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This is getting way off topic but I’ll add it anyway as it’s my own experience.... Speaking generally, I’d say all following of clearly defined paths is the mark of early / middle practice. For instance, the sort of clarity of practice that modern Neidan books present, such as Damo Mitchell’s excellent works and much of Thomas Cleary’s translations of Lui I-Ming’s work, is an illusion that everyone must work through themselves. They give the illusion that you're in control of the process, not ineffable nature, the mysterious Dao. That’s why the masters can only hint at their truths through paradoxes and cryptic verses. Fortunately, all things being equal, life is long and there’s plenty of time for the sort of personal exploration that slowly deepens insight over many decades.

I always wanted to be a turtle and disappear in my shell in situations like this ... entering a big room full of strangers, talking in a language that is not mine. Klonk. (that is the noise you hear, when a turtle pulls all her legs into the shell and hits the floor with her carapace ) And then very slowly stick my head out again and look for a friendly face ... My mother tongue is not English, so please be patient with my English. I work as a medical doctor with Traditional Chinese Medicine and have been practicing Taiji and Qigong for 35 years. I would love to learn more about the Dao De Jing, Daoism in general, Chinese language, calligraphy and much more. Thank you for having me! Sea Turtle

I came across this interesting story from Dr. Paul Pearsall's book, The Heart’s Code. Good evidence that the heart records information directly, and that it can rightfully be called the heart brain.

Slowly sticking my head out again .... Oh. Friendly people Thank you for welcoming me. This is only the second forum in my life and since I am not a digital native (far from) I still battle with finding out, how to even answer your friendly welcome. (Please don´t laugh too hard, but it took me about thirty minutes to figure out how to post my first message) So now, I will slowly make my way through the forum, stopping now and then to nibble some grass, before poking my head in some threads or dark corners. Happy to be here Smiling to myself in the dark. Sea Turtle

Yep, that's the 'problem' . No one in my 40 years of looking at the subject can present a scenario without a little fudging, or concentrating or even insisting on focusing on part of Plato's information, while choosing to ignore or be flexible with other parts . Also, over 40 years of looking into the Atlantis subject and a similar time studying Cultural Anthropology ( across all times and locations ) I haven't been able to find a match with any group or society or civilisation that fulfils ALL of Plato's descriptions. And of course , people tend to pick and choose , focus on or reject those descriptions depending on whether they support or undermine their ides / beliefs. Also it is clear that it it was in the Bronze age ( again, I state that this is all confused as modern ideas about Atlantis ; generated by Donellelly and picked up by Theosophists and the like seem to be fuelling interpretations - even though it is claimed to be relying on Plato : " Once Plato’s texts are read thoroughly, (if he is considered as a main source), it cannot be maintained that “Atlantis disappeared 12.000 years ago”, because that is not what Plato conveys through the notes that his penta-grandaunt (Solon) brought from Egypt. Such statement would be absurd. Atlanteans could not have started their military expansion, conquering and colonizing other countries, at the same time as the beginning of their history, that is, 9.000 years before Solon (almost twelve thousand years ago) because they didn’t even know how to navigate and they didn’t have vessels then. Consequently, it is impossible that Atlantis, with its maritime civilization that was not even born yet, could have disappeared at the same time as Poseidon received the island and fell in love with Cleito. That is, it is impossible that Atlantis disappeared just at the same time as the history of Atlantis begun. The appropriate reading of the Timaeus and The Critias makes clear that the end of Atlantis as well as their colonizing expansion should happen “long time” (πολλῷ χρόνῳ) afterwards, (we may think about thousands of years later), judging by all the details given about the evolution of Atlantis civilization, from its origin (9.000 years before Solon ,between 11.580 and 11.560 years ago, when they did not have any vessel and they did not have navigation skills) to the period when they reached their highest level, similar to the level of civilization during Metal Age (Chalcolithic or Bronze). So we can place their military and colonizing expansion towards the end of 3.500 BC, at the earliest, and the end of their civilization (with Atlantis sinking) between 2.700 and 1.700 BC, when it is estimated that the same cataclysm as the one that destroyed the primitive Athens occurred (apparently it also destroyed Atlantis), according to the different classical sources.It was the third one, as indicated in the Critias 112b, where more specific information is provided, as it is said it happened right before the disaster that occurred in Deucalion times." http://atlantisng.com/blog/correct-chronology-of-atlantis-when-did-atlantis-appear-and-when-did-it-disappear/ Cadiz still the best candidate ! ( But it doesn't fit with SOME of Plato's criteria so it was fobbed off . ..... not that a whole lot of other stuff, including history, and archaeology, common sense and a sensible time line wasn't fobbed off )

Glad you found us, Chrissy. It's always a delight to find people vibrating on the same frequency.

