Everything

Attaining Wholeness of Character is not something that can be attained, in my view. Rather something that must be strived for every moment of our lifes. And if you want to know how to move towards a more whole character, that also depends on where you stand in life currently, or which problems you are facing that are preventing you from become more harmonious and integrated.

I can easily agree with you when you say that the Tao is in music and everything, because everything is ultimately abstracted from the Tao. But I would find it hard to agree if you are suggesting that the Tao is only the sum of these very things: music and everything. I think you ment the former, right? Oh, and here is me quoting me: Don't get to do that often Gerard, I'm glad that you say that several Taoist actually dedicated their lives to music. Can I perhaps find ancient Taoist music anywhere? Or are those actually called chinese folk songs? Is that music Taoist music?

Hey, Marblehead. I'm not sure what you mean with doing nothing. Doing nothing implies acting naturally, without effort. From a place of wisdom instead of knowledge. Is that correct? You always make nice posts like these, I enjoy them. You know, thanks n may the wind be at your back.

You would be equally thankful to the Tao if you were not receiving any money, because Tao is the cause of everything. Passiveness is not a good way of describing your non-dualistic self. Passiveness itself is in the world of duality. The non dualistic person would observe his actions in the moment, and accepts the fact that his actions are caused by the sum of all his conscious moments or karma so that he can turn things around from this perspective of non-dualism and all-accaptence, does the need arise to do that. The good thing to do is to give it back, because nothing in the world comes freely. It would be best not to depend on this kind of luck. The act of not returning it is one of agression. Just like winning a war is an act of agression, even though you win the war, there is still someone loosing. The lesson to learn: an act where you win and the other party looses and act where you loose and the other party wins is equally bad in the karmic sense. So I would actually ask at least 15% for returning it, because you've protected the money from thievery, which is a solid fact in our lives, especially city lifes. Sometimes people think, especially kind loving people, that doing loose-win acts where you loose will balance out the acts of your past where you made win-loose acts where you were the winner. The fact is that they're equally destructive from a non dualistic point of view. Would you not prefer destruction in your life I highly suggest that you choose the path of constructiveness and cooperation. Win-win. Giving away money for free is not a kind act, unless you've got excess. In that case, it would be wise to throw it away so that you may not attract thieves and live a more peaceful way of life. If this is not the case, business continues as usual. My question to you: what is the role of passiveness in the karmic sense?

Haven't you made a topic about this earlier? It could be so many things that cause fatigue. Sometimes its a breathing disorder, eating disorder, nose problems, perhaps some form of Anemia. I suggest that most often it is a lack of sleep. People are afraid of sleep these days. People think you're crazy when you sleep 8 hours a day, or not cool when you sleep more then 6 hours a day. On job applications it would be not accaptable to say you sleep 12 hours a day, while infact this is completely normal and healthy. Just sleep as much as you can and want. City life is hectic, but its not natural. If you're completely healthy, then I suggest a form of meditation for the 5 senses. Simply meditate on what you taste, smell, feel, see, hear, etc. all over again, keep doing that untill the senses become stronger, your wakefullness becomes more vivid, the experience becomes more vivid and you will feel more energetic. Never wake up tired, try to wake up with as little movement as possible, by using the mind to energize the senses and body, not the other way around. from the look of your avatar, you seem to excersize alot? or enjoy excersizing alot.

All this music would not be here without Bach, it seems. Erbarme Dich by bach, means Have Mercy in german. This is real music This is music that is worthy to be called a "creation." It is not a recreated piece. Such a random thing: "asking for mercy." Still this music is the deepest way you can ask for mercy. It is kinda too sad even for my taste, but this truely is incredible. It gives you a feeling that we're all here to die, and our only purpose is asking mercy of god for when that time comes. This might not be something to relate to easily as Taoists, since we don't wonder in death but in life instead. But for a christian this would be like the revelation of gods language. Gotta keep it short, add two more pieces. Perhaps a music by a man who knew the worth of Bach and valued him accordingly, Debussy with Arabesque. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWpV7L4YHuU This one is more joyful, filled with beauty and youth. A creation by debussy with credits to Bach. You know the worth of a piece when all it requires of you is an ear, a soul, without a memory. Most music requires of you an memory with the music to enjoy. Little Fugue in G minor by bach. The work of a mad genius. Complex, as never seen before, yet moving and so emotionally touching. Not to sound like a snob or anything, but really Bach is the one to learn from if you want to create music. I don't expect someone to outdo the work he did anytime soon. I can't help admiring and value this kind of genius. It is mysteriously evil madly genius. So wrong... So delusioned... I do agree with the fact that popular music in 80's were alot better then now.

