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My initial experience of awakening was completely unexpected, completely unlike anything I'd ever read or could have anticipated, and yet I somehow knew precisely what had transpired. I felt it deep in my bones, no room whatsoever for questions or doubt. On the other hand it was also disorienting, particularly in trying to carry on with my family and professional life. The lack of conceptual context created sort of a cognitive dissonance between the discursive "me" and the abiding nature. Reconciling and integrating the self-awareness with mundane responsibility and obligations became challenging at times. Priorities changed but I wasn't ready or willing to give up my family and professional obligations. I knew there was room and validity for both the relative and absolute. Years later I encountered a teacher who was able to help me with that integration. The beauty is that it happened almost completely non-verbally and non-conceptually. I came to him looking for help contextualizing and integrating my experience. He told me almost nothing in words but his manner, his openness, his warmth and genuine caring caused something in me to click in a very profound way, bridging the relative and absolute through openness of the heart.

good morning world ! you are SO beautiful today! outside my window soft sweet snow cushions and covers your cold hard still body but you are not really cold nor terribly hard nor is your motion frozen your heart is filled with swirling fire and our father sun will awaken that thin crisp life you show us where our mortal eyes touch you well, both you and we are simply gross physical manifestations of something both deeper and higher, aren't we" tho few of US know it and the few of us who do, usually forget it i'll wager you are always aware good morning world you are so beautiful every day

Hi everyone, thank you for this space. I have been looking for a community to read and share experiences for a while, and you guys give me a good feeling, so here I am. I have been trying to find my way into inner exploration for some time now, but I am still all over the place. I have been reading and listening a lot in the hope that certain ideas would eventually "click", but sometimes I have the impression that I am just adding to the confusion. I have tried to meditate to reduce the noise, but I am having a hard time finding a practice that suits me and doesn't throw me into mental or emotional states that I cannot manage. So far it feels like I have just been stirring dirt instead of clearing the water. I hope we can have some good discussions while I figure things out

Hello to All, What started a few years ago as a quest for health (95% solved) has evolved into a quest for energy. To this end, my primary interests right now are qigong and consciousness. I've been practicing zhan zhuang every day for a year now, eight brocades for ~5 months, and inner smile meditation for ~4 months. I reached a comfortable 90 minutes in chenbao, and recently I've returned my focus to wuji. I am seeking the highest state I can achieve, spiritual, mental and physical; with no particular limit to this goal. At the moment I am cross-referencing Yang Jwing-Ming and Mantak Chia, with the aim to develop embryonic breathing and small circulation, with the further aim to master semen retention and large circulation; so I may begin to conserve and refine my energy, and see for myself what a human bodymind can really accomplish. I look forward to learning here and hope that my thoughts may be of help to someone, someday.

Devotion and Worship may be something you secretly dispise or are attracted to. It can be for some a sign of giving up on autonomy and or willful self journeying and isolation from mass hysteria and lazy followership. But it has nothing to do with these things - though all elements of human frailty may be found as is true everywhere. In abiding wakefulness grace is ever present - gratitude pours forth to nothing - it is not in devotion - it is the light But Devotion simply dawns - it dawns as one sheds the ebbing rude coarseness that stood solid on so many willful grounds of insanity and ignorance. In the beautiful stillness - the boundless Presence - the magnificence and majesty - Devotion is camaraderie with the highest light. It is attending a dance with Angels. IN NOTHING great transcendence radiates within - one cannot but be in devotion. It is not a choice or a falling or failing - it is the twilight of all holding - the touch of one finger to the hand of Divine Essence in Living Light. Love unbounded - unbinding

Hey Every One, It has been ages since I stuck my head into the Dao Bums realm. I don't even remember my old email and password it has been so long. I hope you are all doing well, and perhaps I can rejoin the main discussions. Peace and Blessings, Lin

I miss you too, everyday.

I also think there is a lot of ego/media driven "grade inflation". Very common for someone to have some energetic opening, read a book, and then declare it as awakening/realization/done. Like a spiritual ego trap where you get stuck.

My comment seems to have created a pretty little cloud. I don't always share a whole lot, and at the same time a sentence can include a whole mountain. Three decades ago I was a teenager whose mother was suicidal and fluctuated (sometimes very rapidly) between loving and violent. One day I got off the bus to walk up the dead end road we lived on. The breeze touched my skin, and the thoughts fell away, the anxiety and fear fell away - everything I was holding fell away as the breeze danced across my skin. Yes, everything shifted at that point. Soo very simple, and soo very plain.. And not anything I'd label enlightenment. Years later I was given The Power of Now as a gift by someone who said they kept hearing my voice as they read the words of another. I thought Tolle used too many words. There has been much unfolding since then, a few pitfalls I managed to stumble into. And some kind souls who offered a hand to guide me out. I've noticed one thing about my personal pitfalls, and that's that they become such due to the thoughts and stories I wrapped them in - even if the stories were pretty. And this is important ..

