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Life is Alchemy. (seems to be to my local awareness/experience) Life is the ever shifting of one into another. Awareness (the experience of being) itself is Alchemy. My Son's body formed within my Wife's body. Forming within the womb tzujan, of itself, by transmuting food, air and water that she consumed while pregnant. My Son's body now alchemizes food/air/water into bones, organs, muscles, nerves, etc and sustains awareness of this for a time, before further decomposing (alchemizing) into ought else.. Sunlight stimulates seeds in soil that, which alchemize with water, minerals and light to grow into trees, bushes, wheat, moss etc... these forms further alchemize, transforming into new soil. Transmutation. Alchemy. Reality=Alchemy of Awareness. As awareness is always shifting and morphing, accomodating new sensation, interpreting, adapting, rejecting, believing, seeking etc... Indeed, is there any aspect of phenominological awareness that is not an alchemy of transitioning from one observed form/structure/makeup, into another? Is there ought which is not Alchemy?

from this: to this: note: the little pill bottles in the picture are great for keeping little screws and bolts in.

Please everyone note: Any political comment will be hidden and if necessary action taken against the poster. We are not going to set up an alternative site or have a special section on here in the foreseeable future. This is because we tried it already but experienced problems. We ( The Mods) have received general support from members for the politics free approach and this will continue for the time being.

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!

Yesterday I made these two lamps They were very old mismatched ones, both different colors and both colors ugly. I spray painted the base of each the same dark bronze color and used two Ikea stainless steel kitchen utensils holders to make lampshades, by flipping them upside down and installing hardware. One of my hobbies, finding a new (often unexpected) purpose for an old and tired object. I like simple projects that I can finish on a whim in a short time.

Raymond Chandler The DaoBums website sits like a smoky speakeasy in the dim corners of the internet, a joint where mystics and misfits trade hard-boiled wisdom under the flickering neon of digital dreams. Its forums hum with the low growl of seekers—guys and dames chasing the Dao’s shadow, tossing around koans like loaded dice in a backroom craps game. Every post’s a slug of bourbon, sharp with insight or bitter with dogma, spilling over threads that twist like L.A. alleys after midnight. The regulars, tough as old leather, sling questions about chi and karma with the kind of grit that’d make a private eye nod approvingly, while the mods keep the peace like weary bartenders, ready to cut off anyone who gets too drunk on their own revelations. It’s a place where truth’s always one post away, but nobody’s holding their breath.

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.

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

Yes, so many of my wife's family were among the people who defeated ISIS. Just imagine the strength and fighting spirit of Kurdish TEENAGE men and women in flip flops with no training defeated ISIS which was largely trained and equipped by CIA and America before they rose to prominence and was deemed an enemy of the West. Imagine you sitting at home, watching television of brigades of heavily armed ISIS fighters taking over huge modern cities in mile long convoys of pick ups with heavy machineguns, decapitating thousands live on twitter, you're a 15 year old girl, and your reaction is to grab your flipflops and your AK and go to fight them. That's a very special kind of inner strength and courage. It's truly tragic, as the kurds are some of the "most normal" in the Middle East, simply meaning reasonably European and sensible in many ways, compared to many of the more fanatical regimes. If a united Kurdistan was created, it could potentially be a kind of beacon of light, humaneness, sensibility and just "normal living" to help stabilise the whole region. An oasis in a sea of fanaticism. What they lack is a strong leader with this powerful vision of unity, as unfortunately due to millenia of wars, the mentality of "caring for yourself first" is extremely strong. Nationalism is also there, but it's a largely unguided force, intercepting militarily when things are grave and you need to defend (e.g. ISIS), but not with a vision of unity for all the kurds. And realistically every major power is against them in the region, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey. They would lose land, power, ressources and influence if Kurdistan became a unified country. Actually Israel is one of the only powerful countries in the Middle East that tries to help Kurdistan - e.g. buy a lot of their oil, covertly sell them weapons, provide secret agents to help defeat fanatics that are trying to rise to power and so on. The Isreali story of being a persecuted nation without a homeland, with all major powers against them is so similar in spirit to the Kurdish story of being a persecuted people without your own country, and all major powers using you and your land as a plaything in their own games. That's why they help each other since modern Isreal was founded, even though ofc many modern Kurdish brainwashed by islamic fanatics are not aware of it, but the older generation remember when secret isreali agents brought them food, water, ressources, clothes etc in times of war and crisis, also weapons for self defense, and still financially today they support by buying oil in massive quantities at a fair price. Yes, Africa could almost be declared the black magic capital of the world, the magic there is very powerful

