The Tao...not exclusive to China

[Rara]

I came to this realisation. I originally found Taoism the way many do, through TTC/chinese culture study. When I began practicing, I thought I had found something great and exclusive that mainly Chinese guys with long white beards have. It made me feel really great about myself.

 

Probably ok if you're one or two years in.

 

But now something has changed. I have realised that many ways that I now have were already present in many people in the west...and some haven't even heard of Taoism.

 

It's like I train in "something Eastern" to be a part of what I feel is a superior philosophy. But this philosophy can also be held by others. You don't HAVE to go to the TTC...you might already have these qualities within you anyway. You might have been bought up this way!

 

Here in England, predominantly in rural areas, there is quite a Taoist lifestyle. The same in southern Italy. Maybe it's called something else...but it resembles the Tao, and leads to the same place.

 

So now I know, it is not about the name...it is about being at one with it...whatever it is...it's here...wherever "here" is.

Edited April 17, 2014 by Rara

[CloudHands]

Is rustic the word you're looking for ?

[CloudHands]

Simple ? maybe

[Brian]

Primordial.

[GrandmasterP]

Inbred?

 

 

( Sorry)

 

:-)

Edited April 17, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[zerostao]

natural

[ChiForce]

But Taoism is not just an attitude. The state of being with the Tao.....Samadhi... I am Chinese American and I know the Tao because I frequently experience Samadhi and the MCO. How many people in the west that you know who have experienced Samadhi and the MCO?

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

I am a simple man.

 

The equal of my peers.

 

We are the countrymen.

 

The pagani.

 

Pagan.

 

I am a Pagan Dervish Druid Proto Shaman Hedge Wizard.

 

As you know.

 

xxx

shh

kthxbye

 

ps See you at Glastonbury or Stonehenge one day, man. Mebbe.

...

Edited April 18, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell

[Rara]

But Taoism is not just an attitude. The state of being with the Tao.....Samadhi... I am Chinese American and I know the Tao because I frequently experience Samadhi and the MCO. How many people in the west that you know who have experienced Samadhi and the MCO?

Samadhi is not associated with Taoism though...not originally anyway.

 

But even without using terminology, your comment sort of emphasises my experience. Call it what you want, but I have been on a spiritual journey...and really, it has only led me to a place where some people already are.

 

If there was an absolutely exclusive practice (from China) then the West would be screwed...unless practices were to come over and become more and more influential. Ok, this is happening...we are sharing a lot of philosophies which is fantastic. But the Tao cannot favour the east, can it?

 

So the Tao, therefore, IS nameless, because to someone else that has it, cares not for its origin. Surely we can just be thankful that Lao Tzu brought it to light.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

Surely we can just be thankful that Lao Tzu brought it to light.

 

He not only one neither.

 

Surely all saints in heaven work Way of Dao.

 

For Dao be Way.

 

The Operation of Heaven.

...

Edited April 18, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell

[Rara]

...

 

He not only one neither.

 

Surely all saints in heaven work Way of Dao.

 

For Dao be Way.

 

The Operation of Heaven.

 

Gogogodzillaidontmindsurveillancedispanopticonnowseeandhear.

...

Oh sure. But there is only one TTC...telling it all in this way!

[Stosh]

I came to this realisation. I originally found Taoism the way many do, through TTC/chinese culture study. When I began practicing, I thought I had found something great and exclusive that mainly Chinese guys with long white beards have. It made me feel really great about myself.

 

Probably ok if you're one or two years in.

 

But now something has changed. I have realised that many ways that I now have were already present in many people in the west...and some haven't even heard of Taoism.

 

It's like I train in "something Eastern" to be a part of what I feel is a superior philosophy. But this philosophy can also be held by others. You don't HAVE to go to the TTC...you might already have these qualities within you anyway. You might have been bought up this way!

 

Here in England, predominantly in rural areas, there is quite a Taoist lifestyle. The same in southern Italy. Maybe it's called something else...but it resembles the Tao, and leads to the same place.

 

So now I know, it is not about the name...it is about being at one with it...whatever it is...it's here...wherever "here" is.

Youre absolutely right Rara , if it was just some cultural quirk like boomerangs ,

then a single culture can say they have some special link to it , an ownership of sorts.

But the rational consideration of real things isnt exclusive .

So.. By the same token ,

rational considerations which differ from that suggested by the TTC etc

also have a validity,

which is why some people entertain those ideas instead.

And thats why the TTC was written in the style it was.

[GrandmasterP]

Samadhi is not associated with Taoism though...not originally anyway.

But even without using terminology, your comment sort of emphasises my experience. Call it what you want, but I have been on a spiritual journey...and really, it has only led me to a place where some people already are.