Buddhism and Daoism come from different traditions but they have historically mixed symbiotically especially in China - so there exist what you might call hybrid systems - although I don't really buy that term I'll use it anyway - like Ch'an/Zen for instance which is Daoist influenced Buddhism. Obviously Buddhism originated in ancient India from the sramana tradition - sramanas being wandering mystics for whom the sage-king was the ideal - other traditions emerged from here also such as Jainism (which has some similarities to Buddhism). The Buddha's main stress and indeed starting point was the individual's experience of life and how the cyclical world (samasara) was a projection arising through ignorance and desire. So the remedy lay in taming the mind by removing ignorance and cutting through our grasping at things. Mind here is usually 'citta' as in 'bodhicitta' = awakened mind and does not mean our thoughts as such but the basis of awareness - or indeed the 'substance' in which awareness/perception arises. Closer perhaps to the word consciousness as mentioned above - although there are technical difficulties with this also I think. It is hard to say exactly when Daoism arose - as although Lao Tzu's Daodejing was written about 500 BC it is not necessarily a foundational text and older classics such as the Yijing contain at least proto-Daoist ideas. What most people in the West focus on is the Daoist techniques of energy working such as qigong and inner alchemy (neidan). These arose out of Chinese medicine and martial arts. As Daoism is in a sense realist as the dao itself, heaven and earth, yin/yang and so forth as considered 'real' and not mental projections it does not have the same basis as Buddhism. However as I said above there has been so much cross cultural influence historically that some schools a can sound almost indistinguishable. It is also more or less certain that Neidan influenced the development of Buddhist tantra - even though tantra itself is an Indian approach developed from secret clan and kaula tantras in both 'Hindu' and Buddhist sects. The goal of Buddhism is to become a Buddha (or Arhat) and thus awakened in the sense that Buddha meant it. The goal of Daoist neidan is immortality (which may be understood as physical or spiritual) - and unlike Buddhism there is always a sense of harmony with something beyond ourselves, rather than mind awakening. You should follow whatever system you have a strong connection to - which is what you have to decide I guess

Its been a while, Rex How have you been, my friend? Trust you & all dear friends here are in great happiness always! Wishing you & everyone here a truly blessed new year _/\_ May all enjoy the causes of great liberation and peace, today and always!

My account is back up and running! I will be using this account from now on. Apologies to those who had inboxed me. It has been a long time. Thank you to the admins and everyone who helped: @Fa Xin @Kar3n @Apech

I'm missing the guy who started this thread, silent thunder. Haven't read him in awhile, and miss his gentle musings. Course there is much wisdom in taking breaks from social media. One should keep watch of the practice to computer time ratio and make sure it doesn't get out of whack.

To understand selflessness, you need to understand that everything that exists is contained in two groups called the two truths: conventional and ultimate. The phenomena that we see and observe around us can go from good to bad, or bad to good, depending on various causes and conditions. Many phenomena cannot be said to be inherently good or bad; they are better or worse, tall or short, beautiful or ugly, only by comparison, not by way of their own nature. Their value is relative. From this you can see that there is a discrepancy between the way things appear and how they actually are. For instance, something may—in terms of how it appears—look good, but, due to its inner nature being different, it can turn bad once it is affected by conditions. Food that looks so good in a restaurant may not sit so well in your stomach. This is a clear sign of a discrepancy between appearance and reality. These phenomena themselves are called conventional truths: they are known by consciousness that goes no further than appearances. But the same objects have an inner mode of being, called an ultimate truth, that allows for the changes brought about by conditions. A wise consciousness, not satisfied with mere appearances, analyzes to find whether objects inherently exist as they seem to do but discovers their absence of inherent existence. It finds an emptiness of inherent existence beyond appearances. ~ HH 14th Dalai Lama ~

I heard that the goddess Tiramisu is giving Siva his just desserts. But then its a mere trifle after all.

I talked to Shiva... he said it is all under control. No need to worry about it

He sure will. I'm still running away.

In the West we're considered to have 5 senses**. I was told in the East it's 6 senses, with applied imagination, ie how well we can turn the minutiae of tiny almost subliminal cues into a full real picture, being the 6th. **Did they include a magnetic compass-like feature as 6th sense. Some people, like birds have enough iron near the eyes. researching.. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/17/the_odd_body_nose_compass/ Do humans have a compass in their nose? Asked by Lee Staniforth of Manchester, UK Some years ago scientists at CALTECH (California Institute of Technology in Pasadena) discovered that humans possess a tiny, shiny crystal of magnetite in the ethmoid bone, located between your eyes, just behind the nose. Magnetite is a magnetic mineral also possessed by homing pigeons, migratory salmon, dolphins, honeybees, and bats. Indeed, some bacteria even contain strands of magnetite that function, according to Dr Charles Walcott of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York, "as tiny compass needles, allowing them [the bacteria] to orient themselves in the earth's magnetic field and swim down to their happy home in the mud". It seems that magnetite helps direction finding in animals and helps migratory species migrate successfully by allowing them to draw upon the earth's magnetic fields. But scientists are not sure how they do this.

I wouldn’t bother trying to understand it (although it’s tempting to try). Any mental concept would most likely get in the way, rather than help. Just let it be.

