Stigweard

Chart of the Great Ultimate (Taiji tu) The relations among the different cosmological configurations that intervene between the Dao and the "ten thousand things" are illustrated in the Chart of the Great Ultimate (Taiji tu), which was discussed at length by both Taoist and Neo-Confucian authors. Texts in the Daozang (Taoist Canon) contain several versions of this chart; the one reproduced below is the best-known version. On top, the chart depicts the Absolute (wuji) as an empty circle. Below is another circle that represents the Great Ultimate (taiji) as harboring the Two, or Yin and Yang, shown as two semicircles that mirror each other. Each semicircle is made of black (Yin) and white (Yang) lines that enclose each other, to depict Yin containing True Yang and Yang containing True Yin. The empty circle within these lines corresponds to the empty circle on top, alluding to the notion that Yin and Yang are the "function" or "operation" (yong) of Emptiness, which in turn is their "substance" or "core" (ti). Following this are the five agents (wuxing), which constitute a further stage in the progressive differentiation from Oneness to multiplicity. The lines that connect the Agents to each other show the sequence in which they are generated, namely Wood, Fire, Soil, Metal, and Water. In the configuration of the five agents, the Great Ultimate is represented by the central Soil (which is said to have a "male" and a "female" aspect) and reappears as the small empty circle below, which represents the conjunction of Water and Fire ("Great Yin" and "Great Yang") and of Wood and Metal ("Minor Yang" and "Minor Yin"). The circle below the five agents represents the joining of Heaven and Earth, or the active and passive principles that respectively give birth to and support the existence of the "ten thousand things." The state of multiplicity is represented by the circle at the base of the diagram. Taoism: Chart of the Great Ultimate (Taiji tu)

Echo through valley Ancients come to you and speak Though you hear them not Expecting thunder You miss the voice on the wind Breathe and look within

1. Virtue 2. Living in tune with nature 3. Eliminating disturbances to the mind 4. Natural exercise and breathing 5. Internal alchemy

LOL Stig's focus went over here: http://www.taowizard.com I will come back to it though ... I kinda have something in the pipeline.

That black tie looks worn... Better wear my red one then. Off to the party

Cheers Jess I remember you telling me about the lass who made the chopstick vs knife / fork argument and I was a little shocked myself when I was turned away from Room A. I can't help wondering how on earth we will get past all this bigotry (which mind you was present from both sides of the fence.) @Iskote Yes it was pretty much academic all round with Jess being the welcomed oasis amongst it all. For me the best part was meeting and networking with the caliber of folks present.

Proposed Taoist Home-Study Course: ~ Spanning 3-5yrs, ~ Each month you received four lesson booklets, together with a copy of a monthly magazine, and supplementary material, ~ One-on-one mentors, ~ Gatherings, retreats and workshops, ~ Locally based "seed-groups", ~ Opportunities for further study and training would be available.

Seeing that the topic was raised... Who would you like to see contributing to the content of such a course? My votes: Master Hua Ching Ni Master Chunyi Lin Prof Livia Kohn Prof Michael Saso Yours?

Here's an experience I had a number of years ago: I'm not sure what time it was when my intruder entered my room. I only remember awakening to sense it's inky presence oozing into my room. There was no shape as such, just a glutinous oppressiveness that poured its way into my room and descended on my prostrate body. It was the summer of 1996, I was staying in a seedy men's hostel just near the CBD of Rockhampton, Australia. This place used to be a pub (public bar) and the hallways still echoed of a hundred years of debauchery. My tiny room on the second floor, lacking any form of cooling to speak of, opened up onto a verandah from which I had a unique view across the road to perhaps the nastiest, foulest pub in town. This pub was frequented by the towns' urban aboriginals and many were the nights where I was serenaded by a chorus of vulgarity, violence and the midnight screaming of police sirens. Only a week before the events I am about to relate I had a box office seat to a mini-riot which left a stream of blood trickling into the gutters. On this particularly hot night, that left me gasping in my room like it was a furnace, I had decided to leave open the french doors that opened onto the verandah trying to catch the non-existent breeze. After endless minutes of sweltering listlessly I managed to plunge into the reprieve of sleep. My first waking instinct, when I was pinned fast to my bed, was of course to panic and scream, but before I could even gasp this incredible weight had estinguished my speech and severed my very ability to think. I say "weight" but it wasn't a physical weight as such, more like a density that tore its way through my mind and sunk it's tendrils deep within me to assault the sanctity of my soul. I can't say how long I lay there, helpless, I couldn't even think let alone contemplate the passing of time. I do know I struggled desperately but in vain because every avenue my mind fled down was slammed shut by my unyielding captor. But then some unknown part of me surged forth. My mind was flayed and stripped bare to reveal something deeper, something filled with an incredible raw potency. I was like the Earth itself with its crust sundered apart to release the primal magma of its core. In an instant my awareness flew to my lower Tan Tien and my lower abdomen erupted in a explosion of pure light. I felt my adversary convulse above me which gave me my chance for escape. I surged this pure light out to my hands and I blasted the full potency of my being into my foe. It flailed in protest, yet still I sent forth torrents of the unquenchable light. Finally my intruder routed, releasing its hold on my mind, fleeing back out of the door. Immediately I was up out of my bed streaming my light before me, nothing could resist my advance. I got to the door and sealed the portal with the light from my hands, creating a impenetrable web of light. With incredible relief coursing through me I turned around ... only to behold my own prostrate body, eyes closed, sweating on my bed, a full fifteen feet from where my awareness 'stood'. I jolted awake on my bed, bolting upright with a startled cry. Confused I looked around my room, back toward the door where I had only just been standing, but it was eerily normal. Then I noticed the sensations in my body. My hands burned furiously, waves of Qi pulsing out of them, my lower abdomen was vibrating tempestuously and I could still feel the 'little sun' that burned there. Out of instinct I got up and repeated my cleansing process. Sending streams of light from my hands through my room and out the door and then once again I sealed the entrance way. For hours I stayed awake, journalling as much as I could remember. And as the dawn broke that morning I gave sincere and hearty thanks to my teachers and to all the qigong and nei tan I had learned up to that point that had helped me win freedom from my midnight intruder.

