Harmonious Emptiness

I've never practiced Xingyiquan, but I see that it has some Wu Dang roots and so it most probably has some use for strengthening and cleansing energy and organs. If you also practice some qi gong movements for strengthening and cleansing the organs, there might be some similarities in the elemental movements of each system. With sensitivity to the qi gong experience, the movements of Xingyiquan will probably resonate, but I wouldn't be able to tell you how why and when. There's a fair amount of free qi gong tutorials on youtube, so you might be able to test this theory on your own. See how the movements are releasing and retaining. This is the rhythm of Taoism. I'm not a master. Just a haphazard scholar

As a complement to what has been said here, you might also look to strengthen your liver, since in TCM, anger is associated with the liver. One of the many herbs and foods that are good for this, is sage tea (which I enjoy a lot). Just remember less is more with sage (enough to flavour the water is usually good. edit: let non-caffinated, medicinal herbals steep for 20 minutes). Other liver cleansing and strengthening methods could also be good, including avoiding toxic stuff that the liver has to work to discard. Drinking cold drinks with food puts a bit of strain on the liver to digest, whereas hot tea helps it to heat up and digest better. If you're into healing meditations, send some love to your liver. Also, in being "spiritual" and all the like, negative emotions are often suppressed so they don't interfere with us reaching up to a higher state. When we don't express these emotions in a healthy way, they grow rather being released, and sometimes end up manifesting physically. Exercises can purify our spirits so we don't have much negative emotion, but when we do have them, we must able to release them, at least in small amounts until we have time to purify ourselves in whatever way (dancing, letting loose, qi gong, running) Maybe try to exhale the negative energy with the sound: Xu (pronounced Shuu, or Zhu. the Qi Gong healing sound for Liver). Sort of like your saying "Ahhhhhh!", but ZSHUUUUUUUUUUUU. It might even sound like an exhale through your lips, but with a bit of the the ShOOOO. Perhaps it's worth a try. But don't get too attached to it. Don't get attached to the anger. It's just a response. You'll let it out healthily and it won't be too attached too. "Sometimes the best way to pacify a rowdy bull is to give it more space."

alright alright. I think I got one. Being a part of "the system" can help one in their attainment of Buddha like qualities such as compassion, serenity, and wisdom. It gives them many opportunities to (destroy) strengthen their serenity, (must eat the dogs that try to eat you) strengthen their compassion, and (fight influx of material values) apply wisdom to many situations. so the next person is supposed to support my real point of view/not theirs?

Well, it is related to creatine, though at the earlier pre-tranformation stage, so it might eventually turn into creatine and contribute to serious Bear like symptoms.

ha, yes (to the top portion). There was an article in a free daily Montreal newspaper (24 hour) they hand out in front of the subways every morning in Montreal, about 3 weeks ago: the title (in french) was "Did you say injaculation?" It was basically saying men can have multiple orgasms according to this Taoist system which leads to longer life. It referenced Mantak Chia and some other Tantric book. I had mixed opinions about it, since they would have to sell the idea to the masses and the advertisers with SEX, but it still brought the idea out there, so maybe some people will get turned on to a more spiritual consciousness. On the other hand, well, I'm sure I don't need to preach to the choir on that side..

I looked up some info on bbca http://www.cps.org.tw/docs/%28Vol54%20No2E%29%20Article%201.pdf looks like the study shows it is good to reduce fatigue after a workout. Any idea if it can be used just as a general supplement? Or would that result in becoming a huge bear of some sort?

If you can find one in the meantime, I might suggest looking into a Zen dojo, especially if the head monk learned in East Asia. The style is very plain and won't lead you all in this and that way. It might be a good sanctuary to prepare you. You'll probably find some similarities to the instructions of Liu I Ming. It's not Taoism, but the roots are close. Thanks for the book list. I didn't know about the I Ching commentaries. I think the shorter books are mostly in Vitality Energy Spirit. I'll have to pick up Understanding Reality. I hadn't done so mostly because I wanted to focus on The Book of Balance and Harmony, which I'm sure you would also like and/or already have.

Well then, care to share what these other books are?? I didn't realize so much was translated. Hopefully some of the more dedicated Nei Gong practitioners here can help you out.

thanks for the fo-ti tip. I think I'll try to find some. Do you know if it shouldn't be mixed with anything? I drink drink mint and borage together. I think fo-ti might go well in the mix, but I'd better find out first. sweet potato, taro, green onion, watercress, cucumber, red pepper, tomato, onion, carrot, radish, cabbage, spinach, celery. beans and tofu. pearl barley. Do you recommend this as one big stir fry (minus the cucumber)?

Any foods that should especially be eaten separately for medicinal purposes? I do eat millet by itself sometimes, and usually when I eat fruit or almonds. I drink "President's Choice Pure Pressed Pineapple Juice" quite a bit, and every sip seems to light up all the cells in my body! Sooo Good!

bookmarked. I hope one day delicious won't be so complicated for me

I hate to repeat myself, but http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1572962536605659291# practice. You will purify your energy this way. There could be more to it, but this should turn that monster into an angelic light.

