ChiDragon

I agree...!!! However, due to the limitation of words, only one principle can be placed per chapter. We wouldn't want to clutter all the thoughts in one place. Do we......??? PS.... Lao Tze had arranged only one thought per Chapter for easy understanding. This is why the Tao Te Ching has eighty-one simple chapters. Some chapters are interrelated. Some are independent but was referred by later Chapters.

Do you have any beliefs or religion....??? It seems that you are aware of what is going on and putting yourself together. At least, you are concentrating in your school work and doing good. Hence, it will be your triumph to success.

oops....I lost my head when I said that. I didn't think of what the word meant...... I thought it was the word "hesitant".

Yes, gladly...!!! Chapter 5 01. Heaven and Earth have no mercy, 02. Treating all things as straw dogs. 03. Sages have no mercy, 04. Treating people as straw dogs. 05. In-between-Heaven-and-Earth 06. Is like a wind box, 07. Vacuous but inexhaustible, 08. When in motion, it produces more yet. 09. Excessive words accelerate failure. 10. Prefer to stay with vacuous quietness. Annotation: Line 1. No mercy implies "being impartial". Line 2. Straw dog was used, in the ancient time, for ritual offering. It was significant, only, when it was placed at the altar. Otherwise, it may be placed in storage, tossed away, burnt, or stepped on. Thus Lao Tze used straw dog as a symbol of neutrality. Straw dog is not analogous to human rather it was used only to show impartiality. Impartiality is to have no mercy when a ruler has to make a judgement in a judicial matter. The metaphor here was to treat the people impartially with justice at all times. Line 6. A Chinese "wind box" is similar to a bellows but much bigger and able to produce much more air going into a kiln. Connotation: Lao Tze said Heaven and Earth have no mercy by treating all things as straw dogs to indicate that Nature is impartial. Another words, when Nature strikes, lightning will strike any spot on Earth with no hesitation, flood will flush anything in its path. Nature will have no special favor for anything nor has feeling toward the good or the ugly. Hence, it was suggested that a ruler should follow the same principle in treating all the people equally as a government was concerned.

Okay, I have to take your word for it......

Isn't the purpose of cultivating life is hastening death.....???

Hi, all I am straightly speaking from a philosophical view by the thoughts laid out in the Tao Te Ching. You see, Lao Tze had observed Nature and came up with the principles of the Universe. No one has his wisdom of thinking by trying to apply the universal principles to the human level. However, if some humans are not familiar with the principles of the Tao Te Ching will think otherwise.

ChiForce..... What is your own definition of enlightenment....???

Humans do abide by a different set of standard. Human has to deal with Nature. All animals are part of Nature. Anything is not controllable by humans is considered to be the course of Nature. The concept of Wu Wei has no intent. Abortion has an intent to rid of a possible living being. Thus that is not Wu Wei. If the mother bird wants to abandon a chick, it is out of the control of human. Thus, be definition, it is the course of Nature as far as human is concern. By the definitions of the Tao Te Ching, humans are the observer of Nature and learn to deal with Nature. Anything they do on earth will be effecting the Universe as a whole.

Yes, act according to the will is intentional. Wu Wei is unintentional. A sailboat driven by the wind reflects action in line with nature; but the destination is still the will of the human mind.

The people in this forum are not practicing the Art of War. They do get upset most of the time. It is not the customary style of practice in the west anyway.

I am following the principles of Tao which made me to think this way.

Well, that was after birth for animals. I would not consider that is the same as abortion comparable to the principle of humans. It would be considered to be murder if a fetus has been full developed and born. Anyway, what ever animals do is by the way of Nature and I don't think humans should be considered the same way. PS.... This is only my way of thinking by following the Taoist principles.

Aaron..... I wish you didn't eliminate the sub-forum for each individual study of the documents. Even though you did mention the reasons for your justification, but it is very disorganized. IMMHO. It was really a waste of time and cumbersome to scroll the unnecessary extra page after page to find the right document. PS... I'm sorry to inform you that was not very Wu Wei because of the interference with the course of Nature.

To the best of my knowledge, the development of Chi Kung was derived from the breathing method of Yoga. From what had been said, here, to answer your question. Yes, Chi Kung can gather and guide the chi to circulate in the body. I believe that was the main purpose of Chi Kung.

The difference that I see between Qigong and Yoga is: 1. Yoga seems to have lots of stressful movements of the body parts. It is more Yang(hard) than Yin(soft). 2. Qigong is much more refine and Yin(soft) exercise. It involves breathing and graceful movements of the arms and legs in the Dynamic Qigong. In the sitting position, know as "Static Qigong", is very quiet, peaceful, and relaxation in the state of serenity.

Yes, humans has the intellectual option for abortion but animals do not. Another words, humans have a choice for abortion and animals have not.

There only benefit I see is to make the feet more stronger and stable, in correlation to the stance itself, for balancing the body. .....and more specifically, what is the proper usage of each bodily arrangement; be it placement of the feet, arc of the back, or peak of the head... All of the above, if your body is balanced in a comfortable position. In the specifics of Horse Stance itself: what good comes of standing on the balls of the feet as opposed to the heels; You are talking about two levels of practice. As a beginner, one should stand flat on the ground with the feet. Until the feet become strengthened, then, one can stand on the balls of the feet. Standing on the balls of the feet, second level, will give you more bouncing power but easy to be off balance, unless, one is really good at it and with stronger ankle joints. It is because all the bouncing power depends upon how strong the ankles are. what good comes of distributing weight evenly across the feet, as opposed to standing on the balls of the feet? All the body weights are going straight down toward the center of the legs and distributing across the feet evenly. If you standing on the balls of the feet, the balls of the feet will take all the weights. It is because the points of contact, to the ground, are the balls of the feet only.

1. "Horse stance" is just a name given for the standing position of Zhan Zhuang. Most of the time, it was referred to the standing position with the legs bent to be a complete horse stance. Actually, at that position, you are considered to be doing Zhan Zhuang at the time. 2. People are putting to much emphasis on the feet instead of the leg muscles. The feet are only the rooting for the whole body to balance yourself on the ground. 3. That is the proper state of the mind and a good approach. Go for it.....

Yes, if you want to look at it in a non-Taoist way. The fetus was meant to be born be Nature. It is the mother's nature to interfere with Nature. Hence, the final result is still interfering with the course of Nature. However, it is not advisable to compare humans with animals.

Let me put it this way...!!! The balls of the feet only help you to make contact with the ground. By Nature, the ankles are transfer all the body weight to the balls of the feet. The ankles are the weakest point in the body. They are designed to hold the upper body in place by Nature. How can it be detrimental....??? The ankle joints only can be damaged by over stress. What you want to do is to strengthen them to withstand greater stress to prevent from damage. To strengthen them is by practicing the horse stance. That is why all martial artists do that all the time. Besides strengthen the ankles, it also strengthen the legs muscles as well. Horse stance also know as Zhan Zhuang.

Yes, you know the basic concept about Tai Ji. That is what I have been saying all along. BTW For those who do not wish to practice Tai Ji, horse stance is the best way to go.

I believe that the OP is about Tao not about others.

No, not really.....!!! This is only your thinking and understanding. Wu Wei is very restrict about let Nature taken its course.

Just keep trying and practice until you can do it. The purpose for horse stance is to correct this problem. However, if you can do it right away, then you do not need to practice the horse stance. I have been saying, all your body weights are taken by your ankles. It is the practice that will strengthen the ankles for you. I don't care what others had said. Wait until your ankles are able to withstand the pressure of your body weight, then, you have accomplished the purpose of horse stance. Your ankles may be able to relax by then.