Ryan T.

Search out a good teacher. You can learn quite a bit from books and dvds but a good teacher will help you guide you down a path. I have had many breakthroughs on my own but only because I had someone I was working with that could answer questions as they came up. Even if you can only meet with someone once a month or less it will be better than not having that guide. My studies relate more to Taiji but Qigong is a huge part of it as well. I do not know of teachers in your area but I am sure others will chime in with recommendations. Good luck!

x2. But I'm going to wait a bit. Right now it looks like it did over here a week ago.

I mainly use my chi to protect my shoes from those wintery salt and snow stains. Works way better that ScotchGuard and way more eco!

Who said leave? Why not just cultivate/meditate/watch/listen/be? Nobody said you were harming. You just seem so unhappy and frantic over things that, you at least seem to believe, are beyond your control. Just relax. And I mean that on a whole host of levels. And just an aside to something above. You say you "are really a loving and compassionate man" and this may be true. Do your actions and words prove this out? Life is about action. I used to think a lot higher of myself but then I realized my words and actions were hurting people. I know my words and actions still hurt people sometimes but now I am much more aware of how and what I say and to who. Can a person be truly loving and compassionate but still filled with anger? I tried to think that way and it just didn't work. Like I said before, maybe this is the universe saying take at look at yourself. Most of the change in my life has been preceded by self-inflicted pain. You may be in a totally different place but the things you say and the way you say them lead me to believe otherwise.

Are you this angry in real life or just on the internet?

So I still don't understand what Sean can do about it. It sounds like you either need a new machine or to not use your current machine. And from what I have seen about the internets, you really can't ask or tell someone not to respond to a thread. If you want non-involvement of certain peoples in your life you need to not post in the first place. I really do hope you get everything sorted out. But as a friendly(honestly) suggestion, look at what you are doing to find yourself in such conflict. I would imagine that is maybe part of why you are on TaoBums to begin with. It is definitely something I am always looking at in my spiritual life. Go back and read a bunch of your previous posts. Try to look at them as if they were written by someone else. Do they come off as even-keeled? Or do they seem to come from someone who is maybe a wee bit angry or maybe something else? Look at all your Mak Tin Si posts. You seemed totally hostile towards the guy. Granted I don't agree with him on a lot of things, you seemed to be a little more pissed than someone should be at some guy from the internets. Anyway, I really do hope you find some peace for your troubles.

I can definitely understand what you are saying. But if it was me, and I know you ain't asking, I would take it as a sign from the universe that I shouldn't be on the computer. Maybe this is the universe saying: "Hey Goss- Take some time away from people and do a little self-reflection. It's okay to be alone for a while. The world will still be there when you get back. Good luck!" And you are right that Sean might find something. But if this guy is a powerful as you say is there really anything Sean could do about it? Doesn't seem like it.

So how does an open letter to Sean solve any of this? If the "Feds" aren't doing anything, what makes you think Sean can stop this guy from doing whatever he wants, whenever he wants? I just don't understand why you would continue to use forums/the internet/computers if this person has this much power over you in that realm. It's all very confusing to say the least. And because you continue to use forums/the internet/computers in spite of these "problems" you are having, you come off like a crackpot. Maybe just turn the computer off and read a book or do some meditation.

"And can be yours for only 3 easy payments of $29.95!" Please...enough!

I resolve to: 1. Be more conscientious in my words and actions. 2. Strive to let my T'ai-chi practice be a part of my daily life. 3. Read more and compute less. 4. Focus more on what I need and less on what I want. 5. Listen more and talk less.

For a Taoist, MTS sure likes to get into conflict. He reminds more and more of the bad elements of Christianity. "Believe me because I know." "I know because I have the true faith" "You can't question me nor will I answer your questions because you do not have the "true faith" and as such could not understand any "deeper" answer I might give." "If you really had the "true faith" you would know to trust what I say as the "true word"." I hope some resolution to these issues with this member can be found.

He already has his own place...Here. He just chooses to post in the main Taoist discussion forum. More and more I think there should be a religious Taoist forum for posts such as his. As an aside. Something I have been thinking lately is about staying out of conflict. For a Taoist, MTS sure seems to put himself at odds with things, at least as far as these forums/members of these forums are concerned. I don't understand why a Taoist, religious or otherwise, would want to put themselves at the center of such storms. Maybe that is something else that is different about religious Taoism that I just don't understand because of my reduced learnings?!

