silent thunder

As simply as I can state it, my take on ch 5 is: Be in the world, not of it. Awareness without attachment. Impartiality that implies not taking anything personally. Neither contempt for things as lower, nor worship of others as higher. Full awareness and complete acceptance. The conditions of experiential Tao involve no judgement, no value. Te. This thought occurred to me once when in meditation and I think it could apply here: Nature takes no pains to explain herself, yet she spares no pains to ensure she's understood. Things will play out as Te springs from Tao. Whether we 'get it' or not, nor how we judge it, the conditions of Te play out from Tao and our 'take' on it is irrelevant (except to us).

Truly the similarities in the christ story and the horus tale lend credence to the potential for christ being a retelling of an older tale with a new name. That said: there is nothing that precludes both tales from being true. Mirrored experiences happen often in life and the cycles of human experience repeat like the seasons.

I suspect that the stories are based on a real person. But I'm rather agnostic on the topic since 'proof' is absent either way. For me, the difference lies between knowledge of christ the man (story or not) and the experience of Christ Consciousness; and the distinction between being experiential and subjective, so it's tricky for sure to talk about, but surely not impossible. Much like enlightenment, how do you describe an experience beyond words or ideas? With care, tact and an open mind. If mind cannot remain open, mouths should close.

Wow, perfect example of this infuriating theme... Another great academic topic, taken hostage by an intentional swarm of repetitive inflammatory replies until the topic is pitted then even locked. I wonder where the thread could have gone had it not been ransacked and some of the truly learned folks of the community got a chance to log in and add their breath to the garden... no more garden, just fungus and dark-pit-lockedness. This is intentional, aggressive and damaging to the atmosphere. And man I'm pissy about it... time for me to breathe it out. Lame and Weak!

I go back and forth. Mainly I think that I'm tuning into something that has already been going on for some time. Although, I also sense that with continued, cumulative practice, that the efficiency of that system in increased.

Cool stuff. Welcome to the Bums!

Wow thanks... There is no now. Enlightenment does not exist. There are no problems. There is no time. There is no space. Awesome stuff... I'll be chewing on this for a while, which means I'm totally lost and not getting it, but loving it just the same!

The power of ignore is awesome! The fuel of ignore is willpower...

Sure. This was my typical day from the ages of 20-22. I'd arrive at school around 7 am, coming from my night shift at the restaurant, which let out at 6. When I had a later first class, I would sleep up to 2 hours at a time, then hit class. but more often my sleep came in 30 to 90 minute gaps in the breaks between classes. 24 credits was my average per quarter so I was at school all day M-F. I grabbed catnaps whenever/wherever I could. Being involved in the theater dept. performing and constructing props, I had access to awesome nap locales on campus, either on an empty stage or in the prop warehouse or green room on a sofa. Also had access at school to the showers in the dressing rooms, which really made this work. Having to go home to bathe would have been a deal killer. Classes would run until 5 pm and then there was usually another 2-3 hour break before rehearsals for the show would start, so I'd grab food and crash into another nap. I carried a wind up clock with me, but I found by the end, the act of setting that alarm would set an intention within and my innate hatred of the sound of that alarm prompted me to start waking up within the minute or two ahead. This has continued the rest of my life to the point where I have not awakened to my alarm in years. After rehearsals which would be out by 10pm, I'd head home, hang out with my wife and my cats for a bit, then crash and get up to go to the restaurant again. On the odd off-days, I would binge sleep. Interesting to note the affect of crowds on my vitality while in my performing phase. Vast amounts of energy were spent performing, but this is where I first developed an understanding of myself not as a bucket full of energy that could be empty or full, but rather I was a conduit through which energy flows, which could open and constrict. As much energy as I was pouring out on stage was replaced by the attention of the crowd and the interaction with the other performers. Rarely was I drained after a show, with the exception of the really emotional roles. (the emotional toll is what drove me out of acting... the body/spirit doesn't know you're faking emotions and the toll is unreal) So the overall, the pattern was about 2 hours sleep in the morning and evening roughly 12 hours apart, with one or two shorter naps during the day when I didn't need to study. In Summer I didn't study shit and played my ass off with my wife and friends. edit: Some of the side effects of this phase in my life were a spike in lucid dreaming, bouts of sleep paralysis and hypnagogic visions. These culminated several years after school with full blown visions, encounters with the hat man and several orb spirits.

Well it appears that TTB are mirroring the polarizing atmosphere that seems to be getting more extreme over the last few years. Here a small, extreme group are hijacking and holding hostage many attempts at discussion to spray their scented opinion. Much like what's happening in America's Congress with the Tea Party and their scent spraying=hostage tactics. When you claim God as your source and proprietor of your thoughts and words, any open discussion is rendered rather moot. If someone in the discussion is not with you, they are not with God, which means they are with the Devil and so you are justified, even obligated in your hateful actions towards them... Discussion in this atmosphere cannot take place, because as George Bush Jr succinctly said "Either you are with us, or against us."

I developed a polyphasic sleep pattern instinctively when I was first married, living off campus, taking 24 credits/quarter at University and performing with the Minnesota Shakespeare Co. I maintained that pattern for a little under two years, with 3 month breaks each Summer. It was amazingly effective (effectiveness was probably compounded by the fact that I was in exceedingly good health and was 20-22 at the time). edit: It was probably also effective as it was really my only option. Necessity is a great source of vitality and stamina.

And then there are those forms in which drugs are the practice.... Drunken Master is not just a movie...

Exceedingly lame to watch the bullies roam free and slaughter good conversation with intentional ass hattery...

Sometimes we only know ourselves, by knowing what we are not...

