May 26
Tao Te Ching Video Study Group Part 3
General, Taoist Culture, Site News, Yin/Yang Theory, The Web, taoist, tao te ching, taoism, lao tzu Add commentsVideo 3 for the Tao Te Ching study group is online inside the members area at wudangquan.com . . .
If you haven’t already joined, go ahead and do that, and leave me a comment here, or leave a video response on youtube and let me know what you think.
As a side note - I’ll be taking all of the comments from here and youtube, and will put it together as a massive Tao Te Ching Video, as well as an ebook and I’ll be giving that to everyone for free.
Also don’t forget that there are some cool gifts for people who participate in the study group:
May 27th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Hey Jon,here are a few comments on part3 and some general comments on Tao:
In part3 the first stanza,I believe this is allegorical,I believe we are not to become attached to states of enlightenment,yes,we must continually refresh,but I wonder if it is not the process that is important,that we continually experience but remain free of judgments,attachments,even to enlightened states or the memory of the same.
Regarding stanzas 2 and 3, we must empty our minds and live in a state of non doing,we must be present in the eternal now,disengaged from the constant bombardment from the external world and from the endless chatter within our own minds. Most people do not have effective techniques to reduce the chatter,to reduce desires and attachment,myself included. I believe martial arts may be one way to perceive the Tao but meditation is the fundamental way.I believe learning meditation probably requires direct transmission from a Taoist master.Like everyone else I am so caught up in my own internal chatter,attachments,and the external world and internal world and states of being…it keeps me from being in “the now”.Any clarity I have ever had,are those self transcendent moments,practicing martial arts,or perhaps engaged in a deep quiet meditation,in a quiet state,or perhaps even moments experiencing nature.Thats my take on Part3
Francesco
May 28th, 2008 at 12:09 am
G’day Jon, I reckon Lao Tzu can be taken both literally & allergorically, these guys loved being both straightforward and obtuse, (their sense of humor?). Being enlightened may be a bit overated, being centered is probably more conducive to health & longevity(the important stuff). As Frencesco says it’s more about the process.
The age we live in is ruled by the monkey mind, chattering endless neurosis, to reach detachment, or a state of non doing we must find our horse mind, applying ourselves to the task at hand, where mind, body and spirit become one.
To function in society we must compromise, practising our meditations and martial arts where we can, gradually learning to integrate the states of being into our eveyday lives, we hope!.
You Jonathon, on the other hand are about to imerse yourself 24/7 into a culture of legend; on the one hand I truly envy you, on the other I feel nervous for you. Thanks for letting us share your journey.
Go for it, Pete.