If there was an absolutely exclusive practice (from China) then the West would be screwed...unless practices were to come over and become more and more influential. Ok, this is happening...we are sharing a lot of philosophies which is fantastic. But the Tao cannot favour the east, can it?

So the Tao, therefore, IS nameless, because to someone else that has it, cares not for its origin. Surely we can just be thankful that Lao Tzu brought it to light.

Samadhi's just the Sanskrit term denoting highly-concentrated meditation leading to some hard to describe kinda non-dual absorption.

If we ditch the linguistic label and treat samadhi as that state of consciousness in which the meditator merges with the object of meditation then my ( unverifiable theory) call is that state was around in pre- Daoist animisms and informed whatever came afterwards.

Shaman Ugg the caveman dude might well 'merge with the stars' in his contemplations thereof and so on down the years.

Fair enough Ugg was as likely to get out of his tree by licking a psychedelic frog or some such as well.

That's Shamen for ya!

Not every spiritual dude enjoyed licking frogs though.

Cultivation wise folks tend to adopt whatever works, stick their own label on it and then crack on that they invented it.

We can't know where Samadhi started apart from who first used the label but sure as eggs is eggs.. What the label describes has been around as long as jobbing spiritual dudes first realised that teaching and related trades were pleasant indoor work with very little heavy lifting involved.

Add in the fact that wherever some spiritual dude hangs out up her or his shingle, before very long there's a queue of folks outside the cave door looking for advice, guidance, healing, forgiveness, 'enlightenment' etc.. Plus everyone of them is bringing you a gift...Man that is sweet sweet work.

Always been popular has 'guru- ing , shaman-ing and related 'woo' trades' and it always will be.

Regular folks have a yearning after the numinous and some of us are just naturally lazy and ( maybe) a bit spiritual to boot.

Symbiosis.

Winner!

 

:-)

Edited April 18, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

Arm diggin' Shaman Ugg the Cave Man!

 

Ha ha ha!

 

Classic!

...

Edited April 18, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell

[GrandmasterP]

He's my great great - ever so great - granddad man.

I prefer Yorkshire Tea and a pipeful of black shag to licking frogs though.

Mediums... Shamans... Priests... Gurus..

Same job specification just different names on the variegated overalls.

:-)

Edited April 18, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[ChiForce]

Samadhi is not associated with Taoism though...not originally anyway.

 

But even without using terminology, your comment sort of emphasises my experience. Call it what you want, but I have been on a spiritual journey...and really, it has only led me to a place where some people already are.

 

If there was an absolutely exclusive practice (from China) then the West would be screwed...unless practices were to come over and become more and more influential. Ok, this is happening...we are sharing a lot of philosophies which is fantastic. But the Tao cannot favour the east, can it?

 

So the Tao, therefore, IS nameless, because to someone else that has it, cares not for its origin. Surely we can just be thankful that Lao Tzu brought it to light.

Call it what you will or even New Age it.... You can go look up some old ancient texts on the Taoist internal alchemy. You will quickly realize that there are certain physical and psychological phenomena associated with the mind and body when they are closer to the Tao. These experiences haven't changed throughout thousands of years. These states are pretty much the same as you would experience when you are in a samadhi. What happens in a Samadhi? There are various levels of Samadhi too and as your mind becomes more refined, you feel less of physical bliss during meditation. Microcosmic orbit...it is much a mental and bodily state required to advance in your cultivation. It means that your chi channels, the center channels, have been opened. Chi can freely move within your body as your mind dictated. Next, is the internal light. This light is the manifestation of an emptied mind. Warming of the body....and tinkling sensation (slight numbness) throughout your body. And super powers?? You have some sorts of paranormal super powers associated with the mind, even the body, when you have reached to various levels of samadhi. FYI, Buddhism and Taoism have been merged thousands of years ago and it has been called Zen for ages. So, anyone else's attempt to create some sorts of divisions in between these concepts, thousands of years later, is just an illusion. Futile at best.

 

Historically, Taoist masters don't even transmit these knowledge just to anyone.

[Rara]

Call it what you will or even New Age it.... You can go look up some old ancient texts on the Taoist internal alchemy. You will quickly realize that there are certain physical and psychological phenomena associated with the mind and body when they are closer to the Tao. These experiences haven't changed throughout thousands of years. These states are pretty much the same as you would experience when you are in a samadhi. What happens in a Samadhi? There are various levels of Samadhi too and as your mind becomes more refined, you feel less of physical bliss during meditation. Microcosmic orbit...it is much a mental and bodily state required to advance in your cultivation. It means that your chi channels, the center channels, have been opened. Chi can freely move within your body as your mind dictated. Next, is the internal light. This light is the manifestation of an emptied mind. Warming of the body....and tinkling sensation (slight numbness) throughout your body. And super powers?? You have some sorts of paranormal super powers associated with the mind, even the body, when you have reached to various levels of samadhi. FYI, Buddhism and Taoism have been merged thousands of years ago and it has been called Zen for ages. So, anyone else's attempt to create some sorts of divisions in between these concepts, thousands of years later, is just an illusion. Futile at best.

