#daoist

[yebreed]

Rural Dongyang Houtu Temple From the Yuan Dynasty

Dongyang Houtu Temple (東羊后土廟), located in Dongyang village, Linfen (臨汾市), Shanxi. Built in the Yuan dynasty, in the fifth year of Zhizheng (至正) (1345). The remaining murals and architecture date from the Yuan dynasty, the altar figurines are from the Ming era.

The temple was erected to worship Houtu (后土神), the Queen of the Earth, ancient goddess of all lands and mountains.

It is curious that the sources of the Spring and Autumn period refer to Houtu as a male deity. Being incorporated into Taoism, Houtu retained his gender from the very beginning, worshipped as one of the Four Heavenly Ministers (四神).

However, he later fell victim to the widespread belief that the Earth represents the Yin principle, and therefore has feminine characteristics. This is how the image of the Lady Mother Earth (地母娘娘) from the late Taoism arose.

Photo: ©大关沿路拍

[demonictao]

There are types of heavenly realms inhabited by beings full of strength and energy, endowed with many powers, but somewhat "eccentric". These we call the realms of the Yin Deities, a kind of world of demons, beings endowed with consciousness, intelligence and powers far superior to those of humans. They are the antithesis of the Yang Deities and are just as powerful. They move between universes and live for hundreds of millions of years. They also come down and make their incursions here.

The Yin Deities inhabit a much more powerful world above our own. Powerful, they sometimes fight battles and wars between themselves and against the Yang Deities.

[lantianlong]

Shen Qiao “Thousand Autumns”

[renegade-hierophant]

First lines of the Dao De Jing in the ancient Chinese Seal Script:

The Dao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Dao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name. Having no name, it is the Originator of heaven and earth; having a name, it is the Mother of all things.

[thistransient]

指南宮

[the-ephemeral-ethereal]

Water is yielding but all-conquering. Water extinguishes Fire or, finding itself likely to be defeated, escapes as steam and re-forms. Water washes away soft Earth or, when confronted by rocks, seeks a way round. Water corrodes Iron till it crumbles to dust; it saturates the atmosphere so that Wind dies. Water gives way to obstacles with deceptive humility, for no power can prevent it following its destined course to the sea. Water conquers by yielding; it never attacks but always wins the last battle.

Tao Chênh of Nan Yeo, an 11th-century Taoist scholar 

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Image: Canonization Scroll of Li Zhong, Unidentified artist

17th century, illustrating the investiture of a local god into the Daoist pantheon (Metmuseum)

[Red Pine (translator) :: Bill Porter (author)]

* * * *

“Confucius called on Lao Tan and spoke to him about benevolence and righteousness.

Lao Tan said, “Chaff from the winnowing fan can so blind the eye that heaven, earth and the four directions all seem to shift place. A mosquito or a horse-fly stinging your skin can keep you awake a whole night. And when benevolence and righteousness in all their fearfulness come to muddle the mind, the confusion is unimaginable.

If you want to keep the world from losing its simplicity, you must move with the freedom of the wind, stand in the perfection of Virtue.

Why all this huffing and puffing, as though you were carrying a big drum and searching for a lost child.”

- The Complete Works Of Chiang Tzu

[alive on all channels]

[cadmar]

Effort

Effort is not the flow. Trillions of your cells within your body are functioning without any effort. Each cell does what it can and able to do and accomplish. More like a flow. When the cell comes upon an obstacle, a blockage that prevents it from functioning, then it requires an "effort" to overcome it , or not. If is unable to overcome the obstacle, then a disruption has happened and a disease is more likely to occur.

With our 4D mirror, the ability to "read" and "observe" the 3D neural patterns by the different vibrations and frequencies from each different neural pattern, we have this "consciousness" of understanding the outside world. What is crucial to understand is that our 4D mirror can not create 3D thoughts. Can not create words. Can not create 3D neural patterns. Can not trigger neurons to spike and to be activated. Our 4D mirror can only "observe" and "read" 3D neural vibrations from neural patterns.

All our actions, all our thoughts, all our desires, all our fears, and all our emotions and reactions, are not caused by our 4D mirror, but from our 3D physical body! This is a profound realization! From your 3D physical body is all effort. The 4D mirror if pure is no effort, as then what is the cause of one's actions, thoughts, and beliefs?

If your 4D mirror is pure, then all your actions come out of this purity. There is no effort as then, instead of your reactions from memories, and experiences, your reactions are from the entire environment, and not from a set of past experiences, fears, desires, wants, and emotional triggers.

Effort is from your memories, wants, desires, fears, experiences, and expectations. Effortless is from the entire environment without any input from your past experiences, memories, desires, and fears. A pure mirror is the effortless as you then do what the now environment tells you what to do and no interpretation from your memories and emotions!

[lovesinistra]

[takoyaki-king]

Next climb. . . . . . . . . . #华山 #huashan #mounthua #shaanxi #xian ##hike #explore #interesting #china #travelphotography #travelblog #travel #travelingram #traveltheworld #travelawesome #scenic #mountain #hiking #daoist #sunset https://www.instagram.com/p/ComzTyVyPa7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[yebreed]

Ming and Qing Taoist tokens (Ling Pai 令牌 aka Lei Ling 雷令or Wu Lei Hao Ling 五雷號令) used in the Thunder Rites (Lei Fa 雷法). Mostly from Lushan Taoist school (閭山派), Fujian.

The tokens are made of wood, often peach wood or jujube, however, jade, ivory, bamboo root, etc. are allowed. The rounded top represents Heavens and the rectangular base – Earth.

The Ling Pai are engraved with signs corresponding to those divinities or forces with which the practitioner interacts during the Rites. The patterns and shapes may vary depending on the Taoist school and lineage, but the overall structure remains recognizable.

Photo: © Lin Mengyi, Xuanwu Daomen Taoist Research Center (林孟毅 玄武道門 道教研究中心), Taiwan.

[demonictao]

[lantianlong]

Gentle, Compassionate, Loyal, Strong, Brave, Determined and Beautiful Daoist, Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi’s desire

Look at that stare. There’s a ferocity in that gentleness. A true Yin-Yang. Shen Qiao, beloved Daoist, beautifully brave, gorgeously gentle, lovely loyal, desire of many, Yan Wushi’s temptation.

[chineseffect]

无为 /wúwéi/ EFFORTLESS ACTION (or Enlightened Action) is one of the most inspiring concepts of Chinese philosophy.

It may sound strange to people in the West, because Western culture is all about ME, ME, ME while 无为 comes from the recognition that Ego is an illusion.

But the stranger it sounds the more valid and valuable it is, especially now at the time of the inevitable collapse of the decaying Western culture.

The literal translation is No-action, but that doesn’t mean that we should be passive.

The position of Wúwéi is a position of total Freedom.

That is the position when our judgement and therefor our actions aren’t corrupted by our desires, ambitions, our wants and needs - basically by our ego.

When we act in the 无为 way, we act like a free medium of Life itself.

The action happens through us.

Your Chinese learning can be very different. It can be Fun&Easy. Just follow the link.

[thistransient]

[pinkpetalbee]

🌿🌸✨ "When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." - Lao Tzu 🌟🌺🎀