taijistudent

Lots of great ideas on this thread already. For me, I practice taiji. The more you repeat, the deeper the relaxation, the more readily the the energy flows. I would describe it as movement without effort. It is basically moving Qigong where you feel the energy from the outside moving your body. It cannot be willed with intention. It just comes when it comes.

I think it is almost impossible to find common beliefs in Daoism. Fluidity and change are so much part of the nature of Daoism that to find anything fixed is quite difficult. Daoism is also very much favors individualistic paths which means each person is carving out their own belief system which in itself is constantly changing. With this said, I would hazard to suggest that two common ideas that one finds in Daoism are: 1) Change 2) Opposites

Thanks for sharing. I think it is great that people lend their own understanding and translations. Sometimes a translation that is a little off the beaten track will resonate with someone and start a whole new train of thoughts.

Yes, the concentration of wealth around the world continues to lead to economic pain. I have no idea how this will end as people get poorer and poorer. So much wealth has not been so concentrated in so few people in modern times since the years just prior to the Great Depression. Central banks (which are basically bankers) have figured out how to transfer wealth to the ultra-rich, fair and legally and there is no way to stop it. So we have a very difficult situation which is getting worse. Europe is in terrible shape and no end is in sight. One can only guess what will happen as this trend continues.

I think the answer lies in that there is a bit of everything in all of us. The problems of all people exist everywhere. There is no escape. It is a matter of learning how to live with all that humans are and are capable of.

There is probably no right or wrong thing. Actions and affects. We try to use our experiences as best we can, and we try to be skilled in our behavior, but there is no way to predict the affects of anything we do.

We are all part of the Dao. All actions affect in some manner. In which manner? It cannot be predicted, only observed.

My understanding is that Daoism is a feeling that life is ever changing and we are all part of this change. It is indivisible and ever flowing. Thus, we feel what we feel as we flow through duration of time. If someone feels that they can only know himself/herself then that is where that person is as part of her/his journey. If I feel that I am experiencing something with someone else (e.g. a forum discussion) and this is what we can know about each other, via this exchange) then this is my journey. It is just different journeys. Solipsism is just an aspect of the universe that is evolving.

Why don't you share some of your poems and writings on this forum? You may find some clues within your own writings.

Hi everyone, I am putting together a new Club Directory and was thinking that there are probably lots of Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Buddhist, etc. groups that might wish to be listed. I just started the effort yesterday. If anyone has a group that they would like to list you can just go over to Links.com Club Directory, register and list your group. It is a good idea to include tags but I'll edit if necessary. If you have any issues, let me know because I just began the effort yesterday and there still may be some bugs. Hope it works out well for everyone.

Creativity would be the act of impressing a patterns upon patterns and developing new patterns. If the new pattern evokes some intense reaction, reveals something new, or resolves some paradox, then it may be considered a unique thought, idea, or piece of art.

We all have many teachers in our lives and we thank them for what they have taught us. My most beloved teacher is myself who has taught me much through the years with much thanks to all of my other teachers who have been many beyond count. Each has offered me something to learn and I hope I have done well in my learning.

I have some of the original depictions of Qigong exercises from the Mawangdui Medical Scripts. From my studies, my best guess is that Qigong began as simple stretching exercises, especially for monks who might be sitting around a lot meditating. So they stand up and do some basic stretches. From there, it just branches out all over the place. There are thousands of different variations all having some basic qualities in common: Relaxed, slow, rhythmic breathing coordinated with repetitive movements and imagery (Yi). If one adds leg movements then one is developing moving Qigong which begins to approximate Taiji (which I distinguish from Taijiquan). Movements are sometimes large circles, spirals, waves,etc., all designed to move and stretch the physical body while stimulating the internal qi energy movement. Some qigong is more specialized for specific purposes, such as standing or sitting qigong which are designed to increase balance, enhance meditation, or develop stronger and more grounded presence. I don't think any one qigong is more authentic than another. Results are similar with some differences and different with some similarities. I think one can get a good flavor of the different movements from Youtube videos. If you enjoy doing them in a class then one can look for a class that is practicing with the qualities you are looking for. Here is a brief description that may interest you: How To Practice Qigong

I would consider this all ancient poetry or chants that people might be singing together. They might be saying as a group that 3 in 10 do this, and another 3 and 10 do that, and yet another 3 in 10 do this, BUT there is the one within us all that can do this - that is, to live life, to not to fear the unknown, but to move on and to believe and know of the circle of life. The Yi Jing also speaks to the circularity of life.

It is impossible to say. One can only speculate based upon their own experiences and understanding. Every translation will necessarily have such biases. What I look for in translations is new ideas and possibilities. It is impossible to say what they were thinking, just as a good Shakespeare play will have many layers of meaning, but whatever they may have been thinking, our own interpretations are worth discussing.