Vajra Fist

Zen Mind, Beginners Mind is one I return to time and again. Currently halfway through Buddhism of Wisdom and Faith by Thich Thien Tam, and can see myself rereading it again.

Do you think that sounds a bit like nirodha samapatti? Although three weeks sounds perhaps a bit far out.

Of course! I am still very curious about the system. Wish you all the best in your practice

Edited. Best let sleeping dogs lie.

I watched this documentary with interest. He describes a state of 'oneness' as enlightenment. It reminds me of a dharma talk by Guo Gu, heir of Chan master Shen Zhen. I can't find it now, but said he had a moment of acute oneness during a retreat, sparked by watching tree branch fall in the garden. When he presented his teacher with the tree branch, he was sorely rebuked. He came to realise that the state of oneness also needs to fall away for there to be true awakening. (Couldn't find the talk, included a snippet here) And the quote below from his book

I think Damo said he no longer wants to be a public figure because his family members were getting death threats. I don't see why his YouTube channel would have been shut down for saying that atheists were not very nice people? That seems a bit far fetched...

Yes, on that latter point, would like to perhaps see less of Delson Armstrong

Yes, I was also banned for politely disagreeing with him on a fairly tangential issue. That's a lot of money to have wasted on tuition. I think he is however an excellent teacher. He explains complex subjects clearly and with plenty of repetition. But I wonder about what is at the end of that path if the exemplar of the tradition displays such a thin skin and casual vindictiveness in his interactions online. It's even more the case with his mate Adam Mizner. Who uses his personal Facebook page to constantly bait and troll people on culture war topics, posting pictures of himself with far right politicians. Not the behaviour of someone to learn from, nor what most people hope to become after a lifetime of cultivation. I do think his taiji and to an extent his qigong are both excellent. I've no doubt that he's probably among the only people that teach these arts to a high level. But I'd definitely consider carefully whether you'd want to make it your sole avenue of cultivation, or something you do on the side.

I'm so confused!

That's a bit cryptic. What's the truth?

Just started practicing this form again yesterday. Wishing @cheya all blessings on their next stage of their journey.

Indra's net

How does one practice this qigong? Always been curious

I take it back. I know nothing John Snow

Nice! Dhamma Dipa is where I'm planning on attending. How many Goenka retreats have you done now? Any tips? Mindfulness and Insight I think is the clearest work by Mahasi Sayadaw. Alternatively, Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha by Daniel Ingram offers a modern take on the method.