Taoist Texts

dear Damdao you gotta be more specific here A sophist or sophister (Greek: σοφιστής, Latin: sophistes) was a specific kind of teacher in both Ancient Greece and in the Roman Empire. Many sophists specialized in using the tools of philosophy and rhetoric, though other sophists taught subjects such as music, athletics, and mathematics. In general, they claimed to teach arete ("excellence" or "virtue," applied to various subject areas), predominantly to young statesmen and nobility. For example, a charioteer, a sculptor or a warrior could be described as sophoi in their occupations. Gradually, however, the word also came to denote general wisdom and especially wisdom about human affairs (for example, in politics, ethics, or household management). This was the meaning ascribed to the Greek Seven Sages of 7th and 6th century BC (like Solon and Thales), and it was the meaning that appeared in the histories of Herodotus. Richard Martin refers to the seven sages as "performers of political poetry."[2] From the word σοφός (sophos) is derived the verb σοφίζω (sophizo), which means "to instruct or make learned," but which in the passive voice means "to become or be wise," or "to be clever or skilled in a thing." The word "sophist" could also be combined with other Greek words to form compounds. Examples include meteorosophist, which roughly translates to "expert in celestial phenomena"; gymnosophist (or "naked sophist," a word used to refer to a sect of Indian philosophers, the Gymnosophists), deipnosophist or "dinner sophist" (as in the title of Athenaeus's Deipnosophistae), and iatrosophist, a type of physician in the later Roman period. So what kind of sophist? I dont teach music. The rest i can teach;)

Hmm it seems you dont know where it comes from and from what historical context. Thats all right not many people know these things;) And no, its not a classic sentence. It dates from Tang dynasty long after the origination of Taoism as we know it. It first occured in the text 《道教义枢》 written in the rule of Empress Wu (Wuhou) 武后 proclaiming Zhou Dynasty 周 in 690 (regent 684-690, ruler 690-704) n by a certain 孟安排. Do you know what kind of scriptures he specifically alluded to? Or may be it does not matter?

maybe. quite a while ago. no. i am one of a kind. of course. my students get results. thats all i need.

really? says who?

these two are the best for beginners The Way of the Golden Elixir An Introduction to Taoist AlchemyFabrizio Pregadio "Occasional Papers" Series, No. 3 Second edition, revised and expanded 72 pp. Golden Elixir Press, 2014 PDF, free download and Foundations of Internal Alchemy The Taoist Practice of NeidanWang Mu Edited and translated by Fabrizio Pregadio Originally written for Chinese readers, this renowned book provides a clear description of the Taoist practice of Internal Alchemy, or Neidan. The author outlines the stages of the practice and clarifies several relevant terms and notions, including Essence, Breath, and Spirit; the Cinnabar Fields; the "Fire Phases"; and the Embryo. The book is based on the system of theWuzhen pian (Awakening to Reality), one of the main sources of Internal Alchemy, and contains about two hundred quotations from original Taoist texts.

Xuanming;) I am a true live teacher.

吾勸真心學道者，速將猜議關口打通，把生平自負才能伎倆除去，尋求真師，開明奧義。萬不可以自己假聰明，妄議猜量，自哄自也。否則，不證於人，只求於己。不是在外搜尋，便是身內做作。妄想修道，難矣！ I kindly advise the truehearted students of Dao - urgently break through the gate of speculation and guesswork, reject commonplace boastful talents and machinations, seek and visit a true teacher who will clearly explain the secrets. It is absolutely not allowed to use own false cleverness, enter into wild arguments and guesswork, and to fool yourself. If not so, if there is no confirmations by others, you will find only yourself. If you don’t look outside, then it will only remain for you to pretend that you have something inside.

I like secrets!

may be u dont need them;) you have your practice so why seek something else? Because for something else you may have to start from the scratch.

