Master Logray

Definitely not MDT related or as an entry point into MDT despite the proximity. You can argue it is not a dantian, as when the work is completed in the back, the Chi would shift to LDT for further processing.

Karma must not be related to justice. Otherwise who is to determine an event is justice or not, and what is the yard stick? The same event can be right and wrong depending on many things and the view can change after time lapses.

Even normally Taoist used so many terms to describe a single object or process, according to their functions in the whole picture or simply due to some unknown reasons. Dantian and Mystic Gate are the terms that have many variations. e.g. the Central School says "between the outer and the inner Dantians". When they do not explicitly say LDT, it doesn't mean it is not LDT. I would say most people only use 1 or 2. When you say the spine, that is a good question, the location of LDT is not having a consensus. But the depth of Dantian inside the body is also not always agreed upon. Some say it is on the surface, 1.3 Chinese inches inside, the middle of the abdomen, inside the spine, the whole general area etc. The "Back" refers to the spot on the back of the body, behind the MDT (in front or in the middle). As far as cultivation is concerned, re ZZ (in another thread) and location of Dantian is not a big issue. Your system determines these. You are not supposed to change these yourself, even if you are very knowledgeable. It is not like a buffet whereby you can choose any combination of food.

The western and the central school use outside Dantian or multiple Dantians. The Fukien School uses the back as the Dantian location. And in different stages, people use different Dantian/locations.

My understanding for Dantian is the place you select to cultivate. It is the "field" as per the meaning of the word. Where do you till your field and grow food? It is naturally the place with sunshine, water, rich soil. In human body, we would choose a single place with best potential like abundance of blood, oxygen, nerve cluster, endocrine glands and energies to be the "field". So it is the reason to coincide with the locations of Chakra. Different systems made the same choice. Yet there are schools that use Dantian as place to rest the mind only. In that case, it doesn't have to have relationship with the Charkra or the other Taoist favourable potential "fields". It could even be outside of the body.

Chakra is Indian, not western?

Wuji is only a name for this stance. It doesn't mean by doing it can reach Wuji. Giving meanings into this simplest stance defeats the very purpose - simplicity.

Jgd and others said if you get nothing from it means all your efforts are useless and futile. There could be some side benefits but you also lose out the opportunity costs. But if you have a purpose like fighting, health, cultivation, enlightenment, wealth or just for impress others, you could have some returns. Stillness state itself has no use at all. Taoist sages always said, if you become a rock, it is still enough, but what is the purpose?

You say the whole process so well. As to the end of exercises Wuji, I would recommend to everyone if they are not already doing so. A few minutes (say 3) would be sufficient.

2 hours is your total practice time, right? The horrible 6 hours mentioned is ZZ alone. Then I presume there is no more sitting.

If we keep on talking about 5-6 hours duration, how many members would still be doing standing?

I only remember Freeform and Earl Grey stood 5-6 hours a day.

Shaolin is considered external. The history of ZZ can be traced back about 2700 years, much earlier than the aforementioned religious figures. Chan Chuang is another way to pronounce it. https://pdf.hanspub.org/aps20210300000_24709301.pdf Since static standing or lowering the body for a duration is the easiest discovery by the ancients, the actual age could be much longer. Of course using standing to train Neidan would be much shorter. It evolves.

I suspect external martial arts standing postures are more for strength, power, endurance and psychological qualities. It applies to the "Yi" family internal boxings too. The preciseness is important but not paramount. While Taoist cultivation needs to keep the Chi circulating correctly, the exactness of the postures are important. Simplicity of posture is more often used.

In the old days, we didn't call standing pose as ZZ (stand like a piling) much, but more common as Jaat Ma which literally means tying or bounding the horse. This horse stance means 2 legs apart and slightly bent, as firm as a stake of a camp into the ground. I think there is a hidden meaning of using standing to tie your mind which is like a galloping horse.

I seem to have impression on his book, his Wuji is with arms in a certain position. Not sure I recall correctly or not.

