Awayfarer

A pleasant remembrance and much to digest. Thank you for sharing.

Why do you know?

Would you say that exercising enlightening potential is the same thing as turning the light around? If not, can you clarify how one can most efficiently "exercise"? Thank you.

What a mystery it is indeed! I wrote this couplet of dialogue two weeks ago: "David: What is that smell? (sniffing Trip) Is it Kimchi? Or is it chickenshit? Damon: Kid's some kind of joker or something." Some of you may get the "Some Kind of Wonderful" homage. I try not to put you on a pedestal but fail frequently. I am literally (!) just starting Ch. 5 of The Book of Balance and Harmony. "Collecting body and mind is gathering medicine."

I am most definitely chicken shit.

From Thomas Cleary's translation of Chang San-Feng's "Verses on Sitting Forgetting" (The Taoist Classics, Vol.3, p.203, ISBN: 978-1570629075)- "Wang Che, ancestor of the Complete Reality School, said "When the mind forgets thoughts, it transcends the realm of desire. When the mind forgets objects, it transcends the realm of form. When the mind does not cling to emptiness, it transcends the formless realm. Detached from these three realms, the spirit abides in the homeland of immortals and sages, the essence exists in the domain of pure openness."

This is an older writing of Deci's from daobums.com that was very helpful. If she wants it taken down, let me know: "So when I speak of appearances that do not confuse people in the midst of situations, it is just that there is no personalistic psychological locus existent to posit confusion because there is no habitual thought based on the facetious personality of the being that is going to die. This thing of no location is universal. The Center is the totality of reality with neither inside nor outside. Though its (transcendent) effect does not rely on the sudden—experientially, it's you: therefore, you are not it by virtue of its (your) selfless nature. There is nothing to maintain for appearances sake. I have been bouncing back and forth between the relative and the absolute in terms of appearances for a reason. THEY ARE SAMENESS. THERE IS NO TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN. THERE IS NO COIN. Just smile! It goes without saying that you do not constitute a point for confusion to accumulate. And by that, in terms of the relative, I mean there is really no self to maintain in terms of a psychological locus for confusion to accumulate. There is already nothing whatsoever to account for in terms of self and other relative to conditions. When Gautama buddha held up the flower, Mahakasyapa just smiled. Confusion? How can there be confusion where there is nothing to understand? Confusion is only possible by referencing the personality's construed psychological awareness in terms of its own relative not-self, whereas nonpsychological awareness' perspective is in terms of the present impersonal situation. The only reason the authentic teachings exist is to counter habit energy being YOUR habit. Conditioned energy is karmic— it just is, whether you see your nature or not. The provisional teaching of emptiness or the illusion of temporal existence is just so people will avoid losing themselves unawares long enough to develop an independent perspective based on nonpsychological awareness in order to forget the self-reifying thoughts and feelings that bind one to karmic existence. Reality and delusion appear the same because they are the same. Substantial stability of clarity functioning in the midst of appearances has no confusion because there is no psychological locus (location) for habitual self-reifying thoughts and feelings (confusion) to accumulate. What's left is impersonal characteristics. Just this is the basis of one's response. Effective response is the result of seeing through phenomena without denying their characteristics. Abiding here (enlightening being) is the incipient pivot of the creative arising undifferentiated radiating aware essence. The creative is itself potential, if one sees. If one doesn't see, it is creation/karmic evolution. If one sees, then one can use it. Arising undifferentiated is Complete Reality; this being the Center. Obviously, it is the self. Radiating aware essence is presence. This is one's function. Just smile.❤︎"

Is this a reference to the trigrams? Re: 5 meo - Be careful. All teachers have pros and cons. Here is something for you that I have been saving: The gift Of the Tree. Awareness at the Edge of Time.

You can spend lifetimes listening to Deci's tunes. Deep tracks. Use google. A poem for her tunes, a paltry payment from someone with much to learn: Awareness, here, now. By these letters, I am two. Alone, then I am not.

