ChiDragon

Please keen in mind, I am only speaking from a Chinese point of view. The main difference are not believing in the same thing. The philosophical side are scholars and atheists who just study the concepts or principles of Tao Te Ching. The religious side are those who interpret the Tao Te Ching as dogma and create their own deities to worship. Therefore, from the Chinese point of view, one who accepts some Taoist concepts and incorporates them in their own life and worldview, their own "personal philosophy", can be seen as a "real" scholar. Only one who practice the Taoist religion are considered as a "real" Taoist.

Sorry, I didn't know there are so many unanswered questions. These questions require long explanations. I can only do them one at a time. - But what does practicing the religion include? I would really much like to be a true Daoist, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do, that's why I ask for help." First of all, a true Taoist is one who dedicate his full life by seclusion in a Taoist shrine(道觀), up in the mountain, where there is close to Nature. The highest realm for a true Taoist is to be an immortal. It may be considered integrating oneself with Nature. To be an immortal, a Taoist will practice Chi Kung to preserve his life for longevity. The highest form of Chi Kung, in the Taoist world, is the alchemy or neidan. The reason that Taoist called it neidan is a long story. The requirement for a true Taoist is to practice the Taoist religion 24/7 in a shrine. A true Taoist does not have a family to attend to as a celibate. However, there are Taoists who do have a family to attend to may be called part time Taoists. A part time Taoist only practice the religion eight hours a day in a shrine then goes back home in the evening. After what has been said, before I go any further, do you still want to a True Taoist....???

Please put some emphasis on the words in red under the preset conditions, so, the original thought does not get distorted. Thank you....!!!

hehehehe.....I'm not chen ping.... The latter example is not to do with frugality which is good economically. It is less attention to the people from the government, so the people will live freely. It means that there are less laws which set forth to burden the people. Another words, leave the people alone and let they live in a way with minimal interference. Remember, Wu Wei is to take no action to interfere with the course of Nature. I'll have reservation on the western reading about Wu Wei.....!!!

Bull's eye. I think I can address this issue simple enough. Yuan Chi(元氣) is the basic minimal energy which is required to sustain a body to perform its vital functions. Yuan Chi is a very common term in the Chinese language. For example, when one ran for a distance until exhausted, then one needs to be rested to recuperate. Under the state of exhaustion, it was said to be that the Yuan Chi was lost but need to be restored. After a resting period until the body was back to normalcy, then it was said to be that the Yuan Chi has been restored. Thus Yuan Chi is equivalent to the "original power".

silas.... When we are start saying my definition is different than yours, that is where trouble begins. In Chinese classic, using a set of limited modern definition of the characters and translation done by semantics is not the way to go. Your definition is "an extension of the practice of meditation in the TTC" deffer from my is because you are not looking at it from a philosophical point of view. Besides, interpreting the Chinese classic is not feasible to do it by semantics. It should be done by logical means within context.

silas....... I think you are doing a great job. You have my most honorable respect for that.....

Let me give it a try...... Ref: http://taocurrents.org/2012/10/09/anarchy-and-a-classical-tao-of-laws/ The above quote has a western flavor to it. The mistake lies on the words "sage-ruler enters". The Tao Te Ching had never said that the sage-ruler enters a state of wu-wei. Rather Lao Tze was only suggesting that they should rule the people with Wu Wei because the rulers never did. The last two statements should interpreted as: 故聖人云 我無為而民自化。 我好靜而民自正。 Hence the sage says(form the native point of view): I am Wu Wei; then, the people will be self contained. I am quietistic; then, the people will be self imposed. Wu Wei, here, has the meaning which implies that the ruler is "rid of desires and craves for luxuries". Thus less tax burden on the people. Just leaving the people be and let them live on their own with less decree from the government. Things like that will make a lot of difference in the interpretation of the Tao Te Ching.

Greeting..... Here is what I have to say about the philosophy of Lao Tze in Tao Te Ching. I think Lao Tze was using dualities to set up all his examples, throughout the Tao Te Ching, to reflect the principle of Tao. Lao Tze was using "Oneness" as another name for Tao. The Oneness comprise of the duality of Yin and Yang. The Tao Te Ching does not emphasize on religion at all. Indeed, the "vague and indeterminate" language was used by Lao Tze are paradoxical but it must be interpreted with reverse logic to invert his thinking, in order, to comprehend his philosophy.

Of course not, you have to read and study the Tao Te Ching to find out how Tao was defined. Tao is not just in thin air for us to grab.

I think there was a little misinterpretation. The above statement was talking about Tao which cannot be described with few mundane words. In order to perceive Tao, one must use all the five sense.

I am accessible to all the versions. Let's do that. I was hoping that someone comes along to discuss the Tao Te Ching with me objectively... @ Silas...please joint in too.....

It's okay, guys. As long we can understand what we are talking about, then it is fine. It is too difficult to set up a standard, here, in the forum. It just won't work that way. We have all kinds of people here from allover the world and think differently. The terms that I had used might not be suitable for other part of the world. I was having a communication problem with the wonderful folks, here, in the first year when I signed up for this site. Let's stay in harmony with each other. Thank you.....

There are three things to be cultivated in Qigong. Isn't the spirit is part of the mind.....??? If it is, then what would be the replacement of that(spirit)....???

Nowadays, the people in the TCM society are more wise and rely on the western test results, for a positive analysis, before treating their patients. It might cause more damages with a wrong treatment. Perhaps, it is better to be sure than it was late.

Nature has no mercy and treat all things as straw dogs(Chapter 5). It is not Nature's concern that our species ever over strain our world. The nature of the Tao never precedes Nature because the natural of the biological creation is part of Nature.

I hope it better not be....

It would not be considered 'interference" if there was no harm done other than a good cause.

I don't think so. Semen retention is different because it doesn't have any serious biological effect as in "stop the period" for female. If I understand it correctly, the woman's period was to use the blood to flush out the reproductive system for the arrival of the next egg. It better not to interfere with the period cycle.

IMHO "stop her period" is not a cultivation nor an interaction with nature but interfered with the course of nature.

Ducklings in a row Yet, Wu Ji becomes Tai Ji The Yin and the Yang.

hmmmm.... It seems there is a little contradiction here......

Translation about the four types of Chi(氣)

Hun Yuan Qi Gong(混元氣功)