The Daoist Way of Liberation

[Geof Nanto]

4 hours ago, Daemon said:

For the record, the cell door can only be locked (or unlocked) from the inside (and fortunately, it's not possible lose the key).

 

☮️

 

Maybe not possible to lose the key in an absolute sense, but certainly possible to mislay it and not know where to look to find it. (And when talking about this level of practice, inside and outside are not two.)  

 

@Bindi, I fully understand what you mean by liberation, but it's not a term that Daoists use. I personally seek wholeness, and for me that's a path that both Daoist and Western alchemy have given me valuable insight into.  For a detailed contemporary account of Daoist Neidan as a practice manual I'd recommend Damo Mitchell, White Moon on the Mountain Peak. Also, Kristofer Schipper, The Taoist Body is excellent for reasons you'll find if you read it.  And yeah, the alchemists of old say that once we have a firm theoretical basis that resonates with us and cultivation has reached a certain point, then the books must be discarded or else they will contaminate our inner experience. It's ultimately an individual journey. 

Edited June 10, 2018 by Yueya

[Daemon]

In hindsight, perhaps a better analogy would have been a bolt instead of a key together with an acknowledgement of the fact that sometimes (or perhaps even often) bolts can be a bit tricky to shift and the detainee may need a bit of convincing that they're entirely capable?

 

☮️

[Apech]

10 hours ago, Daemon said:

In hindsight, perhaps a better analogy would have been a bolt instead of a key together with an acknowledgement of the fact that sometimes (or perhaps even often) bolts can be a bit tricky to shift and the detainee may need a bit of convincing that they're entirely capable?

 

☮️

 

 

Babi!

[Michael Sternbach]

Thought this might make a nice little contribution to the topic...

 

The principles of effortlessness (wu wei, literally “without doing”) and naturalness (zi ran, literally “as itself”) are also found in the realm of the physical body and the practice of acupuncture, which works by opening and unblocking the flow of energy that circulates throughout the body’s energy-channels. Daoist meditation techniques that “empty the heart-mind,” in turn, open these same energy channels and allow qi (chi) to move vital essences throughout the bodily system. By allowing the channels and vessels of the body to relax and open, circulation increases and the body’s systems can be harmonized and revitalized. This might also be achieved with medications, though rarely do such medications not bring unwanted, often dangerous, side effects. Daoists, on the other hand, have devised ways to open the pathways without disrupting the natural alignment necessary for long-term health and vitality. Whether using medicinal herbs, needles, or moxibustion, the layout of the body is essentially being energetically irrigated according to the connections and principles of the five elements, a sort of Feng Shui of the body, which ensures that the internal alignment will not be imbalanced by the treatment in the long run.

 

From Dan G. Reid: The Thread of Dao - Unraveling Early Daoist Oral Traditions (which I just started reading).