Thanks. I love new ideas in physics.

"I pity the FU."

I thought it was Money, then FU.

Who are we to say that George Bush's spiritual experiences are more or less than anyone else's spiritual experiences? I said he was a good Christian at heart. All people go off track for one reason or another at some point. Don't think I am justifying what he has done. But just because you may not like his actions or what he stands for does not in any way invalidate his spiritual experiences. And from some of my Christian friends, considering who they were before they became Christians, I'd have to say they had genuine mystical experiences. And they and the world are better off for it. Who are we to judge? And I think we start to split hairs when we put faith vs. hope. They are not too far apart, if at all.

Just as I think that sword-fighting should be mandatory for high school graduation. If everyone carried a sword and did not know what level another was at, I think the world would be a safer place. Unfortunately, many people have "inner experiences" based on faith. You look at George Bush. He was asked why he believed in Jesus. His answer was something like "because he changed my heart". Which considering his hellion youth is probably a good thing. Now here's the rub. I think George Bush is a good Christian...at heart. Overall I think he is probably a decent person. Unfortunately, for us(and the Iraqis) he is suffering from PTSD from 9/11 that it has separated him from his more compassionate self. That coupled with the fact that he surrounded himself with power-hungry manipulators has led to a perfect storm of faith gone wrong. So even "inner experiences" can be twisted. I like to see people following the principles of their religion as their focus rather than pointing out what others should or should not be doing. Personal karma vs. unbending dogma. And unfortunately religion and faith cannot be unwound from each other. Even in Buddhism you have to have faith that your practice will lead to a goal(contentedness, a quiet mind or whatever).

I absolutely agree. But my point is that it is not the religions fault. It has everything to do with people manipulating the religion for their own, generally selfish, purposes. It is my firm belief that the religions of the world on balance have resulted in more peace, happiness and harmony than not. I do not believe Maher would be open to seeing the possibility those good things as it contradicts the faith he has in his own ideas.

Although I see the point you are trying to make I have to disagree with your examples. Just as Maher tries to use religious extremists to "prove" his points. Ramming planes into buildings had nothing to with religion. Sure it was put under the guise of religion. Ultimately if those 9/11 attackers had the opportunity to work and find contentment/self-respect in their home countries they would have never been so disenfranchised that they would act out in such a way. And in an even larger context, I don't believe any of the "jihadists" that have been so news-worthy of recent years have anything to do with religion. They just want to turn the clock back 1,000 years. It is really more about control than anything else. And a person might say "but if it weren't for religion they wouldn't have been able to manipulate such hopeless, disenfranchised peoples", but that also can be said about vice, politics and the military. Same thing with burning witches at the stake. Those women were either killed because they were talking lunacy(ergot growing on their bread) or because they were women that might speak their minds(an affront to the Church). So it can be said religion and faith is the problem but these things are not isolated to religion. IMO, it is more about power and control.

I liked Tao of Tea's jasmine when I used to do bulk and produce for a previous employer.

I missed nothing. You seem to be the one missing something...maybe a mirror to look at your self with. Just because you don't agree with someone else's criticism doesn't mean it is not valuable or accurate for that matter. And as far as I have seen, MTS has no problem sticking up for himself. In fact, I see threads like this a counter-balance to MTS's FU threads. Dark without light and all that stuff!

But he sure does like to interview extremists in order to "prove" his points.

There may be some benefit to it for sure. But I do like the amount of activity we have been seeing. Ego aside, it is good to see people taking ownership in the places they visit.

I do agree with some of the points that he makes but unfortunately he is not a seeker and chooses to dismiss all religions of the world as being the root of all evil. Just as many "fundamentalist" types are not open to ideas, Bill Maher seems to be just as closed off from alternative ideas. Especially considering he got a lot of those people to talk to him based on the falsehood that he was exploring the ideas of the different faiths. When in reality he was only out to prove his own predetermined agenda. Very "Borat" of him!

Most of the "hanger on" replies, IMO, actually softened what the OP started with. And MTS intentions do seem to be quite good. But that is the beauty of a relatively open forum, we all get to have our opinions. MTS gets to make his numerous FU posts and others get to make posts about how MTS's FU posts are annoying/getting in the way of other things they want to see. And you get the opportunity to "dress down" those who you either disagree or are disappointed with. I figure it just brings more flavor to the soup! We are all going somewhere and we seem to be going together...like it or not!