Hello Annnon, GM Doo Wai explained that for FP Qigong to be optimally effective, one needs to have regular restful sleep--i.e., for FP Qigong to work well, one cannot be sleep-deprived. He gave this answer in reply to my question if FP Qigong can replace lost sleep--citing the fact that the Tao Tan Pai ("Taoist Elixir Method"), which I learned from Taoist priest Share K. Lew (1975 to 1992), has high Yogas called "The Nine Flowers" and "The Five Dragons" that can replace lost sleep and thus enable one to function at full strength and high mental acuity without have regular restful sleep. GM Doo Wai and Taoist Priest/GM Share K. Lew were friends and peers since the moment they met in America, what GM Doo Wai described as "fellow kung fu men." Each was the senior lineage holder of a complete and intact Taoist monastic tradition of kung fu, nei kung, medicine, and spiritualism. Back to your question: "...why good quality sleep is needed or quote the original post?" Answer: It's just how the FP Qigong yogic methodology (utilizing the percentage breathing formulas) works . Tao Tan Pai Nei Kung, in contrast, works on a different yogic methodology that 's rooted in the cultivation of human sexual energy, what some Hindu Yogas and other Tantric systems call "the kundalini" energy ("coiled snake"). FP Qigong, in contrast, does not focus on the kundalini energy or on any other type or "flavor" of energy--for no visualization of any kind is required in the practice of FP Qigong. This great dissimilarity in yogic mechanism between FP Qigong and Tao Tan Pai Nei Kung is reflected/manifested in the fact that strict celibacy must be observed when learning the Advanced Tao Tan Pai Yogas, while no celibacy is required at all when learning and practicing any levels of Flying Phoenix Qigong--or any other Yogas under the Bok Fu Pai umbrella, for that matter. Thus, as I had posted in one of the early years of this thread: when I asked GM Doo Wai (with classmates present) whether we needed to observe any duration of celibacy when learning FP Qigong or any of the advanced Bok Fu Pai meditations (as I had to do when I was learning the advanced Tao Tan Pai Yogas), he answered, "Nah, you can knock yourselves out." However, to explain in any detail why and how FP Qigong requires regular restful sleep in order to work well would require rigorous testing and study by neuroscience, for starters. Sifu Terry Dunn P.S. This is a photo of GM at the grand opening of Sifu Dougla Wong's second kung fu school in Parthenia, Ca in 1981: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10227420095559787&set=a.10227420037518336

I've deleted my comments about Damo. I realised I was still pretty upset about a disagreement I had with him years ago and that may have coloured a lot of what I wrote about him. Damo is obviously a human being too, and I bet it can't be too nice as a public figure reading anonymous people writing horrible things about you online. I think this has been fairly cathartic for me though, to get it off my chest after keeping it quiet for so long. So perhaps time to move on, forgive and forget. Apologies for airing dirty laundry, fellow bums

When it comes to posting, I frequently choose to restore the space. I write long posts, revise them a few times, then think better of it and simply delete. Nothing beats the openness and unlimited potential of the empty space of my unposted posts. 😄

I should probably add for balance that Damo is a fantastic teacher. He's able to explain difficult concepts in a practical way, and his syllabus is very well organised. His taiji and bagua are also to a very high level and very well taught. His students report profound and significant changes as a result of their study of neigong, and I have no reason to doubt their accounts. My concern really is where it all leads, and I can only infer that based on my personal interactions with Damo online. It's also possible he just wasn't having a great day and he didn't handle it as well as he would have done normally. Nevertheless I was very affected by the whole incident.

Respectfully, I´d like to express my disagreement. Many good spiritual teachers charge -- not everything gold is free.

