Taoist Studies in 2023

I have been reading, studying, and applying some of the practices of Taoism.  

Here are the books I have been reading about Taoism.

Here are my daily somatic practices, Neidan, Internal Practices, Taijiquan, in 2023.  

Here are a few of the new books I am studying:

The Way of Complete Perfection: A Quanzhen Daoist Anthology.  Selected, translated, and with an introduction by Louis Komjathy.  New York, SUNY, 2013, 448 pages, index, glossary, illustrated, notes.  VSCL.

The Taoist Tradition: An Introduction.  By Louis Komjathy.  Bloomsbury, 2013, 400 pages, illustrated, index, notes.  VSCL.

Daoism: A Short Introduction. By James Miller. Oxford, England, Oneworld Pubs., 2003. Index, bibliography, 174 pages. ISBN: 1851683151. VSCL. 

Chronicles of Tao: The Secret Life of a Taoist Master. By Deng Ming-Dao. Harper One, 1993, 476 pages. The story of Taoist master Kwan Saihung. VSCL. 

The Whole Heart of Tao: The Complete Teachings from the Oral Tradition of Lao-Tzu. By the Reverend Venerable John Bright-Fey. Crane Hill, 2006, 374 pages. VSCL. 

Books by Eva Wong.

Books by Livia Kohn.  

Books by Deng Ming-Dao

Taoism: A Bibliography, Links, Resources, Information

Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Long 108 Form

 

Yang Family Style Tai Chi Chuan Traditional Long Form
By Michael P. Garofalo.

This webpage provides a list and brief description of the 108 movements of the Yang Style Taijiquan Long Form divided into five sections for teaching (.html and .pdf versions available). The webpage includes an extensive bibliography on the subject, scores of Internet links, historical notes, and quotations. 

The Yang Long Form discussed on this webpage conforms to the form developed by Yang Cheng-Fu (1883-1936) and documented in books by Bu Fu Zongwen (1903-1994) and Yang Zhenduo. The numbering of the movements varies from author to author, but the essential sequence and moves remains the same.

Doing some research on the Yang style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan (85 and 24). Two books have caught me eye:

Mastering Yang Style Taijiquan.  Bu Fu Zongwen (1903-1994).  Translated by Louis Swaim.  Berkeley, California, North Atlantic Books, 1999.  Glossary, bibliography, 226 pages.  Translations of many Tai Chi classics are included.  A list of the 85 movement long form and detailed notes and descriptions of each movement are provided.  251 movement analysis illustrations.  Over 76 of the illustrations are traced and drawn from photographs of Yang Cheng-Fu.  Detailed descriptions of the long form, pp. 26-162.  Push hands information.  Yang Tai Chi essentials.  ISBN: 1556433182.  I have found this to be an excellent book!  This book was first published in 1963 in China as "Yang Shi Taijiquan".  An informative introduction and good translation by Louis Swaim.  VSCL.    

Taijiquan.  By Li Deyin.  London, Singing Dragon, 2004, 2008.  In English.  402 pages.  ISBN: 9781848190047, 1848190042.  Includes a complimentary DVD.  Includes descriptions, with photographs, of the 81 Yang Taijiquan form, Simplified 24 Taijiquan, Competition 42 Taijiquan, Competition 42 Taiji Sword, and the 32 Taiji Sword.  The Yang long form (81 Steps) includes photographs of Li Yulin performing the Yang long form in 1931.  Li Yulin and Li Jinglin, under the supervision of Yang Chengfu, were preparing a book on the subject later published under the title "Textbook of Taijiquan."  The 81 form is described in detail in this new book by Li Deyin.  

Daily Somatic Practices in 2023

 In 2023, my Daily Body-Mind-Spirit Practices include: 

the Yang Style Traditional T'ai Chi Ch'uan 108 Movements Long Form;

the Yang Style Taijiquan Standard 24 Movements Short Form;

the Eight Immortals Cane Form Yang Style;

Wudang Chi Kung, Warmups, Exercises, Ideals;

and Daoism: Principles and Practices.

Yang Style Taijiquan - Traditional 108 Movements T'ai Chi Ch'uan Long Form

Standard Simplified Yang Style Taijiquan 24 Movements Short Form

Eight Immortals Cane Routine #1, Yang Style

Wudang Qigong , Warmups, Exercises, Ideals, Meditation

Daoism: Principles and Practices

 

 Today, January 23rd, is my birthday.  I am 77 years old today.  

Home Again, Home Again ... Yes!!

I returned home on last Thursday afternoon from my solo yurt camping trip to Bullards Beach State Park near Bandon, Oregon.  A yurt is round and 16 feet in diameter.  No cooking or no bathroom in a yurt.  

