Confused

[Makyea]

Alright so I know minimum about Taoism. I know almost nothing about meditation and its purpose. I am completly confused on the whole diet thing. Basically, can you guys help me learn all this stuff? I feel so far behind. I do not mean for you all to tell me everything there is to know because I know how its beneficial to figure things out on your own or reading them but this would help. So here are some questions that I can not find answers to.

 

What sets apart the three different types of Taoism?

What is cultivation?

What is the stuff about sexual energy and holding back ejaculation?

Is there a set list of foods you can not eat as a Taoist?

Are there any books I should read that will explain general ideas and finer detail on certain subjects? Like meditation, energy, Taoism's history, other beliefs, food, and anything else a Taoist should know?

 

I would love to know as much about this as possible so please post as much on any or all of these subject as you can. Even a small detail, list of vocab, or anything would help me.

[longrhythm]

All I can say is welcome to the boards. You will find some reaaaally interesting people here.

 

 

 

Alright so I know minimum about Taoism. I know almost nothing about meditation and its purpose. I am completly confused on the whole diet thing. Basically, can you guys help me learn all this stuff? I feel so far behind. I do not mean for you all to tell me everything there is to know because I know how its beneficial to figure things out on your own or reading them but this would help. So here are some questions that I can not find answers to.

 

What sets apart the three different types of Taoism?

What is cultivation?

What is the stuff about sexual energy and holding back ejaculation?

Is there a set list of foods you can not eat as a Taoist?

Are there any books I should read that will explain general ideas and finer detail on certain subjects? Like meditation, energy, Taoism's history, other beliefs, food, and anything else a Taoist should know?

 

I would love to know as much about this as possible so please post as much on any or all of these subject as you can. Even a small detail, list of vocab, or anything would help me.

[fizix]

All I can say is congratulations! Enjoy the ride if you decide to embark on the Path of the Way

 

Help is here, in many different forms. Misinformation/certain unsavory characters is help too, The Way is boundless and knows no difference

 

It's waiting for you!

 

excuse the semantics guys =)

 

peace and prosperity!

 

-fiz

[Gerard]

Alright so I know minimum about Taoism. I know almost nothing about meditation and its purpose. I am completly confused on the whole diet thing. Basically, can you guys help me learn all this stuff? I feel so far behind. I do not mean for you all to tell me everything there is to know because I know how its beneficial to figure things out on your own or reading them but this would help. So here are some questions that I can not find answers to.

 

What sets apart the three different types of Taoism?

What is cultivation?

What is the stuff about sexual energy and holding back ejaculation?

Is there a set list of foods you can not eat as a Taoist?

Are there any books I should read that will explain general ideas and finer detail on certain subjects? Like meditation, energy, Taoism's history, other beliefs, food, and anything else a Taoist should know?

 

I would love to know as much about this as possible so please post as much on any or all of these subject as you can. Even a small detail, list of vocab, or anything would help me.

 

 

You are asking a lot. The best way to start is go outside and start meditating beside a tree. That's how I started and it really works.

 

OK, I will address one question as I am a bit tired right now (not in the mood to write too much, sorry) and other members will chime in anyway:

 

Is there a set list of foods you can not eat as a Taoist?

 

Well, it all depends the year you were born. If you are metal type you'll benefit from wood and water based foods as well as following basic rules according to seasonal changes. Read this info to gather what foods you need in your diet:

 

http://www.tao-garden.com/5elements/5ElementsCDmenu.html

 

 

You also must follow the Chinese system (Taoist in nature) by which a balanced diet is one which includes all five tastes: spicy, sour, bitter, sweet, and salty.

 

However you need to modify that rule a bit as the ratio of those tastes are going to vary according the the individual's needs and the season of the year. I am going to give you three different examples:

 

A person who is yang deficient requires a higher proportion of foods with yang energy than other people do. The yang energy foods will supply yang energy they lack and help the person obtain balance. However a someone who's yin deficient will need a higher proportion of foods with yin energy. If we take a person with dampness problems, they must limit the intake of foods and herbs with sweet, salty, and/or sour tastes as they tend to be moistening.

