Shadao

Apparently there is a martial arts style called "Hwarang Do" that also deals with "Nae Gong"(inner power), among other things.

On 13/10/2021 at 11:16 PM, skyblue said:

What exactly is humility? And how does one remain humble without hurting their self esteem (which can be extremely harmful, more so for cultivators)? How does one keep their self esteem relatively high without becoming arrogant?

I fear of seeming ignorant by what I'll write, but I'll admit that I am not as knowledgeable nor as "developed" as others here.I can only answer based on what I believe I know and my own experiences.

Humility is the opposite of arrogance, to be humble(in my opinion) would be not to make one's own actions or words seem more important than they actually are.As in, acknowledge what you did/are as this is all a "compilation" of your upbringing, your nature and what you've learned.

This is good for your self-esteem, kind of like a "yes, you did/are this and that was/is good/Good job" thing you do for yourself and no one else can do for you.

As for the self-esteem itself I feel that it isn't necessary to keep it high, just keep it "enough".Just enough that you won't doubt yourself all the time or "beat yourself up" for things beyond your control.But there are some people that have high self-esteem without being arrogant, they just balance that by being kind to others.Instead of letting their high self-esteem make them demean and bring down others, they bring them up.

Because in my view arrogance is also a choice to be bad/evil towards others.

So I was checking my collection of books and found this one: Dragon and Tiger Chi Gung.

Apparently it is a "medical form of chi gung"(qigong) and is touted as a great system when it comes to health, relaxation and vitality.

Did anyone ever try this system?If so, could you say if this would be considered similar or worse/better than SFQ?Does the author speaks from a place of knowledge or he seems sketchy?

I ask this because I do not know the author nor his other works at all, so I cannot make a judgement is he is legit.

I don't know how to write what I want to write but I'll try to be concise.

Recently I was reading a book called Dahnhak Kigong, and that got me thinking.

I know, I know, this place is one of Daoism, Qigong, all things Chinese(and Taiwanese) and not one for other systems but...Does anyone here have any knowledge of Korean systems similar to the ones we see here in Qigong?I know that Japanese have their own version of it with "Ki", and of that one I already know a bit.

But I know next to nothing about the Korean version.

I am a curious person by nature and I am curious about how different would be a Korean system when compared to a Chinese one.Is there a difference in terminology only?Is there a difference in cultivation?Is there even a difference in energy?

I don't think fulfillment is a goal per se, but the result of one.

Never learned how to do poetry

English isn't my mother tongue

I prefer to read only, you see

So this one won't be long.

On 19/07/2021 at 9:46 PM, whitemic said:

what ARE YOU as a 'taoist'?

Right now, it is about acquiring all kinds of knowledge(with the intent to better myself).

18 hours ago, GreytoWhite said:

It's what is in Max Christensen's Kunlun System.

You mean the book mentioned by OP has the same thing as "Kunlun System"?

6 hours ago, RiverSnake said:

Receiving content for free is a double edged sword. I've noticed that most people never even value what they have and as a result don't use it to any great degree. Deep Gnosis, cannot be found, through spiritual fast food. Healthy and mutually beneficial exchanges are optimal.  

On another hand there are those that want but do not know where to look for it or lack the mean$ to get it.It ain't as black and white.

Still, should I edit out my previous post then?

4 hours ago, ThunderWizardDotcom said:

Knowthing, if you are aware of star wars, I don't understand what the confusion is. Do you know the difference between the Jedi and the Sith? I honestly don't know how to make the comparison more clear. The downside is that if the practitioner does not have a mature relationship with the heart center, it could create a selfish tyrant who uses their power for personal gain... In any case, even if one was not aware of Star Wars, the context of the overall conversation should make the point clear... Thanks for responding...

Ah, I think the confusion was due to not understanding that a method/system could "corrupt" someone.

See, I don't believe that one can be corrupted by something like that, I'm more of the mindset that a person either is already corrupt from the start or can only be corrupted by either huge amounts of wealth or political/social power given to them/earned.But not by a practice.

On 23/03/2021 at 10:42 PM, ThunderWizardDotcom said:

 the downside is that if the practitioner does not have a mature relationship to the heart center, it can create a Sith Lord ( if you'll forgive the reference). ( now I know why my teachers were always warning us about the danger of becoming a Darth Vader).

