Symph
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Everything posted by Symph
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I'm sorry @Everything but your teaching style just makes no sense to me. I see that you're trying to be helpful, but it just seems very... I dunno your words go right over my head. I don't really have anything else to add.
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I leave for two weeks... and then all hell breaks loose.... You know, I may not be the most well versed student in the teachings of Taoism, and I definitely don't have the experience with meditation and energy work that many people on this forum clearly have, but isn't one of Lao Tsu's principles that simplicity is more powerful than complexity? I may be mixing my teachings here but I know that there is some verse somewhere that favors listening, silence, and simplicity, over unending and overly complex explanations. I think some of the responses in this thread have been absolutely epic, @alchemystical you had me dying laughing with the way you responded up there because you stuck to your guns and chose to try to bring things back down to earth. But I just want to say that... being an effective communicator is a skill, and I don't believe that it is more the job of the listener to be able to grasp one's philosophical ideas than it is the philosopher to find ways to make their points simple, and clear, and easily understood. This thread has some of the longest posts I have ever seen, and some of the wordiest sentences I have ever read. Highly amusing but it makes no impact on me whatsoever at all. To me when I see that? It's like the author of such things is on their own little island, they do not feel the energy of nor listen to the true essence coming from those they are trying to influence. It almost seems like they get more satisfaction out of speaking than they do being heard. I have been guilty of this many times in my life, and will probably be guilty of it again, but at the end of the day, I feel like this happens when people speak from the head and not the heart. The intention seems to be more about showing that you know some great truth, than it is to actually helping others. So yeah I don't know how to close this, it's just my observations of how this conversation has gone. So....
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That is probably some very good advice my friend
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Oh and @steve I wanted that link as well just forgot to ask, so thanks for that.
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Trance is probably too strong of a word, I just mean that I don't find myself having many thoughts after just a few minutes of meditation, I begin to feel a more... ummm... I just hear noises and feel peaceful and there's a bit of a hypnotic "drifting" kind of feeling, but I tend to wake up out of it after about 15 to 20 minutes and then I start finding myself thinking again and feeling bored. @NATURE BEEING If this is what you're asking, I've been meditating for about a year, but it's very off and on. I might not meditate for a whole month, then mediate 4 times in a week or... I'm not consistent with it at all.
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That seems like very sound advice, I struggle a lot with food issues and binge eating followed by fasting to make up for it and I never feel balanced. But at the same time I really BELIEVE in fasting, I simply have trouble doing it correctly which I attribute mainly to the area I live in and my lifestyle/work situation. I feel like if I were living in the tropics with less stress and less temptation all over the place I'd have a much easier time doing a fast one day a week or something. Is fasting a concept that is out of line with the Taoist principle of moderation and everything in balance? Or do Taoists fast.
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Like I said I have trouble getting passed the 20 minute point I always start feeling restless and like I'm coming out of trance at that point. So somewhere between 15 to 20 minutes would be the answer. It begins to feel like "it's no longer working" at that stage or like monkey mind wakes up with a vengeance.
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That was absolutely beautiful, until you started talking about farts, then it was both funny and beautiful. lol but no seriously that was great. Do you have the name of this book?? I looked him up and there's quite a few books but I'm not sure which one has this practice in it. Would love to read it! How long do you have to meditate before emotions come up? Is there a way to do it wrong? I tend to feel like I can't meditate passed about 20 minutes or so before my mind kind of... comes out of trance and starts going "why are we still sitting here open your eyes" and no emotions ever come up. Is there a better technique or should I just force myself to wait longer?
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If having tons of knowledge go straight over my head and make absolutely no sense to me is how a taoist should be? Then I'm killing it....