I often experience the sensation of wind, water or warm oil sliding under my downward just under my skin, most distinctly in the middle dan tien and the face. This used to occur during qigong, now it comes on spontaneously. Bodies within bodies. I've had a persistent sense since childhood that I am a small aspect of a large being, composed of smaller beings.

I find the draw I have to weapons is similar to the draw I have when passing an accident on the road; there is a palpable draw and interest, underlying that, is a mild to moderate repulsion for what it represents... For me, when weapons are drawn all parties have failed. That said: I find the bo staff to be the most elegant of weapons and is my weapon of choice. I am deeply amazed at the level of craftsmanship expressed in a finely made katana.

Couple of interesting, very brief articles. http://www.policymic.com/articles/45811/religious-fundamentalism-is-a-mental-illness-that-could-soon-be-cured http://guardianlv.com/2013/08/religious-fundamentalism-may-be-categorized-as-a-mental-illness-experts-say/ Such a mucky quagmire. Who decides? If technology or treatment is created that can reach into the skull and affect the working of the mind, what does this mean to free will? Is there even free will among the 'believers' or is it the result of a compulsory and sick behavior pattern? I'm reminded of my in-law's (atheist fundamentalist) tendencies who time and again, tried to get my wife and I to ignore our infant son's crying and to not tolerate his 'manipulation' of us to pick him up and coddle him. The same people who systematically emotionally and physically abused my wife because it was the 'only right way to raise a healthy child'. These same people who look on us with mildly cloaked disdain when we cuddle and/or soothe our son for any reason. 'Have to toughen them up' is their mantra... which to me, is only teaching a child that 'hey the world is out to get you and you can't trust it, and guess what, you can't trust us either'. Sick... the idea that a 3 month old infant is capable of subterfuge or social manipulation. These are not uneducated, simple folk. They both hold advanced degrees. Clearly to me, this is an illness that caused much harm in my wife's life experience, yet in their case has nothing to do with religious belief. Unflinching belief of any kind seems to be the danger trigger. Bah, I'm rambling and this is making my stomach churn. Time to go gaze at the sun and breathe. Love.

Had my first lucid dream when I was four. Lucid dreaming has been one of the cornerstones of my life. I'll go long periods without remembering a dream or not being lucid, but I've had tens of thousands of lucid and semi-lucid dreams. Some of my dreams have been more vivid than anything I've experienced in waking life with my real body. I distinguish between lucid and semi-lucid as this: lucid is full control or near full control, decision making and environment shaping; semi-lucid is aware but not influencing. So about a year or so after starting daily qigong and cultivation I had the impulse to start working in my dream state with energy cultivation as well. My intention was to work the Micro-cosmic orbit in the dream state. I would just hold the intention in my mind as I lay down. I did this daily for a few weeks and had this experience: The oddness of that multi-layered sensation sort of overloaded me and I lost the dream state and woke up smiling at the 'success'. Forward now to last Monday. I'm not working and I decide to take a nap in the middle of the day. I'm now at the age where I want to have back all the naps I didn't want when I was my son's age. So I drop off and as I'll do occasionally now, I set the intention to work with energy in my dream. Had a very unique experience. Now I've experienced sleep paralysis and full hypnagogic visions, but never had a physical manifestation on my 'real body' from a dream state sensation. Until this time. Really makes me wiggle inside to think just how far this rabbit hole goes...

The visions I've seen in meditation share many qualities of the dreamscape.

Everything I pursue in cultivation and exploration of consciousness is tempered with the intent to become lucid in waking life.

Massive evil is perpetrated under the guise of 'justified punishment'. Justified is a dangerous fucking state of mind.

Nice. Thanks for finding that post by Sunya. Great point about sequential operation moving from psychological to the spiritual. Sort of like energy cultivation in waking life... first remove blockages, then begin to run energy in a clear system. I'll check out Steinbrecher. I recently checked out this book on Tibetan Dream Yoga. http://www.amazon.com/Tibetan-Yogas-Dream-Sleep/dp/1559391014/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381245408&sr=1-2&keywords=dream+yoga I really like the idea of working with specific organs/chakras.

So my intended meditation these last few days has been hijacked by the concept of suicide. It wasn't intentional, it just came with inertia, so I surrendered. I was raised christian and their view is well established and pretty clear. I'm really intrigued to see how it's perceived around here: specifically among the variety of buddhists, taoists and non-ists. I oscillate between a view that it's a cop-out and any lessons skipped will be retaught until adapted; and a view where I sense it can be a way of calling the Illusion's bluff and if done skillfully, a stepping stone. Right to die, assisted, isolated, violent, graceful, forewarned, surprise, note, no note...

All time Favorites: The Grand Inquisitor: Dostoevsky Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine The Root of Chinese Qigong: Dr Yang Lord of the Rings: Tolkien The Once and Future King: T H White Ill Met in Lankhmar: The Fafhrd and Grey Mouser series by Fritz Lieber (the origin of sword and sorcery and one of Tolkien's inspirations) Recent Reads: Daoist Nei Gong: Damo Mitchell The Source Field Investigations: David Wilcock The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life: Melchizedek

Ecstatic dance is one of the great perception altering practices. Shaking too. Long known in the shamanic and tribal paths. My wife broke her t-7 and her coccyx in her early 20's falling down the stairs in our apt. The dr's in the ER never did a full spinal xray and so never diagnosed the t-7 break, just the coccyx. oops. In extreme pain for months; she finally just stood up one day and said 'fuck this'. She then went to my cd collection and put on an hour long world tribal drumming cd of mine. She then began to dance until she was exhausted. She repeated this daily. At first 10 minutes or so. But every day, with abandon and determination to find her joy and regain her freedom from pain. She just danced through the pain, into it, through it until it was gone. Eventually she regained full flexibility and strength, often dancing the disc to the end. Sometimes she'd lose all sense of self in the ecstatic dance.