Tommy

I am sorry but I have an issue with that absolute there is no happiness. As everyone knows, change happens. One can not be equanimity all the time because there is change. Meeting an old friend may bring happiness. Losing a loved one may bring sadness. As the saying goes, before enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood carry water. Do you mean to say that in the Absolute there is no change? No flux? No need to chop wood nor carry water?

Are you expecting turbulent times? Do you have the tools and resources to get thru such events? I personally expect to suffer and die. Hopefully the suffering will be short.

Does your heart have awareness? What is the function of the heart? It pushes blood thru out the body so the body can have oxygen to process a living function. Are you aware of the actions the heart makes thru out the day? Can the heart remember the events of the day? I am sorry but I do not understand the question. When you say heart, what are you referring to? The muscle in your chest?

Don't we naturally live with others who become like family? They become familiar and we know where safety lies? We care for those in out lives?

When one sits down to watch one's thoughts, who watches the thoughts? The mind creates the identity that watches the thoughts. The sense of I arises thru the thought itself. The mind creates the sense of identity thru thought. And that is the ego. It claims to be you. As long there is an I or identity, there is separateness. When the person sitting says I am watching, there is the ego. So, how does one let go of the observer?? To become just the observed? To just become the being? Not to sit in silence but to be the stillness? IDK.

Glad you are feeling better. Boredom is only a lack of interest. When doing anything, if there is no interest in the doing then it becomes boring. Don't know how one would change that.

Thought this might be included in stranger things

I thought this thread was about learning Chinese. It will crack your brain. The brilliant thing about the written Chinese is that regardless of the dialect, the written language is the same. So, people of different dialects can communicate thru written words. Yes, I tried to learn Chinese Cantonese (my wife is from Tai Shan City). And though the words sound the same to me, the tone determined the actual word. So, it made it difficult to understand at times. On top of that, translating things directly to Cantonese from English made the meaning strange. Saying that I finished eating in Cantonese has the meaning of the end of eating as no more food ever. Cultural things?? 吃完了 (It makes my wife mad when I say that.) Well the conversation then turns to, ... The Dao is empty and without form; therefore, all living things establish their form through the Dao. —《Dao Xuan Pian》 That subject is difficult enough in plain English. Now you want to talk about it in Chinese?? Where a simple sentence can include the complex meanings of the subject being discussed. Yeah, it will crack my brain.

Robots have already displaced many manual labor jobs. Look at the manufacturers who use robots instead of people to do their assembly, welding, etc. This happened before AI. Which only reminds me of an episode of the "Twilight Zone" where a worker was being replaced by automation and robots. The supervisor who was installing the robots taunted the worker. Expelling the worker from his job and livelihood. In the end, the supervisor himself was replaced by the same technology. My understanding that corporations will save money by using such technology. Unfortunately, who buys the products or uses the services when no one has a job to earn the money to pay for all this. Ford knew this and increased the pay to his workers. This so they could afford the same products the workers were making. Who would need the clerical or administrative work done by AI if there are no people to use the information provided by AI?? AI to develop more information for AI to absorb?? Does AI have the ability to develop and create new ideas? Could AI have developed the theory of relativity and the understanding that time and gravity and electromagnetic effects are properties of space? AI was thought to benefit mankind. How would it do that by replacing the people that they were suppose to help??

Yeah, 6 o'clock news is always a good watch

All this discussion about nothing brings to mind a group of men. Sitting there, making something out of nothing which in itself destroys the argument of nothing. If you talk about nothing then how can it be nothing? Arguing about nothing destroys the idea of nothing. It turns into something. It is like going back in time to kill one's grandfather. It can't happen. If one is thinking about space-time then one is talking about the properties of space-time. It isn't exactly empty. There is distance and certainly there is time. There is nothing that arises simply by itself. Causes and conditions. All this thinking about nothing brings me a headache.

Reminds me of the story of the rich man who was seeking the key to happiness. He went around with a bag of diamonds and said he would give it to anyone who could give him the key to happiness. One day he saw the master sitting by the tree near the road to town. The rich man sat down in front of the master and said he would give the bag of diamonds away for the key to happiness. The master distracted the rich man and took the bag of diamonds and ran off toward town. The master knew his way around town and soon lost the rich man. The rich man could not find the master and began to lament losing his bag of diamonds. He started searching everywhere. Finally the old man was walking down the road where he first saw the master, there he saw the master sitting with the bag of diamonds. The rich man ran up to him and grabbed the bag of diamonds. He was so happy now. Do you think the rich man finally found the key to happiness? If the rich man had the bag of diamonds before then why wasn't he already happy?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDKDJW4f0pk&t=11s There is a difference between rebirth and reincarnation. Rebirth is something gets reborn. Reincarnation means the spirit gets a new body. It isn't the same.

Happy New Year Om Mani Padme Hum https://www.youtube.com/shorts/F4-HJBIXb9M

I thought it was because women seem to do better when dealing with people and men do better when dealing with things. Look at schools and hospitals where women are in the majority. And look at auto mechanics or construction where men are in the majority.

I do not understand the question. So I have no answer to it. But, the person in the iron mask has no karmic entanglement to others as he does not engage with others (well, limited??? His captor). However the person who forced him into such a prison would have karmic entanglement. How it would resolve is beyond me. Was this done as a result of previous actions? Will there be more of this type of actions done in the future? Don't know. I don't know the rules for such engagements. I only know that what ones does has consequences. It follows what one has done. Be evil to others and then, receive evil from others. Plant a mustard seed and a mustard plant will grow. Reap what one sows.

