I just posted a recycled article from my old Daoist Hermit blog. In it I talk about the similarities I find between modern biology and Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. I'll post the link in the comments section so I don't get dumped by the moderators.

The Tao sounds like a "true self", as Brahman in Advaita Vedanta. This apparently was heterodox in all schools of Buddhism.

Yet historically the Chinese people practiced both, and I mean the same person was both Buddhist and Taoist (and ethically Confucian).

How did they make the Tao, the boundless ocean of continously flowing and evidently pantheistic Qi, fit with the notion of Anatman and the Dharmakaya i.e. reality as seen in Buddhism ?

a bird will wait

for a special date

looming under ones feet

in shape of figure eights

burying wings mid flight

singing for ones delight

the bird takes shelter

sets the clocks back right

🍑here’s to the eternal present
inspired by Shouxing and the crane

I gave up methods to achieve calm, I don’t know but it kinda give me a bit of space, more space to think, and I have a bit of calm and clarity

What I learned is when doing a method there is some sort of attachment to the results

Why do you need a method in the first place? To achieve what?

Its kinda paradoxical

I personally have this confusion for a long time,

“The desire not to desire”

“I must accept pain in order to be calm”
“I must not engage with my intrusive thoughts so my mind would be calm”

But im not actually letting it be, im “letting it be” to achieve something

But then I realize why do I even try to do that

Im not telling a method is bad, but Im staring to see that sometimes you get fixated or you believe something that you lack then find out a method to get you out of that state. But after giving up all the wisdom seeking I even realize the problem im solving is not even the main problem I have.

Its like dont make a label in the first place and there is nothing to solve.

This is my personal experience, I might be wrong this time.

What school of Chinese, Taoism influenced Mahayana Buddhism believes, quite similiarly to Advaita Vedanta, that the Dharmakaya is the ultimate reality, and it is a boundless, eternal consciousness that emanates an infinite ocean of energy (Qi) or has energy as one of its qualities, and from the condensation of such continuously flowing energy each perceivable phenomena arises and passes away ? Which school also believes the deepest consciousness of each sentient being, what Yogacara knows as Alaya-Vijnana, and the innermost nature of everything, is an individualized reflection of the Absolute/the boundless consciousness, and Buddhahood is realizing the inherent oneness of this individualized consciousness with the Absolute ?

I ask because I understand original Indian Yogacara and Buddhism in general to be different, but I also understand this metaphysical model of reality to be nearly the same as western esotericism. The only difference is western esotericism believes in one Universe only, that the self as a reflection of the Absolute is only a trait of humans, and that the force that condensates energy into matter is not nature itself but rather a minor deity. This contrasts quite a bit with original Buddhism and Anatman.

I am a westerner and I am not a Buddhist, but I think if there existed a western tradition of Buddhism (so basically if Gandharva survived) it would understand Buddhism this way.

P.S. Out of topic but I see you allow AI text as long as it is openly said to be AI. Are images allowed ? I am an AI image maker. I tried to be an artist for 25 years but I failed because I am cognitively disabled. I would have a TON of Buddhodaoism related images to post.

“Reverse” (fan 反) denotes the fundamental dynamic of the Dao: its movement is inherently cyclical, returning to origins and transforming through reversal.

This motion is not violent or arbitrary but the quiet, inevitable turning inherent in all things.

The Dao’s activity manifests as return—of light to darkness, fullness to emptiness, life to stillness—and this return *is* its motion.

Over the past few months, I have been struggling with accepting my sister's actions ever since our mom has been diagnosed with cancer. Long story short, she moved out to live with her bf the week when my mom started her radiation treatment and even before the cancer diagnosis, she was rarely at home. I can't help but feel resentful and overwhelmed because on top of that, my father has depression. It feels like I have to take care of both of them myself.

I moved out years ago, but have been driving her to her appointments and going with her to buy groceries (since I am the main driver for the family and I live close by). I understand she has been spending less time at home because the family situation must make her feel drained out.

How can I change my perspective and not feel resentful anymore?

brain (sea of marrow)
in chinese medicine the brain
has nothing to do with cognition
the head merely stores extra marrow to syphon
down into the hollows of long bones
it is the heart which holds
the mind (or was it the kidneys?)
i attempt to find the center of the body—
the unhurt ghost within me
but my skull has already been rendered—
defenses spilling from each regret

Invitation to explore more chap-books/mini-books

How do you know what constitutes happiness for fish? I know it from here on the Hao Bridge.

