I am the way, the truth, and the life.

[tiandizhijian]

No, I am not Jesus. And I am definitely not the way, the truth, and the life. Actually, I'm just interested in finding this way, truth, and life.

 

Here's the deal. I'm Christian, though not in the religious sense. With that said, I'm not here for discussions on the Christian religion. In the last year of my life, while dealing with unbridled anger and ceaseless work, I started exploring what Tai Chi could offer me. This exploration led me to read more about Daoism, and needless to say (or perhaps needful to say), I've found a lot of truth in The Way, even as it related to my proclaimed religion. What God has said in Scripture regarding nature and his attributes, and from the wisdom I've gained from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Daoism and it's holistic approach to balance of mind and body has GREAT appeal.

 

I've got a background in traditional martial arts, starting with Karate when I was a kid and then Tukong and Dim Mak in my teenage years, ending those pursuits after studying WWII Combatives rigorously. To put it simply, my love for combat and violence led me away from traditional martial arts and possibly (probably) was the catalyst for my anger problems.

 

Now that I'm in my 30s, and seeing less and less value in knowing how to hurt people, I am again turning my interest back to traditional martial arts, though specifically the internal Chinese arts of Taijiquan and Baguazhang. My hope is that I can and will find balance within myself and everything.

 

I don't know why I'm joining this forum. Perhaps I'm being led to do so. I'm ignorant of Daoism apart from the reading I've done in the last year. I'm definitely not here for a discussion on religion or even philosophy, though I want to establish some connections with others that are further along than I. In short, I want harmony within and without.

 

To end this lengthy introduction, My name is Jonathan Boyd, and I live in Oklahoma City. At some point I'm going to blog at Tiandi Jian, which translates as Between Heaven and Earth. Beyond this, I guess there's nothing more I can say. Good to meet you.

[Marblehead]

Hello Jeb, and welcome.

 

Your membership is approved and we're happy you found your way to us. We look forward to accompanying you on some of the way that you still have to go.

 

Please take the time to read the two posts pinned at the top of this Welcome page and take a look at the forum terms and rules. This covers all you need to know when getting started.

 

For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Also, until you’ve posted fifteen times in the forums, you’ll be a “Junior Bum” with somewhat restricted access and will be allowed only two private messages per day.

 

Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you,

 

Marblehead and the TDB team

 

 

Hi Jonathan,

 

I'm glad you are not Jesus because that would really screw up my understanding of life.

 

Well, there are many here you can discuss your martial arts with.  If you get really brave we might even get into a discussion of Daoist philosophy.  And no, that doesn't require you giving up your Christian beliefs.

 

You are welcome to jump right in ongoing discussions, revive an older thread, start a new thread of your own, or start a discussion in the "Newcomer Corner" sub-forms to expand on your introduction or ask general questions to help you get started.

 

May you enjoy your time here.

 

Marblehead

[Junko]

Welcome and pleasure to have you here.I understand that you admire Jesus Christ. But after all he is a dead man and if you identify or compare with him too much it's a problem in our world.

[Tibetan_Ice]

Welcome and pleasure to have you here.I understand that you admire Jesus Christ. But after all he is a dead man and if you identify or compare with him too much it's a problem in our world.

Jesus Christ is very much alive and functioning on all the planes in all the universes.

Perhaps you could open your heart eye and find out for yourself?

[Seeker of Wisdom]

Cool. Have you looked into the esoteric/mystical side of Christianity? Might be a good idea for you if you haven't.

[tiandizhijian]

Cool. Have you looked into the esoteric/mystical side of Christianity? Might be a good idea for you if you haven't.

 

Mysticism has always intrigued me.

[Junko]

I don't believe in Jesus Christ.

[tiandizhijian]

I don't believe in Jesus Christ.

 

Then it goes without saying that that's okay. It's also okay that I do.

 

I really didn't bring up my background in Christianity on a Daoism forum to start discussions about Christianity. I was merely introducing myself and giving some of my own background.

Edited May 17, 2016 by Jeb

[Junko]

Really, better not on this forum.

But you can talk about mystery.

[Michael Sternbach]

Then it goes without saying that that's okay. It's also okay that I do.

