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You are, first and foremost, a smart man. Consequences may occasionally pan out to be -- what's the word I'm looking for -- severe? alienating? politically incorrect? I used to have a roommate and friend who was a gay white man. He was not proud of being either, but it so happened that I helped him accomplish something he became so proud of that he kept bragging to everybody every chance he got, even though for everybody else it wasn't an accomplishment at all... He came from a wealthy family and grew up in a community completely shielded from the rest of the world, and all he knew about swimming was always done in swimming-pools, by everybody he knew. (He was alienated from his family at the time I made his acquaintance.) So we went to the beach and I gave it all I had to convince him that the ocean was, well, swimmable. He doubted it. Waves. No boundaries. Sand, wind, all that weird stuff you don't encounter in a swimming-pool. I shamed him into trying, and he discovered he liked it so much that I had a hard time getting him to finally get out of the water. He was happier than I'd ever seen him. So he proceeded to brag to everybody he knew and even to strangers, just mentioning nonchalantly something along the lines of, "how was your weekend? Me, I went swimming in the ocean..."

wrists, very empty the crack between bones so dark that it always shines.

but scarecrows look cool out in the fields, standing watch wrists, very empty ("standing at the side road, listening to the billboard knock well, my wrist was empty, but my nerves were kickin', tickin' like a clock"-- Black Crow Blues, by Bob Dylan "black crows in the meadow, cross the broad highway; well it might sound funny, but I don't feel much like a scarecrow today")

Don’t mix two systems that both have a “heavenly” energy source. I have made that mistake and it f’d me up. I was told by a teacher after the fact to always wait at least three months between practicing different systems that utilize higher energies. If it’s just physical postures and movement that’s fine though. “If you are looking for water in the desert, it is no good running around endlessly digging shallow holes. Choose any reasonable place and if you dig deep enough you are sure to find water.” Mouni Maharaj

When one gets angry, there are recommended techniques for accepting and allowing the emotion to exist and pass. Such as picturing the anger as a child needing an embrace from its parent, and offering the anger love and acceptance. Or by picturing the anger as a fierce tiger that needs stillness, silence, and observation to allow the anger to pass us by without harm. Sometimes, residual energy remains in the body; increased heart rate, shaking palms, intense vibration. These can linger, albeit subdued, even after the mind has reached equanimity on the issue that triggered the anger response. What are some recommended ways for clearing the anger physically?

Good day to you all, I've been lurking around the site for a few months, and thought it was time to join the conversation. You have to introduce yourself first, as per the rules. Of course, I could go through the routine of I'm x born in y, have z children and work in industry a, and in my spare time I like fishing and salsa dancing. But I thought I'd use this opportunity to reflect a little on the subject: introduce myself to me, if you know what I mean. I struck up a conversation with an Indian a few months ago. He asked me who I was. As I'm currently unemployed, I answered a little nervously: “you mean like work or education?”. Nono, he said, more like my interests, talents, passions, philosophy etc. I didnt know what to answer exactly, but we had a nice chat regardless and exchanged numbers. He called me some weeks later, and offered me a “job”. He felt that there was a great “market”/longing for the higher things in the place I live, and my God, is he right. Ive felt that longing for most of my life, and I can tell that more and more of my peers are getting fed up with the materialist worldview. “Hare Krishna, how are you?” he started. “I feel perfect,” and for the first time, I said those words honestly. I really did. That very same day I had been moved to tears about the mystery and beauty of this universe of ours, and felt a deep sense of unity. He went on to tell me that while he was visiting my town, he had been to a bunch of meetings, and gave me the same advice: expose yourself to the world, explore, go to meetings. Since I am local, he asked me if I'd knew any businesses, people, NGOs, what have you, that I thought deserved to be invested in. Prior to this, I'd been in quite a dark place mentally, and thought that there are a lot of suffering due to the way modern society functions. I mean, that much is obvious when you see how much pain suffering is around. Where I am from, more then half the population has some sort of chronic illness… But if you want to change something, you need a vision, right.. and I didnt have one. So yeah, thats kind of whats on my mind as I write this: who am I, and what do I want for the world and myself. I've always known that I am a “people person.” Man is the joy of man. So that is one thing, I want great and fulfilling relationships. With age I have also gotten to experience the tremendous joy and healing there is in service: both in “receiving” as a well as “giving.” Another thing I think is of tremendous importance, is practising religion in a communal setting. I am here thinking about the original meaning of the term, not dogma or a specific school. I use the term how the latin etymology implies re-ligio (again-connect). So I see it not as different as yoga, in a way, a repeated effort to reconnect with the divine/God. So, trough conversation with two friends/teachers, and some curious synchronisity, the subject of alchemy keeps popping up. The philosopher's stone in particular. So that is one thing Id like to explore with you. And yeah, we will see what happens. Looking forward to it regardless. I read “the alchemist” by Coehlo as a child, and enjoyed it thouroughly. Decided to pick it up again today tho. Read 50 or so pages this far. There are tons of beautifull passages to share, but I decided to leave you with this one: (p. 40 onwards in my edition)

