el_tortugo

TURTLE BOXING About an hour, See Main VCD page for prices, CHINESE ONLY A Bie is actually a "soft shelled turtle." This form starts right from the get go with the image of the turtle swimming and breaking the surface of the waters. Flipper techniques no less, some unusual ground fighting, some actions of the turtle on its back. Turtle boxing is indeed a traditional technique but has never been common. A charming and definitely different performance.

Upon being shown the Great Wall of China, Nixon said, "This is, indeed, a great wall." This is a Great Wall and only a great people with a great past could have a great wall and such a great people with such a great wall will surely have a great future. --Richard M.Nixon

No, not spoon-bending or horoscopy, not the Golden Dawn or make-believe shamanism, astral projection or the Satanic Mass--if it's mumbo jumbo you want go for the real stuff, banking, politics, social science--not that weak blavatskian crap. -Hakim Bey

Maybe the orbs are the pearl of immortality that they are often want to be seen holding.

Seems like different parts for different purposes. Somthing interesting is to see how the axis ties the huiyin with baihui and the different ways the axis can be used to give directionality to your movement.... or just goofing around to feel how and whats going on. Dantien wise..... what do you folks call empty breathing..... where you breath circulating the tissues and what not in the lower dantien to varying degrees? This breathing certainly turns on different parts of the dantien. What I really like about taoism and nei dan is that it is endless and at each level I am stunned at the possibilities and what is to come.

I have noticed something along these lines for me as well. I don't think it is lacking in Taoism..... just that it is presented or in a form that I can't use or get anthing from. I also don't care for hinduism as far as bhakti goes. For me the different Buddhisms are doing it for me. It seems, in america at least, to have a view point on things that I can agree with and that I find easy to dive into and get things going.

....and may your resolutions and intentions be realized.

I was wondering what it was about Cleary that people don't like. I have heard others say they don't care for his stuff but I never asked why. Edit..... to answer my own question........ Cleary, Thomas - Cleary is the most prolific translator of Taoist materials into English, and thus deserves some credit for his efforts. But Cleary is not a translator as much as he is an interpreter of Taoist texts. He often substitutes his own understanding of an author's intent for the actual text. Because of this, and because he commonly refuses to provide any notes to this work (as is common in academic translations), academia has great disdain for his work. and this from amazon...but I would still appreciate hearing what people here think.... From Library Journal It sometimes seems that Cleary translates esoteric texts from several different non-Western languages at a faster rate than many of us can read them in English. For more than 20 years, Cleary, who has a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Literature from Harvard, has worked independently, translating 50-plus Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist, and Islamic texts. These two volumes are the first of four projected volumes of Taoist classics and introduce a larger series of Cleary's collected translations. If these indicate what is to come, the remainder of the series should be eagerly awaited. Because he is unaffiliated with any academic institution, Cleary's accuracy has been questioned from time to time, and he has been faulted for not including the footnotes and textual apparatus that usually accompany such works. For most readers, though, having these texts available in consistent versions and with enough explanatory material to place them in context far outweighs any deficiencies scholars might find. Of the two volumes here, the first presents more obscure texts and gives a much fuller picture of the scope and nature of Taoism and its relation to Confucianism and Buddhism in Chinese thought. Libraries unwilling to commit to the series might reasonably choose it as a single acquisition, but for the price, any library would benefit from having both volumes. Highly recommended for academic libraries and appropriate public library collections. -Mark Woodhouse, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Anyone have info or links about opening the 4,000 acupressure points?

In that case, how about Grand Heavenly Cycle? Anyone have any experiences of that thing firing up?

Pai Wen P'ien

If you drop a pebble in a pond how can the last wave push the first?

Ahhhh ...nice. I don't necisarily have an answer but thats close to what I was thinking. Other Ideas have to do with the holographic theory(s) and the first wave being the last wave and vica versa.... which isn't far from the trampoline.

I for the life of me can't se how its not Taoist Yoga. We do all this stuff at me school. Which for me is a relief of sorts as it shows it is becoming available onna large scale.... but in a way kind of sad because its only part of the picture.... but its a damn good start if thats all you have available. I like it very much too.... but I don't do it because Im already doing it with a live teacher and inna taoist context..... I do enjoy the Prasara Flows though.... remindsmme of a yoga school I went to in Santa Cruz called Tri Yoga they grouped the asanas into flows... but not as cool as Scotts. I saw some clips on the CST page of Scott running around a skate park doing Ukemi (rolling out of throws) over obstacles. Now that looked like fun. Made me long for me Aikido days of throwing and being thrown.... never thought of throwing myself.... good idea.

it does..... in a microcosmic sort of way.

the sacrum/pelvis have an interesting joint. try sacral breathing as opposed to abdominal. sacrum helps open ming men.

element postures. how would you describe how to do/assume metal posture?

I just wrote those sombitches on the rims of my truck and now I'm all set.

What Books, PDFs or Programs have you who have learned or are learning Chinese found helpful, useful and good?

Seeing how taoism evolved out of the old shamanism, what do you suppose one could traditionaly be invoking while doing the various Tai Chi Chuans of the different families as well as the other animal forms and qigong forms/exercises. From doing the classical yang for a while I get the feeling I am invoking elements rather than any animals..... and perhaps the entire universe and maybe beyond, which is hard to try and grasp. Does anyone do anything that seems to have something that wants in when you do it? any animal forms? I had a small revelation while reading about my double/energy body and how it can be in different shapes... all of a sudden I got the notion to invoke the bear and have that shape till I start feeling more myself...... if people sense bear they leave you alone..... and bears seem pretty kick back..... Just some recent ruminations. oooo and look, I even put a bear like human as my avatr....... see how this vebe started a bit back?

Oh yeah!!!! the elements have corresponding animals:) thanks for the reminder!!!! man ....so simple yet intricate! about the tails..... what is it called in qigong when you work on this and do you learn to wag/ wiggle your tale?

One day after I had just got done burying a nice big crap out in the woods I stumbled over somethig that I thought was a rock. A closer inspection revealed it to be the Tao.... Life has never been the same since.

As I understand, this is very connected to opening ming men..... also the beginings of connecting your body in internal martial arts. Its a blast.... I have found to my great pleasure that the rabbit hole keeps going.