughout history. They are deeply ingrained in people's world views, and even more so when people don't realize they perpetuate them. I can tell that your not meaning anybody any harm, and I'm not really as excited as my writing apppears, but this is something that affects everyone's hope of living together in peace and harmony. -
Falun Dafa thread - open discussion...
Harmonious Emptiness replied to Gauss's topic in General Discussion
Sometimes bitter medicine is the only thing that works. -
I've understood the triple burner to include the dantien, solar plexus, and heart center. I recall the healing sound to heat it up was "Hey" like "Hey, over here!" Since the solar plexus chakra is also an "energizer" I figure that the triple burner is a way of joining the 2nd 3rd and 4th chakras together, but that is, shall we say, intuitive speculation.
-
What's the point of perfect presence?
Harmonious Emptiness replied to Mizu's topic in General Discussion
I'm not sure what perfect presence means in other traditions, but the practice that the term relates to for me is no so much "no-mind" but more towards "fullness of mind." "Mindfullness" seems to involve many other variables of the Dharma such as true compassion and things. By "fullness of mind" I mean to say that perfect presence is to suspend other competing desires to focus on the present. When the mind is engaged in too many things at once it can be brought entirely into the present. It's possible to be present when things need to be distracted from. When there are things to do we do them, and when we're not doing them nor preparing for them, nor coming up with other things to do, it's possible to be present in what we're doing. Like what we're doing just riding the subway. Not really doing anything, but it's possible to be there. To do that every time something is done... I don't know.. Do monks do that 100% of this waking moment?.. -
So smooth and tasty Sweet butter drips to the floor More! More! Give me more!
-
The "lead/nurture like a dancing shaman" brings to mind Chapter 29 of DDJ. The shaman works with the forces of nature to bring healing, health, and harmony. This is the same for applying Wu Wei -- one treats the situation/object as though sacred and does not impose anything out of it's nature. Thus, viewing Wu Wei as "nurture like a Shaman" seems to illuminate the meaning, in my present opinion. Ch. 29 (Dawei, I remember you didn't feel "sacred" was appropriately used for this chapter. Not sure if that negates the understanding/meaning hwv.): Do you think you can take over the Universe and then improve it? It can never be done. The Universe is sacred, it can never be improved. If you try to change it, you will ruin it. If you try to possess it, you will only lose it. In the Ten Thousand Things, as well as man, one never feels quite the same everyday. So, sometimes things are ahead and sometimes behind. Sometimes breathing becomes difficult, sometimes it is easy. Sometimes there is strength and sometimes there is weakness. Sometimes one feels up and cheerful, but sometimes one feels down. This is natural; for we are all subject to the Heavenly bodies that influence our lives. The Sage experiences these as well as ordinary men, for he is one of the Ten Thousand Things.
-
whether Wu Wei means to accomplish without striving, or lead and nurture like a dancing shaman, I think these are not too different. Like many things in Taoism, everything lines up the same way no matter how far you get into it, if you are willing to look at them with an open mind.
-
What's the point of perfect presence?
Harmonious Emptiness replied to Mizu's topic in General Discussion
It's important to learn more about what no-mind actually is before going to a teacher, in my opinion. There are a lot of abstract and incomplete understandings and applications of it, and you'll find that when you read things like the Lankavatara Sutra, the Sutra of Hui Neng, and Secret of the Golden Flower that these generalizations and misunderstandings existed in the teaching even during the early days of Buddhism and Taoism. One of the first things that stands out is that they warn against merely cultivating thoughtlessness as this leads to a zombie like stupor rather than a deeper realization of our existence. Though during meditation, your thoughts will eventually cease and be replaced by a conscious internal and external awareness, this is not the end in itself. There are numerous other ways to grow personally that are involved which require more than just stilling the mind. One important teaching on this was in the Sutra of Hui Neng where he somewhat echoes the Lankavatara when he says not to follow teachings of "thoughtlessness" but of "idea-lessness." I think the best I can do is just to leave it at that say read the books I mentioned above. Get it from the source, and use Cleary translations when possible. There are many other good translators but Cleary is usually more modern and coming from an immensely broad knowledge base, whereas some older ones knew very little about the terminology. Best -
Falun Dafa thread - open discussion...
