Harmonious Emptiness

@ -K- : It would be interesting to compare this theory with studies, at least the sides that are related between them. I'm pretty flexible on the idea of past life karma, but I think there is much truth to reforming behaviour to reduce the limiting of possiblities. For fate vs. destiny, I've viewed it as fate being that which we sink to and destiny being the fulfillment of life's challenge that we rise to.

Can't say if it means something about the meaning in the DDJ, but, if I remember correctly, "Taoist Yoga" talked about cleansing the chi by it passing through the various centers in the governing and conception vessels, so the middle dantien might be this "washing center." Just playing with puzzle pieces though. Also, Wu Liu Pai didn't show up until about the 17th century, so that might factor.

Surely there are different reasons that people succumb to anger beyond their control, but I feel like when it is a random thing lurking underneath that it is a protective mechanism to keep one's self from getting damaged. This is a rational mechanism since one does need to be able to protect themselves emotionally, energetically, psychologically, and physically, but there may be circumstances that need to be addressed so that one does not easily suffer these things. Speculating, but I think your practice of generosity is in the right step, as it helps to open the heart center and let others in, rather than feeling like everything is in danger of being stolen. Can't steal what you're giving away right? You can also be generous with love, patience, time, etc.. doesn't have to be material things, though giving food to someone rifling through a trash can is a very rewarding and uplifting thing to do too.. Do you have any chi gong practice right now? It helps to release negative energy in a harmonious way so that you've got "nothing for the tiger claws to grab onto." That said, I'm not a master of anger, though possibly go there less than average. Feel free to PM me for practice resources..

In pondering it a bit more, I think what I was considering is more like Yang Chi being like the "Holy Spirit" or spiritual substance, and Dao being the patterns or perceivable behaviour of it. Of course it doesn't make much sense to make these comparisons since on one hand - female creates, on the other yang/male creates. So, then Valley Spirit is Dao? The center of Wuji maybe? The original question may be nonsense, but I'm liking the discussion that is following it.

@ Malikshreds: Could be wrong, but I find it more closely associated to the middle dantien. I found it interesting that the original character was "浴washing spirit" and if you look at the diagram from Hui Ming Jing (Wu Liu Pai school), the same character "浴 washing" appears at the middle dantien. I think of "valley spirit" sort of like the male or female cleavage which leads down to the solar plexus, another valley like area with the Yellow Court residing. @Taomeow: True, Yang is in Yin/Yin is in Yang. Also the female being creative in this way makes it to a large degree Yang. Interesting info there. Thanks.

Well this is where "Changing Destiny" shows that this "fate" as told could be altered.. When Liao Fan followed the teaching of a monk he managed to exceed the later predictions of the fortune teller by reforming. I think poverty can be a cycle based on an inability to reform one's behaviour due to the influences of surroundings. The defensive behaviour often necessary in impoverished areas can make it difficult to relate in areas where opportunities are more abundant, thus keeping the impoverished from connecting with the opportune. People will act morally just to be able to live with themselves, even if they lose monetarily, myself included, I'm sure yourself included.

Well, as the intro said, this way you "can" change your destiny. If we don't reform these faults, we continue pushing people and blessings away from us. If we do change these faults (or character flaws, if you will), we have a chance to change the damage they've done to our destiny. There is an element of it that exists in "fairytale land" and it will always stay there. For example, a fortune teller predicted almost every major even in the author's life down to the day and even mark on his exams. This type of thing is not even remotely uncommon in some traditional cultures. The fact that it happens is not enough for everybody. They need to know "why" it happens, but their logical paradigms are not privy to understanding things of this magnitude.

It's not what's been said; it's the motive behind it that makes the difference. The motive evident behind bringing these allegations, at this time, is the problem. We all have freedom of speech, but jealously trying to bring someone down for no other reason than to do so is not a virtuous act of "speaking truth."

No, it's pretty sound and rational at the same time. If you are quick to anger, can never take criticism, are selfish and unable to connect with other people due to fear of giving, and have accumulated combative habits, they can keep fortune from coming to you, keep people from helping you, keep people from trusting you and your ability to work with them. Whereas strong character combined with humility and generosity are qualities that will draw people, and fortune, to you. The more we unnecessarily fight with people out of petty selfishness, greed, and egotism, the more we really work against people, and the blessings that follow them. This is simply a brief material explanation, not going into the spiritual/cosmic levels which exist without being exposed to scientific authority.

MLK's chosen style was effective because it deliberately avoided giving "Those Hellish Evil Monsters"(to quote myself) what they wanted and needed to use against him. Besides, if there was some staging of the photo, it would be the one time they did show this happening.

White Brain Lacking Oxygene, not sure you realize that MLK was actually about uniting people, not dividing them, and that is why the establishment tried to keep him down. And the video you posted was of a nut who called to threaten his own Jewish family members as if they were the target of Nazis. This has nothing to do with MLK, who obviously had no shortage of death threats to deal with on a daily basis. The last thing he needed to do was fabricate new threats to "appear" like he had a hateful enemy.

Thanks again for your contributions everyone. My relationship with the text and it's message has benefited!

Hmmm.. state approval of church; church's approval of science; science's approval of spirituality...(?)

The target is near So close it can disappear Blink blink, the mind's eye.

