Rara

How does it work with tea in your experience? I have always understood pu'er to be fine for prior and during meals. Green I will always drink after...

I still hold frozen spinach, edameme beans etc. Option 1, always fresh, option 2, there's frozen veg for if fresh is out and I don't have time to pick any up. But yeah, just wok fry it, no harm in that imo. It's all better than microwaved lasagne, either way.

I think I need a master to explain it because it's not something I can read.

Interestingly, this line doesn't really appear in the translations lower down, but I do like it. It's something I've been trying to figure out for my whole time on this path, and now I think I've figured it out. It isn't about being "kind", as in telling people it is ok when something is wrong. It's about not fighting, sparing both parties from further harm. Maybe the confusion on western thought is why some translators have omitted it?

Freezes the digestive system up a bit, so one part of your insides is down. The LDT isn't really a thing in this regard, but I guess the answer is a yes if you want to know if it's a good idea to drink cold water and eat ice cream. My water filter sits at room temperature, not in my fridge.

Oh, this is just me going on my understanding. I believe the actual definition is a code of conduct and differentiating between good and bad. My purpose behind this thread is to make sense of how it is not a thing to concern yourself with in Daoism, while still achieving high virtue.

The common use, acting accordingly so that no direct harm is caused to sentient beings and the environment.

No, because of non-dualism in Daoism. Spirit and ghost is everywhere and their influence manifests in humans, as seen by their actions. Cultivate, and settle the ghosts. Don't cultivate and watch how the mind becomes possessed, and the words become coarse....and the actions become disturbed.

Pick your favourite 😂 For me, this is a chapter about starting early and storing "virtue". The more I practice, I feel this word can be interchangable with "qi". They both seem to work hand in hand. Only by this practice, is one fit to leave the house.

Fair enough. And thanks for the commentary. As per usual, the idea of "the light" being something universal across pretty much all spiritual beliefs as something to follow. Meditation or contemplation, perhaps. Whichever one, it made Moses see his true nature and what was being done to his people. I think there's something in this, being taught about the clarity gained from such practice.

I'm not sure about line 2 overall. Lau's is "Wage war by being crafty", which still doesn't sit well with me. Here, Hinton's using a better sentence structure, to effectively say that armies should be deployed creatively and tactfully. Lin Yutang also 100%. I don't think leaving people alone is the moral of this story, but less deceit and interference. Don't make people paranoid, don't give them guns, don't give them a reason to want more and go stealing etc.

I'd like to explore this more. I don't know Psalms very well, but I have heard it said that Moses and the burning bush and speaking to God was basically the guy tripping out. When I read Revelations, I thought I was reading somebody's lucid nightmare. Do I believe it's a prophecy? Sort of...but not literally. All I know is just when the world is about to tip over the edge and lose its Way, a big disaster happens.

Well actually, this is what I always took from it - it makes no difference in the grand scheme of things. Unless there is a slight chance of indigestion taking the four at night. Idk lol

Well, this thread is intriguing. I've never actually heard the text be spoken about this way. I've only ever read it more as philosophy through satirical tales, with the occasional pointer for cultivation (i.e Confucius' speech for fasting the mind) This might explain why the first chapter is a slow starter for me. I've always struggled with that one. So, what about the mokeys' "three in the morning" chapter? Sorry, I don't have exact references at hand...just saw this thread passing by!

"With great power comes great responsibility"....and all that jazz.

That testing ground, 100%. I never even realised until I was in it. You never know what will change you until it has done so.

@dwai I am trying so hard to quote and write on my phone but it has proven impossible. I really like that post. Yes, the mind is made up of only what we are exposed to. It's been interesting of late, no allowing myself exposure to various things. It really does change day to day living!

Good question. But when I say "ethical/moral rules" I mean things like "don't steal, don't lie, don't covet others' possessions", "stay centered", "Don't give in to extreme emotional outbursts" etc etc. These are called "yama" and "niyama" in the Yogic tradition. Similar directives are available to us via Sages who have had realization and found that to not follow those rules results in scattering of the mind, pollution of the mind. To follow those rules allows for a person's mind to become settled, and clean. Consider this -- If you asked someone to constantly watch extremely gory, violent stuff on the internet, what will their mind be like after a few days of watching that stuff?

And yes, I am tired of relapses and the high expectation of being able to train consistently enough. Although I totally feel the benefit of majority Daoist training for a decade, adding some "dos and don'ts" actually helps along the way when trying to live in society.

I wrote the Noble Eightfold Path on my whiteboard the other week. This is helping me fill in some blanks right now.

Yes, I see it as being grounded and gaining purity. Allowing this purity to run within and then to treat all others with one's own cultivated spirit.

It always comes back to this for me. As much as I cultivate, the rest of my day is spent thinking about my "wants". My next job (I'm self employed) A girlfriend (nice to have) Some Chocolate in my house (also nice to have) What cultivating has helped me with is to accept when I don't get what I want. To not be greedy and throw the toys out of the pram like I used to if things didn't go my way. At some point, though, things do need to go our way, to the point where we are happy at least.

It's crazy because in England, this sort of thing seems competely out of this world. Policing is different everywhere in the world, and we obsess over what is right and wrong practice in our own country, but also the US as it has so much influence. But apparently our police aren't doing it right either, according to our protestors. What is sad is the amount of good cops out there wanting to make a positive change. Unfortunately, my friend suffers being in the force due to others letting the side down.

That's why I asked While the above have spoken about desires, residing in a natural state and, Lin about the "book worm", I find this is an attack on intellectualism and how it creates problems in itself. I mean, a punk in 70s England would say something along the lines of ending religious ideas and morality. Discarding profit as well. Not necessarily for the idea of being one with Dao though, but more of a fight against social class injustice. I feel that the reasoning behind the words, for their opinion on what the net outcome provides, might be different to that of a traditional anarchist. The message is still the same, nonetheless.

Of course, Indian Chai. Funnily, drunk like a shot in tiny cups because of the sugar content. Down it, then go walk another few miles in the heat!