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Showing most thanked content on 08/15/2025 in Posts

  1. 5 points
    Lala, Your presence on here is very welcome. I hope you get as much from being on here as I have over the years. Don’t be afraid to express yourself - it’s all good. DaoBums has a long history now and at times it was far from being a sea of calm to say the least. What keeps it going is the membership and a flow of new members. Provided the tech doesn’t break down at some point I think we still have a long future of happy debate!
  2. 5 points
    I hope it's not over, I just got here. As an outsider and not aware of the inter-relationship drama between members I will say this (and hope I'm not reprimanded for it). Often times this forum can appear to be a little snooty and highbrow, especially to people who are just beginning on whatever path they're on. This appearance is intimidating to beginner who, like myself, can be afraid to post things in fear of being banned, ridiculed or simply ignored. Forums like these- group dynamics tend to wax and wane, lot's of people come and go. The core posters have obviously known each other for over a decade, which is awesome but also comes with some troubles, and can be intimidating when new here. This is just my opinion as an introvert, who has to go over in her head several times prior to any statement I make. Maybe it's just me projecting my own insecurities of being less knowledgable than everyone else here. I don't know. The lexicon of knowledge here is unmatched on the internet. So many opinions, ideas, paths and little tidbits to glean from. It's a gem. and shouldn't be taken for granted. This forum is literally the only place that I'm aware of that discusses somewhat freely on many topics (reddit is terrible and a cesspool). Ive been lurking on here for many years, but too afraid to comment or ask questions. I'm older now so maybe I care less about what others think of me, which is why I decided to finally join. Just my 2 cents and a newcomer, who would be disappointed if this place disappeared for good.
  3. 3 points
    @Taomeow recently mentioned Tiger being one of her four pillar animals, which got me thinking about my pillar animals aside from my daymaster (Metal Snake). In light of recent conversation about the fall of Dao Bums, our various goals, and the different ways we interact, I thought it would be interesting to discuss basic elements of our Bazi charts. I used bazi-calculator.com and input my birth date, time, and location (accounting for time zone offset and daylight savings). Then I took the names of each of my pillars and read about the daymaster characteristics on Hidden Sun to get an idea of how my animals relate to one another. Though only one pillar is the daymaster, I'm still using the daymaster descriptions that I have access to in order to get a general idea of the element/animal relationship. This is obviously very surface level and doesn't include a myriad of Bazi factors and metaphysical "math," if you will. But I still think it's fun and would love to learn a little more about everyone. Here's a bit about what my animals are like, which combined gives a very interesting overview. My animals are Earth Dog (Wu Xu), Fire Snake (Xin Si), Wood Snake (Yi Si), and Water Monkey (Ren Shen). Wu Xu - Earth Dog - Straightforward Xin Si - Jade Snake - Attention Yi Si - Wood Snake - Versitile Ren Shen - Water Monkey - Unpredictable I also took a look at the animals' relationships to one another: I think these descriptions are spot on, and even align somewhat with my western astrological signs Taurus, Earth Dog - Stable, Structured, Straightforward; Sagittarius, Fire Metal Snake - Charming Adventure Seeker (well, the snake still contains some fire so.. not a perfect comparison, but oh well; and Gemini, Water Monkey - Emotional Depth, In Constant Motion. My Taurean/Gemini, earth/air nature has always been at odds. Interesting to see that replicated with Earth Dog and Water Monkey relationships. I also always thought my "cold, stoic, aloofness" stemmed from my Xin Si pillar, but I see now that it comes from all of them in different ways. I quite like how I communicate, though I can see how it would benefit me to be less impersonal. It would likely benefit others to see that much of what appears as coldness in my social interactions stems from a dual desire for self-protection and self-development, not from maliciousness or judgement. I definitely love learning. It's half a safety coping mechanism (hoarding knowledge) and half... it just feels great. Like it's what I was built to do. But because I love learning for its own sake and I know the joy of discovery and/or receiving an enlightening resource, I also love curating resources for others. So in that way, I hoard, but also give. So what are your animal pillars and their personality descriptions? How well do the descriptions relate to you? What overlap is there between your natal charts of various astrological systems? What insights does your chart provide for how you interact with others, and how others can better interact with you? What animals (expressed through other people) do you engage well with, and which ones less so?
