Meditation

[oat1239]

You did not read me correctly....

Hello ChiDragon. I was aware that you were making a distinction between buddhist and taoist meditation, but I found your specific comment on taoist meditation misleading, as I explained. That is just my own opinion, of couse. Forgot to add that in actuality different groups in Taoism have different approaches to cultivation, and not all place emphasis on meditation, or this sort of meditation. One example was the Shangqing sect. Since we are talking about Taoism in general, I think this is worth mentioning.

[ChiDragon]

Hello ChiDragon. I was aware that you were making a distinction between buddhist and taoist meditation, but I found your specific comment on taoist meditation misleading, as I explained. That is just my own opinion, of couse. Forgot to add that in actuality different groups in Taoism have different approaches to cultivation, and not all place emphasis on meditation, or this sort of meditation. One example was the Shangqing sect. Since we are talking about Taoism in general, I think this is worth mentioning.

 

OK. This is my understanding for a religious Taoist but not Taoism in general.

The main purpose to be a religious Taoist was to preserve life for longevity. Taoist Meditation is part of the life preserving process to a Taoist. What I am saying is why should the mind be disturbed while trying to obtain serenity. The purpose for meditation was to place oneself in a state of quiescent so the body and mind are at rest in complete quietness. Thus, it was free from any interference and interruption based on the concept of Wu Wei.

Edited August 18, 2011 by ChiDragon

[JustARandomPanda]

NO, there was no such thing as "Walking meditation". I don't know how people came up with this terminology...???

 

 

Wild, wild West......

soon, I'll report you for obvious trolling. You said yourself you only have knowledge in Yang Long Form and nothing else. This is quite clear to see.

 

Interesting. I was not aware ChiDragon has publicly admitted this.

[JustARandomPanda]

Well for what it's worth it seems Wang Lipang teaches a Taoist walking meditation

 

You can read about how to do it here.

[oat1239]

OK. This is my understanding for a religious Taoist but not Taoism in general.

The main purpose to be a religious Taoist was to preserve life for longevity. Taoist Meditation is part of the life preserving process to a Taoist. What I am saying is why should the mind be disturbed while trying to obtain serenity. The purpose for meditation was to place oneself in the a state of quiescent so the body and mind is at rest in complete quietness. Thus, it was free from any interference and interruption based on the concept of Wu Wei.

 

I don't think religious Taoism is mainly concerned with longevity, although there were groups in Taoism who were focused on that and even physical immortality. At any rate I think I see where you are coming from. Wuwei was an important concept in some earlier Taoist writings, and some groups may have placed a lot of emphasis on such things, but I believe the earlier Taoist writngs also speak of more than just that. There are also Taoist cultivation traditions in existence which claim that their cultivation traditions long precede even the times of Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi, although there is no easy way to prove or disprove such claims. Some form of merging with tao is usually expressed as the highest goals in many Taoist cultivation traditions, but what that really means we can each only guess at. It is no wonder there have been so many different groups and views within Taoism as a whole, as so much is open to personal interpretation. This being open to many interpretations is not exclusive to just Taoism however. It seems to be the way of such things.

[ChiDragon]

soon, I'll report you for obvious trolling. You said yourself you only have knowledge in Yang Long Form and nothing else. This is quite clear to see.

 

There's walking meditation both in lineages such as in Wang Liping's and Stillness-Movement.

 

Yes, I only have knowledge in Yang Long Form and the basic principles in breathing. If I have concentrate on one style, long enough, I ought to learn and know the concepts inside out as opposed to be confused by multi-styles. Thus the less was to be known; the less was to be confused. One have learned a lot if one had the basic fundamental pinned down with a full understanding. Hence, there was no need to depend on others and to be misled by them.

Edited August 18, 2011 by ChiDragon

[suninmyeyes]

Can you meditate while walking, running, standing, or with your eyes opened?

You can be in a meditative state whilst doing anything. At some point you stop doing meditation 'it is doing you'.It becomes a natural way of being.

As to Taoist technique a friend of mine is a practising Taoist(Long Men Pai-sorry if the name is misspelled) and she was tought walking meditation .

There is running chi kung that I am aware of.

[ChiDragon]

Well for what it's worth it seems Wang Lipang teaches a Taoist walking meditation

 

You can read about how to do it here.

So, I had glance at it once before. At least I'm agreed about the part that breathing plays a important role in Chi Kung. I am not quite about using plant as an analogy with human. Fortunately, the article says:

 

When you breathe in, imagine all of the genuine chi (healthy energy) in the universe entering your body though your pores over the entire surface of your body.

 

I'm glad that the article used the word "imagine". I almost thought it was for real. As a matter of fact, some Chinese master did claim that they can breathe through their skin. I heard this a few times that a Chi Kung mater can suck smoke through his mouth and have the smoke come out from the pores of the skin and vice versa.

 

The notion about the walking art. When I walk, I would take steps in coordination with every single smooth breath. I will not hold my breath for anything while I am in motion based on the idea of concentration in the past. Since my reaction had become spontaneous in sync with my mind, as soon I loose concentration while holding something in one hand, I dropped the thing in my hand while responding to action in the mind . Sometimes, luckily I catch it before it drops to the floor.

 

oops....

It just happened a few minutes ago, my bird flew at me, within 5 to 6 inches, and try to bite my finger. Without thinking my reflex was so quick before I realize that I might hurt my bird, it was on knocked on the floor already. Good thing it was a light touch on my part.

[zerostao]

ChiDragon,

"oops....

It just happened a few minutes ago, my bird flew at me, within 5 to 6 inches, and try to bite my finger. Without thinking my reflex was so quick before I realize that I might hurt my bird, it was on knocked on the floor already. Good thing it was a light touch on my part."

 

how did it feel to knock the bird to the floor? i cannot agree that this was a good thing. try gentleness

and this in a meditation thread?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrFCwvlw0cs

also just becoz we have not experience skin breathing does not mean that some others

have not. all reality is not based on our limited understanding/experience.

edit> i thought tai chi develops sensitivity?

Edited August 21, 2011 by zerostao

[ChiDragon]

ChiDragon,

"oops....

It just happened a few minutes ago, my bird flew at me, within 5 to 6 inches, and try to bite my finger. Without thinking my reflex was so quick before I realize that I might hurt my bird, it was on knocked on the floor already. Good thing it was a light touch on my part."

 

how did it feel to knock the bird to the floor? i cannot agree that this was a good thing. try gentleness

and this in a meditation thread?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrFCwvlw0cs

also just becoz we have not experience skin breathing does not mean that some others

have not. all reality is not based on our limited understanding/experience.

edit> i thought tai chi develops sensitivity?

 

No, knocking down my bird to the floor was not a good feeling. It hurts me more then the actual doing. However, that was my natural instinct of quick reflex from the practice of Tai Ji. My intention was to show the result from the practice rather than boasting about my ability to knock the bird to the floor.

 

You don't think Tai Chi was developing sensitivity...???

Edited August 21, 2011 by ChiDragon

[zerostao]

i sit in the virtue of just being. cross legged, half and full lotus.

wu wei. original nature, true nature.

allow the mind to empty. allow whatever arises to arise.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

posted this in GD "watching the mind" topic but should be here too:

 

The more I'm finding about Taoist meditation, the more I'm seeing that a natural state without thoughts is necessary for the better stuff to happen. It seems to me like getting to that place is step one in the meditation and then other benefits and things unfold or are possible. Body focus and energy focus is enhanced when the thoughts are suspended or subsided, in my experience, though maybe neither one is the ultimate reason for meditation and practice.