Are you saying that making these changes in our bodies will change the “conditions”? How do we get out of our own way? Is it the body, breath, and mind the “conditions” you speak of that ultimately need changing so we can find Dao? Reading your book (again) and am reading the chapter on shaping the mind. I think this is where you discuss the importance of precepts and thought you were going to talk about that here but it didn’t happen and haven’t heard you go into this much in any of your videos. Maybe it is an unpopular subject.
Changing the body will indeed change some of the conditions but your primary condition will always still be your mind :) moving towards pure attention combined with the simplification of mental nature is generally how we try to get out of our own way :) Yes, haven’t spoke much on precepts as I find them to be a topic quite loaded with stress when people hear about them or they are discussed.
Would it be accurate, in your opinion, that the path of Dao is the harmonization of the human with the natural underlying order that allows the method and process to unfold naturally? Would you then say that this path of Dao enables someone to walk up a more difficult mountain of creating harmony between Heaven and Earth? Harmony between Heaven and Earth on a microcosmic and macrocosmic scale seems to be the higher of paths that is only made possible through the path of Dao. It is a unification with Dao that creates opportunity for harmony between Heaven and Earth. Without it, there is a disharmony of the human between Heaven and Earth, meaning its impossible to create harmony until it is balanced. Is this the higher path? The path of understanding the underlying order and creating harmony?
Yes, I believe so, and one thing that has surprised me over the years is just how deep this model can go and in how many different ways it is interpreted by teachers within the arts.
@@LotusNeiGong it’s interesting to consider this in light of the whole idea of “authenticity” that is the big buzzword in the alternative/spiritual scene these days. In that context though it usually means elevating the personality to the highest position, and from what I’ve seen it tends to result in confusion at best and abuse at worst. This view of Dao seems to be about finding what is authentic by getting out of your own way as much as possible to let what is authentic unfold naturally from within. And it seems that when one manages to do that, something that is actually stable and enduring emerges to bring balance to what is otherwise an erratic, highly changeable sense of self.
Hey Damo, I appreciate the content. I asked this in another video and I’m just curious…is sinking the Qi essentially the same thing as sung except it’s essentially only the upper body? You saying that you’re not Daoist is so Daoist of you 😂
Song really changes depending upon the art. Taiji, for example, is very different from Qigong with regards to how they explain the term. Sinking the Qi would, in part, rely on a degree of Song :)
There is high Dao and low Dao. Low Dao involves things like geomancy/ fung shui, readings, astrology, healings etc. Look at it like a type of sorcery. It does really work, and it's function is to offer help to people who are not able for what ever reasons , past life, karma , whatever to attain to High Dao. There is such a thing as high Dao! High Dao is offering salvation and teachings through deep, deep meditation. Deep connections to God and all the god's. Big difference. God and god's. Jesus is one of the god's ,same a buddha ,angels, prophets etc. So I would have to offer a different view on this Damo. In the beginning there was the word. The word is OM. The Dao split off from God, slide off, split, I don't know the words. Dao Te Ching says there was was one, one begat two, two begat three and three begat ten thousand things , meaning, everything in creation. The Dao is very high level if you get away from low level sho yu cur, Dao is God's force that allows the flowers to bloom and all live to happen. Ten thousand words would not be enough.
You said you don’t train kids, but you see kids doing taiji all over Asia, right? Isn’t it better to get them on the right path early so they maintain that path through life?
@@LotusNeiGong But how do we manage to mess up the natural order of things? Is the 'messing up', the deviation from the natural order, itself not part of the natural order? I'd love some clarification on this. Thanks for the great talk :)
Halfway through I think that daoism is itself misrepresented here. As you say, you are not knowledgeable of the part you call religious, a distinction imposed by westerners and not recognized by daoists. Basically, you reduce it to where you are able to see practical benefits and explain your opinion on dao from there on. Within that framework, dao is easy to define. The definition you offer is thus evidently self created. Not being a daoist yourself as you say, but a practical person using daoist concepts, you are logically unable to provide an introduction into the path of daoism which you aren’t following. You assume that whatever daoism is, that it can be reduced to your liking without harming something essential. Without judging the value of your personal philosophical framework, I can only say that reductionism is a way of using the mind which is very unasian and certainly undaoist-like.
Perhaps this is true, or perhaps I have been around a fair amount and have enough experience to form an educated opinion? Without knowing me, you cannot know :)
Oh really? That’d surprise me… it doesn’t sound like my pal Nietzsche at all. (He said for instance: "There are multitudes in me. At the table of my soul many people sit and I am all of them. There is an old man, a child, a wise man and a fool") Could you give a reference to the quote you’re referring to?
You bring the kind of clarity that sincere practitioners deserve
You probably don't read these but I'm super very grateful for you and everything you have introduced to my life.
Thank you, humbly.
You are welcome. Happy to be of service 🙏
This video is such a good and simple (efficient) explanation of Daoism, it can be used for education at school
Thank you for this Damo. Such a great explanation very easy to understand the way you explain things
So good to listen to you. Thank you
Wonderful- very grateful to be listening 🎧🙂
This talk was quite enjoyable, and gave an interesting perspective of Dao.
Really helpful. Placing Dao underneath things like Samadhi makes sense.
Thank you so much by your teachings
spot. On.
Brilliant 😊🥰
Are you saying that making these changes in our bodies will change the “conditions”? How do we get out of our own way? Is it the body, breath, and mind the “conditions” you speak of that ultimately need changing so we can find Dao?
Reading your book (again) and am reading the chapter on shaping the mind. I think this is where you discuss the importance of precepts and thought you were going to talk about that here but it didn’t happen and haven’t heard you go into this much in any of your videos. Maybe it is an unpopular subject.
Changing the body will indeed change some of the conditions but your primary condition will always still be your mind :) moving towards pure attention combined with the simplification of mental nature is generally how we try to get out of our own way :)
Yes, haven’t spoke much on precepts as I find them to be a topic quite loaded with stress when people hear about them or they are discussed.
Good stuff my man
Thank you ta
Would it be accurate, in your opinion, that the path of Dao is the harmonization of the human with the natural underlying order that allows the method and process to unfold naturally? Would you then say that this path of Dao enables someone to walk up a more difficult mountain of creating harmony between Heaven and Earth? Harmony between Heaven and Earth on a microcosmic and macrocosmic scale seems to be the higher of paths that is only made possible through the path of Dao. It is a unification with Dao that creates opportunity for harmony between Heaven and Earth. Without it, there is a disharmony of the human between Heaven and Earth, meaning its impossible to create harmony until it is balanced. Is this the higher path? The path of understanding the underlying order and creating harmony?
Yes, I believe so, and one thing that has surprised me over the years is just how deep this model can go and in how many different ways it is interpreted by teachers within the arts.
@@LotusNeiGong Many thanks! This is my current understanding so glad I am on the right track :)
@@LotusNeiGong it’s interesting to consider this in light of the whole idea of “authenticity” that is the big buzzword in the alternative/spiritual scene these days. In that context though it usually means elevating the personality to the highest position, and from what I’ve seen it tends to result in confusion at best and abuse at worst. This view of Dao seems to be about finding what is authentic by getting out of your own way as much as possible to let what is authentic unfold naturally from within. And it seems that when one manages to do that, something that is actually stable and enduring emerges to bring balance to what is otherwise an erratic, highly changeable sense of self.
thank You
You are welcome :)
Hey Damo, I appreciate the content. I asked this in another video and I’m just curious…is sinking the Qi essentially the same thing as sung except it’s essentially only the upper body?
You saying that you’re not Daoist is so Daoist of you 😂
Song really changes depending upon the art. Taiji, for example, is very different from Qigong with regards to how they explain the term. Sinking the Qi would, in part, rely on a degree of Song :)
There is high Dao and low Dao. Low Dao involves things like geomancy/ fung shui, readings, astrology, healings etc. Look at it like a type of sorcery. It does really work, and it's function is to offer help to people who are not able for what ever reasons , past life, karma , whatever to attain to High Dao. There is such a thing as high Dao! High Dao is offering salvation and teachings through deep, deep meditation. Deep connections to God and all the god's. Big difference. God and god's. Jesus is one of the god's ,same a buddha ,angels, prophets etc. So I would have to offer a different view on this Damo. In the beginning there was the word. The word is OM. The Dao split off from God, slide off, split, I don't know the words. Dao Te Ching says there was was one, one begat two, two begat three and three begat ten thousand things , meaning, everything in creation. The Dao is very high level if you get away from low level sho yu cur, Dao is God's force that allows the flowers to bloom and all live to happen. Ten thousand words would not be enough.
That is not how I am using the terms and there are a number of things I really don’t agree with in here but all good. Thanks for the input
❤
You said you don’t train kids, but you see kids doing taiji all over Asia, right? Isn’t it better to get them on the right path early so they maintain that path through life?
They are doing empty forms from empty Taiji generally, not anything truly internal :) and that is fine for kids...
👊🏾😎👍🏼
How is it, if the Dao underlies everything, that humans are capable of straying from it?
Because we are good at messing stuff up :)
@@LotusNeiGong But how do we manage to mess up the natural order of things? Is the 'messing up', the deviation from the natural order, itself not part of the natural order? I'd love some clarification on this. Thanks for the great talk :)
To aim we have to miss sometimes, to balance we need to know unbalance, perfectly natural.
@georgefrancismusic Life is a paradox, if you haven't noticed😉
16:25 MO PAI MENTIONED 😂😂😂
Is it odd to do so? :)
Halfway through I think that daoism is itself misrepresented here. As you say, you are not knowledgeable of the part you call religious, a distinction imposed by westerners and not recognized by daoists. Basically, you reduce it to where you are able to see practical benefits and explain your opinion on dao from there on. Within that framework, dao is easy to define. The definition you offer is thus evidently self created. Not being a daoist yourself as you say, but a practical person using daoist concepts, you are logically unable to provide an introduction into the path of daoism which you aren’t following. You assume that whatever daoism is, that it can be reduced to your liking without harming something essential. Without judging the value of your personal philosophical framework, I can only say that reductionism is a way of using the mind which is very unasian and certainly undaoist-like.
Perhaps this is true, or perhaps I have been around a fair amount and have enough experience to form an educated opinion? Without knowing me, you cannot know :)
my Old Teacher Nietzsche insisted - to NEVER ever trust anything created while - Sitting. - Even the lazy Hemingway stood up when composing...
Are you saying the message is lessened because I am sat in a chair?
@@LotusNeiGong The message itself is independend of your posture - your Posture is relevant to the message - I ALWAYS stand up - even when I cannot...
@@raginald7mars408 how do you stand up if you admit the fact sometimes you can’t? Then it would mean you can, wouldnt it 😏
Haha that promises for all those gurus who are always sitting when teaching …
Oh really? That’d surprise me… it doesn’t sound like my pal Nietzsche at all. (He said for instance: "There are multitudes in me. At the table of my soul many people sit and I am all of them. There is an old man, a child, a wise man and a fool")
Could you give a reference to the quote you’re referring to?