Silly question

[WannabeWarrior]

So if a Taosit tells you that you thrive on negative energy and seek out chaos it's a bad thing, right?

[Repulsive Monkey]

YES, because you're grasping too much, and you have no balance.
Chaos and order must be equal but not in a contrived way, negative and positive must be balanced in a natural way.
In fact don't grasp either just be aware of both but where ever imbalance occurs seek to correct it as quickly and as naturally as possible too.
Being too bad is the same as being too good i.e. they are both wrong ideas.

[WannabeWarrior]

It has worried me as he told me this in a way that seemed he was quite concerned for my well being. I don't consider myself a bad or aggressive person but I think he sees my political science studies and writings as me seeking out chaos. It's true that what I study about the world, governments, relegion, etc. makes angry and sometimes depressed. Would that be what he means by saying I thrive on negative energy? I really appreciate you taking time out to answer. I don't know if I am ready to discuss this further with him because in best Taoist tradition he tells it like it is and I just don't think I am ready for that yet.

[Nexus]

If he told you that you were God would you believe him? If he told you that you were a banana would you believe him?

Those are silly or possibly serious questions, however, they are not the point. The point is this. Even if what he says is deadly accurate, you should still take it with a grain of salt (meaning, take from it what helps you, but dont overdo it). A lot of people get very hung up on what other people say about them. Even my most wise of teachers can only give me insights into my own life, it is I who must see them for what they truly are, and do what must be done.

Also, let it be known that there has been and always will be true taoists who study religion, politics, philosophies and much more, and many who have some of the most far-out writings you could ever hear about. In fact, Albert Einstein (a true taoist) had some of the most zany and crazy ideas the world had ever heard of!

But on a person to person level, just being honest and true to who you are will lend to your personal happiness and satisfaction in life.

[Repulsive Monkey]

Einstein - a true taoist, hmmmm not sure about that one!!

The fact is is that while I agree with some of the things that Nexus says sometimes you will meet people who actually do know you better than you do yourself, and can give you just the right advice that will make big changes in your life even if they do go against your assumed will.
The act of taking all things with a pinch of salt I feel is still the egocentric manifestations or an individual saying yes yes It sounds like good advice but I still know better. Fact is All individuals could benefit 100% in life if they made big moves to giving up what they believe in about themselves, and trusted truth, unadulterated and refined.
To believe that we alone know ourselves best is a near inccurable fallacy!

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..


To believe that we alone know ourselves best is a near inccurable fallacy!

I respectfully disagree, in fact i believe that we do know ourselves better than anyone else.. but, others may have a history of experiences that can better guide the person we know best (ourselves).. what is important is that we listen (as opposed to hearing) to what others say and let the wisdom offered be tested within our own experience.. because we know ourselves best, our experience will reveal the "truth" of the wisdoms offered.. and, even then, we occasionally deceive ourselves for some ego driven reward.. The challenge is to see past the illusions and find our place in the grand scheme of "Life"..

Many people will tell you many things, common all this input is you, the observer.. even here you see differing opinions of the same subject.. regardless of who tells you what, it is YOU that adds meaning and value to the observation/experience.. One of two things will occur, either you will create yourself, or you will let others do it for you.. it is appropriate to consider the input of others, but more-so to evaluate it according to the values and principles that you know to be true.. Some will argue that we may not know what is "true", i assert that we do.. but, society, religion and misguided mentors may have convinced you to believe otherwise.. in the stillness of meditation, when we silence the little voice (or voices in my case) in our heads, the truth is revealed in the purity of unprejudiced experience.. that little voice is none other than the cumulative body of our experiences and commentary of our mentors.. silence those commentaries and the current experience emerges as it IS, not as we anticipate it to be..

You say a "Taoist" told you..... What evidence do have that this person is a Taoist.. a claim, a robe, or hopefully, your observation of a life lived according to sound Taoist principles.. Do you perceive that a Taoist's perceptions are better than others? One of the signs at our school and on some of our "T"shirts reads "sanctuary for wayward Taoists".. since Taoists (philosophical Taoists, not ritualistic religious Taoists) follow the rhythmns and cycles of nature, we would each be "wayward Taoists" to the degree that we deviate from that path..

Do no harm, except to prevent a greater harm.. Be still, the Tao will reveal itself to you.. listen to others, but preserve yourself, and.. in all things, be sincere..

Be well..

[vikinggoddess]

why do negative energy and chaos go together anyway?

http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/fractals.htm

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings...

Negative energy is essential to the balance of things.. just as positive energy is also essential.. to hold one and reject another is unbalanced.. we all know the wisdom of accentuating our positive sides, but.. a wonderful quote expresses the necessary balance.. the text prior to the quote asserts the balance of pos/neg and notes how eager most people are to "live" the positive side of their lives.. it goes on to say, "to embrace our negative side is wisdom, to live it is enlightenment".. it is to say that we must acknowledge that we are BOTH pos AND neg.. which is not to say that we should pursue the negative but when it arises we should neither feel guilty about being "natural".. simply adjust our actions to use the negative energy creatively..

