Rickie

2 hours ago, Lost in Translation said:

PERFECT CHOICE

 

Imagine a twisting, winding river. Some bends are sharp, others wide. There are rapids, calm pools, and eddies.

 

Ships travel down this river. Some race, others meander. Sometimes ships turn wide and get caught up in snags below the surface. Other times they turn narrow and bump the sand bars, or get stuck in the mud. Traveling the river is not easy.

 

There is one ship that never gets caught. This ship turns perfectly, at times going fast, at other times going slow. It navigates with exact knowledge  of the river, its safety and its danger.

 

This ship travels using perfect choice. It always makes the correct decision, at the correct time, for the exact situation at hand.

 

But does this ship actually choose? If it were to make any other choice than what it already makes then that choice would not be perfect. Thus is perfect choice actually a choice at all?
 

Always about choice and perfect.  Yes we have and yes we are.

You mean the crew chooses based on their experience?  Does their experience mean the know better than to challenge the flow?

Have they chosen Tao?  

On ‎4‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 12:10 AM, Mig said:

A fish? really, what do we know a fish make rational choices to live in or out of the water, we human have the mental capacity to pretend making choices based on the conditions that are presented to us, some stay some leave a situation, fish or other animal live to survive and I guess have no choice. Why humanize animals?

I think you're missing my point?  You, me everyone are the fish.  

On ‎4‎/‎20‎/‎2018 at 12:13 AM, Mig said:

What is simple approach to life? What's simple? In the world we live in I have hard time to say to live simply, we live in societies and ain't nothing simple wherever I have lived in the Far East, Europe and Americas.

It's how you approach life.  You can get caught up in the buzz or stand firm.  Simple doesn't mean easy but it can be with practice.

Then maybe you would like the approach of the Hellenistic sceptics"

I'll read about it but I'm feeling good where I am now

Also  I am neither objective or subjective.  Actually I am both.  I don't think I can be any other  way.  Labels and definitions are limiting BUT if I were to chose a label it would be mostly but not limited to intuitive.

1 hour ago, Marblehead said:

Rickie is hitting on the bare bones of it.  Although I prefer "we are aspects of Tao" rather than "we are Tao" but that's petty.

 

But if Rickie gets too close to suggesting that we have no choice, no free will, then that would be different.

 

And it is true, because of our learnings and experiences we generally have little choice as to how we will react to any given situation.

 

 

I can't say for sure if the fish in water has free will but I believe I have control of my destiny, up to a point.  If I look from the perspective of the universe my choices (actions) are inconsequential but hell I may never know if I'm right or wrong so I don't  really care so long as I believe.....

30 minutes ago, wandelaar said:

It's a trick of words. If everything one could possibly do was "following Tao" then 'Taoism' would become a hollow and meaningless term. Lao tse and Chuang tse could then just as well have kept their mouth shut. The trick works because there are (at least) two meaning to "following Tao". There is the metaphysical meaning where absolutely everything is a manifestation of Tao. And in this sense everything that happens (including our own choices) is "following Tao". But "following Tao" also has the meaning of following the way of life (the Tao) as promoted by Lao tse, Chuang tse etc. And in this last meaning it is surely possible  to not "follow Tao", because there actually are lots of people who don't follow the Tao (way) promoted by Lao tse, Chuang tse etc. So the whole reasoning on the supposed impossibility of not following the way of a Taoist falls apart, because it is built on illegally mixing up the two meanings of "following Tao". 

No offence but I believe you're overthinking this a bit but hey I'm just a simple guy trying to live a simple life.  :-)

The lion eats the antelope to sustain itself.  The whole circle of life thing.  The lion will chase off threats and if that doesn't work it kills. The lion doesn't kill just for fun and entertainment.  You are in a sense protecting your space  If you go on a rampage killing every ant you see then I'd worried.  

Having said that I try to avoid stepping on ants and other little critters, when I walk.  :-)

9 minutes ago, Lost in Translation said:

 

I disagree when you say "You are Tao."

 

I manifest from Tao. Tao nourishes me. Yes, I can say those things, but I am Tao? That does not feel right.

 

I welcome your clarification on the matter.

disagreeing is Tao :-) 

I suppose a fish could choose not to live in water.  A fish really doesn't have a choice.  

5 minutes ago, Lost in Translation said:

 

Thank you! Maybe I should rephrase: Why choose to follow Tao?

  You are Tao.  You have no choice.  Everything you do or don't do is Tao.  Relax be happy.  Live a good life.  

6 hours ago, Boundlesscostfairy said:

Is it politically incorrect to say that I feel homosexuals when I see or hear about them that I feel my straight sexuality is being betrayed?

