Ask me questions?

[Stigweard]

looking for a humble xperience but this thread kind of did the opposite. also i was looking for someone who could give me a rating as to how far i have come but i think that comes down to me to do that.

Ahhh ... you want a rating ... OK I give you a 4.85.

 

Does that help??

 

[Marblehead]

you don't know what you don't know. the older you get hopefully you understand more that you really don't know anything at all. so forget what you know now and cultivate humbleness.

 

Damn!!! You just made me feel so very old!

[Marblehead]

Ahhh ... you want a rating ... OK I give you a 4.85.

 

Does that help??

 

 

That rating depends on the scale being used.

[ShaktiMama]

looking for a humble xperience but this thread kind of did the opposite. also i was looking for someone who could give me a rating as to how far i have come but i think that comes down to me to do that.

 

 

what kind of scale? the NOOB scale? off the charts. Mastery scale? what's that?

 

We don't know you personally. We dont know you at all except for a few posts looking for validation. None of us train with you. None of us have met you face to face. It is pretty arrogant of you to ask that we do this. You didn't even specify what kind of questions to ask...just assumed we knew what you were thinking.

 

Should I eat cheese on my broccoli? Sure if that's what you want.

 

Should I use condoms? YESSSSS!

 

When I meditate words stop and time elongates and I stop breathing. How am I doing? Nice.

 

Should I move out of my parents house? Do you have a job?

 

Am I liberated? No.

 

When I am do standing stake my body starts to sway from side to side and I am not sure if I am doing it right and it really hurts? Relax your muscles and let the chi flow through your bones and ligaments and not your muscles. Chi moves in circles and when the body starts to relax and the energetic obstructions start to dissolve your body will move in harmonious movement with the chi.

 

 

Now you think up some questions.

[mewtwo]

shaktimama does the fact that i have been here longer than you and have fewer posts than you meen anything to you?

[ShaktiMama]

shaktimama does the fact that i have been here longer than you and have fewer posts than you meen anything to you?

 

Not at all.

 

The fact that I probably have been teaching cultivation longer than you have been alive mean anything to anyone? Not at all.

Edited July 5, 2011 by ShaktiMama

[mewtwo]

actualy i was getting at the fact that i dont spend hours on this site i just check it every now and then. I was not getting at an are you older than me point.

[ShaktiMama]

actualy i was getting at the fact that i dont spend hours on this site i just check it every now and then. I was not getting at an are you older than me point.

 

And neither was I. Age has nothing to do with cultivation unless one is doing genuine cultivation. Doing something for 20 years if one is doing it inaccurately is just as ineffective as doing it for three days correctly. One month of accurate practice beats 20 years of inaccurate teaching and cultivation any day.

 

People say practice, practice, practice. I say practice perfect, practice perfect, practice perfect.

 

 

Actually, i want to change what I said. Doing three days correctly, or even for just one hour, is far more effective than 20 years incorrectly.

Edited July 5, 2011 by ShaktiMama

[Wynn]

People sure like to defend their positions here. lol

 

Like little villages, sand bagging their levees, working in vain to hold back the river.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

what kind of scale? the NOOB scale? off the charts.

 

 

Directly asking for recognition from The Tao Bums = an automatic 100 points on the NOOB scale. Congratulations

 

 

Perhaps you were not looking for this.

 

If not.. you still never answered any questions, so hopefully you've answered your own...

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2011 by Harmonious Emptiness

[Stigweard]

That rating depends on the scale being used.

Heehehe .... exactly !!!

 

[fatguyslim]

I have one important question to all of you and I am not sure what reply I might get so just before I put my question forward, I would like to share some words. I believe everyone here has been practicing one practice or the other for a long period of time. May it be meditation (I am from originally from India and when I was little I was taught the meditation is something that one should close their eyes and still their thoughts but you might have a different definition which I would love to here), Qigong, breathing exercises, yoga or some other physical practice.