I've been going back to this book over and over as well. Absolutely one of the most impactful books for me. If you haven't already, I would recommend picking up Cleary's compilation "Vitality, Energy, Spirit." It has a lot of contemplative literature similar to Awakening To The Tao. I'm not a master, or much of a devoted student, so I wouldn't have much guidance, other than to find a devoted Qi Gong teacher that practices Internal Alchemy or Nei Gong. Another good starter for Taoist living is Daniel Reid's "The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity" though I would venture to guess Liu I Ming practiced abstinence - there is still some essential stuff in there. You might also want to look in to Dragon Gate Sanctuary and other Dragon Gate schools as they seem to be the most reliably pure lineage to Taoist Alchemy that will teach the uninitiated.

I have a number of books that I never finished because I still want to be able to pick it up and read it. Other books I read for a few pages until I get an idea to run with, so I have a quite a few that could be listed here . Recently picked up: Shinto: The Way Home, by Kasulis Folk Tales of Tibet, Norbu Chophel Swampland Flowers: The Letters and Lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui Bedside: A Buddhist Bible, edited by Goddard (also usually in my backpack) The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma, trans. by Red Pine Lame Deer: Seeker of Visions Wen-Tzu

yes, I found that my breathing first had to slow down, to match the movement that was matching the slow breathing, that was matching the movement...

so, with healthy dose of chi. As an appetizer, dessert, or on the side ?

Food, recipes, combinations, herbs, seasonings, teas, prayers... Please, elaborate!

I think the "Oh My God, this is awesome" moment was my correlative "mind (focused awareness)" part of the practice. lol. Combined with Emptiness, of course edit: also, from "Tai Chi Classics," feeling the Chi between hands and then with hands over lower dantien. This was useful in keeping "focused awareness" while moving in and out and up and down with the breath and movement of Qi Gong.

The Khemetic/Egyptian temples had their system all layed out on the walls. It took initiation and lifelong scholarship to understand it though. Thus, it was codified, and the temples go back to before The Buddha. For me to expound anything about the existence of dependent-origination knowledge in other cultures would be pointless since the knowledge of this is only known by experience, but you won't be hard pressed to find a Shaman with the same view of existence - such as the fact that the manifestations of this world are just symptomatic of a deeper reality. I agree that Buddhism has the most systematic writings of their kind that have remained up to this date (I think the Library of Alexandria probably had more and of the same kind), but to say they are the first of their kind, or that they are the only ones of their kind, save those directly influenced, is incorrect. On the other hand, I'm glad to hear that you do in fact appreciate Aboriginal culture, as some of what you were saying sounded like it was coming from an 18th century Southern Baptist minister.

2 books you ought to read: Medicine Cards by Sams and Carson, and Honoring the Medicine, by Kenneth Cohen. The former has a very codified map of life for human behaviour based on animal archetypes (and this is not exclusive to any one tribe), the latter shows the rather structured and consistent philosophies that are part of most tribes. Not to mention an endless number of instructional stories. "Alexandrian Library which didn't start until around the 300's B.C." was a refection of Egyptian mystery schools, probably the most structured spiritual tradition ever, showing up in the 33 degrees of Freemasonry, as well as kundalini, and arguably Taoism, and tracing back to at least 3000 B.C. I'm not going to go searching for the reference, but the mother, father, hero structure, plus kundalini traditions existed in African tribes before the Osiris cults in southern Egypt. Though, even if this wasn't a direct correlation, there is still an immense amount to be learned from these cultures if we can only evolve past the our form clinging.

Man, you obviously know nothing, or next to nothing, about Native American spirituality, nor it's prevalence in "this new blooming world culture." They have symbols all over the place and immensely poetic and beautiful languages. The modern pharmacopia owes about 2/3 of its knowledge to Native Americans (all these helpful chemicals were previously used naturally by Natives before the Europeans even knew they had to bathe to avoid sickness!) The American Constitution, was a copied from the Iriquois, and came to "civilize" the modern world with human rights. Their knowledge of nature easily rivals that of Taoist shamans, but is even more integrated into the culture as a whole. And Buddhism -- the first structured spiritual tradition on planet Earth?? Ever heard of the Library of Alexandria? edit: which by the way was created by Black Africans (look at any statue inside the temples) evidentially influenced northward from African "Bushmen" religions, then spreading outward with traces in pretty much every religion, especially Kundalini.

I first learned lower dan tien breathing from Waysun Liao's translation of Tai Chi Classics (little did I know how awesome he is). I found my movement instructions through online videos. What I automatically thought of when doing them was Tao Te Ching philosophy of flowing with natural changes (following breath), and Complete Reality explanation of Emptiness. I had also been reading Taoist scripture for about 10 years, so it was an "Oh My God this is awesome moment" to finally connect the philosophy with the practice. Here is the first video I started to work with consistently: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1572962536605659291#

Buddha's path is blessed By this refreshing blessing In the dew, we bloom (I think I'll stick with that one )

Buddha's path is blessed By this refreshing blessing May we bloom in June (I live in Montreal, man. It's COLD here in the winter! :lol: )

Thanks for the discussion..