Fa Xin

I definitely see this. The book arrived today and I started reading the stories... It is a dense read for sure. I find myself reading a paragraph 3 times before it finally sinks in. "There is a fish named Vast, he is 7,000 miles wide" ... Much different than the DDJ I'm enjoying it so far though. This will be a deep study.

Hello, Decorator75, and welcome. Your membership is approved and we're happy you found your way to us. We look forward to accompanying you on some of the way that you still have to go. Please take the time to read the post pinned at the top of this Welcome page and take a look at the forum Terms and Rules. This covers all you need to know when getting started. For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Also, until you’ve posted fifteen times in the forums, you’ll be a “Junior Bum” with somewhat restricted access and will be allowed only two private messages per day. Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you, Fa Xin and the TDB team Welcome Decorator, Good to hear you are recovering from your troubles. It seems you have come to the right place. I would suggest start by reading the Dao de Jing, and check out some of the discussions here. I’m sure there will be some more folks along soon. Enjoy! You are welcome to jump right in to the ongoing discussions, revive an older thread, start a new thread of your own, or start a discussion in the "Newcomer Corner" sub-forum to expand on your introduction or ask general questions to help you get started. May you enjoy your time here. Fa Xin

Thanks Olddog. I probably should’ve asked which is the best translation, but I ordered one by “Martin Palmer”. Oh well, it will be good to compare them later. It does seem like ZZ should be attempted after some basic understanding of LT happens. Very good point about word density. I’m looking forward to the stories... the book should arrive tomorrow.

I've always been a Lao Tzu guy, but today I ordered a book by Chuang Tzu. I've actually never really dived into ZZ. Looking forward to reading it and keeping MH in mind while I do

Interesting view. I guess the question then would be - Would ones will differ from that of nature’s? Would one feel the need to change anything?

I wouldn’t say Daoism has any particular goal in mind - actually if you read the Dao de jing, it comes off to me as being the opposite. Lao Tzu seems very content to just be as nature intends. As far as the goal of “immortality” in Daoism - that is one interpretation, but I wouldn’t say all Daoists are striving for that.

Hello, lightbody09, and welcome. Your membership is approved and we're happy you found your way to us. We look forward to accompanying you on some of the way that you still have to go. Please take the time to read the post pinned at the top of this Welcome page and take a look at the forum Terms and Rules. This covers all you need to know when getting started. For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Also, until you’ve posted fifteen times in the forums, you’ll be a “Junior Bum” with somewhat restricted access and will be allowed only two private messages per day. Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you, Fa Xin and the TDB team Welcome lightbody09, Nice to have you here. There’s a few different people on here who are into such things. Maybe they will share some techniques with you. Hope you enjoy the forum 😊 You are welcome to jump right in to the ongoing discussions, revive an older thread, start a new thread of your own, or start a discussion in the "Newcomer Corner" sub-forum to expand on your introduction or ask general questions to help you get started. May you enjoy your time here. Fa Xin

Hello, Pete Wagner, and welcome. Your membership is approved and we're happy you found your way to us. We look forward to accompanying you on some of the way that you still have to go. Please take the time to read the post pinned at the top of this Welcome page and take a look at the forum Terms and Rules. This covers all you need to know when getting started. For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Also, until you’ve posted fifteen times in the forums, you’ll be a “Junior Bum” with somewhat restricted access and will be allowed only two private messages per day. Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you, Fa Xin and the TDB team Welcome Pete, I checked out your channel. You have some interesting content. I think you’ll enjoy it here. You are welcome to jump right in to the ongoing discussions, revive an older thread, start a new thread of your own, or start a discussion in the "Newcomer Corner" sub-forum to expand on your introduction or ask general questions to help you get started. May you enjoy your time here. Fa Xin

I found this video to be helpful.

Hello, Zero Inf, and welcome. Your membership is approved and we're happy you found your way to us. We look forward to accompanying you on some of the way that you still have to go. Please take the time to read the post pinned at the top of this Welcome page and take a look at the forum Terms and Rules. This covers all you need to know when getting started. For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Also, until you’ve posted fifteen times in the forums, you’ll be a “Junior Bum” with somewhat restricted access and will be allowed only two private messages per day. Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you, Fa Xin and the TDB team Welcome Zero Inf, Glad to have you here. There's many traditions and techniques for Qi and qigong. Start reading and exploring them, that is the only way to decide if and how they work. Enjoy the forum You are welcome to jump right in to the ongoing discussions, revive an older thread, start a new thread of your own, or start a discussion in the "Newcomer Corner" sub-forum to expand on your introduction or ask general questions to help you get started. May you enjoy your time here. Fa Xin

Very good question and topic. Maybe going forwards is actually returning to the beginning? And perhaps our beginning state is not “egg and sperm” but something else. Theres an interesting verse from the Gospel of Thomas. I don’t know if it applies here but I will share it.

