Leaderboard

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.

Saw this, and it felt a bit like gatekeeping. It's the most powerful form of qigong out there, and is not locked behind an academy paywall and a guru-like teacher. I switched now to just standing and nothing else on energetics. 40mins in ball holding pose, as recommended in Marc Cohen's book Inside Zhan Zhuang. My body becomes more supple, looser as the time progresses, not harder or stiffer. An important part of that is body scanning and allowing knots of tension to release. There are experiences when tension and hardness suddenly dissolve, after which the body feels light and soft. I would advise trying it for yourself. If you feel stiffer and more stuck, as Damo intimates, then switch to wuji or moving forms. But don't take his word as gospel, without trying for yourself.

Edit: just for clarification, this is an extract from Inside Zhan Zhuang by Mark Cohen. Apologies to the author, but he's probably able to better express the point than me. On a personal level, I'm also opposed to black and white, absolutist positions on this subject. Maybe zhan zhuang is inappropriate for some beginners, and less so for others. Maybe wuji is better for some beginners, maybe less so for others. The importance is listening to your own body and responding appropriately. And always exercise critical thinking when it comes to Internet authorities.

Well, ergot fungus is not part of rye, it's an infection that can contaminate rye more readily but it can also spread to wheat, barley, oats etc.. So simply preventing this infection takes care of LSD. A better question is, what about gluten and cereal grain lectins stimulating the opioidergic system in the gut and the brain to produce endogenous opioids -- similar to morphine, codeine, opium etc.? Which explains why it has seduced our civilization into an ages-long drug addiction (which consuming those grains really is...) And why does our body release endogenous painkillers (for both the body and the psyche) in response to being presented with gluten and cereal lectins? Because that's what it does in response to being hurt, damaged. So the cycle goes on -- you eat that stuff, you hurt and damage your body, the body releases feel-good chemicals... and a grain "civilization" is born.

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 : )

The Dao is just reality, as it is. Flowing "with" the Dao is being in alignment and not causing resistant eddies and currents with our attachment or aversion to what we think should happen, to what is happening, or what might happen. To an enlightened person, these changes in functionality are just reality as it is, nothing to worry about or cause confusion. My late teacher's teacher, the abbess of a well-known Zen institution died of Alzheimers related causes, but went through the process without struggle, in good humor, and in gratefulness that others were so willing to help her. This obviously won't be the experience of most people. Having worked with my late wife's grandparents, and my own parents as they age, I can recommend just meeting them where they are. Is the reality they believe they live in any more real than yours? If they think you are someone other than who you are, roll with it. If they think they just came back from the pub, let them tell you their story. If they can't find something see if you can get them to laugh with you about it, and let them know that you are sure it will turn up soon. Don't pity them, or try to explain over and over how YOU see the reality of things, or who you believe them to be. This won't improve their condition, or their quality of life. If they worry, tell them everything has been taken care of for now, and things are OK. Find joy with them. For an example of how to work with those who are effected give this a listen. It is really wonderful. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/532/magic-words/act-two-0

I am still here arguing with some old timers. Arguing with the same old things. I hope I'll never win. If I do, then, there is nothing to do here anymore.

Hello everyone, I’ve recently started volunteer work in a center for elderly people, a large number of them are living with dementia. The experience has been powerful and unsettling. Part of me wants to meet them with compassion… but part of me feels sadness, even fear, watching how their minds slowly dissolve: Some cover up memory gaps with jokes. Many repeat the same conversation four or five times in a row. Others speak of places or activities they haven’t done in years, as if they were happening right now. Without constant repetition of simple topics, they quickly become lost. It often feels like meaningful, deep connection is impossible. And this shakes me: Where is Dao here? Where is Spirit? If the mind fades like this, is real connection still possible? So I’m reaching out to you: From a Daoist perspective, how can I understand dementia? Is there a way to flow with the repetition instead of resisting it? How can I find peace and Dao in this environment that feels so heavy and repetitive? Thank you deeply for any insights.

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?

Across the wild, uncharted moors of the mind, where thoughts roam free as heathland winds, there lies a strange and solitary place called DaoBums, a digital haven carved from the ether’s boundless mist. Its forums, like ancient stone circles, gather souls who tread the shadowed paths of spirit and flesh, their words weaving tapestries of fervent debate and quiet wisdom, as if whispered by some eternal, unseen force. Here, seekers of the Dao, restless as the gales that sweep Wuthering Heights, clash and commune, their voices rising like sparks from a fire kindled by questions too vast for mortal tongues. Yet, beneath the fervor, a haunting stillness lingers, as if the site itself broods, holding secrets deep as the earth, waiting for those bold enough to wander its labyrinthine depths.