宁

The whole point of doing ZZ in many traditions is to get out of one's head and get into one's body. When you listen to some external data flow, you remain being in your head negating the whole purpose of the practice. This is IMO and IME as well.

LOL no

That's how it has been interpreted for educated westerners (bulk of the 'daoist' crowd).

I used to watch movies and documentaries, and suggest people do the same when they first start, it's really a torture, especially after you get past the first 20 minutes or so.

After a few months to a year or so you can stand without distraction. Don't be greedy, wanting to get ALL the benefit all at once, It'll get you in your body regardless, you need some distraction to bear away the pain.

I've started experimenting, practicing the 99 form taolu (yes, Stig, it's the one you know, Chen Weiming lineage, learned here in China from a good teacher, actually I've been meaning to talk to you about the training, hope we can chat on messenger?),

I'm doing it fast, certain motions are slow, others explosive, still other piercing or crushing.

The monkey man is right, fights aren't slow.

乾坤定位，人物生焉。

Qian and Kun establish their positions (at creation of the world) so humans and things are born from there.

人物之生，亦来源于此炁。

at this birth of human and things also this qi originally comes.

second phrase: the birth (creation) of all men and things have this Qi as [point of] origin

I have to read Sun Lutang now

Turns out that once upon a time all Tai Chi was practiced swiftly. The "grand" master injured himself. When he recouped enough to start back practicing, he could only do the forms slowly as it hurt him to do them very fast. Everyone thought that the "grand" was doing something they didn't know about so they copied him. And now it is done slowly.

In reality I have seen Tai Jee done VERY fast, but only after it was learned.

LOL

In truth every form of the taiji (it's made out of individual shapes, 24, 36, 85, 99, 108...) is so complex in it's articulation, learning taiji is like learning to walk again. Differently.

garlic, well good, I was just preparing a special tincture

Someone close to me, an elderly person, is suffering from shortness of breath and exhaustion. Thinking of buying some Cordiceps, it alegedly improves this condition.

The first mention of the 'kidneys failing to graps the qi' just rang a bell for some reason. I'll study more into it.

It doesn't mean anything, it's an umbrella.

Interesting. I would love to hear more.

太极十年不出门

I don't know how to pronounce your name but, Hey You!, that was a fantastic post!!!

 

And I better not say anything else at the moment.

Call me Little1, Marbles. Somebody's enjoying my twisted humour, lol.

It is, absolutely egotistical, the spiritual thing to do is to let the other one mugg you, rape you, stab you or shoot you, because it's your Karma.

Don't worry, the Universe will take care of him, and if he kills you, your Karma is transferred to him, saving you countless rebirths, how neat is that! Don't worry, just dissolve into the Light, brother.

Plus you're freed from this meat cage, free to fly away and be with the angels on the higher planes.

Which I hope you actually do, you and all the people posting simmilar questions...

what is it exactly, from TCM point of view?

pfff, you make it sound like it's the same type of choice one makes between a ham sandwich and a cheeseburger, a turtle neck or a sweater, pasta or pizza...

damn consumerism

Good thread.

Are you familiar with Chinese spagyric methods, other than making simple teas or tinctures?

LOL

Andrei, iar pierzi timpul pe net cu habarnistii

In order for meditation to be efficiant you need to be in an extremely deep state. In order to get in an extremly deep state you need lots of time to sink deep enough. After years and years of this type lf meditation you eventually become much better at it and only need a short amount of time to enter it.

True!

Why not "work" to let other people's "winds" run right through you?

I'm too... dense like that not aspiring to become a saint either

IMHO the only gains you can count are the ones that let you enjoy your stay here on this beautiful earth, for other purposes what we need is not to gain, but to lose, the more you empty up, the closer you come to the emptiness that generates, allows, supports and destroys everything in existence.

wind (across the olfactory nerves) initiates motion (of throughtformenergy)

that's precisely why I'm avoiding group sessions lately,

other people's winds,

it will initiate more that thoughts though.

no beans before meditation, word

You mean I should stop flirting with strangers??

