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View Full Version : Way of the Peaceful Warrior, fasting, vegatrianism/raw foods, internal arts, life



brucelee2
01-20-2001, 08:15 AM
I recently reread Way of the Peaceful Warrior, one of my first and favorite spiritual books, and am now almost finished with a seven day fast, my longest ever (similiar to the one described in the book). I've quit smoking and want to change my diet now too, but I'm not sure whether or not I'll take it to the extreme of the book (just seeds, nuts, fruit, grains, and raw salads- no condiments) or if I'll just do something similar to the book with occasional meat/fish and also condiments and legumes. I think all this stuff and my bagua/internal arts training and spiritual pursuits really complement eachother. Just wondering if anyone else out there is into all this stuff.

woliveri
01-20-2001, 08:34 AM
Wow, I have never seen that book before. Thanks for mentioning it. So far my faviorite spiritual books have been "Live and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East" by Baird T. Spalding. A series of 6 books of about 170 pages each. Deals with pure spiritual and is EXCELLENT!!! Give it a try. I will give "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" a read as soon as I can find it.

Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East
By Baird T. Spalding

brucelee2
01-20-2001, 09:27 AM
Thanks Woliveri, I'm gonna check if my library's got it and let you know how I like it and you do the same.

o
01-20-2001, 08:57 PM
Here's an idea:

Everyone can post their favorite spiritual-related books here and we can start a library. I think it would be very helpful for those seekers of wisdom.

o
01-20-2001, 09:01 PM
A Brief History of Everything

by Ken Wilber

Qiman
01-20-2001, 09:02 PM
Living Buddha, Living Christ
By: Thich Nhat Hanh

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
By: Deepak Chopra

old jong
01-20-2001, 11:35 PM
Well guys.
As I read this I felt a little funny.I looked at the callendar and saw 2001... not 1971!!! I think IMHO that the only real thing these books can do is;make their authors millionnaires!
We should beware of these things and look at the cold reality of life for inspiration. the only truth is inside of you not in some book written by some exotic guru!
Eat what you want!As for some " Laws "of succes.It is easy. do like them,start a sect and sell books and conferences!
P.S. look at the drawings at the end of your peaceful warrior book and tell me if it is good to expand the chest like that! where is the chi from breathing like that?...That guy was a gymnast! He knows nothing about internal,external or whatever martial arts. He is only taking advantage of a certain current or fad toward the oriental or esoteric thing and making a lot of money out of it! Live YOUR life!

C'est la vie!

brucelee2
01-21-2001, 02:36 AM
Old Jong- My copy of the book doesn't have pictures in it, however, the focus of the book is not the internal martial arts or martial arts in general, nor to my knowledge is Dan Millman, in the book, supposed to be a martial artist, so I don't think that particular criticism is relevant. However, I do agree with you about not following gurus and ultimate inspiration/guidance coming from the self- any true teacher will always want to make him/herself obsolete, i.e., teach the student to teach him/herself. On the other hand, I believe there are legitimate 'ways' out there that can help people, be it zen or daoism or vegetarianism or NLP,(martial arts is also another way) and I believe these and other 'ways' have helped millions. Now that I think about it, using your logic one should never have a martial arts teacher, they should just fight 'in their own' way.

I'd still like to hear if anyone out there is experimenting with fasting, vegetarianism/raw foods, etc. Some of my favorite books have been Mutant Message Down Under, Conversations with God part I,Emmanuel's Book (can't say how many times that books helped me when I've been depressed)...I've read so many I can't remember them all. As a matter of fact I've read so many and learned so many techniques (TM, Reiki, shamanism, Zen, Yoga, Chiqong, Visualization, Focusing...........) I am now in the process of rereading some old favorites and reading/learning some new ones so as to form a daily routine (hopefully one that's not too time consuming as I'm aiming to practice my bagua for 4 hours a day, though I'm sure they'll compliment each other.) For example, right now I'm reading Dianetics, Elements of Qaballah, Soul Love, and Secret Path. I'm also currently working with the Silva Mind Control Techniques. I just ordered from the library today Friendship with God, plus Unlimited Power (by Anthony Robbins) and another book on NLP. Anyone have any experience with Anthony Robbins stuff or NLP? It looks fascinating, though my initial response is to feel that the modeling and connecting to people stuff is a bit manipulative.

By the way I just finished my first one week fast (master cleanse) and ate an apple, I wasn't even that hungry, I'm feeling pretty good.

old jong
01-21-2001, 02:54 AM
It is not about internals m.a. at all but it sure would like to get the same audience!(no offense intended) the version of the book I had,has drawings of the author and his wife doing physical exercises,some kind of greco-roman chi-kung I presume!

