Harmonious Emptiness

That sounds like it might be the one.. I suppose it's not entirely fair to say there are no levels, though I think it is more like a slope rather than levels. I know that she works with koans and determines progress along the way. I didn't stay with the dojo, mostly because I wanted to pursue more in meditation than is of interest in Zen, but I think there is some level of private grading in koan work, more just to show that the aspirants are pointed in the right direction though if I'm not mistaken. It was Rinzai Zen, rather than Soto, so there is more to the practice than "just sit" such as chanting the Heart Sutra, Teisho talks, and Sesshin retreats. However, compared to Taoist and Tibetan practice, it's all about Zazen.

I'm pretty sure this is more of a Tibetan Buddhist thing. I heard from a Rinzai Abbot, during an introductory type class, that all the "stages" are just a matter of confusion. She was referring to an author of whose name should could not recall at the time (or maybe was just leaving it out until someone brought it up), saying that he has caused much confusion among westerners by ascribing them various levels of attainment. She said essentially "that's not how it is" at least for Zen (edit: meaning "we won't be ascribing levels"). She also said "Zen is very boring" comparing it to energetic practices, but really that's where it is.. you "just sit." By most Western descriptions, that would be "very boring" but that is how it's done (of course "just sit" has some additional connotations to it, such being "there" on the mat).

The only thing I would add to what's already been said, is that I think people should try to check out the original scriptures and early masters. However, what you learn for yourself, about yourself, by yourself, I think is more important. Again with the music metaphors, if you want to learn to play like someone, check out where they learned from, then develop your own style. But those original sources are like the heirloom seeds, and the early masters are like fertile soil, two useful things if you want a practice that bears edible fruits. Of course, you can't grow a tree from a seed that's already been planted, but you can try planting some its fruits and start a new one.

Hmm, I wonder if Cimande is where the Cymande (best British funk group of 70's, mostly Jamaican and Guyanese members) got their name (not to change the subject. just been a major puzzle for rare groove heads)?

Thanks for these explanations exorcist_1699. So then, when the spirit is tranquil and unperturbed, would it be classified as yang spirit? I think what I was also referring to earlier is related to "taking the yang from the water trigram (one yang surrounded by two yin) to put in place of the middle of the fire trigram (one yin surrounded by two yang)." I speculate that this refers to having both the immortal yang spirit (in the center) within the immortal yang body (which appears as physical but is no longer limited to the the physical).

The word hipster existed since before 1960 when Paul Goodman wrote Growing Up Absurd with a chapter about "hipsters." The book was popular with Beatnicks who then turned into hippies. The Beatnick "movement" eventually became popular in the mainstream and then they started calling them hippies because it was a hipster thing to "tune in, turn on, and drop out" at least from the perspective of the outsiders or early starters. Also, important as the hippie movement was to bridging cultural appreciations, understanding, and cross-cultural communications, your last sentence describes the way it was done quite precisely.

Really, it just sounds like a lot of the same old finger pointing.. "those kids are just stupid and when they grow up like me they'll know what it's really all about." I think if these traits are more apparent in this generation, they can be seen everywhere at this time in all generations, as an effect of a higher degree of collective effort on the whole due to things like global warming, bank scandals, the internet, and the efforts to rally people on these things. There will naturally be a higher level of "not making waves" when there seems to be a positive progression for good causes no matter where it happens. Look at the "hippie" movement. Being called a hippie is the same as being called a hipster, it just means you're doing things because it's a trend. But who points that finger? The people that are seeing things change because of this trend and are uncomfortable with it. No matter what generation, if you go out on a Friday or Saturday night, you will see a lot of people conforming to the popular trend, 80s, 90s, 50s, 70s. If there is a higher level of cooperation I'd say that is valuable. Look at the internet, look at University courses, people are always taught to question and be critical. On the negative side, no generation has ever escaped the massive influence of their peers. And if people feel pressure to look down on racism, sexism, and homophobia.. GOOD, damn good! I hope the pressure gets stronger and eventually turns against everyone that tries to stop people from harmlessly living their lives the way they want to just because it goes against their stale and worthless personal belief system. Maybe one day we'll transcend all the subtle religious prejudice, hating people for doing thing differently.. If the inertia of the group think is moving in this way then this is a success of the new generations. There will always be a percentage of people that follow the herd, usually the larger percentage, especially in younger people who are changing their work and social environments every 5 years or so. That will never ever ever change so long as we are still talking about homo-sapiens.

How could you even type that without realizing that describes every generation of 14 to early 20 somethings since the dawn of leaders and followers. What generation of 40 or 50 somethings has not said exactly this about the young generations? The only difference may be of the tattoos, inter-racial and gay marriages, but why would anyone care about who people choose to hook up with unless they themselves are sadly self-limiting by fears of non-conformity?

