dawei

You can no longer like your own posts... Time for folks to start liking another's posts

Very true... but also consider what happens in the extreme exchange... treading water in an ocean of words, labels, and concepts all attempting to make sense of it all. Maybe this is fodder for another thread

I don't pretend anything as such. I can see labels everywhere... and i see people tend to get tangled in them. One can talk of them but not need them like a life-support. Interesting attitude. Thanks for sharing it. Maybe we should be telepathic. And I think some cultivation (or direct intervention) can open up this. Until one can truly understand and see another, words are needed.

Tao is a generative unfolding without boundary. IMO, as soon as we say what Tao is not, then we are back to boxing Tao and looking outside the box. I feel you want to wait on the historical explanation and formulation of Tao as a philosophy to think that is when people knew it. Everyone knows it from birth but loses it quickly due to cultural assimilation. Tao has been known form the inception. The universe was aware of it before we were. Now your taking this to an area of 'awakened'. Maybe this is where the box comes in. Suffering... Now it is sounding Buddhist. If one flows with life... it just is. No need for labels like suffering. I don't make this distinction... If one leads to two, then two leads to four... it never ends. It is not luck we are here... it is simply the Way. On a spiritual level, it is a discovery of destiny. Nice to hear of your insights

A google search shows this is an issue which some say are fixed in a later software update. We are probably due for an upgrade, so I will ask about when this will get done.

~~~ ADMIN MESSAGE ~~~ Simple_Jack is suspended for 2 days as we consider further action or not. He posted a rather crude/rude pic when we are trying to ask people for a discussion on improving this section. ~~~ / ADMIN OUT ~~~

Core Background Questions: a. What teaching/system/lineage has the interviewee been exposed to? Expanded question: Is there a particular lineage associated with the temple where you connected with Li Erh? Are you thereby connected to the lineage or are you an "independent" when it comes to lineages? I am also interested to know what sorts of rituals and practices are a part of this temple, and what the aspirations are of the monks who maintain it. b. What form of practices has the interviewee been exposed to? (qigong, alchemy, Taiji, shamanism, magic, etc) c. What is the interviewees most recent (last few years) interest in energy arts, self-cultivation, or spiritual practices? What is your current thoughts on Daoism in this modern day? Cultivating the Heart: Dao Xin: You have often talked about this being one of the most important issues in self-cultivation. 1. What you mean by a "sincere heart", how you cultivated it so far to draw the interest of immortals. 2. How do you reconcile the challenging feelings generated when dealing with the harsher elements of human nature and life's ailments? Another way to put it is what do you do to recharge the heart when it has been challenged? Practices: You once said, "A spiritual entity is energy without a physical body. An Immortal is a energy entity that is extremely powerful. Cultivating this energy and a pure heart is the path to true enlightenment. This can be taught by an Immortal Master." 3. For those who cannot have a master, what do you recommend they focus their practice on? 4. Can higher energy and spiritual practices be done without a master? 5. Semen retention and Celibacy practices: Do you have any recommendations on this? Most of the practices known originate with Mantak Chia. There is a lot of history about practices which have been called visualization or alchemy practices. 6. What can you say about these as longevity practices? You once said, "You cannot refine Qi to shen". 7. How do you explain Jing/Essence, Qi/Energy, and Shen/Spirit? You have stated there is no such thing really as pre- and post-heaven Qi 8. How do you describe or explain or name the power that can be exhibited by high level practitioners or masters? Is that only from the 'chain of Qi' or is it a spiritual power (not a energetic power)? 9. What is the most extraordinary experience you have had? Shamanism: In relation to Zhuangzi’s story of Hu Tzu and the Shaman 10. How does Zhuangzi distinguish between a Shaman and a Wayfarer? 11. How can one claim Shamanism is Taoism? 12. How does the modern Taoist practically apply this section? 13. Is Shamanism for today? Can one start on the path of a Shaman? Teaching: 14. What are the nine teachings of Daoism? 15. Do we have past lives, and if yes, can we remember them? The DDJ and Laozi: The five themes in the DDJ you mentioned before: 1 the self 2 the female principle 3 the spirit/ energy 4 politics and human wisdom 5 enlightenment and spiritual cultivation 16. Can you summarize or comment briefly on each? You said that Laozi had a teacher from Mao Shan. 17. Can you relate more information? You once said, "If one wants to become enlightened one really only needs these two chapters, (1 and 52): 18. Can you briefly comment on the main point you would make? You once said the DDJ is "deeply rooted shamanistic cultural. His writings are not philosophy but reflections on a belief system and observations that encompassed all things." 19. Is it also a political treatise for the ruler (as a reflection of a belief system for ruling)? 20. Which chapters do you recommend beyond 1 and 52? Spirits and Immortals: 21. What can you relate about spirits and immortals in Heaven? You once said: "The Buddha's may live in the western paradise but they have to come under the control of the Daoist Heaven. We must remember that some of the Daoist Immortals predate even the existence of our Earth. I do know there are far more ancient masters that are Immortals that generally people have never heard of." 22. Can you comment more on this? You once said: "I have communicated with Quan Yin on many occasions over the years, as one of my Masters was her student (Chi Tien Da Shen). Her Pure Path Sect has practices that help people to further themselves towards Bhudda-hood. Quan Yin is the Goddess of great mercy and she will help people or any life if they are sincere in their asking. She lives in the Southern Heaven, ie one would look up to the sky to the South. She is a real spiritual entity and I do know some stories and first hand accounts of her Temple in Melaka, Malaysia, as well as my own experiences. " 23. Can you share more about her? You once said, " I once had the great honor to speak with an Immortal called 'The Old Wise Immortal of Flowering Blossom Mountain', he had been an Immortal for over 100,000 years! We know that spiritual, and energy practices stretch back a very long way" 24. Have the energy practices changed that much or has much been lost? There is a video of begging for the immortal to come and draw the Fu. But you have mentioned communicating with spirit masters or immortals as above. 25. What is it like and what form does it take when the spirit master comes to you? How do you know when he/she has come? Future Events: Your website show a cataclysmic event. 26. Can you explain how you came to this vision and what you hope to accomplish with this information? 27. What can average folks or practitioners do?

