dwai

And that is a proven fact or is it only your opinion? None of the Dharmic traditions claim to be the "ONLY" way -- exclusivism is unique to abrahamic religions.

not true of all religions (especially those which follow Dharma traditions)

To facilitate interfaith harmony, we have to first ensure that there is mutual respect between the faiths. Without this, there can be no harmony. This is hard though...but is what is needed. I will give an example in the case of Interfaith Dialog between Christians, Moslems and Hindus (in the second most populous nation in the world) -- For a Christian or a Moslem to respect the faith of a Hindu: * means having to accept and respect the fact that the Hindu worships his deities in the form of Idols. * means having to refrain from proselytizing, since mutual respect would mean acceptance that the other faith(s) is also a valid way to connect with the divine * mutual respect would imply that some faiths' insistence on their exclusivity would have to be discarded, since if you respect another faith, that would mean you accept it as another valid way to connect with the divine

Qi is cultivated in order to go back to the source. In order to go back to the source, one has to re-discover it within. In order to rediscover this (Te), one has to first learn to feel Qi, store/restore Qi in the Dan tien and eventually reconnect with the Te. The Te then will connect with the Tao. What is there without Qi? Qi animates everthing in this creation.

Isha does not mean Christ in Sanskrit. Isha means Master or Lord. For instance, A God is referred to as "Jagadish" (etymology -- Jagat (World) and Isha (Lord) -- meaning Lord of the World). I read this extrapolation first in a book titled "Jesus was Born in India" first and how there were references to "Isha" (thus Ishamasi or Jesus the Messiah). This is a huge error of translation (can be considered fraudulent at an extreme).

The Maya and Karma Conundrum The link above points to an article I'd written while back, on this matter. Perhaps it will add to this interesting discussion...

What or Who is Satan?

Been wrestling with that for a long time. In Sanskrit, Ego is called Ahamkara (Aham -- I or me and Kara -- sense of or feel of). Ahamkara therefore stands for the Feel for or the Sense of I. It is also known as the "I"-maker. It's role is to reinforce regular mundane reality and is part of the social immune system, without which a human being would be completely dysfunctional and incompatible with the rest of "society". As a result one will see, that those who live closer to nature (Hermits, renunciates, animals, etc) have no sense of Ego or perhaps a limited sense.

Dhyana means to focus the mind on something. Samadhi is a state one attains as a result of this dhyana. Don't get caught up in labels...just meditate.

Yoga is Yoga. These labels people ascribe to it (Hot Yoga, Cold Yoga, etc) are complete BS. Yoga is an eight-limbed path, as defined in Rishi Patanjali's composition - The Yoga Sutras. Every other practice that is mentioned is an offshoot of this practice (of 8 limbs of Yoga). Depending on the nature of the practitioner, some limbs might come easier to him/her than others. The practitioner would be well advised to not dwell on labels, but on the practice itself. Also, for serious practitioners, a "Guru" (Dispeller of Ignorance) is very essential. There is only so far one can go without a guide.

Use them together...though Raja Yoga is a combination of the 8 limbs of Yoga (per Patanjali). use your bhakti (devotion/sincerity) to pursue your Hatha practice and learn to meditate. Use your Jnana (Wisdom/intellect) to discern good from bad, right from wrong and follow right action to negate your Karmic debts/influences.

The existent is one, the wise ones call it by different names. Tao = Brahman Sat (existent) = Yang Asat (non-existent) = Yin The Tao that can be named is not the real Tao = Nirguna Brahman Taoism is Hinduism, specifically Advaita Vedanta. There is no difference. While Advaita deals with the stage of union of Tao and Te (Brahman and Atman), while Yoga (Sankhya school of the 6 classical schools of darsana (or seeing) within the "Hindu" philosophical traditions) and Tantra deal with the transformational aspects of the Internal Alchemy. To practice Tao using Hindu way -- Start with Yoga, go to Tantra as your undergraduate and graduate study and then do your post-graduate in Advaita. Hinduism has been much dissected, vivisected, maligned, elevated by different people who looked at it with different lenses. It is very difficult to engage with some of the "statements" I've been reading on this thread. The seeker will find what he/she seeks in the Tao. The profane will find profanity, the pure will find purity. Tao doesn't qualify...Tao simply is. Brahman doesn't qualify, Brahman simply is. To learn more, take some time to read this old article of mine -- Nasadiya -- The Creation Hymn of Rig Veda

Dear unconditioned, The ultimate goal of Taoist Martial Arts is to unite with Pure Experiential, Unadulterated Truth (Tao). Martial Arts are just another "hook" to draw the subject in (albeit, it would seem that many folks don't get that). My teacher always says Tai Chi (same is true for all Taoist MA) can be done at three levels -- First level -- Physical Second Level -- Energetic Third Level -- spiritual He also stresses that there needs to be a balance between all three levels/layers. Also Martial Arts is the lowest form of Tao Gong practice...the highest is merging with Tao (or Internal Alchemy).

