Leaderboard

You don't need to believe in anything. It is something that you experience first hand or you don't. The vast majority of people never experience it, but a significant number who engage in certain practices or even go on meditation retreats do. We can relate those experiences to specific concepts and world views, but it is unnecessary. But it certainly not a belief any more than it is a belief that fire feels hot.

I find this emphasis on belief a bit odd - and very Christian. Christianity promotes faith and in the end science emerges as a project out of western Judeo-Christian thought. The ideas that qi is just oxygen and that meridians are nerves is a result of this I think. Just for the record I was trained up to degree level in science and my father was a scientist. So I have some experience of the hard edge of that world. I understand it reasonably well. It is very effective (including medical science) at its own level. But it does not allow for subtle levels or bodies etc. However I think it can be observed that although medical science is effective at dealing with a range of things - a side effect is to push the problems to somewhere else - hence the massive rise in things like autism, allergic reactions, immune diseases and so on. This is why I uphold the view of the ancients. That there is/are dimension(s) to reality to which you can travel to effect change and 'do things', that there are subtle levels to existence beyond the physical/material, that we are as beings not a single entity but a combination of several and that non-embodied entities of various types exist and can interact with us. In other words I agree with the ancients. And given, for instance, in China this view held for ? thousands of years, was upheld in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and so on, it has a long pedigree, which the few centuries of science cannot challenge. I don't count these things as beliefs because I have tested them out empirically and decided they are true (even though these days would be considered a bit bonkers!). Having said that, it is true that the ideas and diagrams and so on which you will find in books on Neidan etc. are not themselves the reality but merely a kind of clue or code for unlocking it. So you cannot look in a book and literally see the reality of these things. But when your practice begins to work you will have 'oh that's what they meant!' moments where the reality is revealed. This is my position. Here I stand I can do no other.

To thine own self be true. Not Christian, but that popped into my head reading this. I am finding this series on the stele of revealing extremely fascinating, thanks for sharing it!

Sorry to hear that Steve, Best wishes to you and yours.

Are Cats Nature’s “Perfect Creature”? Cat owners have long suspected their feline friends might just be flawless. Research, it turns out, may agree Are cats nature’s perfect creature? Research into cat evolution, intelligence, and behavior suggests they might be. From DNA studies showing little change in 9,000 years to their unrivaled hunting instincts and mysterious independence, cats appear fine-tuned by nature itself. Discover why scientists, as well as cat owners,believe felines may be the closest thing to perfection in the animal world. But what does “perfect” really mean in biology? Let’s dig into the research. Are cats nature’s perfect creature? The DNA That Barely Changed “Cats have changed remarkably little in nearly 9,000 years.” Unlike dogs, who humans actively shaped for herding, hunting, and guarding, cats essentially domesticated themselves. DNA studies comparing ancient wildcats to modern house cats reveal that felines remain strikingly similar to their wild ancestors. The biggest difference? Coat patterns and colors. That genetic stability suggests cats already had the right tools to thrive in both the wild and alongside humans. In other words, they didn’t need to reinvent themselves — they were already “good enough.” Born Hunters, Built for Efficiency “Every feature of a cat is optimized for predation.” From needle-sharp claws to eyes adapted for low light, cats are precision predators. Their teeth are specialized for slicing meat, their flexible spines allow explosive leaps, and their whiskers act as finely tuned sensors. Scientists note that cats are “highly specialized carnivores,” with very little evolutionary “waste.” Every part of their body serves a purpose, creating a predator that is sleek, efficient, and incredibly effective. Intelligence With a Twist “Cats can be as smart as dogs — they just don’t always care to show it.” Studies of feline cognition reveal cats are capable of solving puzzles, recognizing human cues, and even remembering events for months at a time. The twist? Unlike dogs, they’re less motivated to perform for humans. This independence is part of their evolutionary success. Cats didn’t need human approval to survive; they developed as opportunists, thriving whether or not people were involved. That autonomy is part of what makes them so fascinating to live with. Adaptability Without Compromise “Cats thrive in almost any environment — from ancient deserts to modern apartments.” Cats originated in desert regions, but today they flourish on nearly every continent. Their ability to live in both wild habitats and human homes shows just how versatile they are. While many species rely on humans for survival, cats remain semi-independent. Even feral cats, descended from domestic stock, can survive without direct human care. That balance of closeness and independence makes them unique among companion animals. The Caveats of Perfection “Perfection in one context can be a flaw in another.” Cats’ strict carnivorous diet limits their adaptability if prey becomes scarce. Free-roaming cats are devastating predators in fragile ecosystems. Their independence means they can be misunderstood as aloof or untrainable. In biology, “perfect” doesn’t mean flawless. It means perfectly adapted for a specific role — and cats have mastered theirs. Why Cat Owners Love the Idea Cat owners already know: living with a feline feels like living with a little marvel of design. Their grace, their independence, their ability to be both wild and cuddly — it’s a package that feels complete. The quoted research gives language to what many pet parents sense every day: cats aren’t just companions, they’re evolutionary masterpieces. “Cats are evolution’s reminder that sometimes, nature gets it just right.” My Take: Are Cats the Perfect Creature? If by “perfect” you mean well-adapted for a carnivorous, stealthy, largely independent lifestyle — then yes, cats are among the closer approximations. They are superb at what they do, with minimal evolutionary “waste.” https://catanddogtips.substack.com/p/are-cats-natures-perfect-creature

One of the first arguments I ever had on here ( probably in 2007) was with someone who said they were channeling black hole energy. Go figure.

I already did. At: https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/57453-is-the-mco-real-split-from-benebell-wen-on-the-microcosmic-orbit/?do=findComment&comment=1065775 and: https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/57453-is-the-mco-real-split-from-benebell-wen-on-the-microcosmic-orbit/?do=findComment&comment=1065844 It’s all there.

Crowley's transliteration - which outlines a more modern interpretation , not of what the Stele or the ancient Egyptian supposed , but more the idea behind the adorations when one does the 4 x a day solar ritual : ( I used to like to do the Egyptian version first and then this English version ) Above, the gemmèd azure is The naked splendour of Nuit; She bends in ecstasy to kiss The secret ardours of Hadit. The wingèd globe, the starry blue Are mine, o Ankh-f-n-Khonsu. I am the Lord of Thebes, and I The inspired forth-speaker of Mentu; For me unveils the veiled sky, The self-slain Ankh-f-n-Khonsu Whose words are truth. I invoke, I greet Thy presence, o Ra-Hoor-Khuit! Unity uttermost showed! I adore the might of Thy breath, Supreme and terrible God, Who makest the gods and death To tremble before Thee: — I, I adore thee! Appear on the throne of Ra! Open the ways of the Khu! Lighten the ways of the Ka! The ways of the Khabs run through To stir me or still me! Aum! let it kill * me! The Light is mine; its rays consume Me: I have made a secret door Into the House of Ra and Tum, Of Khephra, and of Ahathoor. I am thy Theban, o Mentu, The prophet Ankh-f-n-Khonsu! By Bes-na-Maut my breast I beat: By wise Ta-nech I weave my spell. Show thy star-splendour, O Nuit! Bid me within thine House to dwell, O winged snake of light, Hadith! Abide with me, Ra-Hoor-Khuit! * typo ? ' fill ' . and the reverse ( which was not used in the adorations ) Saith of Mentu the truth-telling brother Who was master of Thebes from his birth: O heart of me, heart of my mother! O heart which I had upon earth! Stand not thou up against me as a witness! Oppose me not, judge, in my quest! Accuse me not now of unfitness Before the Great God, the dread Lord of the West! For I fastened the one to the other With a spell for their mystical girth, The earth and the wonderful West, When I flourished, o earth, on thy breast! The dead man Ankh-f-n-Khonsu Saith with his voice of truth and calm: O thou that hast a single arm! O thou that glitterest in the moon! I weave thee in the spinning charm; I lure thee with the billowy tune. The dead man Ankh-f-n-Khonsu Hath parted from the darkling crowds, Hath joined the dwellers of the light, Opening Duant, the star-abodes, Their keys receiving. The dead man Ankh-f-n-Khonsu Hath made his passage into night, His pleasure on the earth to do Among the living.

It comes from wuji (tao-in-stillness) transforming into taiji (tao-in-motion) also going by Xiantian and Houtian. Yang floats upward, yin sinks downward. That's the beginning of heaven and earth. "In the heaven images arise, on earth they take shape," as the Ta Chuan explains it. (Unlike in all hierarchical systems, it's not "heaven first, earth later," it's a mutually dependent and simultaneous process.) And then every step of the way the pattern gets refined/complicated -- up to 64 steps times five times eight and their ten thousand combinations... and that's the outer border of a meaningful pattern. Beyond it lies Hundun, where there's no pattern. Chaos. Plenty of information, no meaning.

I would say information is part of what qi is/does, but my understanding is that "pattern" runs deeper. When someone yells "fire!" in a theater -- that's information. But if there's no pattern consistent with that information (heat, flames, smoke, etc.) it may mean we have a prankster on our hands, or misinformation, or a mistake, or malicious intent, and so on. In other words, information is open to interpretation, while pattern is independent of interpretation. It just is what it is and does what it does. A practitioner of taoist arts and sciences observes the pattern and discerns its meaning -- and then interprets the resulting information. That's one reason we're not as hung up on names as some other practitioners are. My teacher, e.g., used to call the taiji move known as "White Crane Opens Wings" simply "Big Bird" -- but because the students were able to observe the pattern of that move, they didn't interpret it as an invitation to imitate the muppet character known as Big Bird. Likewise, I didn't know anything about the MCO when I had to buzz off my hair (normally long) because I had a distinct feeling that "that thing" running up my spine gets tangled in my hair and tickles most annoyingly. (I still have an old expired driver's license with a picture of me with that uncharacterisic hairstyle. Every time I see it, I'm, like, "what was I thinking?" -- and then I remember. And now I have the words for that... "oh... that's what it was, "'it'" was trying to go through the yuzhen 玉枕, and since that gate is perhaps the biggest obstacle in the orbit to overcome, '"it'" was sort of chipping away at the passage... and hair being in the way was, of course, a subjective interpretation of the sensations.)

I used the term substances in my original post to reflect my understanding that there are a number stages (like 9 or 10) that circulate different “things” - perhaps one could say different qualities and mixtures of qi and Jing. Most of this is way, way beyond my level and the process takes place over many years. I also understand that there are different approaches to this that evolved separately with some not using this term. My limited understanding is that it arises on its own - sometimes completely - sometimes with some small intention just before it circulates (attention, mudra etc to build pressure and connect ren & du). However even when intention is used, 90% of the circulation is on its own with you not consciously or physically doing it - with ldt and other points acting independently of your conscious physical control to move it through. In my limited experience sometimes the pressure inside is very strong, other times it’s more just a feeling of energy circling that is still physically strong enough to move/sway your torso. It’s pressure, independence from conscious control, independence from the breath and its other physical effects makes it’s clear to me that it is very different than tracing channels intentionally with awareness and the breath based on my experience with using that channel tracing/breath technique in yoga in the past. I don’t generally worry too much about what qi is because the people that developed these practices viewed it as everything (it existed undifferentiated before the division into yin and yang and the 10,000 things). They also said when you name things you limit and distort them which is not particularly helpful from a cultivation perspective that is based primarily on listening and release. Having said that it is nice to learn about the different qualities of these different stages so you have an idea where you are in the process. However I think it’s better to have the experience first and later get the explanation for obvious reasons. This requires self control of the intellect that wants to ask a 1000 questions in an effort to be in control of the process that only really works (or at least works better) when you don’t try to control it. It also requires one to have trust in the guide and have one worthy of that trust.. Ultimately these processes are designed to take one beyond the intellect so knowing everything intellectually isn’t that helpful and being too much in the head can be a barrier.

