adept

I have to agree with this. I've just finished reading it and have found it to be an excellent manual on meditation. I had also tried to understand the Wilhelm/Jung version but it proved to be a non starter for me. The Cleary translation and commentary is VERY accessible and easy to understand. The differences are startling. Wilhelm's talks about a MCO/energy type of practice, whereas Cleary's terms his translation as 'turning the light around', a mind looking inward. Fascinating and totally compelling reading.

ABUNDANCE Sun in heaven. Abundance in great measure. Supreme success In the midst of impermanence. The midday sun in summer is the hottest and brightest of all. It symbolizes a zenith, a fulfillment, a period of great brightness. In the affairs of people, it stands for the combining of strength and clarity, which yields brilliance. When the times are in accord, abundance cannot be opposed. The period of abundance is a time for vigorous action. Bright light shines not only on the good but on the bad as well. Therefore, when evil is revealed, all good people must oppose it. Pluck it out by the roots and energetically promote the good. Abundance is a cause for celebration, but followers of Tao also remember to be cautious. No zenith can be preserved forever. In fact, the time of abundance just precedes an inevitable path of decline. Nothing in life is permanent. Therefore, the wise person enjoys and is gladdened by abundance. But while they take advantage of the time, they also prepare for what will follow.

You raise some very interesting points. I have come to similar contradictions of late, it's just I find it hard to put into words what I actually DO think. You have worded your posts very well, much better than I could of. Maybe this doubt that we have can be a catalyst for finding what the hell it's really all about. Thanks for your posts. I'm enjoying reading them.

I like this too. Simple and without all that extra baggage of other 'systems'.

I was about to say the same. It seems to be more confusing than I originally thought.

Excellent thread! I haven't a clue either. I've given up trying to be 'enlightened'. I just try to live my life the best way I can.

Great video. I remember watching this on TV a couple of years ago. Part of a series on world religions by the BBC. Taoism

Hua Shan plank walk

IMMIGRANT Magic doesn't work in this new place. Native poetry has lost rhythm and rhyme, Familiar food is labeled a curiosity, And hostile stares replace familial love. To be an immigrant Is to be solitary in the midst of millions. Immigrants travel from their native lands for many reasons, but in general, they all involve expectations for a better life. For this, they will risk uncertainty, exploitation, discrimination, hostility, poverty, and sometimes even separation from family. Those who survive develop an inner fortitude and determination that sees them through their suffering. The preservation of spirituality is as much a concern as anything else. Spirituality, except in its highest stages, has a definite cultural context. (There is spirituality that takes its power from the land, culture, and time -- that is why most types of magic will not work outside their native lands; there is spirituality that one carries within oneself, and there is a rare spirituality which transcends all time and place.) Immigrants try either to maintain their native beliefs or to adopt the beliefs of their host country. The first option is difficult : They are in a culture incompatible with their native beliefs and will sustain their spirituality only if it was already strongly established. In the second case, where immigrants adopt the host country's spirituality, they must learn an entirely new system. In either case, immigrants must cope with the problems of conflict between two cultures, until they reach a spiritual stage where cultural references become meaningless.

FORM At first, form is needed. Then doubt and inhibition must be dispelled. Eventually, form is celebrated with joy, And expression becomes formless. In all fields of endeavor, including spirituality, one must start out with certain structures, procedures, and forms. Even though one admires the seemingly effortless virtuosity of the masters, it will take some time before one can reach that level. Take dance, for example. The novice student must drill constantly on the basics, isolating each step and movement with meticulous attention. Although the emphasis on structure may add to the beginner's inhibition, it must be done. Eventually, the dancer will learn to let go. The steps will have become a natural part of movement. Then dance can be celebrated joyously. Our now mature dancer may even dance in a way that seems so spontaneous, so magical, that it will seem formless -- or more precisely, the form will emerge with fluidity, grace, originality, and beauty. The same is true of spirituality. At first, all the restrictions and practices seem quite constricting. Eventually, you reach a stage where meditation flows quite spontaneously. Every day is new, fresh, and full of wonderful insights. The beauty of the world then shows itself as it is, doubts fade away, and the banality of ordinary life is replaced by the awe and grandeur of the soul. This is true formlessness.

ABSOLUTE They say, "You are god." But everyone is. They say, "All is god." Then why are there differences? They say, "All is an illusion." But does that include god? Those who follow Tao declare that there is no evidence that a god created our world. They have not found any empirical proof, and they cannot accept the idea philosophically. They reason that god must be absolute and this means oneness, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. Naturally, anything separate and distinct would not satisfy this criteria. If there was a god and a world that god created, then there would be two things -- and god could not then be considered absolute. If there were an absolute god, there could not be anything separate from god. Everything is god. We are also god. However, we fail to realize this. Why? Because we look for god outside of ourselves. We make the mistake of taking ourselves as the viewer and then seek god as the object of our examinations. Unfortunately, everything we perceive is tainted by our subjectivity, and anything that we define as god "out there" cannot be god because it is not absolute. All you've found is something that exists in relation to your perceptions. You are god. The only way to confirm this is to remove the barrier of subjectivity that prevents you from realizing your essential oneness with all things.