  4. 3 points
    Sorry but the rule still stands. (No masturbation at the dinner table I mean of course) 😎
  5. 3 points
    that is true, absolutely. thank you for the reminder. yes, voices that are compliant with the forum guidelines. I agree. The "something to offer" may be (as it is for me) "oh this is something for me to entirely steer clear of" or yes "oh this is crap that is best avoided." i had a friend at work who used this for people she absolutely could not stand, "oh, they are showing me behaviors which i find appalling, this is helpful for me so I can avoid those behaviors myself. I am learning who and what i never want to do, be or become." Reframing works wonders for me.
  6. 3 points
    Not “every voice”, Jules the site owner has given clear restrictions; quite rightly so imo. Quite a few people have been banned; again quite rightly so imo. Imo every system needs to set boundaries. Some voices will be more suited to another type of forum. Not true in my experience, some are just crap and best avoided.
  7. 3 points
    knowledge of the head type only can be overrated so take it with a grain of salt, so to speak. When or if a wild, wild west atmosphere develops here its really just part of the big ball of wax that goes on with human beings interactions and I'd say not to be taken all that personally heart-wise or as the only standard of acting, reacting or judgement since such too will pass...or change
  8. 3 points
    Welcome Lala Nila! I´ve been here for years and often feel reprimanded, so I think it comes with the territory. But there´s a lot of friendship and support to be had too. The thing about the Bums is we´re such a varied group and I think there´s room for most everybody. People have opinions, sometimes strong ones, but we were all beginners once (and some of us are still beginners no matter how long we´ve been here!). Anyway, hope you enjoy your time here.
  9. 3 points
    Add me to the list of people who stopped coming around but about once a year get the weird urge to log in and see how things are going This place was crazy back in the day, and a lot of things happened over a long period of time that changed the shape of the forum. Reddit was great for a while but always had its pros and cons, and in the last few years those have gotten more pronounced, but does still seem to vary based on the community (and sometimes even the time of day that you post!) I will also say that (and this may be me living under a rock), it doesn't seem like the qigong community itself has really changed much? It seems like most of the teachers are more or less the same, the books are more or less the same, maybe something new gets put out on a new author starts publishing stuff, are there any new crazy teachers or systems that are fueling the controversy posting that fueled the forum in years past? To me, I don't think so, but I don't even know... So you are either doing the practice, or talking about thinking about doing the practice
  10. 2 points
    There are plenty of other places to discuss politics, glad it’s avoided here.
  11. 2 points
  12. 2 points
    The nine year cycle i have heard of and used at times. One of the I-Ching workbooks i used at one time had a whole series of personalized exercises and one of them was mapping out a timeline for our entire life and marking significant events and changes . When i did that it was startling to see the 9- or 10- year cycle vividly illustrated. It then talked about using it to look at the upcoming years not yet lived and then it got depressing for me and i put it away becuase it of course showed a finite endpoint. But i agree that provides useful insights. I will check out the resource, thank you. (since reading your posts i have ordered the Flying Star Feng Shui book by Skinner). Using Feng Shui has had significant impact, particularly the parts about getting rid of stuff. That was a big wake-up call for me when i read about that. I remember pulling a metal trash can out into the driveway, and burning several boxes of letters i'd held onto for 20+ years. It was one of the most freeing things i ever did for myself. i kept the fire burning for hours, and just kept adding more stuff. I burned all my wedding photos (this was several years after the divorce) and that felt wild and exciting and bold. I burned thousands of pages of letters from my mom which were a laundry list from her of all the things wrong with me. i discovered using feng shui just how good it feels to get rid of stuff and how much i love getting rid of stuff. In all the decades since, and all the truckloads of stuff i have tossed, i think there is only one thing i reflect back on it would have been nice to have. something small and minor, which was easily replaced. It really was a conscious process of "why are you hanging on to that" "why is it hard to burn that" "what is the point in keeping that" for every single item i own. To this day i still use that process. If it is not uplifting or pleasing when i see it, it gets tossed.
