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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".

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

Yes, so many of my wife's family were among the people who defeated ISIS. Just imagine the strength and fighting spirit of Kurdish TEENAGE men and women in flip flops with no training defeated ISIS which was largely trained and equipped by CIA and America before they rose to prominence and was deemed an enemy of the West. Imagine you sitting at home, watching television of brigades of heavily armed ISIS fighters taking over huge modern cities in mile long convoys of pick ups with heavy machineguns, decapitating thousands live on twitter, you're a 15 year old girl, and your reaction is to grab your flipflops and your AK and go to fight them. That's a very special kind of inner strength and courage. It's truly tragic, as the kurds are some of the "most normal" in the Middle East, simply meaning reasonably European and sensible in many ways, compared to many of the more fanatical regimes. If a united Kurdistan was created, it could potentially be a kind of beacon of light, humaneness, sensibility and just "normal living" to help stabilise the whole region. An oasis in a sea of fanaticism. What they lack is a strong leader with this powerful vision of unity, as unfortunately due to millenia of wars, the mentality of "caring for yourself first" is extremely strong. Nationalism is also there, but it's a largely unguided force, intercepting militarily when things are grave and you need to defend (e.g. ISIS), but not with a vision of unity for all the kurds. And realistically every major power is against them in the region, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey. They would lose land, power, ressources and influence if Kurdistan became a unified country. Actually Israel is one of the only powerful countries in the Middle East that tries to help Kurdistan - e.g. buy a lot of their oil, covertly sell them weapons, provide secret agents to help defeat fanatics that are trying to rise to power and so on. The Isreali story of being a persecuted nation without a homeland, with all major powers against them is so similar in spirit to the Kurdish story of being a persecuted people without your own country, and all major powers using you and your land as a plaything in their own games. That's why they help each other since modern Isreal was founded, even though ofc many modern Kurdish brainwashed by islamic fanatics are not aware of it, but the older generation remember when secret isreali agents brought them food, water, ressources, clothes etc in times of war and crisis, also weapons for self defense, and still financially today they support by buying oil in massive quantities at a fair price. Yes, Africa could almost be declared the black magic capital of the world, the magic there is very powerful

Hello Annnon, GM Doo Wai explained that for FP Qigong to be optimally effective, one needs to have regular restful sleep--i.e., for FP Qigong to work well, one cannot be sleep-deprived. He gave this answer in reply to my question if FP Qigong can replace lost sleep--citing the fact that the Tao Tan Pai ("Taoist Elixir Method"), which I learned from Taoist priest Share K. Lew (1975 to 1992), has high Yogas called "The Nine Flowers" and "The Five Dragons" that can replace lost sleep and thus enable one to function at full strength and high mental acuity without have regular restful sleep. GM Doo Wai and Taoist Priest/GM Share K. Lew were friends and peers since the moment they met in America, what GM Doo Wai described as "fellow kung fu men." Each was the senior lineage holder of a complete and intact Taoist monastic tradition of kung fu, nei kung, medicine, and spiritualism. Back to your question: "...why good quality sleep is needed or quote the original post?" Answer: It's just how the FP Qigong yogic methodology (utilizing the percentage breathing formulas) works . Tao Tan Pai Nei Kung, in contrast, works on a different yogic methodology that 's rooted in the cultivation of human sexual energy, what some Hindu Yogas and other Tantric systems call "the kundalini" energy ("coiled snake"). FP Qigong, in contrast, does not focus on the kundalini energy or on any other type or "flavor" of energy--for no visualization of any kind is required in the practice of FP Qigong. This great dissimilarity in yogic mechanism between FP Qigong and Tao Tan Pai Nei Kung is reflected/manifested in the fact that strict celibacy must be observed when learning the Advanced Tao Tan Pai Yogas, while no celibacy is required at all when learning and practicing any levels of Flying Phoenix Qigong--or any other Yogas under the Bok Fu Pai umbrella, for that matter. Thus, as I had posted in one of the early years of this thread: when I asked GM Doo Wai (with classmates present) whether we needed to observe any duration of celibacy when learning FP Qigong or any of the advanced Bok Fu Pai meditations (as I had to do when I was learning the advanced Tao Tan Pai Yogas), he answered, "Nah, you can knock yourselves out." However, to explain in any detail why and how FP Qigong requires regular restful sleep in order to work well would require rigorous testing and study by neuroscience, for starters. Sifu Terry Dunn P.S. This is a photo of GM at the grand opening of Sifu Dougla Wong's second kung fu school in Parthenia, Ca in 1981: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10227420095559787&set=a.10227420037518336

