Yen Hui

01) 2012 A.D. http://www.halexandria.org/dward415.htm 02) All About 2012 http://www.greatdreams.com/2012.htm 03) Theories on the I Ching http://fusionanomaly.net/iching.html 04) 2012: The Year of the Dragon http://www.valdostamuseum.org/hamsmith/2012.html 05) Maya Cosmogenesis 2012 http://fusionanomaly.net/mayacosmogenesis2012.html 06) 2012: Dire Gnosis http://www.diagnosis2012.co.uk/ 07) Beyond 2012 http://www.vitalsignspublishing.co.uk/book...xtract2012.html 08) 2012 Agenda http://www.spiritualgenome.com/2012_agenda.htm 10) Terrence McKenna http://www.mayantimes.com/terence.htm 11) Fractal Time and the I Ching http://survive2012.com/why_2012_fractal.php 12) 2012: Is this Timewave Zero? End of the World? http://www.wilsonsalmanac.com/converg.html 13) Guilty of Apocalypse: The Case Against 2012 http://www.apocalypse2012.com/book/

I don't know, but that was a darn funny clip!

Just to clarify, I was referring to one or two billion people. For me, that would matter, especially if I'm one of the survivors that has to deal with the aftermath. According to the Mayans, the scenario I sketched out there is a very real possibility. Present-day scientists are telling us that the current solar activity of the Sun is historically unprecedented and is due to climax in Dec 2012. Thanks ~ Yen

Hey there Taomeow ~ Contrary to opinion, I have'nt forgotten about you! I'm just a "slow-poke", as the saying goes. Actually, I just needed a bit of time to reflect on my reply. Hastey responses tend to beget misunderstanding, so I hope you won't mind too much, that I just needed a bit of time to stabilize perception. Anyway, in order to kick it off again, I just wish to express a heart-felt thanks for some very interesting contributions to the thread, despite some minor differences; well, they seem minor to me, in light of the bigger picture. Thanks for the information on your teacher. I'm just wondering about the "secrecy" vow. Can you elaborate for us on what you mean by "not allowed to talk about her in detail?" Did you undergo some formal ritual vow of swearing in to secrecy? Anyway, I'm a little confused about something: Is your teacher a Taoist, a Tibetan Buddhist, or both? It's the ancestor who taught the Dalai Lama that has me wondering about this. This is very interesting! Thanks. It kind of reminds me, though, of the ancient Hebrews. The same emphasis was placed on family lineages, in honour of the Patriarch's, i.e Jewish fathers and lineages descending from Abraham, Isaac, Israel, and Joseph (from whose loins the Twelve Tribes sprung up). I cannot comment on whether all Chinese families practiced a similar diligence, though I tend to think they did, if they were at all serious about honoring the Ancestors. At any rate, it seems likely to me that Master Ni's family would have kept meticulous records of their lineage; and especially with regard to the generational transmission of "the Teachings". To answer your question, though, no I have never checked out his lineage to see if it could be verified. While I have'nt tried to check-out the above, or confirm what you're saying here, it seems entirely believeable to me, (I must admit,) merely from the standpoint of my own limited knowledge. But again, without knowing the actual facts, admittedly, I can visualize a similar practice being maintained in Master Ni's ancestral web. With all due respect, I have no idea if Master Ni can prove he's a "lineage" holder. Do we even know if there are any "official" disputes or challenges to his claim? I mean, if his claims go uncontested, that is to say, if there is'nt anyone else claiming to be the rightful lineage holder of his sect/tradition, then he wins by default, does'nt he? Assuming he has'nt created a bogus lineage for himself. And I'm not even sure if an unwillingness to prove it to me means he cannot prove it. Is the ability to prove the claim some kind of unwritten obligation that he must prove it to to everyone who challenges the claim? Also, being a "lineage holder" means something more to me than just being a student of a "lineage holder". There is a big difference, in my limited perspective of that one. I would personally like to know what the traditional Chinese practice is for confirming lineage claims? When a student first approaches a teacher, in the traditional way, to be taken on as a disciple, does the teacher usually start out by proving his lineage to the student? Or, is it the student's duty/responsibility to request the teacher establish/prove it before undergoing the formal ritual of being received into discipleship? And, if Ni ever was so kind and forthright as to post or send me the whole lineage, with every name and all the relevant dates and details, is it even practically possible, from my standpoint in time and space, to confirm the genealogical data, going back 75 generations? These questions, and other similar ones, ultimately lean me in the same direction as others, towards placing a lesser degree of importance on lineage, than perhaps persons born and living in China today might. That is not to say, though, I think it's irrelevant to the bigger picture; but only that it's importance must be viewed as relative at best, from our standpoint in time and space. I mean, if I'm learning Tai Chi from someone who is quite obviously a Tai Chi master, from the performance standpoint, is it really that important or necessary for me to sweat about his/her lineage? What if Ni says he can, but choses not to demonstrate it to me? Does that necessarily mean he cannot prove it? I don't see how. But like I say, even if he gave me all the details, how far am I personally obligated to do the homework to corroborate all the genealogical links? I would'nt even know where to begin, to tell the truth. What I'd like to know, though, is if anyone has ever formally contested or challenged his lineage claims before and how he responded to them? If anyone has information on that, please bring it forward! It would sure prove to be very interesting, to say the least. I'm all for the "ancient" stuff, really, but I'm just not as down as you seem to be on the idea of progress; nor am I so sure that all "innovation" is necessarily bad, but I can certainly appreciate your high view of antiquity. I agree that our age is far from the times of Fu Hsi and the Yellow Emperor; but does that necessarily mean that each generation of Taoist sages, from great antiquity until today, have somehow lost something? Or were somehow less spiritually achieved than their predecessors and great ancestors? My kung-fu teacher is a second generation disciple of Yang Ch'eng-fu, and can prove it. fraternally ~ Yen Hui

