Taosim For Dummies

[ddilulo_06]

Hey guys,

 

I'm looking for the basics of Taoism. I just sorta jumped into Kunlun without knowing jack about Taoism or Qui Gong or anything.

 

What are the beliefs, if any? The Afterlife? Death?

 

What is the Tao. I think this is the same as "God" to me... not able to be conceptualized, defined, or put into words at all. It's all that is and simultaneously no-thing. Some guidance here would be cool.

 

I'm most interested about the alchemy stuff. Reading Trunk's website, http://alchemicaltaoism.com/, is confusing at times. I have only skimmed through it, but it doesn't look like it's for greens. Water? Fire? Metal? Are these just describing different body energies? What are the body energies? Jing? Chi? Prana? I have no idea. Some reading material - books, websites, videos, or whatever would be greatly appreciated.

 

What's a Dantein? Is it the same thing as a Chakra. Max Christensen (the Kunlun Guy ) calls the sacral chakra area the lower dantein. I thought the lowest was Muldahara, or the root chakra???

 

The sorcery stuff sounds cool too. Is that taoism?

 

What about Kung Fu? Does that have anything to do with Taoism or body energy? My current spiritual goal is to sink more and more into peace in situations that would otherwise disturb or frighten me.

 

Thanks a lot guys.

[Stigweard]

Whoaa there fella!!

 

One step at a time LOL.

 

Grab yourself a copy of Daniel Reid's Gaurding the Three Treasures. It's as close to a Taosim for Dummies text as you can get in my opinion. A good place to get a hold of some basics.

 

And look, a bit of coyote teaching for you, go watch how trees live

[wuliheron]

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guid...3490&sr=1-1

 

I've only glanced at this book, just enough to get the ghist of it which is similar to Philosophical Taoism and Zen. At one time there were six thousand distinct sects of Taoism and over the eons it has been mixed with many other schools of thought.

 

"The Tao of Pooh" has probably sold more copies than any other English language book on the subject, but English speaking Taoists today have a wonderful selection of books on the subject to choose from. Just search out the subject at amazon or borders and look at the ratings people have given.

 

To answer some of your questions, Taoism is widely considered to be by far the most feminine the world's major schools of thought. It emphasises simplicity, spontaneity, and acceptance.

 

I would recommend that you look online for copies of "Tao Te Ching", "I-Ching", "Chaung Tzu", and "Art of War". The last time I checked there were something like eighty different English language translations of the "Tao Te Ching" alone, and many say that a thorough knowledge of at least ten versions is required to fully understand the original Chinese. The Daoism Depot at edepot.com is a great source.

 

As for what the Tao is....

 

Though it has no name,

I call it Tao,

Though it has no limit,

I call it limitless

 

Lao Tzu

[Sloppy Zhang]

The Tao that can be spoken is not the true Tao...

 

Or something along those lines

 

As for the chakra/dan tien things, I must admit that really troubled me and even though people told me not to worry about it, I did. There was actually a thread here on the taobums about it, and here it is: http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=1566

 

Take the advice that everyone else has given you as well, but that's specifically for your question about the chakras/dan tiens.

[Pietro]

Hey guys,

 

I'm looking for the basics of Taoism. I just sorta jumped into Kunlun without knowing jack about Taoism or Qui Gong or anything.

 

What are the beliefs, if any? The Afterlife? Death?

 

What is the Tao. I think this is the same as "God" to me... not able to be conceptualized, defined, or put into words at all. It's all that is and simultaneously no-thing. Some guidance here would be cool.

 

I'm most interested about the alchemy stuff. Reading Trunk's website, http://alchemicaltaoism.com/, is confusing at times. I have only skimmed through it, but it doesn't look like it's for greens. Water? Fire? Metal? Are these just describing different body energies? What are the body energies? Jing? Chi? Prana? I have no idea. Some reading material - books, websites, videos, or whatever would be greatly appreciated.

 

What's a Dantein? Is it the same thing as a Chakra. Max Christensen (the Kunlun Guy ) calls the sacral chakra area the lower dantein. I thought the lowest was Muldahara, or the root chakra???

 

The sorcery stuff sounds cool too. Is that taoism?

 

What about Kung Fu? Does that have anything to do with Taoism or body energy? My current spiritual goal is to sink more and more into peace in situations that would otherwise disturb or frighten me.

 

Thanks a lot guys.

 

I'll answer the belief part:

We don't give a damn about believes. In fact we don't believe in believes. We don't consider the question is there a God to be of ANY importance. If there is, good; if there isn't, good. In both cases you will act ethically and morally because ethics and morality is its own reward. As such we don't also follow external set of rules on what is good or uncool. But you are supposed to research this by yourself in yourself.

 

In this we are somehow similar to buddhist which consider the question is there a god in itself a source of suffering so they just avoid it. Not unsmart!

 

Out of many generations of practicians we have learned that the best way to start a spiritual journey is from the body. SO we make the body healthy, and then we go on. So you will need to find someone who guides you into becoming healthy, and then he will explain you about the dantiens, and all that jazz.