Well our good friend Walker apparently disapproves of google translate so he warns you in Chinese that it may lead you down the wrong path 走弯路 - 走弯路 to take an indirect route 以上来源于: Dict.cn [ 展开《新汉英大辞典》 ] 走弯路 [zǒu wān lù] take a wrong path; follow a zigzag course; travel a . Why in chinese? because he can, thats why. Further along is his signature 道在苦修妙在傳 須拜明師點玄關 taken from a rather lengthy poem by this portly gentleman on the left 道在苦修妙在传，须拜明师点玄关， Practicing Dao is in bitter austerities, obtaining its magic is from the transmission, You must bow to an enlightened teacher for a hint of the Dark Gates. My guess is that Walker finds this stanza inspiring for some reason. Moving on, our good friend Xuanming, not to be outdone, quotes this first two lines is a proverb 师父领进门， 修行在个人[shī fu lǐng jìn mén xiū xíng zài gè rén] The master teaches the trade, but the perfection of the apprentice's skill depends on his own efforts.； The last two 道在苦修与妙悟 Obtaining Dao is in bitter training and marvelous realization, 莫入迷津走弯路 (if so) you will not enter the Ford of Confusion, and roundabout pathways. and? whats that all about?

Thats amazing, I am awed and touched. Whatever you are doing is so much more beautiful than the worrysome mundane existence of the commoners.

Apparently none. What does Ms Gonet says on this?

Yes it is correct with one IMHO difference: it is a very precise verbiage. May be an inpatient reader may feel it to be general or vague because he or she did not take time to find out the precise definition of each word. may be in his method it is not required who knows? well, some of them do offer that: 6. Signs of Verification of Turning Around the Light Those are very good questions. IMHO they will not be answered publicly and outside of teacher-student framework.

Once Nasreddin was invited to deliver a sermon. When he got on the pulpit, he asked, Do you know what I am going to say? The audience replied "no", so he announced, I have no desire to speak to people who don't even know what I will be talking about! and left. The people felt embarrassed and called him back again the next day. This time, when he asked the same question, the people replied yes. So Nasreddin said, Well, since you already know what I am going to say, I won't waste any more of your time! and left. Now the people were really perplexed. They decided to try one more time and once again invited Nasreddin to speak the following week. Once again he asked the same question – Do you know what I am going to say? Now the people were prepared and so half of them answered "yes" while the other half replied "no". So Nasreddin said Let the half who know what I am going to say, tell it to the half who don't, and left.[21]

Well luckily the symbolism of the hexgs in the poem has been explained already by the author of the poem. This poem is a part of this text The Secret of the Golden Flower (Chinese: 太乙金華宗旨; pinyin: Tàiyǐ Jīnhuá Zōngzhǐ) is a Chinese Taoist classic about neidan (inner alchemy) meditation. with a passage following the poem, that kinda-sorta tells what the poem should mean. Somebody at this link tried to translate it adding the hexgs to the text for clarity;) 1. Master Lu-tsu said: Taoist immortals have left behind a secret spell for freedom. Through four (Chinese) characters the spirit crystallizes in the original cavity. In the sixth month white snow is suddenly seen to fly. At the third watch the sun’s disk is radiant. In water blows the wind of Xun (Wind) ☴. Traveling in Heaven, one returns to Earth and absorbs the virtue of Kun (Earth)☷. And the still deeper secret of the secret: The land that is nowhere, that is the true home. 2. The poem above expresses all the mysteries. The essence of the Great Way are the words action through non-action . Only non-action prevents a man from becoming entangled in forms and images. Only action through non-action prevents a man from sinking into indifferent emptiness and dead nothingness. The work of action through non-action is just focusing around the center; the essential mechanism of action through non-action is in the two eyes. The two eyes are like the handle of the big dipper, which manages creation and operates yin and yang. 3. From beginning to end, the great medicine depends on one thing: the metal in the midst of the water, that is, the lead in the water-region. Before, we spoke of the turning the light around, indicating thereby the initial mechanism to control the inside from outside. This is to aid one in obtaining the Master. It is for pupils in the beginning stages. They go through the two lower transitions in order to gain the upper one. Now as things gradually become clear and one becomes familiar with the mechanism, Heaven no longer withholds the Way, but reveals the ultimate truth. Disciples, cherish it, cherish it. More effort, more effort!

The author makes two hexagram allusions first the wind is characterized as 巽 57. Sun / The Gentle (The Penetrating, Wind) then the bounty is attributed to 坤 64 A gentle (SUN) breeze will blow, from within the sea, Coming down from Heavens, an edible (KUN) bounty.

