Harmonious Emptiness

Ha ha, yeah, good question. I guess it's what it didn't say...

How often does this happen? Assault on identity Guilt Self-betrayal Breaking point Leniency Compulsion to confess Channeling of guilt Releasing of guilt Progress and harmony Final confession and rebirth And then go and defend their new belief by going and shaming other people for their beliefs, who then feel ashamed and go shame others in order to uphold the fragile stability of their shamed-into belief system? People go around brainwashing each other, trying to uphold their new-found comfort of not being ASHAMED.

What about capoeira? Possibly the most aerobic MA. Plus there's music, and more girls to tone down the some of the machismo (if they aren't the biggest perpetrators..).

outrageous. Aside from the connection the oldest wisdom text in China, the I Ching, the octagon is one of the most basic geometric shapes! The square though - that's mine! No squares ppl., or you gotta pay up, got it? signed

Ding actually means to stabilize, to fix in place, to settle down. Guan means observation. With Ding and Guan, it is the mind which is settled and observed. This meditation goes back to the Nei Ye, from the 4th century BCE. Nei Ye (excerpt, trans. Roth) Eleven When your body is not aligned, The inner power will not come. When you are not tranquil within, Your mind will not be ordered. Align your body, assist the inner power, Then it will gradually come on its own. Twelve The numinous [mind]: no one knows its limit; It intuitively knows the myriad things. Hold it within you, do not let it waver. To not disrupt your senses with external things, To not disrupt your mind with your senses: This is called "grasping it within you." Thirteen There is a numinous [mind] naturally residing within; One moment it goes, the next it comes, And no one is able to conceive of it. If you loose it you are inevitably disordered; If you attain it you are inevitably well ordered. Diligently clean out its lodging place And its vital essence will naturally arrive. Still your attempts to imagine and conceive of it. Relax your efforts to reflect on and control it. Be reverent and diligent And its vital essence will naturally stabilize. Grasp it and don't let go Then the eyes and ears won't overflow And the mind will have nothing else to seek. When a properly aligned mind resides within you, The myriad things will be seen in their proper perspective. As with Samadhi and Vipisanna, Ding is needed first. The Ding Guan Jing, "Scripture on Stabilization and Observation," echoes the words from the Diamond Sutra which awakened Hui Neng: "Just extinguish the stirring mind, don't annihilate the shining mind. Just stabilize the open mind, don't solidify the dwelling mind." edit: Ding Guan Jing is a Taoist text from early 8th century CE.

I made a comment a while ago, when considering possibilities between "notions of God" (not necessarily "God" but the notions that are ascribed therewith) and DE that perhaps the word we're looking for is .. .. DE-ity?