Hello everyone, I’ve recently started volunteer work in a center for elderly people, a large number of them are living with dementia. The experience has been powerful and unsettling. Part of me wants to meet them with compassion… but part of me feels sadness, even fear, watching how their minds slowly dissolve: Some cover up memory gaps with jokes. Many repeat the same conversation four or five times in a row. Others speak of places or activities they haven’t done in years, as if they were happening right now. Without constant repetition of simple topics, they quickly become lost. It often feels like meaningful, deep connection is impossible. And this shakes me: Where is Dao here? Where is Spirit? If the mind fades like this, is real connection still possible? So I’m reaching out to you: From a Daoist perspective, how can I understand dementia? Is there a way to flow with the repetition instead of resisting it? How can I find peace and Dao in this environment that feels so heavy and repetitive? Thank you deeply for any insights.

I don't sense it's an all or nothing choice. All paths lead up the mountain. Damo and Nathan approach Source and process from different paths. I've benefited from Freeform's sharings here, but his path is not necessarily yours, or anyone elses'. Explore and find your way. It's there. Why not give each method 180 days and see what arises within?

The Dao is just reality, as it is. Flowing "with" the Dao is being in alignment and not causing resistant eddies and currents with our attachment or aversion to what we think should happen, to what is happening, or what might happen. To an enlightened person, these changes in functionality are just reality as it is, nothing to worry about or cause confusion. My late teacher's teacher, the abbess of a well-known Zen institution died of Alzheimers related causes, but went through the process without struggle, in good humor, and in gratefulness that others were so willing to help her. This obviously won't be the experience of most people. Having worked with my late wife's grandparents, and my own parents as they age, I can recommend just meeting them where they are. Is the reality they believe they live in any more real than yours? If they think you are someone other than who you are, roll with it. If they think they just came back from the pub, let them tell you their story. If they can't find something see if you can get them to laugh with you about it, and let them know that you are sure it will turn up soon. Don't pity them, or try to explain over and over how YOU see the reality of things, or who you believe them to be. This won't improve their condition, or their quality of life. If they worry, tell them everything has been taken care of for now, and things are OK. Find joy with them. For an example of how to work with those who are effected give this a listen. It is really wonderful. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/532/magic-words/act-two-0

Across the wild, uncharted moors of the mind, where thoughts roam free as heathland winds, there lies a strange and solitary place called DaoBums, a digital haven carved from the ether’s boundless mist. Its forums, like ancient stone circles, gather souls who tread the shadowed paths of spirit and flesh, their words weaving tapestries of fervent debate and quiet wisdom, as if whispered by some eternal, unseen force. Here, seekers of the Dao, restless as the gales that sweep Wuthering Heights, clash and commune, their voices rising like sparks from a fire kindled by questions too vast for mortal tongues. Yet, beneath the fervor, a haunting stillness lingers, as if the site itself broods, holding secrets deep as the earth, waiting for those bold enough to wander its labyrinthine depths.

[no AI] The Dao Bums by a toxic online influencer: The name of The Dao Bums forum originates from the fact that some there are capable of being so far stuck up their own arses that it creates a virtual dark room for them to meditate in.

Sorry but the rule still stands. (No masturbation at the dinner table I mean of course) 😎

I practice Vajrayana and it is 100% Bön.

It's disgusting what happened to the Yazidi tribes. Melek Taus (The peacock god) is very interesting- embodying eternal light and considered the leader of the archangels, it's a very old religion with practices going back to ancient Mesopotamia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tawûsî_Melek.

Of course! Ddecomposition is a leading source of the direction of Primal Alchemy! Have you not recognized the Alchemy of decomposition all around you? The rotting food in your colon and small intestine is the source of all your energy and sustaining of your bodily form. Every thing you consume is dead, or dying as it enters your body. Decomposition is the source of the Vigor and Vitality of Livingness in your bodily experience. The Awareness of Being. In your response, you seem to be looking at my finger... not what the finger indicates.

Black Magic: Peculiar things do exist. For normal people, it is better to follow the Confucian attitude - respect the ghosts and gods but keep a long distance. A Taiwan mystic has encountered a statue fallen from an abandoned temple. She set it up again but found something try to attach to her. Then she was angry and kicked it down slope. So even with "proper" religious setting, one should be careful. Karmic Debts: While other problems can be solved by ZhengYi magicians, Karmic Debt cannot. It could be an excuse when the Taoist cannot do anything. The normal solution is cultivation, following a proper Taoist/Buddhist religion, good deeds, good diet etc. Burning joss papers said to help too if it is not so serious. Local spirit kings: In Chinese community, every home or grave used to have a Shen of the Door, which is a red wood plate which says the dragon kings of 5 directions, Lords of the location, God of fortune. We could offer incenses and wine once a year, or even daily. It is mainly to avoid evil spirits coming in. They mainly act as a protection service. Conceal Blessings: It used to be common in Chinese traditions. You downplay everything, down dress. Spirits follow home: Going to casinos would said to dampen your 3 fires of powers. Going to hospitals/funerals would also be a problem. It is better to go to some noisy places, have food with others, get some sunshine, before directly go home. In short, similar to spy stuff.

