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I am, like my bank account empty.

Hopefully she will help clear up your confusion if you continue to study with her. It certainly is a foreign concept to most Westerners. Not only that, I think it is fairly sophisticated, esoteric, and abstruse. I think the meaning can be quite elusive and easily misunderstood. The first time I encountered it was at a Bön retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. We also did a daily protector deity practice and both gave me religious ick vibes. It was my first ever retreat of any kind and first exposure to Bön or Buddhism. I considered leaving after the first day but resigned myself to give it a chance. By the end of that week and in the few days after returning home I had some very shocking and profound experiences and visions that made it clear this was the right practice for me and I’ve practiced it for the past 12 years. My daily practice starts with some energetic and breathing practices, tsa lung and the 9 breathings of purification. Next I recite some prayers, practice guru yoga, and then rest in the nature of mind. I wrap it up with a dedication prayer. I think it is a good exercise in openness and flexibility to consider giving new and strange things a try, with the exception of balut, that shit’s crazy. If we are too closed off we can miss a wonderful opportunity. On the other hand, if you try and can’t connect don’t force it. Tibetans with the right cultural background are going to expect, even need this sort of experience to make a deep connection. Westerners are going to be very hit or miss with this sort of thing. You can tell Tenzin Rinpoche has realized this by watching how he teaches. I’ve watched his method change over the past decade. I rarely see him formally guide guru yoga, except in very specific circumstances. Most times he will recite the prayer and then lead the sangha in a very simple mantra, A Om Hung which is a simplified and secularized form of guru yoga. Reciting A Om and Hung we are receiving the empowerment of the enlightened body, speech, and mind without having to embrace a foreign icon. I love him too. He is a great teacher and human being, he really walks the walk. One very important point he emphasizes is to never practice guru yoga with your living teacher. This can set up an unhealthy relationship and dynamic. We mostly practice guru yoga with the 8th century dzogchen master Tapihritsa (the icon in my avatar) who represents all the masters and teachers who have helped you on the spiritual path, especially your root master and the one that introduced you to the nature of your own mind. He founded a secular program called the 3 Doors Academy that teaches the core of dzogchen with none of the religious trappings. I’ve been through that program as well and have seen amazing results and transformations in the participants. Of late, he rarely guides or teaches the full formal guru yoga practice but the more traditional Bön teachers still do. Tenzin Rinpoche’s teacher also taught ‘there is no dzogchen without guru yoga’ but Tenzin has allowed his experience of Western life and students to inform how he presents it. While these are both implicit in guru yoga, the traditional way in Bön is to go through guru yoga, refuge, and bodhicitta prayers in each practice session. If this works for you it is enough. Ultimately, guru yoga is to recognize and develop a deep and stable relationship with true nature of your being, the essence of your own mind. This is the secret guru. The outer guru is your human teacher and the inner guru is your yidam. The most important thing is to find something we can trust, be it the human teacher, the yidam, or the inner refuge, the nature of our own mind. Trust, dedication, and gratitude are the key and the fuel for connecting with the teachings, teachers, and most importantly the inner teacher. I think you’re asking great and important questions. Nothing more important than being true to your feelings and personal experience. Feel free to reply or PM if interested in further discussion.

i will answer for myself. So then, given that I am not any of those listed, then what's left. what then am i. i use and have used these to label for myself the essence of who I am pure awareness child of God Divine spark

So for you in your own practice how do you answer this question, and what do you see or define yourself as There is a long list of what i am not: I am not the body. I am not my feelings and emotions. i am not my thoughts, ego, or personality. i am not my bank account, job title, career, or accomplishments. I am not my personal history, trauma, family or relationships. I am not the things i am praised for, or critized for, or blamed for. I am not my intellect, mind, beliefs, or opinions. I am not my talent, skills, abilities, or shortcomings . I am none of those, the list goes on, etc. So then, given that I am not any of those then what's left. what then am i. For you in your own practice, and in your own framework, what is the essence of you. What words or phrase do you use for yourself, to describe or define or express that. Thank you.

Hello all ! Wonderful to be here! I live in SoCal so I may in time see if I can find other FP practioners if I feel like I need in person guidance. But besides that, thank you for having me!