Agreed. The first big energetic opening can shift your perspective big time. And while it’s a major turning point, I also feel it’s where the “real work” begins. Like up to that point, your just trying to “get there”. And once your “there”, then you realize it’s about being here. And “here” has its own stuff you were never aware of before. 😄 Always new stuff that’s unfolding - it is never done.

Very beautiful! I have an interesting relationship with devotion. Too often, there is a subtle questioning there - not so much a doubt but self-judgement. Disappointing to say I'm still good at that. Swimming in muck, forgetting it's perfect. And in the right space, as you say, devotion is inevitable. It's both a fuel and an expression. It is simply what I am - uncanny how consistent the experience. The space opens and is filled with it, overflowing. I appreciate you sharing so freely.

??? Practice with effort and in solitude (it makes a huge difference), and you'll soon see what the Mind really is. All these endless Internet discussions lead to nowhere. I'll do the WALK before I do the TALK. Very cool saying.

Because those people DO unlike thinking and Internet forum discussions: 1. Too much talk 2. Little attainments Wisdom is gained by the amount of effort you put in (footwork) rather than the amount of talk and reading, which only reinforces the EGO. Work hard and you'll reap the results!

I'm having a little trouble understanding the basis for your post. It feels like something that is trying to emerge from the mist. I can almost make out the shape, but not quite yet. I feel you're on to something probably very profound, but it might be at that special 'place' where words can't describe it. I too think about stuff like this all the time. So much of us is filled with space, not matter. And what makes this any realer than a dream which is also projected onto our basic consciousness? I just don't know if there's an answer that we have access to. We are nothing but our conditioning - until we get to the place where we realize that, and at that point we can start thinking and behaving in alternate ways. When I walk the dogs, I have gotten into the habit of trying not to label anything - to realize that the air we breathe is also a type of matter, only not visible to us. I try to look at everything as all connected with no differentiation. Once, about 35 years ago, I was driving across the desert - which is a bit of a mind deadening thing to do anyways. Almost hypnotizing. But suddenly I saw all these concentric lines attaching everything to everything else - surrounding the trees, the houses, the clouds, the people, the cars - everything. It was all the same thing, acting in concert. And for an instant, I was given a glimpse of how it all worked. I remember saying to myself "Aah! So that's how it works!" I truly saw it. And then, the next moment, it was all forgotten. It slipped away - it's still in there somewhere, and I suspect that I get access to it only when needed.

In Aikido there was a saying, Don't leave your Aikido on the mat. It meant this stuff is to be used in real life. Not the martial techniques, but lessons in awareness, movement, mind body stuff. Lately I'm going over Adyashanti's stuff. He seems pretty down to earth. What I'm pondering is his saying that if we keep meditation special and as a separate consciousness, then its not affecting our every day life, ie its either not going to get us to enlightenment, or its a slow rout, as long as meditation is separate 'special' activity. I think Musashi said your warrior walk should be your everyday walk. Adyanshanti seems to want our meditation to be our every day mind. Not even quieting mind, nothing special, just watching it. Thus it'll settle down by itself, but keep watching it, for its tricks, its moods. Anyhow.. I suppose we need to do things mindfully.. yet beyond that.. how do we stay in meditation.. what mindset do we need.. ? Its kind of Pollyannish, but the mindset It's All Good, seems to be a good one. And when the shits hits the fan heavily, it can be naturally dropped. Or is no mindset the best. thoughts..

I heartily agree. Watching, observing, being mindful, being present, living in the moment, living in the now - whatever you choose to call it - is the key. This is 24/7 - like breathing, except unlike breathing one can forget for a long time.

There's a reason why its called "the mother of herbs", and why it's worshipped in the Hindu/Indian culture. Many people consider the plant to be an Earthly manifestation of Lakshmi. It is rumored to be able to help with just about any ailment, and regulate many body functions and processes. I discovered it quite by accident, one year I was very sick with the flu and could not sleep because of the fever I was running. Someone gave me a tea bag of Tulsi to try, and surprisingly it almost stopped by chills/fever for about 3-5 hours. Since then, I've been using it often, and find it is a great beneficial herb. I use it mainly in tea form, since I am a big drinker of tea. I believe they also sell it in capsules.

We start them from seed, around 60 days to flower. You could probably grow it indoors in a sunny window.

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." - Lincoln

Doing japa (repetition of deity mantras) with either Tulsi or Rudhaksha beads is considered beneficial and superior to any other types of beads. It has something to with their texture, feel and the vibrational energy from these beads. The finger tips have lot of sensitive nerves. To feel the texture of these beads by holding them with the finger tips and moving them like in japa is attributed somehow to absorb positive vibrations and to balance the energy.

IIRC it takes 15 posts to fully unlock that area. Hun Dun are the sewers of the Dao Bums. Make sure you have hip-waders before you spend time there.

I thought his comment held wisdom in it, and didn’t see how it framed you in any way. I guess the same thing applies the other way, since it is a discussion forum and there will be comments which don’t match our own way of thinking - therein lies where we learn and grow.