 

This shows a bit the mechanics of diet and yin & yang balance.

 

Good luck in your new path.

Edited February 19, 2010 by durkhrod chogori

[rainbow]

Are there any books I should read that will explain general ideas and finer detail on certain subjects? Like meditation, energy, Taoism's history, other beliefs, food, and anything else a Taoist should know?

 

My favorite: Taoism, John Blofeld

 

 

I spent many years reading about Taoism but I have found that Mahayana Buddhism provides a path that is less "self" oriented, one that is rooted in compassionate being. Check that out if you'd like to. The information seems very foreign at first, but the path is timeless

 

The Diamond that Cuts Through Illusion Sutra is a reading that will guide me for a lifetime

 

go beyond thought?

 

 

rainbow

[minkus]

There is a book with 81 verses, the Tao Te Ching.

 

You should read it once witouth trying to understand it, yust let it drip trough

 

Later on you could read it again or choose single verses that you like.

 

After a while you will get glimpses

 

This is an example .. i dont know if its a good translation .. there are many translations. Type tao te ching in google and pick a few links, check em out .. start with reading the one that you like and when you like.

 

http://www.chinapage.com/gnl.html

 

Regards, Mike

[Yuen Biao]

Welcome 'Makyea'...

 

Eat natural foods and not processed garbage; moderate alcohol, dairy, sugar and meat - this will help prepare the body, mind and spirit for your future.

 

Drink tea not coffee, my favourites are Tie Guan Yin Oolong, Jasmine and Pu-er all of these are very healthy.

 

Learn to relax the mind and calm yourself of any thoughts which worry or cause you stress. Hopefully you can begin to practise Taijiquan (Tai Chi), Qigong, Yoga etc - maybe just pick a meditative practise first?

 

Read:

 

One of my favourite books: 'Opening the Dragon Gate: The Making of a Modern Taoist Wizard' - Amazon

 

A very small and short book full of love and good advice: 'The Art of Peace' - Amazon

 

'Path Notes of An American Ninja Master' - don't be put off by the title its a very general book Amazon

 

I'm sure others can add a few other very good books.

[Marblehead]

Hi Makyea,

 

You did great! You asked an entire lifetime of questions and yes, it will take an entire lifetime to even get close to finding all your answers.

 

In the meantime, don't forget to live, Okay?

 

I won't attempt to address any of your questions directly. But I will say that you should ask questions, you should talk with people who say that the follow the Way.

 

And then, make your own decisions as to how you should live your life and what aspects of Taoism you should place more importance on.

 

And the best advice I can offer is that you should determine what feels natural for 'you' and what does not feel natural. Follow those aspects that feel natural and discard those that do not. Basically, if it doesn't feel natural for you then it is not within your nature to do it and it won't help you along with your journey.

 

Peace & Love!

[minkus]

Hey again,

 

If you wonna practice cultivating energy you could try this set of simple exercises.

 

No particular focus, yust relax .. every movement 36 times, easy and very efficient

 

Its called fragrance gong or xiang gong.

 

 

Cheers !

[Trunk]

Basically, can you guys help me learn all this stuff? I feel so far behind.

 

I worked in a lowly position at a popular L.A. herb store for a while, and we used to recommend the book The Scholar Warrior to introduce people to Taoism. Taoism is woven into many parts of life: medicine, diet, meditation, the bedroom arts, martial arts, body-changing... the book gives an introduction & over-view of many parts.

 

However, TheTaoBums (TTBs) is even broader. Part of the premise of the board is that it's eclectic: people can bring practices related to internal cultivation from any school, or stuff they've even made up themselves. We're an open community to discuss our own paths of travel between heaven and earth.

 

You also might check out my website, alchemicaltaoism.com (it's free). It's a sort of archive of some of the topics of this community over the years, as seen through my eyes and various essays organized along some major topic-lines that are common here.

