Lozen

Speaking for myself I had a lot more fear when I was doing fake arts that didn't work. Doing functional external MA styles like grappling had the opposite effect. I've changed my reasons for training completely. I just do it to get out of my body now. In fact I'm far more interested in functional arts I'll be less likely to ever need to use.

I don't think any SD would be effective in real life unless it is alive; e.g. has timing energy and motion and is performed against a resisting opponent. And the only way to really be able to control an opponent without seriously hurting them is to be that much better than them in an art that is alive (boxing, wrestling, jiu jitsu, judo, Greco-Roman, etc.). I know BJJ purple and brown belts who can tie me up in knots without actually hurting me, and they've never stepped foot into a taiji class.

Unless he's talking about cosmic energy or something?

Thanks!! 16. Apart, from us where is time and where is space? If we are bodies, we are involved in time and space, but are we? We are one and identical now, then, and forever, here, and everywhere. Therefore we, timeless, and spaceless Being, alone are. Someone has to help me with this one...

Hmm, it makes sense to me though. The past was the present when it was the present; the future will be the present when it is the present, if you stay in the present you take care of past and future.

Modern-day wisdom would tell someone to look at the past and see what they learned and look where they want to be in the future and then USE THE PRESENT to do that, to make a plan. But I bet he's not talking about that either. I also thought it was more simplistic than telling people the same thing meditation teachers do (when thoughts arise, etc....). I thought he was simply saying that when the past occurred, it was the present, or when the future will occur, it too will be the present.

15. Only with reference to the present can the past and the future exist. They too, while current, are the present. To try to determine the nature of the past and the future while ignoring the present is like trying to count without the unit. Hmmm....

I think this is about how when you become more connected the distinction between self and other lessens. At least, that is how I understand it.

I wonder if this is about how once you KNOW something (intuitively or instinctually or internally) it isn't intellectual book knowledge or lack of intellectual book knowledge, it just IS. You just KNOW. You can't prove or disprove it. Or something. I'm not sure what the it is not a void part means... Maybe it is like an active knowing? I don't even know if I'd use the word know. Maybe sensing or perceiving or intuiting would be more accurate.

Magnificent Mobility is pretty good.

I dig it.

I got one!! Onwards... 10. Ordinary knowledge is always accompanied by ignorance, and ignorance by knowledge; the only true Knowledge is that by which one knows the Self through enquiring whose is the knowledge and ignorance.

Greetings! I'm in Tucson and I train in external martial arts.

You know, this is really timely for me because I actually decided I wanted to read Ramana after meeting a martial artist who had Ramana tattooed on his arms. I've been e-mailing the dude and talking about atheism, religion, etc. and it's really forced me to rethink many of my beliefs--not in God, but in the possibility of someone being what I would call spiritual or even enlightened (I don't mean Enlightened like the masters) while being a complete atheist. I think introspection and the sincere desire to do good may be more important. So to me this verse is saying that if you are introspective, you do not need to concern yourself with external things as much. Kind of like when you know you need to do something and it doesn't matter what anyone else is saying or doing or tells you. You just know it for yourself.

I can't stand the oil, even when I get Cinnamon tingle flavor, which is the only kind that doesn't make me gag. I think I take about a teaspoon of oil in the pills.

Yeah, I love that verse! But I also like reading and understanding the Dao De Jing.

If truth cannot be spoken in words, why did he write 40 verses?

Saying one needs to "realize" instead of "understand" implies that what you are reading is necessarily true. But how can you "realize" something to be true if you don't even "understand" "what it is? I'm not into the guru thing.

I'm taking CLO pills--two a day--and find it much more palatable than trying to make myself do the oil.

I don't see a difference between understanding and realizing.

The butter oil is about $30 cheaper here: http://www.greenpasture.org/products/butter-oil I have some but have never used it... I can't figure out how to eat it. Should've gotten the capsules.

No matter how you worship God/Buddha/Jesus/HaShem/Allah/the Universe/the Absolute Reality, that will help you realize it without name and form... I guess that implicitly makes sense to me because in Judaism God has no name or form, or at least the form cannot be known by man and the real name is too holy to utter, or something. Is this about seeing yourself in relation to the Ultimate Reality? Or did I miss something again?

Anyone?

So I was doing a lesson on smoking, biofeedback, relaxation etc. tomorrow and in prepping found out MY RELAXATION TAPE SUCKS! It is this weird man with a scratch voice. If anyone has audio with relaxation techniques that is not scratchy or weird please send it to me asap! Except it has to be non-religious, etc... just a whole "feel the tension leaving your big toe, all the way down to your little toe" stuff. It is for 8th graders so anything that sounds like "feel a tingling sensation running down your legs" will be responded to with uproarious bursts of laughter, so it needs to be childproof and schoolproof (e.g. non religious). Also it has to be short enough that I can e-mail it to myself because websense blocks out taobums and stuff. please let me know asap if you can help.