Stigweard

We have also started digging the second bed which leads me to Tip No. 3. Check where ALL the pipes are, and if you hear a mysterious clunking sound, stop, look and check with hands instead of going for the buried treasure. Yes you guessed it, the old digging fork through the water pipe trick...now waiting for the plumber hehehehehe

Time to get the compost pile going. It's like a big chocolate mud cake !! Steps: 1. Loosen soil 12" below area 2. 5" layer of dry twigs, branches etc. 3. 4" layer of draw vegetable matter like straw 4. 2" layer of green matter including kitchen wastes 5. 1" layer of soil that was dug from the first trench in the garden 6. Repeat 3 - 5 until 4 - 5 ft high Each layer is watered lightly to encourage microbial activity. Leave for 2-3 months, though it can be turned at 6-8 weeks to speed the process

You are a champion of the cause then. Love to see pics of your horses at work

LOL so if you cant create something from nothing, where did God come from? Who created God?

Want to change the environment of the oil market? You have a choice: change the supply end or change the demand end. We have more control over the demand end because that's us. It is your demand on oil that has caused this atrocity to our planet. Stop whinging about "them" and take an inventory on your demands on unsustainable and ecologically stupid energy sources. Want to make sure this never happens again? Bury your car and grow a garden

Thank you for the recommendation ... I will look into it

YES !!!! My wife has got this one ... I must read it to

ABSOLUTELY !!!!

Recite the sutra I shared 10,000 times as per the traditional instruction and report back when you are done.

