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Back in the beginnings of TDBs, @Stigweard did a tremendous amount of work with foundational organization. He has recently been producing some insightful, wise, hilariously dark art, "Stuart Shaw Creations". on facebook https://www.facebook.com/stuartshawcreations and his own website https://stuartshawcreations.com/

I think this dynamic applies to things like dream interpretation, tarot, psychoanalysis, and many other areas. Certainly there are archetypes and commonalities, but they only go so far, IMO. I hope I don't come off that way with my reply above, that's not at all what I intended. I do think everyone can benefit from this type of investigation, provided they're in a good place mentally. But I consider it a very intimate and individual process. Glad to hear it Luke

worse still is when some individual sets themselves up as such an adviser ... a sort of 'judgmental guru ' and also individuals adopting it to project out onto others ; 'would be Louise Hay's' ; to some unfortunate ; ''Oh, you stubbed your toe ? Why are you afraid of moving forward ? '' I want to shove their judgmental little faces in it ! I remember once , being in our amenities block , we were flooded in , I had a double middle ear infection - terrible and no medication . This New Age bitch walks in and asks what is wrong with me ( as I am obviously in a great deal of pain and hanging on to a sink to even be able to stand up ) I tell her , does she offer assistance , pain relief she might have at home ... any thing even remotely kind ? NO ; '' OH really ( and even in a smarmy , I am smart , look what I know about , voice ) ... what is it you dont want to hear then ?'' Me '' I will tell you what I dont want to hear , some inconsiderate new age, self appointed 'guru' scoring points on my pain and suffering so they can appear clever .' I read once where someone asked their Rabbi about this ; if an accident or sickness might carry a special message for you . The Rabbi said , of course it can , God works in all sorts of ways . The person protested a bit and explained some things , like I mentioned above . The Rabbi was ; '' Wait a minute , I didnt understand you , what I said was true but are you saying some people are interpreting the meaning and significance of these for others ? What ! That's outrageous ! How dare anyone try to interpret or give the meaning to someone else about God's particular and private dealings with them ! ' That is between you and God ! That isnt even the job of a Rabbi ! ''

Don't allow the energy flow to your head - brain, as that has severe risks of making one smarter, making one realize their destiny and spiritual path, leading them away from scamgong teachings and worthless practices. You don't want that. Stay grounded.

Happy New Year Sifu Terry and all the Flying Phoenix Practitioners! Or as we say in Singapore, gong xi fa cai!! Huat ah!!! Looking forward to reading both the FP book and the TTP book!

Hi everyone, I’ve been practicing Spring Forest Qigong for over two years now, and overall it has helped me a lot., I feel calmer, more regulated, and in many ways it has really supported my healing process. So I’m genuinely grateful for that. At the same time, there’s this question that keeps coming up for me: Is this really the Qigong form that fits me best? What has been bothering me is that in the courses I attended, certain topics were never really addressed — especially things like Qi deviation or how to deal with intense or unusual experiences (including what some people might call “paranormal” phenomena). I’ve had some experiences during practice — seeing or feeling things that were quite strong — and I honestly felt a bit scared at times because I didn’t have any framework for understanding them. I had to research everything on my own. There was nothing in the books or teachings I received that openly talked about potential side effects, energetic imbalances, or how to handle them. That felt too superficial for me. Almost like only the positive, healing aspects were emphasized, but not the possible challenges. I also want to say that I find Chunyi Lin, the founder of Spring Forest Qigong, very inspiring. His story, his presence, and what he has built are impressive to me. I genuinely respect him and what he represents. So this is not about criticizing him as a person or teacher. But even with that respect and inspiration, I still notice that the form itself — the way Spring Forest Qigong is structured and taught — doesn’t fully give me the feeling that this is 100% what I need. Something in me still feels uncertain or not completely aligned. Recently, I’ve looked into other forms like Zhineng Qigong, and there it seems that these kinds of intense or unusual experiences are at least acknowledged and sometimes even described as part of the path that can be integrated consciously. That made me reflect even more on what I’m actually looking for in a practice. So now I’m really asking myself: What are the markers that tell you a Qigong form truly fits you? Is it about physical results? Emotional stability? Feeling grounded and safe? ( maybe the most important?) How transparent the teachers are about risks and intense experiences? An inner sense of alignment? And in what way could my own viewpoint be the problem? What can i expect from a good qigong form? I’m considering committing to one form for 100 days straight to really test it — and then honestly evaluate how my nervous system feels, whether I feel more stable and clear, or whether something feels off. I’d really appreciate hearing from long-term practitioners: How did you know your form was right for you? What are healthy signs — and what are red flags? Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.