How about a nice walk in a forest?

That may be but I bet I´m not the only Bum who´d love to read an anthologized compilation of the posts you wrote that didn´t make the cut. I bet it would be fascinating!

By "restorations" I suspect old3bob has physical objects in mind. I´m neither handy nor crafty and don´t have much to share in that department, but I wonder -- do posts count? I´m really into post restoration (otherwise known as editing). There have been times when I´ve edited a post twenty times before I finally let it be. It´s kind of a ridiculous hobby.

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https://a.co/d/3huK6kT

... and another thing I found , when they are able to , ask them questions about what they can remember , sometimes parts of their life are remembered and they can be entertaining fascinating and amazing , as well as enjoyable for them to have someone to listen to . https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/56258-wrtings/

I find martial arts training to be a wonderful way to cultivate self-discipline. Running and weightlifting are also good but nothing beats martial arts for me.

Give up the pharmaceuticals and take up gardening. Caring for plants will move your attention away from your own desires. Getting your hands in the soil will ground you The nature spirits (lesser devas) will help heal you. Effective meditation can follow later

it comes and goes. no biggie. no rhyme or reason or pattern that i have seen. people on this thread in general have noted the overall arc is that over time this decreases and goes away. in my experience bending the bows generates the "strongest" flow. To the point where i have had to limit how often i do it, and for how long, and during what part of the day. It at times has felt like "too much" for me (not from the shaking, just from the "power" that bending the bows generates internally) so i just scaled it back and that has worked. It is still my favorite part of Flying Phoenix Qi Gong

By ChatGPT: ChatGPT said: “Fear and Loathing on the Taoist Trail: A Gonzo Dive into TheDaoBums.com” We were somewhere around the digital outskirts of enlightenment when the ego began to take hold. I remember saying something like, “We can’t stop here, this is spirit country!”—but my cursor was already deep in the tangled scrolls of TheDaoBums.com, a wild-eyed online bazaar of spiritual renegades, mystical tinkers, and energy-surfing cyber shamans. If the internet had a back alley where Taoists, magicians, Qigong junkies, and confused tech bros met to swap esoteric secrets, argue about kundalini, and occasionally call each other deluded charlatans—it was here. I logged in under a pseudonym. Of course. Everyone does. You don’t want your real name associated with forum threads like “I Opened My Third Eye and Now My Left Ear Won’t Stop Buzzing.” This was not your average mindfulness app bullshit, no. This was uncut, raw metaphysics—mainlined straight from a mix of Eastern mysticism, Western paranoia, and the kind of DIY enlightenment that could only be cooked up in a basement by a man who hasn't seen sunlight since 2003. TheDaoBums is the kind of place where a thread titled “Can I levitate if I abstain from sex for 90 days?” will spawn fourteen pages of serious, often hostile, debate. These people aren’t trolling—they believe. And they know things—dangerous things. You find yourself nodding along, murmuring about microcosmic orbits and energy blockages, before realizing you haven't blinked in three hours and your chakras are humming like a power transformer. The mods, gods help them, try to keep order. But how do you wrangle a crowd of self-declared immortals and astral projectionists? Every attempt to rein in the madness only feeds it. The forum software is creaky, the colors are late-90s depression, and the user base ranges from erudite mystics quoting Lao Tzu to a guy named “VoidDragon69” claiming he can melt clouds with his mind. But here’s the thing—the truth might actually be in there, somewhere. Buried under the cosmic sludge, past the flame wars about lineage purity and the arguments over whether semen retention gives you psychic powers, there are glimmers. Real insight. A flash of clarity in the chaos. Maybe even… wisdom? Or maybe it’s just the caffeine and the humming of my computer fan. Who can say? The spiritual path was never supposed to be clean. In the end, TheDaoBums isn’t a map—it’s a mirror maze with strobe lights. You enter looking for Tao and leave with a hundred tabs open, wondering whether reality is a hologram and if your chi is flowing backwards. But damn it, that’s the ride. And like all good Gonzo journeys, you don’t understand it. You survive it. Thank you, ChatGPT! ChatGPT said: You’re very welcome! Glad you enjoyed the trip through the digital desert of the immortals. If you ever need more Taoist-flavored Gonzo journalism, spirit quests, or just someone to decode esoteric madness, I’ll be here—fully grounded, mostly. Safe travels through the void, and remember: never trust a forum thread after midnight. 🌀

