Taoist Texts Posted September 2, 2018 6 hours ago, lifeforce said: From an unknown source : "all my doubts disappeared, so that for the first time I realized that the Tao of spiritual alchemy is none other than the Tao of the I Ching, the Tao of sages is none other than the Tao of immortals, and that the I Ching is not a book of divination but rather is the study of investigation of principles, fulfillment of nature, and arrival at the meaning of life." The Taoist I Ching - Google Books Result Lui I-Ming - 2005 - Philosophy Divination was also used not simply as a mechanical prognostication device but as a framework for contemplative ... Tao of sages is none other than the Tao of immortals, and that the I Ching is not abook of divination but rather is the study of investigation of principles, fulfillment of nature, andarrival at the meaning of life. 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lifeforce Posted September 2, 2018 15 minutes ago, Taoist Texts said: The Taoist I Ching - Google Books Result Lui I-Ming - 2005 - Philosophy Divination was also used not simply as a mechanical prognostication device but as a framework for contemplative ... Tao of sages is none other than the Tao of immortals, and that the I Ching is not abook of divination but rather is the study of investigation of principles, fulfillment of nature, andarrival at the meaning of life. Excellent, thank you. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
exorcist_1699 Posted September 3, 2018 (edited) 20 hours ago, lifeforce said: From an unknown source : "all my doubts disappeared, so that for the first time I realized that the Tao of spiritual alchemy is none other than the Tao of the I Ching, the Tao of sages is none other than the Tao of immortals, and that the I Ching is not a book of divination but rather is the study of investigation of principles, fulfillment of nature, and arrival at the meaning of life." Five sources that form the Chinese culture are said to be : I-Ching, Taoism, Confucian , Buddhism and TCM ( an embodiment of Taoism in our bodies, food, seasons, plants.. etc ). Regarding those common elements that both Taoism and I- Ching share , in the context of cultivating a forever life , there are at least two : 1) The five-element theory ,which brought into the I-Ching system , and takes the forms of those trigrams and hexagrams . Two of them : fire and water , are especially important for their combinations are always used to symbolize the predicament we humans face . For example , hexagram of upper fire - lower water symbolizes humans' post-heavenly difficult status as fire is always go upwards and diffuse while water go downwards and leaks... So, Taoist cultivation is said to be just reversing it and making it into another hexagram of upper water - lower fire so that there is an intercourse between them . A Taoist saying plainly tells us : "水火交 , 永不老 " ( " Once water intermixed with fire , never can you get aged " ) 2) The pre-heavenly and post-heavenly : In fact, trigrams are also classified into post- and pre-heavenly ones. On post-heavenly level , you get aging, worries, lost and found, sickness, death..etc, all those stuff you call them life, nature , science ,reality ..etc. However on pre-heavenly level , they are not necessarily true . In a word , " saints/immortals and ordinary people walk on their respective paths " (" 聖凡異路" ) ,and seldom so they meet ; never can you expect to meet Tao by having a post-heavenly type of mind set embedded in your brain . Edited September 3, 2018 by exorcist_1699 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Walker Posted September 3, 2018 21 hours ago, lifeforce said: She may have been one of the wisest people ever to have graced these forums. Like a Ch'an patriarch from a bygone age. Amen. Did anybody ever save Deci's blog, Letres d'Alchemie (might've got the French spelling a little wrong)? I don't think it's online any more. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rocky Lionmouth Posted September 3, 2018 Still this stuff is highly powerful and clear, fleshing out Lius excellent commentaries and being relevant because seldom has this level of openness been available directly off the bloody interwebz. Its there, true and unadulterated, the method of living in reality to the fullness and it is basically spelled out exactly to the letter in a tremendous gesture of generosity. Deciblessings on I Ites, overstand and Igress to the Ital, Itinually. I can see how mr Ride feels it is humbug and blabla and his offer of generous instruction is not useless, but it is of formality and does not kill delusion nor foster an operators discipline to kill darlings or transcend insight to realization. Being not of neither true water or fire it runs the risk of turning your cauldron into a petri dish, thereby making it a side gate. If mr Ride were to understand and realize the secret of the flower, something Deci has described in exquisite detail how to do, his instruction would be of the Highest Virtue. There is hope yet, like they say, if you chance upon IT and put it to waste then you are a fool. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rocky Lionmouth Posted September 3, 2018 15 hours ago, sagebrush said: no I disagree- what we have here is an endless supply of contradictions I can go back a quote a few lines of deci belle: something to the effect about entering the kingdom of heaven- you must give up your life all that is required is to forget the mind that thinks it exists...……... then someone else chimes in regarding the fear of early onset dementia Simple and to the point SB always cuts to the chase, i wish i could be a little more like you sometimes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites