Smiles and Doorways and DC

:) to live in a smile is to be upon the doorway to heaven :)

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I am in DC for a day or two. I love being here and New York City. I consider both to be homes.

Anyways it's fun to just be me here. everyone so busily running about, and then there is me, smiling and jesting with strangers... and it's a blast

I get to play and be a jester for a few days. It's much needed here while dark lords rule and muss about. To everyone have some fun out there!

I am looking forward to roaming the streets tonight. It's cold out there and help to do...We can and do make a difference even in small actions. When on the road it's important to remember this and not get lost just by traveling from A to B, but to take time to connect and to reach out and find life in sharing life.

This is something many travelers forget to do when roaming.

Home is not a destination, Instead:

Home is everywhere when reaching out.

me

Memories

I was just talking to an old friend. We were comparing how different our memories were at a few points in our life. Each of our memories were so different, and the way we reacted to those memories took us on vastly different paths.

We all have selective memory

To think we are our entire past is a lie. The way any of us remembers the past is always a shadow of what we were and are in the now.

In Taoism , this is very important for we live in the now. If we hold on to the past too tightly we limit our future. It prevents us from embracing new opportunities in the now.

In truth, we all hold on to a few memories, the ones which support us to live gracefully and towards a better path.

The trick is not to hold on too tightly

What matters to me, is how my friend taught me much, how she was and is a guiding spirit for me to live better.

All else, all other memories: are shadows in a play, much like shadow puppets in Bali. Something to smile at and learn from, but not to delve or live within for too long, otherwise we get lost.

Photo From Mimi_K

Peace

Attachments

People Confuse Connection

to be more than it is.

Forcing connection through attachment, through possession.

To live fully is to embrace connection fully

while letting it all be free, to be as is.

Peace

Tao and God

I just came across a statement about the Tao and God. The statement put forth was pondering if the Tao is before or after God.

If you get into Taoism... Time matters not, The term God is a human word to capture our perceptions of how a larger universe works. God is another distinct topic all onto itself. Where people try to "define" a creator or universal power etc, One which people have fought over thousands of years since any definition is an issue of perception.

A Taoist doesn't think the Tao is before or after God. The Tao is a concept to capture something that goes beyond our capability to define, so you leave the Tao undefined and happily explore the wonder that opens up as a result.

The Tao I can define completely in such a way all Taoist will agree.

The Tao is : undefinable...

Something which is undefined: is outside of time by default.

If your definition of God is: that God is undefinable... then yes Tao and God at that point become the same concept... and in being undefinable , a person by definition has to leave it as undefined... since once you slap any definition over it... it isn't that anymore and one misses the point all together. (From a Taoist perspective, all religious wars are pointless since everyone is arguing over the same thing. The problem is being blinded within perception differences while in fact they are fighting over something undefinable.)

In Taoist Religion, we do have gods, but those gods are very definable: they are enlighten beings who help us lesser beings work towards grace. In this Taoist Gods are not Tao, but definable beings.

We do say in Taoism: We are of the Tao, or a god is of the Tao... but we say that... since in some aspect... we are each undefined: as we define ourselves as we live. So in that Taoism connects Tao to everything... But its a very delicate logical edge. One which confuses people.

The Tao by being undefinable... has no issues of perception in definition... since perception cannot touch the Tao which is undefined. It's just simply and utterly is: undefined...

People are funny when insisting everything must be defined...

A Taoist knows to leave the Tao as is, and to grasp the Tao: in the chase of living life fully. It's a wonderful contradiction to embrace as it completely full-fills ones life at that acceptance.

From here each person is free to draw their own conclusions... which will always shift to the winds of perception.

I hope this confuses you even more :) since half the fun of being a Taoist is to play in the edges of Definition and Undefinability. I wouldn't want to clarify something that has kept humanity so busy for so long.


Peace

Taoism

People confuse a "Practice" to be a path.

A practice is just a collection of helpful hints to aid a journey.

People confuse "Knowledge" to be a destination.

Knowledge is merely a stepping stone.

People confuse "Answers" to be truth

Truth is merely a single view point.

People come to me asking for all of the above...

Yet Taoism clearly removes all of these constructs to free a person.

If I were to weave ancient magical spells, proclaim magical words and prance about: I could create a spectacle worthy of any Las Vegas Show. However please keep in mind any such wonder you do experience...

... is already in your heart.

Peace

Jumping Bee

On the topic of Body

We leap from moment to moment

Jumping Bee : Spring 2007 : me

From moment to moment.

Our body is a lens.

Leading the spirit to explore the next destination.

Are we each a worker bee collecting pollen?

Or a being jumping spiritually: by making connections?


Perspective: changes the entire world.

Action: focuses one's perspective

In looking at the picture of the bee, I can clearly see the bee's body focusing the bee's spirit towards action. What is spirit?

Spirit is motion of life
coupled to interconnections made through the motion.

What is done in spirit...
is the very choice on how to experience and full-fill our life.

Peace

Personal Mastery

In teaching others, I help a student embrace various practices. How to work and touch the six aspects of life more completely. A central practice is working with one's breath. Breath exercises touch upon each aspect of life equally so it's a fundamental teaching.

I watch a student struggle with trying to get the perfect breath. In the struggle a student actually strays in the practice from the goal. Instead of trying to make the moment of breath perfect. I teach a student to embrace the struggle as being acceptable. In doing so, the moment becomes something you can truly feel. This in reflection gives the student a measure, they can truly feel.

So the lesson becomes: If you were perfect then you would feel no change in your life, you wouldn't be "personally and uniquely" alive....As the Moslems would say: "Its for God to be perfect"...

