Taoist Texts

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Posts posted by Taoist Texts

  2. Posted

    1 hour ago, Apech said:

    Well it is said that the goal of Theravada is becoming an Arhat and the goal of Mahayana Buddhism is to become a Buddha.  And in the case of Vajrayana to become a Buddha in one life time.

    well of course. And both of Arhat and Buddha are basically the same thing which both mean the attainment of nirvana:

    Quote

    In Theravada Buddhism, the Buddha himself is first identified as an arhat

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arhat#In_Theravāda_Buddhism

    The Mahīśāsaka and the Theravada regarded arhats and buddhas as being similar to one another. The 5th century Theravadin commentator Buddhaghosa regarded arhats as having completed the path to enlightenment.[note 4] According to Bhikkhu Bodhi, the Pāli Canon portrays the Buddha declaring himself to be an arahant.[32][note 5] According to Bhikkhu Bodhi, nirvāṇa is "the ultimate goal", and one who has attained nirvana has attained arhatship:[note 6] Bhikkhu Bodhi writes, "The defining mark of an arahant is the attainment of nirvāṇa in this present life."[32]

    and nirvana is of course the buddhist paradise

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    the view of primitive Buddhism was that nirvana was a positive reality, a kind of immortal state (amrta) similar to the godly abode of svarga found in the Edicts of Ashoka.[58]

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(Buddhism)#As_a_metaphysical_reality_or_transcendent_consciousness

     

     

     

    1 hour ago, Apech said:

    As far as I know the only one of these which has an alchemical process is Vajrayana.

    alchemy is inherent in all the other schools. once we define what the alchemy is then we will see that it was there the whole time;)

    • Like 2

  3. Posted · Edited by Taoist Texts

    6 hours ago, Apech said:

    Is the creation of an immortal soul a goal of Buddhism?  

    Yes it is absolutely. What else could be the goal? Of course there are gradations like a better rebirth on earth, a rebirth on a heaven, a final rebirth in the pure land paradise (which is the final nirvana). But they all hinge on constructing a soul, which is like a boat, can fish by the shore, can cross the Atlantic.

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    If so what type of Buddhism since it is not really a monolith?

    All and every type. We (the buddhists hehe) are really closing ranks on that point;). Do you know a specific type of buddhist which has something else for an end goal?

    36 minutes ago, snowymountains said:

    the question of whether the end goal is the same between the two paths.

    cool. if so let me bask in satisfaction of having answered it above and repeating it here: yes the goal is the same.

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  8. Posted · Edited by Taoist Texts

    2 hours ago, snowymountains said:

    insight the final stage is where the meditator is able to concentrate on that which has no beginning, no duration and no end, aka Nibbana, which bears no similarities at all to an MCO process.

     .......so the question is, is the end goal

    i heard the end goal of buddhism is to escape suffering of birth, aging, illness, dying; 

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duḥkha#Early_Buddhism

    how a concentration or insight on anything prevents any of that?

    It does not. Which means that you are mistaken or do not know what is the end goal of Daoism and Buddhism. In reality, both of them have the same goal: creation of an immortal soul which is impervious to suffering.

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  9. Posted

    6 hours ago, Cobie said:

     

    Now that’s what I call a strange religion.

    oh it is par for the course.

    6 hours ago, Cobie said:

     

    Anybody care to explain the story?

    This is a simple cosmological myth whereas Horus is the god of light, sun, moon, yang and Seth is the god of storms, deserts, yin. All the mutual exchange of semen and body parts are just an interplay of energy between the yin and yang. Eventually they reconcile to rule together over Egypt. The end. 

    The two gods are often represented in the construct known as the sma-ta-wy - in which the sedge and papyrus, symbols of the reconciled gods, are entwined and knotted about the windpipe and lungs that symbolize the united Egypt.

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  11. Posted

    2 hours ago, Cobie said:

    “religio is derived from religare: re (again) + ligare (bind or connect)”

    exactly. same as yoga

    8 hours ago, Taomeow said:

    Am I to be offended or flattered? ;) 

    totally flattered because gnosticism is the most elitist and the only feminist one of all the christianities out there

    8 hours ago, silent thunder said:

    impregnating of Mary ......Mary seemed to lack the ability to give consent to the process, due to the deliverance of the Angelic message that she had 'been chosen' by god.  Was Mary allowed to say no?

    sorry to bear even more disturbing tidings. but... in that day and age all women were impregnated without their consent given that the marriage was decided by the parents 

    • Like 1

  12. Posted

    54 minutes ago, Taomeow said:

    So in order for it all to be alive, the Great Mother was bound to allow for some really bad apples among her countless children.  Some call them demiurges.  I suspect they might be the engineers responsible for our very own project...  ahem...  world

    Gnosticism;)

    • Like 1

  13. Posted

    1 hour ago, Taomeow said:

    What happened to their innate knowledge about the other guy?        

    there is no other guy, it is the same guy, and IT is not even a guy. poor mortals are killing each other over the verbiage.

    1 hour ago, Taomeow said:

    So if I were to show up and recite La Ilaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasool Allah, no one would bat an eye?  Even though it means there's no god but Allah (and Muhammad is his prophet)? 

    does not matter if they would, does not matter what it means. they are mere mortals unaware of the  complete reality (quanzhen), but still hearkening to the distant warble of their souls. lets not mistake what they say with what prompts them to say it.

