Aetherous

The lo shu square in Daoism and Chinese culture is the same thing as the magic square and seal of Saturn in Western traditions.

Each row or column adds up to 15, in this particular magic square...and the digital root of 15 is 6. Saturn is the 6th planet from the Sun.

What does this mean? I have no clue.

I think what you're doing is good.

Sometimes (not all the time) a practice seems to make us feel more negative, when in actuality it's showing us what was hidden beneath the surface. What was really there. Something to remember is that the first step of healing is becoming aware there's a problem. Without doing the practice, perhaps you would stay the same way...as you described, invisible to other people. But now you're acutely aware of that issue and are dealing with it consciously and painfully.

Also, when negative emotions surface, it's not felt as normal...it's felt like "wow this is unpleasant, I want it to stop". That's because those emotions are not part of your normal experience: they aren't part of you. The healing has really already taken place. What was always an minor issue for you, feeling invisible, is now felt as a major issue, to the point of thinking about stopping the practice. So the awareness has intensified, due to the fact that you've already changed away from who you were. Before being invisible felt more normal, whereas now it feels more bad.

For instance, you said that your movements are more free and fluid as a result of the training. The body has already healed of these issues to some extent. Perhaps it could be said that even the subconscious mind has already healed from these things, and it's just passing through the conscious experience now, on its way out.

A way to consider intense negative emotional states, is to remind yourself "this too shall pass". Think of them like dark clouds in the sky, and think of yourself as the sky. Of course there are cloudy days, stormy days, clear sky days, pleasant puffy cloud days...the emotions will eventually go away, just like clouds do. Because emotions are not part of your true nature; they're just something we experience.

What can you do to get rid of them faster when they're really unpleasant? Actually, nothing really works, because the more you try to get rid of them, the more energy you feed into them. You really just have to experience it, and let it happen...surrender...eventually they finally pass. Or you can not surrender, and try to fight them...still, they will pass after some time. Then, hopefully in good times you remember that dark times happen too and that everything changes, and vice versa. This should bring you into more of a calm state of equanimity...non attachment to the ups and downs. Acceptance of life.

Also, regarding your experience of other people having fun and you feeling left out...remember how I said everything changes; well, this too will change. There will come a day when you don't feel rejected, and when people seem to want to be around you. Just pay attention to it. Pay attention to times when people are including you or otherwise talking to you, just as much as when they are not. Pay attention to how you feel at both times. Think of how people seem when they're having fun and you're looking from the outside...feels as if they're rejecting you...and remember that you're the same as them, when you're talking to someone and laughing about something. Perhaps someone else is looking from the outside, but you're just not aware of them in the moment. Eventually, you'll get over the rejection feeling, the more you think about it, and you'll pay more attention to being accepted and loved.

In terms of something practical which can help you feel more accepted by others...it can help to have good posture...do not slouch if sitting in a chair, or lean forward into a fetal type position while sitting down, or have your shoulders forward, or look downward or have your chin low, or have your legs close together when standing. Instead, you should always have your legs slightly further than shoulder distance apart, in a relaxed way, while also keeping your shoulders back and your chin level or slightly up, so that it feels like the front of your neck is more open. Look people in the eye and appreciate something about them on the inside...take a second to notice something you like in them...that will help your gaze to feel really good to them when you're looking at them. Sit straight when in a chair and take up more space in general, rather than making more space for others...be unapologetic about your space, and be more open to others slightly invading your personal bubble. Have an attitude of you being there in order to provide a good time for other people. Those things will help people be more aware of your presence, and therefore more attention will be paid to you.

Ah thanks...I recognize the book but didn't realize it was this place.

http://fiveimmortals.com/wudang-tao/wudang-internal/internal-alchemy/

This website has a lot of interesting readings, and there is training available at this temple in China. Just stumbled onto the site last night, and thought I'd share with ya'll.

I'm going to agree with SOTG...it is likely a physical blockage related to the postures needed for the various things you do, and it's likely stemming from the trunk of your body (spine, shoulder...affecting elbow, and finally the hand). I don't think it's kidney yang deficiency at all, or related to your diet (which hopefully has 1/3 carbs 1/3 protein, 1/3 fats, if you want to be healthy). No need to eat a bunch of warm food and spices and avoid cold raw food, by any means...in my opinion.

I'd either go to a chiropractor, or someone that specializes in muscle energy technique.

There are very partial truths to what he's saying, but overall, it's connecting the dots when there aren't any connections, and a product of reading too much fringe stuff on the internet. Clear thinking is something to be prized.

What is the correct, official, as-Buddha did it position of the hands here?

It might be as Dogen described it in his Fukanzazengi: "your left palm (facing upwards) on your right palm, thumb tips touching."

