i_am_sam

Transformer has always spoke to me beyond words and music. It was this that came into my head that reminded me of this thread - Row row row your boat, Gently down the stream. Merrily merrily merrily merrily, Life is but a dream. and the Farsi translation on wikipedia - Ride and go with your boat down the stream row and be happy life is beautiful peace

and a big cat!

forgive me for not reading the rest of the thread but I entirely disagree, your welcone to your opinion scotty and if you believe it thens its true, for you. Other realities may vary. I for one was raised and grew up an atheist, I don't really want to label what I am now, taosim is probably the closest 'religion' that strikes a chord with me in terms of balancing mental, spiritual and physical harmony and how I live in this world. So I didn't actually grow up with a religion, so maybe am at the back of the queue in terms of pertinent points to be made regarding the original post and your reply, but can't help wanting to interject when I read such self limiting words. You(everybody) are whoever and whatever religion you want to be regardless of how you raised. make it so! S x edit for spelling edit for the OP. No. 15, yes.

http://www.amazon.com/Tai-Chi-Touchstones-...2932&sr=8-1

yes you can only experience (feel?) the present

Glad you like it, came from here -http://www.wayist.org/ttc%20compared/indexchp.htm Possibly the reason the www was invented! I love the fact you can read all the translations together and come to your own conclusions. I think Socrates summed up these lines quite succinctly - all I know is I know nothing peace

I can't comment on the accuracy of any translation, so instead offer more translations to ponder Ch. 20 Sentence 5 Beck Most people seem knowledgeable and bright. I alone am simple and dull. Most people see differences and are sharp. I alone make no distinctions, seeming aimless, drifting as the sea, like the wind blowing about, seemingly without destination. Blackney When common people scintillate I alone make shadows. Vulgar folks are sharp and knowing: Only I am melancholy. Restless like the ocean, Blown about, I cannot stop. Bynner The average man is so crisp and so confident That I ought to be miserable Going on and on like the sea, Drifting nowhere. Byrn Ordinary people are bright; I alone am dark. Ordinary people are clever; I alone am dull. Ordinary people seem discriminating; I alone am muddled and confused. I drift on the waves on the ocean, blown at the mercy of the wind. Chan Common folks are indeed brilliant; I alone seem to be in the dark. Common folks see differences and are clear-cut; I alone make no distinctions. I seem drifting as the sea; Like the wind blowing about, seemingly without destination. Cleary Ordinary people try to shine; I alone seem to be dark. Ordinary people try to be on the alert; I alone am unobtrusive, calm as the ocean depths, buoyant as if anchored nowhere. Crowley The profane man looks lively and keen-witted; I alone appear blank in my mind. They seem eagerly critical; I appear careless and without perception. I seem to be as one adrift upon the sea, with no thought of an harbour. Hansen People of custom are lustrous, I alone am dull. People of custom are critically discriminating; I alone obfuscate. Bland! It's like the ocean; drifting! like I have no place to stop. LaFargue Ordinary men are so bright I alone am so dull. Ordinary men are so sharp I alone am so stupid. Churned up like the ocean, blown about, like someone with no place to rest. Legge Ordinary men look bright and intelligent, while I alone seem to be benighted. They look full of discrimination, while I alone am dull and confused. I seem to be carried about as on the sea, drifting as if I had nowhere to rest. Lindauer Customs of men are clear, obvious The self alone is dark, indistinct Customs of men are curious, scrutinizing The self alone is tightly closed, shut off. So indifferent, it looks like the ocean Such a gusty wind, it looks ceaseless. LinYutan The vulgar are knowing, luminous; I alone am dull, confused. The vulgar are clever, self-assured; I alone, depressed. Patient as the sea, Adrift, seemingly aimless. Mabry Ordinary people are bright. I alone seem dim. Ordinary people are discriminating. I alone am ambivalent. As quiet as the ocean. As free as the wind. McDonald The world is full of knowing people that shine; I alone am dull, confused. I seem to be in the dark. They look lively and clear-cut self-assured; I appear alone, depressed, or patient as the sea, blown adrift, seemingly aimless, never brought to a stop. Merel The people are bright and certain, Where I am dim and confused; The people are clever and wise, Where I am dull and ignorant; Aimless as a wave drifting over the sea, Attached to nothing. Mitchell Other people are bright; I alone am dark. Other people are sharper; I alone am dull. Other people have a purpose; I alone don't know. I drift like a wave on the ocean, I blow as aimless as the wind. Muller While average people are clear and bright, I alone am obscure. Average people know everything. To me alone all seems covered. So flat! Like the ocean. Blowing around! It seems there is no place to rest. Red Pine others look bright I alone seem dim others are certain I alone am confused receding like the ocean waxing without cease Ta-Kao The vulgar are bright, And I alone seem to be dull. The vulgar are discriminative, and I alone seem blunt. I am negligent as if being obscure; Drifting, as if being attached to nothing. Walker They are bright; I am dark. They are sharp; I am dull. Like the sea, I am calm and indifferent. Like the wind I have no particular direction. Wayism Wieger They seem full of light, I seem dull. They seek and scrutinize, I remain concentrated in myself. Indeterminate, like the immensity of the oceans, I float without stopping. World Other people are intelligent. I alone am ignorant. Others are shrewd and cunning. I alone am untouched and moronic. I aimlessly drift on the great tides of the endless seas at the mercy of the indifferent winds. Wu All men are bright, bright: I alone am dim, dim. All men are sharp, sharp; I alone am mum, mum! Bland like the ocean, Aimless like the wafting gale.