VARIATION Never jump out of the same hole twice. We all yearn for success. Not just the success of money, prestige, or power -- the simple success of having things work. If you have a hobby like gardening, you love to see your flowers respond to your care. If you are in school, you want to master your courses. If you are a scientists, you look for results from your experiments. All of us want to be successful. But once you hit on something that does work, it takes great courage to keep going beyond your limits. This is especially obvious in creative fields such as art, music, and writing. It is hard to reach an appreciative audience; once you find something that works, it is hard to let go of it. You keep doing the same thing, like musicians who make a career of performing the same tune. But no matter what your field of endeavor, you mustn't do that. Don't jump out of the same hole twice. You may not be as materially successful, but you will be more successful on a larger level. Spirituality is creativity. Only with creativity can you have the power to follow Tao. Only with creativity can you remold your personality into a spiritual vehicle. Only with a great breadth of variation can you follow the constantly changing Tao. Therefore, when following Tao, don't cling to methods and dogma. Be spontaneous.

TRAP Age is covered with cosmetics, Gray hidden with dye, Confidence is sought in men, Awareness deferred for the future. She toils on her job, Enduring tension and fatigue, Subsisting on tranquilizers, Pinning futile hopes on her children. Many people allow themselves to be trapped into a miserable life. When we see this, we might think "How tragic," but in actuality, they did it to themselves. We should all know how our lives are going, for we need only track the decisions that confront us every day. There are people who think that it does not matter what they do. Or they shrug that they are victims of circumstance. That does not justify an unhappy life. Illness, stress, divorce, maladjusted children, and fear of death trap us. Those who follow Tao do not want to end up in this way. They want to be free. They do not want to be victims. Therefore, although it is a difficult path, they constantly seek to expand the parameters of their lives. They do not suffer to be exploited or enslaved, and they will eschew what is considered "normal" in order to be happy.

ESSENCE When admiring a painting, Don't examine the paint. When meeting an artist, Don't look at the brush. Searching for life in the mechanics of cells and molecules is like trying to appreciate a painting by analyzing the paint. It might be interesting in a narrow way, but the true point is to grasp the idea that the painting conveys. Why concern yourself exclusively with the mechanics of a situation? That is like seeking an artist's genius in the brushes; it is the mind of the artist, not the tools, that is responsible for the beauty of a painting. In the same way, the nature of life cannot be merely understood as the interplay of mechanistic forces. It may only be comprehended by taking in the essence behind the physics, chemistry, biology, math, and other scientific outlooks. All too frequently, we become so mesmerized by life's details that we fail to comprehend the whole. The essence of life shall never be known by a human being as long as that person seeks to observe life like viewer and subject. The absolutely essential nature of life can only be comprehended by merging fully with the flow of life, so that one is utterly a part of it.

Xabir 2005, your wisdom shines through in your posts. You are very well mannered and courteous and obviously have a great deal of experience in these matters. I have learned a lot just from reading your posts in this thread. Thank you very much.

EVOLUTION Organic molecules from cosmic clouds, Millions of years in the midst of eternity. We sprang from the primordial; Our spirituality came in the evolution. There is strong evidence that human beings evolved from basic early molecules. Those molecules were formed from the gases and birth processes of the stars and planets. Those stars and planets were in turn formed by the first movement of the universe. That first moment of the universe came from nothingness. So we are on the crest of a certain wave of evolution. Narrowing it down to the human situation from the cosmic, our minds represent the ultimate expression of who we are. Further, spirituality is the ultimate expression of the mind. One might say, therefore, that spirituality is not a belief, mental construct, or opinion. Rather, it can be considered a function or outgrowth of evolution. If spirituality is simply a function of life, the edge of a cosmic ripple, then where is it going? We don't know. Like the universe, it is still expanding into unknown territory. We can decide to cooperate and go with that wave, or we can ignore our spirituality and thereby ignore one of the basic meanings of being human. If we choose to engage in the full process of being human, then we will truly fulfill our part in the universe's evolution.

As Bruce Lee said in Enter The Dragon- "Boards don't hit back" I've never seen the point of breaking objects. It doesn't prove a thing. Kids break stuff in TKD classes all the time.

Not sure about that. There have been literally hundreds of threads over the years on meditation at these forums. It's probably the most talked about practice here. Take your time and learn about all the different types and their effects. There are lots of safe meditations that can be learned by yourself. Good luck on your practice.

I read about Hua Shan years ago and made myself a promise to visit there one day. That has yet to become a reality, but someday .... I believe some of our board members have been.

I think a lot of people on these boards could learn from this. Me included (bows humbly).

SCORN Why do you scorn others? Can it be that you are that proud? No matter how accomplished you are, There are people ahead of you and behind you. All beings on the path, All victims of the same existence, All with body, mind, and spirit. No one is better than the next person. Help others for all the times that you have been ignored. Be kind to others, for all the times that you have been scorned. The journey of humanity is the journey from ignorance to enlightenment. It's like an endless march of souls through eternity. If you are standing in an infinitely long line of souls, how can you say that your position is superior to others? When there is no head and no end to the line, it doesn't matter what place you hold. Therefore it is foolish to look down on those standing behind. They now occupy the place where you once stood. Instead of pride, you should feel compassion. If you cannot remember this, then just think of all the people ahead of you. You aspire to their place, and you should work diligently. There is injustice in this world, yes. But there is no need to add to it. When you see someone less fortunate than you, express compassion. When you see someone more advanced than you, try to learn from them. Any other feelings are superfluous.

I know, I'm just joshing with you all.

I know, but if I moan often enough, we may get it to 12 pages or more. :D

So did anybody watch the film ??? Talk about going off on a tangent ! I don't know why I bother. If I started a thread on B****ism or special powers it would be like 12 pages long by now. I'm outta here.