manitou

In my opinion (sometimes humble, sometimes not) - this is what the practice of Daoism is all about. This is how we ascend to masterhood - to recognize that the differences are all the Same. Rather than avoid someone with whom we don't resonate, or avoid them - what a perfect time to practice Oneness and to realize that they are just the other half of You. By doing this, it frees a type of agape love that removes the barriers. That thing which we don't like about somebody else is because we have the same in ourselves and don't want to see it - so we turn away from the mirror (which the other person is).

Nikolai - I very much like your reference to the Dao as the Constant, in your chapter 16. what a perfect word. The vision that comes to my mind is a basketball player keeping one foot grounded (in the Constant) and having the other foot free to pivot about and take care of business. As long as his foot is grounded, his vision is impeccable because he sees everything in the backdrop of the Whole.

i dunno. That video is a bit of a stretch, SC

What a wonderful immersion experience that would be. Best wishes as this idea grows and unfolds.

He probably wouldn't like being called Surely either.

Seems like periodically on this forum we'll get into a spat about making no judgments - our common wisdom tells us that we all make judgments, we all have preferences. But this is the practice of Taoism or any journey of enlightenment. Our first instinct is to see the differences and make judgments. Our second instinct should be to override our first instinct. Yes, when rules are made, the Great Tao is lost. We no longer see the forest because we're too caught up in the trees.

FH said: (from 84) "Stretching forth to Heaven with an open and humble heart, the way becomes clearer to such men." The way to a humble heart is to give credit where credit is due. We're not doing it, the Absolute is. Anything we respond to, or think we know, or initiate with our own heart - is not really being done by us, it's being done within the Dao. We are not separate from it. To achieve a humble heart also requires a conscious effort to diminish and control our egos, our character defects, our desire to be first, our desire to 'be' anything. The way becomes clear because there are fewer character defects to distort the vision.

FH said - (from 84) "A great tree stretches its limbs towards the Heavens. Men should be like trees. A great tree draws its goodness from the Earth and from the Heavens. Men should be like trees." Sorry I'm late to the party. Can I go back to the great tree metaphor in 82? I'd like to catch up. It struck me recently, as I was driving down the street listening to Elvis sing "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" - he got to the part where he speaks 'Each of us is in a play, and each must play his part'. (Fate had me playing in love with you as my sweetheart). But i started noticing the trees. Really seeing them. Seeing their groupings, their families - like an uncle instructing his young nephews sometimes, or a female tree leaning up against a male tree, or a group of young saplings playing together. Anthromorphism? sure. Why not? This is the part that the tree volunteered to play in this drama - a tree! Like a little kid in a kindergarten play. Maybe this is why the Ancients were so attuned to nature - because they saw the trees and animals as our brothers - revering the One as all life (and death) forms. they initially didn't live in insulated surroundings to the degree that we do. More of their time was spent on the earth, receiving stimulus from the Mother. Folks put down anthromorphism as something childish, something only children indulge in. but what better way to experience the Oneness if we can say hello to a chair and really mean it? Don't you suppose that the Ancients saw faces in everything they saw around them - the clouds, the trees, the water?

Nikolai - how refreshing and enjoyable to read your thoughts on the TTC. One of my favorite parts of the TTC is where you say "The sage is always good at saving men, and therefore nobody is abandoned." I see a further ramification on this as well. The sage is good at 'utilizing' the qualities of all men (even if seemingly impossible because the person may be a real mess). Because he is a seer, the sage can see the personality dynamics of another with clarity and can utilize all personality dynamics in play (whether positive or negative) to enable the highest outcome.

it sounds like you are describing lucid dreaming - which are truly a separate reality, In fact, Carlos Castaneda wrote a book called A Separate Reality which goes into this in great detail. Dreaming 'masters' can get to the point where they control the dream - Castaneda's nagual, don Juan Mateus, was capable of lucid dreaming and pulling Carlos into the dream so they would share the experience. shamans-in-training will spend years trying to master this, as Castaneda did. For some, it happens on the natch. My personal experience with them is that highly structured people (real left brainers) have a harder time getting into a lucid dream. Too fixed in their opinions. Sometimes people who are a little 'flakier' or easier-going have the required lack of mental 'clutching' that the left brainers possess. There's nothing quite like them, is there? And when they turn a bit erotic, omigod.