I’ve been noticing magpies, other crow-birds, pigeons and seagulls lately. I’m trying to predict incoming rainshowers from looking how birds behave. Listening to magpies is fun too, especially if you’re looking for a cat or dog etc, they usually have at least one as a lookout who starts making the ”predator proximity alert”-noise (cackling, laughing, clicking idk what to call it) if a cat or a dog is passing by, which one can in some very localized areas be distinguished, some magpies don’t even bother calling about some dogs. Some individual cats also entice a stronger reaction since that particular cat may be known as particularly dangerous ones. Learn the sudden warning call and you can either try to spot a predator or be alerted by something magpies worry about, they’re clever so they worry pretty reasonably, not like seagulls who loose their shit for nothing. I did see how two magpies teamed up to mess with a very skilled hunter cat. One was doing some diversionary tactic at the head end of the cat while the other snuck around to the tail end and tried to pinch tail or hind feet, a very special ’stance’ or approach was employed to have maximum chance of taking flight. Whenever the cat heard or felt the magpie behind it she turned and triedto swat but it was expected, so the previous sneaker started acting decoy so the other magpie (for er distraction) could be the sneaky one. The ”sneak attack, ready to run” stance is a pretty useful with a partner... Two concreteish thoughts on the matter.

Well, I'm gonna buy stock in Brussel sprouts. (-:

Yeah but apart from that what's wrong with her?

Hi! mmmhhhh we have to be careful with words here......and i do not want a discussion. that the physical and energetic bodies go through further unfoldment there is no doubt about that..... however what i quoted does speak about the further unfolding of consciousness/awareness itself....quote: 'States of Consciousness' does not mean states of individual consciousness. It means states of Consciousness itself. Consciousness itself is an unbounded field of pure Awareness. you call that Self awake presence.....to me that sounds like that.....however there is unfolding beyond this awake presence...it actually feels like loosing it or falling out of it......to some that is deeply shocking.....but as it stabalizes a new perspective comes online and it is seen that even pure awareness is still a veil over true reality. David joked about a guy who thought he was finished for the 3 times now :-) Ahh you have seen Davids batgap interviews! great! he is not the greatest speaker but the only one who (as far as i know) speaks from what is called pure divinity which is sometimes called "source of the source" because from there it is seen that it is the source of the Self aware presence. To me there are 2 types of unity...one before the awakening to pure aware being and the other (the one that is described in the text from Lorne and Lucia) is when awake presence/being reconizes itself fully in the creation...so that happens after an initial abiding awakening. With the loosing of personhood....i would say the identification is lost ..not the personhood. to me it seems like there is much more to these "lets call them states" than we currently know. There is just too much variance and i shy away from this is the true unfolding and this is not. From a lineage perspective to me an authentic Tamil siddha lineage (through Pal Pandian) is the most complete system/teaching i am aware of. best

Hi Spotless! the post was written by Lorne and Lucia Hoff from Canada. they are not very famous but they have a good record of people waking up in their retreats (as far as i know should be over 2 dozens now). They do vids and retreats that do not focus much on the mind but mostly are a talk from "SELF to SELF". https://www.lucialorn.net/ there are others who speak about this further unfolding now. www.davidya.ca (he has also written a book about the stages of consciousness and also has 2 batgap interviews). Even Adyashanti talks about the "beyond/prior to consciounsess" stage now as does Kristin Kirk and Jac o Keefe. (i think the first who did this in the more modern time was nisargadatta maharaj, who spoke about that towards the end of his life) To me that is an important step...knowing that no matter how final pure awareness feels...there is acutally "something" beyond that awarness. best

Since the Lord of Death has informed a venerable DBs member of our impending doom by giving all non Asian Daobums a good arse kicking, I am offering these steel underpants, for one week only, at a special rate. Made from good quality Port Kembla Aussie steel, with reinforcing around the arse area. Dont be caught out ! Order one today !

