i am

The day the goverment "comes after our guns" will be a crazy day. They're trying to regulate the sale. Any politician who even hints at coming to your house and taking away what you have is quickly ridiculed. Stricter gun control is a completely reasonable response to mass murder. Is the right response? Possibly not. But it's a completely reasonable, if a little knee-jerk, response. It probably won't solve the problem. But it's not conspiracy worthy. So many stories have inconsistencies and changing facts. I'll tell you, when news stories and government statements get to the point where we hear one story and one story only, no inconsistencies, just a nice tidy "here's how it happened"....that's the day we know everyone in the government and news is trying to fool us and are all in-cahoots. Life is full of inconsistencies and conflicting stories.

We should be able to question everything without being fired or ridiculed. I love a good consipiracy theory as much as the next guy (or so I thought until I was on this site long enough...), but a lot of this does have the flavour of people who sit around in their basement on the computer, believing all sorts of silly things because they could be true, and never getting out into the real world and seeing how things actually work and at what level people would need to be operating at to pull off such a huge scam with no one involved ever coming forward to say how it was a lie (like the moon landings). I realize that's a gross over generalization and assumption, but really. I believe the government, as well as tons of other people, do some shady stuff and put spin on it. But some of this just really feels like the only people who could believe it are sheltered people who don't have experience out in the world seeing how things work in real life. They see movies and read conspiracy theories and get so caught up in a fantasy world that they believe it to be the real world. On the other hand, someday you guys may actually hit on something true, and it will blow all our minds. I'm open to that possibility. It's hard to be wrong all the time. And if enough of the wrong people get in enough positions of power, really messed up stuff can really happen. Right now, there are too many honest-enough people for this crap. What's happened are some serious tragedies. In general, the city-dwelling liberal population is for gun control. It's been a dead end for them lately. You better believe they're going to jump on this as a tide they can ride to stricter gun control. Just as anyone would do, with any event, to try to push their beliefs forward. "You see what happened?? I told you. Now let's pass those laws I've been talking about". There's nothing sinister about it. You can find examples of people pushing laws forward in the wake of any major event, on any issue. They always held those beliefs, but knew the political and public will to support them wasn't there. They're opportunistic, and should be.

As far as "teacher" vs "guru", there is a huge difference...and maybe the taoists don't "do" gurus? The book "Be Here Now" by Ram Dass has a good description, for his system, on the difference between the two. I don't have it on the tip of my toungue right now, but I know it even went so far as to say that a guru didn't even need to be flesh and blood. Teachers show up when you need them, and can be anyone, even someone you hate. But a guru is a whole different deal, and can even be guiding and leading you spiritually without any physical contact or closeness.

Good discussion. I think that's my deal. I like his books, he clearly is for real. Would I enjoy a conversation with him? I'm not sure...but that doesn't mean I won't buy his books and practice what he preaches.

He's the real deal. Having said that...I just get a feeling from him...he thinks highly of himself. In a way I don't like. But I like his books, his system is for real, and he is accomplished.

Just look at it this way, and don't worry about the rest: Strenuous physical exercise. This means, to me, pushing yourself to the point of exaustion. Huge difference between your typical trail runner or street runner and your marathon runner. You know? Exercise is GOOD. Necessary, even. Pushing yourself to the limit? Well...depends on who you ask, but I think it's bad. Moderation. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now there are studies out saying that pushing yourself hard is the only way to prevent heart disease. Or at least the unless you get a couple hours of somewhat aerobic exercise every day, you're not doing the good that just pushing yourself to the limit for 5 minutes every day would do. I don't know how they did these studies, and really...I don't care. I take the dog on two 30-45 minutes walks, on the trails every day. Mountain foothill trails, so lots of nice hills to climb. I also some staff training and light sit-ups and pull-ups. I very, very rarely work myself to exaustion. It doesn't feel healthy to me. I'm not going to change what I think is a very healthy exercise regimen that works well for me and makes me feel good, just because some study said otherwise. I think it's common sense that overworking yourself is a recipe for injury, and possibly for shortening your life. But exercise is very much necessary. Running & bike riding, even. Aerobic exercise. Marathon running is a whole different thing.

