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The instincts for survival will always give us the correct answers. Some people just don't want to do the work though.

Not just to argue, but to show some examples of opposite situations with the "always correct answers in survival conditions". There are lots of situations when people are chaotically running in the burning house with the only wish to survive... can not find the way out because of panic and are burned to death. What is this example about? The same situation with the practice - people try anything to find the right way for development, but I is hardly difficult if possible to succeed without a teacher, because our mind is not perfect.

Rgrds, Ilya

Is suffering not a prerequisite to writing well (and or required for quality performance production in other arts forms music painting etc. ?

This is an excellent question from my point of view!

Let me share my understanding - many European authors, especially in literature, created genius masterpieces just because they had personal problems and these problem situations helped them to create smth unusual.

But all these mastepeaces (f.e. by Dostoevskyi) lack harmony and therefore contain some spiritual illness inside. Chinese tractates by alchemy masters do not have even shadow of disharmony, this is the difference.

So, if you are reading some european writing and see a peace of problem, if it involves you somehow then it is a sign that some part of disharmony is in you.

Rgrds, Ilya

This is the thing - a master with high level of development and a great harmony sense will not write first good texts and then some irrelevant sh..t. smile

If the harmony is developed then everyone who can feel sees that the master is great.

Rgds, Ilya

I somehow didn't see this earlier, sorry. While I dont really object, I'll defend my more limited view anyway.

I can write all sorts of fantasy , so I figure others could as well, yeti seekers never find anything so even total failure doesn't exclude the continued pursuit of goals, literature , enthusiasm and dedication.

Practitioners are people , and any of the physical things suggested by Daoism could indeed be done by folks who never heard of it , You wouldn't necessarily call the person who for reasons of his own , took a hands off laissez faire approach to governance was a Taoist. Nor would he automatically be considered so if he approached life in a manner which was consistent with his basic nature. So the inclusion really depends on whether he mentally associates with the grouping ,whether he is a poor example or the most adherent.

Taoism as a system , system of what ? The path is undefined ,,,while an attitude is suggested , pointed at ,or otherwise venerated, telling folks to be meek isn't really a system of anything IMO.

The level of the author of any text is shown in the text itself. Reading famous Taoist texts like Wu Zhen Pyan for me its easy to feel that it was written by a great master... F.e. if I read some interpretations like Taoist yogha by Lu Kun Yui I start to feel doubts...

Rgrds, Ilya

The one thing is to be controlled from my point of view - its important not to go asleep during practice while trying to calm down. Going asleep is a too yin condition which should be avoided. The difference between going asleep and just calm in down is that the spirit is also sleeps, and it is important to have it stable.

This question about qi or mind looks like a question what was earlier - a hen or an egg... I think that qi and mind develop mutually, it is difficult to suppose a person with great qi and poor mind at the same time and vise versa. This is a principal of harmony - mutual development of all parts of ourselves.

Rgrds, Ilya

All this words about a shift and new level are just words, but we still depend on the body even if we think we don't. This means - for me - that when a body dies afterlife existence is under a big-big question, whatever you think about emptiness and going out of "mind limitations".

Therefore a good qi/ming practice is one of the solutions.

Rgrds, Ilya

Dreams are produced by our mind. And there is no way to control it maybe except some practices in neidan. So the best way to avoid unnecessary and unproductive mind fluctuations is to harmonize qi and stabilize xing in daily practice.

Rgrds, Ilya

If body produces heat after or during your qi exercises then it is a sign that it resists somehow. This is possible when you might have blocks or tensions in the body, so the best way I think is to relax more ad find tensions in the body. And also to take advice from an instructor.

Rgrds, Ilya

'Doin' the MCO and neidan are mutually exclusive. Neidan is a spiritual practice (non fundamentalist) while doing the MCO is fundamentalist BS. I hope that clears things up.

MCO is dealing with the postheaven qi while neidan involves preheaven qi. This is the main difference. Another difference comes from the nature of preheaven and postheaven. Postheaven can be managed by mind while preheaven cannot. And as our mind has limitations, working with postheaven qi might lead to deviations such as wrong root of energy circulation.

Rgrds, Ilya

This is not a statement that modern science is some evil part of ourselves or anything like this. This is just to mention the difference. Imagine that you don't need the cure just because you don't become ill... Science gives us a cure if we are ill, and Taoism gives us methods to get ill as rare as possible. That is the difference.

Rgrds, Ilya

Scientists want to quant everything, to find out the smallest part of anything, while Taoism appeals to return to the whole essence of the universe through body and spirit development. This is the basic difference which will be valid until science looks at the world like at the frog that can be cut with a knife just to look what is there inside.