I got a lot of thoughts about this, staff is the wu chi i’ve put most hours into and it’s exciting in its simplicity. I say a PVC pipe with end caps is all fine as a beginning tool but using a living material like hardwood, waxwood or rattan just makes the whole exercise come alive differently. I prefer rattan staffs of equal diameter all the way, same goes for spears, i been taught its called a Double Headed Serpent. Theres plenty of styles using this, many other use the Rat Tail Gwan (tapered thick to slimmer, thick end is where hands go most often), theres Olive Kernel Staff (thick middle and slim at both ends) and more i cant remember. Bamboo is not recommended no ,atter what anyone says if you’re going to use it for power or support, since the sections are hollow it’s very brittle and bamboo dries out quickly so it’ll loose its ability to transer energy a lot faster than more equally dense plants. I’m with a southern school and our approach to staff i pretty different from most i’ve seen actually. North shaolin styles often have a right hand forward weilding the power and use the left in the back for guiding support, like an anchor point. Where i come from the right hand is power and movement while the left is guiding support and the odd little flick but their position is reversed. Now all three of my teachers with staff have all been strict and stern in their own way. The first two learned from our grandmaster who is the third of my teachers and i’ve come to be pretty allergic and snobbish with staff and staff methods, i’ll try to keep it toned down. A couple of percepts to guide anyone who wants to learn staff are to follow, skip if you dont like it, i just gotta say this ok? Choose your staff well and treat it like its your closest friend. That means take care of it, don’t abandon it and keep it fresh and unhurt. If you break staffs on the regular you’re using your muscular force like a moron, no offense. Study the Wing Lam video of Lau Gar staff, especially his body alignment and footwork. These two are second and first priority respectively. Power comes from stepping and using principles of levers to transmit power. Your spine should be erect and your power should reach the staff tip a millisecond after your moving foot touches ground. The WLE video shows a huge amount of awesome staff method and technique, observe his body first and see how the staff moves after. His stepping and shifting weight is very much in control, his feet are light but as soon as one of them is supporting they’re like tree trunks of steadyness. The shift between fluid and firm is instantaneous, strive for that. I think if he’d do it on a wet beach he’d leave minimal amounts of messy gouges. The earth is providing his strenght and power, he lets it and therefore the fight between them is minimal. Now the Bamboo stick woman made my hackles rise, her entry position or at rest position is just senseless (WHY would you expose joints, staff and everything to stand in such a clumsy and slow to action posture?!) and her form and movenent is coarse, she falls into stances with her full weight (poor control), she tilts completely forward with head and shoulders as she kicks and then i had to stop watching. The exercises might be good but hers are, sadly, a poor rendition of them, sorry if this is harsh but thats my honest opinion. Again with the WLE video, he clicks the staff to the ground, he’s not hitting the ground. I’ll leave anyone who is interested to figure out what the difference means and how to use that. Target practice with stick or staff is good, it teaches you to use form, the correct amount of power and how to handle it. Notice i’m underlinging the correct amount of power, there is no need to smash and bash, you’ll break your stick. This relates to the above paragraph regarding clicking. Figure that out and you’re on a good way to actually making sense of staff power. Balance and control exercise should be coupled with intent of power exercises. If you hold the stick perfectly horizontal in one end with both hands and want to raise the tip it should move with equally distributed power in the whole stick. If someone were to give 2kg of opposition at the tip your staff should not tilt even a little bit when you raise it upwards but stay perfectly perpendicular. Try this by attaching a string with a water bottle (vary weight as you progress) so that moving the staff means that the weight immediately leaves the ground. Keep the line taut but with no resistance, the lift the bottle. Sounds easy but it can take quite some time to figure out. Try using the full lenght of your stick as a weight to train your forearm strenght and control, use only one hand and grip it off center. Try just holding it straight for a while, you’ll see what i mean Also consider studying how quickly you can change grip and grip position on the staff without dropping it. Study this in absurdum. Twirl and play, practice speed and flow and to stop right in the middle of a movement, just to challenge your control and the amount of power you unconsciously and needlessly add to it. Earth gives power to the body, the body moves the arms and the stick obeys. You’re the boss of the stick btw. It should do what you want it to do, like you finger or your head. Dont follow the stick, this is a sure way to ruin. Humblest regards from you friendly neighborhood staff-nazi, i hope someone finds this useful and pardon my rant. PS. Adding some links with suggestions for routines, will update if i find more good ones. Nice form, decent speed so you can see the movements nicely, observe how the steps and stances guide what the staff does. Very few weak positions, few silly exposures and not much of flourishy transitions like you can observe in most Yin Shao Gun from Shaolin Temple, and in all respect there’s immensly skilled people doing it.