Karma has been thought of as an agency for justice. Many believe that if one does evil upon others that they will in turn receive evil as a result of karma. That is not my belief. Rather that karma is a result of actions and intentions. For example, if one plants an apple seed then an apple tree will grow. One reaps what one sows. If one lives by the sword then one might dies by the sword. So, if one lives right and perform their duties then karma shouldn't be a fear factor. How does karma work? I don't know. But, believe it influences energy like a rock that has been set up on the side of a hill. Gravity or karma will guide it down. As for the Dharma, that is a set of teachings from the Buddha. It explains that there is something more than what we see. That the truth of our nature is something that we can see for ourselves by following the Buddha's words. For me, it is speculation as I have not found this truth of our nature. Of course, I do not follow the Dharma down to its exacting rules. I only practice some meditation and participate in forums. Sometimes even watch a few lectures by people who speak on the Dharma. And still my understanding is lacking. So, my final thoughts are that I should keep practicing even if nothing ever changes. And to keep an open mind and listen to what others have to say. Learn what I can and apply what makes sense to me. And yes, sometimes I do live like I have rose colored glasses on. So far so good.

Wow, I am probably the worst person to ask about this stuff as I know very little about qi. But, since this forum is a type of community, I will try to give my thoughts about it. Your erotic visualization activity caused a channel to be opened which energy then flowed into your chest area. It would be similar to popping one's shoulder out. It is painful cause one does not usually do that as a normal function of the body. That distortion causes pain. Then to top it off, you ejaculated which I believe caused the channel to become more permanent. Had you not then the closure and restoring some normal feeling might have happened. So, now channel opened and energy flow causes pain or discomfort. Probably more discomfort as it has gone on for so long a period. Continued acupressure or acupuncture might have helped if done on a regular basis. Giving time for the energy channels to close or reset. But, drugs has taken its tolls and now the fracture is permanent. One possible relief from the pressure or discomfort might come from .... now, as I said, I do not know enough about this stuff to say much that would make any sense. But, type of meditative practice of disassociation from the body. Focusing the awareness totally one single point, so much so that one disassociates feelings of the body. Relief lasts only a short time but should last longer as practice continues. Now that you have read this far, you should know that I am as full of crap as can be. I truly know nothing. But your desperation might have you wanting something that might not exist. A cure. Good luck to you. I do hope you find a cure. No one should have to suffer such pain or discomfort.

If I have this right then one pointed concentration is not samadhi and samadhi is necessary for realizing the true nature of oneself?? Yeah, all too complicated for me. Can't I just sit and do my regular practice without expectations. And if I have difficulties to ask questions about what I can do to find resolutions? Lately, I find myself eating more and more. Must have put on a few pounds. I notice my breathing has changed because of this. Will have to think about something else other than food?? Sorry, drifting off again.

When I first learned about "ONE POINTED CONCENTRATION", I had thought it meant a special state of mind that would transform one's outlook on life. Of course those ideas quickly changed. It seems to me that it is only a stage one goes thru as one progresses in their practice of meditation. I have heard of others saying meditation is easy. You just sit there and let your mind wander. Which I know is not true. Letting the mind wander is daydreaming. And as far as I know, daydreams are desires and wishes made into images. Then another person said he found the key. That it was to stop thought. Having no thoughts at all. Which was the same as hitting one over the head with an iron rod. It won't work. There is no enlightenment by bashing brain cells. When meditating, one is not stopping thoughts or letting the mind wander. But actually following rules or guide lines. Along the way, one pointed concentration happens. Well, this is the way I see it. But, I do have my own misconceptions. So, I try not to listen to myself so much. Just sit, pay attention and be quiet. One might think that is such an easy thing to do??? Crap, lost in a daydream. Now, I forgot what I wanted to say. Nevrmind.

There is another thread about this Rudi here on this forum https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/55319-rudi-authentic-neigong/

In many Asian languages, the number 4 sounds like the word for death. And the number 2 sounds like the word for easy. So 42 is a number to be weary of as it is easy to die. Superstition as far as I am concerned. But, if you feel that there is something to seeing or hearing things from the past or future then do what you must. For me, it is about being here, now. It is about being concerned for the things in my control here and in this present moment. For me the problem with getting information from the past or future is that one never knows the value of that information. What if the information from the future was false. Then all your present actions are based upon those false information. Which then leads you down the wrong path. But, keeping the mind in the present then one's actions are based on present information or what is really based on what is known to be true. Worrying about stuff that you believe to be from the past or future only seems to be adding to the issues you are having. It isn't simplifying the your life. It isn't making you happier. Yes, make notes. But don't let it rule your life. Well, that is how I feel about this. My opinion.

I believe that good and evil is mostly subjective depending upon which side of the fence one is sitting on. For instance, people of the French revolution thought of Marie Antoinette as evil. She was the daughter of royalty forced into a marriage of convenience. Ignored by her husband and others in a foreign land, she did what she knew best. To have parties and enjoy the life of a royal. The French looked upon her actions as evil because it was a mockery of the poor French. And so they tortured her (kept her locked away from her son and daughter) and ending her life by beheading her. Was she really evil? Or was the French who killed her evil? What you say about good and evil is a very simplistic view. That evil is obvious and good is obvious and the two are easily distinguished. Sometimes it isn't that easy. But, hindsight always tells us that it is.