Folks This is a new and exciting journey for me . Looking forward to joining your community learning from others and helping ,too where I can. Just knowing there are people who can relate helps already

Hello, my name is Jesse, I suck at living about as bad as I suck at meditation despite attempting both for quite some time. Was referred here by a friend so I'm just seeing what this is about. Usually a bit more spiritual than this but life is just beating me down lately lol, and by lately I mean it's like round 12

Well, if you don;t like it, stop going to that club

Yes thelearner. My Vipassana teacher in Wat Chom Tong (Thailand) told me this: "Don't read anything in retreat, not even talking to others about your meditation experiences or insight. Only report back to me. This is the way it has been done for over Millenia since the time of the Buddha." This is how I learned in Bagua: circle walking, circle walking, circle walking, circle walking, seated meditation, seated meditation, seated meditation, walking meditation, walking meditation, listening to birds' chirping, listening to birds' chirping, listening to the trees sounds, listening to the trees' sounds, listening to my own breathing, listening to my own breathing... Listen, do, concentrate...no reading! To illustrate this again: https://dhammatalks.net/Books3/Ajahn_Nyanadhammo_Walking_Meditation.pdf It doesn't matter whether it is Buddhism, Taoism, Christian Mysticism or some religion of an human of planet X, Lyra constellation; the principle is the same. -Right Effort -Right Concentration -Right Mindfulness -etc. These three are the most relevant ones in our case.

I'm going to channel some Robert Anton Wilson and share my interpretation of the last few months of news I've been reading: Every border between nations does not represent a line of peaceful intent, so much as it demarks the place where two rival gangs grew tired of killing each other and agreed to stop... for now. Seems as a species we haven't grown tired yet. All perception is based on gamble. We do not perceive the world as it is, but as we have been conditioned to interpret it. We interpret the signals of perception through the filter of our familial and social programming and assume that this is reality. It is not. Our family and society (politics/religion), shape our perceptive interpretation. They reinforce, reward and punish our interpretation as it is shaped into a Reality Tunnel. This tunnel is usually finished by age 7 and changing it is nigh on impossible requiring monumental effort and an alarming degree of discomfort and outright pain. Ask anyone diligently devoted to a path of spiritual awakening if confirmation is desired. When our interpretations are in accord with our society, we are called normal. Once the tunnel is formed anything that does not conform to our projected interpretation is refuted as illusory and false. This is the basis of Naive Realism, which has been refuted since the time of The Stoics. Yet the mostly invisible process of intepreting is sub conscious and gives rise to such firm reinforced beliefs that it pre-determines our notions of normal and strange, beautiful and ugly, good and bad in spite of the raw information arising in our environment; and is why facts presented in debate seldom influence the opposition's reality interpretation. Whatever facts presented by nature, or an opponent's argument that do not meet our expectation and interpretation, will be ignored, refuted, or attacked outright as falsehood; while those that reinforce our interpretation are held up as banners of truth and shouted at opponents as 'obvious'. Certitude is siezed by some minds, not because there is any philosophical justification for it, but because such minds have an emotional need for certitude. There is great comfort in certainty. The last years of my practice have brought me a very painful understanding of why some teacher's try and shy potential students away from spiritual pursuits. It's heart breakingly and mind shattering to have one's previously held comforting notions of assumptions, projections and beliefs of reality, of 'how things are' to be relentlessly and unavoidably dissolved, shattered and melted like fog in sunshine. Borders of Nations are imaginary walls just as certainties of belief are imaginary fortresses. Each are built to prop up the illusory notion of safety, and lend the individual a sense homogeny and control. The laws of the tribe are not the laws of Tao. Absolute certainty is the realm of the arrogant ignorant... and of that, I'm absolutely certain. wait... oh shit.