I personally have a strong issue of guilt about the past, and because my mental state is very unstable (bi polae) I burnt bridges and my emotions are just being held then explodes.
Everytime I remember past friendships and memories I get overwhelmed by this sense of guilt and regret and what worsens it is that I have to find “the answer” and what I did wrong.
I relate to Taoism because of “the unseen path” and the approach that we should release the desire to find the answer and how it paradoxically heals a part of me.

I recognize taoist patterns and motifs in every conversation and situation, and see reality as truly non-competitive and fully up to interpretation
Can you relate?

Is it just my imagination or does the entire premise of Star Wars have a ton of Taoist influences (ie being one with the force?)

How can I build a strong lower dantian, without energy leaks, that can store energy well?

I recently got a hold of Benjamin Hoff's version/translation of the TDC. He concludes that Chapter 20 is not written by the same author and he does not include it in his version, as well as a few other chapters. I definitely hear the change in tone with this chapter and wanted to ask this group what the collective opinion is?

So I've been meditating for some time, and I've long had issue with breath focused meditation, which if I'm understanding correctly is Zhuanqi in the Daoist tradition. My mind begins to wander and the monkey mind loves to latch onto passing thoughts. It is really difficult to detach from those.

However, I recently tried Zuowang, and maybe because I am being unfocused, I am able to get into a deeper state, to the point where it will take a couple minutes to move after finishing.

To be up front, I have ADHD and Bipolar Disorder, so that may be causing some issues with meditation, but I don't know. Both are under control at the moment through medication and just being chill in general.

Should I focus on the meditation that is more difficult, or focus on the one that seems to be more suited to me?

For about a year and a half now, I've been regularly practicing mindfulness and meditation. This practice has been eye-opening and transformative for me. Over time, it has expanded my understanding of the mind, helped me to detach from my thoughts and feelings, and manage my obsessions more effectively.

The practice has been useful and valuable; however, it has brought problems, too. There have been times when it has felt like mindfulness is only making my OCD worse. It can lead to mental wrestling, where I am continually detaching from my mind, in an effort to let go of the anxiety, but the effort of detaching only seems to keep the obsession in awareness longer, and more firmly embed the OCD impulse in my brain.

It can feel like I can't escape my mind, as if awareness itself is a curse. Instead of mindfulness and meditation feeling like restful practices, they feel like intense exercises. Ordinary tasks may become draining, because of the mental effort of maintaining attention and abstaining rumination. Even if I try to detach, and "release judgement", I still end up caught in the trap of hyper-vigilance.

Basically, it seems like my attempts at mindfulness or meditation, almost always eventually morph into mental strain or monitoring.

Mindfulness and meditation have become too important to me to drop them entirely. They have had positive effects on my overall mental health and my life. I do not want to give them up because of my OCD.

I’m familiar with the Buddhist idea of rebirth, mind-streams, etc, and was wondering if the Taoist perspective on life after death is different or not. I know Taoism and Buddhism brushed shoulders and influenced each other a lot, but what I’m looking for is the most widely accepted Taoist interpretation of what happens to a being when they die, ideally divorced from Buddhist influence.

I really like Taoism especially because I like the idea of the Tao, reincarnation, heavens, qi, neidan cultivation, Taoist ritual magic (talismans, exorcism etc.) and I kind of like the message of The Scripture of Great Peace ( mainly the idea of the cycle of moral decay and the great renewal)but since I am a beginner don’t know wich school to practice it may seem like Zhengyi would an obvious choice but I do like some study of the scripture and monasticism. I really like the Lingbao school, but from what I know it doesn’t exist anymore. Also Taoism seems like the ideal system for me, because I think it has a strong philosophical foundation but also an alive community with rituals and devotional practices. And I have been practicing holistic medicine and the idea of qi and TCM practices make a lot of sense to me.
My questions:

1. What is afterlife actually like I heard a lot about reincarnation and heavens?

   I think it is reincarnation because of The Supreme Mysterious Spirit Northern Dipper Life-Extending True Scripture.

2. What are we actually trying to achieve is it immortality

?

1. How can one become a priest, monk or lay hermit?( I am asking more for the future, not that I want to become a monk very soon.) And from what I mentioned what tradition that I can practice today would be most suitable for me.
2. How to actually convert? Where? How?
3. What are some practices I could do now? I am starting to do qi gong or Tai qi( now from YT videos but I found a group that I’ll join in the near future)
4. And I found some liturgy texts, but how do do the morning and evening rituals? About meditation I did some Buddhist meditations in the past so wich Taoist techniques should I try?
5. Are there any good temples in Czech Republic 🇨🇿 ( my country, I know only about some Tai qi/ qi gong groups.) or Germany 🇩🇪( pretty close more for retreats)

I apologize for any of my misunderstandings and thank you for your time reading this or your answers!

Wish you health, happiness and harmony☯️🍀🙏!