 

Historically, Taoist masters don't even transmit these knowledge just to anyone.

Yes, I don't doubt the practices one bit. My point was merely about the alternate ways to reach the same place without neccessarily hearing of Taoism

 

Interesting post though. My blisses in meditation went away (and my, what could be called super powers - I had a phase where I was setting off electronics when walking near them and things falling over in front of me without touching them) I'm not upset about that. Now I have a more awake mind and every second is lovely. Life has become meditation...meditation has become life.

 

Life is good now...no need for any thrills

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

Life is good now...no need for any thrills.

 

How well you do put things Rara.

 

You are very wize.

 

I am so glad you are here.

...

Edited April 19, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell

[ChiForce]

Yes, I don't doubt the practices one bit. My point was merely about the alternate ways to reach the same place without neccessarily hearing of Taoism

 

Interesting post though. My blisses in meditation went away (and my, what could be called super powers - I had a phase where I was setting off electronics when walking near them and things falling over in front of me without touching them) I'm not upset about that. Now I have a more awake mind and every second is lovely. Life has become meditation...meditation has become life.

 

Life is good now...no need for any thrills

My first kundalini energy rising experience was very memorable and tremendous. You have been in darkness for SOOOOO long and, some how, when the chi begins to circulate in your body and to have completed the MCO, the sensation is tremendous and very life reaffirming. For a while I asked myself why, after a decade of my first kundalini energy rising experience, I could no longer re-experience this tremendous physical bliss. I didn't get my answer until I begin to study the subject of samadhi and how even your physical bliss sensations would slowly fade off...because your mind becomes more refined now. Even your sense of bliss is an illusion, depending on your 6 senses. Nowadays, I still get the inner body illumination and some chi warming throughout my body and they will last from 30 minutes to 1 hour. My samadhi experience is now more conceptual and less of physical. Not sure what stages of Samadhi I am in now. And only in dreams, or dream yoga, I can enter into a full Samadhi and with a bit of astro-projection....

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

For a while I asked myself why, after a decade of my first kundalini energy rising experience, I could no longer re-experience this tremendous physical bliss.

 

Bliss is not something I have much experience of.

 

I do not achieve "bliss" in any of my "meditations."

 

And recall I most ignorant of Tantra.

 

My meditations help me relax, and bring great health benefits and potent direct insights.

...

Edited April 19, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell

[Rara]

My first kundalini energy rising experience was very memorable and tremendous. You have been in darkness for SOOOOO long and, some how, when the chi begins to circulate in your body and to have completed the MCO, the sensation is tremendous and very life reaffirming. For a while I asked myself why, after a decade of my first kundalini energy rising experience, I could no longer re-experience this tremendous physical bliss. I didn't get my answer until I begin to study the subject of samadhi and how even your physical bliss sensations would slowly fade off...because your mind becomes more refined now. Even your sense of bliss is an illusion, depending on your 6 senses. Nowadays, I still get the inner body illumination and some chi warming throughout my body and they will last from 30 minutes to 1 hour. My samadhi experience is now more conceptual and less of physical. Not sure what stages of Samadhi I am in now. And only in dreams, or dream yoga, I can enter into a full Samadhi and with a bit of astro-projection....

We will talk more about this soon. Very busy weekend, but stay tuned

[Rara]

...

 

Bliss is not something I have much experience of.

 

I do not achieve "bliss" in any of my "meditations."

 

And recall I most ignorant of Tantra.

 

My meditations help me relax, and bring great health benefits and potent direct insights.

 

All will benefit thereby.

 

Most certainly.

 

xxx

...

Perhaps you are one of those that is "already there" in this life Who knows!

 

I certainly know that whatever happened to me killed so much darkness within me.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

 

Perhaps you are one of those that is "already there" in this life Who knows!

 

Yes.

 

I keep telling people, but they don't believe me.

 

I had a powerful sudden enlightenment which transformed me utterly.

...

Edited April 19, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell

[Rara]

...

 

 

Yes.

 

I keep telling people, but they don't believe me.

 

I had a powerful sudden enlightenment which transformed me utterly.

...

Which "people"? If they are in your everyday life, I'm not surprised.

 

If on this forum...well, I'm still not surprised haha.

 

I'm very selective who I tell certain to.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

I can only think of one person who I think really believes me.

 

Yeah, I tell all and sundry.

 

They all think I'm crazy.

 

It's fair enuff.

...

Edited April 19, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell