Happy New Year, everyone. I hope you all survived and are planning to give whatever you can in service to humanity for this coming year. And if you can't do that, have a good time with whatever you're doing. Just remember to leave the room cleaner than it was when you arrived.
Fasting
By far, the articles I wrote on fasting bring more visitors to this site than any other (apart from What is Enlightenment, or A Question for My Peers, which also bring a lot of 'You're full of shit!' type private messages, which is fine with me). But that fasting experiment took place five years ago. And apart from playing around with it here and there, I have not undertaken a serious fast since then. I just never got around to it.
Well, I finally got around to it, as I have started today.
I won't follow a lot of rules with this. I'll just keep going until it feels right to stop. But I will do things similar to the previous fast back in 2009. I'll make a liquid concoction to drink everyday so I lose as little vitamin/minerals as possible, along with drinking a great deal of water.
I won't post here everyday with updates, but I will keep a daily journal of this fast, for as long as it continues. Perhaps someday, if enough people are interested, I will publish that journal as a document of what happened.
Takuin's Birthday
A few of you have pointed out that last month was the seventh birthday of Takuin. Not of this website (although it is that as well), but of Takuin as a...thing...creature...whatever it is. Someone asked how I feel about that.
I don't feel anything about it, really. It has always been that way for me. I do not go back to revisit any of my old conversations, and I have never re-read anything I have written. It means very little.
Don't get me wrong; in those moments of exploration with other people, digging deep into the roots of whatever we may or may not be, there is a beautiful kind of energy, something unique to those moments that can never happen again. But once those moments have passed, there is never a need to try to catch up with them to bring about the comfort of the familiar.
I don't mean to sound harsh, but after I have a conversation or write a post or whatever it is, you could burn it for all I care. Once it is over, it is over for me. And if it ceases to exist beyond that point, I'll never know, really. But this is something we'll discuss in a little more detail later in this post.
I was not born as Takuin, but for whatever reason, that is what now remains. I don't know how it happened, and I have long since lost interest in finding out.
But thanks for the birthday wishes. ;-)
The Destruction of This Blog
As I mentioned above, whether or not my words continue on after their birth means very little to me. But I do realize there may be some meaning for others out there in the world. And although I would hope to discourage that attitude in general, I won't try to discourage anyone from caring about something that is meaningful to them.
So here is the situation. At the end of January my web hosting expires. I have thought about doing nothing and letting it expire, which means the blog, along with all of the comments and images, would disappear and be gone forever.
I have also thought about letting it expire, but before that happens, taking all of the posts and putting them into an ebook or app or something like that.
I could also keep the site as it is and just let it go on, or I could start something new on the site leaving all the old material behind but still available. Many options.
So here is a question for you: As a reader of this site, what would you like to see happen?
This doesn't mean I will follow your advice, but I will be listening. ;-)
22 comments, since Janu
Thanks Ogt.
I was never really a spiritual seeker. I suppose it never really meant anything to me. Then after I started this site, and I met so many seekers, I began to understand how many people out in the world were searching for something. But I could not understand why. Why were they searching? I mean, I can understand the mechanics behind the search. But why is it seen as a difficulty to overcome?
It was then, and still is now, strange to me.
I'm probably the last one who should comment given my website is almost surely going to disappear in the not too distant future. That said, I vote to let it end. It is a beautiful website, the writings are wonderful, but there will always be another to come along and talk about it all. If you have no energy to keep writing or keep it going, then by all means, let us say "adieu" but also "merci beaucoup"!
Oh, and by the way: you're full of shit! ;)
Well - I for one would be happy if you kept it live. I quite enjoyed your posts and the conversations, coming from such a different place than my own. I've been working on the migration to a new hosted site myself. Yes, it's actually finally happening. And that includes links back here.
The small advantage to you is the option of doing something new with it, should the impulse arise. Like this post. A lot more work if the impulse arises and the space is not there. My own writing has had a couple of extended pauses - though not as long as here. But it always arose again.
It is interesting to reflect on. I began my blog in '07 as an experiment to see if there was some value in sharing the musings. I soon began commenting here and on Tom's (above) blog, and a small number of others. After a time, most of those blogs have gone dormant or gone off-line. While there are many more blogs that have since arisen, I have found few with the clarity and open conversations that were on these 2. Too many are 'my way is the way' kinds of things or lacking the larger vision. My blogroll hasn't evolved much...
