dawei

And I wasn't sure whether to PIT this or PIN it

nature of Thievery? ... pirates stealing intellectual identity and such?! This may deserve another topic I wish HBO would of thought of this

Zoom is Dorian Black. After he came back from suspension he effected a name change. Let's move on...

Please see here and if there is more specific questions: http://thetaobums.com/topic/21383-tao-taoism-motivation-and-reality/?p=312039 Chinese thought was very much surrounded by shamanistic society in these times, it was the first form of belief in China. Li Erh was part of that culture and society and would have written his text with this as part of his belief and thought. http://thetaobums.com/topic/21383-tao-taoism-motivation-and-reality/?p=312013 Shamanism was the beginning of Tao: an observation of the natural world its interconnection and energies that all living and non-living things share. Following that path is the Tao. Describing it and living it is the difficult part. The Dao De Jhing is a shamanistic treatise

Starting with the TITLE... while the most ancient reference seems to simply be 'Laozi'... The unity of Dao-De eventually came into vogue

yes... its importance is never stated enough nor known well enough. It is the origin for ideas, tales, characters, and plays a role in regards to all things celestial... Neolithic imprint of the Dipper: The Alchemy Process: On coins: With Fuxi and Nuwa: The Cosmograph: Xi Wang Mu: On the celestial level, the goddess also manifests her power through the Dipper Stars, a major focus of Taoist mysticism. [schipper, 70. He notes that Ma Zi was also seen “as an emanation of one of the stars in the Big Dipper.” (43)] A Shang Qing text dating around 500 says that Xi Wangmu governs the nine-layered Kunlun and the Northern Dipper. The Shih Zhou Zhi also connects Kunlun mountain “where Xi Wang Mu reigns” to a double star in the Big Dipper, known as the Dark Mechanism. The Dipper’s handle, called the Jade Crossbar of the Five Constants, “governs the internal structure of the nine heavens and regulates yin and yang.” [Cahill, 35-8] Oracle Bones: Often referenced celestial bodies including the Big Dipper Huangdi: apocryphal texts show that it is quite probable that the Yellow Emperor was originally a deity controlling lightning and thunder and was represented in the shape of the constellation of the Big Dipper. As a such, he also represented the centre of Heaven and the world and controlled all other directions and the deities attributed to them. The latter were seen as an element of disturbance that the Yellow Emperor had to calm down.

Such supplication started thousands of years ago, so it is very old... and even attested by ancient writings. Deities, spirits, immortals... Why do you say you have rather good contact? 'contact' is probably a valid form of 'prayer' too.

Please include the 3 background questions: 1. What teaching/system/lineage has the interviewee been exposed to? 2. What form of practices has the interviewee been exposed to? (qigong, alchemy, Taiji, shamanism, magic, etc) 3. What is the interviewees most recent (last few years) interest in energy arts, self-cultivation, or spiritual practices? You can see Taomeow's interview as we did those after the interview but I have put the questions to the top of that thread now. http://thetaobums.com/topic/35367-taomeow-ttb-interview

Fixed.

We may be doing a 'proxy purge' as this is against our rules and is giving us major headaches in terms of consuming time and resources.

I sent you an email. Please respond so I know you got it. thanks.

Nothing is what it seems....

This is not really so much a discussion about what is at another website... we have already said not to bring it here.

FYI All. Per my recent request to have background questions for all new interviews, we added a section in the original post above as: --------------------------------- Background Questions --------------------------------- Many thanks to Taomeow

I am not appealing to word order but the entire cosmological picture. It may be more appropriate to say that originally speaking, the formation process of Heaven and Earth predate Yin and Yang... and what eventually forms is akin to Yi and Yang energies. Here is how I view it but I am happy to be wrong: When the undifferentiated vibrates to a point of separating, it is the energy which is both process and substance... Qi... that which is 'light' rose (Heaven) and that which was 'heavy' sank (Earth). The lightness was cool and formed space; The darkness collected into hot cores. These in turn give rise to the 10,000 things as we know them. In this sense, Yin and Yang are relative forms/energies; everything possesses both. The earth, at its core still possess that original Yang. Its surface has come to be more relatively Yin. Compared to the Sky, earth is more Yang; compared to the Sun, it is more Yin. In ancient astrology, Yang is UP and Yin is DOWN... Thus, Heaven is Yang and Earth is Yin. Because the body is considered a microcosm of heaven and earth (nature), in Alchemy you find the same assignment: The head is upper and is considered Heaven/Yang, and the stomach is lower and is considered Earth/Yin (cauldron). Also seen as: Heaven/Upper is round and earth/Lower is flat: The human head/Upper is Heaven and the feet/Lower are Earth. I think in the I Ching: - Qian is a creative principle (initiates) and a symbol of a rising sun / energy / light. This all starts from ABOVE; Assigned as Heaven / Yang; Thus the YANG energy which radiates from the heavens. - Kun is a receptive or passive principle and a symbol of the submissive earth; Man is submissive to Heaven. Thus the YIN energy which covers the earth.

It is all accidental fate... There is no purpose at the start; whatever arises, arises...yet it knows to return to the source. Flowing Hands transmission of DDJ 16: Empty the mind of everything, let it reside in peace. Being at peace you can watch the Ten Thousand Things rise and fall. They follow their natural path and eventually return to the source of all things. This is the way of Nature. Ni's translation: Attain the utmost unoccupiedness. Maintain the utmost stillness, and do not interfere with all the things that rush together in activity and grow luxuriantly. Then you can see how living things flourish and renew themselves. Yet, they all must return to the root again, each to its simple source. Knowing to return to the root is to be refreshed. This is called subtle revitalization.

Anicent Cosmological unfolding. Earth = heavy = YANG Heaven = light = YIN Which rises and which sinks? Heavy sinks... Light rises... As the Huainanzi said, my translation: Prior to the Opening of the Universe and pouring down of all life forms This is called the Primal Illumination. Dao awoke out of this boundless void. The boundless void gave rise to the cosmos; The cosmos gave rise to [Primal] Qi. [Primal] Qi spread as a shoreline. That which was clear and bright formed into Heaven; That which was heavy and impure formed into Earth. It is easy for that which is clear and bright to uniformly gather [as the sky] But difficult for the heavy and impure to solidify [as earth and matter]. Therefore Heaven was completed first, and Earth afterwards. The coiling essences of Heaven and Earth formed into Yin Yang.

Can you try another browser... and maybe another OS?

really??? You have missed an extraordinary part.... this seems to get more off-topic as we go along... I think a PPD would be good to collect all of this.

You gave chinese.... SOURCE. Explain it.

I was talking with Flowing Hands concerning Laozi's teacher... the response was quite different from the historical record. If anyone wants to research this.... it is an interesting journey.

Source ?

Levels of models. Better explanation for what I was saying. what do you mean by, "model tolerant of interfaith" There is the common idea of "The three as one" -- Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism. but not sure if you meaning this.

What is the heart-mind? You can explain it in simple terms or alchemy terms... the former will be your foundation but the latter will be your understanding. And I hope this thread is not about quoting wiki and can be more serious.

The more this goes on, the less I can see it has anything to do with the TTC sub-forum...