C'est la vie!

dwid
01-21-2001, 05:02 PM
Dan Millman does claim to have learned Aikido, and this comes up throughout the book. He also makes the claim that students who come to his 2 week summer retreat leave with the equivalent of like 6 months or a year of Aikido training. That's a hell of a claim. I enjoyed the book when I was younger, but have a hard time swallowing a lot of it now. It's sort of like the whole Carlos Castaneda thing. Millman likely invented his mentor to make his points in the book. He comes very close to admitting as much in the introduction. If you read on in the series, you will learn in Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior about his justification for leaving his wife and marrying one of his students when he later became a college instructor. Kind of puts his ethics in a questionable light.
Anyway, when it comes to books on spirituality, I'd say it's best to avoid flavor of the month stuff and cults like Dianetics/Scientology. Having an open mind is one thing, but this stuff is obviously designed to capture gullible people in search of some power over their lives. Read stuff by people who walk the walk, like the Dalai Lama. Or go back to the original sources like the I Ching and old sutras of buddhism and draw your own conclusions. The trouble with so much of the crap that was written during the sixties and seventies is that it's infused with the hippy mentality that you can achieve great things without really having any discipline

_________________________________________
The way of the samurai is in desperateness. Ten men or more cannot kill such a man. Common sense will not accomplish great things. Simply become insane and desperate. - Hagakure

DragonStudios
01-21-2001, 07:18 PM
Way of the Peaceful Warrior was and still is the book that puts all of the esoteric Eastern philosophies and practices into perspective for my tragically Western thinking mind. I had studied Zen, Taoism, Yoga, Taiji, Quigong, etc., but for some reason had trouble bringing it together until I read Way of the Peaceful Warrior. It's still a book I read in one sitting, and I thoroughly enjoy it each time.

My favorite spiritual books (in no particular order):


Returning to Silence by Dainin Katagiri (Zen)
Zen Flesh, Zen Bones compiled by Paul Reps
Shambhala, the Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chogyam Trungpa
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
The Te of Piglet by Benjamin Hoff
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tse
Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain by Chungliang "Al" Huang
Integral Yoga Hatha by Yogiraj Sri Swami Satchidananda
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman


Without going outside, you may know the whole world.
Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven.
The ****her you go, the less you know.
--Lao Tsu

origenx
01-21-2001, 08:38 PM
I've been experimenting with vegetarianism for the past ~4 months now. I eat primarily raw fruits/vegetables and nuts. Not 100% strict mind you - I admittedly "cheat" a little bit once in a while. But, no meat has been no problem and seems to be workin just fine for me.

Note - I only recommend doing it when your body is ready and you naturally lose the urge for meat or whatever. Your diet should follow your body, not vice-versa.

brucelee2
01-21-2001, 08:59 PM
Dragon Studios-
If you loved Way of the Peaceful Warrior, I bet you'll also really like Mutant Message Down Under- it also has powerful spiritual ways in the form of a story, which is my favorite form- much more fulfilling than a 'how to' book. Incidentally, I traded emails with Mr. Millman recently and he said that Peaceful Warrior is not a 'how to' book- for that you should read his 'Everyday Enlightenment"- I ordered it yesterday from the library.

As far as Dan Millman's martial arts abilities go, I know that he teaches them at his workshops- my point is that in the book his 'character' is not supposed to be an 'advanced' martial artist and in any event, that has little to do with the point of the book for me. To me the book is much more focused on enlightenment or how to live in this crazy world or whatever you want to call it but its not about fighting! I think just about everybody I lent this book to felt really inspired by it and that, to me, is the most important point- not whether its true, or Dan Millman is a great martial artist, or whatever. It works.

Just out of curiosity, has anyone out there met Mr. Millman or taken one of his workshops?

[This message was edited by brucelee2 on 01-22-01 at 01:12 PM.]

8stepsifu
01-22-2001, 04:39 AM
Anyway, Socarates was made up, he never leapt up onto buildings and joy is his secretary and they never knew each other through this Socrates that was actually a collaberation of several of his teachers one of whom he met in Berkly in the Sixties. I found this book along with all our other hundreds of MA books from the Sixties, 70's and 80's. (Some from the 1900's and 30's too) It was a good book. I read it a few times and for someone that hasn't really explored different ways of experiencing the world this book is a good eye opener. Personally I don't follow Dan Millman's path, I follow my own. Some days I'm a vegitarian, some days I like steak and beer, to each his own

If your not bleeding, your not having enough fun.

o
01-22-2001, 08:29 AM
A lot of people who post info include quotes. The most common ones are by Lao Tzu. I'm wondering what is the intention for this. I'm also wondering if the writer understands the quote and can explain it's literal meaning (not metaphorical).

dwid
01-22-2001, 03:32 PM
Like I said, I enjoyed the book when I first read it and I definitely see the point that it's a good introduction to another way of thinking. It's just really hard for me at the point in my life I'm at now to digest any of this stuff where "the path" is laid out for you. Like 8step, I follow my own path and am generally suspicious of anyone who lets someone else do the legwork (no pun intended) for them. But as a way to open your eyes to help you go about finding your own path, it's a pretty solid book, and I guess I would recommend it to people who are just starting to think about such things.