I have never seen a Jain practicing anything other than those within their own tradition (be it digambar or shwetambar). You will find the same thing echoed in the Vedic statement - "Ekam sat Vipraha bahuda vadanti" (The existent is one, different people call it by different names). But that doesn't mean it's good for the seeker to keep jumping from one branch to another. Consider this...When you haven't reached mastery within even one branch, how would you know it's time for you to change your branch? It is important to find a good lineage and a good teacher. It is important for the cup to be empty before it can be filled by a teacher. It is not for the reason of exclusivity that the sages recommended sticking to one system and learning it really well. It is to avoid what could be considered spiritual indigestion and heartburn. Infact the beauty of the Dharmic traditions (I consider Taoism to be one of these) is that there is no such claim to authenticity or exclusivity. They simply provide you a way -- if you follow it, you will reap the benefits.

The problem with the New Age movement is that it appropriates knowledge and repackages it (with intent to sell) without acknowledgment or with a dismissive attitude towards the source. Or worse, with charlatans posing to be "Masters" of this tradition of that. Instead of jumping around from one tradition to another like crows, one should focus on one system and continue down that line.

Thanks for sharing this. Have you heard of David Bohm (an American born Physicist who immigrated to England)? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bohm He was the first to propose the Holographic model (not just to the Universe, but that our brains are basically large holograms too). Also a good read would be the "Holographic universe" by Michael Talbot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Talbot)

Here's my limited understanding of this matter... The first phase is about physical alignments and movement of the forms. The second phase of practice is when the chi follows the yi (or the intention/mind). The third phase of practice is when the chi moves on it's own and moves you around (the mind is dropped). For application the mind is brought in again, but this time to direct the flow of energy.

Linga can be a mark of anything. A penis could be considered a mark of malehood. The Sanskrit word for penis is however shishna and not linga. To take this discussion to a logical conclusion -- even if you do find references (in Indic texts) to the word lingam to be specifically meant to indicate the penis, those are rare and are more than likely meant to refer to the organ as being a mark (as opposed to being the anatomical organ itself). That point aside, it is irresponsible to use the term as such, given that this is not a borrowed "cool" term from a dead tradition or culture but a loan word from a very much alive and thriving culture.

Dont let it dissuade you from your practice. It is a sly and sneaky operator..but if you stay detached and not give it importance, it will fade away into the background. When the chatter starts, you don't try to force yourself...instead simply don't latch on to the thoughts. If you wander, don't judge yourself...simply accept that you wandered and get back to doing what you were doing.

It is about the Energy, not about biology. Meat produces sloth (in Sanskrit, termed Tamas or inertia). That's why it is considered not good for people who want to progress spiritually. But not everyone's goal in life is for spiritual succor (though it should be). So, a balanced meal is probably okay. Like my teacher tells us -- "Not too much...Not too little" Moderation is the keyword. Some people need the grounding...Meat does that (due to it's tamasic nature). It is very necessary to go by Ayurvedic or TCM principles (because modern western medicine is infantile in many aspects, despite all it's technological advances -- because it lacks the knowledge of Chi).

But it does...aren't you reading and quoting off her translation?

I don't want to prolong this much further...my apologies to rodger for having distracted from the main theme of his query (which was about ejaculation) and soon the polemics will start flying. But my two cents worth (or two paisas, being Indian and all that)... Who told you Shiva is about Pure Masculinity? Have you heard of Ardhanariswar (The Half Man Half Woman Lord)? That is another aspect of Shiva revered and worshipped. In any case, Shiva isn't about Masculinity, he is about Consciousness. The Purusha-Prakriti duality isn't as much about Male-Female as it is about Consciousness-Energy (Yin and Yang if you may). See..you might view correcting someone's exacerbating a nasty problem (however unwittingly done it might be) "uptight". I consider it my duty (as an heir to the legacy of my ancestors). Anyway, what gives someone the freedom to take motifs and frameworks from other cultures, appropriating them or worse disfiguring them? Okay...rant over. I'm moving on...this forum is about Taoism, not Indology.

Dear Taoist81, The fact of the matter is that Lingam is never used to indicate the reproductive organ in India. Indians never think of it that way and those who use the Shiva Lingam for their spiritual or ritual practices don't consider it a "giant penis"! The fact of the matter is that this whole issue has gotten so obfuscated by Westerners that even though it does not have basis in reality, it has been forced to become one. I stand by my refutal of Wendy's translation or her "scholarship" for that matter.

The hardest for me is the "inner demons" that keep popping up...latent unfulfilled desires, psychoses that we suppress deep inside ourselves... I personally like Bruce's two books on the Water Method Meditations (Relaxing into your being and Inner Stillness)...and reading him was like listening to my teacher telling us stuff in the class...lots of overlaps between the two systems.