 

So since I was kid I have always been pushed away from most of these exercises (mainly because the religion was forced on me from a very young age). I have to be true I haven't most of them because the text I read doesn't suggest I should. I am only 24 and I believe my life experience is nothing compared to yours, so I would love to hear what you have to say after you read my question. My main purpose on this forum is to learn...

 

So with no disrespect to anyone, my question to everyone is. Is there anyone on this forum who practices the Tao without deliberately closing their eyes for few hours a day, without concentrating their mind on various organs inside the physical body, without worrying too much about the health and well being of the physical body, without forcing the Tao, without thinking that one could achieve Tao all by oneself, without going away from society to practice the Tao, without and god knows how many other withouts that I can't think of at the moment?

 

I am being overly forward here because I am in a lot of confusion which I want to get rid off one step at a time. Now I urge you not to reply in just words, metaphors or complicated English (I am an Indian and I have to be honest I am not that good in English). Please give me your life experience and I will learn from that... Thanks and I look forward to your reply

[Aaron]

I have one important question to all of you and I am not sure what reply I might get so just before I put my question forward, I would like to share some words. I believe everyone here has been practicing one practice or the other for a long period of time. May it be meditation (I am from originally from India and when I was little I was taught the meditation is something that one should close their eyes and still their thoughts but you might have a different definition which I would love to here), Qigong, breathing exercises, yoga or some other physical practice.

 

So since I was kid I have always been pushed away from most of these exercises (mainly because the religion was forced on me from a very young age). I have to be true I haven't most of them because the text I read doesn't suggest I should. I am only 24 and I believe my life experience is nothing compared to yours, so I would love to hear what you have to say after you read my question. My main purpose on this forum is to learn...

 

So with no disrespect to anyone, my question to everyone is. Is there anyone on this forum who practices the Tao without deliberately closing their eyes for few hours a day, without concentrating their mind on various organs inside the physical body, without worrying too much about the health and well being of the physical body, without forcing the Tao, without thinking that one could achieve Tao all by oneself, without going away from society to practice the Tao, without and god knows how many other withouts that I can't think of at the moment?

 

I am being overly forward here because I am in a lot of confusion which I want to get rid off one step at a time. Now I urge you not to reply in just words, metaphors or complicated English (I am an Indian and I have to be honest I am not that good in English). Please give me your life experience and I will learn from that... Thanks and I look forward to your reply

 

Hello Fatguyslim,

 

First I like your nick, second for twenty some-odd years I practiced meditation much as you did (and I still do), stilling the mind and not forcing anything, but allowing things to occur, to rise and fall, for the silence of the mind to come, not out of force of will, but of its own cause. It took years for me to achieve this consistently, but I was able to. For me the best meditation is when there is only emptiness, no thought, no emotion, nothing but the absence of everything. I'm sure that you know what I'm talking about. It is when you are in the absence of everything that you fully understand what everything really is, our connection to each other, that there is no separation at all, that everything is just "It".

 

Again, excellent question. Now if you ask what I achieved in this meditation, I achieved nothing except I understood that I am still what I am, only my perception of reality has changed.

 

Aaron

Edited July 6, 2011 by Twinner

[fatguyslim]

Hello Fatguyslim,

 

First I like your nick, second for twenty some-odd years I practiced meditation much as you did (and I still do), stilling the mind and not forcing anything, but allowing things to occur, to rise and fall, for the silence of the mind to come, not out of force of will, but of its own cause. It took years for me to achieve this consistently, but I was able to. For me the best meditation is when there is only emptiness, no thought, no emotion, nothing but the absence of everything. I'm sure that you know what I'm talking about. It is when you are in the absence of everything that you fully understand what everything really is, our connection to each other, that there is no separation at all, that everything is just "It".

 

Again, excellent question. Now if you ask what I achieved in this meditation, I achieved nothing except I understood that I am still what I am, only my perception of reality has changed.

 

Aaron

 

I am glad that you have achieved a higher state of understanding in your life but I have few words from the sage called Huang Yuan-ch'i taken from the Introduction of the I Ching (The Taoist I Ching by Thomas Cleary). It says...