Thanks, I do try hard.

You're correct, but this doesn't mean that you can uncover the Tao. Because the Tao is the mystery itself. You cannot uncover the reason for uncovering. It is simply nonsense and useless. It will have been a lie. You might uncover one of the greatest powers on earth, but it will no longer be the Tao once it is uncovered, it will simply be one mystery solved among the infinite other mystery's that are yet to be solved. The Tao will always remain unknown. Thats the point of Tao, thats why they call it the Tao. We move towards it for a better life, but the promise is that our wonderful journey never ends.

One thing you should know about me, is that I don't care about the truth. All I care about is what a person believes. I see alot of truth and good things in all religions, but the reason why I hold on to TTC is because the believes that lie within these texts seem to be most beneficial to us and most constructive. When you understand the nature of your consciousness, you know that you are a new person every single moment, you are a new consciousness every single moment. Putting an identity on yourself or things outside yourself trough words, trough ideas or thoughts is limitting towards yourself and others. If you don't believe or want to believe in the Tao, there is no problem with that. But there is a problem when you shed your light and do harm towards yourself. When you try to diminish the Tao to words and try to speak of it. I believe this brings nothing but destructive events upon you and others. I simply hold on to the idea of Tao being unknowable, because thats the believe I choose to believe. And I have believed islam, christianity, science aswell. They were also beneficial in my life, ofcourse. But the Tao gives me wisdom, and little knowledge. Thats what I love about it. Something I can go out and live my life with. So it is your choice if you want to be suspicious about Tao or simply forget the Tao alltogether. I suggest you do the last, since you can then move on. Don't you think so?

Well isn't the emotion universal to every human individual, or group? Isn't the emotion something that can only be experienced and not talked about? Maybe you're not seeing the mystery in Tao, because the Tao is the mystery itself, and this mystery is so solid, so true that it has no mystery. Tao is the emotion of mystery, the reason for our curiosity.

Hahaha... Look now we're talking about the nature of universes and laws of physics, perhaps quantum laws of physics or whatever realities there may be that we can communicate. Perhaps a universe where mass is not stable and it is made out of lightning organisms or something bla bla. Perhaps a universe where monkeys orbit banana's and upon these monkeys live flees that dominate the monkey. It is all possible according to our limited understanding of the science of nature. But this has nothing to do with the Tao. The Tao is simply something that cannot be put into words or spoken of. If you speak of a world that is beyond this world then you have already spoken about it and it is no longer true. That is why I think it is an emotion, because the emotion is the only thing that cannot be communicated, only the false emotion can be communicated trough art. Because TTC says it is unknowable, which is a word on itself, I believe that this Tao speaks about the emotion of Mystery itself. Our own curiosity as human beings that has brought us so far as to almost making us immortal as human species. We just have to make the last transition towards the infinite extracting of solar power. From this point there is nothing known in this universe that can kill us. Even the end of the universe would mean that we can simply travel towards another universe trough the use of this infinite power that is available all over the universe. We can create new planets, new homes, new realities. But the emotion of mystery and the Tao itself will never end. Tao will never be known, thats the purpose of Tao.

Guys, I'm really confused. You're all talking about the universe, the nature of reality, etc. Isn't the Tao simply not possible to speak of? Is it not something that we cannot comprehend let alone communicate. Is it not simply something that can never be comprehended by the human mind, given our limitations as human beings. Is it simply not something that is beyond this reality, beyond the fabrics of spacetime, beyond every single idea we have ever had and will ever have. Is it not beyond every possible creation that has ever manifested in this entire universe, the universes beyond and the possible creations that still has to manifest in the future? Is it not beyond the concepts of everything and nothing? Is it not an idea of deep mystery that enters the mind almost directly externally. Is it not something that can never be experienced and if it is, will not be true. Is it not something that touches our deepest sense of mystery in mind? Is it not the reason that we ask why, is it not more then the answers we have for these questions? Is it not simply an emotion rather then an idea?

Hell yeah... Sounds like something braveheart would say.

