Stosh

That line number four is at least a followable suggestion It does still require decipherment as to what abusive means and the course of nature ,, that inherent flexibility should could be investigated in its limitation and expanse but it does service to the intent of Lao (I think) but negating it all down to doing nothing ..that needs fixing! And I dont care how it get fixed! Rare as it is , I am literally offended that the work and wisdom of those classical brilliant men would be boiled down to an injunction against doing anything! (I need to take a breath and get to an even keel.) Stosh

It is possible .... Posting anything is taking an action So everyone who posts has lost the way if the way is not to take action They have bound themselves to thier action Realization is true understanding So everyone who realizes Tao has lost the way in their understanding they bind themselves to believing in what they understood Anyone who has labeled themself a Taoist has lost the way, for they try to fulfill a label or has taken ownership of the label and have bound themselves Anyone who hands out labels for who is a Taoist is wrong, for the label is not the Taoist. For the label will not bind them ............. But I dont think so. Does my not thinking so threaten the ego of those who do think so? I do think so Ironically this means that those who think they are Taoists, and are threatened by the idea that they may not be, are possibly not, in their own opinion, Taoists Though I never rendered an an opinion that they were not. Stosh

I think thats very rational and points at the benefit - personal truth that wu wei is supposed to bestow But I dont think one needs to not-have a sense of self,per se, just dispose of the preconditions surrounding the maintenance of the identity-persona we each have for instance, one doesnt have to be serious today because they were serious yesterday they dont have to protect their feelings because they were told they were shy, etc. or reenact unconscious scenarios and solutions retained from earlier times. They free themselves up to react to the best of their discernment toward any given situation rather than corral themselves to a few limited and possibly outdated choices. It doesnt make one superhuman, or correct all the time, or flow with some imaginary tide. It opens your options and enriches your sense of being personally involved -responsive Stosh

If the chorine was bubbled through as a gas it escapes fairly quickly If it was added in the form of chloramines is lasts longer I would expect that in either case the chlorine would be in an ionic disassociated state same as when sodium chloride goes into solution , the two ions just float on their own in the water-blood ,, so in the tiny quantities you would be ingesting , it probably is not something to worry about. Keep in mind that pure sodium metal bursts into flame when you put it in water! Pure chorine gas burns your lungs when it meets up with the water in them ! But ionic, in water already ,,,its sodium chloride and you cant live without at least some. (but I am not a biochemist) But I live in Florida now and I am sympathetic about stanky water. Stosh

I clicked on the things and it said the page was expired (folks with labels often dont know what the labels mean , or fit them) Stosh

Probably to prevent devastating outbreaks of diseases like cholera. Some pathogens can survive brief boiling and even if you can afford bottled water , others may not and even if you arent drinking it directly you may wash dishes etc with it. The use of fluoride has been shown of dubious use and they should probably drop it, but But pipes get old ,and get broken even when new. Personally I dont think enough attention is being given to the cleanliness-purity of our water either,, Try keeping corals in the stuff (salt added) and you will find out how many contaminants are in drinking water. But plagues are a bad thing (if anything can be said to be inherently bad). Stosh

Peeing in the shower is subjective illusion In the shower out of the shower You will see that it has all been void. Stosh

Cute , I was considering having the bear let him "pass". Stosh

Ok great Ive been told the hummingbirds may return for many years sometimes accurate to within a day or two but you gotta keep them fed "religiously" as long as they stay (and its a very conscientious thing to do, theyve been having difficult times and serve the same purpose as bees , to a degree) I am pretty sure theres a line or two about doing what needs to be done and to handle things before they get out of control (such as smother the life around them which isnt very harmonious either.) Stosh

I think the thread went to sleep over the weekend anyway. Please take a pic for me, if they are still around that is if you have a lens that reaches out. It sounds like chipping sparrows,interesting, I wouldve thought theyd moved north but identification of our little ditty-birds is tough without a photo , field guide and experience. I am a bit jealous of your hummingbirds though, I never have seen one up here! Sounds like you know your plants pretty certain, do you know the native flora Im starting to take pix of the local flowers and could use help learning the IDs. Stosh

