Daoism 101

[Maddie]

37 minutes ago, Sketch said:

That's it right there. Laozi lays out basic principles; the rest is elaboration. 

 

It has been a while since I read it, I'll have to go back and take another look. 

 

I would like to know what the common narrative is. How Dan Tien breathing, MCO, YYJ, all tie in together. 

 

My main approach had been mainly just a mind only approach until I began to experience all sorts of physical affects from it that no one told me about, which caused me to refocus on the physical cultivation side again. 

[Sketch]

There are those with far better understanding than my own.

 

My insights have had to do with getting more in touch with internal perceptions; with the nets and junctions of dense nerves distributed throughout the body; the brain within the body. Flowing, oozing, bouncing, all sorts of shapes that do not correspond directly to my bones and other organs.  An energetic system, as they say. 

 

The "daoist" breathing style exercises circulate this energy, promoting a tendency for energy to flow in this way. This has short term healing and emotional advantages, as I can say from experience. Getting the mind and body so regulated is prerequisite to more advanced practices within the umbrella of "Daoist Alchemy". 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2021 by Sketch

[el_tortugo]

16 hours ago, -_sometimes said:

I do wonder what the end goal to daoism actually is. I was reading white moon on the mountain peak by Damo Mitchell, and it seems, at least according to him, that even becoming a heavenly immortal doesn't necessarily mean that the path is over, the end has been reached, we just don't know what comes next, I assume because there has been no teaching beyond that point.

 

I wonder if according to the lifeways and theories of Daoism, one can achieve or strive towards an end goal, or if there can be an end goal at all in the sense of the Dao or the Void or Emptiness. 

 

[el_tortugo]

13 hours ago, Sketch said:

My current understanding is that the goal is getting past your own purpose 

And becoming  "one with the Dao". Merging with of the forces of nature and physics and inevitable change, without your self getting in the way. 

 

This makes sense in light of my last comment. This is in that same direction. 

[el_tortugo]

8 hours ago, dmattwads said:

 

It has been a while since I read it, I'll have to go back and take another look. 

 

I would like to know what the common narrative is. How Dan Tien breathing, MCO, YYJ, all tie in together. 

 

My main approach had been mainly just a mind only approach until I began to experience all sorts of physical affects from it that no one told me about, which caused me to refocus on the physical cultivation side again. 

 

 

It's been my understanding and limited experience that one can embody or express many intellectual theories physically. Like Yin/Yang, Emptiness, Stillness, and so on. That many of the alchemies and exercises are suggesting you do just that. 

 

[refugeindharma]

9 hours ago, dmattwads said:

I would like to know what the common narrative is. How Dan Tien breathing, MCO, YYJ, all tie in together. 

 

I'd recommend Damo Mitchell's Comprehensive Guide to Daoist Nei Gong to get a complete picture of those aspects. He is coming at it from an Alchemical perspective though.

 

As to the end goal of Daoism... it depends on what type of Daoism you're talking about... There is no clear cut answer to this. Some would say it's transcending the endless cycle of birth and death, others would say it is physical immortality, or spiritual immortality. 

 

Theravada has the end goal of 4th stage Arhatship, Mahayana has the end goal of Buddhahood. So what is the end goal of Buddhism? That's like asking what the end goal of Daoism is. What type of Daoism are you talking about? Then you get the corresponding answer. 

 

IMO the highest or ultimate aim of Daoism would be to return to the source, where everything once came from. Or perhaps phrased another way connecting back with the Buddha nature that is inherent in all of us. 

Edited October 30, 2021 by refugeindharma

[Master Logray]

On 10/29/2021 at 7:53 PM, dmattwads said:

 

It is nice to know what the end goal is in a system. Without knowing to me it sounds like a family is going on summer vacation and they're packing up all other stuff and everybody gets in the car and they start driving and then the kids ask the parents or they are going on vacation and nobody knows.

 

In ordinary Chinese, the term Tao usually means the Way (method, principle..).  It is only a Way, leading to somewhere.  Following the Tao is following the way, don't stray.   Of course there is something at the end of the road.  But it is not necessary nor desired by the majority. 

 

 

20 hours ago, dmattwads said:

I would like to know what the common narrative is. How Dan Tien breathing, MCO, YYJ, all tie in together. 

 

My main approach had been mainly just a mind only approach until I began to experience all sorts of physical affects from it that no one told me about, which caused me to refocus on the physical cultivation side again. 

 

Dan Tien breathing, MCO, YJJ, are different training methods for different purposes.  MCO is almost the standard operating procedure in current day Neidan.  It comprises Dan Tien breathing usually means belly breathing.  There are quite a lot of breathing methods like reverse, holding, spore, variation in the in/out.  YJJ is a body strengthening system, mostly practised by Buddhist monks and martial artists. It is not Neidan.

 

Nan Hua Chin said, Buddhist is more mental, while Taoist Alchemy is more physical and biological.  But is it prudent to change to another system when you encounter some problems in your current system?  You would not be the first one and there must be solutions in your current mental system.

 

 

 

 

 

[Creation]

23 hours ago, dmattwads said:

 

It has been a while since I read it, I'll have to go back and take another look. 

 

I would like to know what the common narrative is. How Dan Tien breathing, MCO, YYJ, all tie in together. 

 

My main approach had been mainly just a mind only approach until I began to experience all sorts of physical affects from it that no one told me about, which caused me to refocus on the physical cultivation side again. 

@freeform has mentioned a number of times that the DDJ describes the way of the Shengren - "Sage", whose actions entirely come from De, which does not strictly speaking require alchemy, but that it would be very hard and possibly impossible for someone become a Shengren without alchemy at this time.   Moreover, alchemy can take one beyond the stage of Shengren, to the stage of Zhengren, whose actions come entirely from Yuan Shen.  Only with alchemy, ie. by cultivating ming to it's highest possible level, can one's Yuan Shen fully express through all levels of being.  MCO, YJJ, and dantian work are all part of ming cultivation. 

[idquest]

I'd agree that the goal in Daoism is to go XIAN 仙. The problem is that this is translated as 'immortal' to English which does not render all meanings of the character. Perhaps a better idea would be 'transcendent' rather that 'immortal'.

 

I dislike the idea of 'going back to source'. The whole life set up in the Universe is about going against the current of increasing the entropy; while going back to source would just mean to dissolve in the entropy which is, how one of the Daobums members put it - just become a cosmic fart. If somebody's goal is to become a cosmic fart - sure.  I personally don't find this motivating.

[awaken]

道教，道家，丹道這是三種不同的體系，想要把三種不同的體系搞在一起，只會讓自己更糊塗

 

現在的丹道確實和低級氣功結合在一起，特別是小周天氣功，我們從周易參同契就可以知道，真正的丹道和搬運法那套小周天，根本就是兩回事。