 

"People are happy when there is quiet and vexed when there is commotion. Don't they realise that since their energy has already been stirred by the clamor of people's voices and the involvements and disturbances of people and affairs, rather than use this power to be annoyed at the commotion, it is better to use this power to cultivate stability. An ancient said, "When people are in the midst of the disturbance, this is a good time to apply effort to keep independent." Stay comprehensively alert in the immediate present, and suddenly an awakening will open up an experience in the midst of it all that is millions of times better than that of quiet sitting. whenever you encounter people making a commotion, whether it concerns you or not, use it to polish and strengthen yourself, like gold being refined over and over until it no longer changes colour. If you gain power in this, it is much better than long drawn-out practice in quietude."

 

I am not aiming to be better than anyone or take shortcuts... I am just going by the text I read and what I have read so far has accorded immensely with what I have believed since I was very little (When I think of my childhood I get glimpses of being more powerful than my current state of being). I have no current experience to say I am practicing the Tao the right way or maybe I am too stupid to even think that I am doing a practice. I do love hearing people share their experiences in whatever they practice and never once have I imagined what it would feel like to experience such experiences.

 

I do love your words on how you don't experience any emotions, desires, thoughts etc. But does that stay the same when you are around people or when you are dreaming while asleep?

 

Cheers

[Aaron]

I am glad that you have achieved a higher state of understanding in your life but I have few words from the sage called Huang Yuan-ch'i taken from the Introduction of the I Ching (The Taoist I Ching by Thomas Cleary). It says...

 

"People are happy when there is quiet and vexed when there is commotion. Don't they realise that since their energy has already been stirred by the clamor of people's voices and the involvements and disturbances of people and affairs, rather than use this power to be annoyed at the commotion, it is better to use this power to cultivate stability. An ancient said, "When people are in the midst of the disturbance, this is a good time to apply effort to keep independent." Stay comprehensively alert in the immediate present, and suddenly an awakening will open up an experience in the midst of it all that is millions of times better than that of quiet sitting. whenever you encounter people making a commotion, whether it concerns you or not, use it to polish and strengthen yourself, like gold being refined over and over until it no longer changes colour. If you gain power in this, it is much better than long drawn-out practice in quietude."

 

I am not aiming to be better than anyone or take shortcuts... I am just going by the text I read and what I have read so far has accorded immensely with what I have believed since I was very little (When I think of my childhood I get glimpses of being more powerful than my current state of being). I have no current experience to say I am practicing the Tao the right way or maybe I am too stupid to even think that I am doing a practice. I do love hearing people share their experiences in whatever they practice and never once have I imagined what it would feel like to experience such experiences.

 

I do love your words on how you don't experience any emotions, desires, thoughts etc. But does that stay the same when you are around people or when you are dreaming while asleep?

 

Cheers

 

Ahh... yes! You are absolutely right. I think the point I was trying to make wasn't that "all is achieved through sitting" that's nonsense, we've all heard the story about the monk and the clay tablet. My point was that I achieved a greater understanding of the world. In fact when I had my greatest "realization" it wasn't meditating, but rather laying on my bed reading a book. What I think now is that when we are aware of who we are and our connection to others, that ultimately we will be able to behave in a way that allows us to work in harmony with others. In my own life I find that when I am paying attention to what others are saying and doing and what I myself am saying and doing, that things are much more harmonious.

 

It's very hard to interact with the world without emotions, desires, thoughts, etc. I don't necessarily think we are supposed to interact with the world in that way, rather meditation is a tool that allows us to understand those interactions more clearly. I think many people have this odd perception of detachment being some kind of Vulcan like state of mind, when that's not entirely what it is (imo), rather detachment is the ability to understand that those things that are around you are impermanent, so you can still enjoy coffee, baseball, flowers, and poetry, it's just you realize the actual nature of those things and by understanding this you are able to accept them for what they actually are. At least that's my own experience.