Lunatic

At the very least its curcurmin is a strong pigment, and many pigments of plant origin tend to reduce inflammation due to their antioxidant properties and ability to interact with inflammatory pathways. Anthocyanins in berries and grapes, carotenoids like lycopene in tomatoes and beta-carotene in carrots, etc.. I don't think it's a magic bullet but apparently it can contribute to the good causes. I usually have a Vietnamese turmeric ointment on hand for mishaps like cuts and scrapes and use it instead of neosporin et al (which prevent infections but also impede and slow down the healing of wounds.) Internally it's supposed to be combined with piperine which potentiates its effectiveness.

In your post. you are conflating to unrelated things. Of the people saying MCO is a belief system, some belief there is a metaphysical dimension, some don’t.

@steve sending you well wishes.

Group hug, OK? Hoping things go well for you Steve.

I should have mentioned that in the Judgement Hall 'you' are both your heart and Osiris! So actually you are judging yourself! Or you could say your higher self is judging your ordinary self? Maybe. I see being 'true of voice' being about self consistency. So you have what you intuitively know to be good, your own ethos if you like, and you measure yourself against it. It is a moral position but it's not about just obeying an external code. Because when you get to this in the underworld it is just you looking at you and asking 'did I measure up or was I shit?'

Some say Chi is information. When the information hits at a certain point, the point and the surrounding area light up. It is why people feel the warmth, tingling, itchiness, pressurize, see light..... once the appropriate area is activated with information.

It is because it works without proof. Besides, the Qigong and TCM are only beliefs also. All the Meridians lies on all the nerves, but the TCM practitioners do not think so. Thus they had only made that as beliefs. If one follows all the acupuncture points, one will see they are on all the nerves in the body. Even in the book that they use as Bible say so. The title of the book is Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion. I have both Chinese and English versions on my bookshelf.

道可道，非恆道 Tao can be tao'ed is not the eternal Tao.

Zero point energy? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy There is an entire field of pseudoscience devoted to it.

@steve Here's a hug. If you think sharing might help, drop a line.

Just Ok, I don’t have much energy to debate or discuss at the moment. Some tough personal stuff happening right now. ✌🏽

Easy peasy. I even know the mantra for this: Black hole sun, won't you come, won't you come...

None of them are reliable. I trust your British version but I don't hear it in the US. Neither does Grok, apparently. This summer I was flying somewhere with a stopover in London, where random strangers called me "love" on three separate occasions when all I did was ask a question about getting from point A to point B or procuring a cup of espresso. Here I have never heard "love" used as a vocative toward a stranger. We might say "dear" or "honey" or some such.

Yes.

Ah, OK. And you´re saying that the MCO isn´t actually real but rather a belief system?

@liminal_luke The OP asked “Is the MCO real?”

Yes it’s U.K. English https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/modernism

According to Grok, it's a white cat thing. Q: Briefly: difference in meaning between American and British English for the word "modernism" A: In American and British English, "modernism" generally refers to a cultural, artistic, and literary movement from the late 19th to mid-20th century, emphasizing innovation, experimentation, and a break from traditional forms. The meaning is largely the same in both contexts, with no significant regional difference. Both associate it with movements in art, literature, and architecture (e.g., Joyce, Woolf, or Bauhaus). Any subtle distinctions might arise in academic or contextual usage, but these are minor and not systematically regional.

