henro

Wanted to revive this thread as I just got back from China visiting with my father-in-law. . . he's 86 and in great health. He has for many years made his own herbal wine consisting of red wine, ginseng, goji, and huang qi. He soaks the herbs in the wine for at least a month before drinking it, and only drinks one small glass a day. My mother-in-law gave us some very expensive ginseng so I'm thinking of making my own. Anyone heard of this or have some recipes ???

No, they practice Theravada . . . . but I'm not here to defend any religion or style of cultivation. That's a ridiculous argument that has no end. If someone can reach their spiritual goals worshipping the spaghetti monster that's fine with me. Sri Lanka has a beautiful tradition, and despite a long running civil war, is a country filled with devotion. There are also many practicing Hindu's and Muslims. And yes, I have met my share of teachers there as well. If you want to argue over which path to take visit this thread: http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/10193-buddhism-transcends-the-tao/

I didn't say you had to wait five years, I certainly didn't. I've had great teachers all along, but this last year something switched on, and lots of doors opened up.....

As has been mentioned on many threads, it takes time to build relationships (trust) in China. No one is going to unleash their training methods to someone they don't know very well. The Chinese call it guan xi. If you're not willing to invest the time to build the relationship, you won't get the lessons. . . especially if you're talking about special powers and abilities. I'm here in China for the second time this year to work with one of my teachers. On another forum (RSF), one of the members posted that he worked out in a park in Xi'an for a few years by himself before the older teachers started to approach him, and speak to him. For me, it's taken about 5 years of travel to really feel like China has opened up to me.

I agree with Adept, japan and sri lanka have incredible traditions dating back thousands of years......to say there are no masters there borders on ignorance. I've traveled extensively throughout both countries and have met incredible teachers there, I'll leave it at that. There are some huge generalizations being made on this thread about where "masters" might be found, have any of you ever traveled to these places?

Argh, Polish is one of the most difficult languages to speak. I lived in Warsaw for a year. . . . not only is the conjugation difficult, everything seems to have some kind of crazy declination. I can speak a little bit of a few languages. English is my first, then 7 years of Spanish in school. Followed by a bit of Polish, Romanian, Japanese, and Mandarin, sprinkled with a bit of Thai. I'm concentrating on Mandarin for now - tired of relying on other people's translations of Chinese text.

I agree, China. . . and you might need to spend a lot of time there. I've been going every year since 2006, sometimes a few times a year, visiting Taoist mountains, practicing in the parks, and talking with monks and nuns. This past trip in December I finally felt like China really opened up for me. Lots of great opportunities came my way, and I'm headed back next week to follow up. Learn the language and the history, and take the time to develop relationships. When people see that you are serious teachers will find you.

I agree, so many people are turned off by spirituality when it is attached to religion in any way shape or form. Tolle allows one to exam spirituality free from the influences of religious dogma. His books are often the first books people read on the path to cultivation. Whether or not he's enlightened has no bearing on the fact that his books are helpful.

You might want to check out the forums here: http://www.tcmstudent.com/SMF/ The moderator knows quite a bit about the various schools around the country, and you can search to archives. . . . I'm currently at Yo San, and yes it has more Taoist leanings than a lot of the other schools in the USA (Taoism classes, qigong, and meditation classes) One piece of advice you'll get is make sure you figure out where you want to practice after you graduate, and then make sure the schools you're looking at fulfill that states requirements. Another thing you might consider is knocking out your Western Sciences before attending a TCM program. It'll allow you to focus more on the Chinese part later.....

I get around this whole thing by saying "need" is a flexible word . . . . .

It seems reasonable that one could take a formula that helps open the Du and Ren channels and that would facilitate the MC orbit. I'd like to try this formula…

Curious to know what you think the signs of yin jing deficiency would be ??

Has anyone actually seen a colonoscopy with with feces, and other debris stuck on the walls and in the folds ? My anatomy professor said he never has, and a doctor friend of his has never in something like 20 years of performing them.

Do you have any references for taking 5 Element theory to that level ? I understand how it's used in Chinese Medicine, but have never seen anyone take it that deep. . Also, how would you determine if the metal was overacting on fire in this case ? My wife is Chinese and she regularly uses a teapot with metal strainer. We also have used, both here and in China, cast iron teapots with no ill effects. Though most of the time the tea leaves are loose in the cup or pot.

Check out "The Tao of Health Sex and Longevity" by Dan Reid, he talks quite a bit about coffee enemas.

