Taoism

Originally posted by shorbock
Ok, i stop trolling, it's just so tempting in this forum!
Back to the thread, i've always felt a bit uneasy with the sexism of tao, especially Yin and Yang :
While being complementary,
- yin is feminity ...and passivity, darkness, ghosts, cold, slowness
- yang is masculinity, and activity, energy, sun

Meh it's not really sexism. The distinctions in taoist texts are simply for an easy comparable reference.

Since its non dualistic, the separation is simply reflecting that we associate things into polarities almost seemingly inherently.

Originally posted by Agerg
What basis does Vishva have for asserting the truth of reincarnation? How could he possibly have knowledge about the supernatural so as to be so confident on his high horse? How can anyone assert the truth/existence of anything that is supernatural without being in someway supernatural themselves? The mind is potentially a warren of deception that can conjure ...[text shortened]... y position counter to his own backed up with little more than ignorance and wishful thinking.

Vishva's said a lot.
I get where he's coming from. I dont agree with everything he says, and sometimes I cringe at his lack of tact, but he strikes me as someone who shoots from the hip and has the the conviction of his ways.
"individual claims of exposure to the supernatural are not reliable".- It all boils down to this , doesn't it? And this is to be treated by a case by case basis.
(I dont use the word "supernatural", just "natural", but I can get into the spirit of it.)
So, if his mind is a warren of deception, then we should feel a tinge of sympathy for him, but if there is a kernel of truth to what he is saying, then he is PARTICIPATING in one big story. A story which he is writing himself into. Cheers Vishva. Cheers Agerg

Originally posted by r99pawn77
meditation really isn't that hard. Some of the Zen folks recommend what they call "just sitting."

you really just take some time out, just sit in a chair and, you know, just that's it.

well, sort of. The idea is to, you know, just relax and be at peace for a moment...let all that silence work into you.

we are all running around so fast, that j ...[text shortened]... does for me anyway..

but I am a loon, I think I need more help and relaxation than most!!

While at it, keep a str8 back😉

Originally posted by karoly aczel
While at it, keep a str8 back😉

“What use are meditations, reciting mantras, giving gifts or kula nectars? O Durga, without yoni worship, all are fruitless.”

The Yoni Tantra, Third Patala
😵

Originally posted by r99pawn77
Tao Te Ching

(entire text online)

http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/taote-v3.html

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Taoist Meditation

http://1stholistic.com/meditation/hol_meditation_taoist_meditation.htm

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more Taoist Texts:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/index.htm

thanks for the links. I have my own annnotated copy of the Tao, and have read it 7 or 8 times at least (it is well worn). Nothing in the Tao contradicts Christianity, or any other religion directly for that matter. Well worth the read for all spiritual seekers

Originally posted by r99pawn77
meditation really isn't that hard. Some of the Zen folks recommend what they call "just sitting."

you really just take some time out, just sit in a chair and, you know, just that's it.

well, sort of. The idea is to, you know, just relax and be at peace for a moment...let all that silence work into you.

we are all running around so fast, that j ...[text shortened]... does for me anyway..

but I am a loon, I think I need more help and relaxation than most!!

I practice this art at work, but my boss gets upset when my "meditation" leads to me snoring and a puddle of drool forming on my shirt😳

Originally posted by black beetle
“What use are meditations, reciting mantras, giving gifts or kula nectars? O Durga, without yoni worship, all are fruitless.”

The Yoni Tantra, Third Patala
😵

Ah the Great Yoni. Proof that God is a female😀

yeah, I hear ya. I used to jog 2 miles every day and then do a longer run on the weekends...5 or 7 miles. Never did a marathon, but did do one 10 mile run and one 17 mile run. Jogging is just great. Just drives all the bs out of ya...all the anger and stress and everything.

That is the thing about meditation. Everyone thinks it is this weird thing you do while wearing robes and chanting in some esoteric language...but, in fact, just about all of us actually meditate.

Like you say, going for a jog is a kind of meditation. Going for a hike in the woods is a kind of meditation. Even playing golf or going fishing is a kind of meditation.

For that matter, chess itself is a form of meditation. I think a lot of us play chess because it is more fun to spend time trying to solve chess problems than having to think about work, our boss, our mortgage and all the misery of daily life.

Meditation forms are just the "professionalized" version of all that. Thousands of years ago, when some ancient guy went on a walk to forget about his wife nagging him....and sat down to reflect....meditation forms are just how that all evolved over the course of thousands and thousands of years from people engaging that process.

So, if it weren't for nagging wives, we wouldn't have a path to freedom (hey, my wife isn't around here, is she??? ----whew, that was close)....

some links:

Zen Mountain Monastery Meditation Instructions

http://www.mro.org/zmm/teachings/meditation.php


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Buddhist Meditation #1:

http://www.freemeditations.com/buddhist_meditation.html

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Buddhist Meditation #2:

http://www.freemeditations.com/buddhist_breath_meditation.htm

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and more forms:

http://www.freemeditations.com

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Kinhin (Zen Walking Meditation)

http://www.zenspace.org/site/Meditation_Walking.html

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and there are meditation forms in every major religious path... Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc. etc. etc. (derived as a response to thousands of nagging wives from over the course of thousands of years...uh, oh, wife is awake and on the loose...gotta run!)

Originally posted by r99pawn77
yeah, I hear ya. I used to jog 2 miles every day and then do a longer run on the weekends...5 or 7 miles. Never did a marathon, but did do one 10 mile run and one 17 mile run. Jogging is just great. Just drives all the bs out of ya...all the anger and stress and everything.

That is the thing about meditation. Everyone thinks it is this weird thing ...[text shortened]... ver the course of thousands of years...uh, oh, wife is awake and on the loose...gotta run!)

Well put r99pawn77.
As you infer, meditation is not some mystical practice that makes out that it is something extraordinary. It can be done anywhere, anytime.
You just need to get creative and above all, relaxed and in a suitable spot.

I habitually bring myself bck to my centre,my focus on the pit of my stomach. I am doing it now.

Sometimes meditation is refferred to as contemplation.
Doesn't really matter what words you use . The important thing is "right understanding",(or "right thinking".)
Also it doesn't matter how much you meditate, what is important is that you stay alert. If you find your self nodding off, as another poster suggested, just give yourself a little "wake up slap" and stay alert.
5 minutes of quality, alert meditation is better than 20 minutes of sluggish , sleepy "sitting".
And... the environment in which you meditate can also help you achieve a clear, alert mind.
For example, I sometimes sit on the beach. The white noise of the waves clears the mind.
If one is persistant and determined enough, one will eventually break through to deeper levels of conciousness, whcih leads to a greater understanding of the true nature of reality.

yeah, I agree...

and it is always best not to take advice from some guy on the internet...

when there are tons of experts who have written about the subject.

as far as there not being anything "mystical" or deep about it...well, there is a lot of debate about that...

as, obviously, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism view meditation as a path to God.

Originally posted by r99pawn77
yeah, I agree...

and it is always best not to take advice from some guy on the internet...

when there are tons of experts who have written about the subject.

as far as there not being anything "mystical" or deep about it...well, there is a lot of debate about that...

as, obviously, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism view meditation as a path to God.

"It is always best not to take advice from some guy on the internet",true,true. But what you going to believe? A book? An Indian guru?
As always, I advocate taking advice from yourself first and foremost, if it is harmonious with outer influences then you may well be on the right track.

(Again , the above statement is troublesome for many little reasons, but I think you get the gist)