jeffrito

Yes I think so. I think they are just vehicles. Once the destination has been reached the vehicle can be left behind. That's not to say we can't get wisdom from them but we shouldn't cling to them. (Also maybe these ideas are completely wrong) If I was to say "I am a Buddhist" I think it says more about what I am not (e.g. a Christian, a Muslim etc) than what I am. I'd prefer not to define myself quite so rigidly. I'm going to add that this is all very idealistic and of course in reality I do feel some sense of national pride. We've been conditioned that way so there's no need to feel ashamed about it. But I also think it is a layer that just isn't necessary. Finally, I am very grateful for circumstances I was born into.

I can understand a love for the land a lot better. I love England. And what I really mean by this is the flora and fauna. The peaks of the lake district and the beaches of Cornwall and yes even the grey skies of London. But I'd hate my country to define my outlook on life. If I say I'm a Celt for example like some in the British Isles do, it's generally only their version of being a celt complete with their filters. The Celts originally came from Ukraine. You don't get many with a true affinity to that, only what they think that should be massaged by 2000 years of politics.

You did misunderstand. I do not want "a world with no distinction where everyone becomes one greyness...". I venture that our conceptions about our Irishness or our Englishness or Americanness or Jehova's Witness-ness are just unnecessary delusions the yard stick of which is constantly changing. For example, I imagine that being German for many people was very different during WW2 than it is today.

Would I? Why are you putting words in my mouth?

I think that's a great way of looking at it.

I really like this attitude. I think if we could let go of our nationality and our religious and political beliefs then we'd get along a lot better.

But how do you define Englishness? Is it tattoos and football hooligans? Public school educated comedians and filmstars? The bloody British Empire? My point is that there isn't one Englishness, just as there isn't one Americanness. They're different things to different people and often these images are created by politics of the past and reaffirmed by the media. Look at the history of the USA and how it is portrayed - The land of the free, the world's greatest democracy. Viewed through a different pair of eyes it's a nation responsible for the geocode and suppression of its indigenous population. We might look at similar situations in Canada and British colonies. It's only our government's cultural hegemony that stops us from viewing the world this way. I'm worried that having pride in our nation leads to separation. I'm not saying we should be ashamed, more that we need to let our ideas of nationhood fall into the distance.

Of course I'm referring to the borders of nations. The question is about nationality.

You're talking about habitat which is different to a border.

Well guys I've decided on Yi Gong with Jenny Lamb. Thanks for the advice!

Have we actually had a conclusive answer for this question? Is Red Phoenix the same as Red Sun, which is outlined here http://kunlun-tao.com/2009/08/red-sun-kunlun-nei-gong/

Does any one know where I could learn Red Phoenix in London. Or better still from a book or DVD?

Do you know where I could read about how to practise this?

I'm thinking of getting this DVD although I'm drawn between this and Terry Dunn's production (I love Terry's Flying Phoenix Qigong system). Any advice?

The other day I was preparing a salad. I opened up the lettuce to find a load of greenfly inside. I'm not just talking one or two, it was really quite a lot. Knowing that they were there I picked them off one by one and put them outside which took quite a long time. But I still think there were some left inside the remainder of the lettuce which went back in the fridge. Am I crazy?

Glad to see I'm not alone. It does raise some real questions about our actions. I have a cats. They had fleas last year. I picked the fleas out of them and flushed them down the toilet. Was that a terrible thing to do?

Hi there, I've been practising standing/moving Qigong for about 40mins every morning followed by a meditation. I'm a few stone overweight and as much as I'm enjoying the Qigong it's not helping me shed the excess. Can anyone suggest a further practise that would contribute to weight loss? I'm not adverse to running or yoga, I just want to pick something that's in balance with the Qigong and not putting unnecessary pressure on the organs/joints. Lunchtimes are wide open for me right now. I could probably do an hours session of something so would be up for taking on something completely new. I quite fancy Tai Chi in fact. But over to you, what else should I add to my routine?

Ok thanks guys. Once again - I'm not actually looking for diet tips. I have a good diet. It's exercise tips... Anyway pretty much decided on Tai Chi unless anyone can persuade me otherwise.

past over indulgence

Interesting stuff so far guys. Thanks for your contributions. I actually eat pretty well. Vegetarian, rarely have dairy and don't rely too heavily on carbs. Knowing that I've lost weight through running in the past, I feel that it really is a more rigorus exercise that I need here, but as I say I'd like to pick one that's in balance. Any ideas - Tai Chi, Kick Boxing, Yoga etc?

Bump! I'm looking for a decent QIgong DVD with the aim of building a strong supply of Qi. Any more recommendations?

1) Zazen is seated, static meditation whereas Qigong is often standing with some movement. 2) Zazen is an important element of a greater whole i.e. Zen

Hello, I've been reading this forum for a while and finally decided to sign up. I came to eastern thought through Zen but more recently have been learning Qigong and have since taken a big interest in the Dao. J

Hello, I've been reading this forum for a while and finally decided to sign up. I came to eastern thought through Zen but more recently have been learning Qigong and have since taken a big interest in the Dao. J

I'm almost in the opposite position to you. I came to Qigong through Zen Buddhism. My typical routine is 40 mins of Qigong in the morning and then 20 - 30 mins of Zazen. Whilst I've come to find the Qigong very helpful, I still regard the Zazen as the core practice. My take on Zen is that whilst there is a lot of wisdom to be found in it's teachings, it can be a little narrow. In the many books I've read on Zen, few if any mention the internal martial arts beyond Zazen. The answer to everything seems to be "sit on the cushion". In one way this is very useful as I'm guessing it remains quite close to the Chan buddhism brought to Japan in the 700s. However since learning more about the Dao, I feel these ideas are much closer to my beliefs, and it's the huge but often ignored influence it's had on Zen Buddhism.