When I suggested BatGap is was with the idea of the opportunity to hear now nearly 500 accounts of “ordinary” people that have Awoken. Time after time they explain in practically the same way what Steve, Dwai and myself have experienced. With slight variations these would be my exact words and I’m certain this is true for Dwai and it is easy to see from then on what is actually being said in so many teachings. In the batgap interviews many variations are discovered but there are quite a few underlying common element that lead to the awakening. And it is clear in their language if they have in fact Awakened - there a few in which they have not - but very few other than some where the interview was simply an interview with “an interesting person”. The negative reaction is a testament to just how much judgement is set off upon this stuff and how far off seekers are prior to Awakening. This is perfect 😎 Students walk in and out of these teachings all day with solid rock walls of “understanding” and EXPECTATION. The wilfulness is thick and the ear wax like epoxy. - Steve mentions a perfect simple bond with a teacher where little is said - I have had two teachers in my path and my relationship was nearly identical to his words. My most recent current teacher speaks no English - it was is never needed. Michael80 shared this - without any reference to who wrote it: Awareness of Presence or "Transcendental Consciousness" is the experience of expanded alert awareness along with profound peace and silence, either in the environment in activity, or deep within during silent meditation. There can be the feeling of detachment from the body/mind. It is a fourth definite state of consciousness unlike waking, dream or sleep. It is a precursor to the actual shift to Self-remembrance. Transcendental Consciousness is being awake to the silent peace and stillness that is the true nature of the Self. There can be many degrees of intensity and various levels of witnessing in trancendental consciousness, but the clear recognition by the Self of the Self has not yet occurred. There are millions of people around the world today experiencing varying degrees of presence consciousness.  States of Consciousness 'States of Consciousness' does not mean states of individual consciousness. It means states of Consciousness itself. Consciousness itself is an unbounded field of pure Awareness. There are distinct perspectivess of Consciousness of itself as it becomes more awake its total reality, and there are many levels of clarity of refined perception within each state. These states cannot be missed. Experience, knowledge, perception and reality are completely different in each, even though Consiousness always remains the same One Consciousness. Cosmic Consciousness or "Self Realization" is awakening to being Pure Consciousness itself. It is the first stage of Enlightenment. It is a very profound shift in your sense of being and existing, the sense of who you are. The sense of Self shifts from being the person you think you are, to being the unbounded field of Awareness itself in which the person and all perceptions exist. You discover that there is no separate individual sense of self at all. The separate individual self was an illusion that happened as a result of conditioning and the false identification with the individual body/mind. Your real Self has always been unbounded, infinite and free all along.  It is not an altered state of Consciousness. It is Being Consciousness Itself -- what you really have always been. It is not a temporary experience; it is a natural, permanent state of being. The innermost self awakens to the unboundedness of its Self and finds itself to be the silent source of everything everywhere. Even though this feels like the final step and there is nowhere else to go, it is actually only the first step in the unfoldment of Consciousness to itself.  Refined Perception in Cosmic Consciousness or "God Realization" is Consciousness' refined perception of its nature as the process of experiencing. It is the perception of the flow of divine intelligence responsible for all experience. The underlying mechanics of the process of creation is revealed. It is the experience of the flow of intelligence responsible for all thinking, feeling, perceiving, experiencing, and all form and phenomena everywhere in your entire field of perception. The cosmic dimension of the individual mind/body is revealed. It is a continually deepening process of refinement and unfoldment taking place perpetually within Consciousness, though experienced differently in each state. The shift to unity Consciousness and beyond can happen prior to the full unfoldment of the depth of experience of refined perception. Unity Consciousness or "Oneness" happens when the Self, the subject and unbounded underlying essence of all things, awakens to itself as being the objects and phenomena of experience on the surface of life. It is a transition from being the unbounded field in which everything thing is happening , to being everything everywhere in the range of perception and experience. "Consciousness is everything everywhere, and I am that Consciousness". The unbounded subject has remembered itself to also be all objects of perception. They are One. The unboundedness of the Self has entered into the mind, body, and environment. All objects in the surroundings, while remaining the same from the perspective of the senses, are experienced as my Self. The world is no longer an object in Consciousness. It is Consciousness itself. It is my Self. It is the oneness of experiencer, process of experiencing and objects of experience. All of the apparent boundaries in the world are found to be my own Consciousness in appearance. From this perspective, the world is experienced to be even more real, because it is constructed out of the material of Consciousness itself, out of my own unbounded Self. The environment is now seen as pure unmodified Consciousness in the guise of the objective modifications of body, world and universe. It is not that the world and universe are seen to be an illusion. The illusion is that the world and universe is an objcetive physical reality. It has always been Consciousness itself, my own Self, pure subjectivity. There is no longer any distinction between inner or outer. The outer is the inner, the inner is the outer. Everything everywhere is my Self. "I" am all that there is. Refined Perception Within Unity Consciousness or "Unity in God Consciousness" is a further refinement of perception from the perspective of being everything. Consciousness awakens, with further clarity, to the underlying mechanics of creation and experience. It awakens to the subtle mechanics of its own innate intelligence that is responsible for creating the appearance of all life everywhere. It is the same shift in perception mentioned above, to experiencing the refined cosmic dimension of the feelings, intellect, mind, body, personality, senses, and all objects of experience; but it is experienced from an entirely different perspective now, one of wholeness, of being all that is. It is experiencing the flow of finer flavours and layers of intelligence within the wholeness of Self. It is Consciousness awakening to its internal dynamics as the perpetual flow of itself experiencing itself. It is the experience of the ultimate reality of the depth of the Self, the totality of Consciousness, and it is all Divine.  Beyond Consciousness or "Brahman Consciousness" is a perspective prior to Consciousness, prior to Intelligence and prior to existence itself. It is neither Self nor non-Self, neither Existence nor non-Existence, neither Being nor non-Being, neither Consciousness nor non-Consciousness. It is the clearest experience of Reality. Words like universe, multi-verse, Absolute, Totality, Self, God, Being, Presence, Pure Consciousness cannot touch it. It is beyond description. It is pure Nothingness. From this perspective; the body/mind, the world and the universe are not just an illusion, they have never even come into existence. The ultimate reality of something made from nothing, is nothing, not something. The word "nothing" does not do justice to the supreme peace, perfect equanimity, unlimited freedom and total knowledge that It is. It is truly indescribable. It is exclusively self-evident to itself alone.  Refined Perception Beyond Consciousness or "Refined Brahman Consciousness" is a completely different perspective of the same refinement of perception that is perpetually happening in Consciousness. But, because it is prior to Consciousness itself, there is no perceiver, no perceiving and no perceptio in the same sense. It is perpetually swelling in all the same divine flavours and qualities of wholeness and love as experienced previously, only in a finer more exquisite delicacy and fullness, prior to differentiation or distinction. It is the subtle intentention within nothingness to know itself. It is Pure Divine Power. From this perspective, the effect--Consciousness itself, and the creative intelligence inherent in Consciousness which is responsible for the appearance of creation, is also uncaused; and as such, so too is all creation. It is beyond all understanding. Supreme Reality Another shift to an even deeper perspective occurs in this state when that Nothingness recognizes that divine power as its own pure Supreme Divinity that has been cloaked in the appearance of creation. That supreme divinity is the ultimate cause of all causes. It creates and appears as the sense of Being, Consciousness or Self; all divine creative intelligence, and all creation. It is pure divine radience. Refinement of perception of the universal body/mind continues in this state. Many of us here that have Awakened and not have considerable experience in the above. Some of us are far along in the above levels and know them well and without delusion. But talk of them on many levels is of no worth to the seeker and more often than not fills them with a sense that by careful reading they actually know something. My daily experiences are outlandish but I’ve become sick of words like awesome, incredible, immense, limitless, vastness, unbounded, etc etc etc - But I have no other words for this constant expansion and absurd energies. The first time I Awoke it knocked unconscious 3 other people in the room who only moments before were conversing with one another. The energies we absolutely beyond any slight previous comprehension and made a massive kundalini experience seem like peanuts by comparison and yet it was sustained in utter beauty and stillness. - It does nothing for a seeker to hear most of this stuff prior to Awakening. The basics of practice and the pointers to Awakening are the core of the teachings - they ARE the advanced stuff - (the secrets). The seekers have it backwards - they want to get past the basics and piece together in concept what is waiting for them. Nothing is waiting for “them” but the death of “them ness”