I believed that ... until you said it

When I asserted -- as I have for the past 25+ years -- that qi is the medium and message of meaningful change, I didn't say it lightly. A somewhat (but not quite) similar dual understanding which some phenomena merit causes physicists to refer to elementary particles as both particles and waves. It's not something an everyday mind steeped in "either/or" dualities of observable macro phenomena wraps itself around with ease. Could it be that your shiatsu teacher may have focused on the "message" part of what qi "is and does" but either overlooked or decided to ignore the "medium" part. Qi is both, and it is neither by itself. It's a medium/message of change, simultaneously. A bit like coffee from that old maxim: when you boil an egg in water it gets hard, when you boil a carrot in water it gets soft, but when you boil ground coffee in water it changes the water. Qi changes the medium it operates in while changing itself. Qi does travel though meridians not unlike that -- except it doesn't have to be a substance in order to both undergo and engender change... it's the pattern that travels -- and substances encountered on the way align (or resist aligning) with the pattern. Patterns underlie both matter and energy. Also sprach The Ta Chuan aka The Great Treatise on the Changes.

The goal of guided meditations is to get you to think, ‘who the f*ck are you to tell me what to do.’.

Lindy Ferringo, an old shiatsu teacher of mine, once said that she no longer thought chi "traveled" through the meridians. Which isn´t to say that she didn´t believe in chi or the meridian channels because she did. I was intrigued by the statement and wish that I´d asked her more. Maybe the MCO exists but the idea of some sort of esoteric substance traveling through it is a misunderstanding.

geese visit, fly south blessed bird, hissy friend, of cobra and chicken

It depends on the person. For me I primarily feel the vibration. It feels like electricity. It's like you feel the very particles of energy moving, vibrating. But now after 100 students some feel it like magnetism, pressure, heat, movement, a spinning, a light, a color or like there's an object there they can attach their awareness to and rest it there until eventually the awareness merges with the object (dharana - dhyana - samadhi). I feel a lot of heat in the muladhara usually, and some of the students I've had also feel heat in muladhara. Some have also felt heat in the crown. I think it depends on the person and their energy. After a while, no matter which chakra, it starts with the energy, but the longer you rest, the dharana - dhyana - samadhi starts to happen, so you eventually merge with the universe, i.e. you go through the 5 koshas and simply rest in peace, bliss and ecstasy. You reach back to your true nature, your origin, and simply rest there.

Does wifi exist? Is it a substance? Is your phone born with its Uber app? With its Instagram app? How about Amazon? Is your credit card stuffed with paper dollars and coins, which are substances? How do you fit them in there? Do your hundred dollar bills physically lose weight when there's inflation in the country? Does your bank account gain weight when you make a deposit? Does it lose weight when you make a payment? How about energy? What energy exactly does it gain or lose? And so on. The world does not just consist of substances and energies. The world is also choke full of changes. Changes can be meaningful or meaningless. Qi is the medium and message of meaningful change. The signifier of meaningful change is a pattern. MCO is not a substance and not "energy." (Oh the pop use of the term by folks who don't understand Newtonian mechanics, let alone quantum mechanics!) MCO is a pattern of movement of qi. A bit like an app. Sometimes it installs itself after you push the right button. Sometimes people push wrong buttons and it doesn't. But once it's there you know it's there. Just like Uber. You can get a ride if you have pushed the right button to install the Uber app. Does Uber exist? Do you carry a little inflatable car in your phone for it to exist? A hundred thousand little cars? ??? And yet you can get a ride if you have the app. Also sprach Taomeow.