Yes, I agree with pythagroeanfulllotus in that shallow people just see it as glorified violence. But practitioner has it right. Anyways...enough about fight club and back to the book...

I'm always amazed at Fight Club. It really is a main stream success, and major wake up call. Usually such serious thoughts aren't put out there in a way mass culture cares to consume it. Great movie.

It's an interesting debate, which ShenLung is getting after. Seeing the poor, brown people of other countries slaving away for barely-livable wages, making the throw-away products we use so thoughtlessly brings out gutteral reactions. But what was their life like before they had jobs? Maybe they lived in some money-free utopia, with fruit on the trees, clean water in the streams/wells, and everybody got along. Or maybe, shitty as it is, this job has actually improved their quality of life. Not up to a level of something we would call a quality life, but much better than where they were before. There's got to be a better way, both you and I would say. Yes. But...what is it? I'm sure there are plenty of ideas out there. But that soulless executive who doesn't care one bit about how hard life is for his factory workers, so long as they keep his manufacturing costs down, may have significantly improved the living conditions of many poor people. It's not a fact any of us like to admit to. Surely there's a way to raise the poor without putting them in dirty factories with no time off and only maybe just enough money to keep from starving. But maybe as of yet, this is the best option which has come along...

I completely agree that it depends on how you define happiness. I, as has already been stated, couldn't be happy causing others pain. Happiness for me...is a moving target, I'll admit, I'm still getting my shit figured out, but I'm on the right track. It involves getting what I want out of life without harming the planet and life on it any more than necessary, helping others to some extent, and feeling content with what I'm doing with myself. This involves something other than sitting in an office, only interacting with real people, nature and life in a second hand way. It involves a good social life with good friends, even if I don't see them more than once or twice a week (or maybe less...). And I don't mean fun drinking friends who will go out and be assholes with me and chase girls. I mean good people; good friends. That along with a practice in which I feel I'm getting somewhere, accomplishing something. I could probably sit here and think of more, but that's the gist of it. It does not involve the American Dream, aka three-car garage, boat, camper, wife and 2.5 kids (though those first few are not inherently bad), high powered high paying yet soulless job, expensive clothes, fancy restaurants, people I pay to do the stuff for me which I think I'm above, etc. etc. All the ego-centric bullshit that I'm assuming (dangerous, I know!) is what you had in mind with this thread.

Sometimes I think there are people who just don't know how to relate to the world except through contradiction and being contrary. I've been guilty of it at times myself.

I don't doubt what you say about yourself. As far as Obama, I just don't see it.

Hmm...I had a long post written out and reconsidered. Basic idea: Obama is no worse than any other modern politician, with no more radical ideas. Left or right. I don't understand the vehement hate of him. The "you lie" incident would have been just as apt, if not more so, for any modern politician. The fact that it happened with him and never anyone else showed the disrespect and open mistrust the white, male political establishment has for someone not like them. I absolutely agree about learning from the past, but anytime you bring a comparison to Nazis into the conversation, whether you're talking about Bush or Obama, you've lost credibility in my eyes (which doesn't need to bother you any). I like guns. I hunt. Where I live, having a gun leaning up against the wall by the door is totally normal. Most left wing, urban liberals don't understand this, and how could they? But I don't see the conspiracy, just differing opinions. In Obamas place, any politician would take advantage of a moment when they could push their agenda. At least in the news I listen to, there's no conspiracy about it. It's spoken as matter of fact that for years now the democrats have given up on the gun regulation issue because they've seen they can't get anywhere. They are going to take advantage of a sway in public opinion, by those who weren't completely decided, to see if now they can get something done. Pretty simple...and how change usually happens, good or bad. Those who don't agree can speak up, and they are.