 

Your point is well taken. You are right - there is no need, if all is there. But at some point, Life becomes the Teacher. One may be exposed to things within another culture and there may be much benefit to it, to understanding it from a different POV. There is a place that we can sit that enables us to interact with all belief systems, the place of the One.

 

It seems that Life gives us what we need for growth, one day at a time. Personally, I draw from many traditions on any given day - don't think I'd like it much if I felt the need to stay within a particular structure.

 

There's something real nice about having a quilt of our own making. But that was just my path. You are absolutely right - to stick with one lineage of thought and see it through to its conclusion would certainly get you there. As long as it's a path that included self-realization.

Religion in fact (or thought system as others prefer it called) offers you a means to interpret what happens to you.

The more systems you mix up, the more confused the intepretations are, because even if they overlap on some points, there's alot of nuance that doesn't, the Devil is in the details i guess; so at some point it could be counterproductive...

By all means, look at the neighbours if you like to, I only meant to explain why others won't.

But I do, my nose is up their picket fences all the time, just because I can't take either of them too seriously. I just take care not to switch paradigms too casually, and respect them for what they are.

What is the benefit to a culture that refuses to look beyond its own borders?

Why would they need to? Religions that don't dismiss the practical and mundane, such as the two we're talking about are complete systems, you have all you need in there. Christians (open minded ones, not fundies) have to look to their neighbours alot, because we lost much of what helped us to deal with things we conjured up the gods for in the first place: the mundane, the daily wear and tear.... eschatology is important, I agree, yet the space between birth and death is an immense no man's land, there's very little in the Bible to help you with that.

If the religion you were born into were complete and addressed all the possible problems you may face in life in a positive and efficient manner (in their respective culture...), would you still look to the neighbours?

If your partner offers you what you need in life from a partner, would you still flirt with strangers?

But it seems to me that all Religions fit within Daoism (not speaking here of religious Daoism, but philosophical). Of any construct of thought (religion) that I've ever seen, they all fit within the very vague construct of Daoism. they fit within Daoism, but Daoism doesn't fit within their boxes.

 

Many of us have found Daoism just by coming across the DDJ, as in my case. Beyond that, I'm not sure that it's absolutely necessary to 'believe' in the mythology to work - the whole field of metaphysics picks up the slack.

What I've been noticing in China, in both Chinese Taoist and Indian Hindu communities, is that they always refer to their training as being part of their faith/national culture. Much has been interationalized, I agree. However when I proposed the Chinese Taoists to learn some Yoga, I got the same reaction as when I proposed the Hindu Yoga practitioners to learn some Taiji: polite smiles.

In the West we treat these practices as collectibles, I was so embarrased, I realized I was acting like a kid trying to exchange toys...

Taoism is a religion.

What is peculiar (but not unique) about this religion is it has many practical aspects, that you can borrow and use even if you are of a different faith. Because of its practicality people confuse it with a 'way of life', however in its very essence, Taoism is still a religion, many of its practical aspects (the higher up you go, the deeper you go into the religious aspects) need a firm belief in its mythology in order to work. Like yin and yang, taiji, five elements, the immortal saints.

There's no shame in admitting that.

Nice, Walker, that's what gets people going, stories like that.

You see, every master, however enlightened, has always respected tradition and its rules, they don't break the customs, they uphold them, because they are part of the people, and part of that culture, it is their duty to do so. In that, China, however enormous, and the Chinese, wherever they may be scattered as a people, are bound to it. Its coercive force is what gives them identity. The punishments (metaphysical or otherwise) are severe, 天机不可泄露。

Don't do fieldwork, don't do research. Hell, don't even do. Doing has never been the Way.

Don't 'Zen' me out, bro', I'm but the messenger 善言不美 美言不信