 

There are many more men than women here, but there are a number of quite brilliant women who are steady members - so don't get the mistaken impression that it's just you and a bunch of heathen guys.

 

Welcome.

 

- Trunk

 

p.s.

(To over-simplify a bit..) I'd say that there aren't really rules in Taoism. The purpose is to foster balance & harmony within your own body so that you are healthier, more integral within your self and in relation to the Divine. Given that each person is different, what fosters balance & harmony for one person might be a great deal different from what helps another. That's why I said, "no rules". And that's why the path is so broad with so many different aspects: people vary. However, there are principles and common ways to go about things - which you'll discover along the way.

[Sloppy Zhang]

B.K. Frantzis' two part book series "Relaxing Into Your Being" and "The Great Stillness" gives an excellent introduction to Taoist concepts, terms, and methods in various traditions, as well as giving basic meditation exercises that you can do. It is oriented completely towards a beginner with nearly no prior knowledge of Taoism.

[Aetherous]

What sets apart the three different types of Taoism?

 

I think they all began from the same source...early shamanism in western China.

 

But there is religious, philosophical and practical. In the religious type, you worship the gods and it brings you prosperity. Taoist gods aren't the same as the Christian concept of God. They are more like unseen forces of nature, and also inner forces. But everyone has their own view on this...

 

Philosophical Taoism is how many people in America get started. Everyone knows of the book The Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu. It is a collection of prose which vaguely discusses the aspects of what Taoism is. Many meanings can be attributed to it, and it's very hard to truly understand. Also, some say it was written to influence a political leader, instead of actually being an introduction to real Taoism. However, the ideas within are really nice to reflect upon for anyone.

 

What I call practical Taoism (some may call it "alchemical Taoism" or other things) includes everything from meditation to physical exercises. This is where "qigong" (energy work) comes from. It began as a way for people to attain longevity, and sometimes also awakening. In my personal opinion, this is where the other two types of Taoism originated and is closer to the shamanic source.

 

Many people at this forum are practical Taoists who maintain a philosophical background. Very few here are true religious Taoists.

 

What is cultivation?

 

I take it to mean "gathering" something. For instance, a person can cultivate compassion by working at a homeless shelter and getting to know people going through hard times. They are increasing the amount of compassion they have. Just an example.

 

In Taoism, people cultivate their essence, energy and spirit through various practices.

 

What is the stuff about sexual energy and holding back ejaculation?

 

Part of the process in Taoist alchemy is to channel your creative energy for a spiritual purpose. A person's creativity is related to their sexual essence (among other things, like bones and other fluids in the body, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine). So many assume that by not ejaculating, they are doing it right...however, all that's doing is hurting them. It's normal and good for a person to have sex (or play with themselves) every couple days...and individuals differ in what they need. Moderation and naturalness are both important.

 

How it really should be done is by doing spiritual practices and increasing your virtue...and then during that, a person can abstain for a while and it will give them a boost. Otherwise, it's just like throwing bread on the ground with no birds to eat it...it will just go to waste.

 

Also, from what I've read and heard, it's not important for women to hold back ejaculation because their bodies differ from men. Women are apparently better suited for the Taoist path.

 

Is there a set list of foods you can not eat as a Taoist?

 

According to different groups of Taoists. Some don't eat meat. Some take a break from eating any sort of grains. Personally, I think those groups are fanatical.

 

It's good to eat what makes you feel good and healthy. All of the restrictions came after Taoism was separated into different groups.

 

I like pepperoni pizza.

 

Are there any books I should read that will explain general ideas and finer detail on certain subjects? Like meditation, energy, Taoism's history, other beliefs, food, and anything else a Taoist should know?

 

Taoism by Eva Wong is a good introduction to the history of Taoism.

 

Qigong for Total Wellness by Baolin Wu is a very interesting book on a specific form of qigong. After buying probably 100 different books, this is the only one I can really recommend.