  13. 2 points
    when you're in the boat, and choppy waters toss, just lay down, rest, be lulled (a counselor told me that once. she said if it feels like i'm in a little boat (my life) and the waves are choppy and my little boat is being tossed, she said you can always just lay down for a bit in the bottom of your little boat and rest. The movement and waves can be a lullaby like being rocked and lulled. i love that and have used it for many decades. It doesn't make the storms disappear or go away, there will still be storms, but there is always safe passage for me, i rest in the calm that is always available to me within any storm. i love that.)
  14. 2 points
    I’ve been into chakras and auras all my life, I find them very useful.
  15. 2 points
    INFP here. There is another excellent system which i like even better than Meyer Briggs because it goes more in depth. It includes a predominant layer of attributes, and then it also addresses and describes a second a layer of attributes which we can access or "grow into" or draw upon, when we are at a safe stable point in our lives and in our development, i.e. not just focused on scrambling for survival. It is in my view like the treasurse hidden within, an expansive vista and enticing view of coming attractions. It has also been for me an incentive at times to stick with the personal development. And it is encouraging that i am not ever stuck, that there is growth and advancement also. The book has a flaky title ("What Color Is Your Aura" by Barbara Bowers PhD) but it is in my experience a solid system. (get the actual book, not the online quicky distillations or quiz.) I like these systems and when my 3 sons were growing up i was quite enthusiastic and of course wanted them to fill it in also so i could see what their type is, it drove them nuts and they had no interest at all and consistently refused. a couple times in my life i was dating and it seemed to me a reasonable request and fun exercise to do on a date together, but that did not go over well at all either
  16. 2 points
  17. 2 points
    it's prohibited. results in warning, banned, or both.
  18. 2 points
    From the author's description: I think the author misunderstands the first noble truth (or maybe I do), which is that suffering exists. Or depending on the translation, reads: "The truth of suffering (dukkha)." I understand that to mean that there is a truth about the nature of suffering (and therefore exists), which the rest of the noble truths elaborates on. That's quite different from the idea that everything is suffering. From the author on the white school: From the "Christian" perspective, fear and sorrow can be released in the way suffering can be released, by realizing the nature of suffering in light of the true and transient nature of all things, thus making way for inner joy and peace. Sounds pretty Buddhist. Isn't the failure to perceive the fact that existence is pure joy... ignorance and illusion? The defining feature of the black school? In that sense, shouldn't Buddhism be considered a "white" school? Or is Christianity actually a "black" school? I guess I disagree with the categorization, and I'm not sure how it's very useful. I interpret Lao Zi, Buddha, and Christ to have been explicit that the highs and lows of joy and sorrow exist, both caused by our own inner turmoil, and that there is a way to free oneself and find equanimity by meditating on the illusory nature of the human experience from the eternal perspective.
  19. 2 points
  20. 2 points
    i have noticed that (bold above) and am so happy to see you posting more. It is welcomed and appreciated. Looking forward to topics and discussion.
  21. 2 points
    Yes Cobie we have all read your posts 😃
  22. 2 points
    I totally agree with your assessment and just because not all teachings are in agreement with each other doesn't mean we can't have a respectful and lively discourse, which is important as all parties can learn from each other regardless of lineage. Having a wide perspective and trying to understand from someone else's point of view is a great skill to have and hone.
  23. 2 points
    This is a very big subject which will give rise to different interpretations and points of view. I would follow your teachers advice even though I don’t totally agree with it. In the end I just express what I have learned and make no claims to authority.