 

Aaron

[fatguyslim]

Ahh... yes! You are absolutely right. I think the point I was trying to make wasn't that "all is achieved through sitting" that's nonsense, we've all heard the story about the monk and the clay tablet. My point was that I achieved a greater understanding of the world. In fact when I had my greatest "realization" it wasn't meditating, but rather laying on my bed reading a book. What I think now is that when we are aware of who we are and our connection to others, that ultimately we will be able to behave in a way that allows us to work in harmony with others. In my own life I find that when I am paying attention to what others are saying and doing and what I myself am saying and doing, that things are much more harmonious.

 

It's very hard to interact with the world without emotions, desires, thoughts, etc. I don't necessarily think we are supposed to interact with the world in that way, rather meditation is a tool that allows us to understand those interactions more clearly. I think many people have this odd perception of detachment being some kind of Vulcan like state of mind, when that's not entirely what it is (imo), rather detachment is the ability to understand that those things that are around you are impermanent, so you can still enjoy coffee, baseball, flowers, and poetry, it's just you realize the actual nature of those things and by understanding this you are able to accept them for what they actually are. At least that's my own experience.

 

Aaron

 

 

I think you are BANG ON mate!!! Detachment is not getting out of it but rather being in midst of it. We lose our greatest working tool if we detach ourselves from others (thats what I believe lol). Its like how Liu I-Ming says, "Guiding desires from disharmony to harmony so that the desires softens, vanishes or transforms." Of course all of what you mentioned like baseball, flowers, coffee and poetry is the Tao without it we are trying to cook an empty pot lol.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Well, Liu I Ming speaks of cultivating the "real body" and "spiritual embryo" but he does warn against trying to do so by cultivating sexual energy. This may have been something that he was seeing a lot in his day, of people ingesting all sorts of aphrodesiacs and trying to increase sexual energy in order to create the "real body" or "spiritual embryo." One thing to consider is that Liu I Ming's writing is very influenced by Buddhism, and Buddhism tends to be a lot more anti-passions rather than transmuting passions into spirit and using their energy for other purposes.

 

One difficulty with following Liu I Ming's teaching is that he does not write down to entire methodology for cultivating the "real body." He does write about how to nurture the spirit however, without trying to stir up sexual energy, and that (if I were to try sum it up in brief) is by stillness, concentration, and the Taoist virtues of nurturing the spirit rather than being distracted by fame, profit, doubt, desires, and emotions of anger, joy, and fear.

 

This can be done even on a busy street when we learn to "see with ears, hear with the nose, smell with the hands, and hear with the nose." What does that mean? focus internally rather than getting caught up in the senses. I used to do this every morning when I had to walk through the financial district on the way to work. It was busy as could be, but rather than get distracted, I would just look at the ground and let my ears guide me, let my body smell the wrong ways, and my eyes only sense the environment. Aside from opening up the sense of hearing, smell, and intuition, this allowed me to keep the internal focus that contains spirit inside the body rather than having it cool off from inattention.

 

This method is quite different from vipassana which would suggest to be aware of every thing we come in contact with, but it allows for a deeper awareness and concentration that allows cultivation in these settings. In fact, when I don't have such a hectic environment, I'm less driven to internal focus when walking around.

 

When you continue to "heat the fire" like this, focusing internally, spirit is stable and so it can grow. Passions, desires, fears, worries, lusts, disgusts, all "cool the flame" and dissipate that spirit.

 

It's important, like my tag says, to be able to focus on the moment and abandon would-be intruding desires. When I feel uncertain in some situation and it threatens to "cool my flame" I just abandon all other attention and do what I'm doing in totality. This results in me being totally aware of my environment and anything that might have led to subtle avoidance of my feelings. Anything that causes me to abandon my attention will be recognized, like maybe some dude in the corner who I realize was watching me -- now I notice him and not avoid his gaze but engage the discomfort and deal with the situation (like just noticing the guy who then stops watching me and creating awkwardness).