now, coming, going, with ease hoping out of the pond scum still kinda cozy

The concept of non-duality predates Chinese Buddhism in Taoism via Heshang Gong's commentary on the Tao Te Ching. Heshang Gong lived circa 200 BCE. Here is my translation of his commentary on Chapter One, which, you will see, has much to say about non-duality, and a variety of ideas regarding Oneness. I am of the opinion that Oneness is inextricable with De/Divine Virtue, but I have yet to convince too many people of that. (The words in brackets are mine, added for clarification or to show potential insinuation in the text. Insinuation is a common tool in ancient Chinese literature to give more meaning to those who have done their homework ) Chapter One: Form of the Dao 體道 道可道，謂經術政教之道也。 “The path that can be spoken of” This is referring to classic texts about the Dao of the art of government. 非常道。非自然生長之道也。常道當以無為養神，無事安民，含光藏暉，滅跡匿端，不可稱道 “Is not the enduring path” It is not the way of true nature and long life. The Enduring Dao resembles the non-interference which supports shen/spirit, and the absence of duties which allows the people to be tranquil and peaceful. Savouring Light, and concealing radiance, eliminating the chase, and putting away extremes, (one) cannot give a name to Dao. 名可名，謂富貴尊榮，高世之名也。 “The name that can be named” Refers to the most majestic, dignified, and revered, name (that can be thought of or given) 非常名。非自然常在之名也。常名當如嬰兒之未言，雞子之未分，明珠在蚌中，美玉處石間，內雖昭昭，外如愚頑。 “is not the enduring name,” Is not the true nature of the enduring existence of the name. The enduring name is like the baby who has not yet spoken, like baby chicks not yet hatched, like a brilliant jewel in the oyster’s center, beautiful jade that remains within a rock. Though, internally, it is abundantly luminous, externally, it is as though foolish and stubborn. 無名，天地之始。無名者謂道，道無形，故不可名也。始者道本也，吐氣布化，出於虛無，為天地本始也。 “From that which is without name, Heaven and Earth began” That which is without name, here, means “The Dao.” The Dao is without form. This is why it cannot be named. In the beginning, there was the root of the Dao, sending forth chi/energy and proliferating the changes in form. The arising of existence (comes from) emptiness and non-existence. The creation of Heaven and Earth has it's roots in this beginning. 有名，萬物之母。有名謂天地。天地有形位、有陰陽、有柔剛，是其有名也。萬物母者，天地含氣生萬物，長大成熟，如母之養子也。 “With name(/appearance), the myriad things are born” “With (existing) name” refers to Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth are the seat of form. There exists yin and yang, there exists soft and firm, thus there exists Name. The ten thousand things have this as their mother, Heaven and Earth cherish chi and give birth to the ten thousand things. Lasting great completion is ripened, like a mother raises her son. 故常無欲，以觀其妙；妙，要也。人常能無欲，則可以觀道之要，要謂一也。一出布名道，讚敘明是非。 “Always without desire, thereby, observing Miao/mysterious” Miao is the essential principle. Men are enduring, effective, and talented (when) without desire. This is the way by which one can observe Dao's Essential Principle. “Essential Principle” means Oneness. Oneness births the proliferation of names, and Dao, praising and making clearly known (the differences between) right and wrong. 常有欲，以觀其徼。徼，歸也。常有欲之人，可以觀世俗之所歸趣也。 “Always with desire, thus, observing the surface.” The surface is the reverse. The enduring existence of men’s desires enables the observance of worldly customs and reverses one’s attention. 此兩者，同出而異名，兩者，謂有欲無欲也。同出者，同出人心也。而異名者，所名各異也。名無欲者長存，名有欲者亡身也。 [two different ways to read the next line, both meaning essentially the same thing: “These two come from the same source but have different names,” or] “This way they are two (attention is divided, and/or, there is separation). The similarities are abandoned and different names cause two (ie., lack of attention on Oneness, and on unity, and causing mental differentiations rather than seeing that all things are united in Dao).” The meaning of this is that both, having desires, and not having desires, come from the same source, and that same source is the heart-mind in people. “Different names,” here, refers to everything being named (and categorized) differently. Categories which exist without attachment and desires will long exist (not being attached to categories brings longevity). Categories created due to attachments and desires bring death to the body. 同謂之玄，玄，天也。言有欲之人與無欲之人，同受氣於天也。玄之又玄，天中復有天也。稟氣有厚薄，得中和滋液，則生賢聖，得錯亂污辱，則生貪淫也。 “Similarly in speaking of Xuan, the profound depth” Xuan/profound depth (refers to) Sky/Heaven. Words exist with human desires. Following the absence of human desires is similar to the receiving of chi/energy/mist in the Sky/Heaven. 玄之又玄，天中復有天也。稟氣有厚薄，得中和滋液，則生賢聖，得錯亂污辱，則生貪淫也。 “Depth of increasing depth” Heaven balances and returns substance to Heaven. In chi there is thick and thin. Obtaining balance and harmony, liquid is multiplied. The reason and rule of life is virtuousness (xian) and wisdom. With error there is chaos, impurity, and abuse. (With) life there is greed and obscenity. 眾妙之門。能之天中復有天，稟氣有厚薄，除情去欲守中和，是謂知道要之門戶也。 “The door to many mysteries/Miao”, The talent of Heaven is to balance, and return repeatedly, substance to Heaven, allowing chi/energy/mist to be thick and thin. Eliminate sentiment, banish desire, conserve balance and harmony. This is correctly called "the open door of knowing the Dao's Essential Principle."

