starhawk

Be like Water. Be like a field of grass. That is how I heard this. Thanks Lotus7. This reminds me of a poem from Zhuangzi. A master of Tao squares off with a shaman, and he reflects this state of being to the shaman, scaring him off. If you return to the true nature, the mind is quiet and reflects something from our timeless state. Practice is applied knowledge right? But how many people will ever experience some clarity in this life? I'm not sure how to help "average joe" sometimes. I will check out "The Whole Heart of Yoga" by John Bright-Fey someday. Higher forms of yogic practice in any tradition are actually alchemy practices. I partially distinguish alchemy and clarity as two parts, which are called the dual cultivation in Taoist yoga. That is my understanding, anyhow. cheers, Star hawk

Hi all. The style I practice is a bit martial as well... I noticed I would burn out and have symptoms of yang overload when I practice too much-- heat rising, heat on skin, etc. Not good, LOL. I added meditation before I close (i was just too lazy before). It helps but the best is not to overload in the first place. Masters have ways of "relieving" overloaded circuits, like using it to heal people if they are healers, or do kung fu and tai chi, etc. While there is no such thing as this higher state, but for the person who is The "higher state" is eloquently explained by friend, as effort. because it is mostly a function of your ability to go into the emptiness. Then you would understand how to sublimate more energy into meditation, thereby achieving more harmony and balance. I think that is mostly right but if I'm wrong someone can correct me so I know too Time and patience-- Its so true. I added a second style of qigong (SFQ)and it is effective for healing, but obviously it does not draw as much chi as my primary style. It is still effective and complimentary I think to my primary style, but I would recommend talking to your current master first. Some masters are peculiar about what students can learn. hope it helps cheers

With Yin and Yang, there can be rising and waxing. Thus there is increase and decrease in both. Life cycles can go through similar stages. Once we have attained the harmony of our life cycle with the true source Light of life, therein harmony manifests itself. Then there is increase and decrease again, but there is a higher calling to fulfill. Often it is better to cultivate to a higher level, and then do the worldly things. But it can go the other way around. My 0.02 cents. Good luck with your journey BOL. If you (ever do) come back let us know!

Hi Blasto! Have you read the Zhuangzi (Chuang Tse) story about Liezi, the Teacher Huzi, and the shaman on the mountain? The shaman, merely a manipulator of shallow ends, is not one with Tao but we discover this gradually. The Teacher gradually reveals his inner nature to the shaman in several steps in response to a challenge. The final state the Teacher shows is called "Not yet emerged from my source" Read it and see what happens. So, the story and the end of the story provides commentary about your post.

Dear effilang, Exactly what you described happened to me yesterday. Synchronicity. Because of what you wrote above I am afforded another opportunity to help people. Thank you Effilang for affording me an outlet for good karma! So as long as we are in Samara, karma needs an outlet . Our duty as people of achievement (lesser or greater) is to help other beings. What you choose to do affects your destiny. A story: Last night my friends visited another friend's "haunted" house on Friday the 13th (Oooh!) Of course, my friends are ordinary people who do not take spirituality too seriously. We came around midnight. I thought to take upon myself as heavenly duty to aid my friends and not retire early and abandon them to whatever. I was gentle with the indwelling spirits and asked permission for us to occupy the house. It asked me to leave as it was uncomfortable, but I promised blessings upon it. We stayed and no harm came to us. Thanks. The result: (Earlier) I had free dinner at a restaurant, paid for by friends, then at the house, a gift from my friends (out of the blue),(potentially pivotal?) career advice, as well as good company. What you choose to do affects your destiny. May my humble words help inspire people to knowledge and may heaven bestow blessings to people of achievement.