 

Practicing like this, I think, is great preparation for higher cultivation because it gives experience holding on to "the flame" which many people at higher levels are want to do in daily life.

 

In addition to this, I remember to follow the Yellow Emperors advice for behavior in the summer, to walk around like everything is beautiful and perfect outside. See that the rainy day is actually beautiful, the dark and windy day strengthens and provides alternation to the climate, the birds, trees, sun, smells, everything is beautiful and a wonder of nature. This is part of how to develop a stronger health for the following seasons, and it brightens the mind, and thus the spirit.

 

I understand that you're pretty wary of false teachers, and I would guess they're probably all over the place in India where spiritual knowledge is common-place. It's the same with things like Voodoo or Santeria -- if you're looking for it, every person that comes up to you will say "oh, you're in great danger, I will perform a ceremony for you" so it's really important if you want to get to the beauty of the matter to know and expect this type of thing to happen, but I know you've already become well aware of all the detours. (btw, I've never practiced these religions.. just borrowing the example, though I do know the true practice of them is VERY different than even most natives to the region believe it to be.. )

Edited July 6, 2011 by Harmonious Emptiness

[fatguyslim]

Well, Liu I Ming speaks of cultivating the "real body" and "spiritual embryo" but he does warn against trying to do so by cultivating sexual energy. This may have been something that he was seeing a lot in his day, of people ingesting all sorts of aphrodesiacs and trying to increase sexual energy in order to create the "real body" or "spiritual embryo." One thing to consider is that Liu I Ming's writing is very influenced by Buddhism, and Buddhism tends to be a lot more anti-passions rather than transmuting passions into spirit and using their energy for other purposes.

 

He not only mentions about sexual energy but also all the other practices, including yoga, breathing exercises, kundalini and even sitting in quietude. I know he comes from the Buddhist and Confucius background but if you see how got onto the path is very interesting. In his book Awakening to the Tao he even says that he has seen both true and false Taoism which indicates that after being sent away by his first teacher to fulfill moral duties Liu I-ming travelled all over China in Confusion (he even says that he regretted leaving his first teacher for which he suffered 20 years of confusion).

 

One difficulty with following Liu I Ming's teaching is that he does not write down to entire methodology for cultivating the "real body." He does write about how to nurture the spirit however, without trying to stir up sexual energy, and that (if I were to try sum it up in brief) is by stillness, concentration, and the Taoist virtues of nurturing the spirit rather than being distracted by fame, profit, doubt, desires, and emotions of anger, joy, and fear.

 

Exactly thats why I was stressing on the fact about finding a true teacher in my previous posts because he doesn't really reveal the mechanism. I mean in all fairness who would actually do that? Chang Po-tuan did it three times and in return he lost it three times. It wasn't till he was in his 80s that Chang Po-tuan received it again from his 4th master.

 

This can be done even on a busy street when we learn to "see with ears, hear with the nose, smell with the hands, and hear with the nose." What does that mean? focus internally rather than getting caught up in the senses. I used to do this every morning when I had to walk through the financial district on the way to work. It was busy as could be, but rather than get distracted, I would just look at the ground and let my ears guide me, let my body smell the wrong ways, and my eyes only sense the environment. Aside from opening up the sense of hearing, smell, and intuition, this allowed me to keep the internal focus that contains spirit inside the body rather than having it cool off from inattention.

 

I have to be honest this is what I do most of the time too. I try to focus on what I do rather than regretting it later on. Of course there are many things that I do which are not not well thought of (mainly things that I desire like doing Parkour, music, showing off flips and what not) and after I do them I don't even realise what I did was appropriate or not. Its just that when I read the text again it clicks to me like "ahh thats what I did when I was doing such and such..."

 

This method is quite different from vipassana which would suggest to be aware of every thing we come in contact with, but it allows for a deeper awareness and concentration that allows cultivation in these settings. In fact, when I don't have such a hectic environment, I'm less driven to internal focus when walking around.