Rgrds, Ilya

Nowadays foods production is a heartless industry. The most importance now is the cost effective food production. But in this case producers need the foods to stay good for use, and this is a strongest impulse to add preservatives. But they make foods not so tasty... This is an impulse to add flavors. So here we are: chemically deeply adjusted food, and as a result - chemically adjusted people... It is a joke, our organism tries to get rid of all this stuff, but it takes additional qi to waste and leads to strong disharmony.

This is why its very important to understand good nutrition principles first - like Chinese nutrition system.

Rgrds, Ilya

All foods could kill if are overdosed or cure if taken in the correct time and conditions in the appropriate quantities. In this case there are no toxic substances but there are toxic concentrations. So it vitally necessary to feel what is the best for the one in the particular moment.

Rgrds, Ilya

In some cases strong alcohol can activate qi and blood flow, so if you have yin dominant then in small doses it can be useful, but in case it does not harm heart (xin). Week alcohol like beer can neutralize yang dominant, again n reasonable volumes.

So even such arguable product can be useful if taken properly.

Correct neidan unlikely can cause heat moving in the body. The reason for this is that preheaven qi is a very thin substance and does not deal with the termal feelings. All this stuff is a postheaven qi qualities even if it seems to appear spontaneously.

Rgrds, Ilya

Heat movement in different parts of the body might be some deviation from normal qi circulation, but not a progress. Especially if it appears in the head. In this case it is better to be careful - if the heat is increasing or appears in different parts uncontrolled. The reason for this is that preheaven qi does not cause such temperature feelings. Feelings of heat can be caused if qi tries to move in unnatural root and the body resists.

I think that its better to look at your feelings attentively and to stop immediately if heat rises. As I earned neidan does not deal with such phenomena.

Rgrds, Ilya

Sounds quite reasonable. However, sometimes you just need to get rid of extra weight and you don't listen to your body any more Anyways this is true in my case. My life is a constant battle between my love of food and wanting to keep my weight stable at 8.3 stone as it is

Agree. But what is the borderline between normal weight and some extra? Of course if your weight would be far above 100 kilos them maybe its time to think about your appetites. But what about unobvious numbers? Then only your feelings can advice, but it would be true if you have enough sensibility of yourself, not mind. Otherwise its a risk of going into a trap of social stereotypes about the way of looking.

Going into any diet just to follow our mind can lead to lack of elements in the body. Meat contains lots of energy and useful substances. The same with all other foods. That is why listening to the body is much better then going to diets just because it is popular.

Rgrds, Ilya

Good products are not always expensive as well as expensive products are not always good. The same with the cheap ones. When I say good I mean are not empty and contain enough good energy. The secret is to feel this not obvious quality of goods, but such sensibility appears if you practice enough and are able to feel energy not only in yourself but elsewhere.

Rgrds, Ilya

Main aspect of nutrition in Taoism is not the chemical pureness of foods (though it is also important) but qi and balance of all factors. This means that firstly you should understand:

- what foods to prepare in this particular moment (taking into account people who will eat)

- how to prepare (way of cooking, sequence of putting foods into a cooking receipt, time etc).

If there is understanding of above, then choosing correct and pure products will be a minor issue.

And obviously you need the practice to boost your sensitivity to distinguish between good and bad products.

Rgrds, Ilya

Lets remember that from Taoist point of view our body is a greatest treasure. If any doubts - ask the ghosts if it is true or not... smile

From this point of view the best way is to take care of the body, do practice and not to fight with your nature which was created by yin-yang sequence.

Rgrds, Ilya

Very interesting, thanks for the thoughts!

The question I have unsolved yet is what is the next step after one reaches lets call it emptiness? Or is it the final step itself? But if so, then what to do with the body untill it is alive (I think when death comes there are much fewer options smile).

My understanding is that any conditions of emptiness you feel are not enough to achieve solid results - to prolong existence instead of dying. This is because we depend on our body cry much, and untill we find a way to develop it all other practices like mind or heart stabilization, emptiness etc will be only a necessary but not sufficient part of development.

Rgrds, Ilya

Does it (Yi) really impact the practice somehow? I have not noticed this substance in exercises, but may be I have missed something. I guess it has some connection with practical aspects, but in general, unless I find how it is applied for practical aspects.

And I have spoke about pre-heaven Chi but not much as I find few who wish to talk about this concept and really, my knowledge base is rather lacking.

 

Post-heaven Chi (our personal Chi) is much easier to talk about as most of us can actually feel (experience) this.

The reason is that we can not feel the preheaven qi being in usual limited conditions. This is an ideal substance while we are not, that is a rational why we don't feel it. And if we don't feel it then how can we discus or try to practice with it without being mistaken?

 

Rgrds, Ilya