Please excuse my late response I've added the following additional comments and interpretation to my translation: 06 Careful, calm (豫, at ease) like, in winter, crossing a stream When crossing a frozen stream, one is fully aware of the slightest changes that could indicate a change. Listening to the ice, feeling the wind which might push one in the wrong direction, watching the ice, smelling for dampness. All the while, in the midst of this chaos of sense activity, one remains calm so as not to disturb the balance, and to remain aware of the slightest perceptible changes. 07 Similarly (!兮) like fearing neighbours from four directions Again, always prepared for change, and aware of changes around them. 08 Courteous! They are like welcomed travellers Mindfulness towards others, not imposing will, putting others first. As mentioned, mindfulness is also internal. Observing the arising, presence, declining, and cessation of emotions. What causes these emotions to happen more than the interactions we have with others? 09 Similarly! Like ice about to disperse Like ice about to disperse, still yet perpetually in the midst of change. To flow in the changes requires acute, subtle awareness 10 Candid and sincere! plain as wood! Unpredictable [chaotic like water沌], ha ha! Plain as wood! They are courteous and mindful of others, but they are utterly sincere and real. Knowledge of self is an essential by-product of mindfulness. 11 open! – are they like a valley, [Extensive, wide, broad, empty.. Open…] Open, accepting. The smell of spring wafts up in their face and they inhale it. The healing energy of the mountain envelopes them and they welcome it to join them on their travels. The mountain water lights up their electrodes and they indulge in it. There are many other connotations of this saying, but the above is one part of them. 12 混mixing, blending, mingling, disorderly, random! 兮 like clouded water 春Lively, vitality, joyful, youthfulness of Spring, they are like clouded water They are not simply dead wood sliding over the frozen water. Their energy is stirring. Awake! 13 Who can [be like this] muddy [water], while also calm, pure, and dignified? 莊 Dignified, stately 呵! He is like 浴washing濁 muddiness of the water, thereby 靜peaceful, 徐calm and composed, dignified, 清 clear and pure[like blue-green water under the moon light/life]. Mindful internally and outwardly, they are aware of the slightest change (like fearing neighbors all around them), responsive to the slightest change, constantly flowing (dispersing like ice), they are lively! awake!, yet peaceful, calm, composed, dignified, clear, and pure. 14 Who can be peaceful, persisting in actions with calm dignity and life/vitality? Who can be amidst tumultuous change, maintaining the presence of mind of one calmly walking over frozen streams, fully aware, fully alive, fully vital, courteous, and dignified? 15 Protect the Way by not seeking fullness 葆 Preserve this Dao (missing text□□ 者不) which does not 欲need to be full This speaks to 欲desire. Not being aware of ones' desires is like a sleeping democratic populace allowing their leaders to become dictators. 16 It is by not trying to be full It is by observing desires before they take over one's will 17 Therefore (one) can 蔽conceal (power) and not 新begin to 成end 是Indeed, 以this way (one) can be 敝worn out and yet not 成finished that one can have full power over ones' self and not be led to the disposal of their power, acting out of weakness under their desires.

What happened?

I was inspired to put some final edits on my translation of DDJ15, which, as I explain in a brief intro, shows that while going with the flow is integral, this does not negate the importance of having great attention to what one is doing, "careful, calm, (豫 at ease), like in winter, crossing a (frozen) stream." link

Cool man. Well, I don't want to get in your way, so just keep walking the path and don't forget I'm just a guy pointing at the moon.

