liminal_luke

I think much depends on the nature of the student / teacher relationship. These relationships can be very deep, familial even, as when a student commits to a particular path that the teacher exemplifies and represents. There can be an emotional bond on both sides that is central to the teaching endeavor. In this case, I think you´re spot-on that it´s crucial to consider the character of the teacher. But there are many teachers who we can learn bits and pieces from who maybe we don´t like in some ways. Like many others, I find Damo Mitchell´s cigar smoking bro-culture ways a little off-putting. I´m not tempted to join his academy. As for Max, one would be wise to take some of his stories with a mine full of salt. Neither of these teachers will ever be anything like a heart-guru for me. But, for all their imperfections, I believe both of them have valuable things to share. When I can, I try to take what feels worthwhile -- without going all-in on the fake Tibetan spiritual trappings, imported Habanos, and promises of everlasting life.

Max says that his system is not the same as his teachers, meaning, I think, that "kunlun" is not the same as "yi gong." Having received instructions for both practices, I can´t say I see the difference. But what is glaringly true is that Max (Kunlun) and Jenny Lamb (Yi Gong) have wildly different personalities and approaches. Max is flamboyant, a self-proclaimed "coyote" given to telling wild stories. Jenny is grounded, circumspect. I think it would be a mistake to dismiss Kunlun / yigong based on an appraisal of Max´s character. Those who don´t like Max will likely like Jenny, and vice versa. I´m positive that Yigong is grounded in a spiritual tradition, though not one that is easily accessed, especially now that Jenny is retired. My intuitive sense is that the tradition can best be accessed through committed practice. It´s possible that the best teachers are not presently embodied in human form, but nevertheless actively guide the diligent student. Just my guess.

I haven´t read those old threads for years, but I´m sure you´re right that much of it is about Max´s credibility as a person. Not so useful. My own view is that it´s the practice that counts -- not the likeability / trustworthiness of the teacher. If you undertake the practice, you´ll develop your own educated opinion about it. In the end, that´s all that matters.

Nope, not me. I know nothing about a Men´s Rights / Honey Badger connection and, uhh, claim the fifth.

trans issues climate change Charlie Kirk nondualism Took me a few tries, but I finally came up with a good one!

What is the purpose of hara development or building a dantien? I suspect that those who embrace these practices are aiming at something different from realization or awakening as it´s thought of in most Buddhist contexts. A related question: Is it easier to awaken in a healthy body?

Hi @Kaspar, Some years back Kunlun / yigong was all the rage on the board, and many people shared their experiences -- both positive and negative -- with the practice. If you search back, you should be able to read many of those accounts. I think of spontaneous movement as a process of purification; it releases blockages that get in the way of stillness and silence. In a sense, the specifics of our blockages are not "profound," but the underlying calm that remains when the blockages are removed is profound. That´s the way I see it. Like you, I love to read about other people´s experiences with practices I´m interested in. These stories are often inspiring, motivating. But what is ultimately important is the experience you will have if you commit to the practice. I¨m confident that your story will be uniquely your own. I think it´s a worthy undertaking. You may not do it forever, but it´s worth spending some time with as an experiment, seeing where it will take you. Just my two cents.

I don´t practice it now but I´ve taken numerous workshops with the main teacher, Master Li, back when he was first starting out in the states. During practice sessions he´d often tell us: Enjoy the movement, enjoy your life. I found him to be an amazing person and teacher.

I personally don´t worry about the rubber mat or even the mudra. I just sit on a chair, lift my heels up so just the balls of my feet are on the floor, and let the movement happen. The important thing, I think, is just to allow oneself to be spontaneous rather than trying to control the movement (or lack of movement) in any way and to maintain awareness of what´s happening. That´s it. Sit afterwards on the floor in stillness to allow everything to integrate.

You might consider Sheng Zhen. Sheng Zhen Meditation

I think about scrambled eggs. I imagine eating scrambled eggs. I decide to eat scrambled eggs for breakfast. All different. What the three processes have in common is that none of them actually are scrambled eggs, unfortunately.

It´s like they say: Fake (ego) it until you make it.

I´ll take a stab at the real vs false ego distinction. An example of real ego might be genuine pride. Say I´ve worked hard to perfect my apple pie making and finally get the flaky crust just right. I notice that it´s gobbled up fast at the neighborhood pot luck and feel a surge of pride. This, to me, is real ego. False ego is the grandiosity associated with narcissism. Deep down I feel insecure but I (falsely) cover over my vulnerability with by boasting about my pies. Such boasting might look like the confidence of real ego but isn´t. Both forms of ego might be delusional from an absolute point of view. As every dessert lover knows, all pie is impermanent. Still, from a relative point of view, there´s a difference between the two forms of ego.

If someone is doing something and they find it to be helpful in their own life, that´s good enough for me. What´s the use of going around telling people not to do what they like? Doesn´t mean, of course, that I need to take the philosophical underpinnings of their system as absolute gospel. I listen and make up my own mind. But this business of constantly putting down what everyone else is doing seems like a big energy sink to me -- don´t any of us have to go to work?

I love omelettes and am not typically the "animal rescue" type, but in this case I hope the chickens fly the coop.

For the sake of all involved, I hope you refused to offer any further advice or instruction.

On spiritual cults: Trying to merge with the Dao by cultivating an aura of specialness is like trying to lose weight by eating at McDonalds.

Yikes -- am I ready to show photographic evidence of my health restoration? Not yet and probably never but it´s (slowly) coming along.

That may be but I bet I´m not the only Bum who´d love to read an anthologized compilation of the posts you wrote that didn´t make the cut. I bet it would be fascinating!

By "restorations" I suspect old3bob has physical objects in mind. I´m neither handy nor crafty and don´t have much to share in that department, but I wonder -- do posts count? I´m really into post restoration (otherwise known as editing). There have been times when I´ve edited a post twenty times before I finally let it be. It´s kind of a ridiculous hobby.

Respectfully, I´d like to express my disagreement. Many good spiritual teachers charge -- not everything gold is free.

Interestingly, Buddhism and related non-dual traditions seem to draw a lot of naysayers. This is in stark contrast to taoist practices like qigong or tai chi or even more esoteric alchemical traditions like nei gong. With these Taoist practices, people will criticize particular individuals, especially teachers. So-and-so doesn´t have good tai chi body mechanics; so-and-so doesn´t actually know anything about nei gong. What people don´t do is say that tai chi or neigong as an entire tradition is bogus. With Buddhism, it´s often just the opposite. I wonder why.

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Have you read the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child? Like Reacher always says: get your revenge in first.

There is no cutoff point. It´s not like we´re all chummy spiritual friends hanging at the Zen center, accepting life as it comes and working with our aversions, until BOOM -- some threshhold of evil is crossed and we say "forget all that non-attachment stuff, time to fight like hell." The whole idea of a cutoff point is based on a faulty premise: that spiritual maturity is at odds with action in the world. Quite the opposite. Spiritual maturity and effective action (including political action -- the unspoken subtext here) are entirely aligned.