 

Tons of different translations of Tao Te Ching can be found online, or you can find it at pretty much any bookstore.

[3bob]

Many types of powers and knowledge related to Taoism or many other paths may only come to or only amount to the "vanity of vanities" without love... And Sister without love we will all be "far behind" and know little or nothing, including the so called most powerful and smartest among us.

 

You may be interested in Quan Yin? (as a reference and example)

 

Om

[markern]

Lucky you! I often wish I had started with stuff like that at around your age (I am 31 now) because it would have helped immensely and because when you are younger you usually have a lot more time to devout to practice.

 

I will try to explain things a bit. I am in no way an expert of these things in practice or theory. I am in no way advanced.

 

I can`t really give you a good definition of chi or energy work from a Taoist perspective and certainly not from a western perspective but the following is a workable way to think about it as an aid for the mind untill you start experiencing things for yourself. Think about the endorphin rush you get after jogging, think about an orgasm and how it is experienced in the body, think about a strong feeling of love arround your heart area and how you have sometimes felt it spread throughout your body, think about an extreeme adrenalin rush. These four are usually the feelings people have had that most closely resmebles chi moving in your body. They are primarily experienced by people as energy except for the love feeling which is felt more as emotion but can also sometimes feel energy like especially when it spreads througout the body. After a yoga or qigong class you will (at least once you have gone a number of times) expereience an energy rush quite similar to the endorphins after jogging. Different but quite similar, usually it feels warm but it can also feel cold. The sensations will usually be felt very broadly and evenly distributed across your body. With more practice you will start to expereince stronger sensations along certain pathways in the body, along the meridians. For example you will feel much more energy in the spine and along the middle of your front body. Evnetually you will feel more and more subtle pathways and stronger sensations there. You will start to experience that the energy feels different depending on which pathway it is in. Along the spine it feels hotter, more active and fierce, along the front more calm and cool and emotional. The back is yang the front is yin. Now through deep relaxation and calming your mind chatter and subtly bringing your awareness of feeling to these sensations in the pathways, you will experience that bringing the mind to them changes the activity and that by subtle intending for the energy to move in certain ways it will (visualisation is sometimes used for this). You can then start to make the energy run faster or slower or wider etc.

 

So what on earth is this energy stuff and the centrers and all? At the locations where the main seven chakras are located there are also glands of the endocrine system and giant nerve plexus`. Just like the adrenal glands produces adrenalin among a bunch of other stuff, so other glands produce hormones and whatnot that can be felt strongly as energy or as emotion. Why is love so often felt in the middle of the chest? Well that is where the thymus gland is and an associated nerve plexus. It can spread out but this is the center along with the physical heart. So with practice more and more of these glands and nerves are activated more strongly and slowly brought under control, either by certain exercises or with subtle intention. Felling these energies are usually very pleasurable, just like the endorphin rush just even better but it can also be very painful sometimes when stuff gets messed up.

 

With this ability to control the galnds and the nervous system we want to mold it into its optimal state. That amongst other things means balancing the intensity of acitvity in the different centers so that none are too active or too underactive, we also wnat to generate more and mroe enrgy in total. This is what balancing chakras is about.

 

With this extreemly crude explanation in mind just translate in your mind that chakras and meridians means roughly something like nervous system, synovial fluid, glands and such and that what we are working with is engineering these. Then just mostly think in terms of chakras and meridians and dan tiens because science is not up to explaining hwat is happening quite yet so thinking to much of this in western terms is kinda useless although interesting and only sometimes usefull

 

The thing with male ejaculation is that when a man ejaculates he looses energy (you have noticed guys getting sleepy right? It is possibly for a man to have multiple huge whole body orgasms that lasts and lasts for as long as he wants and not ejaculating. If he has orgasms without ejaculating he will not feel tired, a sign of not loosing energy. When a man does this over several weeks he will notice his energy growing massively and this energy is very beneficial to energywork and meditation. This is a difficult practice to do right. Not just bypassing ejaculation which is a challenge but quite manageable but doing it the "right" way and learning to integrate this energy well. This energy can be very beneficial but can also make you unbalanced and manic. Trunks site and these threads will help your understanding:

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=11493

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=9450&st=0#entry112980&highlight=karezza

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=9421&st=20#entry112891&highlight=tantra+teacher

 

 

Where to start? Some dietary stuff is good but don`t go overboard with this to begin with. The most important is to get started with some sort of energetic exercise and some sort of meditation. After a while htis will naturaly and spontainiously make you change your diet more and more because the deeper you go the more you will feel what is good for you and not and you will start to effortlessly eat more of what is right for you in particualr. This is an extreemly common experience amongst cultivators. So don`t sweat the food to much in the begining. Just basic good diet and then optimise it later.

 

Some of what I have written in this post in another thread can be usefull for you:

 

Using primordial qigong (Winns version for example) as the core qigong is a very good idea IMO. It is quite unique in that it sets of the whole core alchemical process in a 15-20 min form. It also blends heaven and earth energy and energy from all directions, it opens the orbit and works a lot on the central channel, it also really grounds you and gives you a lot of good energy. It seems that using an alchemical system of meditation for thetaobum pai would be almost impossible because that would require agreeing on what that system would be and such systems would usually require a lot of guidance. So the core meditation would have to be a stillness/emptiness type of meditation like zen or vipassana or taoist stillness meditation etc. Daniel Ingrams instructions in his free ebook and the suport on technique through thedharamoverground is sufficent to progress well with vipassana without a live teacher. I know there is also a zen guy (monk i think) who daily guides people without access to live teachers through the internett. I don`t remember his name just that he does this and was kicked out from e-sangha. Hi is Soto Zen I think.

 

So if we presume that the core meditation will be one of those kinds of meditations and that there will be links to resources such as those mentioned to guide the person in that style of meditation then what is needed is a system of exercise, qigong, breathing, suporting meditation practices etc. that act as a physical and energetic base and suport for the meditation. Primordial qigong is superb for this because it sets of the whole alchemical process in just 15-20 min. What the form sets of will be nurtured further in the sitting meditation. If one has more time to practice one can practice it 4 times a day or maye more giving about an hour and 20 min of deep alchemical qigong on top of more general health directed stuff which should be more than sufficient. Several bums practice this form with great results and Dan Ferrera found it to be the most powerfull form after going through a bunch of systems and Winn also finds it more powerfull than any thing else he has tried. It can be learned from video without problems.

 

If then primordial qigong provides the core alchemy together with stillness medtiation the rest of the physical practices should aim first and foremost to create correct alignment of the body and provide basic stretching as oposed to creating massive amounts of chi without doing much for the physical health per se. One possibility would be to make a few possible suggested combos of stuff from warior welness and sonnon and intuflow etc. and combine that with some gentle dao yin stretches. Another option would be some basic qigong sets combined with some dao yin stretches. The point of the qigongs would be mainly physical alignment though and learning to center in and move from the dan tien.

 

Winn teaches to combines the inner smile with primordial qigong which one of the bums who did his workshop found very powerfull. Stigweard I think said he thought keeping a small smile and awareness of that smile 24/7 to be the key to alchemy. Maybe he would like to elaborate. As it is a toist meditation and very accessible for begginers and so easy to mix into everything and practice all day during other activities in breaks I think it could be a superb suporting meditation. It also has the advantage of being superb for the psyche. of smoothing out adverse effects of other pracitces, of alowing you to work on five element balance, of allowing you to work directly with each organ, gland, the intestines etc. or any localised block which is good to be able to do when you have a stillness meditation as your core meditation.