 

When you continue to "heat the fire" like this, focusing internally, spirit is stable and so it can grow. Passions, desires, fears, worries, lusts, disgusts, all "cool the flame" and dissipate that spirit.

 

Aye its the same with me... When I am around few and few people, I tend to enjoy the nature and its magical beings but I guess thats not what I should do. I do let go of the fire when I get distracted by my own version of beauty and also when I do things that I overly enjoy. I don't think there is anything wrong in enjoying something but I am sure when I do certain things its not in harmony with the path (I could be wrong and it would helpful if you can shine some light on this).

 

It's important, like my tag says, to be able to focus on the moment and abandon would-be intruding desires. When I feel uncertain in some situation and it threatens to "cool my flame" I just abandon all other attention and do what I'm doing in totality. This results in me being totally aware of my environment and anything that might have led to subtle avoidance of my feelings. Anything that causes me to abandon my attention will be recognized, like maybe some dude in the corner who I realize was watching me -- now I notice him and not avoid his gaze but engage the discomfort and deal with the situation (like just noticing the guy who then stops watching me and creating awkwardness).

 

Practicing like this, I think, is great preparation for higher cultivation because it gives experience holding on to "the flame" which many people at higher levels are want to do in daily life.

 

In addition to this, I remember to follow the Yellow Emperors advice for behavior in the summer, to walk around like everything is beautiful and perfect outside. See that the rainy day is actually beautiful, the dark and windy day strengthens and provides alternation to the climate, the birds, trees, sun, smells, everything is beautiful and a wonder of nature. This is part of how to develop a stronger health for the following seasons, and it brightens the mind, and thus the spirit.

 

I understand that you're pretty wary of false teachers, and I would guess they're probably all over the place in India where spiritual knowledge is common-place. It's the same with things like Voodoo or Santeria -- if you're looking for it, every person that comes up to you will say "oh, you're in great danger, I will perform a ceremony for you" so it's really important if you want to get to the beauty of the matter to know and expect this type of thing to happen, but I know you've already become well aware of all the detours. (btw, I've never practiced these religions.. just borrowing the example, though I do know the true practice of them is VERY different than even most natives to the region believe it to be.. )

 

Everything that you have just mentioned here is powerful stuff!!!

 

Thanks again buddy

[Harmonious Emptiness]

He not only mentions about sexual energy but also all the other practices, including yoga, breathing exercises, kundalini and even sitting in quietude. I know he comes from the Buddhist and Confucius background but if you see how got onto the path is very interesting. In his book Awakening to the Tao he even says that he has seen both true and false Taoism which indicates that after being sent away by his first teacher to fulfill moral duties Liu I-ming travelled all over China in Confusion (he even says that he regretted leaving his first teacher for which he suffered 20 years of confusion).

 

 

my gut on this is that he saw so many people trying to cultivate the way by external means thinking that they could breathe their way in, while not cultivating the virtue that they needed in order to be accepted once they got there. Check recent topic "what is Shen-spirit?" Some interesting ideas came about concerning Shen cultivation which resonated for me with Liu I Ming's writing.

 

Exactly thats why I was stressing on the fact about finding a true teacher in my previous posts because he doesn't really reveal the mechanism. I mean in all fairness who would actually do that? Chang Po-tuan did it three times and in return he lost it three times. It wasn't till he was in his 80s that Chang Po-tuan received it again from his 4th master.

 

 

I see it the same as how Native Americans will not share some sacred dreams with anyone but their mentor because in doing so will lose the power they gained by it. This seems to be one of those things that reaches other areas of life as well.

 

 

I have to be honest this is what I do most of the time too. I try to focus on what I do rather than regretting it later on. Of course there are many things that I do which are not not well thought of (mainly things that I desire like doing Parkour, music, showing off flips and what not) and after I do them I don't even realise what I did was appropriate or not. Its just that when I read the text again it clicks to me like "ahh thats what I did when I was doing such and such..."

