Mike,
This is my last post in this folder.
I was finally angry enough to avoid writing yesterday, when I first read your last post, and decided to wait a day until my head cleared. I don't know why you choose to push people's buttons, and how you can justify this approach, let alone give yourself a pat on back and call it understandable. All the while taking advantage of my passive nature and rubbing it my face with a smile button. I accept your point of view. I don't like how you express yourself. It is felt by me as very antagonistic, and disrepectful of my viewpoint. I am simply stating my viewpoint and experience. I respect your viewpoint. I like light bulbs, I use a computer, I value technology. Technology does not address 'my' spirituality. I am not interested in swaying your soul to my point of view. I am simply stating my experience and belief. It is mine, certainly not yours, and not a subversive sales pitch that threatens your reality, or your soul. Your last statements lay bait I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. I would hope to think that most people in this day and age realize there is a difference between spirituality and religion!!!! As I go back over your posts, I am amazed how many additional topics and issues you manage to lace into answering previous posts.
I find mayself way off course pretaining to Betsy's original post. I find your comments regarding Master Lin 'very' disrespectful. I suggest you regroup on some of the judgements you make, or at least be quiet and keep them to yourself as opposed to putting them out in a way that pushes buttons and gets under people's skin with an opposing viewpoint. I wonder what type of personalities started all those religious wars you mention. I am sure they were intolerant of other peoples beliefs and views, as you are.
You don't have to agree with or accept aspects of qigong regarding the spiritual side. You don't have do anything , or believe anything you don't accept. You do have to respect other people's point of view, if they present it in way that "respects your point of view." This is where people having differing opinions can meet and carry on dialogue, work differences out if there is a problem. Whether you accept it or not, qigong has a spiritual side to it. It is not a religion, or religious pursuit. It is a tool that provides the means for one to improve their health, and if one has interest or desire, explore their spiritual nature. The spiritual aspect of qigong can relate to various Asian philosophies like taoism , again, something that hardly qualifies as a religion, or can involve Buddhism, which is a religion, but doesn't require one's belief in that religion to make use of wisdom offered(I can live by the ten commandments and not be a christian). The spiritual side to qigong compliments all beliefs, or allows one to bring in their own spiritual preference or religion and completely disregard the Asian traditions. It is completely open regarding spirituality or religion. Master Lin is very careful with this, and makes it known that all beliefs, "if" you are prusuing the spiritual aspects of qigong , are good. They essentially say the same things anyway. Do onto others as you would have them do onto you. It is so open, that you can disregard the spiritual side and practice qigong as a physical exercise, and still find great benefit. Qigong is thousands of years old. Many teachers, and teacher's teachers have worked very hard practicing these systems and passing them on for the benefit of future generations. ""This calls for respect."" When I stated 'there was nothing, and then there was something', I was referring to taoist principles that I choose to understand the universe by at this stage in my learning. The void, followed by the forming of yin and yang , etc. Saying that doesn't necessarily imply that that "I" was there. That is one possible interpretation, and a ridiculous one. The Inuit teacher I mentioned was teaching information that was passed on by his elders. His culture goes back 35,000 yrs, almost as old a culture as the aborigine. Chinese culture is very old. "Alot" of knowledge has been gained from their incredibly long and collective experience on earth, as human beings. I do not have that depth of experience in my background, certainly my present life, and I am open to learn from theirs, as I am interested in what they know. I show my respect, and look forward to learning from their collective experience. I am very aware that there are people who don't give a hoot about this. That's FINE. It is a free will universe. As long as everybody respects everybody else's space, beliefs, etc., we can proceed and co-exist. Mike, I sincerely wish you the best. Qigong will improve your life, however you decide to pursue it. I am far from perfect, I have alot of work to do. I think you have alot of energy to focus constuctively. I am glad you are there, I consider you a teacher. I learn from you. I ask the higher spirits for us both to be blessed, and all we are connected to , to be blessed. "All our/my relations" (mitake ouyia wasin)- a Lakota blessing