 

 

The Orbit CD from springforest seems to get very good feedback not only from Drew so it could be used as the main oribt opening practice. Winns qigong for opening the orbit in hundred days could be another if someone has actually practiced it and finds it to be good. What would be a good guidline in terms of time spent on other practices before the orbit is opened or for signposts in the practice of the other stuff that show it is a good time to start working more specifically on the orbit. Primordial qigong works very well on the central channel but if one wants a very direct practice to add some form of altenrate nostril breathing or nine bottle breath could be used.

 

10 min of dan tien breathing still has my vote as a core practice. So primordial qigong, inner smile, stillness medtaiton, dan tien breathing, qigong/something else to provide alignement and correct movement from the dan tien and some dao yin would be my suggestion. If time alows then Zhan Zhuang could be added on top of that.

 

As a suggestion for therapeutic things to lay a very good groundwork I would suggest cranio sacral therapy and structural integration acording to the anatomy trains principles and social engagement protocoll. That will get the whole bodies, and especially the spines, connective tissue in balance. Apparently saving you a couple of years time of adjustments in standing meditation etc in order to achieve the same. It also balances your chakras quite a lot, disolves a lot of tension and trauma, makes your body very well aligned and balances your fight of flight response. Chi nei tsang to sort out stuff in the belly and lower organs and karsai nei tsang if available to sort oout the genital are if these treatments are available. The book unwinding the belly is also very good to use for the same purpose. Doing these treatments early sorts out a lot of stuff, save you from a lot of pain and makes you advance much faster. Very good foundation. Just one trip to an acupuncturist to et your pulse taken and knowing the state of your organs could also be a very usefull suggestion in order to pinpoint organs to focus most on.

 

The following books are very good:

 

Jack Kornfield a path with heart. This is a spritual classic and it will help you avoid the pitfalls on the spirtual life and help you understand so much of what this is all about.

 

The articles on Shinzen Youngs website (free) are some of the clearest written about what enlightenment is what mindfullness is what meditation is and aims for etc. His audio the science of enlightenment I believe is equally good but more in depth.

 

Daniel Ingram has written a masterpiece about budhist meditation that is very useful for anyone practicing any type of meditation and with discussions very beneficial for anyone in spiritual life. If you want to get enlightened (not imortal of you belive in that) as fast as possible. Ingrams instructions and path seems to me to be the quickest one. He also has a precise map of the stages of Vipassana meditation and the jahan states (the deepest concetration states) that should be very illuminating for anyone to read.

 

The site Biology of kundalini should explain energywork in scientific terms very well.

 

PAth notes by Glen Morris is also excellent for all of this especially for understanding Kundalini. And it is a fun read.

 

A wise heart by Jack kornfield. This is about buddhist psychology aplied to the western llife. It is more or less the same as Taoist or yogic psychology except for a few things. Reading this book is very helpfull in realy, realy understanding how stuff like non attatchment does not mean what most westerners think and what place desire has etc. This book could singlehandedly correct about half the problems people on the spiritual path in the west tend to bring themselves into.

 

Read the plastic brain or any of the Daniel Goleman books about the mind and life meetings with the Dalai Lama to understand how meditation changes the brain and see some of the research that shows meditation leading to massive increases in happiness etc.

 

Good luck I will try to write some more at a different time.

[thelerner]

Daniel Reids books on Taoism make for a good primer. The Tao of Health Sex & Longevity. He has another older book thats quite good.

 

Remember there's no Taoism Pope. Views vary widely.

 

Use the search function (above) to find old threads on the subjects you're looking for. You'll find controversy and maybe some answers.

 

Yours

 

Michael

 

I have a best of Tao bums blog I keep, its getting pretty long. I'll create a new section in the Personal Practice section for thelerner and throw it up under Best of TB IMHO.

[markern]

 

 

I have a best of Tao bums blog I keep, its getting pretty long. I'll create a new section in the Personal Practice section for thelerner and throw it up under Best of TB IMHO.

 

That would be great

[Trunk]

Remember there's no Taoism Pope. Views vary widely.

 

I have a best of Tao bums blog I keep, its getting pretty long. I'll create a new section in the Personal Practice section for thelerner and throw it up under Best of TB IMHO.

