Finding my spiritual Path

[Spiritualnewbie]

Dear all,

for a long time im searching for my spiritual path, and i really like daoist paintings, ( painting them), really resonate with them. Also like tibetan buddhism ( second to daoism). Would like to take the daoist path to keep doing the paintings, but there is no daoist group in my city. But there is a buddhist group where I frequently go.

 

Is it "ok" to go the daoist path alone?? Is in my situation recommended to do this, or is it preferable to go to a local group of a spirituality that i dont want thaat much..?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. This forum is kind!

[Cobie]

Hi. Welcome to the forum.  Do you enjoy going to the Buddhist group? The painting sounds great, maybe you could post some of your paintings on the forum?

 

 

Edited October 16 by Cobie

[ChiDragon]

Just now, Spiritualnewbie said:

Is it "ok" to go the daoist path alone?? Is in my situation recommended to do this, or is it preferable to go to a local group of a spirituality that i dont want thaat much..?

Yes, Daoist path was mostly done alone for peace and tranquillity. A Daoist does not force oneself to do something against nature.

[Spiritualnewbie]

@ChiDragonTHank you for the quick replies!! Ok ok , so going alone seems to be "alright"

 

@Cobie thanks for your reply! I enjoy going to the buddhist group... and the people there are really friendly. Its just that buddhist art is one that i dont like that much. (go to the buddhist primarly to "try" and practice the virtues like generosity and kindness)

@Cobieforgot to mention that im also trying to practice compassion, its not easy. ( i shouldnt be posting while feeling tired !!)

 

couldnt find a way to upload images here on the forum so i will post 2 links to my instagram. Lost the name of the painter of the orignal colored painting. The one in black and white is from Ma yuan!

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBM-LFORLjC/

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBM-IRWRqNV/

Edited October 16 by Spiritualnewbie

[Gerard]

Alone is good but you need a teacher who'll pass on to you a serious energetic method of self-transformation and purification/opening/release. 
 

Chinese Internal Martial Arts serve this purpose really well. 

[Maddie]

17 hours ago, Spiritualnewbie said:

Dear all,

for a long time im searching for my spiritual path, and i really like daoist paintings, ( painting them), really resonate with them. Also like tibetan buddhism ( second to daoism). Would like to take the daoist path to keep doing the paintings, but there is no daoist group in my city. But there is a buddhist group where I frequently go.

 

Is it "ok" to go the daoist path alone?? Is in my situation recommended to do this, or is it preferable to go to a local group of a spirituality that i dont want thaat much..?

Any advice is greatly appreciated. This forum is kind!

 

What is your interest in these teachings? and why? 

[Cobie]

 

18 hours ago, Spiritualnewbie said:

… I enjoy going to the buddhist group...

Do you have time to do both, be a solo Daoist painter & do the Buddhist group (ignoring their art)?

 

[Spiritualnewbie]

On 17/10/2024 at 12:18 PM, Maddie said:

What is your interest in these teachings? and why? 

Hello @Maddie!!!

 

good question, im not so sure myself, but i think to live a less stressfull live and with more meaning. But its true, it may be a bit egoistical from my side to only look for happiness for myself. Its a good question... will reflect somewhat more on it.

 

On 17/10/2024 at 2:09 PM, Cobie said:

Do you have time to do both, be a solo Daoist painter & do the Buddhist group (ignoring their art)?

@Cobie that sounds like a  great idea! Wont have time to do paint everyday, thats for sure. But thats "ok". As you precisely pointed , its the tibetan art that doesnt speak so much to me , but other parts; cultivating the virtues are parts that i like very much!

 

Thank you both for replying!!!

[Spiritualnewbie]

On 16/10/2024 at 8:52 PM, Gerard said:

Alone is good but you need a teacher who'll pass on to you a serious energetic method of self-transformation and purification/opening/release. 
 

Chinese Internal Martial Arts serve this purpose really well. 

Hello @Gerard!! Thank you for your reply!!

THere are Qigong classes in the city, and i think there are Tai Chi classes as well... Went to 2 QIgong classes wich i enjoyed. But i imagined more myself studying the daoist theory and applying it to painting(do you still think the internal martail arts are a "must" ?) . Its difficult to have so many options sometimes!!

[Gerard]

Let me tell you something from personal experience. As a Ba Gua circle walking practitioner this art will "open you up completely" if you are up to the task. There is virtually no end how deep it goes. We are...and I stop here, I'll let you find it out by yourself. 

 

So to answer your question: it's a must if you are ready for it. No one else knows this better than you.

Whst are we really?

 

 

 

 

 

[Maddie]

On 10/18/2024 at 3:20 PM, Spiritualnewbie said:

Hello @Maddie!!!

 

good question, im not so sure myself, but i think to live a less stressfull live and with more meaning. But its true, it may be a bit egoistical from my side to only look for happiness for myself. Its a good question... will reflect somewhat more on it.

 

 

Why do you think it's egotistical to be happy?

