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Thread: Daoism in your journey

  1. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by taai gihk yahn View Post
    that's impossible - it's mine:


    TAO©®™TGY2013


    see?
    Well, I'll be hornswaggled!

  2. #17
    Join Date
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    Is this part of your Dao?

    So does your experience is based on daily life lessons or have you ever read an interpretation of the old Daoist texts? If you have then what are the resources you've used and how do you apply them both in your life and in your martial arts practice.

    Thanks,

    Mig

  3. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by mig View Post
    Is this part of your Dao?
    The most important thing to realize, and I mean realize not know, not understand, but to directly see, is that there is nothing that is apart from Tao!

    Everything is part of "your daily Dao!

    This is something that should not be read from a book and then believed, it is something one should "see directly" for themselves.

    Right choices, wrong choices, moving with Tao, moving against Tao, is ALL moving with Tao!

    You CANNOT move against Tao under any circumstances at any time under any conditions.

    So, the answer to your question is YES, it is part of my daily DAO, but it also a part of your's and everyone else's too!

    Quote Originally Posted by mig View Post
    So does your experience is based on daily life lessons or have you ever read an interpretation of the old Daoist texts? If you have then what are the resources you've used and how do you apply them both in your life and in your martial arts practice.

    Thanks,

    Mig
    I have read and studied most, or all, of the Taoist philosophical texts, and many of the alchemical ones translated into English (don't ask me which ones, of the alchemical ones, I found them of next to no value, so I mostly ignore them and forget them).

    I started my interest in Tao at age 15, I will be 54 in a few months. In the old days we mostly had a few translations of The Lao Tzu, The Chuang Tzu and Sun Tzu, that was it. Later we got some Guan Tzu and a few others. The latest I am aware of is the Nei Yeh which is actually buried within the Guan Tzu.

    These texts, in my opinion, should be used mostly as a finger pointing one to Tao in order for one to directly experience the principles first hand. When you read a text and attempt to understand it your knowledge is strictly secondhand or worse. It is like reading a book about swimming or swimming yourself. The person who wrote the book knows about swimming, the person who swims knows about swimming, but the person who read the book about swimming only knows what someone else wrote about swimming. He has no direct knowledge of swimming. He cannot be an expert on swimming no matter how many books about swimming he reads. He is only an expert on what others have written about swimming. He will never know as much as someone who swims.

    That is not so say there is no value in reading about swimming or Tao. Only that reading a book is not equal to direct experience!

    The Yin-Yang, in my opinion symbolizes just about all you need to know about Tao. If you study this symbol and delve deeply into is meaning you will be served well.
    _____________________________________

    To me me of the most important principles of Tao, just off the top of my head here are:

    1) Conservation of energy: Generally, only use the amount of energy necessary to accomplish your goal. This does not mean one should never use excessive energy, ever. There may be occasions when this is appropriate. Knowing how much energy to expend and under what circumstances is something that takes time and practice.

    Energy includes physical, emotional, intellectual and material (i.e. gasoline, electricity, etc. ) energy.

    2) Balance: I prefer the term equilibrium. Balance is NOT a still point of no movement. It is the rhythmic alternation of Yin and Yang principles. There is a time and place for each. Learn when and where to apply which principle to best affect according to your goal. Excessiveness at times is also a part of maintaining equilibrium. For one should understand that equilibrium is the alternating between two complimentary, yet contrasting, (not conflicting) principles. Equilibrium/balance can also be taken to extreme. So, at times extremes of Yin or Yang will occur and this is still part of maintaining equilibrium and so is acceptable.

    So, sometimes complex may be better than simple, even though The Lao Tzu appears to favor the simple. Soft is NOT always better than hard. Tao is about the balancing of Yin and Yang, not favoring one over the other. If you purposely favor one over the other you CANNOT obtain equilibrium. But since Tao always tends towards equilibrium you will develop some compensating behaviors/effects for excessiveness of one principle over the other including the excessiveness of attempting to maintain perfect equilibrium/balance between the two.

    Also, however, each person has their own natural tendencies. So, some people naturally tend to Yin principles in some or all of their actions and thoughts, while others naturally tend towards Yang principles. These occur according to the individual’s personal Tao, so to speak. This is quite natural. Both tendencies bring with them benefits and detriments. This too is part of Tao.

    Whether one chooses to balance out their personal tendencies is up to them according to their personal goals, but there is no necessary right or wrong in their choice. Just accept the consequences that attend your choice is all, because all actions, behaviors come with consequences.

    3) Observe and learn directly from Tao as you move with it through your daily life: Use books and discussions with others as inspiration and guides, but learn to directly experience for yourself and become your own expert.

    4) All actions/behaviors have consequences, Cause and Effect: if you are unhappy with the consequences/effect, change the action/behavior, cause, that created the consequence.

    I am sure I can come up with more, I just live according to these principles, I don’t preoccupy myself with them. They are part of my personal Tao as I apply what I have observed and learned through experience.

  4. #19
    Join Date
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    I like the Wilhelm translation of the IChing.

  5. #20
    Join Date
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    Sure is a whole lotta talk about nothing going on here.



    anyway.... 3 stages in life

    1. Confucian - you are the scholar, learning, observing, making the connections

    2. You are a Buddhist, you see there is more than constructs, there is something other.

    3. You are a Taoist, you have stopped worrying and caring about constructs this brings you contentment. Then you die.

    find what you like in those 3. But you'll likely go through them yourself if you aren't well on your way already.

    get it? "way"?
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  6. #21
    Join Date
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    桃花岛
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Jamieson View Post
    It was until that grubby beggar stole it.
    Nawh, that was just my worldly goods when I stopped for noodles in Dengfeng.
    Simon McNeil
    ___________________________________________

    Be on the lookout for the Black Trillium, a post-apocalyptic wuxia novel released by Brain Lag Publishing available in all major online booksellers now.
    Visit me at Simon McNeil - the Blog for thoughts on books and stuff.

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