What is it about beautiful people? Also, why do good guys finish last? ;P I suppose many of us wonder sometimes about beautiful people. Also, why is it hard for 'good guys' to meet beautiful women? I know its a matter of yin and yang balance, too.. Is that why good guys-- who probably have less testosterone and are less aggressive-- are often pushed aside? Apparently, many women like dominating men. This was mentioned awhile ago by non when he talked about masochism in the animal world. Firstly, I would note that the spiritual progress of a person is their true beauty. But right now I'm wondering about appearances . I know its connected somehow, but is it really? Can we answer this without metaphysical postulation such as oh, good karma. Are people looking to their own deficiencies? There are many types of Chi. It's also yang/yin concentration in a person. So, is being androgynous the perfect balance? What am I missing? Should I instead do exercises to bring testosterone through the roof? Practice can improve your own appearance, yes. How hard is it to talk to a beautiful woman? Is there some emotional block that prevents people from approaching them? The heart is willing, but the mind blocks it? What about luck? Even if she likes you, why do some people (like me) walk away? Am I selfish not to act in reciprocity? Just curious, that's all. Not intending to open a can of worms. What do bums think?

Hey Romie! Maybe we got off on the wrong start. After all we are all here to study spirituality, Hopefully we can reset and become friends after all. Peace to your journey respectfully yours Starhawk

Friends of Tao bums, It seems I have encouraged disharmony and I apologize for the infighting I have caused. Instead I want to promote harmony. You see, Tao has no social construct. To become Tao is to accept a lower position. Tao can exist without civilization, unbeknowst to many people. Perhaps your own response to me reflects your own response to yourself. If I purposely present a distorted topic, and you see a distorted figure, I am truly distorted, or do you see even more distortions from yourself? I see. Perhaps I really am socially awkward. Or perhaps, paradoxically I have chosen to be socially awkward, or chosen a strange position to defend. But perhaps I speak for the voiceless-- those who never learned the conventions. In fact, just so you know I seem to get along just fine with females otherwise in real life, thank you. Ronie-- it appears you are upset. My eloquent reply to you is to be calm. Then you can help others. Please everyone just respond only when you are calm.

Speculating... What if, perhaps the guy isn't clever enough or just doesn't have enough wordplay/social skills/proper etiquette to realize he is a jerk? Have you ever seen "The name of the rose?" The adolescent boy in the movie isn't clever enough because that is the first girl he met

Thanks bums. Hehe. Maybe I am stirring up the hornet's nest after all... I don't think I am a misogynist. I have a respectable attitude towards women, but I had been posing the question in a way that makes me sound like a frustrated adolescent boy. Haha... Perhaps to correct course of this thread, let us talk about motive and philosophy, and tradition. That is what I was looking to address, not Political correctness in my writing. I'm just trying to pinpoint basal animal instincts from a biological perspective-- more biological than by social/cultural upbringing-- in human persons. Here I examine psychological motive, a primal base function of the male intellect, as well as male responses to lust and attractiveness, not sociological conventions and how to address people, or the proper courting attitudes and behaviors of males and females. Sorry to touch on your nerves. It seemed my wording has touched on sociological conceptions. I am addressing merely philosophical and psychological underpinnings of why people may act the way they do, in particular males. What does it mean to be proper? Perhaps I am just addressing this merely as social commentary even. I'm not even trying to offend people or females in particular . Perhaps you should be more sympathetic to a male's one-sided observation about the behavior of other males. About misogyny-- this is not a forum on Political correctness. I am also not a journalist. Forgive me for not including specifying adverbs like "some" males, or "some" nice guys finish last. Again, this is psychology. Perhaps female readers can ponder sterotypes about that shy choir boy who always blushed when talking to the pretty girl and the football player who gets the prom queen. Perhaps the female reader can take a look at what our society is being fed-- why do many men read maxim, or the like, etc? Perhaps it is an innate male response to our training? Why do men value woman's beauty in psychological surveys? Perhaps you can explain why women read romance novels? That's right, they are fantasizing. This is my explanation of why men are lustful-- and their sexuality manifests in particular ways, dominant and submissive. I am looking at power structures, a philosophical concept. Can you explain that without misogyny? The old traditions would say this is all hogwash, wordplay to be corrected by self-examination and less ego. But perhaps I have aided in my own and other people's introspection.

