dawei

Yes, him. Nice find on this text. I tend to generally hold this position that there was never a time of Absolute Nothing, that it is more like a pregnant void full of potential. So non-being and being are undifferentiated singularity. And I have stayed away from the so-called 'Tao cannot be named' position; although I agree with what Stosh is saying, I just don't agree that this is what the opening lines are saying. To me, the opening lines mean Singularity gives rise to multiplicity: Once Dao once Dao'ing [multiplicity] is ever changing [is not a static Dao]. Also, I don't equate Dao with One... but as a part of One. Dao is the blueprint or matrix of it all. Everything follows the spiritual law of Dao which manifests in our 'time' as natural law.

I think as is being said, visualization is sometimes hard to differentiate from other related issues of intention or feeling and it also depends on the application. I see some talking about visualizing 'light' but for me, that is usually not my use or meaning of visualizing. It may be other's use or it may be what non-visualizing folks think that visualizing folks mean. For me, visualizing is almost synonymous with intention and even sensitivity. For example, if you can sense energy in another person, does it visualize? But let's take some application examples: 1. You feel energy stuck in your elbow or ankles. How do you clear that? 2. You feel energy stuck in another person, somewhere. How do you clear that? Do you give them something to 'do'? 3. You feel a sick energy go from another person into you. How do you instantly stop it from penetrating further up your arm? I am not saying that visualization is necessary for anyone's practice but it has its applications. I do agree with Ya Mu who said that starting with it may be more difficult to move away from it... but if one figures out how to do it, they can then utilize the full spectrum of using it or not. Added: I also realize that I have added some 'clearing' practices which use visualization. Move turbid Qi out of the body. I do a spine lengthening and cleansing to deal with a spine issue I have.

Chan mentioned in his translation that these lines from Ch. 40 may appear to contradict parts of Ch. 1 about being and non-being. The really interesting issue is that these lines in Ch. 40 are resolved if one looks at the oldest manuscript which has the line slightly different... Hendricks, based on the Guodian text says it can be read as: "The things of the world arise from being, and they arise from non-being."

There is not alot of info to go on... how long have you been at the house? have you ever slept ok there? what is your weight? when is the last time you slept outdoors at this temperature? My gut feeling is that allergies would show up in other symptoms then sleeplessness. But it seems in this day and age they can test for any allergy under the sun.... so just go get tested. Doing a process of elimination method takes a while... a better test would be to simply sleep in a hotel/motel for a few days to elimination the location. Or stay at a friends or anywhere other than outside. Staying outside will likely introduce too many stresses on the body.

I would agree that visualization is trickier as it requires more understanding, focus, and attention to when or when not. My background is heavily dependent on visualization in energy work. What I can now appreciate through experience is the movement created by stillness and exploring the spectrum in-between.

Over and over... breaking the 'notions of the mind'... But here we get greater insight into 'integral nature' as eternally present in us; is us... but not if one holds to having achieved or understood or accomplished or reached some place... How to reconcile one is there yet not if they can describe its accomplishment? The awareness may seem to us to happen in 'time' but if we have truly dropped all distinctions and duality then there is no time... no time of the achievement... thus no achievement exists. Only the mind's idea of it does. "Your nature and the integral nature of the universe are one and the same"

ah... Walker's Chapter 13 comment on the 'notions of the mind' was terse, simple and profound... And now we get the clarify of 'no one method'... I have come to appreciate what Walker is doing in his work...

Haven't looked at this section for quite a while... I think this is Walker's way of using the monkey-mind metaphor to describe Ni's "a ceaseless pattern of coming and going"; the monkey-mind is always unsettled and cannot find rest.

Welcome And your in the right direction... the focus of the chapter is on the Wu-mystery and You-manifestation of Dao; Two names of the same issuing forth aspect...

That may be because visualization can become a dependency on some level and one is not letting stillness do its thing. I tend to see it similar to inner and outer energy work; you can over do one or the other; you can have both; balance them and you can find something which otherwise may not make itself known.

It may be of little practical purpose to you... That's the point... And you drove the nail home... You should demonstrate what you can do.

Excellent ! The horse goes on another road... probably less bumpy...

Because that would be putting the cart before the horse...

The positive side of self-delusion is that our hand never tires of being self-serving and our tongue never tires of self-promotion. As Walker suggested: When one needs attention they find ways to feed on others. Those others did not last because of cultural difference but because they deeply understood the differences in the culture and could communicate it in either language with complete wit and sarcasm. There was no problem in their communication; they spoke clearly and debated fiercely. They had no need for attention per se. They wanted to feed others, not feed on them. Your definitely not sticking around due to exposure to the west. Just look at the grammar and writing; just look at the lack of comprehension of western phrases and sarcasm and wit. You constantly don't understand english sentences and meanings. This thread alone has many examples. Your lack of immersion is the problem. You don't care to truly learn about the culture you claim as your home for 40+ years (guess). It is mostly surface level... fetish on translation of words without deeper meaning conveyed. I watched the series Mob City and chinese translated wise-guys as 'smart men'... Yes ChiD... there is a Santa Claus...

not if in the Embryonic State of meditation... one is beyond merely breathing...

I see your point... But IMO, I would not re-direct spontaneous or stillness energy... particularly on closing. Once it arises for whatever reason, it already has it's path...

“I saw the movie, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and was surprised because I didn't see any tigers or dragons. And then I realized why: they're crouching and hidden.” - Steve Martin

I wondered how long it would take for others to realize his anti-westerner disdain... Yes... it is only in our minds.... not in his enlightened mind...

I think TTB needs to have a moment of sublime acknowledgement...

I would add that it is not merely after the practice but meant to describe the practice... thus, it has bearing on the biochemical process. Thus, the biochemical processes and their locations are being described. One cannot separate these, IMO. We can accept that 'Qigong' is a modern term but the practice and the biochemical processes which we now call Qigong are well known to have existed for a long time.

This may be the experiential difference between simple meditation vs qigong vs alchemy. Some meditations don't really care how the LDT develops as the focus is merely on breathing. If one ever gets past 'merely' in their practices they will understand why a baby first crawls before it walks before it runs.

http://thetaobums.com/topic/32406-building-the-foundation-and-inner-alchemy/?p=495304 You go from challenging the very idea of Ming Gong and Xing Gong, like hundreds of other issues you have no knowledge of... to then translating a chinese encyclopedia entry on Quanzhen... to now being an expert on it? And we're supposed to simply believe you know WTF your talking about? We are not that gullible. It seems every time you learn a new concept here, the next day you proclaim to have mastered it and start preaching to others how to do it and why they are wrong. You haven't fathomed Xing Gong as evidenced by such games you play here.

of course this is utter BS... You already admitted that you had no clue about Xing and Ming prior to the translation and exclaimed no such knowledge of it... and then during translating it was evident and afterwards you now claim you hold to the standard practice of Quanzhen Tao???

IMO, an awareness of the LDT changes over time and practice. So 'filling' may simply be a connective awareness to the role of the LDT. At this point, I feel that I talk with my LDT and it talks to me. But it is but one part of the whole and if I only listen to one part then I will still be as the blind leading the blind.

So in the final analysis.... TTB is full of cats and dogs chasing each other around in circles