dawei

This is said to be a Taboo character. This has been mentioned many times over the years in discussions on dating. Here is one example thread: https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/33887-time-table-of-the-tao-te-ching/

CT: Thanks for raising this issue and seeking out others who received something. Good move to ask.

http://www.east-west-dichotomy.com/

I do think we can do interviews with various backgrounds... so maybe a door opens to finding more. thanks.

Why not go deeper and explain why you can attain a deep meditating state...

I believe Taoist Yoga was a work of translation by Charles Luk, who lived until 1987.... Toaist Yoga was written in 1973. That seems modern to me. And he conflated a translation of daoist and buddhist practice... but was not a practitioner? HE was a devout follower of Buddhism. I'm just asking, where is that original writing showing Ming and Xing. Not sure about the 'interview' comment.

Dr. Wang's many books explain it, I would likely recommend, The Root of Chinese Qigong. As an educated engineer and practitioner for too many years... and books galore.... he simply says it is, bio-electromagnetism within the body... I think Spotless has talked to it. I was once on a plane with a lady next to me... I saw she was reading a book on energy... I asked her about it... then I asked her if she wanted to test feeling energy... and she agree. I first moved my finger in a circle around her open palm... and she felt energy moving in a circle... then I removed my hand and said I would do it with my mind.... and she felt it... and looked at me with some shock. there is something more than just bio-electromagnetism going on here... I like Dr. Wang's books but he never progressed to the stage where you don't need movement anymore to produce a Qi movement.

Can you give a text reference for four thousand years old Ming and Xing practices? And I didn't say they directly involve sunlight or darkness... my metaphorical talking may of been mis-understood. In general, pursuing alchemy is a dead-end... IMO... Go to the gym instead.... if you like meditation, do it. If you like QIgong, do it. if you like Tai Chi do it. If you like alchemy do it... JMO.

Let's recall that Confucius was making an appeal to the Rites of Zhou; he saw their decline, as a rule and ethical lifestyle. So to really understand Confucius, I would argue, you should study the Zhou period... but to understand the Zhou, you should understand the Shang... and in this recursive way, Confucianism is a poster child for embracing your histories values. I always loved the saying (forget where I read it), chinese are confucian by day and daoist by night. I think there is something to be learned by even this. Whereas Confucius wanted custom and courtesy, relationships defined, and a proper man developed, Laozi felt that if you could strip away all the social contrivances and ego based issues, you will naturally develop these ways nonetheless. But you will have done it without 'rules' and 'methods' (the latter was more the legalist, who sometimes overlap daoist ideas). In this sense, it is then a matter of path, as the outcome should be the same... and why later in time, the 'vinegar tasters' of Laozi, Confucius, and Buddha are shown together as, Three Paths as the Same. I would encourage you, or anyone, to simply find which path seems to strike you as a calling... see where it goes... ask questions... etc. Lastly, let's not forget this is an eastern way were the dead where honor with highest regard... ethics were paramount... It worked back then... question is, how to make it work now.

It is a somewhat interesting question but the only way to do any comparison is if folks were to meditate and fast in the sunlight under basically similar conditions (except instead of energy from darkness surrounding you, they would have sunlight energy). I think it would be an interesting meditation comparison between sunlight / yang vs darkness / yin. Maybe you'd get more quickly , comparatively speaking, acquire energy from sunlight but due to the cave effect, you would likely get more detachment. So, I suspect it is for practical reasons; the more isolated you are more, you are more likely able to detach more-so. But if you had the choice of more energy but less detachment, or less energy and more detachment... which would you try ? There is an interdependence between these, because the more you are detached, the more open you are; the more open you are, the more energy can flow. So do we need more energy or more easy, energy flow ? Thinking on this, this may be why alchemy arose with Ming and Xing methods in more modern times... they lost all the lost practices and came up with something akin to doing yang (sun) and yin (darkness) practices.

Henricks translates on the oldest versions... so it seems best to leave him out. Red Pine. I don't have the most recent translation.

see here: I went to the San Xing Dui museum in china... my wife and her brother were both confused by my request to see this as they didn't know about it... I took lots of pictures... and bought one ornament to open beer tops... In short: There is a mountain separating the tribe from the Ba, an eastern state of modern Sichuan. There is almost no reference to SXD but in poems, there is allusion to such a people.

Back cover description: Dan G. Reid (not to be confused with Daniel P. Reid, author of “The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity”) is the author of a new and potentially groundbreaking book which suggests that the origins of many chapters in the Dao De Jing (including chapters 1, 5, 9, 10, and fragments of numerous others) can be traced to the internal cultivation texts in the Guan Zi. Reid’s new book, The Thread of Dao: Unraveling early Daoist oral traditions in Guan Zi’s Purifying the Heart-Mind (Bai Xin), Art of the Heart-Mind (Xin Shu), and Internal Cultivation (Nei Ye) I have an interview with the author to post, see interview section.