Nice post, Eric! It made a whole lot of good sense to me, seriously. Cheers ~ Yen

Thanks for the helpful clarification. Everything you say is agreeable with me, except that I tend to think the art of dowsing is, perhaps, a little more extensive than you seem to imply. To be honest, I did'nt know much about the subject until a few months ago, when I heard an online interview with a dude named Raymon Grace. He has a website, as well. Since then, I have tended to see how the art of dowsing, according to the Raymon Grace example and application, is entirely compatible with the Taoist arts of divination and energy management. Raymon Grace Interview: @ http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/2007/01/15.html Your comment on using the pendulum to guide one's Tai Chi training was very interesting to me. My first kung- fu teacher was the one who introduced me to the I Ching. He told me he practiced the art of I Ching divination throughout his entire training, as a means of guiding his daily practice and assessing his progress toward self- mastery, and the complete realization of the Fist-Art. It took me many years, though, to reach the point where I could really, really emotionally accept what he was trying to teach me. ~ fraternally ~ Yen Hui

Hi Michael. I've been on the computer too long today, so I'll need to take a rain check on this one! Practice makes perfect, and these "two" fingers of mince could use it! LOL I'll catch up later! ~ Yen

hey there Harry ~ I was just sittin' here wonderin' ~ If the Sun just happens to fire out a coronal mass ejection, or massive solar flare at us just when our shield is down, then what? Will it set the earth surface and atmosphere on fire? How would that affect global warming? How many billions of human lives would be affected? One? Two? More? Is there any point or wisdom in preparing a refuge or safe haven for trying to weather such a world cataclysm? Hey there Cloud Recluse ~ Sorry for the oversight, but thanks for the input. While I'm inclined to tweak your theory in a couple places, it basically agrees with me. According to 'the Treatise' (or the Ta Chuan) the sages developed a mediumistic power to subconsciously manipulate the vibrational frequency of the yarrow stalks, through the power of intention. Thus it says in the first section of Lao Tzu, according to Cleary's version, ever 'intent, thereby observing the apparent'; indicating that intent directly influences the outer world, or macrocosm. Their supreme concentration caused a mysterious invisible energy to emanate from them, which expressed itself through the changes, so as to reveal a message in tune or in-sync with the present reality. According to the I Ching itself, our success ratio with the Oracle only improves with time and tuning, or the development of cosmic intelligence and spiritual awareness of the higher frequencies. Hi there Pat ~ I like your explanation, too! The points quoted above speak to me. Meditation is absolutely critical to cultivating the right 'alpha' frequency to stimulation of the coins. The unity of primordial energy, the matrix, or life force is also of central importance. The 'trust' you speak of is absolutely necessary too, but there are varying degrees of purity in faith; that is, great faith and weak faith. Strong faith is more effective and promises better results. Incidentally, here's a cool website for all you seekers just beginning down the path of I Ching divination:- Thoughts, Observations, and Information about the I Ching Cheers bro's ~ Yen Hui

