Harmonious Emptiness

Well said. And it's only the impoverished neighbourhoods that anyone seems to know about. With a few exceptions, every suburb in the U.S. has black families living there too, but you never see or hear about them on the news so people only hear about the criminals in the ghettos and don't notice all the other Black people just going about their day. They don't take notice of all these other people, but when some aggressive young man makes an impression on them, this confirms what little they knew and decide they know everything there is about these people they don't know anything about. Somehow they never think about how white people must appear when you have racist idiots calling shit at you and you're outnumbered 5 to 1. You really think young white men aren't aggressive punks at times too? It's as though people have no idea that Black middle and upper class families exist. Look at the following chart. The differences are not all that far off, especially considering the stereotypes that Black people have to overcome in the professional world. And you never hear of these neighbourhoods either until some drug addict perfomer does something stupid again: 10 of the Richest Black Communities in America

Wu and Wen is also discussed Four Canons of the Yellow Emperor. To paraphrase, in governing order, harmony, and prosperity to the world, there is a time to do so by encouraging the positive, and there is a time to do so by discouraging the negative, though official Wu and Wen would be during warm seasons for the former and cold seasons for the latter. So when it's warm, be warm, when it's hot be hot; when it's cool, be cool, and when it's cold, be cold.

ASTNS, as a staff member I'm asking that you not make single posts as the one here. We all have a responsibility for the environment of the boards here and derogatory statements, without explanation to respond to, create friction. You have been exhibiting a tendency of posting something such as quoted without explanation, and then explaining yourself after the other poster responds, usually having been offended and not being able to respond to much more than having found your post offensive. If you have more to say, please say it in your first post to ensure a smoother ride for everybody. Thank you for your cooperation. p.s. I'm not making this an official staff message as recent issues are still in discussion, but ask in good faith that you also want to keep thetaobums a fun place for everybody. 和

Just going to note that the article wasn't supposed to focus only on the KKK, but show how their brainwashing has infected society at large. I don't have much to say about the other responses here. other than the fact that every race has its idiots and its geniuses, its weaklings and its supermen, its saints and its heartless crooks. The problem of the brainwashing that goes on in society is that people expect races to be only one side of these things. This makes life extremely difficult for some who have to work literally 10 times harder to find a job or even an apartment simply because people are so brainwashed by racism. Anyways, people have spoken their mind and now we know what they think. "Sand is weighty, and stone is heavy, but who can suffer the provocation of a fool?" No time for that.

I thought maybe I could just post one of these once in a while instead

So with the recent talks of xiantian/pre-heaven/Neidan, perhaps it would be interesting to explore houtian/post-heaven development. Some areas to consider being chi gong, and material destiny (if I may). In the conversation, I'd also like to hear/be interested to hear thoughts on the realization of non-self and not-self. What realm is this? Xiantian? Houtian? Maybe the difference lies in the logical understanding of it being houtian, and the shen experience being xiantian? Further: Wealth. A legitimate houtian Daoist cultivation?

Thanks everyone for sharing your information on this. It's a lot for me to get to all at once. What I think of as "houtian" is - how one lives in this world, internally and externally. This could mean "post natal" but it also has to do with one's houtian development. Thank you effliang for pointing out how the seed of xiantian is in houtian. It does seem obvious that we need to open the air-hole a bit, so that our houtian world, internally and externally, is infused, and aligned, with xiantian (though I may not have the words to "correctly" describe this). Some may not be all that concerned with xiantian development, which in many cases may take over 9 years in a cave for an attainment about as difficult to attain to as sprinting up the side of Huashan. Factoring in the Buddhist view of reality, it just might not even seem all that important to some. Regardless, it's not to say that post-natal houtian development doesn't have at least a small hole in the ceiling letting in the light of xiantian, even if one never gets outside (becomes the light) so to speak. I think there is some agreement about not-self and non-self playing a part in this. First, to let the light illuminate the truth, one has to get out of its way. On the level of fortune, this plays a massive part and is evident in the teachings of humility. With self-confidence and humility, one can get far further in life than with pride and having a "high-maintenance" ego.

Not to turn this into a Daoist discsussion, but what about the often repeated "if you are in harmony with Dao, things will go well. If not, they will not succeed." This does not suggest fatalism at all.

Well, that's why I said "What is both real and illusion? The illusion that normality is reality." The illusion is definitely present, making it real in a sense. When the illusion is not there, is that reality? The absence of illusions? Then there's nothing, or is it the absence of limits?

What is both real and illusion? The illusion that normality is reality

From Secret of the Golden Flower chapter three:

Yes, I think you got what I was getting at. The mind is a product of the constant balancing fluxes of yin and yang. The ultimate source of this is Oneness.

The plumb line is about the height of the gaze. The passage is saying that when look down at the nose - that is the direction of the gaze / how much to lower the eyes, and once you've found the direction/height you can forget about focusing on anything in particular. He states that it's just a device to know how much to close the eyelids.