A well crafted inquiry Gold This is no small subject as immortality lies at the heart of Taoist ontology, and I would even go as far as to say all Taoist discussion is synonymously about immortality. Firstly, to say that there is no mention of immortality in 'the big 3' is very far from the truth. But to see its referencing you have to accept that Taoist immortality is much more subtle and mysterious then the crass idea of being able to physically live for 10,000 years. I will divulge more about this in a moment. Also, the 'big three' are only 'big' because they are what all the various branches agree upon as a common belief. They cannot be regarded as represetative of 'all' Taoist ontology. There are plenty of explicit references in the Daozhang about Hsien Hua, transformation into an immortal, for immortality to be regarded as central to the Taoist corpus (The Jade Emperor's Heart Seal Sutra [Daozhang 13] comes immediately to mind). So what is Taoist immortality? Like many branches of esoterica, Taoism endeavors to elucidate the mystery of birth and death and the possible evolution of the human soul. Where does birth come from? Where does death go to? These are fundamental questions pondered by Zhuangzi and Laozi. It would appear that, on the surface, Taoism offers two options for immortality (though I personally believe they are one and the same). The first is a 'philosophical immortality,' though perhaps 'immortal awareness' could be closer to the mark. It is where the sage aligns a view of the world that is universal and thus eternal. The second could be referred to as 'alchemical immortality' where the sage has refined their being and elevated their soul so that their consciousness persists beyond death's usual dissolution. The reason I believe they are one and the same is because alchemical immortality is not possible without first attaining immortal awareness, and one cannot truly align an immortal awareness without symbiotically initiating the process of alchemical immortality. Immortal awareness is about an acceptance of the cyclic nature of life; life leads to death and death leads to life. Without trying to overly strengthen life or overly prevent death, the sage's awareness enters the 'slipstream' of Universal mindedness. By not attaching to the individualistic self the sage unites their awareness with the eternal Tao. So immortal awareness is about having an alignment of consciousness that is one with universal awareness and thus, whilst embracing the inevitability of physical death, exists beyond the limits of birth and death. But what about alchemical immortality? Is it possible? Many schools of Taoism certainly believe so. But how is it possible? And how do you 'do it'? Most of the Taoist immortality discussions revolve around this passage from chapter 33 in Laozi: 知足者富。強行者有志。 不失其所者久。死而不亡者壽。 Legge's Translation: He who does not fail in the requirements of his position, continues long; he who dies and yet does not perish, has longevity. Susuki's Translation One who loses not his place endures. One who may die but will not perish, has life everlasting. Goddard's Translation He who dares to act has nerve; if he can maintain his position he will endure, but he, who dying does not perish, is immortal. My favorite of course is Hua Ching Ni's Translation: One who does not divert his mind from the realization of integral virtue is wisely willful. One who preserves his natural integrity will endure. One who embraces the subtle essence dies, yet does not perish, and thus enjoys true immortality. The key phrase here is "He who dies without perishing". What does this mean? Firstly it should be noted that Taoists aren't trying to avoid death; death in the immortal awareness world-view is embraced as a necessary part of life. There is the inference here though that he who can maintain and preserve their integral nature can endure beyond the cessation of physical life. And so we are presented here with a type of spiritual immortality. That with the right practice the sage can be "born" into a new spiritual incarnation. So how does it 'work'? Without going through all the theory, Taoist ontology views the individual self as a composite of many souls. We have a group called Hun and another group called Po. Our Hun souls are heavenly or celestial in nature, whilst the Po souls are bodily, physical, and animalistic in nature. At death it is said that all of our souls that were once working together dissipate and dissolve apart, the Hun returning to the heavens and the Po returning to the earth. This is what can be called 'normal' biological destiny. However, many Taoists believe that, with the right instruction and with the right alchemical processes, this soul composite can be refined/elevated into a higher energy state so that they don't dissipate at death and instead form the 'body' of a new spiritual being. The physical body still dies but the energy of consciousness evolves into a new phase of existence. Interestingly enough the success of the practitioner's endeavor is determined by how much of him or her is left over after they die. If only fingernails and hair is left then you have a right-hand seat beside the Jade Emperor So how do you do it? Here is Hua Ching Ni's translation of "The Jade Emperor's Heart Seal Sutra": The precious immortal medicine is contained within you: ...shen as spirit and mind, ...chi as general vitality, ...and ching as sexual energy. They are one energy manifested in different forms. To maintain integrity, do not employ them in isolation. Before manifestation, this high potency of life ...is whole and subtle. In your cultivation, return to the subtle breath ...before you were born. After a certain length of time, wholeness can be seen; ...it will become the foundation of your spiritual empire. You then can have a personal audience with ...the Jade Emperor who sits firmly on the throne within. With him, you ride on the natural cycle of universal energy ...and are able to ascend from the lower sphere of nature ...to the high Heavenly realms. For the person of high intelligence, ...this is easy to fulfill; ...but for the ignorant it is difficult to accept. In the early morning's dawn, ...inhale and exhale the clarity and purity. Like the fetus, ...rest in the mysterious womb of the mother. In this way you gather your own subtle essence ...and enjoy steady subtle growth. As the integrity of your life is restored, ...you will find the true fulfillment of immortality: ...all things are only temporarily named. The truth of immortality is dependent ...on your integrated new life of wholeness. Your integrated new life of wholeness ...is able to penetrate the densest stones ...and soar freely in the ethereal sky. This integrated new life cannot be drowned, ...nor can it be burned in the hottest fire. In general, spirit must integrate with form, ...subtle essence depends on vital chi. Once achieved it becomes undecaying and unwithering ...like an evergreen. In the beginning these three are not separate; ...as one, their subtle power is beyond the mind's grasp. Only when they are completely integrated ...do we have the precious Immortal Medicine. When they are separated, there is no power. For the achieved one, ...the seven orifices communicate with each other, ...each imparting its own subtle light. Once you gain immortality, ...your body becomes light. Your inner Sun and Moon will shine ...in the "Golden Court" of your life being. You will glow with an auspicious light ...and be filled with the most precious harmony. It is said that if you recite this sutra 10,000 times it's subtle truth will be revealed to you

steals Demeter's grain to make some wine for Bachus drink divine madness

Depends which Taoists you are asking about From a pure energetic vision stand point tho, our psycho-screw-ups definitely appear demonesque. It can be a humbling moment to observe this and realize, "Oh my god! That's me!"

