Marblehead

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Posts posted by Marblehead

  3. Posted

    The Native American spiritual traditions there in that neck of the woods are quite amazing. In many ways like Tibetan Buddhism in fact. They even dress the same as Tibetans and have many of the same cultural traditions and even a few of the words are the same. It's really odd. These cultures grew out of totally different regions of the planet! Yet if you look at Navaho native dress and Tibetan native dress, and even the way they kind of look similar. It's quite odd.

     

    Hi V.,

    I won't talk about how our government sometimes abuses our environment here in this thread.

     

    But, to your mention of Native Americans. I agree with you although I don't find it really too amazing. Actually, I find it rather logical as I hold to the understanding that the NAs migrated to the American continent from Asia. And when one looks at most NAs one can see a mixture of the different peoples of Asia - mainly a mixture of Peking man and various strains of Caucasian man - Peking from China and surrounding areas and the Caucasian from India and Siberia. So even though the cultures developed differently the roots can be seen in many aspects of their life. What is the most strange to me is that the NAs never domesticated the horse as a beast of burden; they ate the horses.

     

    Be well!

  4. Posted

    Well, all I will say at this point is that I wish you guys would manifest yourselves because I am not going to talk with someone who doesn't exist. They put people in mental hospitals for doing that, you know.

     

    Be well!

  5. Posted

    Hi Lin,

     

    I know that you post was not directed to me but I wish to speak on it none-the-less.

     

    The problem I have with the phrase "submit to a higher power" is that the phrase is most often used by the powerful to keep the masses in line. It is nothing less than putting chains on my ankles.

     

    I will agree with you that if we seek a teacher we must respect that person and honor that person's knowledge and put trust in the thought that whatever the teacher instructs is, in the long term, in my best interest. But to me the words 'respect', 'honor', and 'trust' are very different than the meaning of the word 'submission'.

     

    It is my understanding that the only thing I need submit myself to are the processes of Nature. Beyond that I have choices.

     

    I heard of one martial arts teacher recently who used his power of student submission to sexually abuse his students. This is where I draw the line between submission and honor, respect & trust.

     

    Be well!

  7. Posted

    Hi Zedd & Koyanishi,

     

    Nice posts.

     

    This thead doesn't have to die. It is just that Stigweard and I had to agree to disagee, that's all.

     

    It is true, in my opinion, that one can hold to the basic concepts of Taoism without holding to any of the religious aspects of the belief system ("belief system" was for Stigweard, Hehehe.).

     

    And I agree that nowhere in Lao Tzu or Chuang Tzu is it suggested that we need submit ourself to anything.

     

    Be well!

  8. Posted

    Hi Vajrahridaya,

     

    The link worked. Can't help with the other stuff because I not familiar enough with this board. Maybe someone will come along with some help.

     

    Yes, I am familiar with the area you talked of. I have walked a number of Arroyo in 1986 when I was travelling through there pursuing my short-lived rock collecting hobby.

     

    I do like that part of the country a lot but the low humidity does a job on my skin and I get electrocuted by almost anything I touch.

     

    Be well!

  9. Posted

    Hi SereneBlue,

     

    Have you ever been around someone who is grumpy all the time and you finally get tired of it, get teed off, then become grumpy yourself?

     

    I account for this with the concept of Chi as well as our normal brain functions.

     

    That concept of "intent preceding belief" is a tricky one. I would like to see someone address it directly.

     

    Be well!

  10. Posted

    Hi All,

     

    Nice discussion going on here. I did not joined in earlier as I do not hold to the concept of karma as it is being spoken of here. I also do not believe in the concept of fate. I hold to the concept of free will just as the Zoroastrians do. A man chooses to be good or he can choose to be evil. (The original Zoroastrians had no Devil to blame their wrong-doings on - the Devil was created later.)

     

    In the earlier reference to the girl being kidnapped, raped and buried alive, the man used his free wil to conduct that evil crime. He had the choice of doing it or not doing it. He chose to do it. No karma, no fate, only free will. Premeditated!

     

    It was his intent to do it. He believed he could do it and get away with it. He performed the action.

     

    Now, I will grant the fact that our free will is limited by our environment, etc. But within those limits free will exists. Many Jews held to their free will while they were prisoners of the Nazis even though their free will was very, very limited.

     

    Be well!

  11. Posted

    Hi Stigweard,

     

    Yes, we should end this discussion. I enjoyed it, really.

