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In conjunction with Tim Burkettâs current talks on The Secret of the Golden Flower, we are also making available on the blog a rare archival audio series by Stuart Alve Olson recorded in 2014. These recordings have long been part of our Internal Alchemy Membership library, and we wanted to make them...
In this second session on The Secret of the Golden Flower, Stuart Alve Olson explores the distinction between âoriginal spiritâ and âconscious spirit,â clarifying how the upper, middle, and lower dantians function within Taoist internal alchemy practice. Stuart discusses emotional regulation, the ro...
In this third session on The Secret of the Golden Flower, Stuart Alve Olson explores the practice of âreturning the lightâ and clarifies important translation issues surrounding Chapter Three. Stuart explains the meditation posture involving the third-eye region, the alignment of the eyes and breath...
In this fourth session on The Secret of the Golden Flower, Stuart Alve Olson explores the practice of âreturning the lightâ and âregulating the breath,â while clarifying several important translation issues in the Wilhelm edition. Stuart focuses on the two major obstacles to meditationâdullness and ...
In this seventh session on The Secret of the Golden Flower, Stuart Alve Olson explores one of the central themes of Taoist cultivation: learning how to practice within ordinary life rather than escaping from it. Stuart discusses the meaning of the âinvisible light,â the relationship between occupati...
Over the years Iâve found myself drawn to stories about immortals. I think this attraction was due to having read Ge Hongâs (è æŽȘ) fourth-century work Master Who Embraces Simplicity (æ± æŽ ć, Bao Pu Zi ). In his book, Ge Hong makes credible arguments for the belief and existence of immortals, as well a...
During my last talk in the membership, I spoke a little on Wei Wu Wei, the Taoist idea of âactive non-action,â or possibly better said, âactive non-calculation.â However one wishes to translate this term, the concept of âdoing nothingâ always comes to mind, or as we might want to state it, âactively...
âHold on to being and keep to non-beingâ 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...
Originating sometime during the Tang dynasty in Shanxi province, this story is about an elderly man who sold herbal medicines in the marketplace of his village. Since no one in the village knew his name, they just called him the Old Herb Seller.
Wang Yu, a rich man in the village, was reserved, kin...
Translation © 2023 by Stuart Alve Olson
These translations of the Scripture on Tao and Virtue by Lao Zi (é ćŸ· ç¶ è è ć) include the rare commentary by Taoist Immortal Bai Yuchan (çœ ç èŸ, 1194â1229 CE), more popularly called the Jade Toad Immortal. Bai Yuchan was the fifth patriarch of the Southern Sch...
This may sound like a contrary statement at first, but devoting yourself to single-mindedness about meditation can be unwholesome. Such a mindset doesnât take into account the world as a whole. Normally, we are in a state of thinking, âI want this but I donât want that.â All day long we make decisio...