The one that annoys And disturbs you most of all Call that one 'teacher.' ----------- A 'good' teacher inspires the student to discover their own self accomplishment, in order to do that the student must effectively stalk the social conditionings that are responsible for their spiritual ensnarement. Coming face to face with the socialized addictions of our contrived personality is not a pleasant thing, quite the contrary, it is often terrifying and deeply horrifying to honestly face and acknowledge the demon-like qualities that we have allowed to harbor within ourselves. Some students need the allure of sun-swept glades of paradise to make this journey, others need a swift slap up the side of the head. A 'good' teacher will know the right motivator for the student.

LOL my friend ... I suggest we discuss motherly love and you give us a titty parade O.o Now whilst I certainly agree that Reon Kadena is a splendid example of feminine beauty, I wonder how many mothers would like their daughters paraded and exploited like this ??

Hahahah ... sure A classic for me was when I asked about going "professional" with teaching Taiji. Ever since I started learning it had been a cherished dream of mine to teach Taiji as a profession. Of course I resisted asking the Yijing in case it gave me a negative response ... you can see the emotional attachments straight away can't you? So sure was I that this was my "life path" that I was certain the Yijing would respond favorably. So you can imagine my emotional response when the response was basically that the ass would fall out of my life if I pursued teaching for profit. I hussed and cussed for ages, but then I sat quietly with the advice of the Yijing and sought the deeper implications and realized that my deep joy of practicing and sharing Taiji would be impaired if I became dependent on it for financial support. On the flip-side there was one question where I was sure I was going to get negative response. All my life I have enjoyed strategy games, especially military strategy. I had felt however that it wasn't really resonating with my spiritual studies so I put them on my "black list". Not too long ago I had the opportunity to play a game and thought that I shouldn't play. But I decided, out of curiosity, to run it by the Yijing totally expecting it to say, "Stay away fool!" So again I was surprised when the result was "Good fortune comes through the appropriate use of force," that having force but restraining its use leads to prosperity. Intrigued I did play and followed the Yijing's response and was pleasantly surprised that this was a lesson I really did need to learn. I tend to be very forceful and can be overly rough with people sometimes (lol you just have to scan through this thread to see that coming out hahahaha !!!). So this stands out as a classic case of don't prejudge anything, you never know what treasures are lying in amongst the manure

Yes I agree with you And so Laozi is pointing us to regard life in the same manner as life regards itself

LOL the old "more with less" scenario ... I think I like it

Well said And thank you for engaging the dialogue I am inclined to agree with you here as well. I mentioned in my OP that, from my observations, the only bias life has is "wholeness", though perhaps "integral harmony" would be a better phrase. Observe the following: A perfectly straight line is unnatural, you need an artificial instrument to create it. Most people's lives are like the center jagged line; they go from one extreme to the other creating disharmony and discordance along the way and ultimately shortening their own life. The Taoist ideal is the smooth flowing line. By not attaching our emotions to the passing features of life we learn to stay closer to the center. Instead of wasting our energy and splintering our minds on the lures of transitory things, we conserve and nurture our precious life energy, discovering wholeness and peace. I like your point of view. I will extend on this by saying that, if we achieve the smooth and harmonious "ideal" then our interactions will be naturally smooth and harmonious. So the Taoist virtue is not a whole bunch of precepts and concepts, but is the natural emanation of a wholesome and harmonious consciousness. Nice I think Taoists are like good gardeners. A gardener will look closely at where a particular plant grows the healthiest and what nutrients optimise that health. Taoists are, to me, supreme observers of what conditions nurture the healthiest human being and, in the process of this deep observation, they observed that being emotionally engaged in people and other transitory things only serves to undermine human harmony and wholeness. Your thoughts and words have been greatly appreciated