Now, Saturday, I am back to the comforts and pleasures of the nice company of my wife, Karen.  She is an excellent cook, so no more hohum campground foods or eating out at a local cafe in Bandon.  At home, unlike the yurt, there is more space, my interesting books, large padded chairs, a large nice bed, full private bathroom, and a big screen television set (and prerecorded sports and documentaries).  I had not watched television for four days.  

We live in a 50 year old suburban house in a quiet neighborhood of many seniors in Vancouver, Washington.  We live in the northeast part of unincorporated Vancouver, called "The Orchards."  There are four large Douglas firs in our backyard and many around in our neighbor's houses.

Here are some photos of our main living room looking to the north .  Here I enjoy reading and studying, chatting with Karen, and watching TV.  I read in a big green chair.  Karen took these photos on a dark, windy, and rainy day.  Bruno, our dog, hangs around and likes the warm indoors like us.  I can easily do a compact Yang Style Taijiquan in this room by moving a few chairs.  

Each season provides new views looking north into the back yard.
The maple trees are all leafless in January.
Many branches and limbs fell during a 45 mile windstorm.
A great view from our reading chairs.

Looking to the west.  Our fireplace is quite nice and large.
Yes, the Northwest has lots of dark clouds, fog, mist and rain.  
Karen's big black chair.

I 

I converted one small bedroom into my computer room, office, library, meditation room, floor yoga and standing Qigong practice area, and reading room.  The window in this room faces south.  I have a small Taoist altar set up. 

Looking south.

Taoist altar

Taoism

Here is how my former Druid altar (ancient Roman themed) 

looked in our old home in rural Red Bluff.  This room was my
reading room with a huge green chair that I still use. 
We lived and worked in Red Bluff from 1989 to 2017.

One Old Daoist Druids Final Journey

Dao De Jing, Chapter 15

 Daodejing, Laozi

Chapter 15



"The Tao of those eminent for wisdom in the olden times was subtle, mysterious, recondite, and penetrating.
Its depths were unrecognizable by others.
The non-adepts, being unable to learn it, strove by main force, therefore, to act it out in practice.
They endured the hardships of their search as those who ford streams in the winter.
Cautious were they, as those who dread the ridicule of their neighbors.
Reverent were they, as those who entertain a visitor.
Expansive were they, as ice on the point of melting.
Simple and unpolished were they, as unhewn wood. 
Vacant were they, as a ravine.
Undiscerning were they, as turbid water.
Who is able to make turbid water grow gradually clear by reducing it to quiescence?
Who is able to impart unending life to that which is at rest by setting it in perpetual motion?
Those who preserve this Tao desire no fullness; wherefore, having no fullness,
they are able to guard it in their hearts for ever and it never requires to be renewed."
-  Translated by Frederic Henry Balfour, 1884, Chapter 15  


"The Sages of old were profound
and knew the ways of subtlety and discernment.
Their wisdom is beyond our comprehension.
Because their knowledge was so far superior
I can only give a poor description.

They were careful
as someone crossing a frozen stream in winter.
Alert as if surrounded on all sides by the enemy.
Courteous as a guest.
Fluid as melting ice.
Whole as an uncarved block of wood.
Receptive as a valley.
Turbid as muddied water.

Who can be still
until their mud settles
and the water is cleared by itself?
Can you remain tranquil until right action occurs by itself?

The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.
For only those who are not full are able to be used
which brings the feeling of completeness."
-  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 15 


"Of old, those who were leaders in good actions examined mysteries with deep penetration; searching deeply, they did not understand; even Masters did not understand; therefore their actions were void of strength.
They were timid, as those who cross a torrent in winter; irresolute, as those who fear their neighbours; grave, as strangers before their host; they effaced themselves as ice that melts; they were rough as undressed wood, empty as a valley, confused as troubled water.
Who is able by quietness to make pure the troubled heart?
Who is able by repose to become conscious of Inner Life?
He who safely maintains his consciousness of Life will find it to be inexhaustible.
Therefore he will be able, though not faultless, to renew perfectness."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 15 


"Profound indeed were the most excellent among the ancients, penetrating, fathomless;
inasmuch as they were fathomless it becomes necessary to employ far fetched symbols when speaking of them.
Irresolute? as if fording a stream in winter.
Timid? as though fearful of their neighbours.
Grave? as if they were guests.
Elusive? like ice about to melt.
Simple? like raw material.
Expansive? like the space between hills.
Turbid? like muddy water.
Who can still the turbid and make it gradually clear;
or quiet the active so that by degrees it shall become productive?
Only he who keeps this Tao, without desiring fullness.
If one is not full it is possible to be antiquated and not newly fashioned." 
-  Translated by C. Supurgeon Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 15  