... in Nahuatl speaking communities I have never met anyone who considered the word /a:wakatl/ to refer to anything but avocadoes. Molina himself gives a clue that this is the case because if you look in the Spanish part under compañon. Here, he does not give auacatl as a possible translation only the word atetl, which is a normal, anatomical, non-slang word for testicle in Nahuatl today and clearly also in the past (another common word is xitetl). It would appear that the anatomical meaning is a euphemism, based on a certain similarity of shape, the same kind of euphemism that we make use of when we refer to a penis as "a wiener" or to testicles as "nuts" (or when Spanish speakers refer to testicles as "huevos" "eggs" or cebollas "onions"). We would however not generally consider it to be "partly correct" to say that "wiener schnitzel" kind of means "Penis schnitzel" or that "nut case" kind of means "testicle box". Nor would Spanish speakers consider it meaningful to say that "torta de huevo" kind of means "testicle sandwich". https://nahuatlstudies.blogspot.com/2016/02/no-snopescom-word-guacamole-does-not.html

didn't mean the word but the saying related to it: "Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy." by Max Ehrmann ©1927

Pears ? A pair of alligator 'pears ' Well, for once ..... it just 'isn't me' ..... .

I dont think of it as leaving the body or astal traveling. That is never my intention or goal or desire. I practice none of those and actively avoid those. Nor is it an altered state. I stay away from those also and don't seek to force or induce those by any means (no chemicals, no moving or storing or forcing of energy anywhere). It is a shift in awareness, and it is a shift in belief. The awareness that is me (i am awareness; it is me being awareness, not me having awareness, i make that distinction) is still in the body and yes, i am conscious of the body inhaling and exhaling. So the awareness that i am, does not leave the body, it just expands and extends beyond the body. It does not leave the body. It just gets bigger and expands beyond the borders of the body. if there is an essence of me (my own shorthand , what is the "truth of who i am") then it is i am awareness. this follows along the lines of OK, i am not my body, i am not my thoughts feelings emotions, I am not my career, bank account, personality, i am not my personal history achievements or accomplishments, i am not my education knowledge religion or trauma, i am not my mind or heart or intellect or any of my chakras or medridians. Etc. So since i am not any of those then what who am I. For me the answer is i am awareness. (again I AM; not i have, not i use, but I AM). I can "visualize" the awareness that i am shrinking into a single point, or expanding to fill the physical body, or extending further to fill the room; or expanding bigger to contain the building and the neighborhood. When i try to go beyond that, for me it feels clunky and turns into a mental exercise insteaad of actually experiencing it. an analogy might be, if there is space and objects in space, then it is identifying with and being the space and not the objects. I am the awareness (space, silence, stillness) not the objects contained in that space (physical body, mind, intellect, thoughts, feelings, chairs, table, zebras, universe and everything in it)

The mind tries to shape and crate it, turn it into an object so it can grasp, cling, and manipulate it.

’one-pointedness’, that’s why Laozi has a one-pointy head “One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don't mean shit.” (Curly)

Heard this continuation of Zhuangzi's dream.* ...So then the Japanese patrol captured Zhuangzi and interrogated him. Why are you planting explosives all over our military trains routes and derailing our trains, they asked. And he's, like, I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm a butterfly, I don't interfere in your military affairs. -- And what did the interrogators do? -- What could they do, they put him in front of the firing squad and woke him up. -- And then what happened? -- What could happen? He's flying somewhere out there, visiting this flower, then that flower... *from an accomplished martial artist who thinks he's a taoist -- but far as I can tell, the only taoist thing about him is his zhuangzesque sense of the absurd. Which is good enough for me -- better than what many others who think of themselves as taoists have to show to justify the self-identification.

a pretty big deal...

waves on the water God’s spirit is moving it constant creation

integration 中 cool beans. Wind, water, ditto. waves on the water

I totally agree.

Look, no money! Historical and anthropological evidence suggests that bartering was the primary form of trade for a very long time before the widespread adoption of money.

it's not for me to decide. A person would follow the guidelines in their own path. Different religious traditions have specific guidelines. They are for managing our own behavior and our own character development. They are not for monitoring other people's conduct or behavior.

veering into agenda territory

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'! (Audrey Hepburn)