That would be great

 

2nd that.

[Creation]

Hi Makyea.

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

I'm curious, if you know so little about Taoism and meditation, what prompted you to come to a Taoism forum and ask these questions?

 

 

Markern,

 

Wow. Your post was quite Hempelian.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Creation

[Makyea]

Wow, so much information! Thank you all and I hope I can get some more answers. I will be getting some of the books you all have mentioned them and begin my reading soon. I will definetly look through previous threads and look around to find some more answers. I hope I can collect so much more information. The more you all tell me the more interested I become. I like that it is built around who you are in a way. It is really, well the only word I can think of to fit it is beautiful. It seems so much more than that. I might just have to expand my vocabulary for this.

I found some textbooks but they don't give much explanation other than the history and I can see why. It is so much and so little at the same time. I am in awe of it.

[Eric23]

A nice introduction to the philosphy of Taoism is Allan Watts' The Watercourse Way.

 

Part of the confusion with a "Taoist" site like this is that we all come to this place with different perspectives. We have philosophers, martial artists, meditators, healers, spiritual cultivators, energy cultivators and the occasional coyote tricker.

 

The advice given by several posters to read the Tao Te Ching is spot on IMO. I keep a copy around all the time and refer to it often.

[Makyea]

Hi Makyea.

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

I'm curious, if you know so little about Taoism and meditation, what prompted you to come to a Taoism forum and ask these questions?

 

 

Markern,

 

Wow. Your post was quite Hempelian.

 

What I have read in textbooks and heard from people really made me interested. I just want to know everything about it that I can.

[markern]

 

 

 

Markern,

 

Wow. Your post was quite Hempelian.

 

Yeah it kinda was

[Creation]

What I have read in textbooks and heard from people really made me interested. I just want to know everything about it that I can.

Are you attracted to developing a personal practice yourself, or do you have a more scholarly interest at this point? If you are looking for a practice, are you just longing for something spiritual or are you sure you are interested in the Taoist path of cultivation in particular? I ask because there is a lot of great stuff out there that is not Taoist per say (many of the things that have been recommended to you are in this category). E.g. much qigong comes from the Buddhist Shaolin lineage (not like "Taoists don't practice Buddhist qigong" or something, I just want to clarify)

 

Now about recommendations:

 

I personally think Taoist stories are a good way to get into the spirit of the Tao. The granddaddy of these is the Zhuang Zi. If you are not laughing when you read it you are not getting it.

 

I also like Eva Wong's "Tales of the Taoist Immortals" and "Tales of the Dancing Dragon". They go into the "folk" history of Daoism and you can find a lot of Daoist "culture" there.

 

If you are interested in Taoist cultivation, the book "Seven Taoist Masters" is wonderful. It is translation of a classic Chinese novel about the lives of the founders of the Quanzhen school of Daoism.

 

None of these should be taken as literal history, neither should they be taken as "just stories". Somewhere in between... There are always Western style textbooks for attempts to reconstruct the "real" history, but they are approximations to the truth too, and are generally less fun to read and don't get you the "culture".

 

For an exposition of many Daoist concepts from a practitioner's point of view, look into Chia and Huang's Secret Teachings of the Tao Te Ching.

 

Since you mentioned vocab, the Daoists were like the scientists of ancient China. The observed the world around them and sought to understand the forces in play, and harmonize with them. Like any science, there is a lot of jargon. Here is some good vocab for you to look into. I give alternative spellings when common. Most if not all of these are discussed in Chia and Huang, if others know of good references, do contribute.

 

De - Virtue or Power

Wuji

Taiji (Tai Chi)

Yin and Yang

Wuxing - Five Phases or Five Elements

Bagua (Pa Kua) - Eight Trigrams

Xiantian - Pre-Heaven

Houtian - Post-Heaven

The Three Treasures: Jing - essence, Qi (Chi) - Energy, Shen - Spirit

 

All of these have aspects within the body (microcosm) and in the larger universe (macrocosm).