古之善為士者, 微妙玄通, 深不可識.
夫唯不可識.
故強為之容.
豫兮若冬涉川.
猶兮若畏四鄰.
儼兮其若容.
渙兮若冰之將釋.
敦兮其若樸.
曠兮其若谷.
混兮其若濁.
孰能濁以靜之徐清.
孰能安以久動之徐生.
保此道者不欲盈.
夫唯不盈.
故能蔽不新成.
-  Chinese Characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 15 




ku chih shan wei shih chê, wei miao hsüan t'ung, shên pu k'o shih.
fu wei pu k'o shih.
ku ch'iang wei chih jung.
yü yen jo tung shê ch'uan.
yu hsi jo wei ssu lin.
yen hsi ch'i jo jung.
huan hsi jo ping chih chiang shih.
tun hsi ch'i jo p'u.
k'uang hsi ch'i jo ku.
hun hsi ch'i jo cho.
shu nêng cho yi ching chih hsü ch'ing.
shu nêng an yi chiu tung chih hsü shêng.
pao tz'u tao chê pu yü ying.
fu wei pu ying.
ku nêng pi pu hsin ch'êng.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 15 



"The Tao of those eminent for wisdom in the olden times was subtle, mysterious, recondite, and penetrating.
Its depths were unrecognizable by others.
The non-adepts, being unable to learn it, strove by main force, therefore, to act it out in practice.
They endured the hardships of their search as those who ford streams in the winter.
Cautious were they, as those who dread the ridicule of their neighbors.
Reverent were they, as those who entertain a visitor.
Expansive were they, as ice on the point of melting.
Simple and unpolished were they, as unhewn wood. 
Vacant were they, as a ravine.
Undiscerning were they, as turbid water.
Who is able to make turbid water grow gradually clear by reducing it to quiescence?
Who is able to impart unending life to that which is at rest by setting it in perpetual motion?
Those who preserve this Tao desire no fullness; wherefore, having no fullness,
they are able to guard it in their hearts for ever and it never requires to be renewed."
-  Translated by Frederic Henry Balfour, 1884, Chapter 15  



"Los sabios perfectos de la antigüedad
eran tan sutiles, agudos y profundos
que no podían ser conocidos.
Puesto que no podían ser conocidos,
sólo se puede intentar describirlos:
Eran prudentes, como quien cruza un arroyo en invierno;
cautos, como quien teme a sus vecinos por todos lados;
reservados, como un huésped;
inconstantes, como el hielo que se funde;
compactos, como un tronco de madera;
amplios, como un valle;
confusos, como el agua turbia.
¿Quién puede, en la quietud, pasar lentamente de lo
turbio a la claridad?
¿Quién puede, en el movimiento, pasar lentamente
de la calma a la acción?
Quien sigue este Tao
no anhela la abundancia.
Por no estar colmado
puede ser humilde,
eludir lo vulgar
y alcanzar la plenitud."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Tao Te Ching, Capítulo 15

A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes 20 different English translations or interpolations of each Chapter, 3 Spanish translations for each Chapter, the Chinese characters for each Chapter, and the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin Romanization of the Mandarin Chinese words for each Chapter; extensive indexing by key words and terms for each Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization is provided; recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, and other resources for each Chapter are included.  

Chapter 15 of the Tao Te Ching

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching

English Language Translators' Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

 

In 2023, I will be studying books by Deng Ming-Dao.

Taoism

Chen Taijiquan Old Frame, First Form

Coquille River, Oregon

Today, I drive from Bandon to my home in Vancouver.  

I pack up and checkout from my yurt around 8 am.  I enjoy breakfast at the Station Restaurant around 8 am.   

The drive from Bandon to Vancouver is roughly 270 miles, and takes from 5 to 8 hours, depending how much I stop for gawking, leg stretching, bathroom breaks, snacks, photographs, traffic congestion, sightseeing, short walks, eating, rest stops, etc.. 

I drive east from Bandon on Road 42S, then on Road 42 east through Coquille, Myrtle Point, Camas Valley, and then into Roseburg, Oregon.  Then, Interstate 5 north to Vancouver, Washington.  This area is used for farming and timber harvesting.  Small rural towns and lovely green countryside.  The road touches along the Coquille River at many places. 

Heavy flooding of all the low lying pastures and farmlands in the entire Coquille River Valley this January of 2023. Flooding as far as the eyes could see on either one side or both sides of Road 42S.  Fog rising up low over flooded fields ... spooky, lonely country road.  

Coquille River     Images

Coquille - City     Images  

Myrtle Point - City   Images

Camas Valley     Images 

Roseburg - Images

Roseburg - Information

Four Days in Grayland  

Beachcombing near Bandon, Oregon

Raining all last night and most of the day. 
Cold and windy.  Heavily overcast gray day;
until the late afternoon.  

Explored the Bandon and Bullards Beach State Park areas of Oregon today.  

