Rara

Sounds like the same thing. With or without God..

Wow...! I wonder if all those footprints lead to the same place.

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Any job has its downside though. Well, if you chose to call it a downside. Perspective is everything Enjoying stuff is a choice. Every now and then, I need to sit behind a computer to try and get more business. It's not my favourite thing to do. I make it my favourite thing. The present moment is all that counts, so why not always enjoy it?

Yes, I'm not fond of the monetary system, but when I was a left-wing, freeman, protester, angry, shouty anus...complaining about it and fighting against it hardly made a dent in the universe. We have to work with the tools at hand. I'm happy with having currency, I don't care if it's money or swapping things. It's just the knowledge that it doesn't rule my happiness that counts.

It doesn't matter what people are interested in...

Meditation on breath is needed for some! People I know panic and set their asthma off. That is just one of many examples I can give.

Yep. This happened with me over the last few years. I read so much I became confused and disrupted. And if I followed a movement, I soon realised that it just wasn't me. Taomeow actually put out a great post in another thread along these lines. On returning to the Tao, strip away all the influences picked up from parents, teachers, adverts etc that has created the "fake" you. Books can help though (otherwise, what is the point in Zhuangzi?) but this is because we as people need an awakening in this modern day (of thousands of years) to guide us away from our silly egos.

Haha, nothing new then

Some good discussion happening here but I thought I'd chuck in my own view to this first. I would say that it is the philosophy of no philosophy. And those that mention the Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff, I can't recommend that book enough for this study. It's almost a rebellion against what philosophy has become. So read the words of TTC, Chuang Tzu, apply them then discard the words. The key after all is living a fulfilling life, finding the natural way of yourself and the universe. Religious Taoism does do this well, but in a more structured way. I'm not so into it, so I practice philosophical. In other words, I'm a dude with an empty head doing stuff.

Variety. Performing and guitar teaching and I also act. I get quite a bit of stuff but also do freelance marketing and promotion to help make ends meet. The beauty in it is that I can say "no" if I don't want to do a job and focus on other things. The motto being "if it aint worth my time, I aint doing it". That is the right attitude to have...but it is frowned upon in the corporate world of "real jobs"

I used to be in this place. I went self-employed in the end...that way I can still do what I want to do with minimal slavery. But if you feel threatened by other people's opinion, begin meditating on this...reacting with anger will only give them more fuel and also attract you to getting into fights with this kind...

Yup. If I tie my hair in a top knot and grow a beard, I always "feel" more wise. Just because I got the look.

Yeah, the ones that think they are mature and responsible often are - in their own heads. I can find many ways to pick holes in what they perceive as mature and responsible though. But that's not my business. I have my own construct of what I deem mature and responsible. I just stick to that and if people don't like it, they can suck it. See how mature I am?

Is that a koan? Hehe... Sounds like you're enlightened. No kidding, what else is there to know?

I don't really think much of the Kundalini idea and that it can go "wrong" so to speak. I will vote your first method though. Retention just makes me miserable and lose focus and purpose in life. 'nuff said.

Take a look at my thread in the Lao Tzu sub-forum entitled "Lao Tzu and the belly". Other than that, I believe it to be inclusive among lots of other things in TTC. Rather than having a section devoted to cultivation, it's more just hinted at indirectly throughout.

Rock music. And... Oh dear.

I wouldn't stick to a set pattern. I mean, I can't force sleep upon myself. Sometimes I get 5 hours, or 6, or 9, or 10. It depends what my activities are like each week. Sometimes I use more energy one week and less another. It all averages itself out in the end.

Gets my vote!

Do you think the states of mindfulness and mindlessness are quite similar then? As far as feeling goes... I can't put my finger on it just yet, but daydreaming and being aware (subconsciously) both have one thing in common - being relaxed. Both are far from the same as each other though! The former, we are in "another world", the latter, we are well aware of what is going on and we find it very easy to handle things when in that state. Either way, both have their plus sides. Sometimes when I meditate, I have to yell at myself to concentrate to stop me daydreaming. I do this because I set out a goal for concentration...it just helps in all aspects of life. I don't want to just sit down to meditate for 30 minutes and then daydream through it. That's a waste of time...I can do that while watching a crap film. At other times though, I will just fall into awareness, with no effort. I think it depends on my mood! I need to be able to execute the latter 100% of the time. That way, I stay consistent.

Would be a great way to spice up the Big Brother house.

Hi Under. Only just found this thread... I empathise...I didn't quite get there there same way as you, but I had to pull myself out of the darkness. There were so many other factors involved. Is there anything else going on in your life that could be working in conjunction with the meditation episode? Before I say any more, that is worth knowing. But also, listen to idiot_stimpy. The small bits of advice he has given in this thread is all you need imo. The truth is, you can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it. It is clear from your post that this is what has happened. That is why you are searching for these mystic ways out. Cut that chord completely, say "f*** it" and just invert your approach. I heard a story once... A lady is sat on a train next to a wise man. She begins to tell him about all the problems in her life. She was broke, had nowhere to go, no home. Everyone she moved in with had driven her out and she just didn't know how to get out of this mess. The man said "your problems are so small. They are the size of a potato" The woman looked shocked and insulted. "Excuse me?! What do you mean by that? This is terrible what is going on" The man replied, "It seems that way. All you have to do to overcome this is to eat French Fries for a month". I suggest you do this too. All the best

There certainly are different schools and everyone finds Taoism in different ways...some are born into it as a religion, others read the Tao Te Ching and start their practice from there. Some practice applying the philosophy to their lives, others change their lives, cultivating more and more as time goes on. The spectrum is pretty large but the important thing to note is that it needs to fall in naturally with the individual's circumstances and natural Way. For some, their Way is to become monks, but others could work regular jobs and apply the Tao to that and their home lives. There is a Tao of everything, even cooking. So in regard to what it means to "follow" (I'm not too sure if that really is the best word for it but I see what you're saying) there is nothing really to note. Then again, there is everything to note, as like I said, the Tao is in everything I think one thing that we all have in common though is that are all cultivating our own Way/self-mastery. This could be one's health, or martial arts practice, or self-healing...it just depends what that individual needs. Finding harmony is the key. Hope this helps. Peace

Lol. End of thread.