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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.

Life is Alchemy. (seems to be to my local awareness/experience) Life is the ever shifting of one into another. Awareness (the experience of being) itself is Alchemy. My Son's body formed within my Wife's body. Forming within the womb tzujan, of itself, by transmuting food, air and water that she consumed while pregnant. My Son's body now alchemizes food/air/water into bones, organs, muscles, nerves, etc and sustains awareness of this for a time, before further decomposing (alchemizing) into ought else.. Sunlight stimulates seeds in soil that, which alchemize with water, minerals and light to grow into trees, bushes, wheat, moss etc... these forms further alchemize, transforming into new soil. Transmutation. Alchemy. Reality=Alchemy of Awareness. As awareness is always shifting and morphing, accomodating new sensation, interpreting, adapting, rejecting, believing, seeking etc... Indeed, is there any aspect of phenominological awareness that is not an alchemy of transitioning from one observed form/structure/makeup, into another? Is there ought which is not Alchemy?

from this: to this: note: the little pill bottles in the picture are great for keeping little screws and bolts in.

Please everyone note: Any political comment will be hidden and if necessary action taken against the poster. We are not going to set up an alternative site or have a special section on here in the foreseeable future. This is because we tried it already but experienced problems. We ( The Mods) have received general support from members for the politics free approach and this will continue for the time being.

Lala, Your presence on here is very welcome. I hope you get as much from being on here as I have over the years. Don’t be afraid to express yourself - it’s all good. DaoBums has a long history now and at times it was far from being a sea of calm to say the least. What keeps it going is the membership and a flow of new members. Provided the tech doesn’t break down at some point I think we still have a long future of happy debate!

Do you think that truly happy beings would commit evil acts?

Lately, something strange but beautiful has been unfolding in me. I’m currently in a phase of life where I’m looking for work. I started this process rather late because I had some psychological issues for a long time. And now, as I walk this uncertain path, I find myself doing Qigong as part of my spiritual practice – and it has quietly opened my heart. Through this, I’ve begun to feel a growing trust in God, in the Dao, in the deeper current behind life. A few days ago, I was still very anxious – "What if I don’t find a job?" – but then this gentle thought came to me: God protects me, no matter what. And suddenly, I felt this deep shift: I want to let go of my plans – the idea that I need to have this job, or that I have to secure my future. What truly matters is not what I think I should do, but what the Divine wants for me. I don’t want to chase control anymore. I want to listen. I want to trust.i got so calm that i could hear my heartbeat. That is a good sign of calmness for me It feels strange to think this way. I’m not used to it. Part of me wonders: Am I becoming passive? Irresponsible? Or is this the beginning of true surrender? Sometimes I feel like I just want to sit, meditate, and be at peace. The earthly world seems so unstable – everything is constantly changing, dying, passing. Without God, without the Dao, everything feels chaotic. But if I hand it all over, if I stop clinging to goals and outcomes, there’s a quietness that arises. And in that stillness, I feel... safe. Has anyone here experienced something similar – this strange letting go, this dissolving of personal plans in favor of divine guidance? How do you navigate this shift in daily life?

Yesterday I made these two lamps They were very old mismatched ones, both different colors and both colors ugly. I spray painted the base of each the same dark bronze color and used two Ikea stainless steel kitchen utensils holders to make lampshades, by flipping them upside down and installing hardware. One of my hobbies, finding a new (often unexpected) purpose for an old and tired object. I like simple projects that I can finish on a whim in a short time.

