Phoenix3

Is Jing found in the blood, or just the saliva and semen?

So should I do body control by lying down instead? I’m young, but when i try to squat it strains by knees and calves (the same with many asian sitting stances. It messes up my knees). Maybe since I haven’t grown up squatting, I should just practice by lying down instead? Compared to squatting, there are minimal pressure points. Standing up is fine, but after 20 minutes I start to get really restless. I was reading Sivananda’s beliefs about controlling the mind and he says that indriyas create the mind like streams create a lake. From his wording, I guess what I was describing before is that when the senses/indriyas are passive, the mind is controlled. When indriyas are dynamic, caused by a stimulus creating pleasure, which creates attachment, which creates a ‘dynamic indriya’, the sea of prana is leaked from the body. But from where does this sea of prana leak from. Doesn’t Sivananda say that the eyes and nose are entrances (only) to the bungalow of the spirit? Yet many on here say that when (for example), you see a sexy woman, your eyes are drawn towards the shape of her body and you leak prana as it pours from the eyes, or the third eye. I’m not sure where else it could leak from. Do you have any practices you can recommend to cultivate prana? Most practitioners on this forum suggest things that only circulate prana. Ramana Maharshi just recommends asking ‘who am i’ to youself and sitting on stillness (which doesn’t make sense because who else is supposed to answer but the self/ego) and Sivananda basically demands you repress all desires at once, whoch isn’t very helpful.

I don’t think this is true, as I listened to an audiobook during the fasting of senses, and I didn’t feel a lack of qi after. And when my yi is very stimulated, we have a tunnel vision, which is also a thoughtless state, but yi seems to cause qi to pour out. So am I right in assuming that listening to the usual sounds, tasting bland things, seeing common things don’t deplete qi. But sensing stimulating, pleasureable things attracts your mind/yi to that sense organ, which causes it to leak out through there? This is what seems to be the case after reading a few replies and my experience. The problem is, as pointed out by oak, the longer one abstains, the stronger the yi becomes. So when I was listening to my favourite music yesterday, I felt good but not amazing, so there was no significant qi leakage. When I listened to my favourite music after about 2 weeks of sense fasting, it felt much better and I was totally focused upon the music. This focus seems to be vital to losing qi. When I listened to that music after weeks of not listening to any music, I didn’t want to move yi away from my ears. I wanted to keep listening, over and over. I have no thoughts, just focus/yi upon that sense. Afterwards, I feel my qi has leaked out. When I see a beautiful sight after many weeks of not seeing much, I don’t want to look away. My mind/yi is totally fixed upon that object and can’t think of anything else and I don’t want to look elsewhere. Afterwards, I feel my qi has leaked out. So to simplify: Stimulating stimulus reaches sense organ The sense organ, when highly sensitive, sends a lot of pleasure signals to the brain, which attracts a lot of yi. Desensitized sense organs send a few pleasure signals to the brain, which attracts only part of yi. When yi fully meets a sense organ, it causes the sense organ to have deep focus upon the stimulus. This focus is qi pouring out. When qi has been totally poured out. The stimulating stimulus is no longer stimulating and yi returns to its original place. I welcome any corrections. I’m not certain what I said above is accurate

The more one acquires qi (through strict brahmacharya, breathing and eating well), the more unstable it seems to get. When my body gets full of qi (after 2 weeks of brahmacharya), it doesn’t take a lot of stimulation for my qi to start pouring out of the outer gates: Suppose I’m watching tv and I’m watching something interesting. I get really drawn to it and I can’t look away (qi pouring out of my eyes). If I play my favourite music, it makes me feel really good and it’s hard to stop listening (qi pouring out of my ears from my kidneys). When I see a beautiful woman, it’s hard to not have a higher heartbeat, feel hot, etc (qi pouring out of my eyes and heart). I guess one way of protecting the qi is to stop eating rajasic foods, and instead restrict myself to sattvic and tamasic foods. Another way is by circulating the yin and yang throughout the body through qigong. The most important way I think is to control the yi, as when the yi has its focus upon a sense organ, qi escapes through that organ (correct?). Does anyone have any other ways to protect the qi, and therefore stop it getting so sensitive to external stimuli?