Not sure what to say, other than that you seemed to have missed the point I was trying to make, and I don't think I could actually clarify it by trying to, so I'll just leave it as it is.

No problem at all. Glad to see it here. I've seen this, buried in another thread somewhere. Bear Heart, too, said something to the effect of "I wouldn't wish being a Shaman even on my worst enemy." The way I see it, there's hardly a neurosurgeon at Harvard with the mental or spiritual fortitude of traditional shamans. Their knowledge and memory of plants alone would put them all to shame, imo.

I find a lot craziness has to do with an attachment to self and self-concept, and loosing that child within who is not plagued with thoughts of right and wrong and good and bad, but just chases butterflys through the grass, wanting all to be appy along with them. When we turn inwards too much trying to find self, we can be led astray by llusions, versus looking outwards towards God, Tao, Heavenly Spirit, and bringing that presence into our lives knowing that that infinity of the cosmos is who we truly are. One of my favourite quotes comes from George Orwell: "insanity is but the minority of one" To turn that around, everything is one. When a group of people think they have it all figured out, they become a minority of one within the infinite connectedness of the Universe. To be part of that minority is volunteered insanity. To find the love of our creator(s) and look beyond ourselves, to spread that love on the trials and weaknesses of our common wounds, this is the sanity of Heaven, and Earth, and Humanity.

I guess I should clarify that by "the weather reacts to the shaman in the same way as the person reacts to the sunny person" I mean in context of a very particular type of shaman that is said to work in this way. I think the way that you describe still exemplifies Wu Wei, however, in that nothing is done out of selfish and egotistical motivation, but rather to preserve harmonious interactions of nature. Maybe I'm wrong, but this is my present perspective.

Thanks for the offer CD! Right now I'm just trying to get some grasp on 1 to 6 stroke characters. Is there a common way to write characters with a ballpoint pen that shows the slight twists at the end, like in one and two? I'm seeing how chill one needs to be to write them properly. I guess the up and down and left and right strokes are always supposed to be a certain way too right?

Awesome.

The water at the top looks like clouds, they fall down into the water below. As above, so below. The man is contemplating how he is like that water, part of the heavens and part of the earth .

I'm pretty sure they were both in "Touch the Earth" a compilation of Native American speeches, by TC McLuhan, now out of print but available online. There is more there too about silence being a cornerstone of integrity. I highly recommend the book. Some of the most powerful speeches, especially in regards to respecting nature. Seems like the sort of thing that would have been covered up by putting the publisher out of business.

Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, part I (1978) From wikipedia: "As is typical of some of his other novels, Jin Yong included elements of Chinese history in the story, including figures such as Zhu Yuanzhang, Chen Youliang, Chang Yuchun, Zhang Sanfeng, and organisations such as the Ming Cult. The political clash between the Han Chinese and Mongols is also prominently featured in the plot."

I like Natur-a Organic unsweetened because it is not powdery like some brands. I find it cheaper to buy the 1 liters since they can be stored outside the fridge and you have to finish them within 7 days. I thought about making my own granola, but it's a lot of work and uses a fair bit of sugar. Yeah, I don't think they would recommend the egg and cheese sandwich either.. Or living in the city, or coffee, or cream. However, these are just "recommendations." Herbs, yes, usually herbs de province. I've been 6'2 180lbs since I was about 14, and all my friends' moms would ask me "What do you eat!?" and I would say "potatoes." Better than white rice at least..

21. God is the darkness in the soul that remains after light. "The Great Spirit is the sound in the silence." "There was a great silence... The kind of silence that the White Man is afraid of." - Native American

Found this (pdf, "progressive exercises in the Chinese written language" 1912): http://ia600506.us.archive.org/16/items/progressiveexerc00bull/progressiveexerc00bull.pdf and this: http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/23700-learning-classical-chinese-with-no-prior-experience/

Yeah, that's mostly been my approach, sort of fashioning a nice cup while keeping it empty.

Interesting website as well: http://www.shamanelder.com/aboutme.htm

Ok then, let me spell it out for you a bit further -- the weather reacts to the shaman in the same way as the person reacts to the sunny person, just the way the shaman is effects the way things are around him, as part of his nature of being is a radiant harmony. If you have further issue with this, I would prefer for you to send me a PM about it so as not to clutter this thread, or instead we can continue in the etymology of wu wei thread.

No, it's quite alright as it is. Let me give you a parallel example: someone is feeling sad, someone walks in the room with a sunny disposition and the formerly sad person forgets about their calamity. Did the the sunny person do anything intentionally? I would say no. Did he or she fix the emotional state of the other person? I would say yes, at least for the time being. I think that was clear enough. I'm not seeing the need to take issue with these word choices in this instance exactly.