dwai

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Posts posted by dwai

  1. Posted

    5 minutes ago, Earl Grey said:

     

    5 minutes ago, Earl Grey said:

    Okay, Dwai, so since we’ve heard a lot of criticism against this teacher, let’s change the channel and turn our attention to a serious question then: what is the appeal of this guy to you, how, and why? I personally am not drawn to his words, so as a fellow practitioner of IMA at least, I am curious to know how he passes your scrutiny, because the Dwai seal of approval means I can consider something I may not be able to see myself initially when someone else of merit gives the thumbs up.

    :) thanks buddy. I know you, and like & respect you, so I’m responding in detail below. 
     

    I’ve attended retreats and lectures in person with him — he is the real deal — —  an enlightened being. His approach is that of Jnana yoga, which relies heavily on logic and intellect to take one to the precipice of the unknowable. Then the truth is grasped directly, suddenly. we have to keep at it — Advaita way is direct, but we have to put in effort, until it is not needed. What is the effort in the Advaita way?  Listening to the teaching (like these YouTube Talks, If one can’t find a teacher in person), contemplating on them, and meditating on the pointers provided. Sort of like how one would meditate on a zen  koan. 
     

    However,  Advaita Vedanta is not everyone’s cup of tea. So, caveat emptor. :) 

     

    It takes a specific type of purification of the mind to understand it. It took me about 15 years of practice (taijiquan, Daoist meditation, yoga) before my mind cleared by the grace of my master. Once the mind cleared, the pointers of Advaita started to not only become clear, but also manifest spontaneously. I’ve written a bit about this in my ppf here, as well as in my novel. 

     

    I do like to share it here, because some folks here already get it, some are on the right path and some others are seeking. Also it has been my direct experience and realization - both via taichi and yogic and Vedantic meditation.

     

    Those who can understand it, or are on this  path will be benefited by it. Those who don’t, can do whatever works for them. If someone asked me with humility, I can guide them too. 
     

    now when it comes to the issue at hand —


    Usually when someone reacts so violently (as Gas Master did here), it means they have felt threatened at some subconscious level by it. The ego doesn’t like the truth — it makes it feel vulnerable and so it lashes out.
     

    Usually, under normal circumstances , If someone doesn’t like what he has to say, they should just start their own thread and explain why, if it means so much to them.

     

    Unfortunately all I saw is a belligerent bully trying to shout/drown another voice (maybe of a different opinion). That clearly is the handiwork of the ego. 
     

    I don’t need to defend the Swami here — he is a renunciant — a monk who has given up his personal history at very young age, to become a voice for the truth. He won’t give two hoots about what someone hiding behind an internet alias thinks about him. He might feel sad for that person, but to each their own Karma. 

    Of all the Vedantic teachers I’ve encountered (and I’ve seen many), Swami Sarvapriyananda is in my humble opinion, the best there is in the world today. But this takes a little “cup emptying” to realize. 


    wrt Realization of the “truth” - only taiji or some internal martial art is seldom the answer. Neither is only doing yogic asanas and breathing etc. Even meditation is insufficient for most. Without the right pointers at the right time, one will remain blinded by the veil of maya. 
     

    I hope that answers your question. :) 

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  5. Posted

    2 hours ago, Taomeow said:

     

    Too metaphysical for a taoist pragmatist.  I just want to...  you know...  roam the root of heaven and earth.  :D     

     

     

    That's a luopan, literally "south-pointing needle" (a compass pointing to the south magnetic pole) -- the ancient taoist tool used for discerning, differentiating, analyzing, and using (or avoiding) all kinds of qi in the environment.  It is studied and used in classical Xuan Kong or space-time feng shui which includes San He (Landscape & Formations), San Yuan (Flying Stars), Ba Zhai (Eight Mansions) etc. It is based on the taoist fundamentals and extensive empirical observations of natural earthly and celestial phenomena.  

    That’s fascinating - a geomancy gadget. Do you have more info on this (knowing you, you surely do :) )and would like to share? 

    • Like 1

  6. Posted

    1 minute ago, GSmaster said:

     

    Meridians are close to physical body, even people who don't feel Qi will feel this thing.

     

    Like I said before the only test for sensitivity is to apply energy projection from 3-5 meter distance and watch people tell exactly where he feels Qi.

     

    This is passable after about 15 mins of training with real master and not a fucking joke you have been wasting your life with. :D

    Oh, the enlightened one who studies non dualism.

    :D Go on...tell us all how awesome you are. That is all this has been leading up to, hasn't it? 

    Son, there's nothing you can do or show me that I've not seen before. 