I'm seeing your other topics/posts now about awareness and such, so obviously you're talking about mindfulness as in awareness. Keep in mind that mindfulness is also internal. Awareness of one's own Oneness. This is where you will find mindfulness in the Tao Te Ching in any chapter. In fact you could pick one at random if you want and I'll explain how it points to this, but it will likely be evident in any case. Awareness is a pretty deep subject. It sounds like you've been on to something though, so I wouldn't want to sway you from the direction you've naturally discovered. It seem like the terrain you ought to be crossing.

What's your basic description of mindfulness? btw, you might be interested in an earlier post I had made about chapter ten here.

There are many descriptions of mindfulness or of the many aspects of mindfulness. For example, being in the moment is mindfulness, but to be in the moment you can't be scattered. You could pick just about any chapter of the Tao Te Ching and learn this lesson by putting it's words to practice.

Good point

Personally, I think all of that detoxing would be very stressful on the body. Fasting regularly means long and regular periods of malnourishment. I can't see how that would be the best option for health, though it may keep away certain diseases. I haven't read his book on detox, but I am a big fan of "Tao of Health....." and look forward to one day reading "The Art and Alchemy of Chinese Tea." "Tao of Health...." has a lot of herbal stuff which I'm not sure about, but the rest of it is pretty sound. Some of these things are not for everybody, while excellent for others. Many factors would determine their effects, good or bad, including the temperament of the person.

Not necessarily. I find that people who come from these extended families are often more generous, more friendly, and caring of their friends. There may be some where the families seem closed to outsiders, but that might just be behaviours related to not speaking the language of the majority and so relying on family for everything.

Okay, 'cause we could have a whole conversation about compassion in Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, and we haven't even gotten out of China yet . What is compassion in the West? There's the perception, and then there's the practice. I find the West is much less family oriented. Families seem much closer in other parts of the world. Some of the deepest compassion is probably shown to family members, so one might say there is a deeper compassion where family is tight, and more so where family is large. I find families of African descent tend to be more family oriented, being close to their distant cousins, etc., than what would normally be considered "the West," so how do we define the West too? It's so diverse now! So comparing that to the Confucian side of Chinese Taoists, I'm not sure what to say. Maybe someone else has a further comment on that...?

The genius of this is where this guy is resting. In the middle of a (proverbial) see-saw! Me, I tell them that's what I do, but I really do all the other stuff .

Aside from differences in Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Mohism, Christianity, etc., etc., there are also individual perceptions from person to person, so it's difficult to even begin a response to the question in its current form.

I hope it is alright to include the following passage for discussion and learning purposes. I highly suggest buying this text if you are interested in the Daoist path of self-transformation. My question is: Does this not suggest that alchemy is about transforming consciousness, and takes place on the realm of consciousness, rather than being about transforming bodily chemistry? I'd suggest that chi gung and the jing/chi/shen transformation process can aid in the consciouness-transformation, but I feel the path of self-transformation has become very side-route oriented, where people have simply built their temples in the middle of the road and started digging, hoping one day they'll find water, when in fact the river-bank has always been just over the hill and down the mountain. From commentary by Liu I Ming on "The Inner Teachings of Taoism" by Chang Po-Tuan/Zhang Boduan, trans. Thomas Cleary, pp.15-16 [insertions mine] "The method of alchemy involves gathering a bit of true fire of open awareness within conscious knowledge and refining out the adulterating energy of confused feelings, then gathering the true spiritual water of desirelessness within real knowledge and extinguishing the baseless [unrooted?] burning of the temperament. When the true fire [of open awareness] and spiritual water [of desirelessness] join into one, [desirelessness] water and [open awareness] fire balance each other, true feeling and spiritual essence combine, and real knowledge and conscious knowledge cleave to one another; then sense is itself essence and essence is itself sense. Utterly conscious of reality, consciousness utterly real, the unified energy functions the same as heaven and earth. This is likened to lead and mercury being forged into spiritual granules; when the firing is complete, the medicine is perfected and turns violet-gold, never again to change." To understand what is meant by real knowledge and essence, I suggest the following from the Nei Ye: 能 正 能 靜 When you can be properly aligned and can be still 然 後 能 定 Then, you can be settled. 定 心 在 中 With a settled heart/mind in your center, 耳 目 聰 明 Your ears and eyes are acute and clear, 四 枝 堅 固 Your four limbs are hard and strong, 可 以 為 精 舍 You are able to become a dwelling for essence. 精 也 者 This essence – 氣 之 精 者 也 Is essence of Qi! 氣 道 乃 生 With Qi and Dao, then there is life; 生 乃 思 With life, then there is contemplation; 思 乃 知 With contemplation, then there is understanding; 知 乃 止 矣 When you reach understanding, then stop! 凡 心 之 形 Always : if the form of the heart/mind 過 知 失 生 Has too much understanding, life is lost