I’m interested in Daoist Diet and food. I read the book by Livia Kohn but I was confused because she seems to promote the consumption of grains. I read the posts on this topic by taomeow and I would like to make an account

In what order do I stimulate acupuncture points of the body, to relieve trapped qi and release blocked qi, and refresh the qi circulation throughout the entire body? Do i go: top down (left-side, right-side, center) top down (right-side, left-side, center) top down (center, left-side, right-side) top down (center, right-side, left-side) top down (right-side, center, left-side) top down (left-side, center, right-side) bottom up (left-side, right-side, center) bottom up (right-side, left-side, center) bottom up (center, left-side, right-side) bottom up (center, right-side, left-side) bottom up (right-side, center, left-side) bottom up (left-side, center, right-side) a different path around the body? thanks

Yes, i agree with you. Qi can’t be retained by the body. I just want to find a way to put that qi in a more peaceful state. I suppose cold showers might calm the qi back down, but i heard cold showers aren’t good for the heart. after brahmacharya, there is definately a difference though

Say whatever, but at least quote what you disagree with and why. Of course it is. I never said it wasn’t found internally. What has this got to do with anything? I just used my situations as an example of where qi is probably being leaked. I could say ‘vital energy’ instead if that’ll make you happier. First you say there is no way to be uninfluenced, then you share a suggestion on how not to be influenced? I don’t get it. Well, by external stimuli I obviously didn’t mean just the regular background noises and lights. I mostly mean any source which provides significant pleasure. The ancients still had that. They still had their alcohol, festivals, tasty food, etc.

Yes! Those passages are exactly what i was thinking of, but I forgot where I remembered them from. Thank you. Is he basically saying, eat a nice meal, but don’t enjoy it? Listen to a good song, but don’t enjoy it?

I thought alcohol drains you of Jing, and is therefore not to be drunk by Daoists? No wine, no sex (lust), no money, no anger (不酒不色不财不气). And what do you mean by transportation medium?

So you sleep just how you said previously, like how the Buddha did, with a few adjustments? I tried that way, and while I could feel my self very slowly get more sleepier, it took way too long, and I just turned around onto my stomach and fell asleep in a minute. Also, I’m not sure if sleeping on a hard surface is really natural because one of the first things you learn in camping is never sleep directly on the floor because the ground sucks out all the heat from your body. Yet all the east and south-east asian people (until very recently) used to just sleep on the floor. I’m not saying that’s necessarily the best way as this is because they didn’t have much of a choice, being simple farmers and laborers. I’ve heard that sleeping in a hammock is a much more healthier way. I don’t know, as I’ve never tried it.

Ok, so here is my mealplan. Please bear in mind i’m trying to gain weight (fat and muscle). I have a very high metabolism. 7am: breakfast in the morning is egg and tomato with rice. I will use 3 eggs and 4 tomatoes (though I always find that I can’t get much juice out of the tomatoes, the dish is always a bit dry). I want to make it just like the authentic Chinese way, but it never turns out good. 9am: Fruit and vegetable smoothie with lots of yogurt (cooling and a good source of fat and protein), honey (heating) and coconut oil for the fat. 10am: go and buy some fresh ingredients and bones Midday: bone broth stew, following taomeow’s recipe above chicken, beef or lamb, depending on what’s available. 1pm: get bones and other ingredients and cook for 22 hours until the next day ——— I’ll try to keep it as so, because I know i’m not supposed to eat after midday, but I may have a light dinner if I feel hungry while at the beginning, while trying to gain weight. Later on, when I’ve gained enough weight, I will cut out grains (rice) and meals after midday. by the way: All the videos I watched on youtube say you cook the vegetables with the bones for the whole 24-48 hours, but you say only an hour before it’s done. Is there a reason? I’d imagine with the former, you’ll receive more nutrients. Both instances, one is supposed to discard the solids, so may as well let them simmer in there for as long as possible, right? And I thought bone marrow was something that dissolved into the broth? I didn’t know it remained a solid, or something that could be picked out the soup. I’m obviously no expert though. I thought potatoes, like grains, are not permitted in a Daoist diet? Too starchy, like the grains? I remember reading a lot of your posts about this, which is why I don’t include nuts, grains, etc.

