TheSongsofDistantEarth

Vajra, could you respond to some of the points I made in the above post? Can you hear anyone else? .

Dude, you're goofy! you've just proved my point. .

That's not the point he is trying to make. Any threads the hard core Buddhists invade suddenly become an exposition of esoteric Buddhist philosophy, often to the exclusion of other points of view. Vajra is very very smart (but not yet wise, at least as he shows on the internet forums) and knows a lot about Buddhism and Hinduism, but he apparently doesn't know what he doesn't know and therein lies much of his dogmatism. (I'm not sure where you are, Mikaelz, because you reveal less in your posts, but you seem to come off as a kind of Robin to Vajra''s Batman---not bad). But!...neither of you is Superman (that might be Sean, apparently a Nietzchean among other things). Wisdom in spirituality (which I do not lay claim to), lies not in swallowing doctrine whole, but in absorbing something deeply and then making it one's own...seeing the interrelationships and spaces between things. Not in dissing whole schools of thought as somehow inferior as ultimate spiritual paths. What, in your minds, is the reason so many here resist your positions? Is it because we're closed-minded fools, or is it because the messengers, while being very very smart and having lots of spiritual life experiences, are going about the delivery of the message in the wrong way? Vaj and Miklz often retort, "you don't know anything about...x " or "you don't know what your [sic] talking about" ...well, that's pretty offensive. How do you guys make those assumptions? You wonder why others oppose you when you show so little skill? You act so superior and cock-sure confident in your knowledge, that you steam-roller others. Gee, how am I supposed to feel about my spiritual path now that you've 'proven' to me it's inferiority? I tried pointing some of these things out to you, then gently chiding you, then yes, resorted to some sarcasm, but you seem to be so dense on this forum. On this forum, maybe or maybe not in your regular life, if you have much of one away from your computers. You just tell me, and others how "sad" we are for using humor and sarcasm to challenge you...but you guys seem almost militantly dense! You insult whole schools of thought, teachers, spiritual ways as being "lesser", saying that this is the way things are, rather than, 'the buddha taught y, and that's how I see it'. Again, offensive. You offend other's spiritual paths in your zeal to make your points. I brought up the sketchy pasts of several of V's yoga gurus to see how he would react. His defense: "well, if you believe a bunch (actually a whole bunch) of internet gossip!" --even though many of these charges of impropriety, sexual and otherwise, existed long before the internet, such as in New Yorker magazine exposes. Sounds like a brainwashed ex-member of the converted...an answer that would have impressed me would have been more like this: "I don't know if those things are true, I don't think they are, but even if they were, the teachings of Siddha Yoga are still a valid and true spiritual way"... hmm, I'd buy that... it's not.............dogmatic. Hey, I'm very open to learning more about Buddhism... but you guys are poster children of blind believerism, bringing out the resistence in others... Lots of words and abstruse concepts, but little appealing clarity. You've set up grudge matches, which are getting dull. There's a number of us here who are discontent with your attitudes, why not look at yourselves to see what you're not doing right? C'mon...if you're so smart, win us over! But be open and respectful to other ways... just because you kinda tried on Taoism and it didn't fit, doesn't mean your current way is THE way... that's the way fundamentalists think... Vajra often scolds others: "clean your mirror"...hello? . .

Yes, of course. When one wears 'Buddhist glasses" then everything looks like... um, I'm not sure exactly. Is it not ironic that when you were a member of a Buddhist forum you were a "dogmatic" Hindu (as per Mikaelz, not my words), and now that you are a member of a generally Taoist forum, you are a dogmatic Buddhist? .

Sorry, but not exactly true. Oh, come on, let it be pointed out that you are the one who introduces Buddhism into many threads...Buddhism "comes up" because you bring it up...for example the recent thread on 'Who is the Lord in The Tao Te Ching?' among others...which is part of the reason that there is now discussion/polls about the buddhists taking over ... maybe you can acknowledge something instead of ignoring or defending? .

Maybe some are getting this in their 'driver's ed' classes, I don't know. But sit your teen down to watch this... 8I54mlK0kVw

Very moving sand animation performance art... it depicts the Nazi German invasion and occupation of Ukraine in WWII... I challenge you not to tear up... 518XP8prwZo&feature=fvw

nice, apepch7... too many syllables in 'farh'nheit 451', but here goes, anyway... farh'nheit 451 tall skinny non-fat latte I sense a lawsuit

I guess that means 'no' on the $50? But what about my other questions? Why do you diss me, sister? .

