New Mexico Daoist Workshops - DAOIST IMMERSION - LIVIA KOHN

[Stigweard]

[ralis]

[Procurator]

Politically correct Daoism? Looks like it to me!! LOL!!

 

ralis

yes it is very PC but it is not even daoism at all. she lists her qualifications as being a practitioner and a teacher, leaving out the most important in daoism - being a student. whose student is she?...as the saying goes "those who cant..."

[三江源]

Livia Kohn is a terrific scholar, I'm sure it will be fascinating and enriching.

 

For those seriously interested in taoism.

[Stigweard]

Now we have the Daoist world view as well as behavioral guidlines and last but not least, cosmic thinking. All in one nice little workshop.Politically correct Daoism? Looks like it to me!! LOL!!

 

ralis

Hmmm ... Daoism, in my poor and paltry experience, definitely has a "world view", it has very well articulated "behavioral guidelines", and it is intrinsically rooted in "cosmic thinking".

 

Why do you feel the need to be critical of someone who has done the hard yards in both practical and academic achievement?

[Stigweard]

yes it is very PC but it is not even daoism at all. she lists her qualifications as being a practitioner and a teacher, leaving out the most important in daoism - being a student. whose student is she?...as the saying goes "those who cant..."

I am sorry my friend but you are criticizing for the sake of criticizing. Prof Livia Kohn is hands down one of the foremost authorities on Daoism in the Western world.

 

Visit Amazon's Livia Kohn Page

[Stigweard]

Livia Kohn is a terrific scholar, I'm sure it will be fascinating and enriching.

 

For those seriously interested in taoism.

Agreed in full

 

[Procurator]

Hmmm ... Daoism, in my poor and paltry experience, definitely has a "world view", it has very well articulated "behavioral guidelines", and it is intrinsically rooted in "cosmic thinking".

 

 

but of course. it also has "qi dancing" , "sharing yr xperience", "reading a textbook" and preparing yr own food for 850 a pop. what a bargain.

[Procurator]

I am sorry my friend but you are criticizing for the sake of criticizing. Prof Livia Kohn is hands down one of the foremost authorities on Daoism in the Western world.

 

Visit Amazon's Livia Kohn Page

mm ...she has a page on amazon so she must be. i am quite sure she is qualified to teach "qi dancing" and "hypnosis" as well as cooking.the question still stands -what qualifies her to teach daoism?

 

not info ON or ABOUT , or HER TAKE ON daoism.

 

what qualifies her to teach daoism?

[YMWong]

mm ...she has a page on amazon so she must be. i am quite sure she is qualified to teach "qi dancing" and "hypnosis" as well as cooking.the question still stands -what qualifies her to teach daoism?

 

not info ON or ABOUT , or HER TAKE ON daoism.

 

what qualifies her to teach daoism?

 

I am afraid I have to second Tianshi on this

 

Being an excellent scholar is good to teach courses at school, but to teach practical daoism (daoist practices) one needs to have a different education and this is done by following one (or more) daoist teachers for a number of years

 

Early one, only a few scholars went this path and got ordained (Saso and Schipper in the west, a few more in Japan) getting therefore the experience required. In the last few years some more scholars followed in but I am afraid Prof. Kohn is not one of those, unless I am mistaken and I'd like to be proven wrong

 

YM

[Eternal_Student]

I have met and had numerous dinners with Livia. She has more knowledge about Taoism in her little finger than almost all of the people on this site combined. Her life has been spent unearthing and documenting archival texts that deal entirely with traditional Taoism and Taoist alchemy. Her professional associations list her up there with the top Taoist instructor and promoters in the United States. You've probably never heard of her because she has spent most of her time researching manuscripts...

 

If she is willing to talk, you should listen. She has some amazing stories and information.

And I am NOT a direct student, just relaying conversations that I had with her almost 10 years ago.

 

If you are an avid meditation practitioner, scholar, reader, collector of information, or interested in the political and socioeconomic underpinnings of Taoism, she is your woman. Martial artists may be a little out of their comfort zone with her.

 

Remember, Taoism is all encompassing and reaches to zones and regions farther than just a particular way of meditating or moving one's limbs in space. Read up on the 8 Taoist immortals and you'll see they are all very much individual characters, not a dogmatic clone of a particular style. That's the beauty of this "path"...

 

 

[Baguakid]

Academic and Applied are two different things. I wouldn't want to see her for "stories", especially for 850.00. I've heard enough free stories in my lifetime.

 

The curriculum doesn't look so hot IMO.

[宁]

yeah man... like, what Can she Do?

Edited February 12, 2010 by Little1

[Eternal_Student]

yeah man... like, what Can she Do?

 

 

Achievements. Powers. Flying around the room. Throwing someone with wei qi...

You are missing the point. If you are looking to have power over others, it will always escape your grasp. Power over yourself, control over your emotions, and the ability to see all things as one, will always reign supreme.

 

 

I believe she is a lineage holder.

Besides, anyone who has spend 30+ years preserving Taoist texts and manuscripts is an elder in my opinion. And an elder or "one who has gone before" deserves respect. In a half hour conversation she cleared up a major distinction for me with internal alchemy. She has read texts that most people don't even know exist. There is something missing in American society that is mostly the fault of poor parenting. Filial piety and respect for elders is severely lacking. The older you become you learn that there is always a bigger fish and one can never know everything. So easy on the quick judgments. Do some research, find out what exactly is going on, and if its not for you, then fine. But no need to attack her character and credibility. She is a Taoist elder.