 

 

I know of Star Wars, but I did not understand why you mentioned Siths and Darth Vader in relation to your practice.

I don't know if it's due to a lack of knowledge or an issue with understanding what's written here.

Could you elaborate on that?

4 hours ago, steve said:

 

Reminds me of what a nurse once told me defines the male reaction to life.

She felt we are limited to three possible choices - eat it, kill it, or fuck it....

 

For some, I think they might pick all three options at once.

25 minutes ago, Nungali said:

Happy dead guy on a stick day .

 

 

(...)

Holy chocolate indeed.

On 27/03/2021 at 5:20 PM, thelerner said:

(...)

The practice I've done that really pits mind against body is Wim Hof program.  The daily cold shower is a test of willpower, especially when they get longer or require a long breath hold under cold water, where the body's stressed.  

(...)

Not the same thing but I think it's been...what, a 2 or 3 years?That I started to take exclusively cold showers.Yeah it ain't the same as being submerged in the water but it's what I have at my disposal.

I still wish to be able to do Wim Hof's program one day though...

2 hours ago, Apech said:

What a shocking story.

18 hours ago, natural said:

Borrowing from Mark Twain, Its better to keep ones mouth shut, than to open it and remove all doubt.

You seem to know the answer to your question. So why ask it?

 

I wrote it in the end of my post, this isn't for me(as I already have my picks), this is mere curiosity.

I'm a curious person, I can't help it I crave knowledge, and the fastest way to sate one's curiosity(bar searching for the answers through an extensive research) is by asking those that know.

Is it wrong?

17 hours ago, Vajra Fist said:

.

I'm still not used to "forum speak", what posting "." alone means?

17 hours ago, stirling said:

 

Someone who has absorbed the practices intellectually and come to their own opinion about the "best way" could lead you on a lifetime of practices, seeking unsuccessfully. 

 

Someone who understands the nature of reality could say the right thing and you might get it.

 

If you were lost would you want a guy who had read tons of maps, but had never been to your destination, or someone who made it there and could go back at any moment?

 

In truth NO practice enlightens. The simplest practice is simply letting the mind rest in its own nature in my opinion - but most will need a much more convoluted path so that they feel they are "doing" something. The path and opportunities you need will present themselves if you are paying attention and avail yourself of them.

Sorry but this also do not answers the question, although I get the point you are trying to make here.

Again, my question is based not on me looking for the answers for myself to go seek these paths, but only because I am curious.Simple as that.

1 hour ago, manitou said:

You can get so many perspectives here.  It depends on what you want to develop.

 

What is a master?  In my opinion, it would be someone who has found the truth through introspection.

 

But that has nothing to do with practice.  My path, for example, didn't emerge through qigong or eastern methods.  So a master to another Bum could be something else entirely.  It seems like there are two different 'goals' that manifest here.  One could want to become a master at some modality, and hopefully a full practice of that modality would lead to enlightenment.  The other method, as I see it, is to seek out the impediments to clarity within ourselves, which will always end up in enlightenment if we're fearless and thorough.    And I know there are some here that do both - and when you find that, it's really awesome.

 

What is meant by 'beginner'?  I doubt that anybody that is attracted by this website is a beginner at all.  The answers are already within us, it's just a question of getting down to them.  One could follow the question 'Who Am I?' all the way to the center.

I don't intend to be rude but this answered no part of the question asked.

Also I never said "master" but "more experienced people", as you can have some decent experience enough to not be considered a beginner that knows next to nothing, but still not be a "master" as being called such implies that you are at the pinnacle of your learning, in my opinion.

How this meme tends to appear in the commentary section of many, MANY comics/manhuas/webtoons of cultivation:

Music:

And some other vids:

Ever since 2019 changed into 2020 I have been living with a feeling of "something is coming and it's both good and bad".

I hate not knowing if it's more good or more bad(nor HOW good or bad it'll be).I hate this uncertainty and I never really felt like this before.

I reckon people must be tired of seeing me starting so many threads with questions and such by now -.-'

But whay can I say?A curious mind breeds a deep thirst for knowledge.

I have been browsing the site a bit in-between my reading time, and was checking about systems/methods(does it make a difference which word is it?).

Question(preferably for those with some experience under their belt):

Based on what you know or experienced, what would be one(1) system/method you would definitely recomend for beginners, and what would be one(1) system/method you would recomend for more experienced people?