The codifier of Jewish law, Maimonedes (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, 1135-1204) formulated a list of of eight levels of giving, correlating to the degree to which the giver is sensitive to the needs and feelings of the recipient. Tzedakah takes into account the attitude of the person giving, with emphasis on preserving the dignity of the recipent. For instance if an organization provides food weekly to a family, then it appears as a regularly grocery delivery (i.e. truck or uniform shows name of local grocery store) so it is not public that they are receiving assistance. Giving "grudgingly with a sour countenance" is a lower level than giving pleasantly. Giving before being asked is a higher level than giving after being asked. Giving anonymously is a greater level than giving where either the recipient or the donor are known. That takes into account feelings of ego and one-upmanship for giver; and feelings of shame and inferiority for recipient. The highest level of tzedakah is helping someone become self sufficient (helping them get a job or setting them up in business). Tzedakah is seen as a cycle — the gifts that we give to others will eventually return to us. God is acutely tuned in to our small acts of goodness and kindness. Our acts of giving stimulate God's blessings to shower down upon all of us, the giver and the receiver alike.

Chapter 14 The invisible Tao­ 1. 視之不見,名曰夷。 2. 聽之不聞,名曰希。 3. 摶之不得,名曰微。 4. 此三者不可致詰， 5. 故混而為一。­ 6. 其上不皦， 7. 其下不昧， 8. 繩繩不可名， 9. 復歸於無物。 10.是謂無狀之狀， 11.無物之象， 12.是謂惚恍。 13.迎之不見其首， 14.隨之不見其後。 15.執古之道以御今之有。 16.能知古始， 17.是謂道紀。 Translated in terse English... 1. View it couldn't see, name and call it Colorless. 2. Listen to it couldn't hear, name and call it Soundless. 3. Touch it couldn't feel, name and call it Formless. 4. These three are inseparable 5. These three objects blended in one. 6. Its top is not brilliant. 7. Its bottom is not dim. 8. Its continuance is unnameable. 9. Returned to being formless(state of invisibility), 10. Is called a form of no form. 11. An image of formless, 12. Is called obscure. 13. Greet it cannot see its head. 14. Follow it cannot see its back. 15. Grasp the presence of Tao to see all existing things, 16. Able to understand the ancient origin, 17. It's called the Principles of Tao.

for me, everything flows from the Divine. God is my source of supply. שויתי יהוה לנגדי תמיד I keep God before me at all times

If someone asks a question in a forum, then it is reasonable to expect that the question is also answered by the person posing the question in the opening post. If they don't, then for me it is a red flag. So yes, when asking readers for their opinion, it is yes about your own opinion also. .

Then express clearly in your own words, the view or idea that you hold, so we know what the idea even is, so there can actually be a discussion.

Posting something under your name, which screams BLOOD FEUDS in huge red letters is not only taking a stand, it is promoting and supporting it. Expressing gratitude for receiving the video indicates approval and support of it.

Me, I don't like it when people pretend to ask a question (in the thread title) while actually they have an agenda.

By posting it under your name, you are already taking a stand.

Even the banks bank account is empty. Or more precisely, it is filled with our unpaid dept.

It is a mechanism to "store" value. A mechanism that is to an extent agreed upon by the society, and what they recognize as valuable. A way to store the value of your service, or product, and use that across time. As opposed to direct barter trade, where transaction of a service, or merchandise is exchanged on the spot immediately. So storing value earned in the form of money, and the ability to use it across time, allows more freedom and incentive for people to experience it value in services and creating products in their own time, and as much as they want. You can think of it also in terms of energy. Where instead of something like the sun shining onto things and making it hot. Solar panels and batteries store their energy, and use this energy across time. You can see the benefit and flexibility of such a mechanism. Money is like energy if valued stored for later use. But it is an agreed mechanism by current society. This is why when you are lost in a jungle, money is useless. It has no value in the wild, because a society of animals do not recognize it, have no use for money.

i am a soul

I don't worry about labelling or defining. In meditation progressively I seem to get further out from the planet, doing pretty much whatever gets put in front of me, after testing it. The real me is always beyond my expanding perception

Ummmmm ..... Errrrmmmm .....

Welcome!

What do you think guru yoga is? It has different meaning according to the different yanas.

