Camellia

The Dao Bums
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content count

    24

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Camellia

  2. Posted

    After a few weeks of not sitting I finally got on the cushion today. Why, I wonder, is everyone fine doing their own thing all day, paying me no mind at all, but as soon as the zafu comes out and I go to sit it's party time.

     

    Four cats and a 140 lb dog climbing and sniffing with both whiskers and tails in my face. I suppose absentmindedly petting the cats while continuing to focus on my breath is missing the point. I will try again tomorrow.

    • Like 3
    • Haha 1

  4. Posted

    On 2/22/2023 at 8:53 AM, Tom Beckett said:

    I wish though that I could actually feel the Dao like other people and learn to trust it like they do, though I am a novice and still have much to learn.

    For myself, I found that when I can "let go" of things - like, say, trying to control the outcome of a situation - I am more calm, relaxed, and able to be in the moment. That's when I feel more connected with the dao. So...releasing to advance, in a way, as counterintuitive as that sounds. I find it gets easier with practice. :)

     

     

    Side note, very cool to see so many AT goers here! I have spent a lot of time on the trail myself, mostly in and around the Shenandoah area. 

    • Like 2

  6. Posted

    I think simply being open to experiences is a good way to practice spontaneity. 

     

    My personal anecdote: I was picking up a few things at Target about a week ago and passed by a woman going in the other direction. I made a u-turn and caught up to her and stopped her just to compliment her long braid. It was beautiful! Thick and healthy and shiny, and I told her so. She in turn complimented *my* braid, and we spent about ten minutes just chatting about hair.  We were joking and laughing. It was totally random and unplanned, but we had a great conversation and then we went on our way.

     

    I have a lot of little spontaneous encounters like that because I make myself open to them. Like you said, it's a way of acting and responding in the moment without attachments. It also makes chores and errands a lot more interesting!

    • Like 4

  7. Posted · Edited by Camellia

    Oh one thing I thought I might add @Barnaby, many years ago I bought a book called "3 Bowls: Vegetarian Recipes from an American Zen Buddhist Monastery". I still have it and the recipes are quite good! You will probably have to scale down most of the recipes though - they are cooking for an entire monastery, haha. 

     

    There are also a bunch of little tidbits about Buddhist practice sprinkled throughout the pages. It's a really nice little book. 🙂

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 2

  12. Posted · Edited by Camellia

    32 minutes ago, Barnaby said:


    But does an insect necessarily have to die so I can eat my bowl of (organic, sorry CT 😉) oatmeal?

     

    Maybe so, as per CT’s post above…

     

    But I’d certainly never thought of it like that, hence the utility of this discussion 👍

    A personal experience of mine: a few years ago, I wanted a sweet potato for dinner, so I went out to the garden to dig one up. The first place my shovel landed was a well-hidden mouse nest. So, I got one sweet potato in exchange for the lives of six baby mice. Just illustrating how easy it is to inadvertently kill something when it comes to your food..

     

    I imagine how much this kind of thing is magnified on a larger scale.

    • Like 4
    • Sad 2

  13. Posted

    15 minutes ago, steve said:

     

    About 10 years ago my spouse and I made the decision to stop eating animals and birds.

    Our decision was based primarily on the horrific treatment of these creatures by our food industries.

    We recognize and acknowledge the fact that the seafood industry is also quite problematic and that our decision does not solve many problems. Some might call us hypocrites and of course industrial agriculture, even personal agriculture is not without a price.

    The important piece is that we both felt this to be an important change to make in our lives at the time and continue to honor it.

    I will occasionally eat animals or birds, a few times per year perhaps, and make an effort to be sure the meat is ethically sourced.

     

     

    A good example of what I meant earlier when I mentioned mindfulness vs perfection. 

    • Thanks 1

  14. Posted

    5 hours ago, Barnaby said:

    I’m curious about the nutritional aspects of this. How did you manage for protein and B12?

     

    For protein I had tofu, tempeh, seitan, and combinations such as beans and rice, or lentils etc. I supplemented b12 just through vitamins. I also got bloodwork done every year to make sure I was good with everything, and to be aware of any changes I needed to make nutritionally.

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 2

  15. Posted

    14 hours ago, C T said:

     

    Imo, ultimately, intention rather than action determines one's karmic equity.

     

    Lastly, the cultivation of vegetables also takes the lives of countless living beings. 

    Agree with both of these points. 

     

    17 hours ago, Barnaby said:

    In reflecting on the 8 precepts, it feels clearer and clearer that vegetarianism is the natural consequence for me of the first precept against killing.

     

    I’d be curious to know how fellow bums feel about this and apply it to their lives…

     

    Thanks in advance!

    As part of my ahimsa practice I was a vegan for over a decade. Ultimately, it didn't work for me. So I decided I wanted to be closer to my food and got a small farm. Interestingly, growing food has become a part of my spiritual practice. It's been a cool evolution. :)

     

    I think mindfulness is one of the best practices we can do when it comes to our food. Being mindful of where our food comes from, how it gets to us, how what we eat affects our body, etc. Just mindfulness, not perfection. We do the best we can with the tools that have been provided to us.

     

    That being said, I do think vegetarianism is a good practice and I still enjoy plenty of vegetarian meals each week. If taking that next step is something that aligns with you, then that's all that matters.

     

    • Like 5

  16. Posted · Edited by Camellia

    That's a beautiful painting you shared; it evokes such a calm feeling for me. I can see why you would be drawn to it! 

     

    I think almost any pursuit can be a spiritual practice based on how you engage in it, whether it be as mundane as folding laundry or a hobby like art or music. 

     

    There's a book called "The Tao of Watercolor" by Jeanne Carbonetti and while the style of art isn't Chinese, it talks about using playfulness and deliberateness to create balance and find flow in your painting, and it builds on Daoist concepts. If you decide to take up painting as part of your practice, you may find it useful. 🙂

    • Like 1

  21. Posted

    11 hours ago, Barnaby said:

    Xing yi, cool!

     

    Welcome!

    It's totally new to me but I'm really enjoying it!
     

    Thank you for the welcome, nice to meet you ☺️

    • Like 1

  23. Posted

    5 hours ago, Miffymog said:

    I've just been playing my ukulele this evening - they’re awesome!

    Ooh, another uke player, nice! Agree, they are great. I try to play mine a little each day. Hope you had a nice jam session! 🙂

    • Like 1

  24. Posted

    Nice to meet everyone. :)

     

    Okay so a bit about me...I first picked up a copy of the Tao Te Ching 25 years ago and fell in love with it. However, I never explored Taoism very much outside of that, and would put it aside and forget about it for a long time and then come back to it for a short time. Rinse and repeat for a couple decades. But no matter how long I stay away, I keep returning to the TTC; it still resonates just as much now as it did way back then, and I aim to stay with it permanently this time. 

     

    I've been practicing yoga for a long time, so am familiar with (the yogic versions of) meditation, breathwork, and energy cultivation. I just started qigong for the first time early last year and I absolutely LOVE it. Some things I'm interested in exploring are energy cultivation, longevity practices, and improving health. I'm excited to dive into different Taoist practices and to learn as much as I can.

     

    I live on a small homestead and like eating good clean food I grow myself. I also enjoy hiking, playing the ukulele, archery, and a good cup of tea. I recently started learning about medicinal herbs and practicing xing yi quan. I lean towards minimalism and simplicity. 

     

    Thanks for having me. I look forward to connecting with everyone :)

    • Like 5