Most cultivation and martial systems have clear guidelines on standing pose. The duration could range from a few minutes to 6 hours. As to when a student should stand how much, there are endless possibilities for different schools. So perhaps Damo is not referring to this. I think Damo's target audience of his video is those who practise alone, without teacher or even practise ZZ (Jam Jong) only. These people would need a guideline on the duration and when to do what.

Wuji - the ball holding standing is not the simplest one. The "Quiet and Pure" Standing is before that. It is with 2 hands drop to the sides of the body, somewhat like having an intention to pressing the ground but not actually doing it. The Ball Holding stance is getting some unfavourable attention these days. Because it looks like holding a book, a newspaper or nowadays a phone in front of you. This posture can create similar problems as using phones too much. I do think newbies should practise ZZ for a short duration e.g. 5-10 minutes, usually after the Taichi or Qigong exercises completed. It is for knowing how to align yourself; and resting into stilling the mind. In the longer term, the system you choose will dictate how long you need to stand. If a person cannot stand too long, then pick another system.

Stronger than previously only. Taichi fighters never compete in weight lifting. Many Kung Fu are "巧勁" - tricks Jin, as per Jin Rong 金庸。

I watched it - a Stephen Chow movie. He and a gangster head immobilized for very long during a duel. The gangsters were initially ready to fight but nothing happened so they resort to smoke, joke, eat, call others....

There are several dimensions of Jin. The basic dimension is how to increase the force one has and, as important, able to concentrate it into a single point. The 8 big Jin are applications of the Jin as Steve said. They can be applied with any part of the body and in any way. The third one, which is not visible and often ignored, is to prepare or create the environment for the Jin to apply. e.g. the user needs to dislodge the balance of the opponent and thereon he can throw him away long. Otherwise, the skill, the Chi can only increase the force of a person to a certain extent only. Taichi experts cannot be automatically become powerful weight lifters.

I would offer a geographical view point. Tibet is the most inaccessible part of the world. While it certainly had exchanges with the outside, but would it have been so narrowly restricted.

The translation of Jin to be explosive force seems quite good for usual discussion on this forum. However I googled there are 40 types of Jin. 粘黏劲、走劲、公劲、引劲、拿劲、发劲、借劲、开劲、合劲、提劲、沉劲、掤劲、捋劲、挤劲、按劲、采劲、扌列劲、肘劲、靠劲、长劲、截劲、钻劲、拨劲、搓劲、撅劲、卷劲、冷断劲、寸劲、分劲、抖跳劲、抖擞劲、折叠劲、擦皮劲、虚临劲、凌空劲等

Taichi has no fighting abilities if merely training for basic body qualities and Chi, or learning exerting forces/moving centres of gravity. So the system has build up different levels of training exercises. Solo - visualize engage with an enemy Push Hand - 1st time interactive training with another Taichi person. Loose Hand - engagement within the Taichi system vs Taichi player or someone who learned other martial arts Comparing and Testing - actual "gentle" competition On stage/ring Genuine street fight One can see the transition to be more realistic as levels change. Push hand can be turned into a competition with strict rules, but is far from realistic fight.

Really? Some Gulf nations have foreigner from all over the world and occupy more than 70% of their population. Some smaller European states have more than 50%. And how about New York? Los Angeles is inherently not very multinational when it has a big ocean to its side and the only neighbour is Mexico. It is said to be true for animals and plants, but does it apply to humans when we have a society? Indeed when a pandemic comes, the more diversity means some people would be spared and become the source for cures. But from another angle, when sickness strikes, the cures or vaccines would be developed for the majority only or at least for initial period. The minority would be left to themselves. Nowadays pharmaceuticals don't have sufficient incentive to develop medicine for some sicknesses simply because the target group is not big enough. Money also determines evolution these days. By the way it is generally observed for a long time that Chinese and European mixed are more beautiful, stronger, smarter than their parent sides. Yet they also age faster than normal. There are pros and cons in mixing races.