devoid Posted February 4, 2011 Hi Friends, I am sure many of you are familiar with the idea from taoist alchemy of a spiritual embryo which one grows and nurtures. Try to imagine this would one day come true / work out for you and it turned out that it had a personality of its own. What would you do about it? Would you set it free like one sets ones children free (as their own agents) or would you do something else? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Birch Posted February 5, 2011 I think it's a bit weird... What is this "embryo" and why cultivate it? I guess if I knew what it was I might check it out, but it sounds a bit "parasitic" to me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zerostao Posted February 5, 2011 I think it's a bit weird... What is this "embryo" and why cultivate it? I guess if I knew what it was I might check it out, but it sounds a bit "parasitic" to me not parasitic but it is higher level cultivation,inner alchemy takes great determination and practice to go to these levels Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pennyofheaven Posted February 5, 2011 Hi Friends, I am sure many of you are familiar with the idea from taoist alchemy of a spiritual embryo which one grows and nurtures. Try to imagine this would one day come true / work out for you and it turned out that it had a personality of its own. What would you do about it? Would you set it free like one sets ones children free (as their own agents) or would you do something else? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas! If it had a personality of its own I doubt that it would be separate from ones own except in that it may have access to more that ones own personality might not be able to have access to. I thought that was the point of the Alchemists who chose the greater path? From memory it is not born till we have transitioned? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NeiChuan Posted February 5, 2011 XD HAHAH God I love that meme Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zerostao Posted February 5, 2011 May I offer a reverse perspective? If one nurtures one's spiritual embryo, I understand that the gestational being/spirit aligns ever closer with the tao. The resonating vibrations of the embryo-in-tao may very well dissolve limited mind and then there will be no clash of personalities, and thus no need to let anything go... Welcoming others' perspectives... interesting thoughts R_V in my limited understanding i also would think one is getting closer with the tao in having greater understanding in the nature of all things. awareness coming from powering the subtle body with jing. which you are keeping inwards and not allowing it to follow its natural course wanting to go outside the body expressing in creative energy. my level is i am trying to circulate qi. so, i really cannot give any personal experience regarding the jing sublimation. i will think it is far diferent than what i am experiencing circulating qi.but i look at the jing powered subtle body in closer awareness of the spirit/shen alchemy but being very seperate from it. these are just my thoughts and not experiences. it would be great to hear from any tao bum that has sent jing into the pineal gland/light. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
devoid Posted February 5, 2011 Hi Friends, Thanks for your posts. If it had a personality of its own I doubt that it would be separate from ones own except in that it may have access to more that ones own personality might not be able to have access to. I thought that was the point of the Alchemists who chose the greater path? From memory it is not born till we have transitioned? Hi pennyofheaven, So, I guess you're suggesting that by "teaming up" with it as a kind of spirit runner one could use it for gaining insights, right? Also, I am not quite sure about what you mean with transitioned here - perhaps I could ask you to elaborate a bit on that? May I offer a reverse perspective? If one nurtures one's spiritual embryo, I understand that the gestational being/spirit aligns ever closer with the tao. The resonating vibrations of the embryo-in-tao may very well dissolve limited mind and then there will be no clash of personalities, and thus no need to let anything go... Welcoming others' perspectives... Hi Rainbow_Vein, Yes, I think you are onto something related to nurturing. I am just not quite sure what that might entail. Also, assuming the spirit embryo can align closer with the tao, as you suggest (yet as its own individual being) then how do you think the practitioner might be able to benefit from this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
三江源 Posted February 5, 2011 Hi Friends, I am sure many of you are familiar with the idea from taoist alchemy of a spiritual embryo which one grows and nurtures. Try to imagine this would one day come true / work out for you and it turned out that it had a personality of its own. What would you do about it? Would you set it free like one sets ones children free (as their own agents) or would you do something else? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas! heh heh heh. heh. heh. heh. heh. What is personality? Who would 'you' be, in relation to 'it'? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VCraigP Posted February 5, 2011 hmmm Is it possible that the concept of immortal fetus is an example of the use of symbolic language which is so prevalent in Taoist and Chinese thought? Perhaps it is not a thing in itself but an attempt at describing a stage of development. IMO it is an analogy and not a description of an actual physical mini me :-) Something which needs to be created by combining yin and yang. Something which must be nurtured to properly develop. Something which should not let free from the body prematurely. something which eventually matures into the world. But dont take the analogy too far. It is not a child which separates from the mother and has it's own beingness. IMO this is where the analogy should be abandoned. Craig Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rex Posted February 5, 2011 I think the spiritual embryo is a metaphor for the delicate psycho-physical state that precedes a state of internal cultivation where Humanity, i.e. the human cultivator, becomes a conscious mediating bridge between Heaven and Earth. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pennyofheaven Posted February 6, 2011 Hi Friends, Thanks for your posts. Hi pennyofheaven, So, I guess you're suggesting that by "teaming up" with it as a kind of spirit runner one could use it for gaining insights, right? Also, I am not quite sure about what you mean with transitioned here - perhaps I could ask you to elaborate a bit on that? Not so much teaming no, perhaps it is better described as revealing or unfolding into the greater whole of what we are part of. The spiritual embryo seems to represent our awareness level. By transitioning I mean dying. Death is a funny word it's meanings vary from person to person so I use transitioning sometimes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