At its highest awareness, life is neither pos or neg, it is the dynamic interaction between the two.. Life is a series of consequences (Karma), disregard the arbitrary labels of desirability (pos/neg, light/dark, right/wrong), evaluate the consequences and see if they define the being you desire to be.. if not, adjust...

Chaos is simply order beyond the range of our limited perceptions..

Be well..

[WannabeWarrior]

Many intersting points made here. Thanks everyone.

TaiChiBob-
I call him a Taoist because he lives in a natural way and is the most balanced person I've ever met. Also, the fact that he lived and studied in a Taoist temple for 18 years in China. He does not practice the corruption of Taoism that is popular in China now (that mixed with the ancient folk religion) but rather sees it as a philosophy of life as opposed to a religion. In fact in nearly 20 years of being around Asian philosophies he is the only person I've met that seems to have a real grasp on Taoism, the Chu Yi, etc.

If I didn't believe in his authenticity, high moral character and ability to call a spade a spade I wouldn't have shown any concern.


Really good posts, btw.

[nairb]

Why didn't you just ask him what he meant?





Originally posted by WannabeWarrior
Many intersting points made here. Thanks everyone.

TaiChiBob-
I call him a Taoist because he lives in a natural way and is the most balanced person I've ever met. Also, the fact that he lived and studied in a Taoist temple for 18 years in China. He does not practice the corruption of Taoism that is popular in China now (that mixed with the ancient folk religion) but rather sees it as a philosophy of life as opposed to a religion. In fact in nearly 20 years of being around Asian philosophies he is the only person I've met that seems to have a real grasp on Taoism, the Chu Yi, etc.

If I didn't believe in his authenticity, high moral character and ability to call a spade a spade I wouldn't have shown any concern.


Really good posts, btw.

[Former castleva]

So if a Taosit tells you that you thrive on negative energy and seek out chaos it's a bad thing, right?

Well,it can be their bad if they´re doing it unproductively.
Has somebody told you that? Are taoists an authority in your terms? Ask them to explain the case for chaos and "negative energy".Don´t take it by faith.


At its highest awareness, life is neither pos or neg, it is the dynamic interaction between the two.. Life is a series of consequences (Karma), disregard the arbitrary labels of desirability (pos/neg, light/dark, right/wrong), evaluate the consequences and see if they define the being you desire to be.. if not, adjust...

I notice a certain religious tone down there.Things being,the definition of "highest awareness" is vulnerable to variation.


Albert Einstein (a true taoist) had some of the most zany and crazy ideas the world had ever heard of!

I would have to join RP here.How was Einstein taoist?


I call him a Taoist because he lives in a natural way and is the most balanced person I've ever met.

Unaware of your definition of "natural way" but is it your stance that being "balanced" and living in a natural way basically translates to taoism?



If he told you that you were God would you believe him? If he told you that you were a banana would you believe him?

Exactly!

[Xebsball]

I BELIEVE IN THE BANANA!!!

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..


I notice a certain religious tone down there.Things being,the definition of "highest awareness" is vulnerable to variation.

There was no "religious tone" intended.. if it is perceived as such it is only based on your own frame of reference.. the reference was exactly as expressed, when we open our awarenesses fully (ie: "highest awareness") then pos/neg are exposed as arbitrary values.. Religion is a pointless ritual that has been unmasked by common sense.. That being said, many of the concepts asserted by religions are virtues that promote harmony and worthy of consideration, but.. too often the ritual is favored over the core concepts.. My personal philosophy is "worship nothing, yet maintain a sacred reverence for ALL things"..

Be well...

[Former castleva]

OK.I confess my flawed interpretation,if that was it.

[[Censored]]

I respectfully disagree, in fact i believe that we do know ourselves better than anyone else..

The last time you pushed with a master, who knew you better: you or him? And did you know him equally well?

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..


The last time you pushed with a master, who knew you better: you or him? And did you know him equally well?

We knew each other quite well.. and, that is but one of many aspects of the being i know as "me".. one of the most profound aspects i know is that "we" are "One" thing behaving many ways.. from that perspective the master and the student meet on common ground, awareness will favor the master...

The master knows only a little of the being in front of him/her.. little of the complexities that have shaped the image before them..

Be well

[Repulsive Monkey]

The master knows only a little of the being in front of him/her

If you believe this then I would question the Masters you have pushed with, seriously!!!

At a touch a genuine Master will know loads about you without having to of lived through what you already have. Now for the sake of (dis)clarity I'll leave that open to interpreation for all. But I have met Lama's to who on first meeting have told and highlighted things about my nature and freed up past obstacles in my life which I have had problems coming to terms with and realising what resources I had at hand to understand myself.
But then that's just my experience and what actually happened there was not totally withinmy grasp of understanding. For all I know they just could of been very Masterly in applying NLP or reading my body language or even my language full stop. However Taiji maters that I have pushed against knew what was best for me to concentrate on to improve my skills, and that to me is a sign of someone knowing whats best for me and what kind of a person I was that needed bad habits changed.