Do I have to wear underwear with my uniform?

I don't blame you. chicken feet are damned tasty. Thank you for your sentiment, darling......And as much as I love TTB's, sometimes I just need to take a break from the place. but the funny thing is - I'm not feeling the balance as much when I don't participate. It's like the Bums keep me fluid in my thinking. Or something. Perhaps just the ability to express to others that which I can't express much here in the Bible belt.

To me, this seems the crux of it. Even if there is sudden illumination, there is a a path to be walked within illumination. That path shows us that we are all One essence and connected to each other. Next, we realize we are One with our animals, nature. Finally, that we are One with all matter. it becomes a challenge of living within that knowledge and knowing that Love is the adhesive that somehow holds it all together; and that Love is the very best method for working within the system. Mind boggling stuff, if you ask me.

He moves so fluidly - there is no hesitation or break in the flow throughout the entire routine. It's amazing how the concept of fluidity is an integral part of the Dao, and how fluid motion like that places one's mind in the place where there is continuous flow, no error, mindlessness. it's easy to stay 'in the Dao' when doing stillness-movement because of the nature of the movement and the similarity to the mindset. he reminds me of a big Daoistic gyro, attending to all directions at once, and yet unaffected by all directions. Beautiful.

No problem - that's how I dress anyway!

That was lovely. it was so easy to visualize the current of energy going from one end of his body to the other; as a ripple that would start at one hand and end at the other; much like a street dancer.. It was a song in my own heart, the heart of a light worker, who was actually able to visualize light in his current - but to watch him in his practice, it was the personification of what I know through my own work to be there, although unseen. It was the seat of healing, the current from which all things emanate; to see such a man dance with this ray was a gift to my heart. He showed me what I know to be true, and allowed me to see it in the person of another on his own path. Thank you for taking the time to share this, BKA. Manitou By the way, BKA - is this the sort of practice that you do? Do you possess any degree of this proficiency?

I think I'd like to be Sergeant at Arms and close the transom windows with a long pole, and lock the door after the council meetings. Beyond that, I too vow to Do Nothing.

Aah, the middle way.

Actually, this is pretty wonderful IMO. And the clues / cues can be seen if the inner work has been done. The mystical eyes will have developed the ability to see the cues. And then the action must be a loving one to stay within the wu wei field.

What a wonderful discussion. Thank you, Deci! The powerful words from a book I read a few years ago still ring with me to this day. Once Enlightenment or Total Awareness or the I Am Consciousness has been achieved, it then becomes a question of living the further ramifications of this, understanding what this really means. I'm with you, Deci - it's a starting point. Once the starting point has been crossed, it becomes a question of merging our daily lives in with what we know to be true - that We Are. Regardless of who We Are. No One is more important than another - we are all just One entity, acting out this play. Once we wear the I-Am-ness, if we can stay in consciousness of this, life moves like clockwork. When ego raises its cute little head as it does from time to time, we are knocked out of the I-Am-ness and brought back to earth to learn the lesson one more time...that we are not separate from one another. And once the starting line has been crossed,, there's no going back and fitting into any sort of a box.

But that's the rub. A truly great leader will follow the precepts of The Art of War - Sun Tzu. He will do by not doing, withdraw strategically, not be led by ego. 99.9% of his 'followers' will not understand this because they will not understand wu-wei; they will be as the chorus of voices around the U.S., for example, that think that we should aggressively police the world each and every time something goes awry. And yet the wisest action will often times be to not act, to let the situation evolve into the right timing; perhaps an action will be required, perhaps not. This principle alone makes a built-in push/pull between those who are followers and the one who is the leader. The true leader will understand the timing but the followers will often push for too much aggression and have a lack of understanding of letting things ripen and acting at the perfect moment.

Sounds like Amrita (I think that's what it's called) that comes down the back of the throat - incredibly sweet syrup-type thing that happened to me once during meditation.

nice being seen!

Maybe the 7th bowl is the Tao that can't be spoken of.

Maybe a true leader is one who has transcended caring what others think.