Slim

Don't think.

Go for it. Their stuff is a good place to start out and with the right teacher you can go deep. It's not classical tai chi, but it is neigong. The founder was a student of Liang Zipeng and definitely had something. A handful of his close students have also developed some deep stuff. The problem is many don't teach anymore, and the local teacher you have there might not have anything either. But still, better than a book. Also they approach their art as Daoist cultivation. So there is a lot of focus on transforming the body, etc. At the least you would get a good workout and begin preparing the body for other stuff. And who knows what teacher might blow your way in the future.

Yes.

Here is a list of nine internal alchemy texts, each has a short description, and each has been translated into English. www.goldenelixir.com/press/occ_01_9_taoist_books.html (There is a free PDF download on the upper right.) The texts in the list are all important to the neidan tradition, however I doubt any would be much use for "preliminary neidan study." Good luck though.

You might start with Damo Mitchell's book Daoist Nei Gong. It presents qigong in a context of Daoist cultivation. Also Bruce Frantzis' book Opening the Energy Gates of the Body is a good intro to the topic as well.

Thanks for the videos ChiDragon. Good back-to-basics stuff. I like the image of a baby breathing in the first one, very Daoist.

Not that I know of. It's not in the Zhengtong daozang anyway.

In terms of choosing a style the teacher will be important as well. Because of the subtle and non-visable aspect of tai chi finding good instruction seems to be very important. I would suggest more important than considerations such as style, especially if you are interested in applying tai chi as a martial art. Of course if you have great teachers in all the styles available then go to town

I'm rather fond of Fabrizio Pregadio's translation work. His focus is mainly on important texts of alchemy. You could check out his website www.goldenelixir.com. Thomas Cleary has also translated a number of texts, what he lacks in accuracy he makes up for in quantity. Enjoy your reading. PS if you like the early stuff the Neiye is also worth looking at. Although perhaps not historically important (it was lost for a couple millennia) it is a fun read. You could check out Harold Roth's translation.

感應

That depends on context.

Well put.

Does Wang Liping teach regular seminars in China? I noticed he taught a seminar at Jinhua last year, but I didn't see anything for this year.

Haha, no that's 分香 not 焚香. Thanks for clarifying, I'll include Chinese next time. PS sorry for highjacking the thread with my philosophical vs. religious Daoism comment. Although an altar is for more then worshipping deities from the perspective of many Daoists.

My sense is if you feel the need to have an altar then go for it, don't let anyone here question that. A teacher told me that the intention in wanting and setting up an altar outweighs many other considerations against not having it. In other words just the fact that you want one and are setting one up in your home is beneficial. Here are some things that I learnt that might interest you. First, in terms of location be mindful of what is on the floor above the altar. It's not good to have people walking over the head of whoever you have installed. As for more detailed placement, fengshui will be a consideration, and as someone mentioned above that gets complex. One way to think of it is treat the deity of the altar as an honoured guest. Where would you put an honoured guest in your home. Where do you feel he or she would be most comfortable. Second, many Daoist altars follow the fenxiang system. Fenxiang means to divide the incense. When a new altar was opened the burner on the new altar used incense ash from an established altar, thus creating a system of relationships between various altars. Following this in your altar might not be workable but its good to keep in mind. Third, if possible try to have the image and other items on the altar enlivened (kaiguang). Check at a local temple. But at the end of the day just follow what makes sense to you, and be open to learning as you go. I am always surprised where knowledge comes from. Also Taomeow's point above about the need for protection makes sense, you are inviting certain things into your home. My experience is that it can only be harmful over a long sustained period if something isn't right, so pay attention to how you feel and your dreams etc. You'll know. PS I think it's odd that the religious vs. philosophical Daoism distinction still has so much traction. But I guess that's a topic for another thread.

Nice to find such a large gathering of people interested in the Dao. I'm from Vancouver, Canada, and have been interested in Daoist practice for a number of years. My main vehicle to follow the Dao is tai chi. Also interested in academic study of Daoism.