Thought it would be useful to share my findings as they might be helpful to someone in the future. Have to wait 2 weeks for a dental apointment and I find myself with excruciating pain. Paracetamol and iboprufen not working anymore. Took some other Polish medication even stronger but guess what? Stopped working : ) Came to my mind two things said and written by Moshe Feldenkrais. I remembered him saying once in a video where he was treating a woman with chronic migraines that he had " many ways to trick her brain". With this in mind I tried to saturate my brain with "information" focusing in specific areas of both soles of my feet not giving any chance for the brain to give any attention to the pain. It worked. The pain was gone for more than 12 hours. Other thing that I have tried and again with Feldenkrais' ideas in mind was the following, according to him sensitivity is directly proportional to muscular relaxation. You can't feel a feather on the palm of your hand if you have been carrying heavy weights. So, if you try to feel soft or subtle things on the surface of your skin the surrounding musculature will relax. Again, it works. A soft hand barely touching my head and face made the musculature relax and stopped excruciating pain. Feeling very thankful to know what I know know and if it may help anyone, great : )

Raymond Chandler The DaoBums website sits like a smoky speakeasy in the dim corners of the internet, a joint where mystics and misfits trade hard-boiled wisdom under the flickering neon of digital dreams. Its forums hum with the low growl of seekers—guys and dames chasing the Dao’s shadow, tossing around koans like loaded dice in a backroom craps game. Every post’s a slug of bourbon, sharp with insight or bitter with dogma, spilling over threads that twist like L.A. alleys after midnight. The regulars, tough as old leather, sling questions about chi and karma with the kind of grit that’d make a private eye nod approvingly, while the mods keep the peace like weary bartenders, ready to cut off anyone who gets too drunk on their own revelations. It’s a place where truth’s always one post away, but nobody’s holding their breath.

I hope it's not over, I just got here. As an outsider and not aware of the inter-relationship drama between members I will say this (and hope I'm not reprimanded for it). Often times this forum can appear to be a little snooty and highbrow, especially to people who are just beginning on whatever path they're on. This appearance is intimidating to beginner who, like myself, can be afraid to post things in fear of being banned, ridiculed or simply ignored. Forums like these- group dynamics tend to wax and wane, lot's of people come and go. The core posters have obviously known each other for over a decade, which is awesome but also comes with some troubles, and can be intimidating when new here. This is just my opinion as an introvert, who has to go over in her head several times prior to any statement I make. Maybe it's just me projecting my own insecurities of being less knowledgable than everyone else here. I don't know. The lexicon of knowledge here is unmatched on the internet. So many opinions, ideas, paths and little tidbits to glean from. It's a gem. and shouldn't be taken for granted. This forum is literally the only place that I'm aware of that discusses somewhat freely on many topics (reddit is terrible and a cesspool). Ive been lurking on here for many years, but too afraid to comment or ask questions. I'm older now so maybe I care less about what others think of me, which is why I decided to finally join. Just my 2 cents and a newcomer, who would be disappointed if this place disappeared for good.

Add me to the list of people who stopped coming around but about once a year get the weird urge to log in and see how things are going This place was crazy back in the day, and a lot of things happened over a long period of time that changed the shape of the forum. Reddit was great for a while but always had its pros and cons, and in the last few years those have gotten more pronounced, but does still seem to vary based on the community (and sometimes even the time of day that you post!) I will also say that (and this may be me living under a rock), it doesn't seem like the qigong community itself has really changed much? It seems like most of the teachers are more or less the same, the books are more or less the same, maybe something new gets put out on a new author starts publishing stuff, are there any new crazy teachers or systems that are fueling the controversy posting that fueled the forum in years past? To me, I don't think so, but I don't even know... So you are either doing the practice, or talking about thinking about doing the practice

According to marriage researcher John Gottman, successful couples have at least five positive interactions for every negative one. I suspect this ratio applies to our experiences as forum participants as well. Bums that routinely come away from their experience here feeling unsupported, unseen, and unheard are likely headed for a divorce; enough divorces and goodbye forum. And so I´m trying to master the delicate art of expressing healthy disagreement on occasion without giving my fellow Bums the finger, to find the balance between milquetoast Mr. Nice Guy and Mortal Combat. It´s a work in progress.

Basically another iteration of "my kung fu is better than yours." Ignore them all but embrace this philosophy: "Many paths lead to the top of the mountain."