Deci- Moo East Mountain Walks on Water I have been dancing with dragons and wrestling with tigers and suffering so, so much Your commentary is/was/will be invaluable. I try my best not to trade one delusion for another. I found this, also, to be illuminating and thought it might help others. Use the captions, the lyrics are hard to understand. Much gratitude to you.

I left this elsewhere, not seeing you had "retreated". I leave this here, again, with sincerity and openess. "Please forgive the insolence of the last post. Your guidance has been more than remarkable! Last week, I believe a seed planted, bloomed, and then overwhelmed. Perhaps this is an instance of not withdrawing the fire? Perhaps I was "chasing a deer without a guide, just going into the forest"? I most certainly did not recognize the Yin Convergence. As I posted and immediately after, I could sense the energy change, but was unable to adapt. I continue to practice turning the light around, if I am correct in my understanding, that it is putting awareness on awareness and am working on focus/concentration. While in the park a last weekend, this came to me: Every moment a first Like walking in a painting Perhaps this was "naïve innocence seeking me". You have referenced that Art of War - I have not read it but recently found this in chapter 10 of Journey to the West and could feel its importance. "The way of chess exalts discipline and caution; the most powerful pieces should remain in the center, the weakest ones at the flanks, and the less powerful ones at the corners. This is a familiar law of the chess player. The law says: "You should rather lose a piece than an advantage. When you strike on the left, you must guard the right; when you attack the rear, you must watch your front. Only when you have a secure front will you also have a rear, and only if you have a secure rear will you maintain your front. The two ends cannot be separated, and yet must remain flexible and must not be encumbered. A broad formation should not be too loose, while a tight position should not be constricted. Rather than clinging on to save a single piece, it is better to sacrifice it in order to win; rather than moving without purpose, it is better to remain stationary in order to be self-supportive. When your adversary outnumbers you, your first concern is to survive; when you outnumber your adversary, you must strive to exploit your force. He who knows how to win will not prolong his fight; he who is master of positions will not engage in direct combat; he who knows how to fight will not suffer defeat; and he who knows how to lose will not panic. For chess begins with proper engagement but ends in unexpected victory. If your enemy, even without being threatened, is bringing up his reinforcement, it is a sign of his intention to attack; if he deserts a small piece without trying to save it, he may be stalking a bigger piece. If he moves in a casual manner, he is a man without thoughts; response without thought is the way to defeat. The Book of Odes says "Approach with extreme caution as if facing a deep canyon." Such is the meaning thereof". I am thinking that I did not approach with extreme caution and fell in the canyon. Next time do I wait in darkness? I thank you for your patience and your guidance. It truly has been eye-opening. "

BOOM!

I often play the fool, It is yet another tool. Laughter soothes the soul, As this life takes its toll. Morning or night, early and late, Moment, by moment, I create.

Thank you for another wonderful response. Cleary was indeed "set-up" splendidly. A view from a "platform" can often be useful. Foyan and Hui-Neng were also of great use to me. Your cuts are truly deep, but the reifying mechanics of capitalism are strong. You ask if there is a particular passage in this poem that resonates with me at this moment and I leave you with this: "Perilous are the roads at Ts'ao-ch'i., And dense are the clouds on Chiu-ling. Here the voice of any acquaintance is mute." I also leave you with some of my own nonsense: Philosophers fool, Fools philosophize. Look inside, Live outside. Throw away your dollars, Hold on to your pennies; Ignore the words, They change.

Deci- I appreciate your response and will add the ISBN. And I must thank you for the excellent content you have generated. I found you at Daobums and followed you here. Your words cut deep, intention fulfilled. I, also, am a fan of Cleary's translations and the two of you have been extraordinary for me. I am just starting to learn about the Five Elements and their functions and I would be very grateful if you could provide a compass; your maps has been most illuminating. I am a weak and scattered student but enjoy the way.