3bob Posted July 7, 2011 "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. Â Â 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" Â Good point HE and also very valid on the internet... Â Although since we are mostly walking around "asleep" anyway it is not hard to keep things "secret" even though such are in plain sight but often or mostly missed or invisible to everyone, including ourselves. (unless they happen to be one of those exceedingly few people who are fully awakened while the rest of us 7 billion people are "dreaming openly" with great gusto...which btw is mostly my condition. :-) Â Om Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatguyslim Posted July 7, 2011 Although since we are mostly walking around "asleep" anyway it is not hard to keep things "secret" even though such are in plain sight but often or mostly missed or invisible to everyone, including ourselves. (unless they happen to be one of those exceedingly few people who are fully awakened while the rest of us 7 billion people are "dreaming openly" with great gusto...which btw is mostly my condition. :-) Â It's true what you are saying here and we are not at the stage where there anything to hide anyway (we are not enlightened). The fact is Tao is all about open practice with truthfulness and intent as its driving force. Its hidden when one has achieved it, but before that students all over the world are going to investigate the true principles which cannot happen as Liu would say without poking every subtlety. So yeah you are allowed to ask questions, there is nothing to hide for any of us (if we do hide then we hiding our acquired habits that's all). This is what I believe lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Harmonious Emptiness Posted July 7, 2011 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? Â Hey, yeah, please do! Cleary's translation is probably more readable than the one on that link, and it's always good to have more angles. I'm assuming the transfer can all be done digitally... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatguyslim Posted July 7, 2011 Hey, yeah, please do! Cleary's translation is probably more readable than the one on that link, and it's always good to have more angles. I'm assuming the transfer can all be done digitally... Â Yes it will be, I am currently tying Understanding reality by Thomas cleary and I have "The Essential Tao" completed few months ago. If you want them then let me know your email address by sending me a private message. Cheers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Harmonious Emptiness Posted July 7, 2011 Good point HE and also very valid on the internet...  Although since we are mostly walking around "asleep" anyway it is not hard to keep things "secret" even though such are in plain sight but often or mostly missed or invisible to everyone, including ourselves. (unless they happen to be one of those exceedingly few people who are fully awakened while the rest of us 7 billion people are "dreaming openly" with great gusto...which btw is mostly my condition. :-)  Om  Yes, and I am certainly guilty of sharing what little I know; however, I find that it helps me to learn what little I know a bit better by forcing myself to (continue to) work on what I suggest to others. The trouble is if I suggest something to others that I don't do myself.. then I have to answer to the same expectation plus the shame of having tried to teach something I can't live up to. I try to use that experience as the guideline. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bluefront Posted July 8, 2011 Does i am that i am count as a answer You are just trying to give correct answers. What a waste of time. Are you here to feed your ego? Don't bother answering that, just think about it. Â or that i am the divine and the divine is me count? Â And who is the divine? Your statement says there is some separate entity that is the divine, what is this separate entity? Actually fuck it, muddy and vague word. What do you even mean by "the divine" ? Â Chew on this: Does control exist? If it does, define it scientifically how it works and operates. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3bob Posted July 9, 2011 It's true what you are saying here and we are not at the stage where there anything to hide anyway (we are not enlightened). The fact is Tao is all about open practice with truthfulness and intent as its driving force. Its hidden when one has achieved it, but before that students all over the world are going to investigate the true principles which cannot happen as Liu would say without poking every subtlety. So yeah you are allowed to ask questions, there is nothing to hide for any of us (if we do hide then we hiding our acquired habits that's all). This is what I believe lol  Well along different lines all are not ready for to much light (so to speak) and that is well since harm can be done. A simple analogy: a plant seed is not ready for the full force of the sun or wind, and it needs to be covered or "hidden" in moist earth as a place to begin its life.  Om Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
3bob Posted July 9, 2011 Yes, and I am certainly guilty of sharing what little I know; however, I find that it helps me to learn what little I know a bit better by forcing myself to (continue to) work on what I suggest to others. The trouble is if I suggest something to others that I don't do myself.. then I have to answer to the same expectation plus the shame of having tried to teach something I can't live up to. I try to use that experience as the guideline. Â Ok, and it is a spiritual law that when we help others in various universal and kind ways as moved by the great force to do so, then we to are also benefitted in various ways by the great force. (thus comes about the fading away of boundaries of an us, a them, and also being separated from the great force) Â Om Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatguyslim Posted July 9, 2011 Well along different lines all are not ready for to much light (so to speak) and that is well since harm can be done. A simple analogy: a plant seed is not ready for the full force of the sun or wind, and it needs to be covered or "hidden" in moist earth as a place to begin its life.  Om  Well said mate I am humbled by your statement... I think if goodness is talked about then there is no fault instead that brings virtue even in weakness but it has to be true goodness and not the fake goodness where people just try to convince themselves of something that they believe in. I think this kinda agrees with what you replied to Harmonious Emptiness in the comment above. Cheers Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
goldisheavy Posted July 11, 2011 Don't worry about how much you know. The Tao Teh Ching warns that knowledge is the stumbling block to true awareness. Empty your cup and allow yourself to be filled, daily, then you can truly begin to learn.  Aaron  Maybe you can empty your cup Aaron? I mean, maybe you can stop talking about emptying the cup as if it's actually a good advice? Have you considered the possibility that not emptying your cup is a good idea? If you haven't considered it yet, then I suggest you empty your cup. Empty your cup of the empty cups. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
goldisheavy Posted July 11, 2011 So um yeah i was thinking that some of you guys could ask me questions to kind of test my knowldge and such. Mabye humble me in what all i dont know.  Thanks  OK, two questions:  1. Are you going to die believing roughly the same things you were born believing?  2. If you had to live your life over again, would you do everything the same way? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zerostao Posted July 12, 2011 Maybe you can empty your cup Aaron? I mean, maybe you can stop talking about emptying the cup as if it's actually a good advice? Have you considered the possibility that not emptying your cup is a good idea? If you haven't considered it yet, then I suggest you empty your cup. Empty your cup of the empty cups. emptying is good advice. do the math, if you don't empty the cup , then you have one full cup and if someone tries to pour more into it, it will just spill over. if you do empty your cup, as i do each morning, then i could soon have 100 cups. (in 100 days) and then 100(100) cups eventually which would be 10,000 cups. so me and aaron and cheng man-ching and lao tzu will continue to empty our cups. gih, you are free to hold on tightly to the ONE cup you have. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