Hi there Pat ~ Hey, I don't know what to say to the above. I do know it has kept me wrapt in thought for a good many times today. There is no denying the importance of what you ask; you have asked more-or-less for something that defies the full reach of our conventional wisdom. Tao is the primordial root; the centre of all that exists within the 64 energy fields (hexagrams). According to the I Ching, Tao is law, order, and predictability. That is the basis of the I Ching: Tao is the governing law of the macro and microcosmic universe. It is the Great Way. But does that mean that every-thing in the world is "natural" and necessarily in harmony with the Tao? Does it mean human mentality never deviates from the Tao? From the path of Inner Truth? Clearly not! Then is deviation "natural"? No, not according to the ancients, at least. The Taoist canon makes it clear that ancient society enjoyed, once upon a time, a state of original simplicity and innocence, and that deviations slowly and very gradually crept in down through the flow of time. So, deviations are therefore 'unnatural' to human nature and society, in the beginning. This is quite clearly intimated in the Tao Te Ching, I feel. Now, with all honesty and due respect to freeform, who has made a few good observations, I find it difficult to reconcile his position or view regarding the application of the Way within human society. As you could probably imagine, I'm well armed with a host of canonical quotes to make a reasonable case for it, but it's beginning to appear to me that a good number of Tao bums residing at this online sanctuary are not too keen for that, so I won't bore them to death with that. But! I'll leave you with at least two quotes for the journey :- 01 - "To indulge the perversities of an individual, thereby increasing troubles throughout the land, is unacceptable to natural reason." ( From the Huai Nan Masters, in Taoist Classics, Volume 1, p. 316 ) 02 - "Therefore, when black and yellow blood flow, it is a sign that in this unnatural contest both primal powers suffer injury." ( Hex 2 - Line 6 @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/chou_i/h2.html ) I must completely agree with you on the question or nature of 'intent'. I trust the wayfaring has been keeping you busy treading the sometimes turbulent waters of the Tao. It was cool to read about your Hung Gar days. May the life of the Tao flow always through your veins ~ your bro' in spirit ~ Yen Hui

you must be quite the swinger!

I may be a little near-sighted, but I'm not blind. It's merit(s) have yet to be demonstrated. But somehow I don't think he's able to exercise enough self-control to get the job done.

Try again.

I took a 'sneak-peek' at your profile and noticed there that you're into 'Bardon'. It is interesting to note that some persons claim Bardon, as well, is a reincarnation of Lao zi. Thanks for all the info. ~ Yen Hui

did you say something?

Hi ya there, affenbrot ~ thanks for the tip. Any info on where to read more on the Wei Boyang connection would be greatly appreciated ~ Thanks!

THREE QUOTES FROM THE HUAI NAN MASTERS:- 01 - Clarity does not mean seeing others, just seeing oneself. Acuity does not mean hearing others, just hearing oneself. Understanding does not mean knowing others, just knowing oneself. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 384) 02 - The vital spirit belongs to heaven; the physical body belongs to earth. When the vital spirit goes home, and the physical body returns to its origin, where then is the self? (ibid, p. 381) 03 - When you penetrate psychology, you realize that habitual desires, likes and dislikes, are external. (ibid, p. 375)

The Blood Zapper looks interesting. I'm thinking I might just try it. Thanks!

True. Thus Lao Tzu says, "always passionless, observe the subtle." As if saying: "Passion obscures reality, and leads people astray."

Thank you paul ~ Upon further reflection, it occurred to me that there is one very important exception to the above rule: remorse. Remorse is a psychological force which we must come to terms with. The I Ching teaches us that remorse is a vital part of genuine spiritual practice. If we have something to be remorseful about, then we must exercise ourselves in that way. And the genuine tears of remorse will produce happiness.

Looks like a good read! Thanks.

The above advice was inspired by the following source:- Emotional Aspects If Energy is Negative /Deficient Wood (weak Liver energy): angry, frustrated, aggressive, stingy, violent, sly, hot-headed, explosive, obstreperous, tight, obsessed, obstinate, formalistic, utopian, competitive, antagonstic, arrogant, thoughtless, petty, jealous, resentful. ( The above text is quoted from Five Elements, Six Conditions: A Taoist Approach to Emotional Healing, p. 141 ) Now, based on the above, it appeared likely there was a deficiency or weakness in the liver, producing the negative energy of anger. Thus, the advice to cleanse or detoxify the liver and strengthen its wood element by ingesting wood element foods. However, restoring balance is the main objective, so excessiveness should be avoided.

But from where do thoughts arise? Like movement and stillness, thoughts come and go. But from where do they come, and to where do they go? If thoughts make sex, then what is thoughtless sex? How thoughtless of you. If thoughts lead us astray, then they must not be encouraged. In order to practice internal discipline, and govern the thoughts, one must break the emotional attachments to them. These attachments are called passions. To master and overcome passion, the acts which create it must be either abandoned, or radically curtailed at the very minimum. Sex is the greatest among these. Heaven is easy and Earth is simple. The easy and the simple are qualities of the flexible mind. Spiritual practice is about being flexible; knowing how to change and adapt to situations, good and bad alike. The subtle is simple and innocent; without intent or passion, like our Mother Nature. Natural sex is modelled after the innocence and passionless simplicity of Mother Earth. If one is able to express sexuality with innocence, or dispassionately, then it does not cause you to deviate from the Tao. If one can maintain harmony with the Great Way, there is no pressing need to abandon the practice. But you are free. The objective is to completely realize the Tao, and whatever is obstructing the completion or fulfillment of that must be dissolved away, and broken through. This is basic practice, I would think. Who is complicating it?