New user, largely looking for literature recommendations

[zoe]

Hi, I'm zoe, posting from the pacific northwest. I got my first introduction to Daoism about 5 years ago when I was graduating from high school, I was incredibly spiritually and mentally distraught at the time and engaged with a lot of circles tangential to 4Chan's /x/ due to a string of extremely unfortunate circumstances. Around a year after that I started MTF medical transition, due myriad circumstances at that time this kind of brought me up to a limit where I didn't feel like I could proceed with any form of spiritual cultivation, although I feel like I'm back from that now.

Most of my experience with the Dao was through The Secret of The Golden Flower, although I never was able to progress too far with it it definitely provided instruction on meditation and spirituality that I've had more success with than anything prior. That being said, I paused at multiple points while reading it in finding myself unable to get past the earlier steps to cultivation in the book and stalled out with it. I've returned to it many times over the years but continually had little success, I might return to it eventually, but for now I think I just want to move onto something else, as this feels like beating a dead horse at this point. So, I'm mostly looking for literature recommendations. 

[Trunk]

@zoe,

 

Welcome to TDBs!

 

- Trunk

[Nintendao]

One of my all time favorites Seven Taoist Masters translated by Eva Wong, reads like a fairy tale but is based around historical figures that went on to found Dragon Gate Lineage, who to this day includes good teachers for example Damo Mitchell.

 

If you eventually circle back to the Secret of the Golden Flower, that site has a ton of notes in the margins to help on your way.

 

On the other hand if you're into more esoteric side of practice, can't go wrong with Benebell Wen.

 

Oh and welcome to the site!

[zoe]

On 12/9/2023 at 1:41 PM, Nintendao said:

One of my all time favorites Seven Taoist Masters translated by Eva Wong, reads like a fairy tale but is based around historical figures that went on to found Dragon Gate Lineage, who to this day includes good teachers for example Damo Mitchell.

 

If you eventually circle back to the Secret of the Golden Flower, that site has a ton of notes in the margins to help on your way.

 

On the other hand if you're into more esoteric side of practice, can't go wrong with Benebell Wen.

 

Oh and welcome to the site!

Oh shoot, that does sound quite helpful. Admittedly comprehending the writing was kinda half the battle lol. Ty!

[silent thunder]

On 12/10/2023 at 2:29 PM, zoe said:

Oh shoot, that does sound quite helpful. Admittedly comprehending the writing was kinda half the battle lol. Ty!

Comprehension is nurtured in the presence of a teacher.

[zoe]

2 minutes ago, silent thunder said:

Comprehension is nurtured in the presence of a teacher.

Well that is what they're for, generally speaking. I think.

[thelerner]

Golden flower's a tough nut to crack.

Here are my notes on it.. 

 

[silent thunder]

8 minutes ago, zoe said:

Well that is what they're for, generally speaking. I think.

Indeed. 

[zoe]

2 hours ago, thelerner said:

Golden flower's a tough nut to crack.

Here are my notes on it.. 

 

oh shit thanks. I really have made more progress reading it in the last few days than I had in weeks getting bleary eyed over just the Cleary translation of it I was previously reading, tysm!