I never tire of sharing these two early works by Yang Jwing Ming Lots of Qigong exercises and MCO explained. Chi Kung: Health and Martial Arts The Essence of Tai Chi Chi Kung You can find each at Amazon for less than a dollar.

I would like to finalize a list but I would like to get about six more questions so that we cover issues which members want to hear from Flowing Hand. Even if you don't have a specific question, is there a topic of interest? If you don't want to post here, feel free to PM me too.

I was asked to share this technique. I can share the two steps which I liked and continued to practice for some time. As a caveat, it is intended to start with someone who knows how to see and feel your energy flowing during the technique so you have a baseline of knowing if your sensing and feeling are correct too. Also, the key is to focus the energy to the center you are working with and at first it may be hard to know if your breath is scattering to the other centers or not. 1. Connecting to each Center: Focus on each center Goal: Bring focus, energy and movement to the center in question a. Lay down and clear and calm yourself however you wish. b. Cross your hands over your chest. (I use left hand closest to the chest). Relax your arms as completely as possible. c. Bring your breath and focus to the chest; Let your palms connect downward to the same place. Breath several times. d. As you slowly breath, let your chest raise and fall. There should not be any breath going to the solar plexus nor LDT. e. Do about 10 times once you recognize the chest rise and fall. f. Repeat at LDT. Keep breath and focus to the LDT. Do not let any breath stay in the chest nor solar plexus. g. Repeat for the solar plexus. Employ same focus and concentration of mind, breath, and energy. Note: The Solar Plexus is usually the most challenging to see (or feel) if any movement is actually occurring. If you do this with another person, then the other person can at least comment on whether there is movement in that center, and also, if two centers (or three) are moving. They key is to only focus on one center and movement occurs only in that center. 2. Connecting the Centers: Flow between each center Goal: Bring focus, energy and movement continuous from one center to another a. After step #1 above, relax with hands at your side and breath through the LDT for 30-60 seconds. b. Place one palm over the center of the chest and another over the center of the LDT. c. Focus and breath a few times in ONLY the chest as outlined in #1. d. When ready to connect, on the next exhale pass the energy to the LDT. e. Do one focused breath on the LDT as outlined in #1. f. On the exhale, pass the energy to the chest. g. Do one focused breath on the chest. h. On each exhale, keep passing the energy to the other center. Do for a few minutes. i. Change to doing the Chest and Solar Plexus. Do same as above. j. Change to doing the Solar Plexus and LDT. Do same as above. k. After step #2 above, relax with hands at your side and breath through all the LDT for 30-60 seconds. Notes: The order that you do which pair does not matter. Starting with the Chest and LDT is only because these two are easier for most to pass/connect at first. The challenge is getting the breath to completely focus to only one center at a time and not let it scatter to other centers. Also, to be able to smoothly pass the energy and keep to the tempo of a 'single breath and pass' in a slow calm manner.

And I can guess Marblehead is going to post and ask when can TTB members use the dislike posts

Good catch in general. This has shown to be true for other issues; what is 24 hours? Starting at a new day or from the day/time of joining? This has confused some new members who have a limit to # of posts within 24 hours.

Welcome to TTB I think you present a truncated history. There was shamanism, and a spiritual and energetic prior to the more philosophical methods; you simply mention the Religious methods which come later. There have been plenty of discussions on this but my point is always going to be that whatever box someone wants to put around what is Tao[ism] is a box of their own making. Remove any boundary (including historical ones) and then one will be more likely to discover what is Taoism.

For research, cross reference to DDJ 60 and 5. The center is probably the most overlooked part of energetics. - After birth, the cord is cut and essence/energy rises to form the middle energy center - In neigong, the LDT fire raises to the center - The center is where the heart is; the heart energy heals all things - The center is also the location of unprocessed emotions; maybe we should say ignored as we just don't deal with them - It is the bellows for the LDT and UDT - The heart is home to the spirit (shen) I once learned a breathing technique to connect the heart, solar plex, and stomach energy... you have to pass the energy between the three and this 'communication' centers all of them. Ergo, the center then includes all three When I did this under the guidance of a teacher, I was told that I was able to do this rather easily compared to most. Someone without any energy training cannot do it at all. They are not used to connecting to these areas. I think it is probably due to my Medical Qigong interests where intention and visualization are developed for such things. BTW: You have to be careful of focusing or concentrating too much on the heart. It is a powerful yet vulnerable area. Heart Link

Liezi: Tr. Linnell 凡 物 之 精 Always : the essence of creatures – 此 則 為 生 This then makes them live. 下 生 五 穀 Below, it gives birth to the five grains; 上 為 列 星 Above, it acts to arrange the stars. 流 於 天 地 之 間 When it flows in the space between heaven and earth 謂 之 鬼 神 We call them ghosts and spirits. 藏 於 胸 中 When it collects in the center of the breast of people, 謂 之 聖 人 We call them sages. When the cord is cut, fire arises... water descends.

I already said we are evaluating the ENTIRE Buddhist sub-forum... yes, due to posters wasting everyone's time... I mentioned the staff time wasted. Was that message lost? One liners are not against the rules. Wasting time can be trolling.. but we're going to look at a members time and posting. Labels? This is a manifest world of labels... What do you expect? Nobody is saying whether he stays or not stays... This language is the culmination of a thread which thinks it can trash talk anyone. This will likely be the least outcome. But deciding on a more permanent outcome takes more time. Ergo, I asked this sub-forum posters to consider to start a thread on the issue of how to keep this forum.