Hey, y'all! I'm Seb from Stockholm, Sweden. I've been interested in eastern philosophy for as long as I can remember. I'm especially drawn to zen and taoism because of the "simplicity", and I'm happy to have found this nice forum/community where I can enter into discussions about the way Hope your 2019 is absolutely magical so far! /Seb

Hello and thank you for the acceptance My english is not so good for proper exposing of my experience, but i will try to wr

I know I've belabored this point several times in the past. However, I think it still needs to be called out (and perhaps a fruitful discussion will ensue). Techniques/postures/methods are secondary to meditation. They are means to an end. That then begs the question "What is meditation?" Meditation is complete absorption in which there is no separation between subject and object, or, there is only subject, no object. This is also called "samādhī). So, sitting in full lotus, or x,y or z posture, or n-repetitions of any mantra, or breathing technique etc etc, DO NOT constitute meditation. They are preparatory. This includes techniques like neigong, various yogic kriya, etc etc. They are doing. Meditation is undoing (had to use this cliché). Normally, our mind is always reaching out into the objective world, attracted to and attached to objects. My home, my car, my this, my that, and so on and so forth. This phenomenon is called "Chitta viskhépa" in sanskrit. What does "preparatory" imply? It implies that the mind is brought back from external focus/scattered attention to single-pointed attention/focus ( ekāgrachitta) and finally in cessation of the mind itself (manōlaya or better still, manōnāsha). The gate of meditation is entered when the mind becomes single-pointed. It becomes meditation with the cessation of the mind (identification with thoughts). This is the place of stillness. Once a practitioner has stabilized in meditation (stillness), they then can re-enter the world but fully stable in the knowledge of their true nature (empty, infinite, eternal, light). Forget about all the techniques, about being perfect in your forms and your posture, etc. Sit comfortably on a wooden or metal chair, and follow this meditation. It will super-charge your other practices if you do this every day.

Thanks! I have all of Monroe's hemi-sync waves 1-6 and many more. Also have the entire library of Jose Silva's work which of late has been very useful!

Those linked pages are giving me a hard time, but at least one Chinese I heard saying 'yiñ' is Cantonese. It is mindboggling how with a language like that where subtle intonation changes the meaning they then also have dialects that make one word sound like another. Today I heard that Vietnam managed to boost literacy vastly by switching the Vietnamese script to roman letters. (And apparently Vietnamese also has six different intonations, and that's not even the maximum among languages.)

Most likely it was a dialect, because there are eight major dialects in China, and some sub dialects under the 8 major dialects. For example, you can hear the sound of "Yin" in Cantonese and Shanghainese at: http://www.yueyv.cn/?keyword=%D2%F5&submit=%B2%E9+%D4%83 https://wu-chinese.com/minidict/search.php?searchkey=阴&searchlang=zaonhe&category= Hope it could help.

Welcome and enjoy your stay at DBs.

Welcome Chrissy This forum is a great vehicle for expanding the conversation about almost any even vaguely related subject... which can be a real boon when you haven't found too many people into this stuff locally. Very glad you found us...

Welcome Sea Turtle This is generally a pretty friendly place, and I, for one, am very happy to see you here, and hope you will soon feel comfortable joining the conversations that drew you here. And hopefully some of the conversations that drew me here as well

Dodging 10,000 raindrops, naturally, without avoidance. Such that even if drenched in the storms of madness, one strolls along content knowing the madness to be one's own. This too shall pass. Watch the weather baby, because it's gonna change.

Most excellent my friend. The experience of awakening to one's immense Presence is the freedom of being the seeing which sees beyond itself. That which tends to attend to this that and the other, instinctively assumes this or that's identity and explores rabbit holes endlessly... feigning unfamiliarity along each trail's scent as if the novelty were not its own. But in just a split instant of abiding as the timeless now, attention suspends. Grasping ceases to scratch after that which was always firmly held, and all that arrests oneself in slumber seems to gently shake off, like shackles on a man too burdened for too long to believe he's been set free. One seems to wade through tides of tension, yet the vast depths which propel us toward shores is the same which lovingly draws us back home... diving deep into that stillness where waves no longer crash.

The novel " The Journey To The West " is mainly a Taoist novel although it is a story with a Buddhist theme and there are many Buddhist figures appeared in it . Nearly in every chapter you can find some Taoist poems, and quite a big part of them hide some keys ( that is , hints for solving Taoist alchemical problems/ troubles you are facing or will be facing ) , which hardly can you yourself figure them out ; in fact, many of those poems look so plain , just few simple words ,that you don't think that they have any significance until you reach certain stage . In many cases, pre-telling them might not be anything good ; But why science can tell people about the truth of this universe , as clear as possible, even in concise equations, for example : F=ma or E=mc2 , Taoist alchemy so reluctant ..

Welcome friend

I agree, nothing like holding a paper book !