In terms of what is Buddhist or not Buddhist there are a few things I like to keep in mind: The teachings of the Buddha weren't set down in writing until 500 years after his death, and were captured by disciples generations later. How pure are they to the intent of Gautama Buddha? We will never know. We do know that they have led many students to realization, and that should be the litmus test on which they are judged. Indian Buddhism and tantric Shiavism travelled to China and intermixed with the VERY compatible Dao, Tibetan folk/Vajrayana, and Ch'an practices creating Tibetan Buddhism, Daoism, and Zen. Teachers didn't really keep these separate as "schools" until MUCH later. We do know that they have led many students to realization, and that should be the litmus test on which they are judged. An enlightened teacher will tell you that ALL of these (and let's add Sufi poets, Patanjali, the Upanishads and MUCH MORE) point to the same things, and that their practices works from different aspects to illuminate the students. What matters is that the authors of these works and the teachers that teach them UNDERSTAND what is being said. We do know that they have led many students to realization, and that should be the litmus test on which they are judged. My opinion is that Buddhism isn't about Guatama Buddha, it is about ALL Buddhas, including the ones at your local Tibetan Buddhist center. - Food for thought: Buddhism of any kind, and in fact any set of practices, has nothing to do with enlightenment. Holding this question in your mind might even be what "enlightens" "you".

Discuss. Follow on from the other thread (you know the one I mean)

How to filter for viewing only the posts by Sifu Terry Dunn Go to Sifu Terry Dun's profile (he is zen-bear) click here in upper right quadrant, click See their activity in menu on left side of page click Posts There are 61 pages of posts, in reverse chronological order, most recent posts on page 1 Enjoy!

I am, like my bank account empty.

When the Buddha- or any being whose consciousness has dissolved into Emptiness- offers a blessing, it is not for the fulfillment of psychologically derived states and mundane desires; these are not wishful words welling up from want, but Realization as inspiration bestowed in blessing. And so, the joy spoken of here is deeper — a quiet bliss arising from the formless, known in the seat of shen (the heart) as the stillness of peace, even if called 'happiness'. Its essence does not depend on circumstance, nor is it touched by time. It is offered to all beings, without measure, without exception. This joy then, is also love — the wisdom within compassion, the radiance of the Tao — spoken in many tongues, revealed not only through words but through wind, stone, and the hush between all things as created by Tao. Thus, it is more a recognition than a feeling, more a remembrance than a state. Not a thing, but a Way. Not a possession, but a return. For this is the truth of unconditional love — the grace of noncondition — the beauty of Nothingness when it flowers through the silence of Enlightenment. From this view, you can see that the terms I use — love, peace, joy, emptiness — are fairly interchangeable. Not because they lack nuance or discernment, but because in the light of Unity, all things are distilled into essence and returned to Emptiness. This is why, when we overanalyze or dissect too many terms, we risk losing the heart — becoming entangled in logic, we fall away from essence. So this Unconditional love as blessing of happiness is just that: prior to, and untouched by, condition. It is what we are — all of us! And the wish for beings to return to this, to realize this, is the very same wish held by all Buddhas, Immortals, and sages throughout time: for all beings to be as we Truly Are. Sometimes this is spoken using small words, like “happiness.” Sometimes in great ones, like “peace.” But regardless of language or scale, what is offered is the same... In true realization, one sees how distinction gives rise to unity, and unity gives rise to distinction. This is the living truth of non-duality —not merely a term, but a direct, transcendent unfolding. The Buddha gave it shape in these words, so that its vibration might echo in the heart. But its truest form is found not in sound and thought, but in the stillness where all longing ends, where everything beloved is already whole; where happiness is the essence of all Being: a happiness in the True Being that you already are. <3

From Namkhai Norbu

The stages one moves through on the way to enlightenment: monday, tuesday, wednesday...