  24. 2 points
    It's taken me a long time to learn to move from a place of equanimity and not to take things so personally. Thanks for the advice!
  25. 2 points
    @Nungali It´s ironic that you´d suggest I get in touch with my assertive warrior side because the only Bum I´ve wanted to tell off lately is...you. Casual readers likely don´t think you´ve said anything worthy of a finger, but somehow you´ve managed to get on my last nerves. I´m tempted to throw my usual policy of maintaining forum decorum out the window and really let you have it. Chances are the mods would suspend me, but would that really be so bad? Everyone is thinking of quitting the board these days anyways. Getting a suspension would be like being stopped by the cops on the highway, only instead of giving you a ticket for speeding they give you a coupon for all-you-can-eat breadsticks at the Olive Garden. Alas, I´m not going to do it. Even though I don´t think you´d be offended; no, you´d probably think it was funny, or worse, congratulate yourself for helping my mental wellbeing. Maybe someday.
  26. 2 points
    I can’t speak for Bon but in the case of Buddhism it is deep in its central core and very flexible to outer social and cultural norms. That is why you have so many forms of Buddhism which seem very different outwardly but are all genuinely Buddhist. What is and is not Buddhist is defined by the Four Dharma Seals which are as follows: all compounded phenomena are impermanent. attachment of self to phenomena leads to suffering. Nirvana is perfect peace. all phenomena are pure beyond elaboration. Hope this is helpful.
  27. 2 points
    I practice Vajrayana and it is 100% Bön.
  28. 2 points
    when we can finally set "God" free, then "God" will be free to reach us...
  29. 2 points
    I wonder if Shakti might be the highest material expression, and then logically shiva would the most material spiritual expression, so they together become a bridge between both worlds.
  30. 2 points
    In some of the Tantric Saivism views (like the Krama) Shakti is viewed as the highest reality with Shiva still there but more passively in the background. There are even texts which have Shiva asking and Shakti answering the questions. Kali plays the intense part of Shakti’s role. It’s a non dual view but very different than advaita Vedanta. Everything is real, not illusion and is an expression of Shakti. Manifestation, time and death are embraced as part of Shakti’s power . Quite some intense and dynamic views in this one. First guru of the Krama sect was a woman. It’s views were important part of Abhinavaguptas classic exposition of Tantirc Saivism in the Tantraloka (around 1000 CE).
  31. 2 points
    Basically another iteration of "my kung fu is better than yours." Ignore them all but embrace this philosophy: "Many paths lead to the top of the mountain."
  32. 2 points
    In terms of what is Buddhist or not Buddhist there are a few things I like to keep in mind: The teachings of the Buddha weren't set down in writing until 500 years after his death, and were captured by disciples generations later. How pure are they to the intent of Gautama Buddha? We will never know. We do know that they have led many students to realization, and that should be the litmus test on which they are judged. Indian Buddhism and tantric Shiavism travelled to China and intermixed with the VERY compatible Dao, Tibetan folk/Vajrayana, and Ch'an practices creating Tibetan Buddhism, Daoism, and Zen. Teachers didn't really keep these separate as "schools" until MUCH later. We do know that they have led many students to realization, and that should be the litmus test on which they are judged. An enlightened teacher will tell you that ALL of these (and let's add Sufi poets, Patanjali, the Upanishads and MUCH MORE) point to the same things, and that their practices works from different aspects to illuminate the students. What matters is that the authors of these works and the teachers that teach them UNDERSTAND what is being said. We do know that they have led many students to realization, and that should be the litmus test on which they are judged. My opinion is that Buddhism isn't about Guatama Buddha, it is about ALL Buddhas, including the ones at your local Tibetan Buddhist center. - Food for thought: Buddhism of any kind, and in fact any set of practices, has nothing to do with enlightenment. Holding this question in your mind might even be what "enlightens" "you".