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So I love many Taoist scriptures I've read, mainly the Tao Te Ching is what I'm familiar with. I can wrap my head around illustrations of how to flow like water, being non attached to outcomes, how a good leader leads by following and serving, and much of these concepts hit me hard and inspire me. And while this may be kind of... embarrassing I probably was most inspired by the Tao of Pooh book. That whole book made wonderful sense to me. I came here wanting to go further with my learning and application of these principles, but this forum makes me feel like I have such a baby understanding of Taoism and what it even is! I've tried reading quite a few threads in the DaoDeJing section and a few others, and the articles and writings feel waaaay over my head. I can't make heads or tales of what's being said, so many seeming paradoxes, or statements that appear non sensical (no doubt to shake one out of the intellect or something) but just... I really feel lost. Can anyone recommend a good starting point for someone who is finding all this a bit too metaphysical and complex to digest? Any books that will help break me into the deeper levels of understanding? I really do want to dive deeper I just feel like I've gone from the kiddie pool to being thrown in the ocean lol
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Pffft, why would I be jealous when I have my own raccoon friend!! He's just as cute and cuddly and OH WHO AM I KIDDING HE'S A FREAK DEAR GOD WILL SOMEONE TAKE HIM PLEASE.
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Man this really resonated with me. I really do feel that there is a "God" we can commune with and talk to, however I don't think it's THE God who created everything, I think it is a collective of beings that are closest to the source energy from which we all came. And you are right, Jesus is one of those beings, along with Krishna, Buddha, and many others. I DO worship, I can't help it, but I do not believe it is because God wants worship from me, I believe it is because I want to give it to Him. I really wanna expand further but I just got off work and I'm so hungry I can hardly think!!! HAHAHA Maybe after I eat I'll really get on here and try to have more cool conversations with you guys. I haven't been too active cause I've been busy but from what I can tell you are all really cool people, and I'm glad no one was offended by me bringing up Jesus. I really do want to get to a point where everything doesn't come back to Christianity with me, but it's kind of all I know, and I still see it as highly relevant, I just know that the "powers that be" hijacked it for their own controlling agenda.
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This is the kind of verse that made me so fascinated in Taoism in the first place, because at the time I still hadn't truly broken away from my christian roots, but I was questioning, and to see this eastern philosophy, that is dated before Jesus, and he's talking about the spiritual kingdom, and how you can't hold onto it or improve or change it for yourself, I was just like "wait.. either something is not being translated correctly... or Jesus knew about these teachings..." And that really began my journey into other religions like hinduism (which ALSO parallels the bible in more ways than one would think) etc. As far as my thoughts on this specific verse... I mean my understanding of the kingdom is it is like... full conscious awareness and child like flow through the world. That ineffable quality of experiencing the miracles in every moment, and flowing with them. So to say you can't hold it is like saying that if you're TRYING to hold onto it, you don't have it, you have trying. I mean, all of taoism that I've been able to comprehend has just been illustration after illustration trying to get one into a state of allowing, instead of a state of striving. I get the feeling though that my understanding is quite juvenile compared to the true depth of wisdom held within, or perhaps Taoism really does just keep drilling home the same main theme because it's actually THAT hard to "get". But I just have to point out how interesting it is that Jesus talked about how we must learn to wait for God to do in us what we can't do for ourselves, and to not be so preoccupied with getting, as to miss out on God's giving. If you change the idea of God into "The source" or "The way of things" you have the same concept. "Stop trying to get from the universe and open up to all it is trying to give you". I don't know how triggering the mentioning of the bible is or not, but if you guys aren't too offended by it it is one of my favorite things to think about regarding taoism, how once one takes the church goggles off and compare the two teachings, there are remarkable similarities that in my opinion can't just be coincidence.