  8. Posted

    16 minutes ago, Taomeow said:

     

    For some purposes, yes.  For others, we can -- gasp -- use our brain! :D I'm talking about classical space-time feng shui which is all about detecting, analyzing and using complex patterns of qi in the environment.  I am yet to meet a human being who can feel everything a luopan can show to a trained eye equipped with taoist education.  Qi is the primary subject of study of many ancient taoist sciences, both internal and external.  One can feel some of the outside qi with sung proficiency -- but not the qi of the whole universe.  For this, one needs either an extensive education, or else to embody tao (but then one might not be human anymore... ;) )

    I used to think that way. However, i think we and our circumstances (culture, society, etc etc) define our own limitations. The limitation is only in the mind. If the mind opens up, the universe can fit in it quite happily. :)

     

    16 minutes ago, Taomeow said:

     

    I love taoist sciences.  Talk about "holistic..."  They don't leave out in the cold a single human ability when tackling any qi-related subject (which is to say, any subject in existence).  Not even the intellect.  :)   

     

     

     

    imgbin-china-compass-luopan-feng-shui-feng-shui-compass-1vpRpn4zqwejxyBAkaywB3shi.jpg.eec62237c2f48f8b6172af9f9e30f5ef.jpg

     

    Very cool...what is it?

     

     

  9. Posted

    1 minute ago, liminal_luke said:

     

    Are you really sorry though?  I do think you owe Dwai an apology for saying his thread "reeks of idiotism."  If you´ve watched the videos and disagree, why not make a post explaining why?  Then people could debate, clarify ideas, educate themselves.      

    Its just an ego bristling with self-importance that is making such posts. I've reported it, because this kind of commentary is disruptive and takes away from the intent of the practice and the threads related to it. 

    • Thanks 3

  10. Posted

    38 minutes ago, Nungali said:

     

    Hmmm ... another non answer with a declaration that I think something that I do not .

     

    Non dual (and non-local) 'awareness'  ( I prefer 'consciousness' )  are but PART of the types of consciousness .

    It is a matter of experience. If and when we have it, all theories fall apart. I am quite hesitant to engage in these type of discussions, mainly because those who argue about the materialistic view, don't understand either mind or consciousness. Not saying that is the case with you though.

     

    I think I'll bow out of this topic now...when someone is ready, they will know it. 

    • Haha 2

  11. Posted

    23 hours ago, Taomeow said:

    It's anyone's guess what people feel when they believe they feel qi.  A litmus test would be to insert some acupuncture needles in a few of their acupoints (of course do it correctly, so the practitioner's skill has to be without doubt), then give them a schematic drawing of the human body and ask them to draw the meridians where they could feel qi.  (Provided they didn't study these first of course.)  Interestingly, a percentage of acupuncture patients can.  The percentage is small, but I think these precious individuals are the atavistic reminder of the time when the whole system was developed by folks who could really, really feel qi.

     

    Modern people feel "something," but the forgotten senses may outnumber the retained ones.  

    Another good way is to have someone apply pressure on the acupuncture points in the way of say zen shiatsu. In my experience if someone can feel Qi, they will feel the activation/flow in affected meridian. This (what you outlined) is a better litmus test for beginners than see if they can feel “energy” outside their body. 
     

    Most beginners are closed from heart and above — so they can’t feel energy. For them, ‘energy’ will trigger emotional responses. 

    The ‘outside the body’ sensitivity comes when there is higher level of sung. 

    • Like 2

  14. Posted

    6 minutes ago, Nungali said:

     

    Wait .   Didnt consciousness manifest the matter that makes AI function ?

     You think you, me and all sentient beings are separate. We are not. The awareness that operates through these body-minds is nondual, and is the source of all manifestation. 

     
    So AI can operate in the same way the mind does, but will always require a conscious subject to make it conscious. Because the mind can only reflect consciousness.
     

    The problem arises because each mind thinks it is independently conscious. Maybe that’s a topic for another time...

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  15. Posted

    1 hour ago, GSmaster said:

     

    By Definition A.I. is self evolving and self learning thing.


    It is not "taught by humans", it is learning itself, that Is what A.I is.

     

    A.I can be much smarter than a human and reach way higher level of expertise than average human in any field.

    The mind doesn’t constitute consciousness. Consciousness is reflected in a subtle substance called the mind :) 

    • Like 1

  18. Posted

    46 minutes ago, GSmaster said:

     

    It depends on teacher master school, some taichi masters who teach dont know of Qi.

    I think It’s more on the students — usually people who operate from a strong sense of self are too closed off. They use their will to power through things (which is how most modern/urban/western people are - to me they are one and the same...even in Asia or other parts of the world). It has to do with the dominant culture they subscribe to.

     

    But I’m sure you have your reasons to feel the way you do.

     

    Do share your thoughts  :) 

     

     

    • Like 1

  21. Posted

    12 hours ago, Walker said:

     

    This is a good observation. However, that's not how the advice was presented. I don't pretend it is a one-size-fits-all cardinal truth (I don't think it is), and it always seems to be the case that a reasonable teacher will emphasize that there are caveats and factors related to an individual's constitution, age, diet, mental habits, sex life, etc, etc. At the end of the day, the most important constant seems to be having an experienced guide on hand who is capable of giving individualized advice to his/her students when need be. 

