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Showing results for tags 'dao'.
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Hello everybody. I'm a neurosurgeon from Italy running a spine surgery program in Milan. I am one of the teacher of the italian most important acupuncture school: so-wen (sorry for not being able to link their internet site). I'm about to start a project on a group of seminar concerning the study of oriental medicine physiology and I found great help in some of your posts while working on my power points. So thank you everybody and hope to start exchanging experiences on everything.
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Hello Everyone ... and greetings from Chicago, IL. First and foremost let me say, "Thank You" to each and every person who has made this website available. Up to this point I've only had the opportunity to peruse the website, but I sincerely appreciate the the opportunity to participate and to continue as a life-long learner. I'm truly excited to begin the exploration, to learn, offer what I can, and to be part of such a wonderful community. Geoffrey
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I have found the similarities between the Indian/Yogic/Vedic and the Daoist internal traditions extremely heartening. Here are two systems, both going back millennia in antiquity, having developed with some cross-pollination (via cultural exchanges in the early history/late pre-historic periods perhaps), but generally independent of each other during the formative periods (more than 5000 years ago). The one missing link was that the Indian system clearly categorizes Prana as having five constituent winds - Prana, Apana, Samana, Vyana and Udana Vayus. Each of these have specific roles to play in the human bio-energetic system (and the psycho-physiology as well). Then as I was reading Damo Mitchell's excellent book on Neigong (Heavenly Streams), I found a section that is pretty much articulated in this blog post as well -- http://www.scholarsage.com/five-elements-2/ light shen yi po zhi hun colour red yellow white blue green movement expansion division contraction sinking forwards element fire earth metal water wood The overlap (and biological functions of these) are stark with the Pancha Vayus. Good illustration is provided here -- http://sequencewiz.org/2014/09/03/5-vayus/ Would love more thoughts on this.
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Hey guys, just wanted to gather some opinions on the topic of social media. No one has a thread on it that I know of. I used to use social media like facebook, twitter, and instagram (and even myspace back in the day). In the past year or so I've got some distance from social media deleting my facebook and instagram and using my twitter maybe once a week on average and not having it downloaded to my phone. On the other hand, my girlfriend uses twitter, facebook, and instagram daily. I feel like using social media creates people to think about other people, most of which are not currently in their lives. Based on what I've read in books and on this forum it seems thinking about something is putting energy into it, not sure if that's right. It makes me uncomfprtable knowing my girlfriend finds enjoyment in looking at hundreds of different people daily that she doesn't know or barely knows. So what you guys think of social media?
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Motion in Stillness There’s motion in stillness The old master said As the student stood steadfast A million thoughts racing through his head As he stood steadfast holding the pose his mind churning frantically and his anxiety rose he stood for five minutes every nerve screaming in pain he said to himself No never! Never ever again But such is the the lot Of folks of his kind Once something enters It doesn’t exit his mind So he stood again the next and the day after that and everyday since that day in an unseemly half squat As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months what used to bring tears hardly even made him grunt Then one day he realized his mind had become still and his thoughts fell to the bottom like an ungainly swill what remained afloat was a crystal clear thing it was bereft of everything yet it wasn’t nothing Then the motion he noticed rose from its depth it was the movement of spirit it floated and leapt Then he remembered what the old master said there’s motion in stillness and it’s not the junk in your head
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A thought has been pounding on the doors of my intellect since many years, but I do think it's becoming more pronounced and emphatic off late. The cautionary advice from a little voice in my head is "What's the rush? Relax, Enjoy, move when you have to". The context being - cultivation and practice. Yes, we have to practice. For some of us it is an imperative that cannot be controlled. Not that I'm saying it should... But to practice with a set time window (I'm going to practice 90 minutes everyday) somehow dilutes the process of practice. Practice should last as long as we can flow, vibrate with the energy. My teacher cautioned me - He said "if you practice with a lot of things on your mind, about things that need to be done, chores that need to be tended to, your Qi will get "programmed" to be agitated in a similar manner. If you want the full benefit of your practice, just be patient, let it happen. If you have to stand in preparation form for 90 minutes, so be it. It can be the most powerful practice you'll have ever done..because you will find stillness and the motion that lies within" This I feel is a central concept of being Wei Wu Wei. To not be in a hurry, to be relaxed...enjoying the present moment. Then we will be in harmony within ourselves, and also the universe.
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As a cultivator and young man I've come to realize over time that it is highly desirable to adopt a physical practice, for reasons of energy movement dispersion, mental clarity, et cetera. There are many different practices available however, such as martial arts, bodybuilding, yoga. Are practices such as bodybuilding in which one acquires a certain material physique or skill, strength in accordance with the Dao? It seems to me that anything that focuses excessive energy on the self is anti-Dao, and physical strength, while an asset, is temporary, while spirit is eternal. I am seriously considering switching to yoga, as I feel that practices that develop a physique are excessively and inherently selfish. Thoughts?
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What happens when we sleep and dream, I wonder. Some how it start all over again. The peace and tranquillity I took with me to bed whirled away. As when I train tai chi chuan throughout the day, I am at the peak (of peace) in the afternoon, feeling the pressure/ present of dao, every thing is nice, chi flow and so on. Night comes with dreams and it starts all over again. Why? Any ideas? How to cultivate while dreaming.
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From what I've gathered Taoism and Daoism are basically the same thing; just different translations of the Chinese word. I've heard a few people say they are a little bit different though. Are they?
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Dao… Nowadays this term is quite widely used in the most diverse spheres of activities; and term “philosophy of Dao” is gaining in more and more popularity. However, unfortunately, very often we face distortion of its intrinsic meaning. To understand its meaning, one should, first of all, appeal to Daoist Tradition, as it is based on aspiration for comprehension of Dao and the true inwardness of reality. Dao connotes first cause and source of all things existent. Dao is an Original True Reality that exists beyond our reality, space, time and any categories and forms in total, which we usually use to describe the world around us. This is what, in particular, the first line of Dao De Jing makes a good point on: Dao is not a path, which can be passed (named, described with common categories) – for more details about this see below. Continue reading
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I have all of Stephen T. Chang's books about taoism and love them. I find it very intriguing that he often pays tribute to a man called The Yellow Emperor, a pioneer of taoist healing. However, further research into the origin of the man known as the yellow emperor points to a possibility that he was a being from somewhere else in the universe who landed on earth for the purpose of spreading taoist healing principles and practices, amongst other things.... Have any of you heard of The Yellow Emperor, and does anyone know where he came from?
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Is there a place to discuss Daoist web sites?
Mark Saltveit posted a topic in Forum and Tech Support
Hi, I have a new blog that various Bums might find interesting. I don't see a place to discuss websites though (as opposed to books.) Does anyone have a pointer? It's called 'Taoish -- a place for irreverent spirituality'. http://www.taoish.org The latest post is an analysis by Prof. Steve Bokenkamp (Arizona State) of the difficulties in translating the Daodejing, using a single line of chapter 10 as an illustration. http://www.realchange.org/taoish/mirror-mirrormirror/ Thanks! Mark