From my Yurt campsite, you can drive a mile or so out to the parking area at the north jetty.  The Coquille River enters the Pacific Ocean at this jetty.  There are many stone and earthen dykes far along both sides of the Coquille River to control flooding.  There are extensive tidal marshes extending farther inland.  

Here are three photos in the areas north of the jetty.  Lots of driftwood on the beach shores from high King Tides.  To the north, miles and miles of rolling big sand dunes covered with grasses, shrubs, and trees fed by high precipitation.  To the east, the Bandon Bridge, tidal marshes, and the coastal range.  

Bandon March National Wildlife Refuge.  A wide and long tidal marsh land-water environment. Tidal Marshland   I enjoyed a dine view of the tidal marsh lands near Rocky Point County Park, a few miles north of Bandon.  This year, from Bandon all the way notheast via road 42S to Coquille City, 30 miles, major flooding of the entire area was widespread and impressive in the fog.

Coquille River Photos

Bullards Beach State Park, Bandon     Photos

Bandon Bridge Photos

Bandon Photos

Bandon City - Information  

South Jetty State/County Park

Four Days in Grayland  

The Jetty as Metaphor
The Sandwich
Anjali Mudra and Bowing
Gassho, Tai Chi Chuan Salute

Waves of Reflections at the North Jetty
By Michael P. Garofalo
January 2023

In 2023, I will be studying the books by Deng Ming-Dao.

Taoism

Bandon, Oregon, Discoveries

Explored the Bandon and Bullards Beach State Park areas of Oregon today. It was sunny, cool, and not windy.  Started to cloud up in the evening.    

From my Yurt campsite, you can drive a mile or so out to the parking area at the north jetty.  The Coquille River enters the Pacific Ocean at this jetty.  There are many stone and earthen dykes far along both sides of the Coquille River to control flooding.  There are extensive tidal marshes extending farther inland.  

Here are three of my photographs in the areas north of the jetty.  Lots of driftwood on the beach shores from high King Tides.  To the north, miles and miles of rolling big sand dunes covered with grasses, shrubs, and trees fed by high precipitation.  To the east, the Bandon Bridge, tidal marshes, and the coastal range.  

Bandon March National Wildlife Refuge.  A wide and long tidal marsh land-water environment. Tidal Marshland   I enjoyed a dine view of the tidal marsh lands near Rocky Point County Park, a few miles north of Bandon.  This year, from Bandon all the way notheast via road 42S to Coquille City, 30 miles, major flooding of the entire area was widespread and impressive in the fog.

Coquille River Photos

Bullards Beach State Park, Bandon     Photos

Bandon Bridge Photos

Bandon Photos

Bandon City - Information  

South Jetty State/County Park

Four Days in Grayland  

Here are more photographs from others:

The Jetty as Metaphor
The Sandwich
Anjali Mudra and Bowing
Gassho, Tai Chi Chuan Salute

Waves of Reflections at the Bandon Jetty
By Michael P. Garofalo
January 2023

In 2023, I will be studying the books by Deng Ming-Dao.

Taoism

Bandon, Oregon

I will be Yurt Camping at Bullard's Beach State Park near Bandon, Oregon.  I will be exploring the smaller areas around Bandon for three nights and four days.  

The drive from Vancouver to Bandon takes 5 to 6 hours.  I drive south on Interstate 5 until I reach Curtin, OR.  Then I take Road 38 west through Drain, Elkton, and into Reedsport.  Road 38 follows the Umpqua River.  Then south on 101 through the Oregon Coastal Sand Dunes, Tugman State Park, North Bend, Coos Bay, and then on to Bandon.  

Drain, Oregon - Images

Elkton, Oregon - Images

Reedsport, Oregon - Images

Reedsport, Oregon - Information

Oregon Coastal Sand Dunes

Tugman State Park

Coos Bay, Oregon - Images

Coos Bay - Information  

Bullards Beach State Park, Bandon

Bandon - Images

Bandon - Information  

Four Days in Grayland

Here is my Yurt campsite for four days.
Since it rained a lot while I was here,
having good dry indoor shelter was important.

Old lighthouse on the north jetty at Bandon.

View from the south jetty at Bandon.

When I go yurt camping on January 13-16 at Bullard's Beach State Park near Bandon, Oregon, I plan to include a number of spiritual practices while on Retreat.  I will read two books:

Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness: Walking the Buddha's Path.  By Bhante Henepola Gunaratana.  Wisdom Pubs., 2001, 268 pages, VSCL.  

Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Modern World.  By Lama Surya Das.  432 pages, 1997.  VSCL.  

Lama Surya Das

In 2023, I will be studying books by Deng Ming-Dao.

Taoism

Waves of Reflections at the Bandon Jetty

By Michael P. Garofalo
January 2023