Take note though, we are taking into consideration the following:

-Time needed for the practice(it can be done in few minutes per day or does it require up to hours?Can you do it anywhere or it has to follow specific "protocols/rules"?)

-Resources, as well as their availability(How easy is it to find about it?Is it paid, free or "it depends"?Does it have all information or part of it?)

-Learnability(Does it require learning from a master?How far can a person go on their own?How easy or hard is it to absorb the knowledge/teachings(be by yourself or through a master)?)

-Results(Are they noticeable or subtle?How long should it take to see them?Are they as "advertised"?)

ps: This time I am not asking for myself(already have my picks of systems/methods), I am just truly curious about it.

As in, what made you interested in what you learned/are learning in regards to the main subjects of this forum?

I know, I know, basic question, but one that I consider interesting nonetheless.

Well, in my case I have known of Taoism/Daoism(still unsure if there is a difference that isn't just one letter only) for a while but it was always in the "fringe" of my interests.

Until one day I decided to learn a bit more and found that "Taoism/Daoism's creed" seemed to aling quite well with what I think and believe.So I decided to enter this path, but honestly it was a half-hearted attempt, just so I could "call myself something" and not feel as lost.

Ironically what REALLY made me want to learn properly about it(and Qi too) were those novels and comics about cultivation.

Yes, works of fiction made me interested in it all, the stories of characters striving for literal immortality and becoming powerful enough to go against their peers and later against godsand demons made me go "Well...it COULD be real".

Worry not though, because while my imagination(and sometimes hopes) might run wild, I also have a healthy dose of skepticism.So while I might let myself open to a chance of something being real, I won't take it as such until shown(or experiencing) evidence of such.

But yeah,those fictional works of Wuxia and Xianxia made me get really interested in learning.What about you?

What made you want to walk the path you did/currently do?

4 hours ago, silent thunder said:

DDJ, as many translations as you can get your paws on...

Dr Yang Jwing-Ming:  The Roots of Chinese Qi Gong

Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine

 

Those are my top three starters

Then I'd add...

 

Wang Liping: Ling Bao Tong Zhi Neng Neigong Shu

Wang Liping: Daoist Internal Mastery

Zhuanzi (again as many translations as you can get)

Jerry Alan Johnson:  Daoist Internal Alchemy - Neigong & Weigong Training

 

Fritjof Capra:  The Tao of Physics

Scott P Bradley:  The Indifference of Birds (Zhuangzi commentary)

 

and for flavor, several books on Classic Chinese Poetry with a broad overview of multiple poets.

From dr. Yang I have only "Qigong meditation: embryonic breathing","Qigong meditation: Small circulation" and "Taijiquan Theory".Does any of them work or it would have to be "The Roots of Chinese Qigong"?

As for the other I have one called "Yellow Thearch's Basic Questions", I reckon it is the same thing?Kind of?

I think I have many books of Jerry Alan Johnson(Daoist: Exorcism/Magical Incantations/Magical Talismans/Transformation Skills/ and Weather Magic, along with other books not-titled Daoist: something) but maybe not this specific one you mentioned.

Ah, that moment where you feel like you hit every target except the one you were supposed to have hit -.-

Thanks for your recommendation, I'll check them once I have some free time for leisure reading.

1.What would be the very first book you would tell someone to read when it comes to Tao/Dao/Qi?Something that they should get on as fast as possible before anything else?

2.What would be the top three books you would recommend for someone to read, based on your own experience reading those books?

EDIT: I think there might have a bit of confusion about the questions, or I worded them incorrectly...

First question is about ONE book you would say it's highly important for a BEGINNER to read once they start on this path.The first one they should read before anything else.

Second question is about THREE books you liked and/or consider to have helped you in your own path and that you would recommend for others to check.It is UNRELATED to the first question.

On 08/03/2021 at 9:53 AM, steve said:

 

Visualization is only one method and can be a distraction, even a dead end for some.

(...)

You tell me, as a constant daydreamer and an artistic person I literally can't not visualize, regardless if I have my eyes open or closed.It's as if I'm always one step away only from the world of dreams/concepts/ideas and the real world.

Reason why when a practice has dire need for the person to "empty their mind" or "stay still"...welp, no dice here -.-