So in the sense that there is some value there to be referred to by those more recent to the field, it would be nice if it was sustained. Worse case, my blog link checker will find copies in archive.org. Stuff on the web never really goes away... ;-)
I recently finished about 2 weeks fast. I enjoy the Reboot style that uses a variety of veggie/fruit juice recipes. The variety makes it easier to go longer, not to mention it being a little healthier than a mono-fast like the Lemonade/Master Cleanse one that's popular. Good structure for newbies too and free forum support.
And Tom - sorry but if he's been fasting, he ain't full of it. ;-)
Lol I did 3 days fast and then 1 day on December , it felt great. I need a week though.
I never went on and red the enlightemment posts or questions but we did talk and posted a bit and for all this I am grateful!
What you do with the site is up to you, my 2 cents keep it. There are many who are still looking and seeking and searching like all of us did once and maybe we still do somehow who knows.
But for those who are still in the search, this kind of places are sanctuaries where they can read some truth if there is truth at all anyway.
Happy new year!
Thanks everyone for your great suggestions.
I have decided to continue with the site, and I'll renew again when the time comes to do so. I want to find a way, through coding and design, to somehow separate the old content from what is coming in the future. If I can't do this for whatever reason, I will most likely remove the old content but make it available in some other form.
I have noticed that a number of people have unsubscribed already, and that is fine. For those soon to follow, I wish you nothing but the best in all that you do. And if you check in on me at some point in the future, I'll be happy to see you. ;-)
And thank you to all of the people that sent emails on this subject. You've given me many ideas for the future of this site.
Love to you all.
Takuin
Happy New Year Takuin, and to Davidya and Tom above, if you guys can see this :)
I feel you both ways - end it or keep it. I'm edging slightly towards keeping it though, mostly because it is a shame to lose all this work, and there will be new people who continue to search for this sort of material and come across your writings.
Thanks, Tom.
I am still undecided, but whatever I end up doing will be fine. I have no worries either way.
I think I would prefer "au revoir" myself. :-)
You shouldn't stop teaching with insight like that! ;-)
I say make the most popular posts into a pdf. Similar to the 365 ebook.
Thanks, Davidya.
You raise some good points. If I do get that itch, but nothing can scratch it, that might be a problem, haha.
I have not checked on any other blogs of that kind in a very long time. I assume there is nothing new, and that most explorations are timid and too comforting for the explorer; like the little boy searching 'dangerous ruins' from the comfort of his sandbox. But I may be going too far with that assumption. ;-)
I am not sure it can be sustained. If one is serious, it seems inevitable the searcher would eventually realize all of their outward searching is intrusive and a distraction. Seems inevitable....hmm....
Makes me ponder....
Haha! Good one...
Thanks, Frank.
That is actually something I never considered. Good idea! Thanks...
Thanks, Albert! Happy New Year to you, too!
Thanks for throwing in your two-cents. I have considered that, as well.
I know. All this talent, thrown away!! LOL In the end, the teaching ends. Either voluntarily, or you get cancer like Nisargadatta or Ramana and are thrown out of the game forcibly. Fresh voices are always needed, apparently, since new ones come along. And yeah, to be honest, most of the time I feel like I'm the one who is full of shit. ;)
And Davidya, Albert, always good to see you on the Internet. Happy New Year! :)
Beautiful pic, Takuin! Goes well with your theme of leaving things behind once they are over... Belated happy Birthday :)
Do what you wish to with your writing. Blog, App or document in any form your words would be available to readers? Your words have a beauty that comes from knowing exactly how you feel and experience. Digging the depths and putting them so simply is awe-inspiring.
Thank you, Anjali.
If I were to preserve what is written here, it would be available to readers in some form. I am just not sure what form that might take. I will think on this carefully.
Some time has passed since the last post here and I'm pleased this site is still live. Although I live in the hectic modern world my heart or at least a large part of it does not. There are reasons why ill continue with my life as it is (wife and child mostly) but I'd like to say thanks for keeping this going. I'm still reading all the posts and personally believe that the thoughts and comments need to stay in the public domain as how can the world change for the better if stuff like this does disappear.
Amazing work and amazing reading. I just wish we lived in a world with more people like you.
On a final note, if your ever stuck for web hosting look me up. I'd host this for free for you as I think it's the least I can give back for the great reading.
:)
Hi Takuin,
I came across your interview on BATGAP a few years ago. I forgot about you name (no offense) but remembered some guy who got enlightened by the honking of a car.
The same interview came up on youtube again (I´m a regular BATGAP watcher and it popped up by chance).
Now I discovered you blog. And I´m happy you didn´t shut it down.
I really love your writings, esp. that one about the girl called Mayumi. It really touched me.
Sven
Thank you, Sven. I am glad you are here.