dawei

Excellent point... and why I think directly and honestly nipping the karma producing event needs to end whatever lingers from it...

My advice: Direct; Sincere; Honest... and eat as much crow as needed along the way as needed. Two things you don't want to let linger: 1. She regrets and/or holds something emotional (even unconscious) for the rest of life; caused by you. 2. Insert your name at first word in #1. Good luck.

Part of the problem may be that we are trying to find a western linear concept of time in an otherwise cyclic, never-ending (never-beginning) eastern point of view. I think that is why you don't really see the idea of eternalness in the ancient cosmologies. It is more often spoken in terms of Absolute, Ultimate, Nothingness, Primordial, Spaceless, Boundless Void, etc... They are describing the "Absolute-state-of-before-ness". This is how HENG was used too in cosmologies; a description of the prior-state. This is why it was substituted with Ji (Ultimate, Absolute Expanse); it was not a time-reference. The more likely word for eternal is Yong, 永... but I personally think that this plays little to no role as the cosmologies portray boundless, endless cycles of transformation of states.

IMO, you just made the mistake of letting Chang creep into the substitution for Heng... This should always be avoided if we want an original meaning of Heng. Let Chang be what it is: Ordinary, common, standard, constant... Chang was first a measure of unit for cloth; so think a standard measurement If you stick to thinking about how Heng is closer to Ji, then you'll get words like: Ultimate, Absolute, Order... and any synonyms.

Ok, so I see where you going with this. I do agree that metaphor is often a good avenue to explore but you went with a literal definition in the end with 'self-ignite'. Self-fulfilling seems closer. Here are various ancient uses: 自備, 自得, 自極, 自正, 自定, 自名, 自極, 自化 What Laozi did was come up with a more singular way of metaphorically meaning any of the above, in 自然. This idea to condense many Ways into one is a hallmark of the Laozi. Look at the cosmology alone: It is the shortest path despite there are ancient versions with much more detail. I think the key is to see that 自然 is simply the flip [positive] side of the [negative] Wu Wei 無為 (also Wu shi 無事).

I think your spot on about 'eternal' being wrong... but I planned to share my ideas on Heng separately. In a nutshell: the original meaning and use of Heng was for divination and cosmology. The closest meaning is a cross between Wu (無) and Ji (極). BTW: Ji was a natural replacement for Heng but at some point, people mucked up the meaning of Heng and Chang (常) became it's 'common' replacement.

This would be my recommendation: 1. Stop practicing and take a few days to simply be one with each day. This removes any stress from practice and intention coming too strong from the mind. 2. Before each meal; contemplate where the meal comes from and see just wait... and see if this is something you want to eat... it may be your body doesn't want what is in front of it. It doesn't matter if you ate this for 1,000 days... if you body doesn't want it: then don't eat it. Get in tune with your body. 3. The problem really depends on how to deal with it. I would be less inclined to deal with it with food substance. i would try more of a fluid wash to "get it all out". Epsom salt with some water will react with putting water into the intestines to help wash it out. 4. Green Tea or Lotus seed tea are the best water detox. 5. Self-massage your stomach from the ascending side; across; and to the descending side; and down and across; repeat it all very, very, very slowly. You may be able to work something out. Or have another do it. Your body wants to you to stop something. If you simply try one thing at a time, your stuck in the other ways. To me, paramount is: stop the practice and flush. At least a few days. Enjoy the rest of creation.

I don't really disagree with your point here. It is clear that that the 'beginning' was the center and dark. As to a proper name for Heng Ming; then one would have to ask if Heng Dao, Heng Wu, and Heng You were all proper names... or maybe just Heng is a proper name... described by the rest. I am not completely ready to go there but it is clear that the normal translations are otherwise less clear.

Changlessness aside... Just a thought: I'm not a big fan of "Beginning" as it doesn't sit well with me to imply the Wu-State; it sounds like the beginning unfolding or movement. But it is clear from all ancient texts that this is a state of nothingness. What the HengXian calls wuxian 物先 (the state before the myriad things). It is clear that this rather synonymous with HengXian due to cosmology sequence. I think the metaphor is: 始 may want to convey as womb (prior to birth- nothing comes forth) with 母 (as the producer of life-coming forth).

“Mozi and his followers introduced the term chang as a constant standard of dao in order to solve the problems of “ right “ (shi 是) and “ wrong “ (fei 非), “beneficial” (li 利) and “ harm “ (hai 害), “ admissible “ (ke可) and “ inadmissible” (bu ke 不可). It is thus interpreted and translated as “constancy. ” “ Heng and Temporality of Dao http://www.cnphenomenology.com/modules/article/view.article.php/c7/711

Speaking of the HengXian further... The idea of self-arising and self-transformation is central; called self-sufficiency from the primordial nothingness... called HengXian. In The Four Canons of The Yellow Emperor chapter called "Origin of Dao" (道原) it is called “hengwu ( 恒无)". From the HengXian: Yi creates yi; wei creates wei; fei creates fei; ai creates ai. All things have an inclination to reproduce themselves and reproduction is the way of creating them. The Dao of Heaven (Heaven and Earth) has already been formed, but the One is still the One and the reversion is still reverting. The production of permanent Qi comes from the reversion unto its own desire. Only this reverting process forever exists among all operations of Heaven. If we can understand this principle, our thoughts will not be a breach of Heaven. Being proceeds from the Field. Life proceeds from Being. Sound proceeds from the life. Speech proceeds from sound. Names proceed from speech. Events proceed from names. If the Field is not Field,there is no name of Field. If the Being is not Being, there is no name of Being.If life is not life, there is no name of life. If the sound is not sound, there is no name of sound. If the speech is not speech, there is no name of speech. If the name is not a name, there is no name of naming. If the event is not an event,there is no name of event. - Wang