Tommy, you might like my penultimate post (on my own site)--starts like this: In one of his letters, twelfth-century Ch’an teacher Yuanwu wrote: Actually practice at this level for twenty or thirty years and cut off all the verbal demonstrations and creeping vines and useless devices and states, until you are free from conditioned mind. Then this will be the place of peace and bliss where you stop and rest. Thus it is said: “If you are stopping now, then stop. If you seek a time when you finish, there will never be a time when you finish.” (“Zen Letters: Teachings of Yuanwu”, tr. Cleary & Cleary, Shambala p 99) In my teenage years, I became keenly aware of the “creeping vines” of my mind. I read a lot of Alan Watts books on Zen, thinking that might help, but I soon found out that what he had to say did nothing to cut off the “creeping vines”. I was looking for something Shunryu Suzuki described in one of his lectures, though I didn’t know it at the time: So, when you practice zazen, your mind should be concentrated in your breathing and this kind of activity is the fundamental activity of the universal being. If so, how you should use your mind is quite clear. Without this experience, or this practice, it is impossible to attain the absolute freedom. (“Breathing”, Shunryu Suzuki; November 4th 1965, Los Altos; emphasis added) Here's the conclusion of my post--the references to "your way at this moment" and "your place where you are" are from Dogen's "Genjo Koan": The freedom of “your way at this moment” is touched on in daily living through “your place where you are”. That’s Yuanwu’s “place of peace and bliss where you stop and rest”. When the body rests from volition, so does the mind, even in the midst of activity. In my experience, that is how the “creeping vines” of the mind come to be cut off. If you're interested: “The Place Where You Stop and Rest”

batten the hatches haiku thread in for a ride geese visit, fly south

Ai had this to add: "The brain is often called the "largest sex organ" because it is the central control for sexual arousal, pleasure, and response, directing physical and psychological processes. It regulates libido, emotions like pleasure and safety, and the physical responses of erection, lubrication, and orgasm. Key brain regions like the hypothalamus, amygdala, and cerebellum work in concert with sensory feedback from the body to orchestrate the entire sexual experience."

The earliest documented duality of good and evil gods comes from the Sumerian experience with Enlil (lord of air) and Enki (lord of earth). Enki managed the multiple attempts to breed the human race and still likes humans. See exopolitics.org for relevant interviews. Enlil is often regarded as a psychopath and apparently forced Enki to swear not to inform the humans of the coming flood. Enlil found humans too numerous and too noisy. So Enki spoke to a wall, while having arranged for the Sumerian Noah to stand on the other side while Enki explained how to survive the flood Here is an approximate image https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%2Fid%2FOIP.mqMy5J7BfuNej_UoX42wCAHaDu%3Fcb%3D12%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=f822049f00d18b80e4ddf807a0bbd244d3187ec756808016f995816a32cbd6c5&ipo=images At a more profound level there is the out-breath from The Source of All generating universes and separated dark intelligences. In parallel TSoA breathes in, returning the dark separateness to light unity. This reflected in the tzimtzum concept. That parallel flow generates many experiences that human call evil and good. Lucifer directly translates as "light bearer". It seems that religious interpretation has been superimposed. The function that is called Christ is propagated at planetary, systemic, galactic levels etc, with intelligences taking the various roles. Thus the accounts of Jesus the Christ refer to a human that was over-lighted by the Christ energies of this planet. Note that 30 pieces of silver were paid to identify Jesus despite his public profile. This suggests that the Christ energies were apparent in various disciples but only an insider could identify the anchor. There are also accounts going back centuries of the Cosmic Christ - the intelligence carrying those functions for the solar system. See Teilhard de Chardin for a 20th century account. Christ is from the Greek word Christos meaning anointed. It seems that the Jewish word Messiah, also means anointed. It comes from the Egyptian practice of anointing their kings with the fat of the Messeh - the sacred crocodile. The crocodile was the symbol/vehicle of the Makara of the Hindu.

