adept

CLARITY Can you see a sound? Can you hear light? Can you unite your senses? Can you turn inward? What we are all seeking is clarity. Forget about religious rationalizations. Forget about elaborate explanations. What we all want is clarity. What we abhor is ignorance. Ignorance confuses us, brings us misfortune and sorrow, and makes us miserable. If we have clarity, then we can live with equanimity. It is a misconception that spirituality brings everlasting happiness. There is no such thing. Sadness still comes to the wise, but, unlike most people, their clarity of mind allows them to see beyond the temporal emotionalism of the moment. They are farseeing, and so happiness and sorrow become the same to them. True clarity is more than just being smart, more than just being wise. Clarity manifests from meditation. It comes when you can unite all the faculties of the mind and unify them into a magnificent light of perception. It is hard to talk of this in anything but mystical terms. Our language is unfamiliar with the frontiers of the spirit because few have ever seen those limits, let alone described them. But let's try. If you unite sound with vision, then you will create light. That light is the concentrated force of the mind. It is by that brightness that truth is revealed.

Thanks for opening this topic up Stigweard, I think it needed to be done. I am one who has voiced concern repeatedly on the highjacking of threads by Vaj and his cohorts. So much so, that I think I have only hurt myself and my own feelings in the process. The last few days I've had chance to think things over. The Tao Bums is a wonderful place, populated with some great folks. It would be a shame if it was ruined by a minority who constantly claim superiority over others viewpoints and experiences. I think this new policy ought to be brought in, to protect members who may be put off from posting.

ACCOMPLISHMENT The more you cultivate, The more you accomplish. Why doubt? When distance separates you from others, They cannot overtake you. In the beginning of training, it may seem as if you are doing very little. You compare yourself to your teachers and to more accomplished people, and you may despair at every reaching their levels. But if you are diligent, then it is inevitable that you will make something of yourself. Once you reach such a plateau, you will be able to relax a bit and contemplate where you are on your journey. One of the most refreshing things to realize is that you now have something that no one can take away from you. Spirituality is yours to keep, yours to touch. No one else can gain access to it, yet this precious accomplishment can sustain and guide you. If will give you increased health, and it will give you knowledge that you could not gain through normal means. Once you tap into this source, you have gained a foothold on the spiritual path. Uncertainty will not plague you. Who can argue with you? You have seen it yourself. So once you have reached this milestone on your journey, it is proper to rejoice a little, indulge in a little contentment. Then take up the journey once again.

The title of this thread was 'Daoist Sitting in Oblivion vs Xstian Apophatic Prayer Are they one and the same???' Another thread ruined it seems.

INVISIBILITY Invisibility is the best advantage. But if forced to a confrontation, Come out with all your skill. There was once a roadside vendor who sold rheumatism formulas to the passersby. He was a cheery old man who was faithfully at his spot for years. One day a young bully began to harass the vendor. The old man tried very hard to avoid the confrontation, but eventually the bully became convinced that he had a coward to abuse as he pleased. When the moment of attack came, the old man defeated him with superior boxing skills. Significantly, the old man was never seen again. He had manifested his superiority at a critical moment, but once he had exposed himself, he disappeared. In this competitive world, it is best to be invisible. Go through life without showing off, attracting attention to yourself, or making flamboyant gestures. These will only attract the hostility of others. The wise accomplish all that they want without arousing the envy or scorn of others. They make achievements only for the sake of fulfilling their inner yearnings. Yet it is inevitable that you will have to prove yourself at one time or another. When that is necessary, then you must marshal all your skills and do your very best. Prove yourself when it is demanded, and when you must prove yourself, be superior. At that moment, it is no time to talk of philosophy and humility. Act. Do. Then fade back into invisibility.

I have been learning some Yiquan recently and have been contemplating dropping my xingyi altogether. I would really like to focus all my MA training on one art. IMHO Yiquan is an absolutely incredible martial art and way of life in general. It really is the pinnacle of internal martial arts cultivating strength, speed, elasticity, whole body power and is an excellent way of re-training the mind. It's also bloody hard work ! Genius. Can't wait for my next lesson.

The Six Harmonies Of Xingyiquan. The unity between Mind and Intention, Intention with Qi, and the Chi with Power is referred to as "The Three Internal Harmonies". The unity between the palm and the foot, the elbow and knee, and the shoulder and hip joints is called "The Three External Harmonies". This means that the palm is always above and correlated with the foot - when one moves, the other also moves with it. When one stops, the other also stops. While performing any movement, there should always be harmony between the Internal and the External.

UNEXPECTANT Meditate with no thought of gain. Expect no ambitions to be fulfilled; Only then will the inner force manifest. In the competitive world, we give expression to our ambitions, shrewdness, and aggressiveness. We must do this to survive. In the meditative world, we cannot use these attitudes. What works well on the outside will not serve us on the inside. When we meditate, we must expect no gain. If we look for results, then those results will elude us. In contrast, if we suspend our ambitions, then the results will manifest very quickly. It may sound like absurd mysticism, but it is an undeniable, empirical truth. If you have no expectations, you will feel the divine. If you strive and have selfish desires, then you will feel only frustration. When the mind is occupied with meditating for gain, it creates a barrier to precisely the results that you want. Spirituality is a mode that is far beyond the machinations and imaginations of the rational mind. It is created by an aspect of the mind that is not a part of everyday thought. In fact, the part of the mind that brings spirituality is very nearly antithetical to the common ways that we think. Therefore, we can only reach this type of spirituality by suspending our everyday thinking.

