flow on brothers and sisters

flowing. nothing much to report. flow on.

Tao of Rock Conquest!

Download my tunes here for free!

Ok here we go - the new cd is getting there fairly rapidly now (by our terms) and so I am gearing up to casually smash the industry to pieces with my rockingly good tunes.

Here's the plan.

1) I have about a hundred demos from my efforts over the years (I am 31 - been gigging since I was eighteen) - therefore I begin by giving the world a taster - to the tune of bucketloads of free demos and loads of great stories to go with it all. This all comes into fruition via moosecafe.com - my upcoming portal site to contect my other sites and to house stuff like crazy rants and free demos (don't bother going to moosecafe.com yet - it aint up! click above for free demos).

2) I release new CD with shmick new website v. soon. I utilise Lulu.com or cafepress.com or some such company. They rule - you can put out a CD without having to pay anything much up front - god its all so much easier than ten years ago...

3) new band starts gigging. guess all you lot in the US wont get to get too much of that action this month anyhows!

4) upload website devoted to the cool band I was in as a young lad which had quite a rocking following in its day - and subsequently put our three albums up for sale again. and tell the (crazy) story of the (crazy) times we had.

5) put together book of all my random rants and (crazy) stories. again lulu.com - publish on demand - brilliant.

6) entire world totally digs my vibe and I make millions, tour the world a few times rocking the stadiums of the globe and then retire with my lady and my dog to the sub-tropics and practice Chi Gong until I die old and happy.

Beautiful! Life is too easy!

NB: I can't believe how simple it is to get your shit out there these days. We are recording our CD at our mates' house on state of the art recording software - which I am sure he didn't pay for. Then using the web you can get your shit distributed worlwide for free or via Print On Demand with no up-front costs - the customer just pays for each copy as it is needed. Frickin' brilliant!

Damn - I'm never gonna sleep tonight! To many songs to upload!

I think I need a cold shower - cos I'm just too damn HOT!!! YOW!!! HIT ME!!!!

DAOIST CENTER: Outer History of China

DAOIST CENTER: Outer History of China: "Having usurped power, Liu Bang set about
murdering top officials and expelling foreign minorities with
the enthusiastic

assistance of Empress L�. 'When the rabbits have all
been destroyed, one no longer needs the dog; when the crows have
fled,

get rid of the archer; when enemy states have all been crushed,
illustrious ministers should be killed.' Together, they

exterminated all those within the court who could pose a threat
to their dominance."

How I Meditate

Check this out to get an idea of how I meditate. I mean there is more to it than this, and this article (by me) was obviously written to serve my business a purpose, but nevertheless, once you get past the first paragraph of spin, there are some good ideas on effective meditation. Well, I think so anyway!

Not that you lot need it right? Being expert Taoist meditators and all!

;)

P.S. I have no idea why it links to the pages without the frames - and I cant be fucked figuring it out either - but if you know can you leave me a message explaining how to fix that? The site proper looks like this and the article in question is (surprisingly) in the articles section.

I've had it with computers for one day - off to walk the dog or something...

Shambhala - The Book of Tea

Shambhala - The Book of Tea: "Okakura Kakuzo wrote:

Those of us who know not the secret of properly regulating our own existence on this tumultuous sea of foolish troubles which we call life are constantly in a state of misery while vainly trying to appear happy and contented. We stagger in the attempt to keep our moral equilibrium, and see forererunners of the tempest in every cloud that floats on the horizon. Yet there is a joy and beauty in the roll of the billows as they sweep outward toward eternity. Why not enter into their spirit, or like Liehtse, ride upon the hurricane itself? He only who has lived with the beautiful can die beautifully."

TOC

TOC

Bone Breathing

Bone Breathing

This quite similar to what I practice. In a way...

Taoist Dream Practice

Taoist Dream Practice

'ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF DREAM PRACTICE The development of the intention and the will, the ability to sustain focus through the subtle dimensions, the harnessing of one's vitality and the ability to become fluid and abandoned at the right timing are all directed at one important experience. That is the transition of consciousness at the moment of death from the physical to the subtle body. Dream practice is the training ground for learning to utilize the intention, the will and consciousness in conjunction with the subtle energy body. At the moment of death there is a separation of the consciousness from the physical body into the subtle energy body. A crossing from time and space into the ocean of infinity. The dream practitioner is someone who through sustained effort has learned to swim in the ocean of infinity without tiring or becoming scared. Someone who is consciously at home in the complete energy spectrum of the life force. Someone who is no longer fixed on the physical dimension as the sole reality worth exploring. For the Taoists the ability to embrace the full spectrum of the life force is the most important task a human being can accomplish in this lifetime. It is said that `If one realizes the Way in the morning one can die at peace in the evening'. The great insight of the ancient Taoists went even beyond life and death. So detaching the consciousness from the physical into the subtle dimensions is not an end in itself. It is simply a beginning of another cycle of being. A new cycle which continues under different conditions from the physical and yet carries a precious gift from the world. The gift is the `luminous pearl' of indestructible insight condensed through the alchemy of refining the intention and the will. The traveler takes only that from the crossing through this world.'