I have come to see the psyche not merely as a mind in the psychological sense, but as a layered energetic system populated by subtle forces. At the heart of this view are the subconscious emotional and mental currents, and deeper still, two complementary unconscious currents that I’ve come to think of as the Shiva aspects and the Shakti aspects. The emotional and mental currents we’re all familiar with, but the Shiva and Shakti currents are less obvious, so I will go into some detail about them. They can be recognized through many vivid symbolic pairs: Wildfire / Fireplace The dynamic blaze that consumes and transforms. The hearth that holds the fire safely, giving it purpose and warmth. Fish / Fishbowl The darting, elusive vitality moving through hidden depths. The clear bowl that contains, supports, shapes, and protects its motions. Cat / Dog The graceful, sensitive, easily startled nature that seeks comfort. The loyal guardian that stays close, watching over and calming. Fearful / Protector The trembling instinct that recoils from perceived danger. The steady presence that stands firm, offering safety. These pairs are not idle poetry. They illustrate how the unconscious houses instinctual forces that must evolve together. The Shakti aspect represents a dynamic, vital current — the drive toward life, transformation, emotional vitality, subtle creativity. The Shiva aspect provide containment, the instinctive intelligence that knows how to protect, restrain, channel, and nurture what would otherwise be chaotic. In each pairing: The dynamic life-force is untamed, vital, transformative. The caring containment is protective, shaping, enabling that energy to flourish without harm. They are co-arising: the wild needs the safe space to exist meaningfully; the container finds purpose in cradling the life within. If one seeks only to awaken the dynamic energy (as in a blind kundalini pursuit), without fostering the complementary instinct to contain and guide it, imbalance is inevitable. The system can flare into anxiety, delusion, or emotional overwhelm. This is why so many teachings stress that cultivation is not merely about amplifying energy, but purifying and preparing the mental and emotional channels first, so the deeper forces can safely develop. To purify the emotional and mental currents tangled by personal history, they must be witnessed and brought into greater flow. They are the first terrain of inner work, and through methods such as shadow work, dream exploration, deep feeling and understanding etc, their dysfunctions can be gradually resolved. Only then can the deeper unconscious forces, the Shiva and Shakti layers, find their ground. Importantly, it is the Shiva aspect that must awaken the Shakti aspect, otherwise containment will not occur, and the Shiva aspect in its turn has to first be activated by the flowing current of the emotional and mental currents. Recently, my dreams have begun to show me that when these two deep unconscious instinctual layers find each other and start to mature in their interaction, something new emerges. In symbolic terms, this is represented as a smaller, independent vehicle that will one day travel on its own. This resonates with images from Daoist Neidan (inner alchemy) where an alchemical child is born - an autonomous subtle body that eventually can separate from the main system. This smaller independent vehicle or child is the fruit of a long interplay between mature containment (Shiva) and vitality (Shakti). But the picture does not end here. Overseeing all of this is the witness self, the faculty of clear seeing that stands apart from the energies it observes. This witness is the part that learns to trust that the humble, instinctual containment field is capable of guiding the system more wisely than the anxious grasping of the conscious mind. It slowly informs the conscious mind, which may then serve as the executive agent, ruling not by force but by insight. In the end, I see the conscious mind, gently taught by the witness, becoming the wise steward of the system - allowing these deeper layers to do their work, neither interfering unnecessarily nor abandoning responsibility. Thus the entire architecture of psyche - subconscious, unconscious, witness, and conscious mind - becomes integrated. Each layer performs its unique role, culminating in a new life, an independent vitality born of the interplay between our deepest instinctual forces. A compact visual map (Divine / Mother/ Highest Source) ↓ Witness Self (objective seeing, clear awareness) ↓ Conscious Mind (steward) (makes decisions based on witness insight) ↓ ----------------------------------------------- | | Emotional Stream Mental Stream (Subconscious patterns & biases) ↓ ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | Dynamic Vital Force Containment Field (Shakti aspects) (Shiva aspects) - wildfire, fish, cat, fear - fireplace, fishbowl, dog, protector ↓ Interplay gives rise to: Smaller independent vehicle (new independent ‘entity’ directed by the conscious mind)

I've deleted my comments about Damo. I realised I was still pretty upset about a disagreement I had with him years ago and that may have coloured a lot of what I wrote about him. Damo is obviously a human being too, and I bet it can't be too nice as a public figure reading anonymous people writing horrible things about you online. I think this has been fairly cathartic for me though, to get it off my chest after keeping it quiet for so long. So perhaps time to move on, forgive and forget. Apologies for airing dirty laundry, fellow bums

When it comes to posting, I frequently choose to restore the space. I write long posts, revise them a few times, then think better of it and simply delete. Nothing beats the openness and unlimited potential of the empty space of my unposted posts. 😄

I should probably add for balance that Damo is a fantastic teacher. He's able to explain difficult concepts in a practical way, and his syllabus is very well organised. His taiji and bagua are also to a very high level and very well taught. His students report profound and significant changes as a result of their study of neigong, and I have no reason to doubt their accounts. My concern really is where it all leads, and I can only infer that based on my personal interactions with Damo online. It's also possible he just wasn't having a great day and he didn't handle it as well as he would have done normally. Nevertheless I was very affected by the whole incident.