Loose stools over a long period of time is considered chronic and is a classic symptom of both Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency. But, being tired frequently is a classic sign of Stomach qi deficiency. . . Cold limbs cold also be a symptom of cold in the stomach. Emotional issues could be due to the liver, Lung and Heart qi defiency, and more. . . In other words, you're kind of all over the map, and it's impossible to diagnose over the internet. Pulse, tongue, and a proper patient history need to be performed to accurately suggest a treatment. Since it's chronic - affecting you over the last four years - you've got to see a doctor.

Anyone care to comment on this? Fire(heart) controls metal (lungs), how is using a metal strainer affecting the heart ??

I'm guessing you're close to 40 from some info in your posts ?? I would go see a western doctor for a real physical (blood work, EKG, etc), if all is well there visit a TCM doctor.

You don't want to be on laxatives for any extended period of time. Laxative abuse can lead to dehydration, mineral imbalances, laxative dependency, and even internal organ damage. According to Chinese medicine theory, senna leaves (Fan xie ye) are very strong downward draining, and purging herbs. Overdose can lead to cramping, and pain, and should be combined with qi regulators like Chen Pi, and Xiao hu xiang. Long term use can lead to damage to the large intestine, and liver. My advice still stands, find an experienced TCM practitioner, preferably one who also has a western medicine background, and get a referral to counselor who understands the spiritual side of things and isn't so entrenched in Western Meds. . . . Oh, and stop ordering supplements over the internet until you speak to someone with serious experience in herbal medicine. You may be doing more damage than good. Triphala is another purgative, too strong unless prescribed by an herbalist who understands your condition. If you must use laxatives ask your herbalist about Huo ma ren (hemp or cannabis seed), it's very gently, good for chronic constipation, and nourishes yin.

I completely agree, and this is why it is difficult for some, including me, to accept that one must be an ordained priest to be a true daoist. The "religion", came later and is a manifestation of a group of people who in many cases simply wanted to control others. This applies as much to Christianity as it does to daoism, and many other world "religions". "True daoism" is simply whatever practices lead one to live their life in accordance with the dao. That's it, nothing else. The trappings and ceremonies that may have led one person or group of people there, may not work for everyone.

You need to find a very understanding, experienced, and open minded TCM practitioner. Mixed issues of health, and spirituality need to be dealt with by an experienced person.

But. . . the primary "daoist" texts compiled in the imperial libraries pre-date any type of formal daoist religion (i.e. ordained monks, priests and nuns). As you said: "Daojia was the classification of a body of texts gathered into the imperial library as an organized effort to synthesize the cultural world view of the time surrounding "the concept" of Tao. The classification of Daojia synergistically also included the collective of people who were adherents to those texts." So if we use your comment "The Daoist tradition consists, first and foremost, of ordained priests and monastics and lay supporters", there were no daoists at the time these texts were written ? We have people who were not taoists writing text that became religious documents for ordained daoists ? My research suggests that the first organized daoist religion was during the Han dynasty by Zhang Daoling, but it looked like a cult, and a power grab more than anything else. Further, the page you reference, and many of your posts suggest the idea that there is no philosophical daoism: "In any case, there are no theoretically grounded, historically accurate, or anthropologically relevant referents for the Western distinction between “philosophical Daoism” and “religious Daoism.” “Philosophical Daoism” is wholly a modern fiction." Yet, if the primary daoist text were written before any organized religion aren't we then indeed speaking about a philosophy that was turned into a religion ? Using daojia in this context may be a modern phenomena, but it's certainly a classification that most would understand.

I agree, white rice gets a bad rap these days from the brown rice crowd. I'm married to a Chinese girl so brown rice isn't allowed in the house. I think she might even refuse to acknowledge it's existence You can check out nutrition facts here: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5707/2 Basically brown rice has more fiber, protein, and some minerals, but adds on some fat, carbs, and calories. . . I think it's a wash, when it comes to rice, eat what you like.

Depends how deep you want to get..... The big references are always good to have: Materia medica - Bensky Chinese medical herbology - Chen And then just about anything written by Bob Flaws. I'd look through his offerings either at amazon or blue poppy and see if any of the titles interest you.

I completely agree, and this is something that is on my mind a lot when I teach tai ji, and during my studies of Chinese medicine. I have always believed that to truly understand martial arts, and Chinese Medicine one should make every effort to understand the language and culture from which they were born. That's the part I agree with in Kirkland's paper.