 

 

like above, it's good to remember that keeping our power secret can make it more powerful, while displaying it often ends in us losing it, whether to jealous competitors, or perhaps higher powers which decide we are not fit to carry them.

 

Aye its the same with me... When I am around few and few people, I tend to enjoy the nature and its magical beings but I guess thats not what I should do. I do let go of the fire when I get distracted by my own version of beauty and also when I do things that I overly enjoy. I don't think there is anything wrong in enjoying something but I am sure when I do certain things its not in harmony with the path (I could be wrong and it would helpful if you can shine some light on this).

 

 

Maybe you wrote this before reading the bit about the Yellow Emperors prescription for summer.. but read that again (in the original manual too. chapter 2 I think).

 

Now, I can't speak for the masters, but enjoying life is NECESSARY no matter what path is cultivated. The difference between most people's enjoyment of life and that of the Immortals is the reason they enjoy it. Part of Taoist development is to be conscious of WHY we feel or act the way we do, and if it's for bad reasons then do it for the right reasons, or recognize their worthlessness and let them go. Again, check the Yellow Emperor's prescription -- enjoy life! (.. especially during Spring and Summer )

[fatguyslim]

my gut on this is that he saw so many people trying to cultivate the way by external means thinking that they could breathe their way in, while not cultivating the virtue that they needed in order to be accepted once they got there. Check recent topic "what is Shen-spirit?" Some interesting ideas came about concerning Shen cultivation which resonated for me with Liu I Ming's writing.

 

 

 

I see it the same as how Native Americans will not share some sacred dreams with anyone but their mentor because in doing so will lose the power they gained by it. This seems to be one of those things that reaches other areas of life as well.

 

 

 

 

like above, it's good to remember that keeping our power secret can make it more powerful, while displaying it often ends in us losing it, whether to jealous competitors, or perhaps higher powers which decide we are not fit to carry them.

 

 

 

Maybe you wrote this before reading the bit about the Yellow Emperors prescription for summer.. but read that again (in the original manual too. chapter 2 I think).

 

Now, I can't speak for the masters, but enjoying life is NECESSARY no matter what path is cultivated. The difference between most people's enjoyment of life and that of the Immortals is the reason they enjoy it. Part of Taoist development is to be conscious of WHY we feel or act the way we do, and if it's for bad reasons then do it for the right reasons, or recognize their worthlessness and let them go. Again, check the Yellow Emperor's prescription -- enjoy life! (.. especially during Spring and Summer )

 

I was wondering you can tell me where can I find "The Yin Convergence" by the Yellow emperor? I have never heard of the book Yellow Emperor's prescription for summer. Where can I find these texts? I am glad you came along to help me mate. Look forward to more conversations in the future. Cheers

[Harmonious Emptiness]

I was wondering you can tell me where can I find "The Yin Convergence" by the Yellow emperor? I have never heard of the book Yellow Emperor's prescription for summer. Where can I find these texts? I am glad you came along to help me mate. Look forward to more conversations in the future. Cheers

 

 

"The Yin Convergence" sounds familiar. Was that mentioned in "Vitality, Energy, Spirit (Cleary)" or Awakening To The Tao? It might be different translation of "Chapter 6: Treatise on the Parting and Meeting of Yin and Yang" from The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. Do you have a quotation? I'll see if it's in there (the chapter is 2 pages).

 

The book I have is "The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine; trans. with intro by Ilza Veith" In chapter 2 of the translated part, the Yellow Emperor (please allow me to correct myself) is given some prescriptions for each of the seasons by Taoist master Ch'i Po...

 

Part of the lengthy introduction is here:

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=qIfTD68k53gC&pg=PR5&dq=The+Yellow+Emperor%27s+Classic+of+Internal+Medicine+by+Ken+Rose+and+Ilza+Veith&hl=en&ei=H-sUTuGnF8qGsgLTqdXUDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=The%20Yellow%20Emperor%27s%20Classic%20of%20Internal%20Medicine%20by%20Ken%20Rose%20and%20Ilza%20Veith&f=false

[fatguyslim]

"The Yin Convergence" sounds familiar. Was that mentioned in "Vitality, Energy, Spirit (Cleary)" or Awakening To The Tao? It might be different translation of "Chapter 6: Treatise on the Parting and Meeting of Yin and Yang" from The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. Do you have a quotation? I'll see if it's in there (the chapter is 2 pages).

