Is Qing Ming a Taoist practise or a Sintua practice?

I think your question may be more appropriate for the Sintua thread, not this Taoism thread.

quote from Wikipedia:
"Taoism places great value in life. It does not focus on life after death, but on health and longevity by living a simple life and having inner peace."

Can read more here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism_and_death

Taoism does not have a God in the way that the Abrahamic religions do. There is no omnipotent being beyond the cosmos, who created and controls the universe. In Taoism the universe springs from the Tao, and the Tao impersonally guides things on their way.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/ta...iefs/gods.shtml

How high in the Taoist hierarchy is T'ai Seong Lo Khuan?

Using I-Ching for divination.

https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~rfrey/116i_ching.htm

DDJ LVIII

the text:
When the government is muddled
the people are simple;
when the government is alert
the people are cunning.
It is on disaster that good fortune perches;
it is beneath good fortune that disaster crouches.
Who knows the limit? Does not the straightforward exist?
The straightforward changes again into the crafty, and the good changes again into the monstrous. Indeed, it is long since the people were perplexed.
Therefore the sage is square-edged but does not scrape,
has corners but does not jab,
extends himself but not at the expense of others,
shines but does not dazzle.

the commentary:
Can we just take a moment to appreciate “It is on disaster that good fortune perches; it is beneath good fortune that disaster crouches”? A very clear and punchline-worthy way of spelling out the interdependence of opposite pairs. As the Romance of the Three Kingdoms has it: “Empires wax and wane, states cleave asunder and coalesce”. So it is with life. There can be no heights without depths or mountains without valleys. Understanding that good and bad follow one another, the sage does not try to uphold and maintain good, or to root out and exterminate bad. Instead, they embrace ambivalence and go with the natural way of things.
This reminds me also of Alan Watts’ comment about a “perfectly pestiferous mass of a million saints”. That is, a grasshopper alone is fine, but too many of them at once would be a plague. Virtue or good is no different. Variety is needed for life to happen, and expecting all the world to conform to one ideal of good and proper is in a way an act of violence on life itself. Understanding this, the sage follows their nature and does not try to force it on anything else, accepting that each thing will likewise follow its own nature.

Let's go back to basics.


Chapter 1

The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named is not the eternal name
The nameless is the origin of Heaven and Earth
The named is the mother of myriad things
Thus, constantly without desire, one observes its essence
Constantly with desire, one observes its manifestations
These two emerge together but differ in name
The unity is said to be the mystery
Mystery of mysteries, the door to all wonders

Chapter 2

When the world knows beauty as beauty, ugliness arises
When it knows good as good, evil arises
Thus being and non-being produce each other
Difficult and easy bring about each other
Long and short reveal each other
High and low support each other
Music and voice harmonize each other
Front and back follow each other
Therefore the sages:
Manage the work of detached actions
Conduct the teaching of no words
They work with myriad things but do not control
They create but do not possess
They act but do not presume
They succeed but do not dwell on success
It is because they do not dwell on success
That it never goes away

DDJ LXII

the text:
The way is the refuge for the myriad creatures.
It is that by which the good man protects,
and that by which the bad is protected.
Beautiful words when offered will win high rank in return;
beautiful deeds can raise a man above others.
Even if a man is not good, why should he be abandoned?
Hence when the emperor is set up and the three ducal ministers are appointed, he who makes a present of the way without stirring from his seat is preferable to one who offers presents of jade disks followed by a team of four horses. Why was this the way valued of old? Was it not said that by means of it one got what one wanted and escaped the consequences when one transgressed?
Therefore it is valued by the empire.

the commentary:
The way makes no distinction of good and bad, it neither rewards nor punishes, so that it can serve both good and bad. The one who practices the way is preferable to one who flatters or chases a powerful position, yet I’m not sure how to interpret the ending. It is following the way that gets you what you want and makes you immune to punishment, or is it being a sycophant? Both could work, with the sage being revered and left alone as a sage, and the sycophant being rewarded and favored as a lapdog.

Anyone feels like discussing all the incorrect concepts in this wiki?

https://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Taoist

Like when it says "practising yoga" 😅😅

DDJ LXXIII

The text:
He who is fearless in being bold will meet with his death;
he who is fearless in being timid will stay alive.
Of the two, one leads to good, the other to harm.
Heaven hates what it hates,
who knows the reason why?
Therefore even the sage treats some things as difficult.
The way of heaven
excels in overcoming though it does not contend,
in responding though it does not speak,
in attracting though it does not summon,
in laying plans though it appears slack.
The net of heaven is cast wide. Though the mesh is not fine, yet nothing ever slips through.

The commentary:
Not fighting is not necessarily a coward’s choice.

There is bravery in fighting, but there is no less in enduring, and they who fight are more likely to die an untimely death.

Heaven hates what it hates. What happens to what it hates? Does it suffer? This could mean some people are bound to suffer, and there’s no reason for it, that’s just how it is. Maybe the sage recognizes this, and when he happens by, say, a sick child, he treats them with gravity. I feel like it’s probably much lighter than what I’m seeing here, but that’s how I understand it.