adults and children are being killed/murdered, they don't need an abstract "field" they need clean water, food, shelter, and their humanity, which btw the Tibetan Lama and monks fled to India for.

Thank you for responding. Yes, this makes sense.

What would be "adharmic" if the fabric of reality is entirely Brahman?

The liver sound from the six healing sounds clears out anger very well IME

"Beyond the ideas of wrong doing and right doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." ----Rumi

I know it's a serious matter, but I can't resist offering my favorite movie scene dedicated to anger management: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEE7xzwogMc

I spent about 5 years working with a therapist who specialized in Acceptance Commitment Therapy developed by Stephen Hayes. A variation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It is very similar to what you describe above. The first phase focuses on awareness and mindfulness. Then comes the work with acceptance as you describe. Once this foundation is there, a period of introspection begins in order to identify those core values which are most meaningful. Finally, the commitment is made to take action and make choices rooted in those core values, rather than in the transient and conditioned reactivity brought about by emotion, attachment, aversion, and so on. It was a wonderful and valuable process for me and, among other benefits, led me to focus more seriously on spiritual development.

this morning: super fast.

In a lot of energetic healing systems, it is physically straining to use your muscles and fascia to faqi (emit your qi) out of the body, a proper martial arts or even HIIT practice is necessary to keep your body in shape to be able to do it properly. Flying Phoenix differs as you don’t have to physically strain to emit the qi, it has more of its own intelligence and can spontaneously go to who needs it. I believe Sifu Terry mentioned it a few times in the thread, where you lay your hands over the intended patient. Sifu Terry said before that a martial arts background is preferred for healing with FP, maybe for the discipline or better health of the practitioner but is not a hard requirement like for other systems. The more active and better your health and fitness is, the better you can help others.

I have noticed there are times during the day, such as on my daily walks outside in nature, when i can feel the energy strongly for instance in my hands and arms, the same way it feels during Flying Phoenix qigong practice (i've been doing the five standing as a set together 60 minutes). Since I often use my walks for tapping into different healing modalities, can we consciously connect to the Flying Phoenix energy at other times than during our formal qi gong practice? i.e. on my daily walks. It sounds like Grand Master Doo Wai is saying (below) that we can connect and tap into the Flying Phoeinix Healing Qi. I remember reading somewhere in this thread that one of the reasons we "close" the Flying Phoenix exercises with closing breaths after each sequence is that if we don't and leave it open and running that it will become depleted within us. (sorry i don't have the post at hand to link). I want to make sure that tapping in to the Flying Phoenix stream is not depleting. Hope that makes sense what I am asking. Thank you.

Thank you Giles

I'll DM you with the answers. Warmest regards, G.

DocB, i love love love this ^ put bluntly in recovery: "the common denominator in every problem, situation, challenge in my life.... ....is me"

Your friend sounds great. How wonderful that you were able to teach him and he was open to being taught. Yeah!

