ChiDragon

Learn to understand the principles in the Tao Te Ching. Let Nature take its course......

修心養性 begins with Dazuo(打坐) which known as Zazen or meditation. 修心 is to cultivate the heart(mind). Why cultivate the heart....??? The ancients once thought that the heart is the center of the human body, thus everything originates and begins with the heart. 性(xing) is the character of the body. 養性 is to keep the 性 in a pure state and not contaminated by external influences. 修心 is actually cultivating the mind by purification. In order to purify the mind, it is by emptying it all out. That is why one needs to 入室靜坐(quiet sitting within a secluded room). TBC...

I am glad that I have a challenger. It seems to me that I can understand myself better every time that I need to explain something to someone. I have noticed there are quite a few Taoists, came on board, graduated from 武當, Wudang Mountain, China. I have been exposed to many Taoist terms. I can google anything to match what you have said. However, it is not a matter of understanding but how much do I want to believe them. My practice is not an immortal approach. I rather stay healthy with some great mental power. All this talk about yin shen and yang jing is out of my reach and really not my main interest. Most people perform dazuo with different purposes to accomplish whatever their intentions were. I can only discuss my purpose and my goal of accomplishment and experience. To make the story short, it is not my interest to go into an argument about something which is beyond my beliefs.

Why not.....????? At higher level, one will use the mind to do many things but having an empty one.

饮酒不醉是英豪 - One who drinks but has not been drunken is heroic. 恋色不迷最为高 - One who is indulged in women but not addicted is highly disciplined. PS..... @JohnC...........LOL :D

There are different levels for different groups in observing the four taboos. 1. Mortals 2. Buddhists 3. Taoists(道教) has two groups Different levels of cultivation: 1. For mortals: Do not be indulged to 酒色财气. 2. For Buddhists: Get rid of 酒色财气 completely. 3. Semi-practitioner of Taoist observes rule #1. 4. High Taoist priests observe rule # 2.

These are the taboos to be tested by one's 定力. 酒: Alcohol 色: Sexual desire 财: Wealth 气: Sentimental

Okay, I can settle with that but it is still very argumentative. I tend to agree toward your thinking though.

I do consider your train of thought. However, wealth and avarice are two different ideas. One may link them from one to another but "avarice" cannot be forced to fit into the linguistic definition of 財（wealth）.

OK..... I can see avarice for wealth or sex. Nothing more....!!! However, it is a matter looking from a different angle but the conclusion is still the same.

不义之财不可取， Undesirable wealth is not for one to take. 有气不生气自消。 If one does not release anger, then the anger will be vanished by itself. I don't see how avarice fits into 财 nor pride fits into 气.....!!! I prefer 气 as sentimental is because it is connected with emotions rather than reason.

Sorry, we both are half wrong. Based on your reference: 酒: Alcohol 色: Sexual desire 财: Wealth 气: Sentimental These four things are taboos for cultivation. Would you settle for that...???

Poor excuse

Who did that translation.....??? That is very misleading. The logic does not hold as I had indicated in the above post. Whoever did the translation, it needs to be corrected,...!!! My advice to you is: Test the translation for logic, don't accept it blindly if it doesn't make sense.

Immorality(長生不老) is an indication for one to be a Shen Xian(神仙). A Shen Xian(神仙) resides in Heaven, thus it is also called Tian Xian(天仙).

This is translation from a Chinese to English. 貪戀: indulge with avarice. 財氣(compound character) means wealth. Logic wise, as a canon, a Taoist or a Buddhist would not like to encounter something external like alcohol, sex and wealth. However, anger does not seem to be fit into this category. It should be fit into the First rule: 第一先除無名煩惱。 Firstly, one must get rid of the unknown vexations. Anger should considered as vexation as opposed to leisure as alcohol, women and money. Besides, the proper translation for 財 or 財氣 is wealth. I know why you have translated 氣 as anger, it was from 生氣. However, it is not the case here. The character 氣 has lots of different meanings depends on the compound characters and context.

It was obviously that they are not the same........

重陽真人金關玉鎖訣 修真妙理: The principle of cultivating the genuineness(真) 第一先除無名煩惱。 Firstly, one must get rid of the unknown vexations. 第二休貪戀酒色財氣 Secondly, do not be indulged in alcohol, sex and wealth(財氣). 五行之法:The method of the five musts 第一先須持戒。清靜。忍辱。慈悲。實善。斷除十惡。行方便。救度一切眾生。忠君王。孝敬父母師資 First, one must observe all the commandments, remain in serenity, endure of insults, be merciful, and be kind. 斷除十惡。行方便。救度一切眾生。忠君王。孝敬父母師 Eliminate the ten evils, be convenient for others, save all living beings, loyal to the ruler, filial and respect parents and teachers. Ref: 金關玉鎖訣

天地之間 其猶橐籥 Between heaven and earth It's like a bellows 虛而不屈 動而愈出 Vacuous but inexhaustible Dynamic but invigorating Between Heaven and Earth is time and space within the Universe.

I have become a member of this website since May 17, 2011. I commenced with a well organized Taoist website. However, I was kind of unease after I have jointed. It was because, at first, I thought I had found a true Taoist website. Then, I had realized that I did not. I was hoping the site would have had been followed the most basic fundamental principle of the Tao Te Ching. Until recently, surprisingly, I have noticed that TTB has made a drastic change by adapting the mentioned Taoist principle. Now, I feel like I'm at home. Have anyone of you have this kind of feeling....??? Or What were your feelings when you first joint TTB....??? If you want TTB to follow certain principles, what would you expect them to be....??? Any thoughts.....???

Now, I have second thought about the OP since we have a new spam rule, in the forum, due the interference with the principle of Wu Wei.

The amount of patience that able one to withstand the agony depends on the amount of 定力 in an individual. The amount of 定力 was acquired from the cultivation of the mind which is the highest realm of meditation.

定力 is the ability to maintain one's mentality in a placid state to resist any temptation or adversity.

It seems someone may be just lack of 定力.

No 定力.......??? It seems to me one is just lack of 定力.