Mainly the dictionary. Xue 穴 (1) A cave, cavern, grotto: 洞穴 a cave; 孔穴，穴隙 a hole (in wall, ground); 穴居，穴處 live in caves. (2) A den: 巢穴 robbers' den; 鼠穴 a rat hole. (3) A grave: 墓穴. (4) Certain parts of human body containing vital arteries, such as armpit: 穴道，點穴 vital points recognized in karate and acupuncture. Is specifically an inhabitable hole. There is somebody inside and as you can see, that somebody hides there (thieves, rats etc) hence the lair.

Hey. Its not that bad but not great either. It probably manages to transmit the general feel of the original for the general reader, but it is inadequate for a practitioner's needs. Actually me too. That said - he is not an expert on the specific subject matter. Translating would be my pleasuer. (for best results should rapped to the Fresh Prince of Bel-air theme song) This is a secret to travelling free Sent down from high by the Jade Purity. Qi. Lair. Spirit. and Congeal. Four characters only, this to see and feel: In the hot summer a snowfall thick and white,- Red sun at midnight shiny, red and bright. A gentle breeze will blow, from within the sea,- Coming down from Heavens, an edible bounty. One important phrase which must be asserted ‘There is a darkness in mystery inserted’. Who will be able that darkness find, Will everywhere in The True reside.

Hi. Would be great if you share!

sure;) ...come one come all. every color that is with a shade of green.

Hello;) Sure! This morning i have a train to catch, so will get back to you guys the day after. Have fun meanwhiles

I am probably living in some alternative universe from these two guys, the taobum.com being the astral portal that joins the two worlds.

I would venture to say its not just reading the right books, it is also accepting what they say. As to your very impressive (as Xuanming very correctly noticed) spontaneous movements, a locus classicus is here : http://wenshuchan-online.weebly.com/uploads/9/4/8/2/9482304/the-secrets-of-chinese-meditation-self-cultivation-by-mind-cont-1.pdf pages 205-208 of pdf (195-198 numbered).

its gonna be blunt poetry this time;)) no i dont know him, its just a video from which it can be learned a thing or two. You see i dont believe in live teachers. This gentlemen posessess a secret to his art that took him his whole life to obtain. Why would he teach it to me? There is no possible reason to do so. Long time ago i attended some classes just to make suer i am not missing on anything a teacher can give me. It turned out i did not. Not really. The secret to it is so counterintuitive and the form is so useless in the short-term that there is no demand, which is just as well. sorry;)

my vote goes to Ursula Ursula: When you gender the philosopher and when you talk only about Kings and Sages – though technically that word is non-gender – I do believe that most readers immediately see an ancient person with a beard. A bit like God. And sine I had taken this book to my heart as a teenage girl, it obviously is a book that speaks to women. Lao Tzu feminized mysteries in a different way from anybody else. These are not “feminine mysteries,” but he makes mystery itself a woman. This is profound, this goes deep. And the most mystical passages in the book are the most feminine. This is something women need, I think, and long for, often without knowing it. That’s undoubtedly one reason why all my life I’ve found the Tao de Ching so refreshing and empowering. Brenda: Several times when reading your rendition I felt so moved by the feminine beauty of your Tao. For example, you interpret Number 61 “Lying Low” as “The polity of greatness/runs downhill like a river to the sea, joining with everything/woman to everything.” This is such a startling definition of greatness. And your vision of Lao Tzu’s ideas of power defies the traditionally masculine definition which is usually about status, conquest, or hierarchy. But your interpretation is “Power is goodness…Power is trust.” Ursula: You know, the words really come out that way. That’s one of the less obscure passages. It’s almost shocking. Sometimes, of course, Lao Tzu really is talking about a person in power, a ruler, and I play that down because I didn’t figure a whole lot of rulers would be reading it. On the other hand, people in positions of responsibility, such as mothers, might be. And if you want to read the manual for rulers, there is the magnificent Arthur Waley translation that is never going to be equaled for what it does. Brenda: Yes, a real classic. Give that one to Hillary Clinton, the rest of us will read yours. Another thing that came through very strongly in this rendition, was the humor, your humor, Lao Tzu’s humor, a philosophy of nature and humor. I laughed out loud when I read your note on Number 53 “Insight”: “people wearing ornaments and fancy clothes,/carrying weapons,/drinking a lot and eating a lot,/having a lot of things, a lot of money: shameless thieves.” And your comment was “So much for capitalism.” Ursula: You know, in general, Lao Tzu seems to be pretty cagey, and a line can mean five or six different things, and then he just comes straight-out and says something, bang! Like that. It took me a bit by surprise.