secularfuture

I'm looking for quality books, pdfs, or videos on how to put Taoism into practice. I've already purchased 365 Tao by Ming-dao Deng, and I'm studying Qigong with the help of a series by Ken Cohen. Are there any other practices, or meditation styles, that I should be aware of? Your help would be appreciated.

I feel absolutely miserable... I could really use some spiritual practices to help clear my mind of all the negativity, jealously, anger, depression, and frustration, and help me feel more one with the dao (with the universe, and myself). Are there any good resources on Neidan (or internal alchemy / spiritual alchemy) practice online? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Update: I had a hard time applying the Daoist practices, so I went back to the practices that worked for me in the past - my insight and satipatthana meditations. I have a love / hate relationship with Buddhism. I REALLY wanted Taoism to work because I felt it was more in tune with the natural world, but I couldn't find any practices that provided thorough instructions that attacked the 5 hindrances directly. Too many Taoist practices focus on healing the body; quality instructions on healing the mind are too difficult to find outside of a personal teacher.

Yes I will. My reply was brief because I work on the weekends. I'll have more time to give a proper reply on Monday.

Interesting timing. I had iTunes open while reading the replies. I'll check it out. And thank you all for your suggestions. I'll look through them over the next few days.

I found this online yesterday: http://www.hermetica.info/#LaoziSkipDown I really enjoy literal translations. I prefer honesty over poetic licensing; it reflects the heart of the original teaching, and not to the heart of interpreter. What is your opinion of literal translations?

The second translation in that book is more literal. It's a Matrix, word for word, translation. It could come in handy for serious, in-depth, study. I've been searching for years for a good translation of the Tao Te Ching. Every version I come across always messes something up! It's very frustrating, and this book has been kind of helpful.

A book can't be understood unless you can sit with the author? So, to understand Universe in a Nutshell, I have bring Stephen Hawking over to my house?

Easier said than done. Even Chinese people have a hard time reading the Tao Te Ching. Now if you're talking about more modern texts like Mahayana Sutras, that might be a little easier. Pali could also be tackled. The Tipitaka isn't worded as densely as the Tao Te Ching. You're welcome.

Woo! It's finally here! The iTunes link is on appmagination.com.

I've been looking into Soto Zen Buddhism, and so far I've been very impressed with what I've found. Dogen Zenji, the founder of Soto Zen, was a great spiritual teacher, and Zazen Meditation looks like a very practical way to transcend the limits of dualistic thinking. I haven't been able to find a clear answer on what Soto Zen says about death and the afterlife, however. Does the Soto Zen Buddhist (or any kind of Zen Buddhist) believe in rebirth, heaven and hell realms, etc?

There is no evidence for such places. Sure, there may be parallel dimensions or universes, but there's no reason to believe karma will direct us to any of those places because of our good or bad deeds. This is great news! Thank you for sharing your experiences in the Soto Sangha with us. And thank you for the encouraging words.

Well said. Thank you for the reply.

I think I get it now... In Zen Buddhism, death isn't something that should be worried about. When mortals are alive, they worry about death. When they're full, they worry about hunger. Theirs is the Great Uncertainty. But sages don't consider the past. And they don't worry about the future. Nor do they cling to the present. And from moment to moment they follow the Way. Bodhidharma

Thank you for the replies. I know of the philosophical interpretations of rebirth. I just want to know about some of the other concepts that I had issues with accepting when I was a Theravada Buddhist. Do Zen Buddhists believe we can be reborn into a heaven or hell after we die? I like that. I never heard of Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. I'll look it up. Thanks for the recommendations. I'll look into them. No Death, No Fear by Zen Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh, if I remember correctly, described death is a very pantheistic way. I really liked that book. I'm just hoping heavenly / hell realms aren't the norm in Zen. I'm kind of hoping Zen is more evolved than that.

I can almost believe in rebirth. But what about the heaven and hell realms, and the realms of the hungry ghosts, and so on? Do Soto Zen Buddhists believe in these things?

This kind of crap makes me mad! Complete Story on Huffington Post What are your thoughts about this? Why shouldn't the public be able to forgive a Buddhist, or a Taoist for that matter?

Thanks for sharing the link. Deng Ming-Dao is one of the best Taoist writers out there.

I would suggest doing your research in steps before spending money on expensive programs and teachers. To start your journey, I suggest reading the text that started it all, the Tao Te Ching. The Sanderson Beck translation is similar to the Feng/English translation, but the phrasing is a bit different which improves readability. Many believe that the Chuang Tzŭ (Zhuangzi) is the text responsible for starting the religious branch of Taoism. Burton Watson has a really nice translation that's available for free online. My personal favorite translation of this text is by Victor H. Mair. If you'd like to learn more about the philosophy, and how to put Taoism into practice, the best book for this would probably be Scholar Warrior: An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life by Ming-dao Deng. TAO of Letting Go: Meditation for Modern Living by Bruce Frantzis and The Essential Qigong Training Course by Ken Cohen are great aids for at home meditation practice. But if you'd like to dive deeper into some of the more religious alchemy practices, you should probably seek assistance from a teacher in your area.

I'm the same way. Personally, I try to stick with the spiritual exercises. I don't have much interest in the so-called medical and healing Qigong. If I need medical attention, I'd rather go to a hospital. And since my sex is already awesome, I don't have much need for the sexual exercises either. But to each his / her own. With Metta

What's wrong with Qigong DVDs from Amazon if they're by a qualified and respected teacher? Tell me what's wrong with this training course: The Essential Qigong Training Course by Ken Cohen The books and videos that I've bought have served me extremely well. Only if you pick poor products. I refer to 365 Tao: Daily Meditations by Ming-dao Deng daily.

No. So Taoism shouldn't be comfortable? It should cause stress? I already have been successful in my meditations. I've learned how to not cling to my problems, and I'm a much calmer and focused person. From the tone and use of caplock in your posts, it wouldn't be unfair to assume that I'm probably a calmer person than you are... No one, not even you, should have to go to such extremes for information. In my opinion, all information should be free. But if you have to pay for it, it should be affordable. I kind of agree. I learned how to sacrifice some of my material attachments once I realized how much of a negative influence they were having. And what if that person has children to feed and bills to pay? You don't have to answer my post tonight. Get some sleep. We can continue this Tao Fest tomorrow. Good night.

I just had a thought... For a beginner who's only looking for a place to start, isn't it a bit overkill to recommend a $300 - $400 teacher / program? Why not recommend a really good book first so that he / she can decide on whether or not Taoism is the philosophy they want to practice? If they like what they see in the book, they can check out an affordable Qigong DVD from Amazon. And if they want to dive deeper into some of the more complicated medical and healing practices, then they can start saving their pennies for a teacher.