There is that saying that if there is something you don't like then its a reflection of what's in you, or a problem of yours. Well I don't quite buy that huge generalization, granted it may be true in some cases but not in others... hells bells does your introspective head hurt ?

I don’t buy it either. Like, I do not like rape, therefore I am a rapist? Is that the logic here? I can understand the saying in a way where there might be a lesson in it (for god sake, I am not saying anyone deserves it or anything remotely similar, but let’s give one example: a person was raped, managed to heal and can know be a support for countless others because of that), or in the «all is one» sense, because if all is one then what you don’t like about others is indeed… things you don’t like about yourself. But no, I do not buy it either.

Doing fine, thanks zerostao!

Probably not.

@liminal_luke Hope you are safe, please check in if you can.

gosh! well I like weird! But why would you suppress something that's happening naturally?

I think the general answer to this kind of thing would be 'doesn't matter, carry on'. This is for two reasons. One is that most of these kinds of things are just the result of qi balancing or moving in a certain way. You are clearly quite sensitive so many people would not notice anything much but for you there are 'paranormal experiences'. So the usual answer is - just keep on with the practice. Qigong relies on not just the body and breathing working together but also the mind. If the mind gets drawn into diverting experiences the qigong won't work properly. So in 99% of strange experiences it is best to just let them be and carry on. Now obviously there is also significant stuff which may happen and which should not be ignored. It is best to consult your teacher on this so they can give you a detailed and specific answer - or suggest some practice etc. If this is not available then you will have to address the issues yourself - along the lines of don't be obsessed by the experiences but just note what they are and try to interpret them. This is exactly what you should do. There is no rush to accept or reject a system or practice. You need to make a full evaluation and this should be based on results. So do it with full concentration for 100 days and then review. Do the same for any other system you come across which interests you. Bear in mind while doing this that it is not necessarily that which meets our immediate needs which we seek ... not a kind of window shopping ... but something deeper about what is right for us.

There are far weirder things than that even.

That did make me laugh. But imo all Chinese stuff is about the balancing of the two. E.g. DDJ ch. 42: Everyone turns their back on the yin and embraces the yang, But it’s the blending of yin and yang that creates harmony. 萬 物 負 陰|(wan4 wu4 fu4 yin1) 而 抱 陽 也 (er2 bao4 yang2 ye3) 中 氣 為 和 (zhong1 qi4 wei2 he2)

Maybe you've got a problem saying that just asking about that could be a problem.

Maybe you’ve got a problem just asking that.

@dwai I love the trailer, looks great, catches the imagination and very atmospheric. I had a quick look at the preview of ch. 4.; it’s well written and interesting (e.g. silent communication). I wish you best of luck with the book.

Thanks Not the case in Buddhist schools, as far as I am aware but i’m not that knowledgeable. That type of error is addressed by the Two Truths doctrine as well as the fourfold negation. At least that’s the way I see it. That doesn’t mean that Buddhist schools consider “dualism” to be “real” or true, mind you. Like Advaita Vedanta, Buddhist teachings do consider our perception of duality to be illusory, or I prefer to look at it as an incomplete understanding.

• HAPPY NEW YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE !!! • May New Year's blessings and good karma come to you with freedom, speed, high intensity, and great and blissful duration!

The practice I do did it to me and my two teachers can verify that because they experienced the same. Some methods are a lot better than others. I hope you are aware of this principle. You need to find the ONE that works for YOU the BEST.

Interesting to me in hearing of their "emanation" view instead of the Abrahamic related view of separation between creation and creator also with "God" having a transcendent factor. Btw, it's pretty unique in that they don't accept converts like most all religions do.