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Is it possible to look through the walls? Experiment and results
Symph replied to zak's topic in Welcome
That's amazing!! Seems like it's more of a short distance remote view than quite, "looking through" the box though. Which isn't a positive or negative thing it just sounds like that's what you did. In theory the same principle should be able to apply over long distances for anything in the world. -
[TBOPB1C00] Agrippa Book One Introduction
Symph replied to Zhongyongdaoist's topic in Agrippa Textual Study
Very helpful, I will definitely be getting that book! And yeah I've been feeling that he had to have been a faith healer and very knowledgable of the eastern practices going on at that time. There is even evidence that he travelled the east and was known as "St. Issa" during the lost years the bible doesn't mention him. This will all be incredibly helpful to my journey thank you. -
Well thanks @liminal_luke I may feel like a noob but at least I feel like a welcome one
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My plan worked!! Now the precious is mine!!! It was never about you Drew, I just wanted the preciousssssss
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Oh ok Drew, gets a coon five right out the gate eh?? YOU ARE MY NEMESIS NOW. lolololol
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No actually I would basically swallow and then hold it. And I remember doing it long enough I would start shaking but I was like "MUST KEEP GOING SO PEOPLE THINK I'M COOL!!!!" Or something lol I really do specifically remember though that the trick was swallowing and then holding that swallowed state, it's more intense than just not breathing. I've never even thought about whether or not I was defying medical science lol though it really doesn't seem like it. Also I do remember that while I passed out for just a few seconds and my head hit the floor, I was only out for probably less than a minute before seeing everyone around me and being scolded by the teacher, who I believe told me how stupid what I just did was, and rightfully so lol
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Actually I did that in like second grade. I was trying to make myself turn purple to impress someone, I learned that closing my wind pipe would do it, next thing I knew I was being woken up and taken to the nurse's office lol
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Oh snap! I wear lavender like... e v e r y d a y !!!!!!!! Or patchouli.... Hmm... I feel like everything about myself is weird so picking ONE weird thing is just.... hmmm..... Oh ok I got it. When I was in 5th grade they had a contest on halloween to see who had the scariest costume. All the other kids were dressed like witches and ghouls and ghosts etc. I showed up in a suit and tie with a little briefcase and glasses. When I walked across the stage the audience was laughing and confused, when the principle asked me what I was I said "The IRS". LOLLL
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[TBOPB1C00] Agrippa Book One Introduction
Symph replied to Zhongyongdaoist's topic in Agrippa Textual Study
I'm only like halfway through the first half of this discussion but I'm just over here jaw dropped with amazement. I mean I've only been truly free from my Christian roots for like 2 years now, it was like a rope that had held on to it's last thread for years before it snapped. That fear of hell yo, it's hard to let go of! But I have been reading the Kybalion and hermetic teachings and writings of Thoth and it's like these things are already in me. Like I said I read Tarot so I'm really drawn to the mystical which makes it difficult to shake that fear of being you know... evil and stuff lol I've already understood better the gnostics and the essenes and come to realize that there were probably magic practicing christians of old who thought themselves to be prophets or light workers and that's EXACTLY how I feel too. But I'm still working it all out, fleshing out what I think happened and releasing my fear of being wrong. Reading this was such a confirmation of things I had a hunch about. When he tried to show that the Magi who predicted the coming of Christ were themselves magicians I got chills cause it's so true! Christians overlook this stuff! Anyway, I didn't mean to start out on such a non taoist note I just did not expect this to be such a helpful discourse for me right off the bat! Can I order this full book? What is the name of the actual book you are quoting? Thank you for posting this. -
Yes! I had always thought that Tarot and Astrology were about telling the future and wanting to know if you'd ever find love etc, but that's a tabloid understanding. In reality they help us understand all the many traits and aspects of ourselves that we probably wouldn't think about or be able to take note of otherwise. Map of the psyche is a perfect way to put it.
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Hey guys! I'm Symph. I lived most of my life as a Christian though I was always a "problematic" one because I didn't believe many core beliefs I was being taught in Church, and when I read the bible it seemed to have a completely different, highly spiritual, highly inclusive meaning to me. I began receiving downloads in deep states of ecstacy when I would be dancing or smoking marijuana or creating music. In my early 30's I went on a quest for self discovery searching out other religions and idea that I (as a christian) was SUPPOSED to be afraid of lol. When I found Taoism it could not have resonated more. I began to realize that everything I held dear that I learned from Jesus? Was IN the Taoist teachings! It made sense of how I could read the same book as millions of others, yet see no bigotry, no judgement, because the book, just like all things, is under the law of polarity and yin and yang, and I was able to receive only one side of the coin as that's what I was attracting. So now I've just given myself license to dive into all beliefs and I don't even know how I'd define myself, but as I'm sure you know, definitions are unhelpful anyway. I have started reading Tarot as a way of connecting to my deepest intuitions, I'm interested in Shamanism, Druidism, Hinduism, Astrology and much more. Am I a full fledged Taoist? Well it's certainly not my only focus, but the teachings resonate so deeply with all I have always held to be true I feel as if I was a Taoist my entire life, and just didn't know it haha. So yeah, that's a super condensed version of my story, I hope to meet many like minded travelers and to give and receive much!!