[Thrice Daily]

For some inspiration you might want to try this; you can of course read it, this is the audio though and has ambient music too. You could even listen while you paint  

 

The reason I recommend though is because this is a large collection of Taoist stories from fairly early on in it's history. The stories are packed with imagery and you really would have a huge amount of options.

 

 

Of course it really depends what type of art you are doing? Is it more life like or more abstract?

[Sir Darius the Clairvoyent]

I do not want to hijack the thread, so apologies, but why find a spesific path at all? No teaching is complete, wouldnt it be better to pick and mix?

[Dedicated]

21 hours ago, Sir Darius the Clairvoyent said:

I do not want to hijack the thread, so apologies, but why find a spesific path at all? No teaching is complete, wouldnt it be better to pick and mix?

It can be problematic. In the Art of Happiness the Dalai Lama suggests sticking to the path you're familiar with because they all lead most of the way and the rest is up to us

[Sir Darius the Clairvoyent]

11 hours ago, Dedicated said:

It can be problematic. In the Art of Happiness the Dalai Lama suggests sticking to the path you're familiar with because they all lead most of the way and the rest is up to us

I would like to reccomend what might be my fav book of all time: thus spoke zarathustra, Nietzche. It about how humans can and should find their own path after «the death of God» (the foundation on which much of European morality was based upon).

[Thrice Daily]

2 hours ago, Sir Darius the Clairvoyent said:

I would like to reccomend what might be my fav book of all time: thus spoke zarathustra, Nietzche. It about how humans can and should find their own path after «the death of God» (the foundation on which much of European morality was based upon).

I like how the Chinese deal with morality and I try to understand it in terms of emotional expressive. I use this simplified version as a compass. 
 

Courage over Depression (lungs)

Calmness over Fear (kidneys)

Kindness over Anger (liver)

Happiness over Hared (heart)

Grounding over Loss of Centre (spleen)

 

Good for the organs and good expression of organs leads to good virtue outside and inside … 

 

like a positive feedback loop. From self to inside self, And from self to outside in the world. So many positive feedback loops…

 

This leads me to believe virtue (de) is even physiologically based and morality arises naturally from a healthy person. From an unconscious state somehow, to a disposition, to intention and action outcome. 
 

The more healthy emotion is projected on the world the more the person will generally experience looking back at them.
 

Reminds me of that old adage, “it’s what’s on the inside that counts”

[Dedicated]

On 03/11/2024 at 4:15 AM, Sir Darius the Clairvoyent said:

I would like to reccomend what might be my fav book of all time: thus spoke zarathustra, Nietzche. It about how humans can and should find their own path after «the death of God» (the foundation on which much of European morality was based upon).

Nietzsche's ok, I studied him at Uni. But no

[Sir Darius the Clairvoyent]

40 minutes ago, Dedicated said:

Nietzsche's ok, I studied him at Uni. But no

He agrees with you, dont follow him

 

Now I go alone, my disciples, You too, go now alone. Thus I want it. Go away from me and resist Zarathustra! And even better: be ashamed of him! Perhaps he deceived you… One pays a teacher badly if one always remains nothing but a pupil. And why do you not want to pluck at my wreath? You revere me; but what if your reverence tumbles one day? Beware lest a statue slay you. You say that you believe in Zarathustra? But what matters Zarathustra? You are my believers – but what matter all believers? You had not yet sought yourselves; and you found me. Thus do all believers; therefore all faith amounts to so little. Now I bid you to lose me and find yourselves; and only then when you have all denied me will I return to you… that I may celebrate the great noon with you.

 

Since youve studied him, whats your take on some of his views?

[silent thunder]

My Home is inside me.  I am always Home.  I cannot be lost.

 

This saying is from the Sami People who are nomadic and follow the reindeer herds from Scandanavia to Mongolia. 

 

Spirit is like Home, but even closer... like tao.

We are never seperate from tao, ever, by a hair's width, for even a micro-second.

 

Cultivate presence, here and in this moment and it will unveil.

[Dedicated]

On 04/11/2024 at 5:48 PM, Sir Darius the Clairvoyent said:

He agrees with you, dont follow him

 

Now I go alone, my disciples, You too, go now alone. Thus I want it. Go away from me and resist Zarathustra! And even better: be ashamed of him! Perhaps he deceived you… One pays a teacher badly if one always remains nothing but a pupil. And why do you not want to pluck at my wreath? You revere me; but what if your reverence tumbles one day? Beware lest a statue slay you. You say that you believe in Zarathustra? But what matters Zarathustra? You are my believers – but what matter all believers? You had not yet sought yourselves; and you found me. Thus do all believers; therefore all faith amounts to so little. Now I bid you to lose me and find yourselves; and only then when you have all denied me will I return to you… that I may celebrate the great noon with you.

 

Since youve studied him, whats your take on some of his views?

My view is that he is a beautiful person with an astute mind. But I'm not inspired to the point of goosebumps