 

I really didn't bring up my background in Christianity on a Daoism forum to start discussions about Christianity. I was merely introducing myself and giving some of my own background.

 

[Michael Sternbach]

Really, better not on this forum.

But you can talk about mystery.

 

[Junko]

I am not a Western woman!

[Michael Sternbach]

Regardless. It's the principle that matters.

[Marblehead]

Regardless. It's the principle that matters.

Sometimes it's the period that matters.

[roger]

No, I am not Jesus. And I am definitely not the way, the truth, and the life. Actually, I'm just interested in finding this way, truth, and life.

 

Welcome to this website.

 

It may sound crazy, but you really ARE "the way, the truth, and the life."

 

Jesus was a man who profoundly understood and exemplified that.

[manitou]

Many of us here have transcended the paths that were our springboard into the Oneness of all philosophy and spiritual thought. Thank you for your honest and open introduction.  You are in the process of transcending the structure of Christianity - sounds like you already have.  I too had to go through a born-again mentality before I could transcend it.

 

Yes, we are the way, the truth, and the life.  Jesus was an enlightened one.  Some would call him the 'son of god'.  Well, we are too the 'son of god', if you wish to look at it in that context.  The only difference between someone like Jesus and us, is that he was in full Awareness of it, we are not.

 

But we get closer to this realization on this forum.  We find it through the martial disciplines, or the Buddhist disciplines, or the Daoist understanding.  To me, Daoism or Buddhism are the final springboards to the true journey into ourselves, which is where we finally find the I Am, the mystery - which to some degree must be transcended as well. Anything that is structure must be transcended to find what and who we are looking for.

 

We are looking for ourselves and our identity - and we are the walking, talking, thinking head of the spear that is known as the Logos - that wonderful and beautiful mathematical dance of Shiva that is the One Life.  The dance that has love at the center; the dance that has love as the purpose.

 

That which we must transcend is ourselves, not just a philosophical structure. We must transcend and get through our own egos, our own judgments, our own opinions, our own conditionings, our own preconceptions.  Our minds cry out for clarity - true clarity - where the Great Wisdom is found.  This is the wisdom that is channeled up within us when we can get out of our own way.  There are many here who have gotten to this point.

 

A transcended Muslim is a Sufi.  He has eschewed the structure of Islam, and is a total freethinker. The way he has done this is through 'true Jihad'.  Not the 'jihad' that is misunderstood by those on the bottom rung of Islam - but the Islamists who understand that True Jihad is doing battle with and overcoming the flames of Ego.

 

You are in the right place, friend.  Just keep your eye on the ball.  Your soul yearns for the truth, and you have outgrown your structure.  You're in the right place.

[manitou]

I don't believe in Jesus Christ.

 

Must mean he didn't exist.

[THACS]

You have to think why don't Christians believe in Rebirth, yet Jesus Christ died and they say he's coming back but they also say that Jesus is the "Son" of "God".  One would say "Don't destroy the three jewels" or you may become Christians.

[Michael Sternbach]

I don't know what it means "to believe" or "not to believe" in Jesus Christ. He was an avatar, just like Krishna, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Zarathustra, Hermes Trismegistos, Pythagoras, and some others. All avatars teach the same essential truths. There have been, and there will continue to be, various revelations of those truths, in keeping with the demands of changing times and different cultures.

[manitou]

I don't know what it means "to believe" or "not to believe" in Jesus Christ. He was an avatar, just like Krishna, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Zarathustra, Hermes Trismegistos, Pythagoras, and some others. All avatars teach the same essential truths. There have been, and there will continue to be, various revelations of those truths, in keeping with the demands of changing times and different cultures.

 

Has the same ring to me as 'do you believe in Santa?'  And the same outcome.  I remember the humiliation I felt when I found out there was no Santa - I felt like a bit of a fool for believing in the first place.  Like I'd been had.  'Do you believe in god' seems to be just another placeholder for Santa.

[Junko]

For a name like 'Jesus Christ', today people don't mind to waste a lot of money for it.

Edited May 18, 2016 by Junko

[THACS]

When you "believe", you've removed Doubt, no one, not even yourself can remove "Belief", since you proved it to yourself, by finding the Truth through Wisdom, since Wisdom cut's through the ignorance of Doubt.