_________________________________________
The way of the samurai is in desperateness. Ten men or more cannot kill such a man. Common sense will not accomplish great things. Simply become insane and desperate. - Hagakure

woliveri
01-22-2001, 05:22 PM
o, I'm assuming your refering to this quote below:
This is a great quote:


Without going outside, you may know the whole world.
Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven.
The ****her you go, the less you know.
--Lao Tsu


Essentially, if I may, Lao Tsu here is talking meditation at the location of the True Self. Consider the Eye's as Windows and the True Self located behind the Eyes, inside your head. Therefore, as we search for the way to heaven and we look here and look there, we are taken further away from the key which is always with us. That's why the further you go, the less you know. It is Wuji, No yin, No yang.

Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East
By Baird T. Spalding

DragonStudios
01-23-2001, 06:21 PM
Couldn't have said it better myself...

It's my school's motto.

Without going outside, you may know the whole world.
Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven.
The ****her you go, the less you know.
--Lao Tsu

HuangKaiVun
01-26-2001, 05:27 AM
Blind Man: "A fish saved my life once".
Cord: "How"
Blind Man: "I ate him".

Circle of Iron (the movie originally written by Bruce Lee).

bodhitree
07-22-2003, 09:51 AM
The Way of the Peaceful Warrior is an excellent book. No its not an end all solution but I think its an excellent eye opener.

Cheese Dog
07-22-2003, 10:17 PM
Zen and the Art of Motercycle Mantainence!

TaiChiBob
07-23-2003, 04:12 AM
Greetings..

Some of my favorites...

Deng Ming Dao: Chronicles of Tao; Scholar Warrior; 365 Tao..
Alan Watts: Tao, The Watercourse Way; The Book; most other books he wrote..
Mantak Chia: Inner Structure of Tai Chi
Yang Jwing Ming: Too Many to List..
Tao Te Ching.. Collect several translations, Jane English is my favorite..
I Ching: collect several translations.. Taoist I Ching is my favorite..
Wulf Lowenthal: There Are No Secrets Here; Gateway to the Miraculous..
Jan Diepersloot: Warriors of Stillness (1 and 2)

Tai Chi, a Path to Wisdom.. i can't remember the author, but good material..

Max Ehrman: Desiderata, a short poem found on many web-sites, a search will yield many sites..

When i get home i'll look at my library, this is just from memory..

Oh, and of course.. Tao of Jeet Kune Do, by Bruce Lee..

Just some of my favorites.. Be well..

Repulsive Monkey
07-23-2003, 09:38 AM
I've got to be honest but eating meals which consistently contain raw uncooked food is not gonna make you a very healthy person, from a Chinese medicine point of view but in fact the very opposite. Eating loads of raw foods will put a strain on the Spleen and stomach to constantly activate energy to bring it all up to the right internal temperature for effective digestion. And if the body doesn't do that then you'll end up getting constant distension and retention of food in the stomach too.

I personally do not agree with strict Vegetarian diets from a health point of view, but do understand them from a spiritual point of view. A great example of this was when His Holiness The Dalai Lama deicded he would recommence eating meat to save his failing health from that of the vegetarian diet's inability to do anything for his health.

Still each to his/her own.

By the way Paul Repps "Zen flesh, Zen bones" is an excellent book and absolutely anything written the hand of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche is as true as you can get.

dwid
07-24-2003, 09:17 AM
This thread is 2.5 years old. I don't think I've ever seen a thread this old get resurrected.

Anyway, some more inspirational books:

The Demon Haunted World - Carl Sagan

Zen Mind, Beginners Mind - Shunryu Suzuki

Already Dead - Denis Johnson

Repulsive Monkey
07-25-2003, 03:20 AM
Please NO Carl Sagan ...please!!!

dwid
07-25-2003, 06:12 AM
It's probably a wise idea for people without a skeptical bone in their body to at least expose themselves to one alternate way of thinking. The Sagan book is a good resource for that. Even if you don't agree with him, sometimes reading something you don't agree with is a good way to organize your thoughts as to what you do and don't believe.

nothingness
08-21-2003, 08:25 AM
Wow, this is a total bugout because I started this thread-my handle was brucelee2 at the time. Time sure flies, huh? Lotta changes since then. A really good spiritual book I have read recently is called Bringing Heaven Down to Earth.

bodhitree
08-22-2003, 07:30 AM
No Death No Fear
Thich Naht Hahn


Changed me!

nothingness
08-22-2003, 11:37 AM
I just got Chi Kung-Way of Power , from the library last night. It looks really cool, I read about half of it so far and am going to start practicing the stuff today.

Former castleva
08-25-2003, 03:56 PM
He,he.Nice shot Dwid.

Sagan is highly recommended reading for any rationally thinking person (or one who might want to learn how to-)