Edited February 19, 2010 by Creation

[Makyea]

Are you attracted to developing a personal practice yourself, or do you have a more scholarly interest at this point? If you are looking for a practice, are you just longing for something spiritual or are you sure you are interested in the Taoist path of cultivation in particular? I ask because there is a lot of great stuff out there that is not Taoist per say (many of the things that have been recommended to you are in this category). E.g. much qigong comes from the Buddhist Shaolin lineage (not like "Taoists don't practice Buddhist qigong" or something, I just want to clarify)

 

Now about recommendations:

 

I personally think Taoist stories are a good way to get into the spirit of the Tao. The granddaddy of these is the Zhuang Zi. If you are not laughing when you read it you are not getting it.

 

I also like Eva Wong's "Tales of the Taoist Immortals" and "Tales of the Dancing Dragon". They go into the "folk" history of Daoism and you can find a lot of Daoist "culture" there.

 

If you are interested in Taoist cultivation, the book "Seven Taoist Masters" is wonderful. It is translation of a classic Chinese novel about the lives of the founders of the Quanzhen school of Daoism.

 

None of these should be taken as literal history, neither should they be taken as "just stories". Somewhere in between... There are always Western style textbooks for attempts to reconstruct the "real" history, but they are approximations to the truth too, and are generally less fun to read and don't get you the "culture".

 

For an exposition of many Daoist concepts from a practitioner's point of view, look into Chia and Huang's Secret Teachings of the Tao Te Ching.

 

Since you mentioned vocab, the Daoists were like the scientists of ancient China. The observed the world around them and sought to understand the forces in play, and harmonize with them. Like any science, there is a lot of jargon. Here is some good vocab for you to look into. I give alternative spellings when common. Most if not all of these are discussed in Chia and Huang, if others know of good references, do contribute.

 

De - Virtue or Power

Wuji

Taiji (Tai Chi)

Yin and Yang

Wuxing - Five Phases or Five Elements

Bagua (Pa Kua) - Eight Trigrams

Xiantian - Pre-Heaven

Houtian - Post-Heaven

The Three Treasures: Jing - essence, Qi (Chi) - Energy, Shen - Spirit

 

All of these have aspects within the body (microcosm) and in the larger universe (macrocosm).

I am looking to develop personal practice. I am just not sure how to go about this or what type, or anything really.

Thank you for all your input I will look into it all. It seems very interesting. The words you gave helped a lot as well.

[Makyea]

You are asking a lot. The best way to start is go outside and start meditating beside a tree. That's how I started and it really works.

 

OK, I will address one question as I am a bit tired right now (not in the mood to write too much, sorry) and other members will chime in anyway:

 

Is there a set list of foods you can not eat as a Taoist?

 

Well, it all depends the year you were born. If you are metal type you'll benefit from wood and water based foods as well as following basic rules according to seasonal changes. Read this info to gather what foods you need in your diet:

 

http://www.tao-garden.com/5elements/5ElementsCDmenu.html

 

 

You also must follow the Chinese system (Taoist in nature) by which a balanced diet is one which includes all five tastes: spicy, sour, bitter, sweet, and salty.

 

However you need to modify that rule a bit as the ratio of those tastes are going to vary according the the individual's needs and the season of the year. I am going to give you three different examples:

 

A person who is yang deficient requires a higher proportion of foods with yang energy than other people do. The yang energy foods will supply yang energy they lack and help the person obtain balance. However a someone who's yin deficient will need a higher proportion of foods with yin energy. If we take a person with dampness problems, they must limit the intake of foods and herbs with sweet, salty, and/or sour tastes as they tend to be moistening.

 

This shows a bit the mechanics of diet and yin & yang balance.

 

Good luck in your new path.

I am very confused on the food thing. Could you or anyone explain this more? What do you mean metal-type? Sorry if these questions are stupid but I would love to know.