Fa Xin

The smell right before a summer thunderstorm rolls through.

If you dive deep enough, you'll start seeing this concept is represented in other traditions too. Advaita Vedanta says Brahman (God/All) and realization therein (akhandakara vritti) is beyond words, beyond the mind, timeless etc. Same can be said about Mystical Christianity and Dzogchen. You start to see the same concepts popping up -- its just not as blatant and apparent as it is in Taoism. Lao Tzu had a very simple way of putting things. These paths/ traditions are just ways of trying to describe the indescribable, afterall... fingers pointing to the moon. Ultimately they are all flawed in some way, they all have some sort of human element to them. Conversely -- maybe it is us as interpreters that are misunderstanding the teachings to begin with. I think Jesus was pointing at the same moon as Lao Tzu, but obviously, it was misinterpreted in a major way at some point... Lao Tzu said the Tao is beyond words, then went ahead and wrote 81 chapters on it...

Two monitors?!? Thats how it always starts. and 5 years later.....

Thanks.

Hello, Alchemical Walrus, 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 Allah-u-Abha, Alchemical Walrus, The Baha'i faith is interesting to me, though I don't know much about it except the basic stuff. I'm really interested to see your comparison of that and other aspects of Daoism, and Neidan. Seems like you'll have a great amount of information to share. Welcome friend. 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

Agreed here. I think the recognizing of “your already liberated” starts the process of things falling away. Up until that point, the idea seems very far away, like “maybe in another lifetime”, or “can’t happen to me”. It’s a lot like over coming a personal block of “I’m not good enough”. It puts the whole world within your reach if you realize it wasn’t out of reach to begin with. Just my take at the moment.

Hello, Gar, 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 Hello gar, Yes... some definite seasoned and knowledgeable folks here. A great place indeed. Share when your ready... enjoy reading for now. Welcome and cheers. 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, Talibanz, 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 Hello Talibanz, Hopefully youll be willing to share some stuff here, too, as some of us aren’t members of the other forum you mentioned. Either way, welcome aboard... 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

Why expend my powers to move a pencil with my mind - when my hands work just fine? It’s much quicker to use my hands. Maybe if I could pull an x-wing fighter out of the mud..... then maybe...

What’s the difference between Buddhist qigong and other forms?

Hello Echo of the universe, 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 two posts 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 Hi Echo, Glad you found your way here. Lots of good information to sift thru on the warm South African evenings. Any one topic interest you in particular ? Or just taking it all in ? You are welcome to jump right in ongoing discussions, revive an older thread, or start a discussion in the "Newcomer Corner" sub-forms to expand on your introduction or ask general questions to help you get started. May you enjoy your time here. Fa Xin

I doubt I would’ve listened at the time.

I think a big part of the process is realizing what “carrying it” even feels like....

Exactly... sometimes it takes me a little time to even figure out I’ve been carrying this boulder around. “Why does my back hurt so much?”

In order to let go, you have to be aware your holding onto something...

Hello gorillabreath, 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 two posts 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 Hi Gorillabreath, Welcome... I did alot of gung fu/tai chi training myself in my late teens and 20s, and recently picked it back up years later. We never know when it may come in handy down the road, for general health reasons, or otherwise. I'm not too familiar with the other names you toss around, but it's a big community here and I'm sure people will have something to say. If you don't get any hits on this thread, feel free to start a topic in the General section; there may be more eyes that browse that one. You are welcome to jump right in ongoing discussions, revive an older thread, or start a discussion in the "Newcomer Corner" sub-forms to expand on your introduction or ask general questions to help you get started. May you enjoy your time here. Fa Xin

The song that never ends!

Or lots of coffee 😅

Initiation In Hermetics by Franz Bardon has some good exercises too. The first few steps can really help with visualization, if that’s what your after.

What I can’t wrap my head around is that light will always be 186000miles away from us. Even if if I am running 186,000mph, you’d think I would see light right next to me? nope. It’s still 186k away.

I’ll usually try to move them instead of kill them. But if I have to kill them, I say a silent prayer for them (om mani padme hum)

I don’t know, why?

Why ask why?

Hello, the B.o.t. 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 Hello the bot, You have obviously come to a lot of important realizations on your journey. Thank you for taking the time to share them. Reading this makes me appreciate the teachers I’ve had that were up front and honest with me... saved me a lot of struggling (though I did and still do struggle from time to time.) i hope You will be able to share more of your insights on the forum as time goes on. 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

Good stuff. Heres 47 for reference: Tao exists in one’s own true self. It cannot be found outside of one’s true nature. Hence, there is no need to leave the house to take journey in order to know the world. There is no need to look outside of the window to see the nature of Tao. The further one departs from Tao, the less one will be able to know. Therefore a saint is wise to know without seeking for It. He is wise to understand without seeing It. He is wise to accomplish according to the Natural Way. I wonder if - we become the world itself? Or is the world already inside of us? I also wonder if - enlightenment is knowing the answer to everything... ...or not needing to ask the question?