Even Masters have bad breath days...
(sorry for the pun but it works in a strange way)
it's required for perspective of living.

People expect and think that the goal is perfection... it's not... you should desire for being good at something and to embrace various little imperfections... that end up actually being defining characteristics of your soul.

The little bits of imperfection we each have
are elements of chaos
that give each person individuality and distinction!

Now here is a true secret:

As a Master you learn not to be perfect but imperfect with style :)

I have spent far more time in my life learning how to embrace flaws over trying to be the best.

The reason this is a secret because it's so opposite of what Americans are taught and believe. Arab craftsmen will always include a small flaw in any art they produce for this very reason. Taoist craftsmen, accept a work of art as it happens rather than refining it to be "perfect".

You can share this secret with everyone but many people will actually get pissed off at you for trying to share it... Since often times a person can take this statement personally or as an affront to their chase of trying to be perfect.

Many secrets are like this.

(Well in reality no secrets truly exist,
humans create secrets to make life more fun in the game of living)

Go figure.

Peace

Aspects of Life

Who we are:

The tangible aspects of our life:

Mind / Body / Heart / Consciousness

The reflective aspects of our life:

Soul / Spirit

Together these six aspects define a person uniquely.

Now it's possible to mix and match definitions, get trapped in words games over what each of these six aspects really are. Or even worse, to argue with others because your definition is different. As a Taoist the lesson is to step lightly over such games, to embrace meaning of each aspect in acceptance of terms within your own life.

Our language has phrases like soul searching, spirit chasing, body building etc... since to define our terms is live them as an ever changing chase.

A Taoist's path for enjoying life: is the wonder of experiencing the shifting balance of each aspect to our nature.

When considering exercises and practices, also consider how your practices help balance out these six aspects of living.

To become a Master: isn't to practice one aspect of your life to peak performance, rather it's to integrate life within each of these aspects with wonder and appreciation.

Over the next week or two I will chat more about these six aspects.

Peace

A Question

My thoughts at the moment are of how we should tread lightly upon words, upon meanings. For meaning is never solid amongst words, yet we give words so much of our power in trying to make them solid. Making us less unsure of our own nature in return...

I am also pondering the nature of matter, being a lens of consciousness... Of the Yin Yang relationship between Matter and Consciousness...

These are slow thoughts, something which has been bouncing in my head for over 25 years now...



So what question do you ponder? Please share questions.


But no puzzles or answers please. I am not much of a puzzle person. Puzzles look so much better left in a thousand pieces, in a thousand thousand possibilities rather than a assembled picture.

Why must a solution be the destination? People insisting on black and white answers and solid forms , when we are everything and so much more...

Peace and good night, time to sleep in the broken sands of a thousand thousand pieces of unassembled dreams.

peace

Midlife and Taoism

Sometimes a mid life crisis focuses personal desire towards finding a meaningful goal for life.

From a western perspective, the meaning of life ends up as a destination, a set of moral practices to define goals of achievement. For example a Christian could view the meaning of life as following the dogma within the Bible to embrace Heaven. This example illustrates a western trait of creating a goal based view on life. Taoism has no goals. Instead Taoism stresses living itself shapes a person rather than any goal. The teachings of Taoism embrace the journey of living as the very meaning of life.

• Western perspective: A person shapes life to a goal: Towards a defining final purpose.
  
  
• Taoist perspective: The shape of a life: is the meaning of life: No final defining purpose exists at all! Instead the defining aspect of life is in the living of each moment.

This becomes clearer when seeing Taoism define the Tao: The Tao is indefinable!

These are very different viewpoints. This is also one reason westerners can have such a problem understanding Taoism. Western thought often approaches life seemingly from an opposite perspective!

Continued in Article..

Peace

On the Road and Retreats

I will be in the DC area at the end of the month.

If anyone is interested in experiencing a Personal Tao: Taoist Retreat in DC on either Feb 2nd or 3rd. Then bebop over to the Personal Tao Retreat page for details and give a holler.

Peace

Status Quo

I have forgotten : more than I know

I know less than I am

I am complete within acceptance.

within acceptance

being myself now.

Peace

War and Peace

This is the last blog posting of Andy who fought in Iraq. He died Jan 3rd 2008.

Firstly I wish peace towards his family. I wish peace towards everyone American and Iraqi touched brutally by this war.

Secondly, the one quote I would like to repost is this:

I think we've drawn that line too far in the direction of war rather than peace, but I'm a soldier and I know that sometimes you have to fight if you're to hold onto what you hold dear. But in making that decision, I believe we understate the costs of war; when we make the decision to fight, we make the decision to kill, and that means lives and families destroyed.

War is part of humanity, to think it isn't is to ignore part of human nature. If we are to make a difference, it's by exactly what Andy says: we must declare and show the costs of these actions, as real.

In America so much truth and reality of the war is covered up, that it is possible for an average citizen to lead their life and not even be touched by this war. Taoism shows the Yin and Yang of this situation since, the more the press and the political leaders suppress the cost of this war, the more damage will pile up to be retroactively applied to the United States later.

Ignoring this war doesn't stop the cost.

Make a difference.

how?

I can only say its up to each person to be extraordinary rather than just embracing an average American lifestyle. Otherwise people like Andy and so many thousand more will just continue to pass away understated by the United States Government.

The statements I have just made are not political, I am just examining the facts of the situation as Andy points out in his post. To respect Andy's wish this post isn't political either. I will point out that his death might be considered as political since he died as part of a very political war, however, his death is actually economical in nature. This war is about economics and oil.

So to make a difference:

Consider how your life is based on current economics and oil to then change life accordingly.

Peace