     

     

    I cannot, and they would not help much. One is from within the Longmen school (not a branch of it that I have ever seen mentioned in English) and the other from Yang style taiji (a branch that believes that the source of Yang-style taiji was Zhang Sanfeng). There are soooo many different interpretations of what Longmen Daoism or Yang style taijiquan are that I think those two names in and of themselves are almost meaningless. Any two Yang style teachers in the same borough of New York probably teach entirely different things, to say nothing of a Yang style teacher in Brooklyn versus one in China. As for the Longmen, at this point I don't even know if more than 5% of practitioners even bother to read any of Qiu Chuji, et al's writings, and sometimes it seems like if a method ever existed in China, there's somebody out there teaching it and calling it "Dragon Gate"... I predict within 20 years we will see Dragon Gate chakra-balancing essential oil crystal reiki and Nine Dragon Gate Secrets to Getting Rich (I'm not joking).

    I'm not surprised about that...

    12 hours ago, Walker said:

     

    What I can share is this: both approaches involved the mingmen, with the understanding that it has a role in the conversion of jing to qi, and therefore prevents "spillage" while also taking advantage of what would "spill." The Longmen teacher still taught lower dantian focus and qigong, and combined this with intentional qi guiding using the mingmen. The mingmen is a key factor in this instruction, but not the only one. The Yang style taijiquan teacher eschews with any and all lower dantian practice and uses the mingmen directly.

     

    Neither method is simple enough to guess what it involves (it'd take a page of writing to try and clearly explain either), so I hope sharing what I just did does not lead to at-home experimentation. Also, practicing either method without a teacher to help guide the process would be dangerous. I am certainly not qualified for such a role, so I'm not going to add any more details.

     

    Finally, if somebody already has a good teacher who is teaching a practice involving the lower dantian, my intent is not to suggest that one should doubt one's teacher. I shared all of the above more for the DIY and "self-made-man" crowds.

    I've come across this perspective earlier too. The folks I heard referring to the mingmen only don't de-emphasize the LDT. In any case, the LDT is connected to the mingmen anyway. In my experience, the energy flows out of the LDT into the mingmen, and then circulates up the back and into the arms/fingers. 

     

    In the tradition I train in, we initially (by that I mean intermediate level) focus on the LDT and the spine (different ways of generating and releasing power), and eventually give up that focus entirely and focus on the surface of the weiqi field (and more). 

     

    Beginners usually don't feel anything and should work on just getting their movements and postures right for a long time. 

     

    • Like 1

  23. Posted

    5 hours ago, Walker said:

    A warning that I have not seen mentioned here and which I have come across in China from martial artists, TCM doctors, and qigong practitioners is that regularly placing the mind upon the lower dantian (意守下丹田 in Chinese), especially in young men, can lead to excessive nocturnal emissions and premature ejaculation (I do not know what, if any, problems it could cause for women of any age). Various personal experiences from my own practice in my 20s as well as 30s lead me to put credence in this warning.

    This is probably a warning against exerting attention on the LDT, not simply resting the mind on the lower dan tien. Most people invariably overdo their focus -- as is the way of the doing mind, and especially the modern mind -- going overboard. Resting on the LDT is simply like laying your palm on a tabletop. How much effort is required to do that?

     

    5 hours ago, Walker said:

     

    There are instructions unique to different schools which can mitigate this problem and take advantage of its causes to transform what has built up and is destined to "spill" for other uses. There are also Chinese schools that teach to avoid placing the mind upon the lower dantian at all.

    Never come across one -- can you share some names/references?

    5 hours ago, Walker said:

    As always, best probably necessary to find an instructor in person if possible (the perennial advice). I cannot offer further details, I apologize.

    This is 100% sound advice. 

     

    • Like 4

  25. Posted

    Reverse breathing is used for a specific purpose -- to generate heat in the lower dantien. Why do you want to do that?

    If you're only starting to become sensitive to energy and want to work on the LDT,  just regular breathing, with the mind resting in the navel region of the stomach should suffice. 

     

    In my case, the LDT 'fired' up while doing the "embracing the tree" standing meditation form, while looking into the horizon. There was a beautiful sunset and the sky was lit up like a brilliant painting with splashes of blue, orange, red and gray. Suddenly, I felt a twitch in the lower belly, and a swirling smokey sensation started inside the stomach -- that was my first conscious experience of the lower dan tien.

     

    With time, when you do standing and/or qigong/moving meditation, the energy will start pooling in the lower stomach.

     

    When you start getting a sense of the energy pooling there, fine tune your sense by letting it condense further down into a denser ball of sensation. Eventually, you will get to a point when the ball will become like a golf ball. The ball has a tiny hole in it, which is where you let the energy feeling go into. You might even see it in your inner-space, the energy pouring into that tiny pinhole of the golf ball like oil fills into a bottle with a narrow hole (or like when you fill the liquid soap dispenser in your bathroom from a larger container of liquid soap). It could also seem like fine silk threads falling into a ball of silk.

     

    IMHO, don't focus on reverse breathing. Develop your LDT naturally using moving meditation and zhan zhuang standing.  

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