If you're going to have oats, it's good to take some rye flour and throw it in there, then let the oats soak in water for 12 hours before cooking. Why? Because oats have high phytic acid but low phytase, whereas rye flour has high phytase levels. Phytic acid binds nutrients and actually leeches them from your system. Phytase breaks down phytic acid, to release nutrients in the grain, and not have the leeching effect when digesting. If you don't throw rye flour in there, the oats themselves won't break down the phytic acid even with a long soak.

Lots of people these days say milk is bad for you...but actually I think it's very good for you. So long as you don't have so much that it causes mucus the next day. I also think that the body adapts to what you put it through in general...go without a food for a long time, worry that it might cause health problems, and you'll find yourself having strange reactions to perfectly normal foods. Whereas if you just eat it consistently and think healthy thoughts, you'll be well off.

Of course, it's good to go with organic and less processed varieties. Raw milk does come with risks, but many people live off of it and are perfectly healthy.

It is easy for us to oppress what has long been oppressed whenever it pokes out a little bit, and call this equality.

Misandry is not the feminine "poking out a little bit", and pointing out misandry/sexism is not oppressing the feminine in any way.

Anyway...I'll stay quiet here now, until I have something more useful to say in regard to Sun Bu'er.

a whole battery of newage tools to manipulate

Precisely.

It may seem to you-who-have not-read-the-foundation-topic-of-this-post-thread that I am in attack mode in an effort to put myself above you. Can you see this is a masculine response?

There's no such thing...there is just the truth. Someone is attacking and placing themselves above you, or they aren't. It's not feminine to be unaware of this...in fact, your post shows how acutely aware of it you are.

What I hope you can understand, is that sharpening your claws and swords is not the way into Heaven.

So then why do you participate in it? You sharpen your claws, while simultaneously telling men to put down their swords. Instead of only listening to your words, we should also listen to your actions, because they speak against your words! They're a weak attempt at getting people to put their guard down, while covertly being on the offensive...and there isn't even a use in your doing so. It's just your natural mode of operation, I suppose. It's easily seen through, and reveals that your motivation is not Heaven at all, but purposeless domination. If you motivation were actually Heaven, your speech would be entirely different.

I do challenge you to see that at this point in human history on Earth, the male energy must learn to listen and, yes, even yield at times to the Divine information flowing through the feminine.

What if it's the other way around? Women should listen and even yield to men, who have better access to divine information.

When put that way, it sounds misogynistic, doesn't it? Sounds like it's being said that women are inferior spiritually or even intellectually. Like men are divine and women are in need of tutoring. Is that true? Yet...you call men inferior, spiritually, and pretty much everyone foolishly agrees with you and misses the point: this is sexism.

This is the way our society in general has operated for a while now. Consider this portion of text from wikipedia:

Religious Studies professors Paul Nathanson and Katherine Young made similar comparisons in their 2001 three-book series Beyond the Fall of Man,^[9] which defines misandry as a "form of prejudice and discrimination that has become institutionalized in North American society", saying "The same problem that long prevented mutual respect between Jews and Christians, the teaching of contempt, now prevents mutual respect between men and women."^{[citation needed]}

Your viewpoint of men is not based in reality, and it's a form of prejudice and sexism, which is unwelcome at this forum (to my knowledge). The goals of the rules of this forum are to have a place where everyone feels welcome to discuss spiritual and similar topics...do you think it makes men feel welcome here to be told that they're inferior, and that they must listen to women, who are more wise by nature, and even yield to them? It doesn't make me feel welcome...it makes me feel like false doctrines are being continually imposed upon our minds by people who have been brainwashed into believing them.

Domination simply must cease or our very planet will cease! Is this not of concern to you?

Yes, "put down your metaphorical swords, as I sharpen my metaphorical claws, and place myself above you as the superior gender...if you don't yield to me, your planet will end!"

I have no respect for such opinions, which you and quantumdragon share...and I think you both deserve being warned by a moderator to not be sexist and to not speak to other members like this:

Are you really still  talking about  your hurt feelings? EMO much?  Goodness  Child you are   sensitive boy.

Oh this is about gender, and not about any delusional and foul accusations against another member of the forum??

Men can't take the book seriously, but you can...and in the meantime you can feel free to talk about how others here are undeveloped spiritually, how their large intestines are directly connected to their mouths (nice mental imagery there!), how they are yin ghosts, coming through your toilet into your house uninvited, how you are intentionally causing them to leak their energy, etc.

Poor you, with all of this drama.

And yet, it's to be expected from the men of this forum. They have given the best that they could here, being the miserable creatures they are, incapable of integrity, intelligence, or spiritual development. Their minds are in the gutter, too...that's how they conveniently enter homes through the plumbing.

If only this forum was populated solely with women, we wouldn't have these feng shui issues in our homes. And we could discuss Sun Bu-er. Or other things. Like all of the above.

I must say I too found it an interesting ingress route to my home as well. Maybe Large Intestine is how  OD prefers to travel reversing  " the course".  Who knows.  He certainly does have a toilet mouth ,so to  speak ,in a fashion  it make sense his cultivation  circulation is from external opening of Large Intestine to Mouth. 

