ChiDragon

The little selfishness what I meant was not in a negative way but for the good to accomplish something for the benefit of the people. Selfish is not always negative. Selfishness may be applied in a positive way too.

The TTC definition for a "sage" is the highly cultivated person who follows the principle of Wu Wei which is the way of Tao. Thus a sage can be a gentleman or a good ruler. Most lightly, Lao Tze was always referred the ruler as a sage. BTW Lao Tze's definition of a sage is different from the Sheng Ren in the Confucian philosophy. The scholars were referred Confucius as a Sheng Ren. Confucius was advocating all scholars to be gentlemen by following the moral conducts as a good person. A Jun Zi is a gentleman but he is not a Sheng Ren. In order to keep the purest thoughts within the TTC, I certainly would keep any Confucian ideas out of here to avoid confusion.

1. What do you mean by "a Sage is still human"? 7. Is not because of his unselfishness! 8. Which gained his personal accomplishment. What it meant was that a sage wants to accomplish something with a little selfishness on his part. 2. Consider 常有欲. Would this be a sagely state? Sorry, wrong punctuation, it should read... 常有，欲........

A spiritual body does not need any yuan qi to sustain itself because it is immortal already.

The question is, what don't you understand....???

1. The spirit of the valley never dies. 2. It is called the mysterious female. 3. The door of the mysterious female, 4. It is called the root of heaven and earth. 5. She seems existed eternally, 6. With her endless reproduction capability. Metaphoric interpretation: 1. Tao never dies. 2. Tao is the mysterious female. 3. The door opened to Tao. 4. Tao is the root(creator) of heaven and earth. 5. Tao is eternal. 6. Tao has the endless reproduction capability. We are talking about Tao as a spirit but not just a spirit of any kind...!!!.

"INHALE IS YIN EXHALE IS YANG - on inhale we draw energy in - on exhale energy is led out - exhale leads to energy dispersion - we are stronger when we exhale (punch, kick, lifting, pulling). we can perform better and stronger all yang activities with proper exhalation." If I may go into the refinement of breathing, I would consider that.... "- on inhale we draw energy in" which is gaining energy would be considered as Yang . "- on exhale energy is led out" which is loosing energy would be considered as Yin. ".....(punch, kick, lifting, pulling). we can perform better and stronger all yang activities with proper exhalation." Yes, all the actions are considered to be Yang but they were from the Yin effect of exhalation.

"Why is such a straightforward verse 谷神不死 so befuddling?" People were so locked up to the meaning of each character, 谷神, without considering the rest of the context. Without knowing what the meaning of Line 1, one still could figure out what is the meaning of the "spirit of the Valley" meant from Lines 2 through 6. If Lines 2 through 6 were not talking about Tao then what else can it be.....??? Even from Line 1 by itself, if not Tao never dies, then what else could that be....??? Tao has no beginning and no ending which is a good implication that Tao never dies. If the "Spirit of the Valley" was not an implication of Tao, then what else can it be......???

Just close your eyes, then you don't have to think that you need to open, close, half open or quarter open them. By the time you think where your eyelashes are, you will loose your mind. Thus it will defeat the purpose of meditation. Just don't think of anything at all. Period.

元氣(Yuan Chi) is a general term which applies to a living body but not necessarily just apply to an ascended master. In general, Yuan Chi is a basic vital substance which keeps a living body alive. There is a minimal amount which require to be maintained in order to sustain the life of a body. If the minimal had been depleted, then the body will die. One must know when to stop doing strenuous exercise and not pass the point of threshold. Thus martial artist always keep track of it by not going over its limitation. When it reaches its threshold, then it is time to escape from exhaustion.

「多言數窮，不如守中」 話說多了道理就少了，真理就是那麼一點，說多了都是空話。 If one talks too much, then the amount of reasons become less. The truth is only so little. It'll become empty words if one say too much about it. 病從口入，禍從口出，說多了惹事生非，還不如保持適中。 Diseases are entering to the mouth, troubles are existing from the mouth. Saying too much will induce unnecessary arguments. Perhaps the best thing to do is stop at a point where it is adequate. 該說則說，可說可不說則不說。 Thus only say the things which need to be said. Anything that could need to be said or couldn't needn't to be said, then just don't say it.

It seems the question being asked is very ambiguous. It seems to me, also, that you are throwing out lots of terms without realizing what they are. Maybe that is why you are not getting any response. First of all, what is your understanding about the term "Yuan Chi"....??? What do you mean by "spiritual body"....???

Let's have the initiator to take the lead in following his own advice.

I do agree that Rou Quan, with Fa Jin, is similar to the second level of Tai Ji at moderate speed rather in slow motion as in the first level.

sree..... This is not the place to argue somebody else's translation. It is only a matter of what one wants to believe what the Tao Te Ching says, personally, with a different approach. If you want to study the TTC, please just read into it the way you think it is. In order to keep it to the purest thought, read it scholastically. If you can read Chinese, use the native sources. However, they are not all the best but there are some that are very reliable. Happy studying...... PS.... Using the native sources, then one does not have to deal with any mistranslation with misunderstanding. So, nothing will get lost in the translation but maybe misinterpretation. At least, you have less errors to deal with. BTW, nowadays, the native sources are pretty unanimous. To the best of my knowledge, at least, Chapters 1 and 5 are unanimous. I do tend to agree that the translations of Lin Yutang and Hendrick are done personally rather done in a scholastic manner.

EXACTLY.........

Yes....You are right about that. If meditation was done correctly with breathing as a requirement, then everything will be fine. I think it's about time for people to be wise and keep in mind that breathing is a must in meditation.

Meditation is to train the mind rather than the eyes.

Yes, it is very strange but that is the Chinese Buddhist belief in reincarnation. That was what has to be taken place between after death until the reincarnation. This is only my understanding but not my belief.

It seems to me that was lack of self confidence in self discipline....

How can someone try to understand something without clarity....??? Delusion is only in the ambiguous eyes of the beholder.

It is a flow chart of reincarnation in forty-nine days. Start at: 臨終(at the end of life) 1. The occupied force(業力) has no effect(unconscious, the conscience is still in the body) 2. The occupied force goes through the first lighted circular door. 3. The conscience(soul) separated from the body. 4. The occupied force goes through the second lighted circular door. 5. The occupied force goes through the Yin processing door. 6. The conscious became asleep again. 7. The occupied force begins to function. 8. The occupied force became conscious. 9. All kinds of imaginations are happening here. 10. The Yin door to reincarnation. 11. The occupied force became stronger(with divine power). End: 投胎(Reincarnated). Note: In the Chinese mythology, Yin(陰) was referred as the world after death; and Yang(陽) was referred to the world of the livings.

sree.... Chuang Tze was written in a different format(parables) than the Tao Te Ching(simple phrases). It would be very difficult to do per your request. The simplest way is to translate its interpreted meaning for a better comprehension. Sorry, I cannot fulfill your request.

How can one tell that which style is internal or external......??? It is very easy to distinguish them. The styles that are moving soft and gracefully with breathing were considered to be internal(Neigong) . In the contrary, any style which requires to hitting something with any body part by consuming body energy, with heavy perspiring, was considered to be external practice.

It is because they are still humans which they did not read deeply into the Tao Te Ching. They cannot unlearn or unprogram themselves from what they had learnt before. No, the whole concept of Wu Wei was learnt from Nature and apply to ourselves in society. That was the whole purpose of the Tao Te Ching. Thus that is why Lao Tze wrote the TTC. Our way as 天人合一 are dealing with the four seasons, eating the foods and breathing the air that Nature provides.