Looking at the Yijing is only a small part of its meaning. One has to keep going on... but I don't have time for that. I will only offer that Heng is anciently synonymous with Ji (think TaiJi or WuJi) and Dao and The Great One. It seems that each ancient text offers a slightly different view and angle to the use and meaning of all these primordial generative effects on the myriad things. So far, I am close to feeling that there are times when Heng means the "inner essence" (or truest essence) of what it is talking about. At other times, it is similar to De as an inner power and clearly as a replacement for Dao (if not higher). You should look for the Text called "HengXian" (恒先). It is a Mawangdui text dated to the Guodian Tai Yi Sheng Shui and is the most complete cosmology; these two texts have more in common than with the short cosmology of the Laozi; And I think this is the missing link to understanding the DDJ1. I find in this text some support for what you are saying but I'll just share some parts: Hengxian states: “If the Field is not a Field, there is no name of Field.” A is A, and A must not be non-A. This mainly explains the relationship between name and reality, between idea and actuality; it emphasizes that the existence and activity of all things totally depend on their own natures. "Everything is from the same origin but they are different from each other because of their own desires." -- Wang There is a reason that Heng has two lines in its character: to connect Heaven and Earth... and that is a hint as to why Ji has been a replacement for it in ancient text; Ji is a Man standing between two lines... the two characters almost convey the same idea in the ancient script. At one time, both had a divination part to the character too. The cosmologies show the production and arising and the self-transformation, etc... Does this convey 'changeless' ? IMO, there is a deep cosmology meaning and use behind the original meaning of Heng.

Your just using the common definition of Chang without regards to what I am saying about Heng. I offered for you to take another look at the ancient meanings but if you want to ignore that, that is ok by me.

I have always questioned the idea of "constant", "eternal", "always" here... but I am going to write something on Heng soon. It carried the original meaning of Tai Ji (but instead of polarity it was more like a stabilizing center. There is also evidence that Heng was a Shamanistic ritual of some sort.

This is one of those times I would say don't believe everything wiki says...

Tao is a limitation of the mind... Dao is part of the greater whole... This can't really be explained; well it can be but it is usually a useless discussions. It is either understood or not; and I don't mean understood in simply a physical meaning/emotion/logic.

The Straw Dogs are not so much about impartiality but about temporality and the eternal; thus the Whole. The bellows is empty, yet full; Dao is the empty mechanism which produces the ten thousand. Both sides are needed to understand the whole. If one views the Straw dogs as impartial it is the same as viewing the bellows as empty; it misses the whole. Huangdi was said to put Straw Dogs over the doors as effigies to ward off evil... If one focuses on Evil they only see half the picture; and they don't realize the temporality. As to Dao and Abortion... I thought I just said it above. If one talks of impartiality then they miss the temporality; they miss the whole... Asking if Dao 'cares' is asking the wrong part of the whole which 'cares'. JMO.

Dao is illusion-free. (ie: dualism is illusion or delusion of the mind)

Maybe consider this: 道可, 道非, 恆道 名可, 名非, 恆名 As to quoting somebody else... You don't say... I think you would enjoy researching the writings of Shen Zi: Shen Dao and Shen Buhai. I find that Laozi is borrow or re-organizing the thought of Shenzi in many places. Shen Dao has: 道勝則名不彰 Shen Buhai has: 名自正也，事自定也。是以有道者自名而正之，隨事而定之也 The use of 自 in Shen Buhai is important. Later we see it in Laozi very similarly and as 自然. Also, 自名 was originally in Ch. 42 but was replaced by 為稱. The relationship of 自 and 為 is one to note too.

Interesting chapter to discuss... maybe in your 'practice' area? I would encourage you to see the original Mawangdui version too.

About a year ago, I spent a week plus in Sichuan visiting temples including Qing Cheng Shan.... it was a very misty, overcast day and the photos reflect the haze throughout the mountains. We walked to the top and Lao Jun is still there...

Just wanted to say that I generally agree with your post and it is refreshing to see such comments. Thanks.

http://www.tao-te-king.org/

Thanks Cat... I'm expanding the background on HENG going back to the Oracle bones and how it has transformed over time. I will show its relationship to Shamanism, Tai Ji, Yijing (Book of Classic), the moon Goddess, etc. Just not sure where to post as I am not sure there are others who have ever researched it before, other than maybe DynamicTao... but it may lend some new understanding to its use or meaning in the oldest Guodian and MWD texts of Lao Zi. But I might post in the classic subforum as it is meant to shed light on the Lao Zi text.

Actually... you said you wanted to research some stuff... if you want someone to share info, just ask. I'll start another thread as some might find it useful to know the original use of HENG.