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

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?

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

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.

[no AI] The Dao Bums by a toxic online influencer: The name of The Dao Bums forum originates from the fact that some there are capable of being so far stuck up their own arses that it creates a virtual dark room for them to meditate in.

Sorry but the rule still stands. (No masturbation at the dinner table I mean of course) 😎

I practice Vajrayana and it is 100% Bön.

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.

The exact origins of Vajrayana are hard to pin down historically. However I think it is fairly safe to say that the form of Buddhism which was transmitted to Tibet in two waves mainly in the 8th and 10th Centuries was the same as what was being practiced mainstream in Northern India at the time. And thus is actually Buddhism and not some kind of strange hybrid which the person is suggesting. I suspect the poster is Nepalese Hindu and thus is anti- Buddhist in some way which is uncertain. Those are my thoughts anyway.

Hi Kati . I get your post . I do not misinterpret it , nor do I see anywhere in it where it seems an attitude was forced on you or suggested by those around you resulting in an averse understanding of the value of the practice . You seem to have come to it yourself within the context of practice , I could be wrong , but I don't see anywhere in your post where you suggest it was given to you to 'focus and feel' . I suggest you ignore negative responses that focus on things other than what you outlined yourself ( they seem a negative projection towards you ) .... you have discovered a good thing and I suggest you explore it . I would like to respond in sections ; In my opinion those 'resistances' are usually negative forces : ingratitude, ungratefulness, unappreciation, thanklessness, inconsiderateness, rudeness, etc . I agree . A lot of my gratitude is in relation to my environment ; the opportunity to experience a beautiful locale, area , country, planet ... And the whole big 'package' I have been given , on many levels , the gratitude is towards 'that which made it possible or manifested ' is definitely connected with 'unconditional love ' ..... I am constantly thanking ( showing my appreciation ) to 'Big Mum ' ... who made it all possible ... and still does ; my teacher ( in Australian indigenous matters ) advises me to always say, 'Bugglebear' ( thankyou ) for what I have , and for anything I need ; " Just ask Big Mum, she will look after you ." ( that is a specific teaching for me , it isn't a 'magic manifestation for everyone , especially people that don't follow 'Law' ) That point about not forcing change and what that relates to .... I could tell many stories ... most of my life has been like that . I have done a study ( and some writing ) on the essentials of good traditions ; how and why and where they might have started , what are their benefits and how do we simply practice them . Gratitude and making offerings of gratitude is one of the central ones . The rituals (offerings of gratitude ) have existed since at least 1700 bc in the ancient Zoroastrian 'Yasna ' rituals , the ancient Vedic rituals , ( Zoroaster and Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche { The Central Asian Buddha} both reformed the religions of their time by converting 'sacrifice' into 'offerings {and forbidding animal sacrifice } ) many religions , and right through to the private and communal rituals of today . I see it as both . One experience ( one of many ) I recently wrote about here . It looked like I was going to loose my home and land , I started freaking out and panicked and went down the road most do ; tried to find new accommodation , found out and heard there was none , rents not available and crazy expensive , other people telling me I didn't have a chance etc . Then somehow I came to my senses : what the hell are you doing, your life and everything you have have been given to me (in one way or another ) , I always get looked after and I now realize and appreciate this ( with the wrong attitude one may not realize and do the opposite .... complain about what you have - and that of course will manifest the other 'symptoms' ). So I dropped that whole BS mind set , looked on line , saw a nice house in a nearby area and to cut the story short, every step along the way was 'magically accomplished ' ( the owner even skipped me ahead of applications and paid for an initial supply of firewood, two large gas bottles and let me use all their equipment and machinery - it was a small rural property ) . But still there was something familiar about the place and why I felt strangely at ease and at home there , then I realized it was the place I saw when I first came here 30+ years back and at the time I thought 'What a great place , I would love top live there, even if for a few months , to experience it .' Well, that is exactly what happened , it then turned out I wasn't going to loose my house ( a cabin actually ) and now I had a 'lodge' up in the mountains and a cabin down in the valley by the river . It goes on and on , I didn't even by my place ... it was given to me . NO its not a mansion , it simple but functional and has many benefits modern and urban life is missing .... you must know of that dynamic where modern people with all mod cons and distraction suffer depression and other types of related issues ( they are basically DISSATISFIED ...... ) and they wonder why the simple villager or tribal person seems to have an inner happiness or satisfaction (or perhaps gratitude ) . Enjoy it , practice it and enjoy the results of the practice . It can even get to the level of 'gratitude for existence ' , and in that 'the whole Universe rejoices' . Its an aspects on the path to Eudamonia ( which I believe was and should be the 'natural state ' ) .

