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Much Ado

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:50:08 +0000

Well, only a few days remain in the life of my little cat-friend, Jade - or so it would seem. She has surprised me before - lending credence to the "nine-lives" mythology of her breed. But this time, a recovery would probably classify as a bona fide miracle. So we'll see ...

A couple days ago I brought home a bouquet of cut orchid stems - my current favorite among flowers. So vibrant, so vital, so animal-like. And they tend to last a really long time, for flowers - a month or six weeks, most likely, before the last blossom falls ...

As I was giving them a fresh cut, and putting them in a vase, it occurred to me that this particular bouquet of orchids will probably be around longer than will Jade - which, in that moment, felt quite strange. Read more...

Much Ado originally appeared on About.com Taoism on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 11:50:08.

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Hide & Seek

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:00:42 +0000

Early morning. Moon
lit clouds. I scatter rose
petals near the creek.

~ * ~

Hide & Seek originally appeared on About.com Taoism on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 04:00:42.

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In Praise Of Tension

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:38:53 +0000

Martial artists, I've noticed, tend to be really good at understanding the value of tension - and its relationship to relaxation: How it is the intelligent dynamic between the two that creates the context for skillful action. Tension is not a bad thing! The cells and organs of our body require a certain level of tension to hold their form. A tension/release dynamic is what allows our heart to beat; and the lymph system to function. The trick is to find the perfect amount of tension: not too much, and not too little.

What is a problem - especially in our sedentary society - is stagnation, which often is experienced as a kind of dis-ease which we might then call "tension." But these sensations are simply emissaries of our body's innate intelligence, encouraging us to move. The way to feel more relaxed, more at ease, is in this case to increase the level of tension/contraction - which then allows the stagnant energy to flow.

Tension at the level of mind is also a good thing, when skillfully employed. Read more...

In Praise Of Tension originally appeared on About.com Taoism on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 13:38:53.

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The Call Left By A Flying Bird

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:56:40 +0000

Consulting the Yijing (I Ching) is not something I do regularly. As with other divination techniques -- Runes, Tarot, etc. - I have fun playing with it, occasionally, but in general prefer accessing intuitive information in more direct ways. But every now and again I do consult this ancient Chinese Oracle, and this morning was one of those times.

The hexagram that emerged was #62 - Predominance of the Small. The version of the text I was using was Liu I-ming's The Taoist I Ching (translated by Thomas Cleary), which offered the following gloss on this hexagram:

Being fulfilled but acting empty; inwardly strong, outwardly yielding; inwardly firm, outwardly flexible.

Kundalini & The Three Treasures

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:26:46 +0000

I begin my essay introducing the Taoist "Three Treasures" with the following overview:

The Three Treasures -- Jing, Qi and Shen - are substances/energies that we cultivate in qigong and Inner Alchemy practice. Though there is no exact English translation for Jing, Qi and Shen, they are often translated as Essence, Vitality and Spirit. The qigong practitioner learns to transform Jing into Qi into Shen - the so-called "path of transmutation" - and also to transform Shen into Qi into Jing - the "path of generation" or "path of manifestation." The Three Treasures can be thought of also as three different frequencies, or as existing along a continuum of frequency.

Notice the similarities between that description of the Three Treasures, and this description, by Olga Louchakova (excerpted from Kundalini Rising: Exploring The Energy Of Awakening), of what in Hindu (and other) contexts is called Kundalini or Shakti:

Signature

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:17:24 +0000

Signature originally appeared on About.com Taoism on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 09:17:24.

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White, white & white

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:57:22 +0000

Well, yesterday it was autumn, but today it is WINTER! -- A good five inches of snow on the ground already, and up to a foot more forecasted, over the next couple of days. Where are the oak leaves, now?

White sky, white trees, white ground, white houses, white people walking white dogs, white black cat still mischievous, leaving white tracks everywhere ....

Typically I like being outside, first thing in the morning -- in all kinds of weather -- but today decided to enjoy my cup of tea (an oolong with flowery overtones) inside, warm & cozy.

White, white & white originally appeared on About.com Taoism on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 10:57:22.

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Now & Again

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:12:05 +0000

Autumn

now and again, oak leaves
-- crisply amber --
scattered on the wind's cool
persistent longing

blanket a tremoring earth
line this gentle path
whose graceful contours lead me
from here to here

now and again the silver sky
light flowing unabated through
her understated tones
swirls and eddies to form

dragons and other
amazing creatures -- born
of a mind's curious play
its questions already

answered ...

-- emr

~ * ~

Now & Again originally appeared on About.com Taoism on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 11:12:05.

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Embracing The Beloved

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:44:34 +0000

Not too long ago, I attended what turned out to be a fascinating presentation on the chakra system, by Swami Chandrasekharanand - a Hindu practitioner who traces his spiritual roots to Adi Sankaracarya. The former is teacher to Joan Harrigan, whose Kundalini Yoga Care program a friend had recently begun participating in.

Initially I had felt rather skeptical about the Kundalini Yoga Care program. The word "kundalini" - in a similar way to the word "tantra" - has high currency in today's spiritual marketplace; in inverse proportion, it often seems, to the authenticity and actual value of the programs they purport to describe. But when my friend returned, profoundly and visibly transformed by a week-long retreat with the Kundalini Yoga Care people, I had to conclude that something "real" was indeed going on. When I heard that Swami Chandrasekharanand would be arriving on my doorstep, as it were, I welcomed the opportunity to make the connection.

Yes!

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:15:33 +0000

Twice a year, I participate in an eight-day feast offering practice: lots of chanting, lots of visualization, lots of music (bells & damaru) and a bit of ritual dancing - all in a very ornate setting, replete with statues and thangkas, flowers and incense, and a steadily-growing mountain of feast-offering food and drink, displayed on silver platters and in crystalline pitchers.

The aesthetic is so completely different from what I tend to create for myself in my day-to-day living environment, that the contrast borders on the absurd: outrageous effulgence vs. a spacious, quiet, spare simplicity. I've wondered about this ...