ChiDragon

Marblehead..... Thank you for allowing room in your heart for a Cantonese........

"When our breathing is deep, we can take in more air. When our breathing is slow, we have more time to fully digest the energy within the air." Digest the energy within the air implicates that allowing more time for the red blood cells to pick up the oxygen. Then, the oxygenated blood was delivered to the body cells to generate the ATP.

"If we use our belly to breathe, the diaphragm sinks down, creating more room to hold the air in, thus we can absorb more energy." "Absorb more energy" really implicates absorb more oxygen so the body cells can produce more biochemical energy, adenosine triphosphate(ATP).

sree..... You talked like a real Chinaman.............

"Fire in the belly" is not a meditation. It is only an esoteric term used in TCM to describe some kind of physical condition in the belly. Please don't be concerned with those funny names that people came up with. Stay with the normal breathing method with your nose. Sexual energy depends how do you develop the physical condition of the body. If you have a healthy body, your sexuality will be high. If you are weak, then your sexual energy is weak. So, keep your body in good shape.

External arts are energy consuming during the practice such as running and weight lifting. Both were considered strenuous physical exercises. It may cause body harm. I don't what caused your tendonitis in your right foot. Was it from your running or body weight....??? From a Qigong perspective, Tai Chi is an internal arts which only has minimal stress on the muscles by your own body weight. The best part of it is that the stress of your own body weight was slowly applied to the muscles. As a result, you are slowly building up your muscle tone without excess of stress applied to your muscles which might cause body harm. The unique factor about Qigong is the exercise in breathing which helps to increase the oxygen intake to circulate in the body. In addition, the slow movements will cause your muscles to contract slightly which help to squeeze the blood in the veins; it will speed up the blood in returning to the heart. In a way, this is aiding the circulatory system and have the heart to do less work than normal. Qigong cultivates three things; it regulates breathing, mind and body. Tai Chi is a form of Qigong and body exercise which regulate the muscles. Spontaneously, it will train the mind to control the finest movements of the muscles. Tai Chi will tone your body while helps you to improve your breathing habit. Just keep this simple concept in mind: you breathe you'll live. If you don't, you'll die. Thus if you breathe more, then you'll live longer.