I always get confused when Buddhist books mention “mind”. what do they mean? My western “mind” gets definition tangled with this word.

This was my thought too. That it’s just part of an increased awareness or clarity, rather than a skill developed - though one can certainly focus on it. Hard to have a conversation with someone and not feel their energy. Most people probably just not aware that it’s happening.

Good stuff Jonesboy ! I first started to practice feeling and residing in energy from a qigong practice. A major shift happened for me when I started feeling energy from things and people, rather than just caused by and only during said practice. I believed I could only do that while doing the Qigong form or shortly after. It really limited my time (and increased how often I did the form.) They say meditation is all about integrating it into your life anyway.

Hello, Romualdas, and welcome. Your membership is approved and we're happy you found your way to us. We look forward to accompanying you on some of the way that you still have to go. Please take the time to read the post pinned at the top of this Welcome page and take a look at the forum Terms and Rules. This covers all you need to know when getting started. For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Also, until you’ve posted fifteen times in the forums, you’ll be a “Junior Bum” with somewhat restricted access and will be allowed only two private messages per day. Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you, Fa Xin and the TDB team Good day Romualdas, Good to have you aboard. I'm glad the unfolding has brought you here too. Welcome and enjoy You are welcome to jump right in to the ongoing discussions, revive an older thread, start a new thread of your own, or start a discussion in the "Newcomer Corner" sub-forum to expand on your introduction or ask general questions to help you get started. May you enjoy your time here. Fa Xin

Focusing on the "other" allows me to forget "myself"... the self drops away when my heart and mind are focused on my "Beloved" (or object of tantra) Some will say, "If there's someone else, that's separation" But I disappear, so there's only One left. For a time, I become them. For a time... But If I go deep, and go often... I start to notice the feel of my Beloved is still with me, even after I open my eyes. Maybe we aren't so separate, after all. I start to feel my Beloved in all types of things. When I see family, celebrations, good times. Then polite encounters with strangers. There she is... Then in the most mundane and unpleasant of places. Relaxing into my Beloved, she reveals and fulfills life. She is all of it, even me. I don't know what you call it... it doesn't much matter anyway.

Sounds like your clarity is increasing, and many times we become aware of our negative habits or patterns. The light of awareness shines on... Enjoy your newfound experiences.

Thank you... referential is not a term I have heard used before, but it makes sense.

Hello, can o' sardines, and welcome. Your membership is approved and we're happy you found your way to us. We look forward to accompanying you on some of the way that you still have to go. Please take the time to read the post pinned at the top of this Welcome page and take a look at the forum Terms and Rules. This covers all you need to know when getting started. For the first week you will be restricted to ten posts per day but after that you can post as much as you like. Also, until you’ve posted fifteen times in the forums, you’ll be a “Junior Bum” with somewhat restricted access and will be allowed only two private messages per day. Good luck in your pursuits and best wishes to you, Fa Xin and the TDB team Welcome Can 'o sardines, Good to have you aboard to spread the love - we can always use more of that... there's never "too much" love! Enjoy the forum You are welcome to jump right in to the ongoing discussions, revive an older thread, start a new thread of your own, or start a discussion in the "Newcomer Corner" sub-forum to expand on your introduction or ask general questions to help you get started. May you enjoy your time here. Fa Xin

I meant more that the energy itself gets so intense that your heart pounds a mile a minute and you wonder if they’ll find you the next morning fear... Maybe that is egoic in a way... I don’t have those experiences much anymore, but when starting out there were a few times I had to stop in fear. Would I really have died? Probably not, but my mind was telling me that.

For me... Sometimes it feels like a leap of faith. I think that’s what it’s all about. There’s not much fear to face when I’m certain about something... and I’ve definitely had times where I said to myself “Oh crap, maybe I’ve gone too far this time...”

What does everyone think Tantra means? Energy practice? Or is it specific to a tradition? i feel like there’s a lot of stuff that’s called Tantra. I’m guilty of it too. To me the word represents some kind of energetic connection, whether that’s with someone or a deity. I also think it means using the aspects of life that aren’t generally thought of as productive to benefitting us.

Very nice post. As Jesus says, the kingdom of heaven is within and without.

Isn't this what a guru yoga practice does? Guru Rinpoche, or whomever, would be sharing their clarity with the person. I think it just comes down to conceptualizing it and how one understands the dynamics happening. Either way, such a practice seems to bring forth clarity. I don't see the "being" Steve talks about, as being much different than the "light" ?

Thank you for sharing. Very cool observations. I thought the same way for a while. The difference between “awake” people and “asleep” people was glaringly obvious to me, and sometimes a bit troubling. Now, I kind of see it as it’s all a play... a manifestation of consciousness in its various forms. Different gradations of the same awareness. The perception of being awake and asleep, is only on the surface.