When you point your finger at someone, there are three pointing back at you.

Visiting each other's houses by entering through toilets? 

Besides, I think that the right understanding of the context lead us to the conclusion that this book was a theoretical basis and then, after that, comes the practical procedures and technology. One thing that must be pointed out is that give (or "to hand") a text to someone was not so simple, the fact that they have to choose an auspicious day is a clue that it is a kind of initiation.

Totally. Some seeker without any teacher doesn't even know what auspicious days are.

Here is what Zhong and Lu really say in conclusion of their lengthy conversation:

As Daeluin pointed out, this was in the context of a teacher-student relationship. Besides, that isn't the only section of the text which discusses the implications of attempting to practice the Dao without guidance.

There really isn't even a need for discussion on the matter, of whether a seeker needs a teacher or not. Look at all of the accomplished practitioners here at this forum without teachers. (there isn't a single one)

Who says that a person can NOT learn or practice neidan without a teacher?

Pretty sure the guys you quoted were of that opinion.

is 20 years a long time?

Apparently it's really impressive.

The fact that you can be fooled into thinking false teachers are legitimate, doesn't by any means imply that a person can learn or practice neidan without a teacher.

Thank you all for responses.  I did not mean to start a fight.  If the somewhat haphazard way I asked the question contributed to the conflict, I am sorry.  I was and am just curious about where to start when one is trying to navigate the different manuals on neidan that exist. 

In all honesty, it is very great advice to get affiliated with a school and teacher. Otherwise you can read the various translated texts, but their true meaning is indecipherable, or else contradictory. You can read people's opinions of them, or false teachers' ideas...but there will of course be a sense that the truth is missing. So that's the best place to start: a school and teacher...otherwise, it's not even starting. There are people who have been learning this stuff for 20 or more years, who haven't even started. Those who insist on not needing teachers...it's good to ask, what attainment do they have from learning and practicing on their own? Are they actually content with the level they're at? If so...they won't attain anything beyond that. Do you want to be like them?

Some people at this forum like learning from Wang Liping. Some people like learning from the Yu Xian Pai...I personally checked it out for about a month and found it to be worthwhile, and would attend an in person seminar! Perhaps some people go to China, or surrounding countries, and find a school or teacher of neidan. Who can tell you what the true way is? You have to find out by your own intuition and trail and error. The spiritual marketplace is full of con men.

Personally, when I saw the title "neidan for dummies" I immediately thought of the gold flower method from Kunlun. Not everyone will agree that Kunlun is a complete method of neidan practice...but it doesn't get easier than holding a hand mudra. No reading of incomprehensible texts required...truly, for dummies. Although the methods of Kunlun are from Daoism, it's hard to practice them and then understand Daoist texts...it's kind of its own thing...so you probably won't get what you're looking for by going that route, either.

But keep looking, and you'll find it.

Secretary of state John Kerry is connected to the Illuminati. When i bought this73% cocoa German riter chocolate and broke it.john Kerry broke a leg .

Just don't step on any cracks.

Of course I don't know you...but I do know that you don't have experience in the basics of every system, to ascertain that your knowledge is universally applicable. How could you even begin to make such a claim?

I never claimed to be an expert on all things Qi Aetherous. Please don't attempt to put words In my mouth.

 

What I said is that I've had enough experience with these matters to know the basics.

You only know the basics of what you've been taught...there is more to learn!

A lightning storm is a chaotic disturbance in environmental Qi.

 

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I'm sincerely amazed that this is even a conversation on here.

A normal part of nature is a chaotic disturbance in nature? Perhaps...

Do you feel chaos or disturbed when you listen to thunder? At least personally, I feel the opposite. It's calming, empowering, and clarifying.

Do Yijing hexagrams dealing with thunder indicate that its energy is disturbed? I'm not an expert in that subject, but from what I read in the yijing, it can be a beneficial thing/symbol...and what follows a storm is stillness, hexagram 52. Do you know what the Huangdi Neijing says about the energy of storms? I think that thunder is said to be related to the heart zang, in chapter 5 of the Su Wen...perhaps there is more contained in that book. Have you never come across a tradition that either says its cultivation is related to thunder and lightning, or otherwise heavenly energies, or that it's beneficial to practice the methods during those times? Those schools exist.

If we're talking a specific style of qigong which depends upon certain weather...like a gentle breeze, blue skies with puffy white clouds, good feng shui, etc...that is one thing. Or if it's just about helping people not get struck by lightning, that's also good. But another thing is to claim to be an expert teacher on all things related to qi and the Dao, and claim that there is one energetic truth to the body that applies to every system...when in reality, people have the opposite experience here.

Not to make you feel unwelcome at the forum by any means...please continue to share your personal experience and opinions. If everyone agreed, there would be no discussion.

Who says that lightning, thunder, rain, and storms are bad energy for people? Of course it's dangerous to get struck...but...