There is an elegant Bön pith teaching I’ll paraphrase as - ~ the lesser practitioner sees their conflicts and challenges as the responsibility of another ~ the average practitioner shares responsibility ~ the advanced practitioner embraces full responsibility for every situation and decision

Yes I have heard the same and had it explained to me this way when I began seriously studying my religion in depth and was told not to mix it with other religions. I balked at this and was arguing with the (religous leader). .I wanted to know the inner secrets of the religious body of work and I wanted to know why i couldn't access them if i was also engaging with other religous texts ideas and practices. He explained it to me like this." if you try to have a relationship with two women at the same time, the relationship will have problems and will lack depth. It will only ever stay at a very superficial level. No woman is going to share and reveal the depth of her innermost secrets unless and until you demonstrate a committment to her and stop sleeping around with others." Then i got it. Same principle and I understand it and agree. In reading this thread i am fascinated to hear also that in the qi gong world for the different schools types (what is the word to use?) there are in the same manner inner secrets which not everyone has access to. And that to be worthy or capable or selected to access those inner secrets a person needs to qualify and prove themself in some way. I just love that. I especially love the stories of the sages (this is drawing from my religious background) who even at some point in their studies and learning were basically told "oh if you want to know that you will need to be taught by _______ (name of earlier sage, now deceased) in the heavenly realms." So only those who had developed the skill to access information from the heavens could obtain certain learning. Other sections of the secret learning were only ever shared with one person per generation. I am reading that is also done in the qi gong world. Good stuff, lovin' it.

Thank you Turnip for the in put and insights. I could use some help in understanding and discerning between the different types of qi gong I have heard mentioned: medical qi gong, martial qi gong (that one I get, it is for fighting), spiritual qi gong, internal qi gong, and now with post above heavenly energy source. When it comes to motivation reason intention for doing qi gong, then that part is clear and easy for me. My reasons for practicing qi gong are: medical, healing, health, and religious (I don't use the word spiritual but that's just me). But it is not yet clear to me what category of qi gong a certain type is (except for martial, that one is clear, and not on my radar at all). So I could use some help in clarifying that, I don't want to engage in any types of qi gong that may be contra-indicated. The two types of qi gong I am practicing and learning are: Zhineng qi gong and Flying Phoenix qi gong. They both are described as "meditative" which in my understanding puts them in the category of spiritual (religious in my parlance). They are both done eyes closed (a few exceptions). And I do them both for the same reason motivation intention goals. But since they are different schools (not sure that is the right word) I do not mix them, and I separate them apart in the day. Would you say that they are both heavenly energy source (from post above) and so not do both? Thank you for help and insights in my understanding and evaluating this. How do I know determine figure out if a qi gong type is "heavenly energy source"? I have a healthy regard and respect for paying attention to contra-indications. edited to add earlier posts found; this answers some of the questions i've asked ahhhh, here is information from p 41 of the thread from Sifu Terry Dunn, identifying Flying Phoenix qi gong as medical / healing spiritually transformative and this from page 236 of the thread, it confirms that Flying Phoenix is a "heavenly energy source" qigong (still working through reading the entire thread from start to finish, up to page 42 of 242. I'm also working backwards from page 242.)

Entering into a human organization is pretty easy. Entering into a cosmic organization is much harder Even after the human has learned to control its personality, released personal karma, and aligned its light flows, there is still the matter of acceptance by the relevant cosmic group

Distance healing (not in person) and distance transmission (not hands on) are valid method of delivery.

however i dont doubt or question or dispute the sincerity of those who engage in this or that practice, and find it effective and beneficial. Effectiveness and benefit are in the eye of the recipient. There is never a need to disparage anyone's path or choice of practice. May we each find and connect with the path that resonates. And honor accord extend to each other: dignity courtesy and respect.