Hey, Sorry about your mother's friend. I agree about compassion. Recently I heard the Dali Lama speak, and he mentioned (in reverse pyschology) it is not reasonable to expect reading mantras will solve health problems. But he reads them when he is sick. Therefore instead he advocated some sort of esoteric understanding that the act of mantra reading would connect yourself to the infinite compassion and enable you to take action out of compassion. Something like that. Why don't you give the friend Qigong to do? There are many benefits-- one being that you obtain a better feeling of being enabled to help her. There are forms of qigong you can do bedridden. Not confirmed, but I believe SFQ qigong allows you to do bedridden exercises... Also, since you practice qigong, perhaps you can give her some movements that tonify the exact specific imbalances in her body. I don't know that much about TCM & her condition but perhaps you can find someone to guide you more. Btw nice catchy title. Cheers.

Transform disharmony into harmony

Bah. How was this thread any helpful to the mediocre, or the new adept? Or the old adept who think one knows what you're talking about but is also murmuring about in the woods, not willing to come out? What would Tao do? Perhaps everyone must respect the path they have chosen. Married. Celibate. If not this life, then some other.

Thought is when I have a headache. No thought is when I have clarity and clear mind

"Moving stones around is one thing (or kids), but this is different." No. No different. Only different in your mind. "When 900 years you reach, look this good you will not." "Lumonious beings we are, not this crude matter" "Use the force. Yes. Feel it." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rH2PkjBFaU So yes friend, it is possible, especially if you are a green alien.

Reading this tread I am compelled to reply. Many of you keep injuring yourselves and leaving yourselves to thieves. In fact you rob yourselves. Spiritual beings are all around us-- heaven and earth do not distinguish time as we do. The highest mountain does not exist outside, but inside. That is the essence of the chart of inner luminosity. Master yourself, and Spiritual beings will be curious and visit you... in your sleep. You should not seek them out, since they will seek you out, or the law of synchronicity makes them bump into you in the road, while you are buying ice cream to feed your dog. Its like the Good Samaritan parable. They are the good Samaritans in this case.

I can't say I know myself well enough with what I know. I think therefore I am. But do I cease thinking when my body/consciousness splits into a zillion atoms after death? Where do the atoms or information in the quantum foam or whatnot go? This is your question, if I get it right: You seem to doubt causality-- cause and effect. Does it apply to consciousness/soul? My metaquestions to answer your question: Is the consciousness a type of information? Permeable, impermanent, or as you suggest, consist of like 9 parts? But where does it go? Are any information states retained forever? How long does information permeate and exist? This may yield insight into the soul/consciousness for people seeking knowledge. Does the soul obey the law of thermodynamics, like all matter? Or is the soul not matter? If I throw a stone into a pool, it ripples until the energy stops. If I throw myself into karma, when does the karma stop? So, is morality tied to metaphysics? I think so. How well do you know yourself? PS if i steal candy from a baby-- when it grows up 20 years later does it 'remember'?

Thanks for posting! This article corresponds to something I was wondering yesterday. Very Synchronous. Yesterday I spent a great deal of time thinking about Mr Drew Hempel's O at a D. I also read that his Master thought he was confused. This article shows that even spiritual development can lead to vicious cycles. It almost sounds like O at a D is dual cultivation, but I can't agree with what I know so far. If real, it is certainly not meritorious in that the practitioner feeds on special energy... Perhaps O at a D is a dark side effect-- the alternative to further spiritual development. I think that O at a D is a shade of the truth-- spontaneous love should not require external stimulus of any sort, even at quantum phenomenal action at a distance levels. Does wrong practice eventually consume the practitioner? Yes, and according to this article, for many lifetimes. CHEERS

Do you feel anything on the bottom of your feet, the bubbly well point? Its probably chi infusing from your environment. Or is it numb? It may be blood not circulating... If you want a more specific answer, probably check with wherever your meditation method originated...

Before I came to seek Tao, one of my favorite movies was 2001. It still is It alludes to many esoteric practices. Of course, it is science fiction. The space body. I think people should focus on cultivation before trying to answer what is at the top of the chart of inner luminosity. My two cents.

This is starhawk. I feel lucky today. I was wondering, sort of stranded on the shores of Tao Bum, looking but not touching. It was complicated and I couldn't post until today . Kudos and thanks to the admins! I practice qigong and recently I have been studying the emptiness. It looks like this: O What else is there to know about me? I chose the screename starhawk because I like stars and I like hawks. I don't own a hawk of course, but who does these days? . Je suis Americain. I have a sense of humor. Ha ha.