I also really like the idea because, like thetaoiseasy has said before, for most of us, our "practice" is, at most, one or two hours a day. This really isn't much. If your practice becomes your daily life, then you are always practicing/cultivating. If the only time you are cultivating is when you've lit incense, turned down the lights, sat on your mat etc., then it's not very often that you're cultivating, most likely. 20 minutes of tai chi in the morning is great, but...

The very idea of "sport" when it comes to killing is very wrong. I know bird hunters won't shoot an animal on the ground. It has to be flying, or it's not very "sporting" of you. Well, would you step on a twig to alarm the deer of your presence, and let it get a running start before shooting it? Is that the "sporting" way to do it? If I bird hunted, I'd just shoot them. Because I'm hunting for food, not sport. People got all in a tizzie around here about the buffalo hunting. "Oh, it's so unfair, you can just walk up to them and shoot them in the head without them even running, that's not very sportsman like". Seriously? If you're hunting for meat, why would this sort of thing bother you at all? Then there's fishing...I'm fine with what other people want to do, but the whole "catch and release" thing that all the trout fly fisherman sermonize about out here...is it really so humane to go out, and for fun pull a hook through an animals mouth, pull it out of the water, take a photo then throw it back in? Nah. If I were to fish, I'd eat the fish. There's no "fun" for me in hauling something out of the water by a hook through its mouth. But I have a LOT of friends who do, and that's fine. I agree, it's all about respecting life, whether you're raising an animal for food, or hunting a wild one.

Yeah, look into Permaculture. You can grow a lot of herbs in a sunny window, and veggies on a porch. But a 6'x6' plot would seem excessive to some people who have been growing their own veggies, and making due with much less becuase of where they live. They'd get used to it pretty quick, though.

This is my problem with Chinese food. I've always liked it, and after going to China, really fell in love with it. But after going to China...I'm much more hesitant to buy food from an Asian market that was grown and produced in China. That place is just dirty with air pollution, pesticides, and questionable practices. I need a better source of Chinese ingredients... Sorry, no advice on jing diet... I've noticed recently that my system has become very sensitive to bad foods...

Tea for me! Thanks.

Thank you!

I tried buying it on my Mac laptop, not realizing it was an e-book. Amazon said something about not detecting any ebook reading capability or something like that and didn't let me buy it.

Too bad the book isn't in print! I don't have a Kindle, and don't plan on getting one anytime soon.

Are there any martial arts in your area? I'd say if there are, especially internal or any Chinese martial arts, but probably any kind, you could ask the instructor if they'd let you ask their students. I'd think you'd get some interest there. Or advertise near yoga studios, etc. I'm assuming you don't have a website but if there's some resource online you could point them to, so they can research what it is, what the benefits are and all that before even going to a class, maybe the ones who do show up will be more likely to stay. For the average person, it really is a major change in lifestyle and life philosophy to get into qigong if you don't already have a yoga or martial arts or meditation practice.

Yes, I can get up from cross-legged position to standing, and back down again, with no hands. But you've got almost 30 years on me! So I guess I'll get back to you in 25 or so years.

My martial arts/qigong teacher ran into the same thing, with almost everyone except with me . Had been teaching a couple years and still a class full of beginners. Not the good kind of "lifetime white belt" beginners but actual beginners. Nobody does it at home, no practice. You "go to yoga", and you "go to" qigong. Meaning most people think this stuff is what you do when you go to the class, then your done for the week. Discouraging.... I do about 45 minutes every morning, sometimes only 30. Sometimes I'll do more at night before bed, but I'm not very good at making that happen yet. But there's a big difference between people who "have a practice", and those who are showing up to a class because it supposed to be good for them. When or if the change happens depends on a lot of things...

That makes it easy for me in the morning on Mountain Time Weekends anyways.