  33. 1 point
    The title is a quote from this comment I found on the Reddit about Tantra, the person who did the post said the following: "There is nothing such as Vajrayāna Buddhism, it is Cināchāra with Buddha-Pādukā, Buddhism has nothing to do with Vajrayāna. Just because Buddha-Pādukā is present, doesn't mean it's origin is marked by buddhism. The whole Vajrayāna Flourished as A part of Sahajayāna of Kaula dharma. Whatever these fanatic Modern day Buddhists believe does nothing to us Nepalese Following Sarvāmnāya. I bet these Rascals "Buddhists" doesn't even know what āmnāya they follow as well. Hypocrites" I'm new to the "Tantra world", I understood Vajrayana Buddhism as being a form of "Tantric Buddhism", but it seems like the majority of the deities there comes from Indian Tantric Systems and he says that Vajrayana is not even buddhist. Anyone who knows more about this or disagrees, feel free to share your opinion.
  34. 1 point
  35. 1 point
    wow, very interesting thread, I appreciate all of the commentary especially OP's openness about the Mao Shan school. I've read a few of Jason's books Fox Magic, Practical Chinese Magic and Thunder Rites. While I found his books extremely informative I was disappointed with a lot of the imagery and lack of explaining some of some elements. The Fu talismans presented in Fox Magic for example, were pretty bad and nearly unreproducible/blurry, numerous spelling mistakes and grammatical errors which the editor should have caught prior to printing kind of annoyed me and brought into question if there were (perhaps) other important factors and possible errors in the rituals themselves. I really enjoyed Fox Magic otherwise and used some of those concepts in my personal work, but I found that Benebell Wen's Kitsune commentary and associative essay's on Queen Mother of the West more beneficial to me personally. Another example which still standout is the Thunder Magic rites. He mentions that if one has "bamboo fingers" or hands then they should definitely not even attempt the rites described in the book. Yet, he fails to tell the reader what exactly "bamboo fingers" are or at the very least how to find out if you have this quality. Just something that still sticks out to me all these years later. I decided to watch a few of his interviews, which I did like and received ok vibes from. But, yes as others noted above, he looked a little sickly for someone who cultivates. Before I attempt a system I want to know what the teacher looks like, body language, eyes, and go from there. He didn't look too good in my opinion. I still appreciate his content, but I move from a place of caution when attempting the rites described in his books. awesome thread and extremely informative.
  36. 1 point
    Where’s the ‘Joie de Vivre’? Is Buddhism entirely [to use a @Nungali term] ‘black school’?
  37. 1 point
    Of course, take your time. 😊 And what a relief! So then the only tenuous energy is the wood/metal, yes? I'm sure it depends on many other factors, but can the two elements find harmony? I love the descriptions you added of actual animals. Even more layers of consideration, the puzzle grows and grows! It occured to me while I was completing my pillars that one of them is a wood snake. For some reason I thought I had two metal snakes, but alas. So now I have quite a bit to learn about the wood snake!
  38. 1 point
    Yes, I agree with this observation! Yes, recent posts and interactions have fortified my desire for engagement here. Bazi was my introduction to Daoism, so I return to it consistently. I love to know how things work, how all the pieces of life fit intricately together, and puzzles are often more fun when worked on with others. If you have the time or inclination, I'd love to hear about your pillars, or even just your daymaster!
  39. 1 point
    I will give it a thorough read later (gotta run), for now just a quick note -- Tiger is just my Hour Pillar, so, no worries. My Day Master is Snake -- just like yours, except mine is a green Snake and yours is a white one. A real taoist thread, like in the good old days. Cool. Thanks.
  40. 1 point
    I'm further reminded of that saying about if someone gives you a gift it doesn't mean you have to accept it. If I remember correctly the historic Buddha said something like that?