I think the Secret of the Golden Flower gives stages. And just as a point of interest the Ancient Egyptians liked to map out the process (though many would dispute that this is what they were doing). I would question the idea that the goal is the Light in the first place …. I would review how you think about the goal a little I think.

That sounds awesome that your whole life feels like that Cobie but also a bit scary to me. I think need sometimes people who have similiar experiences and Tell me that i am fine. I dont have many people who bother me negatively. Not anymore I just meditated a little while ago, and something quiet but clear came through: Source is my purpose. When I rest in that awareness, so much stillness and peace arise. But it takes mindfulness not to lose myself again in worldly goals — career, health, success, becoming someone. All these things only seem to have meaning for me when I feel deeply connected to Source. Without that, it all feels hollow. My teacher once said something that I now understand more and more: “Everything in life is ultimately a reflection of your relationship with the Divine.” I feel that. Even each thought we think is, in a way, a subtle proclamation — a declaration of how close or distant we feel from God, from Dao, from Source. It’s strange to watch my mind form goals or worries — and to realize: all of it is just movement on the surface. Underneath, there is something still, silent, whole. And the more I trust that, the more I feel that this is what matters. This is the real path.

Just yesterday a taiji student of mine, after the lesson, said her good-byes and then discovered she can't unlock her car. Reason unknown. She keeps going click click and nothing happens. Open it manually, I suggest. She tries, fails, starts hyperventilating. No she says, I can't open it manually, there's this complex sequence I never use -- twice to the left and then thrice to the right or maybe vice versa, or right first then left, and the alarm might start screaming if I keep tampering with the lock. I tell her, put down the key, stand in the Opening Pose of Laojia Yilu, drop your shoulders, suspend the top of your head from a string from heaven, breathe evenly, root deeply, now as your arms go up get the key, click again. She did. The door opened. Oh, and change the key battery I told her as she was leaving.

That’s my approach to life, that’s my faith. I am all for “trusting the divine flow”. My whole life I have felt like that. In my experience it’s sometimes necessary to tell some type of intrusive people to f**k off.

You call it simplifying?.. I had to google! And I'm not the type who eschews grandiloquence! Maybe you could start a thread titled "complicate" or something.

Be still and know that I AM God. ---Tehillim 46:11 The Hebrew word רָפָה "rapha" [the Psalms were written in Hebrew] can mean "be still" and it can also mean "cease striving" Other meanings are "be relaxed" and "heal" As in the archangel Raphael

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Like this thread, but open to all traditions. Self Liberation Through Seeing with Naked Awareness, trans John Myrdhin Reynolds As for this sparkling awareness, which is called "mind," Even though one says that it exists, it does not actually exist. (On the other hand) as a source, it is the origin of the diversity of all the bliss of Nirvana and all of the sorrow of Samsara. And as for it’s being something desirable; it is cherished alike in the Eleven Vehicles. With respect to its having a name, the various names that are applied to it are inconceivable (in their numbers). Some call it "the nature of the mind" or "mind itself." Some Tirthikas call it by the name Atman or "the Self." The Sravakas call it the doctrine of Anatman or "the absence of a self." The Chittamatrins call it by the name Chitta or "the Mind." Some call it the Prajnaparamita or "the Perfection of Wisdom." Some call it the name Tathagata-garbha or "the embryo of Buddhahood." Some call it by the name Mahamudra or "the Great Symbol." Some call it by the name "the Unique Sphere." Some call it by the name Dharmadhatu or "the dimension of Reality." Some call it by the name Alaya or "the basis of everything." And some simply call it by the name "ordinary awareness."

Whatever practice you are doing, cherishing, holding out as THE way in... isn't. What you are looking isn't the words, or the movements, the visualizations, the breath... any "thing". What you are looking for is what is in between all of those "things". What you are seeking requires no "work" or "doing". I requires learning to stop doing.