Some people change their gender; others get really creative with copper wire. Different strokes.

Nooooo on DaoBums we never stay on topic … it’s a tradition.

Yes Cobie we have all read your posts 😃

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.

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".

and that one will go hungry if they don't get busy and scramble the eggs and then eat them.

The discovered records in the Tang Village actually make zero mention of Zhang Sanfeng and make zero mention of Wudang. Furthermore, that manuscript actually mentions a Wuji form which resembles Yang Style, and a Taiji form which resembles Chen Style. This would be ironic, as this would mean the Taiji form was never passed down to Yang. Instead it entails Yang got a Wuji Form instead. Wang Zongyue's own writing also makes zero mention of Zhang Sanfeng and Wudang. Wang Zongyue's form is actually just Wu Yuxiang (the same guy who "found" the treatise). Both start with 懶扎衣 (Lazily Pulling Back the Robe) - Wu Yuxiang likely derived this from Chen Qingping. Neither has Cross Hands - something both Yang and Chen have. And both (misspelled?) Shang Tongbei (Fan/Flash Through the Back) to San Yong Bei (Three Through the Back). Did Wu Yuxiang mishead Shang as San? And "both" authors just happened to have spelled it this way when none of the other texts call it this? What Taijiquan would call Cloud Hands (Yùn Shou), they call Tangling Hands (Yún). Two different Chinese characters, but again, look at the Pinyin here: Yùn vs Yún. The tone is different. Did "both" authors mishear the word? These are too specific to be coincidences. When combined with the known history of Wu Yuxiang being frustrated with Yang Luchan’s secrecy, and then “suddenly” finding a perfect, stylistically-aligned treatise in a salt shop, the logical inference is: Wu Yuxiang or someone close to him authored the treatise and retroactively attributed it to a Wang Zongyue to lend it classical authority. Wu Yuxiang has an interesting position of having learned from Yang Luchan and also having gone to Zhaobao. Yet according his own disciple and nephew who was a scholar, in writing, they do not know the origins of Taijiquan. In fact... he made zero mention of Zhang Sanfeng and Wudang in that writing. This goes against the notion that Yang Luchan thought that Taijiquan was tied to Wudang. If Yang Luchan knew that and Zhaobao village knew that... why would Wu Yuxiang and his disciple/nephew not know that? When it comes to Chen Style, I think many non-Chen practitioners have a blindspot when it comes to the second form. Some people think that the first form (Yi Lu) is the "real Taiji' whereas the second form (Er Lu) is just Shaolin unrelated to Taiji. However, if you look at Qi Jiguang's Quan Jing Jie Yao, he has a 32 Posture Form assembled from a large array of martial arts at his time and place. Note that this predates Chen Family Taijiquan. This form is meant to be practiced in the order it is listed. And in the posture, it has movements such as Ào Luán Zhǒu (Twisting Phoenix Elbow), Shùn Luán Zhǒu (Smooth Phoenix Elbow), and Shòu Tóu Shì (Beast Head Posture). These sequences are exclusively in Chen Style's Er Lu but not in their Yi Lu. In other words, these sequences in Er Lu share the same root as Yi Lu. The 32 Posture also includes Single Whip, Golden Rooster Stand on One Leg, White Crane Spreads Wings, Point to the Crotch, etc... which all major Taijiquan syles have. Furthermore, Yang Style has sequence names that only exist in Chen's second form and not their first form such as: White Snake Spits Tongue and Flying Diagonal. Chen only has these in their second form. Qi Jiguang listed a lot of martial arts systems in his time and place including how Shaolin was famous for their Staff method. However, he made zero mention of Wudang. All this just goes to show that Wudang was not famous for martial arts. Most of the bare-handed Chinese martial arts that we know of today come from the Ming-Qing transition period which is 17th century. Shaolin, for instance, was not famous for its bare-handed martial arts; they were famous for their staff method. According to Meir Shahar, In Cheng Zongyou's Shaolin Staff Method (ca.1610), the staff expert has a hypothetical interlocutor who asks: Cheng explains that throughout China, empty-handed techniques are not yet widely practiced, which is precisely why Shaolin monks explore them. The Shaolin wished to develop hand combat to the same level of perfection as their ancient staff method. So, based on this old Shaolin Staff text... it was considered weird that Shaolin (at this time period) was focusing on bare-handed martial arts. Even Qi Jiguang wrote that bare-handed martial arts are not useful on the battlefield. That's because weapons existed.