  41. 1 point
    very interesting thread topic by tieing it into the dynamic of "how we intereact with each other" on the forum. I don't see Dao Bums as falling. I see that view as an expression of resistance or aversion to change. or as a "nostalgia for the good old days" sort of like as people get older and this happens every single generation, some say that the good old days were better and the current world is going to hell in a handbasket. only to have that younger generation say how great that very same world was when they get old. and yet the world is still here with yes problems and yes progress. that is the pattern i observe. doom and gloom is in the eye of the beholder. so even holding this view or that view "the Dao Bums site is falling" or "the Dao Bums site is alive and well with active discussion ongoing", could be a personal expression tied to the pillar animals of Bazi. I had to look up what Bazi even is, so learning happens. For me this is evidence and supports my view that Dao Bums is alive and well, providing robust discussion where learning happens and understanding is shared. great topic 心神 ~
  42. 1 point
    Hi, I just asked my Ācharaya this question because I'm also not certain lol. His response is as follows "Vajrayana isn't Buddhism, this is a very popular misinterpreted notion because in the present day, only the Nastika (Atheistic) Varjrayana is provided a spotlight, but if one traces back, it's origins is from the very land of Bengal. Vajrayana has two parts, one of which follows the vedas, the other does not. We belong to the one that does. This lineage is one of the Nathas where Vajrayana is one of the parts." He then goes on the explain that there are subtle differences and once I'm less ignorant (my words), I will understand the those differences. He also made point that I should not be debating anyone at this stage because I'm not educated and I will embarrass myself (which is true). Just focus on studying and all will be revealed in time. So, based off the above I guess you could make the interpretation that each lineage will claim certain things and as another poster above eloquently stated it's a display of "my kung fu is better than yours." Which in my experience is always the case no matter the lineage. So, maybe for now don't worry about it and focus on studying whatever it is your Acharaya has instructed you to do so. Be humble, patient, have an open heart and hands.
  43. 1 point
    I practice Vajrayana and it is 100% Buddhist.
  44. 1 point
    Yes. Embracing the darknes is the only way to come to the light. There is no other way. Faith will protect you.
  45. 1 point
    Great to see that you are still around! I don't know if you remember this, but you made a post back in the day about process oriented languages vs state oriented languages (if I'm recalling correctly...) and how that shapes a lot of spiritual/religions which had a big impact on me and something I still think about from time to time. There's been a lot of wisdom dropped around here and you were a big part of it! I also picked up a few books on Taoism and Feng Shui off your recommendations. Last few years have been rough and the last year especially but I still consider myself fortunate compared to how things could have gone much worse and gives me lots to meditate on and practice. I hope things are good for you and the coffee and cognac continues for many more years!
  46. 1 point
  47. 1 point
    adobe abode whitewash walls and shade within mud hut aesthetics
  48. 1 point
    You got it wrong bro, this is just another conspiracy, entities don't want to enslave humanity. When you say this you make think you believe that entities talk to each other and have big plans like "oh let's enslave these people"... You should care to save living beings than freeing them from these "evil entities" otherwise you will need to do it forever... let me explain, if someone vibrates the energy of an alcohol addict, he will heep attracting entities who were alcohol addicts, and trust me, there are many. Wouldn't it be easir to help the guy to be free from his addiction instead so he stop vibrating in that pattern? Now I'm visualizing this scene in my mind. To fight what? There's nothing to fight against bro, relax. You just got into a big conspiracy theory.
  49. 1 point
    The exact origins of Vajrayana are hard to pin down historically. However I think it is fairly safe to say that the form of Buddhism which was transmitted to Tibet in two waves mainly in the 8th and 10th Centuries was the same as what was being practiced mainstream in Northern India at the time. And thus is actually Buddhism and not some kind of strange hybrid which the person is suggesting. I suspect the poster is Nepalese Hindu and thus is anti- Buddhist in some way which is uncertain. Those are my thoughts anyway.
  50. 1 point
    How to filter for viewing only the posts by Sifu Terry Dunn Go to Sifu Terry Dun's profile (he is zen-bear) click here in upper right quadrant, click See their activity in menu on left side of page click Posts There are 61 pages of posts, in reverse chronological order, most recent posts on page 1 Enjoy!