The God Particle Within There is an idea in the spiritual traditions of the world that the divine is not separate, not distant, not a figure above, but a presence within. But what if this inner divinity is not only real, but also functional? What if it is not merely a state of mind, or emptiness, or spaciousness, or holiness, but part of our subtle architecture, a refined, intelligent essence working ceaselessly to restore wholeness? This deeper understanding shifts everything. It reframes the divine not as an object of worship, but as a mechanism of transformation, actively embedded in the very fabric of our inner being. Not metaphor. Not abstraction. But an actual medium: subtle, dynamic, and purifying. In this vision, the self is not merely a vessel for thought and experience. It is a structured field, layered, responsive, and capable of immense refinement. At the core of this field lies something subtle yet profoundly intelligent: a filtering presence that tries to separate what is real from what is reactive, what is timeless from what is temporary. It does not force, yet it governs. It does not shout, yet it clarifies. It acts like a crystalline thread, a current of luminous essence that brings truth wherever it flows. This essence is not born of effort. It cannot be constructed by the mind. It is never absent, merely covered over, almost silenced. But it can be uncovered, found beneath the sediment of old impressions. It is not ours to create, but ours to discover, when the more assertive aspects of the self begin to fall quiet and the deeper, subconscious forces awaken. What becomes clear is that this essence is not a static stillness or blank awareness. It is a responsive intelligence, one that gently and systematically purifies distortion. Like a clear stream flowing through a clouded vessel, it enacts transformation not through struggle, but through contact. Its very nature reveals and dissolves what is false. Its flow is the return to sanity. The mind may attempt to name this essence, to contain it within ideas. But I propose it is not an idea. It is a subtle reality, not merely an inner event or a shift, but the unveiling of what may be called the essence of God: a presence so innately pure and intelligent that its activation realigns the entire system of self around what is most real. It is the final key that unlocks the final process. For many, the longing for truth begins with a sense of absence, of something missing. But the God particle within is not technically missing. It is hidden. And it waits, not passively, but quietly, until the self becomes transparent enough to allow contact. What is required is not belief, not even faith, but recognition. The subtle pathways of the self must open, not to ideas, but to actual subtle function, until this ultimate presence is revealed and restored to its rightful place: to cleanse consciously, to filter, to complete the subtle body. In this view, the divine is not separate from the structure of self. It is its deepest layer, its most essential root. And it is useful, not because it offers escape, but because it offers ultimate purification and clarity. It does not require worship, only space. It does not demand sacrifice, only honesty. And it does not ask for distance, but intimacy. This is the inner essence that makes liberation possible, not as a singular event, but as a steady unfolding of what has always been within - not potential or emptiness but a specific causal essence, a liquid diamond consciousness, the God particle within.

A short thread... about emptiness/Source/Self/Dao/whatever.... on DaoBums.... Yeah, right

Respectfully, I´d like to express my disagreement. Many good spiritual teachers charge -- not everything gold is free.

I don't sense it's an all or nothing choice. All paths lead up the mountain. Damo and Nathan approach Source and process from different paths. I've benefited from Freeform's sharings here, but his path is not necessarily yours, or anyone elses'. Explore and find your way. It's there. Why not give each method 180 days and see what arises within?

I think you're quite right. If interactions are an exchange of energy, and if a degree of equilibrium is important for social and psychological cohesion, then it's essential to consider what energy is given and what energy is taken. It also helps to know what individual goals and approaches are. Eric Berne wrote a book about transactional games analysis called Games People Play. It's about how and why people structure their time, and focuses on an element called Game Playing, which is unconscious, manipulative social interaction that seeks to fulfill a psychological need. Long story short, everyone is seeking to get their needs met and has different ways of doing so (games). Many games are already relationally damaging, and when people come together and want to play different games, or disagree about game roles and rules, even greater hostility ensues. At the basic level, if I want to play Ain't It Awful (ugh, this weather, am I right?) and you want to play Sunny Side Up (it's supposed to be sunny all next week!)... In this exchange, I want commiseration and you want to not have your good mood ruined. We aren't going to get far in our interaction, because neither of us is meeting the need or providing the interaction that the other is looking for. Here on the Bums, there's a tendency to play Courtroom and Now I've Got You, You Son of a *****. I think it helps to identify the games being played by others, and to know what games one tends to personally play into, in order to opt out without contributing further to discord. It's a lot easier to let go of frustration when you realize almost everyone is operating on an unconscious script designed to meet their needs. It might not be healthy, but it sure is human.