steve

I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it, also in the 90's as I recall. I also read The Dancing Wu Li Masters, before Tao of Physics, and liked that more in some ways.

I don't know enough to have an opinion but I must say I found string theory fascinating to read about on a superficial level.

I enjoyed Huw Price's book Time's Arrow and Archimedes point. A cousin of mine wrote a book about the physics of time reversal. I tried to read it but didn't get very far:

There actually are people working in exactly this dimension and wrestling with foundational questions, particularly in relational quantum theory. Carlo Rovelli has written some interesting stuff in this regard. David Bohm as well. Huw Price is another interesting figure who writes on the philosophy of science, particularly regarding time. The entirety of string theory seems rooted in looking for a deeper understanding of what is a particle. I think that it is so useful and effective to work with the assumption of objective reality that it is difficult to give up. It’s that way with any foundational axioms but theoretical progress requires freedom and creativity, both of which tend to be suppressed by financial and political influences. Your earlier comment is spot on - we need to take care not to mistake the theory and models for the reality they attempt to represent and explain.

I think science is just fine, as a method of inquiry, when applied rigorously and honestly. The problem is the people and the institutions that grow out of them. I enjoyed this brief discussion which tries to make sense of the "weirdness" of quantum mechanics.

Very nice to hear from you @Earl Grey! I appreciate you sharing your experiences and insights and I wish you continued growth and success on your path. See you around, for a while! Best, steve

Thank you all very much, my father has been very ill and passed early this morning. I value all of your good wishes and friendship.

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. I feel your love and support and value your friendship.

Just Ok, I don’t have much energy to debate or discuss at the moment. Some tough personal stuff happening right now. ✌🏽

Ok

Quantum mechanics, subatomic physics, the study and applications of light, time reversal, complex numbers, string theory all, among many other areas of inquiry, go beyond the gross physical.

sure it does limited yes, but the methodology is sound and allows for growth

Nice to see you @Encephalon

I'm also curious, do you practice a neigong system currently or in the past?

We have never been separate from wuji for an instant. To conceptualize it as something distant or only occurring before birth or after death or at any point in time is misleading, imo. It is independent of time and space and ever-present as the undifferentiated, unmanifest source of all. Taiji and wuji are not separate in time and space, that is a misunderstanding, imo.

This may qualify as one of those unpopular opinions but I think people are more likely to harm themselves with sitting meditation than with standing meditation, both physically and mentally.

Chess warfare! Hikaru tossing Gukesh's king into the audience at a recent match. Truth is, it's more about entertainment than anything else.

I think if we stand simply for the sake of standing, with no expectations or demands on ourselves, there is little risk of harm and it can be a wonderful practice, even for beginners. If we stand to reach some objective, with a certain set of expectations. that is when we tend to cause problems for ourselves. I find standing practice to be a great way to introduce people to meditation. It is less challenging in many ways than seated meditation and has additional physical benefits.

Agreed, in practice we stand for a time before we begin and after we end. My teacher encouraged standing for as long as possible after completing the form, 5 minutes minimum.

I think to define wuji simply as stillness, as opposed to dynamic, whether in practice or ontology, is misleading. Wuji is not “other than” or “opposed” to anything else, it is better expressed as undifferentiated, imo, not static. I certainly allow the body to move if it arises, standing quietly before or after the form or zhan zhuang. Taiji expresses motion vs stillness, their mutual arising both in form and meaning. Wuji embraces and does not favor ANY position relative to any other. All is completed and yet nothing is done.

If you get good at this, I suggest practicing in a small room with a mattress against one wall. If you get displaced by a healthy fajin, a brick wall just won't do...

Yes, that is the best way to learn and practice them in the beginning, and to teach them, one at a time - clear and consistent. Eventually the techniques must come alive, adapt and respond to the circumstances, and one must be able to flow into any other. If you try to use a technique and your opponent neutralizes, you need to adjust and continue without interruption or it's over. This is the nature and part of the utility of tui shou. And the solo forms, 2 person forms, and tui shou drills are an encyclopedia of techniques, combinations, and adaptations waiting to be investigated but it really helps to have a good partner.

Glad you like it. I bought it directly from a Hungarian chess master who designed it. His design was copied by the company in India that produces the majority of the Western world's sets. They never paid him a penny, of course, but for him it is a labor of love.

Understood, me either. I once took some cooking lessons. The chef's dogs were Mexican Hairless... the Xoloitzcuintle Oy!

Yes, I could see the video. Peng does resemble ye ma fen zong and kao does involve the shoulder. If that is your understanding and you want to leave it there, I am happy to accommodate you.