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings...


If you believe this then I would question the Masters you have pushed with, seriously!!!

You would be questioning some very respectable and well known people... and, yes, i believe it.. The "Master" may very well ascertain the Martial ability of someone, but little else is evident at the initial encounter... and even a long-time relationship with a Master has its limitations... to blindly give yourself over to anyone is a serious mistake.. at the center is only you and when you give that away there is nothing...

As with so many aspects of Martial Arts and spiritual matters, people tend to romanticize the "Masters".. They are like us, only more experience.. Yes, i have met "Masters" with incredible insight, abundant knowledge, and capabilities beyond my comprehension.. but, i also recognize that they had to make a journey to get there, a journey that we all are making at some level.. mostly, "Master"-worshipers are such because they lack their own identity, their own purpose.. The Master is so because he/she has more knowledge and experience than others, the same knowledge and experiences are available to those willing to make the sacrifices and efforts...

Be well...

[[Censored]]

...We knew each other quite well.. and, that is but one of many aspects of the being i know as "me"...

Let me guess: nobody's taji is "better" than yours...everybody is just different, right? ;)

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

..
Let me guess: nobody's taji is "better" than yours...everybody is just different, right?

Here, we may differ in concept.. for me TaiJi is a way of life, for others it may be a dance, or a martial ability, or a serene meditation.. so to say to me "nobody's Taiji (way of life) is better" is a judgment i generally don't make, so, you may "guess" as you choose.. but, essentially, yes.. at the same time no one's is worse either.. i have seen much Taiji that i do not favor, but, until i experience the the object of my disfavor i am not qualified to judge, and.. if, after experiencing it i still find disfavor, i must realize that it is only my opinion and not worthy of negative commentary... if we promote that which we favor, and remain silent on that which we don't, there is less friction and the silence speaks for itself...

I have great respect for genuine "Masters", genuine Taiji, sincere people, and those that believe that Taiji is one of the great treasures on our planet.. i have little respect for those that incite disharmony, contention and chaos (except out of necessity).. If someone asserts a point of view i disfavor, i may question it, but not dismiss it with insulting language.. if someone asserts a point of view that i favor, i may agree, but not accept it as gospel.. WuWei works for me...

Be well

[woliveri]

Hey Bob,

Who are you studying with now? Anyone? What's your perferred Taiji style.

Thanks,

Bill

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings Bill,

I am equally divided between Yang and Chen, they complement each other well.. If i had to choose a single form, i favor the 42 movement form, lots of good stuff packaged neatly .. I don't get much opportunity to train with others, but.. i go to Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming's seminars and Wei Lun Huang's seminars at each chance i get.. and, Art D. has invited me to train with Li En Jou next time he's there.. Master Hong's Wu style is interesting bu i am trying to stay focused on the Yang/Chen dynamics right now..

Troy P. and i have opened a school on University Boulevard, "Extreme Harmony Martial Arts Academy", Troy and a third partner, Sergei Albino, teach Muay Thai, JKD, Escrima, Arnis, Mo Hahn and Aikido.. i do the internal stuff Taiji, QiGong, QiNa, internal weapons, push-hands, and i help with the sparring.. (still not liking the Muay Thai shin/elbow work, though)..

How about you?..

Be well...

[Nexus]

As always TaiChiBob, thank you for sharing your insights and experience.

[woliveri]

Hey Bob,

I'm only training Qi Gong at this time. No MA or Taiji.

bill

[Buddy]

Interesting that you think there is a Taoism or that "folk" religions are not that or that YJM knows about Taiji. There are practices. There is a way of looking at nature that all cultures have and there is Fukien White Crane.
Buddy

[backbreaker]

What is wrong with YJM. Is that Yang Jwing ming? Are you saying his taiji is actually white crane applications? Do you doubt his fajin? He was doing a Yang taiji form with some fast power movements on another thread? Looked okay at first glance by looking . Does he have a weak push energy? :eek:

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

I'm not certain if the question regarding YJM is directed to me or not, but.. There may be certain parts of his forms that i don't favor, but his QiGong and QiNa are practical and efficient.. i am not prone to judge nuances of form, rather i look for principles.. YJM is grounded in principle..

Be well..

[backbreaker]

The first kungfu teacher I learned from taught qinna he learned from Yang Jwing Ming , to get a green sash you learned a qinna program from YJM. YJM came to my town but I was just a little kid so I didn't see him if I even did kungfu when he was here. I never doubted him but I didn't really think about it ever. Maybe his knees are bad or he doesn't have great structure , I don't know. My guess would be he's way better than me and been doing taiji way longer so I've no reason to criticize