Sounds like nothing I'd want to be involved with. Guess I'll just stay skint. Maybe not. Good luck! Your pal S x

I have nothing against Bruce Lee, or the use of violence if necessary to defend yourself, but nobody 'deserves' an ass kicking. How is using violence on a bully anything other than repeating cycles? It does nothing but reinforce their behaviour, and maybe makes you feel a bit better. Doesn't make you better. And kids are smarter, imho, than most adults give them credit for. peace

that is not the bottom line, the bottom line is loving others, especially the bullies

http://www.wayist.org/ttc%20compared/indexchp.htm

"It is no measure of good health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society" I may be paraphrasing and can't remember who said it, but I almost certainly read it on Tao Bums, so thanks to whoever originally posted it I think maybe the process towards enlightenment might involve states of being that would classed by a western medicine psychologist as some kind of disorder or disease, but why let them define you? I'm all for deciding for yourself what or who you are. Or should I keep that between me and the voices I've heard in my head Once actually enlightenend.. surely its a cooool breeeeze baby

Stigweard from 500 ft you are almost definitely going to die, water impact at that speed would be like hitting concrete. You're right would be a hell of a way to go!! Unless.... you go head down lawn dart style for maximum accleration/velocity then at the last second flare into a tracking position, converting your vertical descent speed into forward motion for maximum glide angle.. incredibly slim chance you might ride out the landing, but your timing and altitude perception better be good (even harder to judge over water). I'd jump myself, think of the merit earned!!

I can understand peoples reluctance to see thread after thread on NWO and conspiracy in the taoist discussion forum, but the Tao Te Ching (at least the translations I've read) have more than one chapter on government and how to rule. Doesn't that make the original post relevant to the Tao?

did you get tea? no tea, no good.

donate some

There endeth the lesson peace to you too Cameron and thank you for that post

feel like a winner, then losing won't matter because it doesn't

In The Magus of Java mountains are talked about as having lots of yin energy, hence their attraction to mystics and seekers of higher realities

man that really is so far from the truth

amen we must become the change we want to see

Has anybody seen this? An anglican vicar from the UK travels round the world taking its 'religious pulse', 5 part series on BBC TV. I found the whole series really really interesting. Here's a link to a segment of a programme where he is in the far east and visits some taoist monks. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g8ga_E41e5g&...feature=related I find the chinese government minder most amusing - "just keep it simple, the more you tell him the less he understands"

maybe it belongs to everybody?

I rely on my in-sense

just meant that one sentence a fantastic expression of experiencing India for the first time