You say "There is no freedom" and this makes you angry. That is the same like saying "There is no happiness" This is true, but we can become more happy, more free. there is no perfect happiness, pure 100% happiness does not exist, pure infinite bliss is some idealistic idea that we must try to become. This means nothing. This should not make you angry. This only means that the practice to becoming more happy or more free is never over. You are 97% free and happy. Tommorow 98% then 99% then 99.9998 then 99.99998, etc. One important thing that you must remember is, don't wonder your thoughts on stuff that you have no control over, it will cause suffering. Just know that you have free will and this is your freedom. You can decide every moment what to do, you can excersize your free will more often and use it more wisely, society will grant you more freedom more opportunity to excersize your free will, more important decisions to make that will affect more people. Just use your free will more often, your life will become richer, you will make more mistakes, learn more from every moment. Hope you understand what I mean. There is an opposite believe for everything that you believe, whenever or whatever you believe. Just pick the believe that is most constructive and beneficial for your life. Witness and observe yourself, look at yourself like you're the main character of a movie. Your life is your movie. Observe everything in your movie every single moment, enjoy everything in your movie, even enjoy your anger and accept everything in your movie, only then can you slowly change your life from this perspective of acceptance. Meditation is not just sitting with your eyes closed, it can be everything as well. You can be meditating while talking to someone, while smoking, while driving a car, while washing plates. You cannot say I don't want to meditate, because you can even meditate while sleeping, meditate while dying. I just don't know if you can meditate while dead But who cares about that.

Its good to know your own boundaries to have a more solid identity and to be able to function from that place of knowing thyself. I don't think gaming adds anything to this area of life, rather distract you from your true identity. While gaming, you are in fact staring at a screen with a controller in your hands trying to accomplish something within a virtual reality that manifests in the real world to the smallest degree and therefor your attempts are futile and a waste. A person who would know his own boundary would know this fact and game according to this wisdom. Simply for entertainment purposes, artistic purposes, competetive needs, and no more. Rather, a competetive person would do much better to choose a more healthy sport like football. Most gamers pretend that they're actually the one holding the gun, that they are actually saving the world or killing people. Else we would all be playing point and click games and not games that look so realistic. Thats why I think that nintendo games are for more mature audiences, even though I don't own a nintendo console.

I thought I was a simple and happy peepol, u made me so compleksh Just kidding. Perhaps the Tao gives rise to everything, but I'm not sure if everything is the Tao.

Well, sometimes when people say good stuff about you at a distance, the rumors spread and return to you eventually, making you feel better when you suddenly experience more positive feedback all around you coming from all sorts of places. This results in a more positive attitude and confidence that shines out more bright energy all around your day making your day even more bright, like a domino effect. Starting with a credible guy who said one good thing about you, sending his positive emotional energy along with his words. But I don't think thats what you're reffering to. This is more like distance positive energy sending or something, lol. Well, it might become healing if the positive energy is needed in order to heal your self. In that case the sender of the positive energy has helped you heal yourself. But I'd rather take responsibility for my own energies. Perhaps anyone else know something about distance healers.

So, have you guys decided yet what the Tao is?

When I was a small child I always thought that those suggar you put in tea were beautiful crystals. Never understood how people could value a diamond so much since the beach is full of diamonds aswell... And when it rains, the beauty does glow and bow deep.

Yeah, shopping malls have a way of creating desire and praising all materials. I woulden't even mind when someone steals something there. They display the beautiful with utmost care and esteem their value aswell trough all kinds of commercials. We could steal it all and flush trough the toilet, but lets not... Our toilets would become jammed.

Taoism is a word created by the human species within the milkyway galaxy for communication purposes and holds value and meaning that is relative to every conscious being or thing within any specificly imagined boundary, including the individual. Let the quasi-credible counter argumentation begin!

If you could feel all the pain and hunger. All the fear and anger. If you would never die from any of these. You would be immortal... If you were to become immortal, right here and now, what would you do? Write it.

I do not know I am immortal, because I do not have the courage to know such things. I know I am mortal because I have the care and nurture like that of mother nature, the idealism and un-abstracted chaotic creative power of this nature. If I were to be immortal, disciplined, commited to higher purpose as a strong independent individual, then yes I would know I were already immortal, I would not know that I were mortal... Unless we contemplate our immortality, how will we ever know this truth while alive? Unless we contemplate our mortality how will we ever know this truth while alive? Now, I have a better question for you. You're mortal and immortal at the same time, don't you know? ...You will never know, because the journey does not begin at that returning motion of the Tao. You shall have to choose the path most suitable to you. My guesses are you should contemplate your mortality, unless your assumption was a bluff. In that case you can walk a path similar to mine, which does not even include contemplation, but rather a movement towards the self, as a harmonized unity, by becoming more like the immortal.

Why is the question we ask, the previous event is delivered to us in a flask. Why is the question we ask, The truth is delivered to us with a mask. Why is the question we ask "why?" Because mystery's fertility requires of us this wonderful task... Everything, TTB The decaying mind has no time to abstract his poems, where they will become long and dull. Try to achieve the art as efficiently as possible. Get rid of excess as much as you can.