Rara
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Everything posted by Rara
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Thank you. This was a very useful exercise, and your description on how to go about focusing is probably the best I've ever seen!
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Update: Last night, slept 12:30-8! Nothing has changed in my life over the last week, but now I feel much better for no obvious reason. The meditations and affirmations must be doing something behind the scenes.
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Over time, I'm inclined to agree, but I stopped mantra and affirmations a long time ago, so I'm sure my persistence with this will help again. Any mindfulness or mantra gets rudely interrupted, loudly, by my thoughts. Last night was bad. I couldn't get to sleep until 2:30/3am, and awoke at 6. However, this time I did manage to get back to sleep a lot quicker than the previous night So slight improvement. Bit by bit, I'm confident this phase will pass sooner rather than later.
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Sounds about right One thing I do know is that I naturally struggle with energy in the morning but always seem to get excited 7pm onwards. I will keep a closer eye on it, thanks.
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Hello! No, I mean, I live with my partner and if anything, I'm having to tell her to get off her smart phone before bed! My career uses a lot of internet, but I try my best to avoid it and only read during the day. We often watch some TV together to wind down in evenings. Sometimes it's harder if I have things on my mind, it just depends what is happening in life on each day. It probably doesn't help that sometimes I work days, sometimes nights (last week I was on night shoots finishing at 5am, this week, I was starting at 7am) Looking at that, it says a lot. I do my best with what I've got, I guess...
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Yes. Thinking back, it might well not have been anxiety itself during the Dan Tien breathing, but the adrenaline...for I was not conscious of any worries. If I'm struggling to get to sleep, or wake up prematurely, I'm usually aware of why.
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From what I've read of the intro, my first impression was that it's nice and sincere - conscious of translation of ideas to not be misleading I like. And yes, you're right...I'm hasty. Like a kid with a new toy, I just gotta talk about it!
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Thanks!
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Don't worry, I have worked my way to this. I'm thinking now that maybe I have my medications muddled (sorry, that's a cheesy metaphor for my meditation practice lol) Anyone that can advise me on query a few posts up - that would be awesome
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Perhaps, but I don't know wht other word to best describe it lol. Sometimes its here, others it isn't! But I know what you mean...but perhaps I just need different affirmations to stop myself associating it with an attack?
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Thank you all so much for your advice. I would respond to each individual but that could take a while! The majority of you advise that I stay away from Dan Tien breathing as it will stimulate my adrenaline which is no good if I'm already anxious. That makes sense. Can I ask though, one thing that has always confused me.... Should I do Dan Tien breathing in mornings and/or if I am sleep deprived? This would enhance my energy levels right? Or should I do more calming meditations to help deal with the anxiety/insomnia thus giving me more sleep and naturally energising me?
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It shifts due to the mind's distractions. I bring it back to the belly as best I can. I think tiredness is playing a part in my difficulty in focusing.
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That is Tao, right? Our own answers...? Well, within reason. We have our own answers for our own happiness but there are general universal answers behind what people should do to keep things sweet (TTC)
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Tao is Pooh will be great for you. Westeners describing the eastern mindset is tough but the author does it well!
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It's not so much the sound, rather the feeling in the chest. Certainly the heart!
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Interesting response re Robber Chih. I think there's a lot of us that can see what's going on, yet still take the easy road (whether that's robbery, materialism, corporate business, working FOR a corporate business) It's easy to talk about being awake and all that, but I see few practicing what they preach! Hong Meng - well, actually I was referring to banging the drum and dismissing someone asking him about the Way. (Was it his butt? Is this a translation dispute?) I was thinking, because he was asked about it, he had the answers. Maybe I should revisit that Chapter/thread! Nice joke about hanging with Robber Chih though. Touche! Lol.
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Then we are on the same page I might have been mistaken about The Yellow Emperor. Maybe it was Lao Tzu that spoke highly of him? From this then, I wonder what Chuang Tzu is saying in regards to who possesses the Tao. Is Robber Chih one? Is Hong Meng (Chapter 11) one? Or is it no one? Are some just closer to their inner nature than others? I must admit, I'm biased and hope to hear the latter. The thought of having any high and mighty or enlightened (in a heirarchy sense) seems very non-Tao. It seems that a lot of "masters" in the modern day are Confucius in disguise. I would rather hang with Robber Chih (as long as my liver would stay in tact) hehe.
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Hello, I'm back I only reread the first part of Chapter 29 but we can talk about the rest if people think it's relevant. From the engagement between Confucius and Chih, I have the following: 1. Yes, Chuang Tzu wants to highlight Confucius' stubbornness and failure to realise that Chih can't be pursuaded. 2. Robber Chih is a grim fella, robber and cannibal! But: 3. He appears to school Confucious when it comes to virtue. The chapter is heavily in Chih's favour by giving him so much speech. If we're to take theatre as a reference, Shakespeare especially, such a speech would signify importance of the character and the values they are presenting. Could Chuang Tzu be talking via Robber Chih? 4. Chih is critical of specific people, most notably Po Yi, who is mentioned in Chapter 10, and the Yellow Emperor. Now isn't the latter supposed to be a highly respected immortal in Taoism? Chih could well be fictional, and a tool for Chuang Tzu to speak through. Like CD said, I think that Chuang Tzu doesn't so much care about what Confucius would label as immoral, because he sees Confucius as a hypocrite. The feudal lords and robbers have no difference...so perhaps Chuang Tzu was not enlightened in the sense that is portrayed often in, say, Buddhism. Perhaps his view of liberation is not from appearing as a "good" person, but simply being awake. Chih might be a vulgar man, but he has no delusions. He has principles among his own men that are honest, and recognises the hypocrisy of the royals - something that the royals cannot see themselves!
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Bear with me...my thoughts will be along soon. With work and two birthdays to attend this weekend, it might be next week before I respond. Hang tight!
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Yes but what I meant was, the Chinese version didn't actually say "sage"?
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I guess so. I will refer to Burton Watson's for now and I'm sure others will chime in if they see something up with our analysis.
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So...are we ready for Chapter 29? And MH,don't you sleep? Wasn't it the middle of the night when you last replied?? Lol
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So we may not return to our natural state, but can come close with practice and knowledge from these teachings. That sounds at least feasible
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Let's hope it's not a myth, eh?
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I fully agree. I am just yet to meet one of these "natural saints". Everyone I've ever seen has some sort of motivation, goal or preference at the very least.