Yes! You have nailed me! But, oops, too late... I have already keel the Buddha on the road, and in doing so, I have attained Satori! I now have clue what it truly means! Thank you for the opportunity to progress on Buddha's Royal Road to Enlightenment! I am now Buddhist, like you my brother! P.S. Can I borrow $50? Bonus Question: Is the Self the source of consciousness? What happens to the Self during deep anesthesia? What happens to Self during severe Alzheimer's? Where does it reside? .

Oooh, you don't know what you just asked for... wait til Vajra gets back...put on your wading boots.... .

Lighten up, Buck-o. We got the message: Buddhism (Vajrayana only) rocks! Did Vajrahridaya ever consider himself wrong? The Buddha is an asshole. Who gives a flying fig what he said? If I meet him on the road, I keel heem! G'day!

Burn the Infidel! We burn the burning, bumfux! Burn the Burning Man!

Ah! Lovingkindness! .

'Drop dead?' 'Loser?' Sheesh! While my guitar gently weeps: Stairway to heaven...

More and more, the news contains incidents of police using their Taser guns at the least sign of resistance or questioning their authority. Now cops have a really, really hard job, but part of being a good police officer lies in being a good intuitive street psychologist. Being able to calm someone down (no, not those tweaked out of their minds on drugs), but ordinary citizens. Recent incidents like these are disturbing, to say the least. You can almost expect these thugs to Taser first, and talk to you later...maybe. There are also incidents where people die after being Tasered. What do you think? Justified, or just brutal and bad police work? rKcf20TBgqw VPRrHYn3TiU EmByfTKKUV4

I mean, tasering a mother getting out of her SUV with her kids watching? Cop couldn't just tell her to get back in the car? I'm talking about incidences where there is no real threat, it's just a matter of routine to Taser anyone who may be questioning an officer? I work alongside police in an ER, and oftentimes see how situations get way escalated when security/law enforcement come in with heavy hand, when often a sympathetic ear will de-escalate a situation, not fucking chemical/physical restraints. Like I said, it can be deadly. .

symbol on my tongue I got lead in my pencil jot down her number

The Secret Smile has to do with gaining some aspect of control over emotions like ANGER or joy, which, are of course psychological states. If you are beyond your emotions, and I would hazard to guess exactly none of the members here are, then feel free to work toward your enlightenment. Evidence of strong emotion indicates that there is still the need to work with emotion and psychological states. If you're really angry, I'd say that you're not yet close to 'enlightenment, whatever that is. I actually prefer to consider that I am working toward Awakening. It sounds less like ego desiring to be 'special'. .

My general rule is to spare all insects and animals in every way I can, whenever I can. It's not that hard to catch most any insect under a glass and let her go outside. The rules are different when they are in my space. Or if they spread disease like mosquitoes and West Nile Virus, or if they have come to take my blood, like "kissing bugs" found in beds in the desert southwest...these souls I despatch to their next, hopefully higher, incarnation.I have found 5 scorpions in my house over the past 2 months. Guess what? The exterminator (albeit a "Green" one) is coming. Black Widows also get despatched. I have harmless Wolf spiders that have lived in my house for years with no problems, though. But they will probably be 'collateral damage' from the exterminator. The bees in your apartment have unfortunately invaded an inappropriate space. To keep them there is neither realistic nor sustainable. Perhaps calling a beekeeper would have had a more favorable outcome, I don't know. But you can't just turn over your living space to Nature because some bees took over. If bees were actually on the brink of bee-coming extinct, it might have bee-n a different story. But then you would have had scientists and beekeepers there to help you out. Your sensitivity to the bee's plight is admirable, though. As my friend Marblehead says, "Bee Well!" .

From my view, the super-posting Buddhists who landed here a few months ago are not the least bit interested in learning anything good and useful about Taoism, but instead are using the taobums as a platform to preach their limited Buddhist views. Their debates are one-sided and mostly obtuse and poorly argued. What happened to e-sangha? The problem is most are already like them--no one to preach to. Here they get a mostly passive audience. The poll in this thread indicates that most of us find this buddhist barrage very irritating. .

Enough with the Buddhism already!!!! This thread is on The Tao Te Ching!!!! .

Yeah! What he said!...um...what? .Dude, uh, Sir, with all due respect, if you are intent on an a future scholastic 'carrier' [sic], the above referenced sentence will not get you far. Besides, I thought you said in another post that you thought academic degrees were worthless, or something like that? And now academia? Which is it?

Right! I'm, glad you find my threads fun! (unless you're being sarcastic). I'll keep the clever riposte coming! .