Free Resources

Blog

Doing Less, Living More a few words from stuart alve olson Sep 01, 2024

During my last talk in the membership, I spoke a little on Wei Wu Wei, the Taoist idea of “active non-action,” or possibly better said, “active non-calculation.” However one wishes to translate this term, the concept of “doing nothing” always comes to mind, or as we might want to state it, “actively...

Continue Reading...
Hold on to Being, Yet Keep to Non-Being a few words from stuart alve olson Sep 01, 2024

“Hold on to being and keep to non-being” is an important verse in the Tao De Jing. The meaning is quite complex and can apply to various situations. But to help illustrate one of the meanings I will tell you an old story about a monk and a female benefactor.

There was once an old woman who took car...

Continue Reading...
1–11 Taijiquan Posture Names taijiquan Jul 01, 2024

From April 2017 Newsletter

In this installment, the character of Peng (), normally translated as Ward-Off, will be examined. The original character for Ward-Off was 掽 (also pronounced Peng) and later re-composed as, a character that does not exist in the Chinese dictionaries because it was created ...

Continue Reading...
Nature (Xing) and Life (Ming) a few words from stuart alve olson Jul 17, 2023

By Stuart Alve Olson

In Taoist Internal Alchemy texts, Xing (性) and Ming (命) are very important concepts. These two terms have varying definitions within Taoist texts, causing some confusion for those studying Internal Alchemy. In the simplest definition, Xing is a reference to our Nature, our mind...

Continue Reading...
 
Eight Brocades and the Longevity Teachings of Li Qingyun li qingyun Mar 20, 2023

Taoists believe that we suffer the effects of old age because we don’t incorporate the laws of nature. If we want to feel good, we need to nourish the nature within us.

When it comes to working with the body, Taoism is all about going back—re-storing, re-generating, re-vitalizing. Taoism teaches us...

Continue Reading...
Intercalary Moon: Wood Rabbit i ching Mar 20, 2023

March 22–April 19th, 2023

By Suzanne Nosko

As this new moon on March 22nd will be an intercalary month (or moon), the Yin Water Rabbit influence will be with us longer. This happens approximately every three years and is done in order to keep up the lunar year with the solar year.

Since the solar...

Continue Reading...
Great Strength: I Ching Hexagram for Mar-April 2023 i ching Mar 20, 2023

Please see the Book of Sun and Moon by Stuart Alve Olson for more details of the advice and correlations given in this piece for the present month (moon).

Great Strength, #34, Da Zhuang

This hexagram holds influence over the period of the Yin Wood Rabbit Moon (including the intercalary moon period...

Continue Reading...
Master Liang’s Idioms: To Hit the Dog with a Meat Dumpling master t. t. liang Mar 20, 2023

 用 肉 饺 子 打 狗

yòng ròu jiǎo zi dǎ gǒu

The idiom is indicating things that can never be returned. No dog would ever return a piece of meat thrown to it.

Master Liang would usually blurt out this statement any time he heard talk of someone loaning or borrowing money, a book, sword, or music tape. Us...

Continue Reading...
Losing the Child Heart: Zhuangzi, the Bird, the Mantis, and the Cicada a few words from stuart alve olson Mar 20, 2023

By Stuart Alve Olson

In the Zhuang Zi, a parable tells about how after a visit to Tiaoling Park one day, Zhuang Zi felt as though he had lost himself completely. The events leading up to this started when he first encountered a very large bird, with a seven foot wingspan, and very large eyes.

The bi...

Continue Reading...
12: Following to Seal and Carrying to Close taijiquan Mar 17, 2023

Copyright Š 2023 by Stuart Alve Olson

This ongoing series presents the origin and more traditional meanings of Taijiquan posture names, movements, and applications. Each installment provides Master Xu Yusheng’s original text (1919), original photographs of Master Yang Chengfu, Master Chen Weiming (...

Continue Reading...
Chapter 24: Bitterness and Grace a few words from stuart alve olson Mar 17, 2023

Translation Š 2023 by Stuart Alve Olson

These translations of the Scripture on Tao and Virtue by Lao Zi (道 德 經 著 老 子) include the rare commentary by Taoist Immortal Bai Yuchan (白 玉 蟾, 1194–1229 CE), more popularly called the Jade Toad Immortal. Bai Yuchan was the fifth patriarch of the Southern Sch...

Continue Reading...
 
Lunar New Year Webinar on Starting, or Restarting, a Cultivation Practice i ching Jan 24, 2023

About the Year of the Rabbit (Hare)

Technically, this year should be called the “Year of the Hare,” as hares are swifter than rabbits. They are born with a coat of fur and have good vision, while rabbits are born naked and blind.

The Yin Water Hare is spiritually powerful this year. All hares an...

Continue Reading...