    38 minutes ago, old3bob said:

    we can't go by just second hand means or what a well meaning or ill meaning fanatic in sheep's clothing might say.

    very well said there Bob!

    1 hour ago, Taomeow said:

    A powerful ancient order busying itself with political, genetic and religious engineering of planets toward their own agenda. 

    excellent. now the next step is ask yourself: who engineered the engineers?

    • Like 1

  14. Posted

    1 hour ago, Apech said:

    a religious person - I had assumed you were a hard bitten textual critic

    i am both, no conflict there;)

    2 hours ago, Apech said:

    that Christianity originated in the Middle East and from the Jewish religion ... I find there is something quite Northern European about it.

    i subscribe to a theory that Christianity is European in origin since all its tenets (as opposed to the verbiage) are European-pagan ones, nothing from Torah. the Jews just provided the technical documentation and a dealership support for that product, so to speak.

    15 minutes ago, Taomeow said:

    I seem to recall that many versions of the Christian doctrine

    of course, but a doctrine is not a reality, there are many schizo doctrines

    17 minutes ago, Taomeow said:

    Also, if these things are innate knowledge, why study them in a Sunday school?

    oh those congregations are essentially for joyfully getting in touch with the inner knowledge (same as religious liturgies), the actual verbiage they recite is unimportant

    19 minutes ago, Taomeow said:

    Perhaps because I'm a woman and didn't have the innate knowledge due to gender-specific lack of a soul?  

    nah, gender is just a social construct hehe;)

    • Like 3

  15. Posted · Edited by Taoist Texts

    1 hour ago, Apech said:

    you may have missed my point.  Other religions don't put this kind of miraculous stuff up front and in yer face the way Christianity does.  In doing so it requires of an enquirer an act of faith rather than a gradual growth of confidence which another system will allow.  And actually there are probably a great many cultural Christians who are not connected to their souls also.

    no no, i totally got your point. i just  disagree with it, what a surprise huh;)

    Quote

    Other religions don't put this kind of miraculous stuff up front and in yer face

    you are absolutely correct  in a sense that the modern euhemerized western simulacra of those religions are exactly like that.

    12 hours ago, Apech said:

    Whether or not there was a historical Buddha is actually unimportant to the dharma - as with Lao Tzu ... they do not hinge on stated historical facts in the way Christianity does.

    i see what you did there. you substituted religion with "dharma".  i am not sure what dharma is.

    but for a religious believer in buddhism=daoism the historicity and miracles are all-important. (i know because i am one of them).   For us, what is the point of a religion without a savior (who by definition is a miracle-maker)?  None, thats why there is no such religion.

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  16. Posted

    8 hours ago, Apech said:

    We have never witnessed any of these things.  So why would we believe them?

    Because all humans are born with "a soul". A soul is a part of our mind that innately knows these things. This innate  knowledge is  called "a religious belief". Humans connected to their souls are called "believers". Humans disconnected from their souls are called "atheists". Humans trying to reconnect to their souls are called 'thedaobums.com forumers".

    • Like 2

  20. Posted · Edited by Taoist Texts

    13 hours ago, tommyprotramp said:

    Couldn't find Sanskrit equivalent for Neidan.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amrita

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bindu_(symbol)

    13 hours ago, tommyprotramp said:

    Maybe it will be of help for someone.

    nice effort. however that someone will have to keep in mind that these are western terms for the western fantasies about the original. There is a word for these words  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacra_and_Simulation 

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  21. Posted

    9 minutes ago, dwai said:

    Start with the Mandukya Upanishad if you’re feeling lucky.

    I always do and i will, thank you very much

    but in the meantime do you think you can answer the question above?

    what exactly is AV?

    Examples:

    Daoism is joining Dao

    Buddhism is relinquishing desires

    Christianity is believing in Christ

    AV is..............................................?

    (please fill in the blank as to what differentiates the core AV from other teachings)

    4 minutes ago, old3bob said:

    all of the (many) Upanishads point the way,

    sorry for repeating myself. what exactly is the AV way? what do you do on that way? what do you get on that way? you guys surely must know the answer but somehow you keep ignoring the question;)

    • Like 1

  22. Posted

    29 minutes ago, stirling said:

    :) Arguing for some kind of exceptionalism for one tradition or another is just nonsense, IMHO.

    i am not quite sure what are you trying to say here Sterling-sensei: is your own tradition of Buddhism quite equal to Pastafarianism?

    3 hours ago, dwai said:

    Advaita Vedanta is the teachings contained in the Upanishads - which are part of the Vedic canon. 

    Oh i had no idea, please forgive my ignorance! But... err, what exactly is its teaching and which exact Upanishad contains it?

    • Like 1

  23. Posted

    2 hours ago, EFreethought said:

    I think you have also said good things about a couple of books by Charles Luk. Should this book be read before or after the Luk books?

    yes definetely before because it is so simple yet comprehensive

    then you can read this one of Luk which is more complicated:  The Secrets of Chinese Meditation.

    finally this one of his which is horribly complicated and badly translated, yet very valuable: Taoist Yoga, Alchemy, and Immortality.

  24. Posted

    1 hour ago, Nintendao said:

    On the Daoism side I found a number of characters portraying reversion.

    good job. Notice how every word in Daoism comes from a historical proven source, chapter and verse.  whereas '"Advaita Vedanta" language comes from nowhere;). what would that tell about "Advaita Vedanta" to a reasonable man?

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