In the absence of actual evidence that he was a plagiarist, let's say he was for the sake of argument. So what if he cut corners to get where he needed to be to break some of the walls of tyranny in the USA? It's like faking the first moon landing. If that is what was necessary to peacefully avoid destruction, by making the Russians think the US was already ahead of them, then it was a perfectly good decision. Besides, we know that at the time, a white man would be passed his doctorate with far less than a black man. He knew what he had to do, and he did what he had to do. It's like Native American stories of "stealing fire" from those who try to horde the light. If someone is withholding your rightful dues, then TAKE IT! There's no cheating someone like that, there's just winning the game they forced you into by cheating you in the first place (Of course, this needs to be done skillfully, with many things considered). Nobody lost a thing by his alleged plagiarism, while his neighbors were getting terrorized every day and night. If that is what it took, then good for him for kicking ass and doing it! edit: And somehow "telling the truth about his alleged plagiarism is a revolutionary act?" Revolution against what exactly? Freedom and equality? Real hero you are, eh? Making Jefferson proud I'm sure....

The article Vortex links uses this as evidence that he plagiarized They both borrowed from this song because it echoes so many "Negro spirituals" that came well before it. Forget about the fact that the writer provides no proof, and the other article reads like a tabloid for rednecks with zero evidence shown for any claims made either. This is your plagiarism? This is your reason to criticize such a brave, loving, and loved man? I think all ya'all butthurt sore losers need to stop worrying about your pretty cousin goin' fer a black man. Give up. It's over. and you didn't win.

"Namo Abithaba, may all beings go to the Pure Land.. 1, 2, ***pull plug***."

More things show up on our faces and body language than we realize and people respond to this. We can tell if someone is open or closed to us, and how they feel about situations or other people by many things including facial expression, distance, shoulder and chest positions. It's not necessarily an entirely energetic phenomenon. Perhaps the negative thoughts are often judgements of good or bad about a person or situation. Rather than trying to stop the thoughts, just stop the judgement of whatever it is that is perceived negatively. Let it be and don't decide that you know these things about them. If I feel the need to judge something too strongly in a situation like this, I'll sometimes just direct the judgement at myself first like "who am I? how am I so special to be able to judge?" and this usually stops the unnecessary judgement.

Agreed. I just said "helping them to go back" as in feeling exactly as they feel and actively moving them towards what they want, in that case would likely not be so good. But from a grounded perspective, one would be able to better determine the best course of action or inaction. This may be the "skillfulness" referred to.

my 2 c -- One needs to keep to the skillful action of their own "root" to know what is "the skillful action to take" in order to help someone. Perhaps this is what was meant. It's easy to get emotionally entangled in an attempt to interpret what someone wants while missing what they actually need. Like they might want to go back to their spouse who beat them unconscious, but helping them do so would be unskillful and stupid. By keeping to the inner sage we can have a better chance of seeing the consequences of our actions before taking these actions. This does not mean that we need to shun all feelings of love for other people, as some might interpret in an attempt to "do the right thing" as they interpret it. It's like knowing when the kettle is whistling and when to leave it alone. Neither extreme of cold-blooded logic nor irrational emotionalism needs to be followed. Yin in yang and yang in yin.

Thanks for these names too. Different translations can help things to sink in better. edit: Enjoying the Jing Kong commentary. Thanks!

It's unfortunate that some who have amassed so much wealth, perhaps in the process, have dissociated themselves from the rest of the world. They may have been traumatized by people always making them feel helpless and inferior and now feel the need to wield unlimited power (which is entirely impossible). Many people at this level have had so many attempts made to deceive them out of loads of power and money that they would not survive without the idea that "no body cares about me, only a fool would care about everybody." How do we show people at this level of competition that they can safely love and be loved? Something to consider though, is that wealth is not a bad thing. It's just power, like fire, which can be beneficial or harmful depending on how one uses it. Also, when these people spend loads on themselves, even though they could help people who need it more desperately, they actually do help people by spending promiscuously. The manufacturers, their employees, the salesmen, the business where these people then spend their money, all benefit more so than if the money were just to sit in gold bars. This said, the money would be much better circulated going to an economically stagnant community, where the money goes to a family who buys vegetables from a farmer who then buys seed from another farmer who then employs someone to build a well for him, and dollars pass like cake that magically lands on someone else's plate every time somebody eats it.

Some Native Americans say that you can come out a better person by overcoming an illness, I think one reason/way may be that the illness forces one to become more observant of their actions, talk less, conserve energy, avoid excess, and do things to boost the immune system or as some would say "raise the energy frequency" so that illness is no longer tolerated by the body. It's quite amazing to see what goes on with a virus and how every body is like a planet with its functional species doing their part, unknowingly contributing to the health of the body they inhabit. From the earth perspective, I'm not sure how humans fit into this structure, but we seem to work like bacteria which is necessary to be in balance for proper health. What makes people good or bad bacteria though? Maybe, links to how when people are allowed free reign, they often become inconsiderate. As Confucius said "when trees grow up amongst other trees they grow straight and tall." Then being out of harmony with our environment, social or biological, we can get eliminated if we forget humility and virtue or doing our part within that environment. Purification of virtue raises the energy frequency and thus the immune system as well. Dao in action.

I think a good way to look at it is "taming" rather than controlling. As Lieh Tzu said "this master tamer of tigers does not allow the tiger free reign, nor does he scold the tiger, but merely redirects the tiger away from harmful action." It is simple to take soundbites out of context and think that Taoism is all about avoiding, which is a misunderstanding. Taoism is, in large part, about knowing the processes and sources of change within and without, and living in the best way to preserve the spiritual root according to the time; remembering to keep yin within yang and yang within yin. For example, the ideal is to maintain the light of awareness during external inaction, and maintain inner silence during external action. edit: light of awareness

Thanks for your comment Lin Ai Wei. Any particular commentaries that you suggest?