To me, these two points illustrate where I am on the state of consciousness and energy work. For example, the water of desirelessness may mean that from the state of desirelessness, there is a change that occurs in the body. Daoists being masters of knowledge of bodily patters, they know what's happening on the physical level and are able to describe it. Perhaps they do describe it in code, such as water meaning kidney essence which rises from the stillness of desirelessness, but teachers such as Liu I Ming do not put this explicitly because one does not need to know this for it to happen. It happens as a result of the desirelessness, and looking for it is only a hindrance to the event that will cause it to happen, ie., being in the stillness of desirelessness. People do not need to know these things if they follow the advice given because it will happen, but not because they made it happen. As Deci said "if you work with the created, this is not it." Some are able to know what is happening energetically and simply observe it without getting attached, nor distracted by it, and so these nuances are also observable in the texts. Nonetheless, as in my original point and post, the place that alchemy takes place is in consciousness (by broad meaning of the word), the same way driving takes place in the drivers seat and the car follows suit. If we try to drive a car by getting under the hood and turning the pistons, we're really not driving efficiently. From the drivers seat we can simply put on the breaks, turn on the lights and change gears. You feel the car moving, you hear the wheels spinning, but you stay in the drivers seat and not outside pushing the wipers. All are free to disagree however.

Below is an important excerpt from this paper, proving the effectiveness of projected chi in healing: Alternative Therapies. July/Aug 2004, VOL. 10. No.4. Analytic Review of External Qi Studies [….] (pp. 6-7) [EQ= external qi/chi, projected chi, wai qi] A number of reports show that biological detectors produce more comprehensive results than physical detectors. Chu of Peking University reported significant effects of EQ on the change of conformation in various bio-molecular materials. Chen of Shanghai Academy of Chinese Medicine revealed the effects of qigong on liver cancer cells (BEL-7402) and lung cancer cell cultures (SPC-A). Zhou showed the effect of EQ on the cells of living organisms. Cheng reported the effect of EQ on the blood plasma. Guo reported an effect of EQ on the structure and pharmaceutical characteristics of Vitamin C. Li and her colleague at Chinese Academy of Medical Science recorded effect of EQ on the DNA synthesis and living cycles of liver cancer cells. Yan et al. of Congqigong College of Chinese Medicine reported that EQ could alter the phase behavior of dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC) liposomes, enables the growth of protein crystals. Feng et al. of Navel General Hospital reported the significant effects of EQ on the microstructure of E-coli bacteria and tumor cells in mice. Yin et al reported the inhibitory effect of EQ on the growth of hepatitis B virus in vitro. Zhang and colleagues in Chinese Academy of Medical Science uncovered the inhibitory effect of EQ on the growth of human liver cancer cells (BEL-7402). All these studies have demonstrated the simplicity, practicality, accuracy and uniqueness of using biological detectors as a means to measure the EQ effect. A few examples are presented below: In 1980, Xu and Zhao of the High Energy Physics Institute of Shanghai used tree leaves to detect the effect of EQ, which is one of the classic, well-known studies in biological detectors. The research protocol is very simple. It used a fresh tree leaf as the sensor, with two extra-fine probes inserted into different veins of the selected leaf, and connected them to an electronic signal amplifier to adjust the amplification. During these experiments, they were able to detect field potentials from the tree leaves before any external intervention. When the qigong healer emitted qi to the leaves at the distance of 50 cm, the observable field potential was several times stronger. When the qi emission was stopped, the signal strength returned to its baseline. In the control group, where a 35°C heating device was used at the same distance, the leaves showed no response (to exclude the possibility that the detected change was due to the body temperature of the qigong healer). When a qigong non-practitioner treated