Yes it is incorrect. Get over it.  It's not about you.  Live and let live.

On ‎4‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 9:28 PM, Lost in Translation said:

 

So why follow Tao?

You ask as if there is a choice.  Whether you recognize it or not you are following Tao.

On 3/9/2018 at 1:46 PM, Limahong said:

 

Hi Rickie,

 

When it comes to yoga, this question is asked at the commencement of this thread -

 

 

Where I am coming from is not focused on yoga per se but this from you -

 

 

I am on the same page when it comes to the limitation of words and the personal rootedness of intuition on roads less travelled.

 

Deemed thus - each road less travelled is mapped in relation 'to each his/her own' -

 

 

 

I am impressed by your brevity - the soul of wit.

 

And your apparent experiential perspectives, perceptions, paradigms...

 

Thank you for you being you.

 

- LimA

Too many words can make things complicated and difficult to understand.  A few words can help one think and find their own understanding.

15 hours ago, Boundlesscostfairy said:

I came to this realization last night.. that not only is the Tao Te Ching a script of poetry.. but also that it describes precisely what poetry is..how to create it and how to disband away from things and that what the way is, IS Poetry!

Poetry or not does it change it's value?  Other than an interesting discussion, that may or may not have value does it matter?

1 hour ago, Limahong said:

 

Hi Rickie,

 

 

So is everything - yoga? No?

 

- LimA

I honestly don't know what you mean by yoga?  My thought...yoga is something but not everything.  Now if you attaching a Tao value (if that is possible) to it then I'd say the "word" yoga is everything just as the "word" Tao is everything.    But without us attaching some kind of inexplicable value to the words then they are nothing.  Of course where you are sitting and the direction your looking in you may see things differently.

32 minutes ago, Limahong said:

 

Hi Rickie,

 

X =  ?

 

Yang = everything?

 

Yin = nothing?

 

Yes/no?

 

- LimA

I really have to say yes & no.  To say either exclusively would be attempting to define the undefinable, beside saying yes & no "FEELS" right and when words don't work well enough I go by feel and intuition.  :-) 

Food is like a big family to me...that I visit too often. :-)

On 3/7/2018 at 5:48 AM, Limahong said:

 

Hi Rickie,

 

So "it's" = all everything = what?

'It' = yoga? Or 'It' =X?

What can X be?

 

Anybody?

 

- LimA

X is everything or nothing.  I favor everything but when that doesn't work I default to nothing.  Nothing then works for me until it doesn't.  I try not to get too hung up on everything and nothing helps with that. 

22 hours ago, Limahong said:

 

Hi Rickie,

 

Everything includes nothing, something and anything - oh so many things.

 

What else? = I don't know.

 

I am serious.

 

- LimA

Nothing is something, don't knowing is knowing.and it's all everything. -oh so many things I don't need to know.  :-)

There are things I know are going to happen.  Some things I'm pretty sure will happen.  Some things will be surprises.  And there is a whole lot of stuff I don't nor will never know.  I have influence over some and none over most.  Does that mean my destiny is determined?  I may never know but I'll live like I have control of my destiny and will deal with anything that comes at me the best I can.  I couldn't live my life thinking I had no control of my destiny.  I may be a fool but it works for me. :-)

Likes and dislikes will last forever if you hang on to them that long.

Where does the hyena come into this?   Their scavengers. 

I agree, food can mess up your energy system, especially if you eat too much ( my opinion the number one error) or too much of one thing. (the number two error), that stimulates your taste buds.

I think you can eat pretty much what you want just eat moderately. 

11 hours ago, Boundlesscostfairy said:

Everything is yoga..?

Well, my first thought is if you define/name yoga as everything you've just limited everything and I don't think you can do that.  Well you can but what good is that and does it make a difference?   Everything is more than yoga and yoga is in everything.  My second thought is, it doesn't matter.  Everything is everything.  Everything else is everything.   Everything is more than we can know or imagine.  So, it's nice to think about but does it mean anything to everything?  We are so small in everything.

"ambivalent relationship with self-identification and describing the world-at-large"

and I am not understanding you,  What do you mean? 

I try not to be "too" ridged in my thinking.  I try not to have absolutes that may limit my understanding stuff.  Stuff is a deliberate vague and broad word.  Everything we have and everything that exists is just stuff. 

On ‎1‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 3:25 PM, Sulo Eno said:

Ha ha...

Isn't this something you would know about yourself? Is it how you would label yourself anyway?

I don't want to take the label too seriously.  I know lots just never enough.