 

The book I have is "The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine; trans. with intro by Ilza Veith" In chapter 2 of the translated part, the Yellow Emperor (please allow me to correct myself) is given some prescriptions for each of the seasons by Taoist master Ch'i Po...

 

Part of the lengthy introduction is here:

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=qIfTD68k53gC&pg=PR5&dq=The+Yellow+Emperor%27s+Classic+of+Internal+Medicine+by+Ken+Rose+and+Ilza+Veith&hl=en&ei=H-sUTuGnF8qGsgLTqdXUDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=The%20Yellow%20Emperor%27s%20Classic%20of%20Internal%20Medicine%20by%20Ken%20Rose%20and%20Ilza%20Veith&f=false

 

The Yin convergence is mentioned both in Understanding Reality and Awakening to the Tao. In Understanding Reality Liu mentions the importance of both Tao Te Ching and The Yin convergence. Thats why I have been looking for it lol.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

The Yin convergence is mentioned both in Understanding Reality and Awakening to the Tao. In Understanding Reality Liu mentions the importance of both Tao Te Ching and The Yin convergence. Thats why I have been looking for it lol.

 

Hmmm. I looked around to see what other books have been written by the Yellow Emperor but nothing by that name.

 

Actually, chapter 5 of the the book I mentioned is called "The Great Treatise on the Interaction of Yin and Yang" and it's a lot longer than the other chapters. It also talks a lot about interactions of Yin and Yang (hence title) and so might be referenced a lot when talking about these interactions (as Liu I Ming does quite a bit). Convergence means two things coming together, so I'm not sure what else Yin would be converging/interacting with other than Yang (though it discusses Yin within the yin interactions too), so maybe it could be called the "Treatise on Yin and Yang convergence" as well. This chapter is the beginning of book 2 of The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine and the other chapters in book 2 discuss yin and yang convergences. I think that would be the one he's talking about. I don't think The Yellow Emperor would gets more in depth on these convergences than Ch'i Po does.

Edited July 7, 2011 by Harmonious Emptiness

[fatguyslim]

Hmmm. I looked around to see what other books have been written by the Yellow Emperor but nothing by that name.

 

Actually, chapter 5 of the the book I mentioned is called "The Great Treatise on the Interaction of Yin and Yang" and it's a lot longer than the other chapters. It also talks a lot about interactions of Yin and Yang (hence title) and so might be referenced a lot when talking about these interactions (as Liu I Ming does quite a bit). Convergence means two things coming together, so I'm not sure what else Yin would be converging/interacting with other than Yang (though it discusses Yin within the yin interactions too), so maybe it could be called the "Treatise on Yin and Yang convergence" as well. This chapter is the beginning of book 2 of The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine and the other chapters in book 2 discuss yin and yang convergences. I think that would be the one he's talking about. I don't think The Yellow Emperor would gets more in depth on these convergences than Ch'i Po does.

 

I just found out from my friend that it is a small book of like 20 pages and its in one of the Taoist classics from Thomas Cleary. He is going to send me the scanned pages soon. So I will be able to put it in text form and share it with you if you want?

[Harmonious Emptiness]

I just found out from my friend that it is a small book of like 20 pages and its in one of the Taoist classics from Thomas Cleary. He is going to send me the scanned pages soon. So I will be able to put it in text form and share it with you if you want?

 

Woohoo!

 

link that shows cleary translated as Yin Convergence

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huangdi_Yinfujing

 

The Yin Fu Ching!

 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/ttx/ttx03.htm

 

TaoBum link where I found this:

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/11345-yin-convergence-classic/

 

 

This is different than Nei Kung book 2, btw.