道教神仙 (The Immortals of the Taoist Cult) 道教是典型的多神教，神系紛繁複雜，神祇數量極多。 現今道教神仙主要有四大體系： 正統道教神系、民間信仰神系、上古神話神系、神魔小說神系。 在道教最高規格的羅天大醮儀式中，會恭請3600位神仙。 [7] 下面介紹一些正統道教及其民間信仰中名氣較大、知名度較高的重要神仙。 神魔小說中虛構的神祇暫且不談[8] 人氣最高的十大神仙 1、 十二生肖 （每個人的守護神、吉祥神，深深融入國人的生活、思維之中） 2、 財神 （主管人間物質財富和精神財富的神明，商業金融業的祖師爺、保護神） 3、 媽祖 （道教海神，平安女神，慈愛之神，航運業保護神，沿海人民心中的“娘媽”） 4、 關帝 （道教戰神，武財神，忠義的化身，商業、會計業、理髮業的祖師爺） 5、 福祿壽三星 （主管人間福祉、利祿、壽命的三尊吉祥神，納福、添祿、增壽） 6、 門神 （守衛門戶的神明，衛家宅，保平安，助功利，降吉祥） 7、 灶王 （飲食之神，掌管家庭禍福，督查人間善惡） 8、 土地爺 （保護一方水土，佑護五穀豐登，財源滾滾） [9] 9、 八仙 （代表最廣泛的民間道教信仰的八位神仙） 10、 太上老君 （道祖道德天尊，教化世人的慈愛天神） 太上老君 ） 。 三清是大道的化身，三位一體。 《道德經》雲：”道生一，一生二，二生三，三生萬物。“三清居於玉清境、上清境、太清境，合稱三清境。 [10] 三清是創世神。 元始天尊造化天地，靈寶天尊度化萬物，道德天尊教化世人。 玉皇大帝是道教的眾神之帝。 總領三界、十方、四生、六道一切眾生，統御儒、道、釋三教和其他諸神仙聖佛，治理宇宙萬物。 三清和玉帝的關係類似於大股東和總經理，三清是創世神，玉帝是治世神。 玉皇大帝也是儒教的最高神 ——天帝。 另外，玉皇大帝還是民間信仰的最高神 。 玉帝的全稱是 “太上開天執符禦歷含真體道金闕雲宮九穹歷禦萬道無為通明大殿昊天金闕玉皇大天尊玄穹高上帝”。 儒教尊稱為 “昊天金闕無上至尊自然妙有彌羅至真玉皇上帝”，民間稱天、上天、蒼天、昊天、皇天、天公、老天爺等。 [11] 玉皇殿前四大天師 ： 張天師 ， 葛天師 ， 許天師 ， 薩天師 四禦是玉皇大帝統治宇宙三界的助手，又稱為四輔： 紫微大帝、 長生大帝 、 勾陳大帝 、 后土娘娘 統御萬天的玉皇大帝、統御萬雷的勾陳大帝、統御萬星的紫徽大帝、統御萬類的青華大帝、統御萬靈的長生大帝、統御萬地的后土娘娘合成六合 （上、下、東、南、西、北），代表宇宙無限的空間。 四方之神 （東青龍，西白虎，南朱雀，北玄武） 南斗六星君 （司命星君，司祿星君，延壽星君，益算星君，度厄星君，上生星君） 北斗七星君 （陽明貪狼星君，陰精巨門星君，真人祿存星君，玄冥文曲星君，丹元廉貞星君，北極武曲星君，天關破軍星君） 九曜星君（計都星君、火德星君、木德星君、太陰星君、土德星君、羅睺星君、太陽星君、金德星君、水德星君） 二十八星宿 （ 東方七宿角、亢、氐、房、心、尾、箕， 南方七宿井、鬼、柳、星、張、翼、軫， 西方七宿奎、婁、胃、昴、畢、觜、參， 北方七宿鬥、牛、女、虛、危、室、壁） 三十六天罡星 七十二地煞星 九天玄女 （ 軒轅黃帝之師 ，術數之祖）， 花神 ， 嫦娥 仙子 ， 無生老母 ， 驪山老母 ， 慈航真人 ，太姥娘娘 七仙女 ， 何仙姑 （八仙之一）， 陳靖姑 （救產保胎）， 麻姑 ， 電母 ， 狐仙 ， 織女 ， 娥皇 ， 女英 文曲星 ， 魁星 ， 天聾地啞 五文昌（文昌帝君，魁星星君，朱衣神君，純陽帝君，文衡帝君） 中華十聖 （酒聖杜康 ，文聖孔子 ，醫聖張仲景 ，武聖關羽 ，史聖司馬遷 ，書聖王羲之 ，草聖張旭 ，畫聖吳道子 ，詩聖杜甫 ，茶聖陸羽 ） 儒家四聖 （至聖孔子、复聖顏回、宗聖曾子，亞聖孟子），聖人韓愈 、 朱熹 ， 王陽明 天樞上相（ 姜子牙 ， 張良 ， 諸葛亮 ， 魏徵 ） 真武大帝 （明朝保護神，武當山主神） 關聖帝君 （忠義的化身，武聖） 護法四帥 （天蓬玉真壽元真君、天猷仁執靈福真君、翊聖保德儲慶真君、佑聖真武靈應真君） 四大元帥（馬、趙、溫、關） 二郎神 ，梅山七聖 王靈官 ，五百靈官， 雷部諸將 雲台二十八將 ，凌煙閣二十四臣 托塔天王 ， 哪吒 比干 ， 武財神關帝 ， 儒商之祖子貢 ， 道商之祖范蠡 五路財神 （玄壇真君趙公明和招寶天尊、納珍天尊、利市仙官、招財使者） 鐘呂二仙， 和合二仙 ， 土地爺 白圭 ， 管仲 ， 柴榮 ， 沈萬三 ， 劉海 （戲蟾）， 韓信 （偏財神） 喜神 ，八仙，門神， 鍾馗 麻姑，彭祖， 順星 ， 月老 ， 石敢當 三官大帝 （全名為三元三品三官大帝 ，上元一品天官唐堯主賜福，中元二品地官虞舜主赦罪，下元三品水官大禹主解厄。） 天吳 ， 畢方 ， 據比 ， 豎亥 ， 燭陰 ， 帝俊 上古四方天帝（ 炎帝 、 少昊 、 顓頊 、 伏羲 ） 刑天 ， 蚩尤 ， 共工 ， 祝融 ， 彭祖 堯 （上元一品天官 ）、 舜 （中元二品地官 ）、 禹 （下元三品水官 ）、 湯 城隍 、 判官 、 牛頭馬面 、黑白無常（拘人生魂） 南極仙翁 （ 玉清真王 ） 神醫 （ 扁鵲 ， 張仲景 ， 華佗 ， 皇甫謐 ， 葛洪 ， 孫思邈 ， 錢乙 ， 朱 ​​震亨 ， 李時珍 ， 葉天士 ） 守護之神 十二生肖 六十太歲 四海龍王 城隍 、 土地 、 山神 、 水神 、 龍王 區域特有神祇：都江堰二郎神 ，溫州楊府爺 ，茅山三茅真君 ，福州陳靖姑 ，台灣國姓爺 ，廣西布洛陀 ，香港黃大仙等等。 高道真人 四大真人 （南華真人、沖虛真人、通玄真人、洞靈真人） 王禪老祖鬼穀子 ，北極真人安期生 ，紫陽真人張伯端 ，重陽真人王重陽 ，長春真人丘處機 ，三豐真人張三豐 張繼先天師， 張宇初天師 Source for: The Taoist Immortals SUBHK..... Most of the names of the immortals are in this list and include the ones that you have mentioned. Do not try to find them in the Hua Hu Ching. Hua Hu Ching was only mentioned a few immortals and it is not the main source for them.