~~~ ADMIN MESSAGE ~~~ Gatito has been suspended for a few days due to this language. But I should note that this thread has many reports which seems mostly that posters are getting on each other's nerves. This is one of a few threads which have raised the same issue over and over. The staff is discussing what we can do about the Buddhist sub-forum as there is too much time, resources, and energy spent on this sub-forum alone. Maybe someone will post a thread and discuss how to improve the buddhist sub-forum... if not, then the staff will simply decide. ~~~~ ADMIN OUT ~~~

It seems the summer period leaves the staff a little short handed as folks take some time off over June - Sept... so I have come up with a new method to ensure the spirit of, "No good deed should go unpunished"... I have asked Chang to leave Lobby Steward to get lashed for 30 days in the dungeon. He has already expressed some reservations due to the stories passed around by the Stewards... so I felt it was high time he found out they are true Welcome Chang to the re-invented idea of "Beat It" into the Stewards...

There was a few ideas I had which didn't come out... - chain as unity but life experience explains it as continuous links of discrete parts. - chain as unity... no links are necessary... but one has to explain the idea of no links - chain as unity... no real chain... can call it unity... but this is just a word to satisfy a forum. Once the umbilical cord (chain) is cut, then essence/energy is no longer forced feed to the stomach (LDT) and moves (fire rises) to the chest (MDT) to develop the heart energy... and onward to the other parts of the body (water descends, etc). This is but yet another chain explanation from creating a pre-heaven and post-heaven explanation of life. We can use a chain but this is but words which fall short. True... meaning, the reversal process depends on an unfolding process.. step-wise understanding forward and then backwards... If we let rational thinking take over, this is the way to go. And we can try to reverse things. I find the chain is a shadow of the manifest world which we are supposed to realize there is nothing in our grasp; there is no chain and nothing to break. The chain seems to be the illusion of any unified self to being-non-being. the chain means not-one [chain]; not-two [links]... just a thought... still stuck in words... Seeing is.

Cut it into as many parts as you want.... and separate the days you may eat it... but you are eating the ONE banana.

In my crude way of thinking, it is similar to hold a chain... just one continuous cause on some level; No need to consider where on the chain one it; it is neither here nor there. Ergo, forget the chain as it simply is part of the image we are trying to create to understand what we think we're holding (ie: who we are, what we perceive, etc).

Just don't tell them about the stretching rack

Related link at TTB: Master Who Embraces Simplicity (Baopuzi)

Some search words; Humans, Spirits, and Sages in Chinese Late Antiquity - by Puett Cinnabar and Gold in Chinese Taoist Alchemy & Medicine A.D. 320 to 2012 by Ware

An update on Staff: Jetsun is rotating off to get back to stuff but did a bang up job working till the last day. Chang was 'mod for a month'... please don't tell him it is over a month Soaring Crane is take some time off Lobby, so Chang is doing double duty. Harmonious Emptiness has agreed to give some time towards helping the moderating team. I signed a contract agreeing to a short-term test... but it was invisible ink. He'll need to find Soaring Crane in Germany for the key to leave Apech keeps muttering to himself.... something about how the buddhist section seems tame compared to the taoist section now...