Pride is the Wrong Word I´m a gay white man. What would happen if I say that I´m proud to be white? My fellow Bums would likely get a lot of use out of the new "oh boy" emoji. I might be banned from the board for being racist -- and rightfully so, I think. What would happen if I say that I´m proud to be gay? On the whole, I´d wager the reaction would be a lot more positive. And yet being attracted to other men is not like winning the national tennis championships -- it´s not a soaring personal accomplishment. I didn´t train hard daily, sweating through grueling workouts, in order to think that Brad Pitt is hot. This is why I think Gay Pride is misnamed. Nobody should be proud -- or ashamed -- of their sexual orientation. It´s not a hierarchy thing; there´s no better or worse. Just like it´s not better or worse to be white or brown or black. Pride isn´t the right word. I´m not sure the right word exists in the English language. There´s a subtle feeling of self-affirmation all people have access to when they do the hard personal work of making friends with themselves, a feeling of basic OKness that is not dependent on anybody else giving a thumbs up. It´s this subtle feeling of self-affirmation I hope all of us feel this June, whether we march in a Pride march or not. If you feel it, whew -- well that´s something to be proud of.

which brings me to another topic I am wondering about. I don't have the exact post at hand to link to, but in this thread it was about "internal" qi gong only being learned if someone already has training or background in the martial qi gong. Other vigorous physical activity was mentioned also (hiking biking climbing etc). I need to find the post to read again what it says exactly but it raised questions for me. It something about doing the "internal" qi gong only without the other could have not good consequences. My only physical activity is walking every day and my only interest in qi gong is for healing, medical, and religious development. So i wanted to hear more on that and ensure that Flying Phoenix qi gong is safe for me and determine (hopefully confirm) whether it is a good fit for me or not. My background and training has been entirely in healing modalities. Licensed health care practitioner, hands-on practice with clients for many years, including craniosacral therapy, and shamanic practices (which were not publicized or discussed in the mainstream clinic where i worked but were part of the work i delivered and clients would often say something like "whatever that was, it worked the best"). So sensisng and working with the body at that level is my interest and focus. I no longer work with clients, but actively pursue healing for self-development, medical, and religious cultivation. i would like to hear more on this, and i will try to find the post also. Thank you all!

in recovery there is Awareness Acceptance Action it takes conscious deliberate attention to not skip over the "acceptance" step, and instead jump immediately into knee jerk reactions. For me awareness is observing whatever it is that appears (thought or feeling for instance). Accepting that it is there giving it space to just be what it is (without me spinning into drama judgment interpretation or knee jerk reaction.) And then intentionally deciding and choosing whether to respond and how to respond. for me it was learning most of the time just to pause and rest at the acceptance step allowing it to be there. And knowing that I don't have to engage with it . If I am in a shop there are many things on the shelves i don't pick them all up. I don't have to engage with every thought or feeling whether that is judging it, fighting it, avoiding it, chasing it, trying to destroy it or running away from it. So then choosing not to engage can be a considered response. ability to respond (= responsibility) instead of knee jerk reacting. This from the NIH National Library of Medicine: "The Awareness/Acceptance/Action Model (AAAM) draws on principles of mindfulness, rooted in ancient Asian traditions, and recently adapted to a range of physical and mental health interventions in Western contexts. Mindfulness techniques encourage awareness of one's current state and environment, acceptance of the implications of one's attitudes and behaviors, and the development of intentional responses rather than habitually patterned reactions."

Laughing in a good way (after I looked up the meaning of “anitya’ ); ‘flux’ indeed, now it works fine again.

My most constant spiritual companions is my dog. He always gets up early and sits with me when I meditate. I tend toward jnana, but the dogs are always bhaktis. “The Sweetness of Dogs” by Mary Oliver What do you say, Percy? I am thinking of sitting out on the sand to watch the moon rise. It’s full tonight. So we go and the moon rises, so beautiful it makes me shudder, makes me think about time and space, makes me take measure of myself: one iota pondering heaven. Thus we sit, myself thinking how grateful I am for the moon’s perfect beauty and also, oh! how rich it is to love the world. Percy, meanwhile, leans against me and gazes up into my face. As though I were just as wonderful as the perfect moon.