From a Facebook entry on this work: The Ho-Shang Kung Commentary on Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching I will be posting an interview with the author in the interview section.

ok... I'll bite... it is an hour long. I'll see if I can get through it. Added: I got through it. His introduction of essentially, 'have an open mind or just turn this off now' seems his M.O... The talk was a bit simplistic in its life metaphors to describe Dao, which he seems to say there are two Daos... Dao vs dao. His explanation for 'stray dogs' was bizarre, appealing to the physical dog traits instead of the historical knowledge we know about this from Zhuangzi. His emphasis on needing a religious order, yet absolutely no need to read 'old men' like Laozi and his Dao De Jing as completely unnecessary was a bit self-serving... the religious order will tell you want to do and learn...and there you go....

At one time, he was touting himself as a modern day ghost busters group... armed with guns (in pictures) to remove any ghosts. I would personally advise you drop it and look for something more realistic and of substance. JMO. Here are his posts here: Tin Yat Taoist

I saw, after adding myself, it says to keep the special URL to do any edits. If you have that, it will open an edit box with a delete option. Otherwise, the message said you can not edit that person/location without that special link.

Only thing I've heard negative was as mentioned; whether your stomach and friends can handle it My taiji master (back in the day) was a TCM doctor and he said that hot water with garlic is the best way to start the day... use a drop or two of honey if needed. Because I am currently doing hot water with lemon right now, I planned to change to garlic in a few weeks to see if I notice any difference. Likely I should ask my wife

Not as excess... just normal life stuff... that's the subtle subterfuge of life.

Did ZZ just mention the president in 350 BC back to ZZ

I've long liked Lok Sang Ho The masters of the Dao in ancient times had mystical, versatile, and unfathomable understanding. As it is unfathomable, Only a proximate description is possible. They are prepared at all times, as if taking on a river journey in winter. They are alert and watchful, as if they were wary of the surroundings. They are respectful, as if they were the guests of someone. They are accommodating, as if they were ice about to melt. They are unpretentious, as if they were the embodiment of simplicity. They are open-minded, as if they were a hollow valley. They are murky, as if they were a muddy stream, They are unsettled, as if they were an open sea; They never stopped, as if they were the winds of the earth. Is there anyone who can be like a murky stream cleaning up when given a rest? Is there anyone who can be like calm air gathering motion and becoming alive again? The man who shuns full gratification of their desires, is the man who has this ability. He can rejuvenate. and Ta-Kao: In old times the perfect man of Tao was subtle, penetrating and so profound that he can hardly be understood.Because he cannot be understood, I shall endeavour to picture him: He is cautious, like one who crosses a stream in winter; He is hesitating, like one who fears his neighbours; He is modest, like one who is a guest;He is yielding, like ice that is going to melt; He is simple, like wood that is not yet wrought; He is vacant, like valleys that are hollow; He is dim, like water that is turbid.Who is able to purify the dark till it becomes slowly light? Who is able to calm the turbid till it slowly clears? Who is able to quicken the stagnant till it slowly makes progress?He who follows these principles does not desire fullness. Because he is not full, therefore when he becomes decayed he can renew. I think their line of thought is mine.

Here is Mitchell, in case others want to see it: 15 The ancient Masters were profound and subtle. Their wisdom was unfathomable. There is no way to describe it; all we can describe is their appearance. They were careful as someone crossing an iced-over stream. Alert as a warrior in enemy territory. Courteous as a guest. Fluid as melting ice. Shapable as a block of wood. Receptive as a valley. Clear as a glass of water. Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself? The Master doesn't seek fulfillment. Not seeking, not expecting, she is present, and can welcome all things.

It is an interesting inquiry but I think a distinction without a difference. If we keep the entire chapter together, the opening is about the "ancient masters" ... Now, re-read it with this idea carried down through the entire chapter...

I'm mostly with Gerald on this... this is a LIver / Lung cross-road time. If you were awaking energized, that would be good news but the symptoms suggest otherwise. Blood tests would at least show AST and ALD liver levels... was that done and ok ? Exactly why are you sleeping when you do? Due to working a 3rd shift or you can't fall asleep ? If it is simply you cannot fall asleep, then stress or worry about something seems possible. Be honest and try to identify that. A smiling meditation might help. You can try a melting meditation (focus on oil dripping on the crown and slowly flowing downward over the body and eventually out the feet to the universe). The goal would be to relax and release as you focus downward so as to simply fall asleep at any point. You must try to sleep by 11pm at the latest. You can try to exercise more to induce the need to sleep. Avoid any caffeine or soda. Make sure you're eating at natural times (7-9am; 12-1pm; 4-5pm) where it gets lighter as with each meal. Eat simple. It would be good to stop certain habits just to see if that helps.

It is with a somewhat heavy heart that I announce the latest changes... 1. Rene send me a message saying she needed to take care of some personal issues and seemed to unplug herself from all social media. I've known Rene for quite a long time, one of my first web buddies about three websites ago. We have shared a common love for Laozi and all things that she dubbed such followers as , "Laoist". 2. Kar3n is now also off staff but likely the most sorely missed in my history on staff. She gave everything. There is nothing more to ask or expect... one can just reside in that realization.