the leaves, there was no effect. These “tree leaf sensors” can be used continuously for eight hours, andthen they need to be replaced with new leaves. From the viewpoint of traditional science, these “tree leaf sensors” do not truly meet the conventional standard of a detector, nor do they have perfect reliability of performance; however, they became a classic biological detector in the study of EQ. Related to the use of plants as detectors of EQ effect, many researchers have reported that effects of EQ could significantly accelerate the germination and growth of various plant seeds, including rice, wheat, peas, beans, peanuts, various flowers and many others. These findings also support the existence of EQ effect based on the unusual biological response to the qi energy. Feng and her colleagues at the Center for Immunological Research in Beijing conducted a series of studies on the possible bi-directional effects of EQ with healer Bao Guiwen on the growth of bacteria (E-coli) -- inhibition or acceleration -- depending upon the intent of qigong practitioner. When the intent of the qigong healer was to destroy the bacteria, the inhibitory rate of the E-coli growth in comparison with the control group ranged from 45% to 91%. Under the same conditions, when the intent of qigong healer was to accelerate the growth of the bacteria, the rate of E-coli growth in the qigong group was 2.3 to 6.9 times faster than that of the control group. She repeated the studies 20 times before publishing the results. Studies such as this formally introduced the concept of intent or directionality into the exploration of EQ effect. After Feng’s report, more people realized that the EQ of qigong practitioners does not necessarily have the same effect all the time, as does physical material or medical equipment. The effect of EQ may change with the consciousness (intent) of the healer. Some scientists then started to design research on the possibility of using EQ to change the characteristics of antibiotics or to select certain desired qualities of the antibacterial products by human intent. Among the studies of this type, positive results have been achieved through the cooperation between Gu of the Chinese Pharmaceutical University (Nanjing) and the North China Pharmaceutical Company. Gu applied EQ or intent of qigong healer to select “directionally” the proper bacteria producing antibiotics, and achieved wide application in pharmaceutical development with a high economic return – the pharmaceutical company paid for their research continuously in this area. In their early studies, EQ from qigong healers worked as physicomutagen in industrial production of antibiotics. They investigated the effect of mutation to mydecamycin producing strain (streptomyces mycarofarieus nov.S.10204) by EQ or the healer’s intent in comparison with the uv method. In the attempt to select mutants with high productivity of MDM, the mutants of EQ0002 and EQ0022 were isolated from parent strain (S.10204) by the qigong healer. They found that production of MDM from the mutant strain was greatly increased by 45.6 % and 49.5% respectively. Unfortunately, the detailed characteristics of these new antibiotics were not reported in the literature. From 1990 on, Chu of Peking University has tested more than 20 qigong healers in controlled studies to explore the effects of EQ on the conformation of bio-molecules. In her study, a circular dichroism (CD) spectrum was used to monitor the conformation of various bio-molecules. Among various testing materials were poly-glutamic acid, poly-lysine, metallothionein, and some RNAs. After a hundred trials were repeated by different qigong healers and control groups, they found that the CD spectra of bio-molecule samples were changed significantly after exposure to EQ in comparison with both controls and the baseline. In general, the changes of the CD characteristic elliptisity were over the range of 1-10 x 10, and the maximum was 93.9 x 10. The change of elliptisity could be positive or negative depending on the intent of the qigong healer when he emitted EQ. Here again, the bi-directional effects of EQ were reported in biological detectors. No significant changes were observed for the control groups. Her results indicated that the EQ of qigong healers might change the conformation of bio-molecules by making them more orderly or converting them into greater disorder. The National Science Foundation in China formally funded the continuation of this project in 1999.