I will continue to post because of the kind messages from some of you. I'll take Marblehead's advice, not to get involved in pointless arguments, or religious debates. Thanks.

I've deleted all my Buddhist related posts. You and your cohorts on this forum have beaten me to death with your fundamentalist preaching and claims of superiority. Your 'Death is an illusion of perception' quote was the final nail in the coffin for me. It's disgusting. I have no further interest in Buddhism or religions of any sort. I'm also considering quitting this forum altogether. I'll have to have a long think if I want to be part of this.

I agree that traits from my ancestors are present in me. There are also traits of mine in my children. But that is not 'me'. We all have separate lives and are different individuals. My ancestors are physically dead. The quote 'Death is an illusion of perception' is an ignorant and foolish thing to say, especially to those who have lost loved ones. I'm sorry, but it makes me angry and quite upset. These are the emotions that make me human I'm afraid. What are these 'other ways of verifying' that you speak of ?

Well, all my grandparents are dead, as are there ancestors before them. That's all the proof I need. Actually it's not dogmatic, it's provable. They are dead Where is your proof of the afterlife. Nobody has come back from death and talked about it. I don't want to hear quotes from 'holy' books either.

A poem on Sitting In Oblivion. In a thatch hut all day I sit and forget opportunities, Peacefully listening to the flowing spring my worries are lost. Beyond the mountains and stars the birds have all returned, I am imbued with poetic thoughts of flying into the clouds. Lou Xinhu (1880-1950）

Whaaaat! Death is death, the end of life. Period. When you die, you die. It is belief in a rebirth or afterlife that keeps the coffers of religious institutions overflowing. Buddhism is a religion of death, of what happens in the next life, and if you don't adhere to precepts(commandments in Christian faith), then you'll be reborn in hell or an animal, or a hungry ghost, etc etc. Horseshit. Try saying "Death is an illusion of perception" to the mother who has lost her child. How foolish.

APPEARANCES Some look fierce, but are mild. Some seem timid, but are vicious. Look beyond appearances; Position yourself for the advantage. Without experience, we are easily fooled by appearances. A large man speaks loudly, so we judge him crass and belligerent, but he may turn out to be quite kind. If we approach him defensively, we may not notice his good points. On the other hand, when we meet a petite and quiet woman, we may become complacent in our attitude. If she turns out to be a treacherous person, our laxity contributes to our victimization. Sometimes people are exactly as they appear. Other times, they are only showing camouflage. Humans, like animals, have different strategies for survival. Coloring, movement, scent, and so on are all ways in which animals practice deception. People are no different. They promise a great many things, but they seldom come through. They proclaim lifelong friendships, and yet they never return again. They promise you many things, but they are only looking for a way to take advantage of you. We must learn to clearly discern the personalities of others in spite of the facades they project. Position yourself in the most advantageous way at all times. Use experience to pierce the trickery of others. That is the right way to cope with appearances.

He has probably turned a lot of people off his form of Buddhism. I know some Buddhists personally, away from these online debates, and they would NEVER knock anyone's practice or claim superiority over another.

Here we go again ! This thread is about zuowang vs christian prayer. Why ruin it with your supposed 'superior' views. Get off your soapbox man.

CHOOSING One side of a ridge is cold and foggy, The other is hot and dry. Just by choosing where you stand, You alter your destiny. Those who follow Tao talk of destiny. They define destiny as the course or pattern of your life as it spontaneously takes shape. They do not think of destiny as a preordained set of circumstances. There is no rigid script for this mad stage that we are on. Those who follow Tao then talk of location. By this, they mean something as literal as where you situate your house or where you stand politically. They think that these factors are very important. Let us imagine for moment that you had a job offer in another city far from where you were born. You move there with your family. Do you think that your life would change? We can refine this perception : If you went to a certain school, you would be educated differently. If you went into a different profession, it would change your outlook. If you lived in one neighborhood or another, you would be a different person. Every choice you make changes you. No matter how minor or how great, you must make choices each and every minute that passes. The irony of life is that it is a one-way journey. You cannot go back, you cannot make comparisons by trying one way and then another. There are no double-blind studies when it comes to your own life. Therefore, only wisdom will suffice to guide you.

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How coincidental these forums are. I'm currently recovering from keyhole surgery to repair a hernia. Laying off the physical stuff for a couple of weeks, but the upside of it is, that I've got more time to devote to meditation.

No, we all know who they are. The fundamentalist, preaching type. :lol:

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INTERNALIZING People think they don't have to learn, Because there is so much information available. But knowledge is more than possessing information. Only the wise move fast enough. The amount of information available to day is unprecedented. In medieval times a few volumes could form an encyclopedia of all known facts, or a despot could control his subjects simply by isolating or destroying a library. Now information is available to us in tidal proportions. Some people take a lethargic approach to this enormity. They feel that if there is so much at hand, they do not need to actually learn anything. They'll go out and find it when they need it. But life moves too fast for us to rely on this laziness. Just as the flow of information has increased exponentially, so too has the pace of decision making accelerated. We can't be passive; we have to internalize information and place ourselves precisely in the flow. It has been stated that the average human being utilizes 10 percent of his or her mental capacity. A genius uses only 15 percent. So we definitely have the capacity to keep up -- if we unlock our potential. This requires education, experience, and determination. One should never stop learning, never stop exploring, never stop going on adventures. Be like the explorers of old. What they acquired for themselves will always surpass those who merely read about their exploits.