Can you keep "one-pointedness" and be aware of inhaling and exhaling? I ask because Robert Monroe discovered that the sure-fire way for him to get back in his body (after he had gone astro-traveling) was to become aware of his breathing. Makes me wonder if the out-of-body experiences you describe are possible while being aware of breathing. Can you stay conscious as a "point of awareness", from moment to moment? That's the practice in "waking up and falling asleep". Not about moving the "point of awareness", about the "point of awareness" moving. Yes, the anatomy is essential to me. The guidance that's helpful to me on posture is from "The Blue Cliff Record", it's in my book in "Common Ground" (the "turtle-nosed snake") and "Applying the Pali Instructions" ("turning to the left, turning to the right, following up behind"). I seem to also have to understand why these bits are helpful, and that's in the kinesiology. The kinesiology is mostly in "The Diamond Trap, the Thicket of Thorns", but as I said there, "applying past understandings to the experience of the present can be like swallowing a thicket of thorns." That's where the practice of "waking up and falling asleep" comes in.

Hi Lotus. Seems you survived the ‘dark night’ of the soul. Sounds good. Welcome to the forum.

I guess you will just have to get a real one

You approach them with mindfulness. If I only eat half, I cover the other half, the one with the seed, with the eaten out empty shell. No discoloration this way (provided you eat it the next day and not two days later.) I don't use salt on them when eaten in situ -- not opposed to salt in general, far from it, but on avocado I just don't like it -- unless I'm incorporating it in a salad with other veggies. Before I broke my alligator chopper, I used to make a salad that combines two separate Mexican dishes, pico de gallo and guacamole, into one. (I wanted to replace the alligator with a stainless steel one but Amazon wants $119 for it, and the plastic ones don't survive for long, I broke two... plus I'm gradually exterminating as much plastic as possible from my environment... just a turn-off for me, anything plastic...)

Hi Seeker, welcome to the forum.

Welcome!

@cihan Thank you, I will give that a try!

Seems like you are definitely over doing it, and/or mixing it with another practice, you might have a grounding problem. Just bend the bows for one session daily and temporarily stop doing all others until you normalise. Fp chi is very intense once it is activated and accumulates over time. Good luck, hope you recover soon.

Hello all! First post here, but looking for guidance please... Over the past few nights while lying in bed, I've been experiencing a pretty strong rocking sensation (in my core, not head so much) like I'm on kind of on a boat. I'll open my eyes and it kind of settles down until I close them again. No anomalies other than this. I'm able to fall asleep as usual and actually manage to sleep through the night consistently since starting practice. So, are these types of sensations a normal phase or anything to be concerned about? For context, I'm new to qigong and this is the first system I've consistently practiced. I practice for 75 - 120 minutes every day (morning and evening) for the past 3 weeks. I'm doing 2-3 standing meds and 1-2 sitting meds per session. Is this too much too soon? I know Sifu Terry has said you can't overdose on FP, but any help or guidance is appreciated. Thank you, John

Hi folks , I felt like making a (nearly) 4 year update on how I’ve been doing under Rudi’s tutelage. For the record: upon my honor, I have NOT been paid/asked/required to provide my opinion. My testimony is based entirely on my own experiences, and desire to provide any assistance I can to fellow spiritual seekers. My honest feeling is that Rudi’s system should basically be mandatory training before people decide to venture with other paths. When I first started training with him, I had so much bad/unhealthy crap going on in my body, and was suffering from long covid as well as a ton of other things. Slowly, my body has made some serious, positive gains. I genuinely think my gradual health improvement is mostly based on a combo of Rudi’s lifestyle + diet + neidan guidance. Additionally, if you like just learning about neidan (lol, I guess that’s why we’re all here), good lord Rudi knows so much about qi, cultivation, and basically every dimension of spiritual development…..I truly, truly, truly am grateful for everything I’ve learned and can’t express in words how awesome it has been to be part of the school. I hope to continue learning from him, eventually making it on a trip to be checked, and pushing his system to the limit ! That is my 100% honest opinion. Feel free to ask your questions here and I’ll do my best to answer, as long as it adheres to this site’s and Rudi’s rules. Cheers!

I recently read about the experiment,, they had rats in a cage and gave them two water tubes. One was plain water and the second had cocaine in the water. The rats would constantly go to the second tube and drink themselves to death. Well, another scientist said that they only gave the rats a place to eat and drink. There was nothing else for them. So, he gave the rat other rats to live with and a place to explore and develop. Well, the rats stayed away from the second tube with cocaine. So, it turns out that the opposite of addiction isn't staying away from the drugs. Rather the opposite of addiction is a connection with others and a better environment. So yeah loneliness is terrible cause it isolates one from being in a community and feeling the connection that one needs. But, I truly do not know what can be done about it. Reaching others needs to be a two way effort. Anyway, my day is done.