At the store. Mom: what part of no do you not understand. Kid: the part that says I can't.

While I am not a fan of guru bashing, as I believe there are true gurus (light) in the world, I am always saddened when people start to believe their own marketing hype.

Welcome. I would suggest that you ignore the Mantak Chia stuff as you are already energetically beyond it. You are at the point where you want to start focusing more on the relative polarities of the energy. Maybe take a look at chapter 28 of the Tao Te Ching, as you have already begun to understand the strength of a man, but the heart of a woman (other polarity) is just as important. Best, Jeff

Hello. Im new to this forum. Im interested in Tai Chi and Taoism plus meditation and spirituality. Looking forward to learning and sharing. Thank you.

Not throwing stones in my own glass house here, but I see more and more how conditioned we are by our social upbringing. I have discussed this before in a charming story of how Robert Thurman's Tibetan teacher told him that he did not need to meditate so much because as a pre-programmed westerner, he could never drop his conditioned world view in order to become enlightened. bet that was a real knee slapper for him. I see so many spiritual seekers, and so called "awakened or enlightened" folks who still hold the boolean "all or nothing" , "yes or no", "real, or unreal, world views. If something is not real, like a dream, we call it Illusion, or that it really does not exist. If something is Real, (like my tv remote or smart phone) LOL, then we say that "this is real, material, we can all see it and discuss it". But when I was younger, and had dreams where I did not know I was dreaming, I could sit with a group of people at a table, and we agreed that we were all there, maybe eating food, that I could taste, feel, and that world was as "real" as this world, until I awoke, and saw that it was now, "unreal" or "Just a dream". So my mind was and is preconditioned to believe all or nothing, real/unreal, right/wrong. Can something be both real and unreal at the same time? do the terms "real, unreal" make any sense? for that matter, do the terms, "right/wrong", good/bad make sense as a mental label.? I have seen very bad people do good things, and vice versa. I have seen dreams that I "knew" were real at the time, but then upon awaking, "Knew" that they were unreal. Maybe just letting go of these ideas and beliefs, and just viewing the universe, life, everything as it unfolds without making a mental label for them. doubt we can let go completely, but maybe a little at a time. who knows?

Best approach might be to quietly be. The sun doesn't go to people to illuminate. An awakened one will enlighten just by being.