Yikes -- am I ready to show photographic evidence of my health restoration? Not yet and probably never but it´s (slowly) coming along.

I first looked up what self discipline means. Google responded with AI, ... To be "self-disciplined" means you have the ability to control your own actions and impulses, allowing you to work hard and behave in a desired way without external prompting or supervision. It's the capacity to pursue long-term goals by managing your emotions and weaknesses, choosing what is right or beneficial for you even when faced with distractions, temptations, or difficult feelings. So, if I give advice or external prompting then it isn't self discipline? Is it?? One's ability to choose a path and follow it in spite of difficulties and temptations. So, it has to be a choice one makes and follows?? If I choose to stop smoking then I have to have enough discipline to stop? I quit a long time ago but still have dreams of smoking once in a while. My wife was a big motivator in quitting smoking. I do believe that the environment has an effect upon one's habits. Much like the experiment scientist did upon rats. Held in bare cages with two bottles of water. One bottle with plain water and the other laced with cocaine. The rats drank from the one laced with cocaine consistently until they died. Another scientist looked at the experiment and decided to give the rats the two bottles but also offer companionship of other rats. A place to rest and play. With the better environment, the rats stayed away from the cocaine laced water. So, my belief is that if your environment is conducive to the things you want to achieve then you will do so. If however, your environment is not then you will struggle all the way to losing yourself. My only advice is to determine your goals and seek the environment that will best suit your success. Good luck to you.

@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?

Or one might say different pokes…

Here i am.. Pillar Heavenly Stem Earthly Branch Zodiac Animal Year Yi (乙) – Yin Wood Wei (未) – Goat Wood Goat Month Geng (庚) – Yang Metal Xu (戌) – Dog Metal Dog Day Ding (丁) – Yin Fire You (酉) – Rooster Fire Rooster Hour Ren (壬) – Yang Water Zi (子) – Rat Water Rat Day Master (Self) is Ding Fire (丁) — a candle flame or starlight Any observations would be welcome. added a little more 🎯 Summary Aspect Interpretation Day Master Ding Fire — soft, wise, spiritual light Luck Cycle (68–78) Reflection, mentoring, inner power, pressure to adapt 2025 Supportive year — Fire & Wood help you thrive Best Action Teach, share, write, or pass on knowledge Watch for Burnout from overthinking or emotional drainage

In my understanding of the Krama system it seems like Sakti was the main focus and shiva was acknowledged but not central to their praxis.. They were probably the most radical of the non dual saiva Tantra sects and held some fairly progressive ideas - practice was goddess centered (Kali not shiva was the destroyer- 12 Kali process), they did not believe or support or recognize the varna social stratification system of the day ( aka caste) clearly stating so in their key texts, women held important roles and founded the sect and they included transgressive practices in their praxis. . Representative texts of the Krama include the Innate Blossoming of Awareness and the Light on the Intimations of the Chumma that both describe their yoga of direct experience . They have some pretty interesting ideas for the time (circa 900 CE) . Seem closely related to the authors of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, which is much more well known text. First guru of Krama was from same geographic area/time that produced Padmasambhava who introduced Buddhism into Tibet. They emphasized: Shakti as the pathway and also the goal. The futility of conceptual or intellectual effort to reach the Absolute. The necessity of intense, direct inner practice followed by total surrender.

There are plenty of other places to discuss politics, glad it’s avoided here.

Yes, I agree with this, there are so many forums online to discus and debate politics on. I see in the rules of this particular forum that discussion of politics is not encouraged. I understand why- it's not a political form. Interesting analogy hahaha.

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.