Map

[count]

Someone just sent me this artwork and I wanted to post it and see if anyone has any comments about it.
http://kabooom.com/tia.jpg

[sean_stonehart]

It's nifty. Vietnam isn't it?

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats.

-- H.L. Mencken

[Guandi]

Hi count

>Someone just sent me this artwork and I wanted
>to post it and see if anyone has any comments
>about it.

It's hanging on the wall just behind me. :-)

It is a more or less well known art about the taoist inner alchemy. Even in Stephan T. Chang's "The Tao of Sexology" there is a picture of it.

As you are practicing IMA for a long time you probably could figure out what the symbols in the picture means by yourself.

I am not in the mood at the moment the write a description of the meaning of the art, because it would be more or less long and take some time.

Guandi

[Guandi]

btw I do not know wheter you allready know the link:

http://www.healingdao.com/inner_alchemy.html

There is a description of the picture.

Guandi

[count]

I have read the description there and I thought they only stated the obvious. I thought there was a more subtle message about the levels to enlightenment. Nice graphic though, isn't it?
:)

[Guandi]

>the levels to enlightenment

Do you really think that there exists something like "levels" to enlightenment that can be measured? I do not that there a levels to enlightenment.

Guandi

[count]

I can not be sure since I see myself like the farmer and the bull clearing the fields. Whew! But one day I hope to just sit in the crown and think about it. I'll let you know.
;)


Q

[Guandi]

Thanks Count, I appreciate it very much :-)

I do not think that one can reach enlightenment through practicing some repetitive movements -- whether physical or mental.

Guandi

[count]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> I do not think that one can reach enlightenment through practicing some repetitive movements -- whether physical or mental. [/quote]

Maybe not, but baguazhang is some potent stuff and it make the journey so fun. :D

[Guandi]

>Maybe not, but baguazhang is some potent stuff
>and it make the journey so fun.

Yes, that's reason enough for me :-)

Guandi

[mantis108]

Hi Count,

Nice to see the map in color. I knew I should have stayed away from your interesting posts. lol... :D

Frankly, this is more an elaborate version of which the I Ching's postmordial moduel also illustrate similar concepts. The transformation (change) from the postmordial back to the primordial works the same way. This map, in my view, serves a few purposes.

1) It illustrates the organic worldview
2) It's a holistic representation of Macro/Micro cosmos relationship
3) It exercises interpenetration concept.
4) Taoist perception and the quest of the nature of time
5) on a cultural POV, it reflects the agricultural base economy which China was built upon and the strong emphasis on the "cultivating" experience.

On a side note, I find the repeated emphasis on the "sexual energy" kind of boring even off the mark a bit. But then that just me. BTW, I would think there are recognizable "Plateaus" in enlightenment and could be illustrate with I ching geometry but then we will have to presume time is perceived as flat duration (kind of defeat the purpose of understanding the fourth dimension which enlightenment brings about). Well, you asked. ;)

Mantis108

Contraria Sunt Complementa

[count]

Mantis108, you are dead on!
;)

[Qiman]

Look at it as a side view of a human. There is a yellow channel that looks like a spinal cord. It goes from the base of the spin up to the mid brain area. The guy in Lotus is at the third eye location. I am sure the complete chakra system is here as well but would screw up royal trying to figure them out. Any ideas on this observation. Very neat image!

[count]

Follow the link (http://www.healingdao.com/inner_alchemy.html) that Guandi already gave. Or this one (http://www.healingdao.com/inner_alchemy.html). They have the complete explaination of the energy centers depicticted in the drawing.