@freeform wow, sounds like quite a night it turned out to be! Just love it when this sort of stuff happens, i’ve had a couple less dramatic ones and witnessed one similar thing a guy i had no idea was ”packing” sensitivity. I can feel it when something is about to happen from the shift in energy/mood/smell and i can definetly tell when someone with some juice is involved, i feel something turn in me towards it like a compass needle. Weird. I have a few of similar stories... I remeber talking a 40 something oddball straight, he crashed an afterparty at my old place where i lived with my ex and was not doing much to brighten the mood. He was stone cold sober and brooding, an acquaintance of an acquaintance, i never got his name but he was an obvious loose cannon. Something compelled me to talk to the man, i was going to throw him out when i approached him but i felt like a warm shower of a bubbly liquid, like fizzy water, running over me from head to toes, just faintly but it was there and i change my whole approach, within a minute he’s talking to me about his cocaine addiction, how he’s friends with a bunch of stick up kids half his age who run around with guns and make all sorts of messes and that he’s come to a point of considering suicide because he thinks his road is set too deep. All the while i’m listening and just ripping the guys excuses and negative outlook to pieces, not being kind either but having this fatherly warmth in my voice (where’d that come from?) and telling him he should pick up music, like just hitting keys and see what comes out. Reading this guy beforehand i’d never approach him like that, he was armed and he was definetly carrying product, i think he’d plan to sell some powders at our place but he never got the chance to even float the idea. He just looked at me dismantle every idea of helplessness he held on to and when i said ”sit down and hit some keys, improvise” he just went pale and asked how i knew he’d been trying to get back into music forever but he was terrified of what could happen, since he had nothing to loose now he was scared he’d get his hopes up. I casually told him that was bullshit, that he was clinging to his fears as if they were reality and he just went silent, nodding. We sat like that in silence while everyone else seemed to just merry on about and not even noticing us. He stood up, offered his hand and a long hug and said to me he was going home to fire up his keyboard, very seriously thanked me for letting him stay a while, waved goodbye to everyone with a big smile and just left. This happened during a period of daily inward practice and i realized only after we’d been sitting right across from my altar to Guan Gong, he’d been staring at it on and off while talking to me. I dont think it was a coincidence. Another time my ex walked in on a burglar who’d decided not to take anything except a minor amount of cash and a pocket knife (he returned both) when he entered that same room where the altar stood, he said he’d realized it would be so mean and callous to steal our computers because we used them for work (he hadn’t opened them) and he was crying while i scolded him and told him he was being reckless and an idiot, he could get hurt walking into peoples homes. He was on his knees begging for forgiveness and promised to tell all of his junkie friends to leave our courtyard alone (it was one of those summers when a lot of down and out folks were looking for stuff to pinch and sell, our yard was easily accessed and it had become a problem with these ”visitors” messing about) and i took his info from his ID (he actually handed it to me) as security. Then he left, thanking me and promising to make good on his word. Oddly enough, not a single incident happened the following years until i moved out after separating and took my altar with me. Nowadays it’s becoming a frequent spot for trespassing and disturbances again. I cant say it’s this or that but i strongly believe the altar and my routine of practice in that period directly affected these incidents. It’s not like huge deals, no fireballs or telekinetic wizard fighting, but two different unrelated occasions with uninvited criminals that were deeply affected by being there and i remember acting spontaneously, not a premeditated word or action and it all just fell into place. To me it’s odd at least, but i don’t look gifted horses in their mouth with such things

The main form in the school is Wuji Gong. For Qigong practice I mean. In the begining of the teaching we are learning Emei Qigong System has some specific rules. Such as in first 2 levels we mostly work on ourselves. Like %70 to self development %30 to help others. Coz Emei Qigong has two different disciplines. Taoism and Buddhism. Uses both traditions works. Yes you will find mostly explained and also clearly explained informations about the exercises and practices. Most of them not open to all. If you were a student of any Emei Qigong teacher, the knowledge will open to you. For all levels of Emei Qigong practices I can easly say that you/we have to practice too much. Like every other practices. Why I chose this path? I was a student of David Verdesi and some other else's. I realized that I don't like power based systems. I am looking for enlightment. I only need developing my wisdom, nourising myself, and realize my true being. The Emei Qigong is very simple. So simple but also deeper. After you practiced for a while you will understand many things about Qigong and cultivating the inner and outer parts or self. Not only cultivating Qi. If we were talking about cultivating Qi, what we will plen to do with it? Having some super powers like John Chang or Jiang Feng etc, or becoming a good person? If we weren't using the cultivated Qi to help others, will we want to become an immortal? I simply chose developing myself and helping others. This is my reason to choose Emei Qigong. Also Grandmaster Fu Weizhong, really so so kind teacher. I couldn't find any question that he couldn't answer. When my questions were silly, he alsways replied me in a polite way ans he said: "You don't need this information on your teachings or on your practices, if you'd like to become a disciple or a monk you will learn." Grandmaster Fu Weizhong's mission is teaching the Emei Qigong's treasure to the world. There are too many jewels like Emei Qigong I think. Most of you already found and you already started to practice. Each way has own jewels. They are waiitng us to find whee they are hidin.

Hi, Good systems are internally consistent and use terminology and some more subtle ways of communicating in a way that adds up to whatever the goal of that system is. If you mix systems you can get confused by overt and subtle differences which might impede progress. Having said that if you yourself are clear about what you are doing it is perfectly possible to study different systems and learn from them all. It all depends on whether you want to do the work and have clear enough understanding to do this. For many its not a great idea 'cos you can end up with a mush which doesn't really work. I don't think its about dogma as such but more consistency and application. Of course you must make your own mind up about this.

To me they seem flexible, and your question made me re-examine that. Two things I found: 1. There is some actual flexibility in the PVC, varying with width n’ length. 2. The other part that makes is seem (feel) more flexible in my practice is keeping the integration of my fascia structure~movement in my body and extended to include the ‘weapon’. Meaning, that kind of rubbery feeling when my body is warmed up and moving in the more whole-body qigongy way. And no joint is cranked much further than any other joint. That long whole-body rubbery thing. (Maybe some of you other guys know the correct words for this. I don’t.). The ‘sword’ is included in that... so its’ movements kinda feel rubbery circular and angles about the same as my own joints~limbs. So it feels flexible. ... or maybe *I* do, and the way I am including the ‘sword’ is part of & contributing to that feeling in me. And that’s where it all gets so endlessly interesting and fun.