I keep looking for comparisons which are not in the text - any 'modern understanding ' . But you seem to be keeping within a more 'Egyptian understanding ' . For example , I want to know more about this use of the 'shadow' , but you seem to be keeping within ' Egyptian ' understanding . So I would like to hear a bit more on this concept of shadow and how it relates to the larger personal schemata ... from the Egyptian understanding and if you want , from your own as well . Also the last section reminds me of that part of the practice I did (using the Stele ) at the four stations of the Sun : 1. The path of Re (Ra) is a path of seeing - of seeing the sunrise and realising one's identity with the sun. (Time of performance was at dawn ) 2. The path of Atum where you absorb the qualities of the sun into yourself back to the primordial substance of your being. ( ... and at Sunset ) 3. The path of Khepri where you perform transformations to universalize your understanding ( ... and at midnight ) 4. The path of Hathor where you reside in perfect joy/bliss of 'unity'. .... ( and at Noon ) - of course they would be done in the natural progression ; dawn , noon, sunset and midnight . Also , as we discussed a few times in the past ; this cycle seems to break the sleep cycle at least once ; either dawn for those that stay up late and sleep late , or at midnight for those that go to sleep before then (of course it is possible to sleep after midnight and wake up { and stay awake } pre-dawn ) . ( there is a lot more about these realms and entering and passing through these 'doors' .... in the modern practice , but I dont want to diverge too much from your translations - good stuff, thanks ! ) This seemed like a practice ( that developed eventually ) to maintain mindfulness (of doing the practice ) during sleep ie. after a time one does not need an alarm, the sleeping body wakes itself up at midnight to do the practice .... then other things occur after that which seems to indicate practicing awareness during even deep sleep , which might suggest the practice will help maintain or help with an 'emergence' of a higher consciousness after death . The idea (of the modern practice ) is something like ... there is a 'blank circuit ' that can survive death termed (in this system ) 'The Immortal Osiris ' . If one goes about life unaware and ignoring this , the life experience does not 'imprint' on it but instead 'imprints ' on that 'which does not survive' death , and hence is lost in the afterlife transition . The key seems to be to 'imprint' the Immortal Osiris with the 'lessons of life' .

Also, our distorted mental habits that keep pulling us away into other things, and often interferes in various ways. Tseng Lao-weng quote is interesting because this seems like a different approach than the narrower views often bandied about.

The quote from Mathew is about when you can not fight back with anything but your ability to stay centered and say ' Is that all you got ? No matter what you do , my spirit still stands strong' . * The quote from Luke is about when you can fight back and cause change . Life is varied .... and sometimes we need to 'adapt our philosophy' according to circumstances . * Husayn Ali was banished and imprisoned for his beliefs . But he took the ' Matthew approach and that caused people to become curious, admire and eventually follow him . So the authorities would send him somewhere else ; the same would happen there . Even in jails , they would have to move him as the guards started to be effected by him . Eventually he became the leader and founder / prophet of a new world religion .... the Bahai's . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baháʼu'lláh# Previous to this their forerunners , the Babi's took the 'Luke approach ' ... they were crushed by the Muslim forces . .

Substance literally means what stands under ... so for instance the substance of a table might be wood. So the wood is more 'basic' or underlying in the sense that if there were no wood there would be no table (provided it is a wooden one). In the case of internal alchemy the substance(s) are what lies behind appearance. The deeper you go the more 'real' you get ... in the sense of being without dependence on anything beneath. I think the question 'is the MCO real' is the wrong one. It would be better to ask 'does it work?' or 'what does it do?' or perhaps 'how do you make it work' but this question gives rise to the general question 'can you make it work or does it just happen'. Most if not all energy exercises/techniques or practices simply replicate intentionally things that happen naturally. So a certain breathing practice if done with conscious will simply replicates something that would arise naturally if the circumstances arise. For instance vase breathing, abdominal breathing, embryonic breathing and so on are all like this (in my experience). I would put the MCO in the same category. The danger in practicing without first achieving deep meditational states is that you replace the genuine cycling of energy with an imagined substitute which does not and cannot hit the spot so to speak. But equally you have to gain some familiarity with the subtle body and its workings in order to progress and so as you absorb intellectually the principles of the working of the subtle body this in itself stimulates it into action.

道可道，非恆道 People may talk about the Dao, but it’s not the Dao that they usually practice.