So just intro level to them all it sounds like..

"Damn, I coulda' sworn I was wearing underwear when I got there...."

opendao, what was your qigong experience like previous to meeting your teacher? Did you practice any styles in particular?

Mind is located in the infinite balance of yin and yang. (I dunno, did that help?)

I suggest to take another look at chapter three: (from http://www.thesecretofthegoldenflower.com/ch3.html) "Hey man, what are you staring at?" "Nuthin'...." Stopping and observing are explained in the rest of the chapter.

Perhaps you would like to show us some of your understanding of the texts by re-translating the following paragraph: 昏沉欲睡，即起散步，神清再坐。清晨有暇，坐一蛀香为妙。过午人事多扰，易落昏沉，然亦不必限定一蛀香，只要诸缘放下，静坐片时，久久便有入头，不落昏沉睡者 "16. When you sink into oblivion and become sleepy, you should stand up and walk about. When the spirit has become clear one should sit down again. It is best to sit in the early morning when you have free time, for as long as it takes to burn an incense stick. After noontime when there are many things to do, it's easy to fall into oblivion. Also, there's no need to fix the length of time of meditation; it is only essential to set aside all entanglements and sit quietly for a while. In the course of time you will attain absorption and not become oblivious or sleepy." - from Secret of the Golden Flower, chapter 4

You have some definition of "steps" which I don't have the vocabulary for. Were I to know your vocabulary of these "steps" perhaps I will be able to find their reference in the text. Or perhaps the steps are simply stages one passes through while following the guidance on "general principles" in the text, laid out and done intentionally following someone who realized them through the process of following the guidance and wisdom in Huiming Jing. Liu Huayang says that what is written there is enough to know about the path to "Sarira," and the rest is a matter of will and dedication in following it. While I may not have the will and dedication required to follow the path to every stage, I believe he means what this says.

Perhaps in embracing the principles one bypasses the necessity for the methods you speak of, making it "only necessary to rouse your will and dedicate all your energy."

depends on what you mean by "circumstances." As to "no methods described there," I have to respectfully disagree. "Giving up self to accord with others, I prepared and set forth this chart. It completely reveals the Inner Workings of heaven. If ordinary people recieve it, surely there is nothing they will not achieve. If you do not have virtuous power, even if you encounter the Tao, heaven will certainly not grant it to you. Why is this? De and Dao are like a bird's wings. If one is missing [the other] is useless. You must have dedication, filial piety, benevolence and rectitude, and the Five [buddhist] Precepts must all be pristine. Only then do you have something to hope for. The pure and subtle marvels in all this are all to be found in the Huiming Jing. Those who practice and observe both [De and Dao, like the bird's wings] will without exception reach perfection." He has made this statement a number of times in the text. I don't see how it could be more word-play. It seems that was clearly not his intention - to write more indecipherable instructions that require outside help. Not to say that outside help can't be beneficial.

From the author's introduction to Huiming Jing, by Liu Huayang, co-patriarch of the Wu Liu Pai. "The Tao of Huiming, which comes down from one hundred thousand years, profoundly secret and transmitted exclusively, is ultimately difficult to peer into and realize. Now, by means of simple, straightforward language, I will pass on the Treasure of the Buddha, offering it as if on a tray to enable followers in the world [to practice its teachings]. As you examine the Huiming Jing it is indeed the same as if I were telling it to you with my own mouth. It is only necessary to rouse your will and dedicate all your energy - you need not go to some other mountain to seek further help - and you will be able to establish and manifest the Buddha Fruit. This was my original intent in toiling bitterly to find a teacher and awaken to the Tao." Being part of a school and community which strives together can certainly be an expedient, however, is he is or is he ain't saying that it's not a necessity?

When you read the entire text, a lot of the subtleties become clearer, while my way of describing it may not fit how you would describe your experience. Some words are beyond words but can still be understood with a closer affinity to the whole (of the written teachings, and their source/destination). I'll answer a few of these as best I can though, for lack of time Gather your concentration, fix resolve on this moment. see 4. above the 8., ". So should one have no thoughts? To be without thoughts is impossible. Should one not breathe? It is impossible not to breathe. The best way is to turn the illness into medicine, which means to have heart and breath rest on each other." 莫若即其病而为药，则心息相依是已 No better way than to immediately turn this illness into the medicine by heart-mind and breath mutually leaning together 是已 at the cessation. (my translation) Meaning that the illness becomes the medicine for the other. The stillness between breaths becomes the stillness of the mind. The stillness of the mind becomes the stillness of the breath, or at least the post heaven breath. Heaven breathing. Thoughts have ceased. Heaven is breathing you. The music plays the player, if you will. Mind and breath are united now. United. 一 纯 Pure, honest, sincere 气 Qi

They base their understanding on one biography written by an outsider. Neidan has dozens of texts written by patriarchs of the lineages for hundreds of years. A pretty weak comparison.