Ok Carolina Wrens? Like my current avatar? If another please post a pic if you have one I know birds fairly well now, and am curious Stosh

I dont even want to choose a side in this subject but I would like to see the issue addressed a bit more, thats a very significant divergence of opinion , to stimulate yin by eating yang food , or to balance ones attitude with ones food. What you Chidragon, said is counterintuitive, but your point wasnt contested directly. From the teachings you have , what are common yang foods? Stosh PS Food this is an issue , I think , in which modern science has failed to come to a solid conclusive stance there is little concensus ,and so little guidance Few things could be more central to our wellbeing and yet they provide no answer. Am I supposed to eat eggs or not, for instance How do folks lose weight healthily? The science illusion is that knowing factoids about chemistry leads to healthy eating Looking at the huge prevalence of eating related issues science hasnt stepped up. Stosh

The vignette Zero described sounds like what I would expect a Taoist perspective would be It isnt really only the exclusive property of any religion or faith but it does sound like a perspective worth cultivating. PS It took me a bit to figure out but I wasnt taking a cheap shot at your sparrows It said Fh not Mh He had recently posted to the thread and I saw his hair color in that thing He claims immortality in some form or other exists Which I consider to be contraindicated to a perspective conducive to achieving wu wei but if he can manage that conundrum ,so be it. Stosh

There are times when fire is just the thing you need and nothing else will do. Stosh

Now That sounds like a Taoist ! Stosh

I guess the absence of omission makes me included .. So Hey now...! Folks , we all could be on the same page about this words have definions defined by usage the borders are often vague for instance if FH can look in a mirror and see his greying hair , just like I do when I look in the mirror and yet considers hiself immortal he is by definition "normal" in that regard ,because the greater portion of humanity holds on to the idea that they will somehow persist after death. What is not normal is to be OK with the idea that one will pass and be gone same as any sparrow. Some folks want to know if they fit a traditional view of Taoism , if their path is considered legitimate If they are 'Doing it right' or just being foolish If you asked me ,I would say those considerations are the kind of things contraindicated by tao and lead folks away from harmony who might get along fine otherwise Perhaps to finish out the thread well, the various factions could just go ahead and briefly delineate the borders of thier 'faiths' or distinguish the differences that would be informative (heck ! even after the time I have spent on this forum already I dont know precisely who claims to be what) Stosh

About whom are you writing ? I need to know if I can butt out or if Im already in. Stosh

The chart looked like this Yin metal yinfire yangfire yinwood pig rooster horse snake I guess my daymaster is fire, but I have no idea what any of the rest is supposed to indicate, (..and I did look) Fire is probably the last element I would have expected But Then again ,I always did think of myself as mellow and I am told that its not the case. :0 Stosh

Ahh, I appear earthy !, That would be quite ironic or appropriate actually But I will check that thing out at lunchtime. Thanks Stosh

I photograph birds flying wild You do get a sense over time of what is intrusive to them and what they will tolerate It makes you conscious of what you are doing without really being self-conscious Once you get the sense of it the woods seem to be crawling with little birds and critters that you never saw , and it starts to seem very odd how little other folks notice or see what is literally all around them. ..and its peaceful. Stosh

Cations have a net positive charge Get an MRI and see how that feels before you go evolving Stosh

Ok

Im not sure I get that right, Are you saying I am mere matter mortal rather than in touch with the infinite Tao which is unchanging and formless? That would make me far greater than the Tao! because I can exclude it yet it has to include me. Thats a very nice thing to say! Thanks Stosh

Sure I can get away from a shadow, since its an outline I can go in a cave , or go to a place where there is no light floor such as the open ocean or easier yet I can stand in a shadow of something bigger. The Implication that I play yin to the yang of the light doesnt make broader sense either To have distinction there must exist both a thing and its inverse. I am not the inverse of light , I may not be light, but I am not Yin the inverse of light which is darkness darkness still exists and I am not the inverse of darkness, Yang-light. If I , blocking the light ,was the inverse of darkness there would be no shadow. Stosh