He sure made a boo boo, didn't he....???

Well, guys.... Sorry. I am not a warlock..............

If Chi was defined as 氧氣(oxygen) in the air, do you still considered that as man-made superstition....???

Do you realize that your belief – no consciousness outside the brain – was formulated when consciousness was looking at the brain and concluded that it came out from the brain? According to your statement, the consciousness came out from the brain. It seems that the consciousness has its own brain or whatever. To me, the consciousness is part of the brain. Without the brain, thus no consciousness. The Chi in the breath is directly to keep the brain alive. As long the brain was being alive, the consciousness would be always there. It doesn't need Chi to light it up.

Those are not new to me. They are already on my screen before you've even posted. I can read what it says. What was bothering me is that didn't say what the English translation says. Not even near.

Don't you think, at least, that there should be an original that we can be looked. That's all I am asking.

I am surprised that such a statement was made by someone who had been claimed himself as a scholar.

It is not the case. I don't want to see what I want to see. I want to see what it says for what it is.

"The word Dao simply means 'way' or 'path'. It is made up of two characters; the shaman's head wearing deer antlers and the character to walk. So we have the word which means to walk in a wise and knowing way, to find one's path through the intracacies of life by wisdom and knowledge." Is that your finding for the root of the character Tao It is a pity for someone who has such a narrow view. I grant you that was the definition from the outside view of the TTC. It seems to me that you have not studied the main Chapters in the TTC with a close look.

TCM is more like a supplement in the western world as natural foods. The TCM doctor listens to one's pulses to determine what is a certain organ lack or need. Then, he will come up with a prescription of herbs for the supplements.

I will, only if you play it right.......

They're sure wanted to make it official, don't they.....???

The language of Tao is stillness. Words that are not spoken come from its lips. The song it writes is sung by birds, clouds, trees and rivers. To hear its call is to share the One Voice. To perceive its name is to listen within. Rested and tranquil nothing is known. Here great wisdom is revealed. The language of Tao is silence. Words that are whispered come from its heart. The wisdom it shares is of ancient stars and babes. To be guided by it is to act from what is holy. To perceive its presence in the here and now is to be Awake. Clouds, trees, rivers and birds know no other. Rested and tranquil they do without realizing. Simple and quiet they realize without doing. Moving, flying, drifting, flowing are a single action. Through the original movement no movement occurs. That which appears still is Tao. That which appears moving is Tao. What seems to change remains unchanging. What was before and after has not altered. One who knows, knows only One. One who is still notices no difference. One who is silent hears the sacred whisper. One who is observant notices the subtle. Its message is clear. It never stops. Silent and still one begins to notice. The Tao is not hidden from view. Chapter One Invisible was the name given to Tao at the origin of heaven and earth. Hence, when Tao is always invisible, one would grok its quale.

The Tao is not hidden from view. In wooded glades and mountain paths, city streets or busy roads, it resides. Nowhere being better or worse its face appears. What is settled is present everywhere. Observe what does not move, it may be noticed. Regard what is inanimate, it is revealed. Turn towards the still for what is common appears. A cloud is not a cloud, a tree not a tree, yet look to trees and clouds to read what is common. What makes them indistinct is Tao. Look beyond stillness and see how moving things are settled. Here it is revealed. This is what is ordinary. A tumbling river is not a tumbling river, a flying bird, not a flying bird but gaze at birds and rivers to notice what is ordinary. In the ordinary the sacred is unveiled. What makes them indifferent is Tao. A river is Tao appearing as a river, a bird is Tao arising as a bird. One who knows, knows only One. Yes, very nicely done. It corresponds with Chapter One. Visible was the name given to Tao as the mother of all things. When Tao is always visible, one would observe its boundary.

You mean I have not done enough of that. oops..... Sorry, I was looking at the original classic rather than the various translations. The various translations may lead anybody to believe anything..........

Exactly. I couldn't agree more. It is the same with "Tao". If "way" was translated for "Tao", then the root is not recognized. PS.... You are a scholar and a gentleman.....

"Dao is prior to Di". It was very cleared that Dao is prior and separated from Di which are not the same. BTW Lao Tze is an atheist. "Di" was known to the people; thus he uses the word character of "Di" was only a convenience for the explanation of Dao.

帝(di): the highest ruler among a kingdom. 上(shang4): upper; above; high; supreme 上帝(shang4 di): it is the supreme ruler in the universe, in the Chinese language, which is God to the Chinese Christians. 商朝: Shang1 Dynasty. You are getting the shang4(上) and shang1(商) mixed up. BTW It's not your fault but the phonetics.