Harmonious Emptiness replied to Gauss's topic in General Discussion
If only the methods of the PRC were more evolved themselves. At least FD doesn't torture people into submission. But, yes, the messiah-cult symptoms are rampant when you look beyond the PRC suppression. -
Falun Dafa thread - open discussion...
Harmonious Emptiness replied to Gauss's topic in General Discussion
Your racism is so deeply entrenched that you don't even KNOW how racist you are. You equate people dating outside of their race as a WARPED behaviour, even to put it in the same category --- LOOK AT THE CATEGORY YOU JUST PUT IT IN. Your racism is fucking WARPED, ignorant, deluded, disgusting, hateful, bigotted, pitiful, and as LOW AS IT GETS! Did you know that people of mixed race actually have STRONGER genes? Was that the divine plan? Do you know that everything the modern world enjoys today came out of MULTICULTURAL CONTACT, ie, the mixing of ideas from all different races? And how in this deluded, racist, disevolving doctrine is the world going to have world peace when we are supposed to stay away from each other? You should go a sign up for a KKK forum, I think you'll have a lot of shared ideas to explore together on what you all like to call "warped and immoral behavior." Happy peace, love, and racism practice. WAKE UP!!!!!! -
That's the point Sloppy. It's in subways, crowded streets, malls, where this needs to be practiced. No bombshells are walking into my room unannounced. As for being late, with some practice it's not too difficult to be the "still center in the middle of the wheel" at least when necessary. Sometimes a situation doesn't call for serenity, but making that choice is what counts.
-
I agree with the "out of sight out of mind" trick. Not only does it keep you from relinquishing your spiritual state, but I find that my state actually feels stronger, almost boosted from turning away from potential strong desire. It's like that would-be desire is transformed and intensifies the pure spirit feeling. This I don't do all day every day, but at certain times, like especially in the morning when urban life hasn't swayed me yet. The Dhammapada is definitely good to read when you feel the cart is pulling the horse.. "Wise people, after they have listened to the laws, become serene, like a deep, smooth, and still lake."
-
This is pretty much exactly what I was going to say. I won't ask any psychics for advice on this type of thing because they can so easily convince you that you do need their help, resign yourself to this "fate" and fail to do anything about it. Just because someone has incredible intuitive abilities doesn't mean they are the best people to consult to improve our lives. The true people that can be consulted about these things will tell you in the same sitting what you need to do to fix these problems, and not ask you for more money to get the remedy. If you don't know their reputation, and they don't operate this way then you're better off without having consulted them, since you stand to resign your judgement and initiative when it comes time to do something about the issue. One thing Kenneth Cohen says a few times in "Honoring The Medicine" is that people who do not know themselves are more prone to the effect of curses. What I gather from this is that when you know yourself, you will know when something else is influencing your behavior or attitude and will not let it determine your feelings or behavior. A good thing to keep in mind for self determination in general, imo. Burning dried cedar is also a good way to clear bad spirits and invite good spirits if you feel the need to clear the air of bad energies. Just be sure to ask the tree before taking it.. you might see a branch stick out like "here, yeah, you can have this one." Just part of the clean karma process
-
Just a matter of taking the translated term out of all context and trying to understand it. In regards to the baby thing.. Taoist sages were generally healers. Was this against Wu Wei to do something? No. Why? Because they made people well by bringing them back into harmony with the Tao. From this, one could say that Wu Wei is to act in harmony with the Tao, or at least I will...
-
Are all the religions equally corrupt?
Harmonious Emptiness replied to orb's topic in General Discussion
What he might have meant by this is that he was immersing himself in temptation to make sure that he was strong enough to be immersed in it yet strong enough not to be tempted. If he was tempted then he would have needed tempering.. -