Although some things are difficult, or hated by heaven, none are outside the compass of the way, so we endure.

DDJ LXXXI

The text:

Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good. He who knows has no wide learning; he who has wide learning does not know.

The sage does not hoard.

Having bestowed all he has on others, he has yet more;
having given all he has to others, he is richer still.

The way of heaven benefits and does no harm; the way of the sage is bountiful and does not contend.


The commentary:

As was said before, following the way is like an uncarved block. It is simple, and has nothing superfluous. Beautiful and persuasive words are intricacies of language and thought that, if applied to the physical realm, would be akin to flourish in carving, unnecessary ornament, deceiving ornament even. Whereas if one speaks plainly, it is like the uncarved block: raw, but honest.

In following their nature, the people are content to be where they are, doing what they’re doing, so it makes sense that they would not have wide learning: because they do not seek nor strive.

Shedding the superfluous, a sage is content with simply following the way, and giving all else to others. This makes him richer because holding fast to the way is the highest good man could have. Doing so, the sage is like heaven: they do no harm, enter in no conflict, instead being kind to others and steering ever more creatures towards the way, if they will go there.

Zhuangzi's wife died. When Huizu went to convey his condolences, he found Zhuangzi sitting with his legs sprawled out, pounding on a tub and singing. "You lived with her, she brought up your children and grew old," said Huizu. "It should be enough simply not to weep at her death. But pounding on a tub and singing - this is going too far, isn't it?"

Zhuangzi said, "You're wrong. When she first died, do you think I didn't grieve like anyone else? But I looked back to her beginning and the time before she was born. Not only the time before she was born, but the time before she had a body. Not only the time before she had a body, but the time before she had a spirit. In the midst of the jumble of wonder and mystery a change took place and she had a spirit. Another change and she had a body. Another change and she was born. Now there's been another change and she's dead. It's just like the progression of the four seasons, spring, summer, fall, winter.

"Now she's going to lie down peacefully in a vast room. If I were to follow after her bawling and sobbing, it would show that I don't understand anything about fate. So I stopped.

Anyone got any Hungry Ghost Month stories?

Nine Emperor Gods festival coming soon.

This year Nine Emperor Gods festival rather unimpactful. Didn't even have much rain.

Recently Guan Di birthday on Chinese 6th month 24th day.

Someone told me the number 0624 came out Special in the 4D site called 9 Lotto.

Is this Cambodian lottery Lotto?

I had posted this somewhere else, repost here for discussion.

----------
To me, darkness is natural.

Light is unnatural, because it is produced from destruction.

eg the sun / stars produce light by nuclear fusion (destruction)

eg candles produce light by being burnt (destruction)

eg light tubes produce light by consuming electricity (destruction). Electricity is produced by consuming oil, etc (destruction)

Light only happens when something is destroyed.

When destruction stops, light is extinguished.

Darkness naturally resumes.

The whole universe is naturally dark, with only a few spots of light, situated very far away from each other. (just look up at the night sky.)

---------


What do you think?

This may run contrary to Taoism, where Yin = Yang (balanced)

In August 2025, a "Black Moon" will occur, specifically a seasonal Black Moon, which is the third new moon in a season that has four new moons. This is a relatively rare lunar event, occurring roughly every 33 months.

In astrology, the Black Moon is associated with intensified new moons, offering opportunities for manifestation, creativity, and new beginnings. While not directly part of Taoist philosophy, the Black Moon can be interpreted through a Taoist lens as a time of stillness and potential for growth, aligning with the concept of Yin energy and the cyclical nature of life.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

What is a Black Moon?
A Black Moon, in the context of August 2025, is a seasonal Black Moon, meaning it's the third new moon in a season that has four new moons.
This differs from a monthly Black Moon, which occurs when there are two new moons in a single calendar month.

There is also a Black Moon that happens when there are no new moons in February, due to the shorter length of the month.

Astrological Significance:
In astrology, the Black Moon is often seen as an intensified New Moon, bringing potent energy for setting intentions and manifesting desires.
It's a time associated with release, protection, shadow work, and deep transformation.

It's a good time for introspection, banishing negative habits, and creating space for new beginnings.

The Black Moon's energy can be particularly helpful for working with your shadow self and strengthening your boundaries.

In August 2025, the Black Moon will be in Leo, which can signify a period of focus on love, partnerships, and identity.

Taoist Interpretation:
While Taoism doesn't directly address Black Moons, the concept can be interpreted through a Taoist lens.

The Black Moon's darkness can be seen as a time of Yin energy, a period of stillness and introspection, similar to the Dark Moon phase in the lunar cycle.

This stillness can be a potent time for cultivating inner strength and preparing for new growth, aligning with the Taoist principle of Wu Wei (non-action) and the cyclical nature of life.

The Black Moon's potential for transformation can be seen as a part of the Taoist concept of change and the constant flow of Yin and Yang.

In essence, the Black Moon in August 2025 can be seen as a powerful time for both astrological manifestation and for aligning with the Taoist principles of introspection, growth, and the natural flow of energy.