 

But make me a favour, do not confuse the indian system with the chinese system. They do have some weird relationships, but I would not equate dantiens with chakras. Plus, do you know what a chakra is? Because if not it really is of no use to know how a chakra (that you ignore) relates with a dantien (that you ignore too)

 

In any case...

Wecome onboard:

Everything Furthers

 

Pietro

[Yoda]

The Tao can't be discussed.

 

"The 10,000 things" is the taobum forte.

[Pietro]

The Tao can't be discussed.

 

"The 10,000 things" is the taobum forte.

 

[Bum Grasshopper]

Funny, I had posted an exact thread almost exactly a year ago when I started my path of the tao.

 

Tao for dummies

 

Of the suggestions I have received, I suggest:

 

The Shambhala Guide to Taoism by Eva Wong- gives a great overview of taoism from history, schools of thought, magical taoism, alchemical taoism, etc.

 

Although his teachings have met some scrutiny on this board, Mantak Chia's The Secret Teachings of the Tao Te Ching was the "dummies" book for me for deciphering the posts on this site. Great info on alchemy, I Ching and Tao Te Ching.

 

Take comfort knowing I have been in your shoes my freind

[ddilulo_06]

Looks like you guys will keep me busy for quite a while with all this stuff... gracias.

 

do not confuse the indian system with the chinese system. They do have some weird relationships, but I would not equate dantiens with chakras. Plus, do you know what a chakra is? Because if not it really is of no use to know how a chakra (that you ignore) relates with a dantien (that you ignore too)

 

So what's the difference?

 

I understand chakras as being "wheels of light". They take in and project out universal energy... each drawing in/projecting out energy of a different frequency corresponding with a different level of consciousness. I am guessing the energy is stored in some sort of energetic body or bodies we have. For example, the heart chakra would take in/project love - the frequency of compassion, acceptance, and caring. Solar plexus dealing with making your dent in the world, not being a doormat, standing up for what you believe in, self assertiveness. If a chakra is blocked, they don't get that energy and their whole life is adversely affected - maybe someone with a blocked root chakra is physically unhealthy. Picture Fat Bastard From Austin Powers. His root isn't healthy.

 

In any case...

Wecome onboard:

Everything Furthers

 

Pietro

 

I'm so glad I found this place. You guys are awesome!

Edited October 31, 2008 by ddilulo_06

[Sloppy Zhang]

So what's the difference?

 

I understand chakras as being "wheels of light". They take in and project out universal energy... each drawing in/projecting out energy of a different frequency corresponding with a different level of consciousness. I am guessing the energy is stored in some sort of energetic body or bodies we have. For example, the heart chakra would take in/project love - the frequency of compassion, acceptance, and caring. Solar plexus dealing with making your dent in the world, not being a doormat, standing up for what you believe in, self assertiveness. If a chakra is blocked, they don't get that energy and their whole life is adversely affected - maybe someone with a blocked root chakra is physically unhealthy. Picture Fat Bastard From Austin Powers. His root isn't healthy.

I'm so glad I found this place. You guys are awesome!

 

Didn't you see the link I posted for you...?

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=1566

 

It's a really great discussion about it. I had a lot of questions from a lot of conflicting sources and all the different opinions, but this thread really helped me in coming to where I am now. A lot of people tell you to not worry about it and just do your thing... but I couldn't so yeah, read through that thread.

[ddilulo_06]

Didn't you see the link I posted for you...?

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=1566

 

It's a really great discussion about it. I had a lot of questions from a lot of conflicting sources and all the different opinions, but this thread really helped me in coming to where I am now. A lot of people tell you to not worry about it and just do your thing... but I couldn't so yeah, read through that thread.

I set that thread aside. I'll read it now.

 

EDIT: Just read through post 8. So Dan Tien = Energy Storage and Chakras are the channels where energy flows in/out and how you respond, to your environment.

 

I'll come back to this. Time for a Kunlun session.

Edited October 31, 2008 by ddilulo_06

[Pietro]

Looks like you guys will keep me busy for quite a while with all this stuff... gracias.

So what's the difference?

 

leaving aside the differences in the map, and looking at the differences in the methods.

 

They both want the channels to be generally open. And I said generally because it is more complicated, but let's leave this aside. The way in which the channels are open are different. Even antithethical. While the taoist practices tries to make the flow very smooth and even, the yoga system tries to temporaly reduce or stop the flow in some channels, to then open it all at once. Like a water dam that holds the water up, and then lets the water rushing out to clear the bed of the river. SO you have all those practices of pranayama (for example) in yoga where you hold a nostril (which effectively compresses one of the side channels, as it also closes the armpit, btw), and then release it, while closing the other.

 

BTW, according to the meditation teacher I follow not only the yogic system and the taoist system is different, but also the buddhist the chinese medicine, and the kunlun are also different between them. I am just refering what he sais, as I have no experience with KL.