My Master also practices dreaming meditation - or as he calls it sleeping meditation. I am looking forward to giving it a go when the time is right.

The Contemporary Taoist Shop!

Damn this is the coolest thing ever! Hey!

Go here - buy Contemporary Taoist Products! I know I'm going to!

This is just so cool I have to go and have a cold shower!

Taoist Conceptions of Truth:

Taoist Conceptions of Truth:

Taoist Conceptions of Truth:

Taoist Conceptions of Truth:

Tao of Celestial Gigdom...

ooh, tired ...

busy day - good stuff - bad stuff. business went well, but far too much traffic - spent half the day stuck in jams, and always ten minutes late - oh well - such is big city life.

Best thing about the day (night) was playing a gig with Darren, my long standing musical compadre. New room at Noise Bar in Brunswick, Melbourne - big. lots of people - including a fair turn out of friends of mine which is always nice. sweet gig - nice audience - great sound - good stuff.

nice to know that the cd is coming along well - should be done soon. then you will be able to buy it through my soon to be released site to promote my tunes.

rock on - while we still can - that's what i say!

P.S. came home at a reasonable hour and sober so as not too bugger up my morning practice ... what a good little taoist I am!

Tao and Zen

Zen Master Ji Bong: "Contemporary Taoist practice might be described as the process of finding one's natural and true energy. Zen is more concerned with the mind, what is usually called our true nature or universal mind. This may be an oversimplification, but it points at the essential difference between the two approaches. Contemporary Taoist teachers are usually skeptical about the simplicity of Zen practice and teach a much more elaborate system of standing, sitting, martial, and visualization exercises. This is paradoxical, considering the ultimate simplicity of classical Taoist philosophy, but perhaps it is no more paradoxical than Buddhism with its 84,000 sutras aimed at cultivating no-mind.
At first I was fascinated by the special powers promised by Taoist practices, but now I feel that is also its greatest pitfall. A lot of contemporary Taoist practices are similar to Western white witchcraft. For most Taoist students in my observation, the struggle to attain these powers has been the greatest block to genuine insight into a clear and helpful mind."

I can really relate to this - my biggest critisism of some Taoist methodology is its pre-occupation with the physical; longevity and supernatural or metaphysical powers. To me this is not the point at all. It is ego getting in the way. Look after yourself, yes. Cultivate yourself, yes. But die when you die and accept this as Tao. And forget magic powers, they are for children. Look around - is this amazing world not full of enough magic for ten thousand lifetimes? Why do you seek more? Let me spell it out for you - C - R - A - V - I - N - G. The Shallow Consciousness causing great suffering while the Deep Consciousness quietly waits, an offering of happiness and lasting joy in it's hand.

Embrace Meditation is GO!

Embrace Meditation

still loads of work to do - heaps of content to add and bugs to iron out - but still - we're off and running!

And business is going quite well too, thanks for asking!

Oh, and just had the nice surprise, as I was sitting on the waiting couch at my acupuncturists, to notice that Living Now! magazine have published this article again which was nice of them!

I tells ya - I have had a zany, up and down kind of week - right out there!

Life is Grand - No?

Zany Dayz...

I have had an insane week full of both big wins and big losses - but i am excited to announce that the www.embracemeditation.com website proper is about to go online (although in a fairly rudimentry form complete with some blank pages and errors - but these will be sorted in no time)

I am just waiting for a key piece of advice from my webhost providers helpdesk and then we are away. meanwhile i am off to get acupuncture and a massage. see you soon (on my traffic stats tracker!)

The Great Tao

Ooh, very exciting - I just found a Tao site I haven't seen before! I wonder how they manage to hide from me for so long sometimes

'When the student is ready - his teacher will appear.'

But the student has no time to read it today as I am off to an all day Wing Chun Kung Fu fitness boot camp. I am, as it happens, pretty scared....

The Great Tao

Oh, and sorry about the meat thing CZM - what can I say - takes different strokes! (see comments in 3rd last post)

Divination freebies

For lazy people like me who cant be bothered with real cards, runes, coins etc. - i haven't tried it yet but it came recommended. There is a tarot, runes,and an i ching.

The TaoChef Kitchen

Interesting site this, although I really don't agree that you have to be a vegetarian to be a Taoist. Are we suggesting that animals who eat meat are not according with the Tao? And check out your teeth - they look kind of geared towards omnivorous activity to me!

Not that there's anything wrong with being a vegetarian....but y'know... eating meat is natural too.

To be a Taoist, after all, is not the same as being a Buddhist.

That's my opinion anyway.

Waiting To Catch A Fish

....................

Strange Day, this just gone.

Very Yin/Yang.

Argumentitive people to negotiate with,

Argumentative nature within me to negotiate with.

Small wonders, sweeter than honey.

Timing, and testing of my ability to flow.

Compassion, and just passion.

Impassioned talk, detachment mind.

Enough talk, enough mind.

Just flow on brother.

Just be here now.

Taoism Industry????

BlogShares - Taoism Industry

Industry??? Whatever! Anyway - I just found this list of Taoist inspired blogs. I f#*!@n hate blogs myself, so if any of them are any good let me know! ;)

Oh and thanks to the dudes at Taobums for posting my article here