 

Edited February 12, 2010 by Eternal_Student

[Aetherous]

It's funny how harshly total strangers are judged by people here.

[三江源]

Is this the most embarassing thread taobums has ever had to keep on it's boards.

 

There is no need whatsoever to defend Livia Kohn to anyone here who has any interest or knowledge of taoist whatsoever.

 

I repeated 'whatsoever' out of sheer exasperation.

 

The internet is free for all, all life is here. Stupidity, deep stupidity, and all.

[宁]

Achievements. Powers. Flying around the room. Throwing someone with wei qi...

You are missing the point. If you are looking to have power over others, it will always escape your grasp. Power over yourself, control over your emotions, and the ability to see all things as one, will always reign supreme.

 

 

I believe she is a lineage holder.

Besides, anyone who has spend 30+ years preserving Taoist texts and manuscripts is an elder in my opinion. And an elder or "one who has gone before" deserves respect. In a half hour conversation she cleared up a major distinction for me with internal alchemy. She has read texts that most people don't even know exist. There is something missing in American society that is mostly the fault of poor parenting. Filial piety and respect for elders is severely lacking. The older you become you learn that there is always a bigger fish and one can never know everything. So easy on the quick judgments. Do some research, find out what exactly is going on, and if its not for you, then fine. But no need to attack her character and credibility. She is a Taoist elder.

 

 

thanks, i was asking just out of curiosity. i'm still not sure what to belive thou. but, if this oportunity would come my way, i wouldn't miss it, just for the sake of experience... maybe you can add more about your experience, in fact, please do.

[Sunya]

It's funny how harshly total strangers are judged by people here.

 

 

Man... who are you to talk? WHO ARE YOU MAN? Can you fly? Can you turn water into wine? Can you teach me in 5 minutes how to become Perfect? What qualifies you to post here.. man?

[ralis]

The Tao can neither be quantified,reduced to a scripturial point of view or any view anyone can ever conceive!! Only directly experienced!!

 

ralis

[Stigweard]

I have met and had numerous dinners with Livia. She has more knowledge about Taoism in her little finger than almost all of the people on this site combined. Her life has been spent unearthing and documenting archival texts that deal entirely with traditional Taoism and Taoist alchemy. Her professional associations list her up there with the top Taoist instructor and promoters in the United States. You've probably never heard of her because she has spent most of her time researching manuscripts...

 

If she is willing to talk, you should listen. She has some amazing stories and information.

And I am NOT a direct student, just relaying conversations that I had with her almost 10 years ago.

 

If you are an avid meditation practitioner, scholar, reader, collector of information, or interested in the political and socioeconomic underpinnings of Taoism, she is your woman. Martial artists may be a little out of their comfort zone with her.

 

Remember, Taoism is all encompassing and reaches to zones and regions farther than just a particular way of meditating or moving one's limbs in space. Read up on the 8 Taoist immortals and you'll see they are all very much individual characters, not a dogmatic clone of a particular style. That's the beauty of this "path"...

 

 

I agree in full with your comments. Though my contact with Livia has only been brief in comparison, I give her my full respect and admiration for the years of study and practice she has achieved. I give her even more respect in that she helping people to discover ways of practically implement Daoist ontology into the modern Western lifestyle.

 

+ rep to Livia Kohn.

 

[Stigweard]

[Sunya]

If there's one thing that gets me with some people here, it's the anti-intellectual bias. Both study and practice are essential. They compliment each other.

[Eternal_Student]

Man... who are you to talk? WHO ARE YOU MAN? Can you fly? Can you turn water into wine? Can you teach me in 5 minutes how to become Perfect? What qualifies you to post here.. man?

 

 

Laughing my butt off!!!

 

[Baguakid]

If there's one thing that gets me with some people here, it's the anti-intellectual bias. Both study and practice are essential. They compliment each other.

 

 

Yeah, but her practice outline in the seminar is extremely weak. I've paid up to 500.00 for one exercise set but that was in a private session and the content's quality was known prior to learning.

 

Seminars should be an "Introduction" to meet the Master/Teacher and to decide if you want to further your study with that person (IMO) so they should be low cost. After that, then go for it. What can you learn in a weekend for 850.00 when the content is outlined as it is? I came up in the early 80s.. things were different back then. Accessible and good quality. Today there's quality out there but it's few and far between.

 

Re: Respect Elders. Respect is one thing, but don't get down on ppl for questioning a 850.00 seminar. People have the right to question, especially in this economy.

[gendao]

yeah man... like, what Can she Do?

At the end of the day, that's the main question. What can she actually DO and how much of it can she reliably teach/transmit?

 

That said, her curriculum does seem to include various energetic practices and is not just a weekend seminar...it's for a whole WEEK. So, $850 is not outrageously excessive for that (at least here in the States). In fact, considering that it includes room, board, tuition & 2 textbooks - all for just $106.25/day - that's actually a great deal! I might even consider going now just for the hell of it at that rate, lol.

 

Again though, what has she tangibly attained in her own life and practice? Radiant health, healing powers, immortality, enlightenment? At least opened her MCO and kundalini?

Edited February 12, 2010 by vortex