Valid comments Ninpo. In fact the entire success of the project would come down to the contribution of reputable teachers. By the way, I don't consider one of those teachers to be me. I'm just the bright spark (or damn fool) who has got a bee in his bonnet over wanting to see this type of course become a reality, so at best I am merely a facilitator, cheer squad, and gofer boy. Ideally it would be a collaborative effort by a focus group consisting of both Western scholars and Chinese masters.

Heya Reader, That is yet to be officially determined. Let me share the process that I have been following. You may or may not be aware that I recently attended a Daoist Summit in Beijing. At that summit I submitted my paper addressing the need for greater accessibility for aspiring students of Daoism in the Western world. With some interest expressed by delegates at the summit I have since shared my paper amongst my networks to see what sort of feedback I could gather. I have collected some of this discussion over at http://taowizard.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?...p;f=3&t=100 Now I am wanting to get a formalized measure of the interest online to verify the validity of taking this course to the next step. With this sort of statistical proof of interest I can then approach would-be auspicing organizations and/or sponsors to help with the next step in the progress. I trust this clarifies "where I am coming from".

Cheers for those couple of votes. Keep em coming

Here's a quote from Theun Mares: You don't know how it would be if you achieved the state of being a Xian from your current limited perspective. So it is pointless you trying to imagine it. If you are hanging off a cliff-face engaged in a life or death struggle to ascend the mountain then such speculation is not only a gross waste of energy but you may also miss the summit when you get to it because you were expecting something else.

╗╔╔╗╔╗╔╗╦─╦─╔╗╦╔╗╦─╦─╦─╦╔╗╔╗╔╗ ╠╣╠╣╠╝╠╝╚╦╝─║║║╠─║║║─╚╦╝╠─╠╣║╝ ╝╚╝╚╩─╩──╩──╩╚╝╚╝╚╩╝──╩─╚╝╝╚╝╩

Questioning, speculating, pondering, and contemplating "how things will be" once you get to your preconceived "there" of Taoist achievement are wasted energy if they do not lead you to sincere practice. Which will get you "there" sooner: Speculation or practice?

I disagree on the grounds that, seeing virtue is the foundation teaching IMO, the expression of their De would be of principle concern for me.

Constructs of the mind. This Catholic Calendar. No base in nature.

Another year gone... Another has just begun Where will it all end?

Interesting. I would like to hear your thoughts on this. I have started another topic: http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=13064

Heya effilang, If your perception tells you that Taoism is only "half the pie" then, quite simply, you have missed half the pie of Taoism. From "Jade Emperor's Heart Seal Sutra" ... When the Ching is full, the Chi also becomes full. Like an evergreen, you must grow your Ching and Chi. In this way your life's tree will never wither, Even when reaching your winter years. Ching, Chi and Shen are in fact one. To find this wonderful miracle, You need only know this precious treasure Within your own being. ... Taoist celibacy, when and where appropriate, is to be viewed in the light of nourishing our Ching to fullness. Taoist celibacy is also something that is not to be forced through artificial thinking. If it is the natural progress of the individual to be celibate then they are celibate, if not then they are not. We should also not fall into the trap of assuming we know the view from the mountain top when we are still standing on the valley floor. Neither you or I are Xian (i.e. Heavenly Immortal) so let's not fool ourselves that we can even conjecture what state of existence or awareness such a being might have. Your answers will only be found through your practice and not your questions.

Now there's the coincidence of all coincidences because I have just engaged him in conversation over the paper I presented. Yes he was there, an incredibly well researched man indeed. Have you met him yourself in person?