     

    Indeed, our views do differ but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

     

    And my footnote is:

     

    When I started my search for a path (it has been many different paths) of life I picked up a book written by Emmanuel Kant, don't remember which one, but in the introduction he wrote (I paraphrase) you must accept everything I say or you cannot accept anything. I immediately closed the book and have never read anything from him to this day. Dogma to me is like chains around my ankles.

     

    BTW If you haven't noticed yet, I am a Nietzschian Taoist.

     

    Be well!

  12. Posted · Edited by Marblehead

    LOL! Actually the Nag Hammadi Library which was dug up in the 40's and translated fully by the mid 70's say's in the Gospel of Thomas. Blessed is the beast who is eaten by man, but cursed is the man who eats the beast.

     

    So if you can do it selflessly, offering merit to the karma of the beast, it's karmas intermingling with yours on a level of flesh will serve the animal to become human in it's next life, and you being conscious of this will in fact not be cursed but blessed as a self offering.

     

    I feel this and believe this not because I've read it, but because it makes metaphysical sense on a certain level that I can intuitively feel.

     

    Anyway... have a wonderful dinner and bless your fish, like the native americans blessed their kills!

     

    You wouldn't believe how close to home what you have said is to me. I have touched lightly on Native American spirituality and this is, as you mentioned, very similar, the two. To respect all living creatures, even those one must kill for his own survival. (I don't eat my pet fish that I keep in the pond though.)

     

    Be well!

  17. Posted · Edited by Marblehead

    LOL! It's not that you don't exist. It's that you don't inherently exist in and of yourself. Your existence is mutually dependent upon all causes and conditions throughout the cosmos. You and your consciousness are not singular, separate entities, but neither are you one with everything, you are merely connected with everything and so are your thoughts influenced by other things and your thoughts influence other things. So your existence is, but it's relative, interdependently originated and not self contained, so inherently empty of self essence. Not, non-existent.

     

    WoW! Sometimes you Buddhists make perfect sense!

     

    Be well!

     

     

    Now, is the freezer on top of the refrigerator? Is it side by side? Below? Is the freezer a separate unit from the fridge?

     

    Each answer only leads to new questions :D

     

    Ha! They both are separate, stand-alone units physically spaced at a distance of approximately 16 feet. However, they are none-the-less connected because they both use the same energy source. Hehehe. Just like me and Tao and all else.

     

    So you just go ahead and ask all the questions you wish. I have all the answers. Nevermind that most of them are wrong.

     

    (Actually, all my answers are right, it is just that most of the time the questions are wrong.)

     

    Be well!

  18. Posted

    The Dao De Jing is not all Daoism. Its a very small portion of BASIC teachings.

    Tell a Daoist Monk about the Dao De Jing and they will laugh at you because there is much more to "Daoism"

    than what Laozi , Chuangzi and the other Zi s spoke about.

     

    Peace,

    Lin

     

    Hi Lin,

     

    I can't argue against that at all.

     

    Actually, many of the thoughts in the Tao Te Ching already existed in Chinese culture long before Lao Tzu.

     

    Be well!

  22. Posted · Edited by Marblehead

    to say that you exist is an extreme, to say that you don't exist is another extreme. both are concepts that you cannot prove. how can you prove your exist? where are you? what makes up 'you' ?

     

    Hehehe. I figured some Buddhist would come along and do that to me.

     

    'I' assure 'you' that if 'you' were within the reach of 'my' hand and 'I' slapped 'you' aside 'your' head to get 'your' attention (as the Zen Masters do) 'you' would know that not only do 'I' exist but that 'you' too exist.

     

    To your other two questions, I am somewhere beyond the distance of your head therefore you have not felt my hand against your head. Oh, there are so many things that make me me - much too numerous to list.

     

    But I am none-the-less a little piece of everything, just as all thing of the universe are.

     

    Be well!

  23. Posted

    Well, considering the words are from a Buddhist I must say that Mikaelz did an excellent job addressing your post.

     

    Chi is the energy - Yin and Yang are the polarities of Chi. While you are alive Chi will never leave your body - Chi is what gives you life.

     

    Yes, the conscious brain must be differientiated from the mind. The conscious brain is one of the components of mind.

     

    If allowed to function naturally, the polarities of Chi (Yin and Yang) will constantly change trying to adjust to our environment. The less we consciously interfer with the functions of Chi the more in harmony we will be with our environment.

     

    Yes, it is my opinion that harmony is more important than balance. Harmony allows us to experience our environment to the fullest as well as experiencing our emotions to the fullest thereby living our life to its fullest potential.

     

    Be well!