The Middle Way is not the way of the renunciate. We are not giving away all of our belongings or wealth, we are renouncing clinging and aversion to wealth and belongings. We won't solve suffering by giving people our wealth, or food, or it would already have happened. The source of all suffering is a lack of Prajna (Wisdom) which is insight into "emptiness". Our instruction as bodhisattvas is to be WITH suffering where it happens. Be kind. Be present with those that are suffering, when you encounter them. Be generous when the opportunity presents itself, but not at the expense of your personal security. Taking care of your finances, as long as it is not at the expense of others is fine. Where "self" has dropped away bodhisattvas will find that what they need is taken care of. They are free to be of benefit when and where they encounter suffering. -

The best way to clarify this is probably to say that it is anger arising from "SELF" view that no longer arises. Most people are not going to get this distinction. Following on from my point above, if the Buddha does act out of anger, that anger is really frustration that he couldn't help others with their self-imposed suffering. Most people are not going to get this distinction either. I only use the Pali Canon for examples because it was mentioned early and there is a popular current belief that somehow the Pali Canon teachings are somehow more pure than other Buddhism - a view I do not hold. There are many teachings in the Mahayana and Vajrayana from the enlightened perspective that must come from OTHER, albeit enlightened, teachers. There are enlightened teachers almost everywhere, even today, so no issue for me there. Agreed... it is just one lens amongst many, but an effective one. Enlightenment is, however, not truly definable be any set of definitions, but can only be triangulated by them.

Most of us walking the world identify our "self" as a narrow selection of all of the the perceptions and phenomena in the world. So, this itching sensation is on my "foot", when I look in the world, what I see is from MY perspective, but it can be seen, even logically, that these are arbitrary. When you drive the car, is the CAR also "I"? What about when you are in dreamless sleep... when does the sense of "I" go? When one "awakens" they realize that they have been living in a created story about the nature of the reality they live in. For the most part this doesn't change the behavior of our experience of the world, just how it is understood. If someone says, "Hi John" you smile and greet them. If someone asks which kind of ice cream you prefer, you respond. The difference is that you now realize that it isn't the imagined separate entity that responds, it is EVERYTHING... or, to look at it another way no-thing. The cause of your response is the entire perceivable fabric of reality. For it to be anything truly separate from that would be impossible. To insist that people shift into addressing you in some arcane way is disingenuous and lacks compassion. Some do it, but eventually grow out of it.

The Guru Viking podcasts are often very good. A surprising portion of the guests are awakened, or even at the point of having completely dropped "self", but not ALL of them. Why renounce the claim of being an arhat? Claiming the title implies a belief in being a separate, but special enlightened "being". In reality there ARE no beings to enlighten. Dogen points to this in his piece "Actualizing the Fundamental Point": The Buddha also got angry, got sick and died. He was a man like all other men, but one that realized that there WERE no men, just an enlightened, perpetual buddha-field. With this knowledge he still lived in the world like anyone else. I've never met anyone that would meet some of the criteria that might define a "Buddha" or Arhat from some of the tripitaka, but HAVE met beings, monastics, lay-people and non-Buddhists, that are and embody great realization, and no longer identify as "self" - this is "enlightenment with residue", which is what all enlightened "beings" that are still here in the world are: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arhat#In_Theravāda_Buddhism In my opinion, the salient characteristic of an arhat is having completely dropped the "self". This means that they no longer identify as one, NOT that their behavior is entirely perfected. There are countless arhats and "Buddhas" all over world, quietly just "being". They sometimes get angry, get sick and die, but with the realization that what they are isn't the "self" or world but the awareness that witnesses it. The primary way to tell the most realized is by how KIND they are. Consistently grumpy, impatient, argumentative teachers have work to do. One of the most helpful documents at my disposal as I dropped the last of the fetters was a something Daniel posted and shared, a fantastic lean, modern, phenomenological description of experience with no-self. When I first read it some time after awakening there was much of it that I didn't get, or that wasn't clear to me, but as dualities continued to drop away I would re-read it the points and they would clarify. I think becoming the enlightened "self", then realizing the error is simply a natural progression and realization on the path. Even after enlightenment and "arhatship"", the path, and the continued dissolving of dualities, never ends.

... an hour later ... now: slow again, r e a l l y slow