Do you cook the meat with the bones? In the video above, it shows the guy cooking the meat with the bones, but I’m concerned cooking meat for two whole days or a bit less will leave very mushy, overcooked meat.

But I want it to be a daily meal, for lunch or in the evening This is becoming too troublesome. How long does it stay fresh? If I make it just twice a week I suppose it would be ok.

http://www.all-dao.com/ghost-immortal.html http://www.all-dao.com/immortality-achievements.html I don’t know why it just says late Chan Buddhism, when it seems most traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism seem to aim to be liberated in this manner - stilling the mind and breath until total stillness.

I found a recipe which uses the same ingredients as you here: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/26/bone-broth-chicken-soup-recipe But it says that beef bones require 24 hours to cook in a broth! That seems a little too much, couldn’t 20 or 18 hours be ok? So in the morning before, I put the beef bones into the slow cooker with some water and all the other things, the next morning it is ready, and then I add the vegetables and meat, correct?

It takes so long to make just the bone broth, i’m thinking of just using a slow cooker. I’ll get all the bones (lamb or beef probably), put them in a slow cooker with some meat (lightly cooked in the pan first of course) and vegetables with a big lump of coconut oil (i need to put on some fat!). Also a few tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar to release some minerals from the bones, which will help make the vegetables less bitter too.

I noticed that many forum topics made before 2013 or so are not secure. Check out a thread made then, and there is no lock sign in the url, or it says its not secure. But it still says https, so i don’t know. Edit: maybe it’s not determined by the date, but many older topics are more likely not to have the lock in the url. Is this something to worry about? For example, I first reslised this when most of the early pages of the pinned thread called simplify had security issues and the lock had gone.

I’m going to sleep by trying the first position edit: I just tried it and it’s too uncomfortable. My left hand is on my left knee, but the elbow cant find a stable place so just hangs there, eventually causing my left hand to slip off the knee. Keeping my left foot’s toes in contact with the right foot’s heel requires some attention too, otherwise it slips too. i’ll try the Taiji method now

I find buddhist techniques unhelpful in regards to sleep because most buddhist exercises and meditations are designed to prevent one from falling asleep while in position. I always liked sleeping on my stomach, despite most people saying it is unhealthy, and I hate sleeping on my back, even though most people say it’s healthy. Your description on sleeping on the stomach made me curious, so I’ll try it tonight

Why does this matter?

That’s strange. Almost every source say sleeping on one’s stomach is the worst position, yet i like doing it. This website says sleeping on your right is bad for the heart though, and sleeping on the left is bad for the digestive system: http://www.medicaldaily.com/sleeping-positions-stay-healthy-best-and-worst-ways-sleep-during-night-296714 It’s very hard for me to sleep on my back. I don’t know why. Is falling asleep with an object or a person in your arms a bad thing? I like to put two pillows lengthways beside me, and hold it and pretend it’s a girlfriend/wife sometimes >_< Also, why empty space with energy to just the left of the body? Why not the entirety of the body?

I was reading some interesting posts about Chinese astrology here. I can’t remember who said it, but someone said that most people are only partly conscious, and that planetary influences can influence the behaviour of the average person. I also noticed that Daoist festivals occur according to the phases of the moon. Daoists say that the moon is very Yin, so what effect does a full moon and a new moon have on us? I would like to know more about this. Thank you

Requesting mod action to stop the dodging and derailing of this thread

Oh ffs, can someone just answer the question