This is what drinking is for. Not to get drunk, or get into anyones pants, rather to share a few drinks inorder to lower inhibitions and talk about feelings, attractions, hopes and the future. Hopefully in a less guarded and positive way that is harder to do when totally sober, ie a social lubricant that has been used to cut through social posturing since forever.

Hi theNERD, - Anand

Wu ming-. Stockholm-good point there.its the same as codependency.not a good relationship but soooo hard to get out.

Yes, it is ... and must be, of necessity. Everyone must rely on their own experience ... and no two will match. Lonely ... But not sad.

I just wish i’d realized sooner that the basics and those ephasizing the importance of them actually knew what they were doing, instead of fantasizing about the advanced practices. I know today that speaking about these thing with people IRL is going to just be a way to alienate us both. To have a few people to discuss with would be great, i have two, which is enough. Energetic practices are not for everyone, the whole concept of actually shedding expectations and judgement to become intimate with what is real and so close at hand that it’s imperceptible almost is going to be hard to share with someone. Despite the internet this is a lonely road, and growing accustomed to self-sufficency should come earlier. People within and without will look at me funny, like i know deep inside already i should shun them. I’d tell myself: If someone says ”this is highly advanced” you should distrust them. If someone offers praise you should shut your ears and walk away. Only listen to the source and resonate with it. There is no prize, no acceptance, no destination of manifest truth so quit believing it will feel like you’ve arrived one day and just keep going, enjoy life in actuality. Peace

to add one ends getting stupid comments like this revealing their true nature instead of a rational discussion, and yet claiming to understand or know whats going on....In the end is it about winning The real problem is not climate change its human population which as the climate changes, it will effect the population. era life expectancy Paleolithic 33 2014 world average[32] 71.5 They don't seem to understand its modern tech that enables longer life for most. As of yet there is no viable alternative for fossil fuels that allow it to be so. one who is very vocal about the "problem" "Gore has been involved with environmental issues since 1976, when as a freshman congressman, he held the "first congressional hearings on the climate change, and co-sponsor[ed] hearings on toxic waste and global warming."[60][61] He continued to speak on the topic throughout the 1980s,[62] and is still prevalent in the environmental community. He was known as one of the Atari Democrats, later called the "Democrats' Greens, politicians who see issues like clean air, clean water and global warming as the key to future victories for their party."[63][212]" " Gore’s mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES) . In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home. The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh – more than 20 times the national average." interesting they want others to conserve asking others to conserve or do with out while they enjoy what they ask others to do with out. . Find it amusing. Guess he needs a big house,,,,maybe everyone should have a big house....

Hi Nungali, Sure ~ let me pick one for you... Here you are .. 100% organic. Real ~ magic. - Anand

No problem. Sometimes we get entrenched in our own views and will do anything to protect them. I'm as guilty as anyone in this regard. To the OP : I hope you have good fortune with your practice and that the links I provided will encourage you to inquire further. My own personal path lies in another direction, away from Buddhism, but if you need anything please don't hesitate to ask.

Partake of small joys, Qi begins to course through me, A sip then a drink.

Xin Zhai (Heart-mind fasting) and Zuowang (sitting and forgetting) are the two fundamental ways of working with (stilling) the mind in the Daoist tradition. Unfortunately I don’t have any books to recommend on the subject. They’re both quite subtle and tricky practices to get right. someone else may have a recommended source for these practices. I personally feel that the Dao De Jing is a very good description of Xin Zhai... but it’s a little hard to really understand...

yes Dr. Porges emphasizes "flexing" the middle ear muscle while listening to certain types of sounds he's developed. I recommend you try the Wim Hof method - it's all over youtube - just search "wim hof" - so basically you just take 30 deep breaths (try to feel your kidneys as you breath in) and then after the 30th breath when you exhale - just don't breath in again. So you retain the breath AFTER exhale. So just don't breath in for as long as comfortable. Then repeat the above cycle - and each time you should be able to retain the breath AFTER exhale for a longer time period. This will activate the deep right side vagus nerve and increase your brain serotonin levels - and that will heal your energy blockages.

In the video the teacher used the reference to “bare awareness” and refrained from the use of the word mind. Bare Awareness is mesmerized in the cottony fluttering fog of habituation and labeling - in the positions of mind and meness. IN meditation one is IN Bare Awareness - the cottony fluttering fog outside of its sphere. This Awareness state is not easily understood as one “of focus” but rather as one not diffused and parted out. The Awakened Abiding state is not one of focus in any sense in which that might clarify to someone in word what it is like. But like a clouded glass that has clarified as the refracting particles have settled. Awareness typically is identified in the refractions and defends and organizes the many “I” they contain and the kaleidoscopes of mesmerizing patterns and rainbows. IN meditation Awareness is vital clarity in no inertia (stillness). It is so true that the means of physically aiding this to happen is not more than basic practice.

Thanx for accepting me at this forum! Hello my name is Douwe Geluk from Apeldoorn city in the Netherlands aka Holland. I saw this forum and wanted to become a member immediately. Many things that are on here have my interest. As said i live in the Netherlands and i work as an engineer. I love Salsa dancing, food and Asian cultures. Also i love daoism and i am.working on many aspects of daoism. With that i am a martial arts teacher in Apeldoorn city the Netherlands. My spiritual journey has many aspects with elements from.Buddhism, Daoism and others. My martial arts background: kyokushin karate, kickboxing, mma and Chinese martial arts such as How Chuen Monkey Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan with Qi Qong which i learned from shifu Fred Decramer. How Chuen is a standing tall Monkey art based on the Sasquatch, Bigfoot or Yeti. A very effective system of selfdefense and protection. Now i teach martial arts at my school de Bron van Geluk meaning: The Scource of Happiness. Tai Chi Chuan aka Taijiquan and Qi Qong have my main focus now those arts have so much effect on me that i will always practise them and do competitions on a high international level. I will read on this forum and post every now and then within some topics. ----- Thanxxx ------ Sincerely Yours Douwe Geluk

The sessions for Eric Isen have been $108 for the initial one hour session, and then $90 for the one hour follow up sessions. There is a level of consciousness described in the Vedas, the oldest health care system on this planet, where all you need to do is introduce the name of something, and then spontaneously that object or situation or condition manifests at least in your awareness. I will repeat here just one experience from the many that I have had with Eric over the past 22 years. Our adopted 5 year old daughter was undergoing explorative surgery at the world renown Johns Hopkins Hospital with a team of pediatric surgeons. Before that began we asked Eric to scan her condition. He came back with the results several minutes before the surgeons consulted with us about their findings. The report from the surgeons was close to verbatim as to what Eric had told us he had seen. During my first session with Eric in 1997 this story bears repeating because I enjoy recalling it so much. I was referred to him by a friend and I had much skepticism when I called him. However, that was doubt was blown away after he was able to tell me what I eaten for desert and that I had consumed it too late in the day. He then told me he saw smoke in my lungs while we having the session. Now my doubt crept back in because I never smoked and I had not been around any second hand smoke. So I was certain that he was way off the mark on that. Several minutes later during our session I was aware of smelling sandalwood incense and then I remembered that before making the call to Eric I had lit a stick of incense in the kitchen. So there indeed was smoke in my lungs. A few years ago my wife fell and then had Xrays for her wrist and the doctor told her it was not fractured. She then called Eric and he said he saw two places in the wrist where there were fractures. So she then went to a specialist and he looked at the Xrays and spotted 2 fractures just where Eric had described them. Enough said about that.

A song I wrote and produced on the topic of spiritual liberation

I like em as they got weapons on their altar S Spears swords chakrams shields actually their symbol is made from two curved swords, a straight one and a chakram We have a population of them nearby ; Gurdwara Sahib Woolgoolga And not only this, they are building another one near by ! Then, there is this guy ;

Tja! Välkommen till TDB, där till och med den enklaste sak blir komplex!

There is also old age pain. I have some of those.

Hi Zina. Welcome. Yeah, listen to your body. It will tell you what you should and should not consume.

I think neither Spring Forest nor LonemanPai, nor Drew, Chunyi or Satoga is fake. I learnt many things from all of you since I am on daobums (and kind of a lmp-lurker from time to time) and respect you for your effort and the things you share.

I like parts of your post, but: Why catch yourself? Why not just say "What's up dude?" ?? If he wants to be a dude...let him be a dude... What difference does one being male or female or anything in between have on how much respect you show them? All people deserve an equal amount of respect, no? (until they show otherwise..) My skull is as thick as anyone's...at least we can admit it

A transgender person's brain didn't set the right 'I am this gender' setting while developing. So they may be physically male but see themselves as female, or vice versa. Their brain literally expects their body to be the other gender and is constantly saying, 'hey, that bit isn't right...' - imagine waking up the other gender, that's what it's like for them. It's neurological.