Sloppy Zhang

There's a thread on it here.

I'll re-post the segment from Frantzis' book, for those that don't have it and want to take a look, it's from "The Great Stillness" (also keep in mind. B.K. Frantzis is speaking from his specific lineage of Taoism, so it may differ even from other taoist views you may find):

In their philosophy, the Taoists prefer to focus on life here and now. Neither in the I Ching, the Tao Te Ching of Lao Tse, nor in Chuang Tsu's works is there a strong focus on reincarnation. The Taoist view is that the energy of life is at death mulched in the energy of the Tao and spun out again as another new living manifestation. Chuang Tsu, for example, says: "How marvelous the Creator (the Tao) is! What is he going to make of you next? Where is he going to send you? Will he make you into a rat's liver? Will he make you into a bug's arm?" (Chuang Tsu, Basic Writings, trans. Burton Watson (New York: Columbia University Press, 1964), p 81)

 

Many Taoists believe that the vast majority of human beings do not have the capacity to reincarnate intact. They believe that when a soul dies, its consciousness breaks up and later combines with parts of other fragmented souls, thereby reincarnating as a mosaic soul. This idea is also represented in other traditions, especially shamanic ones, where it is held that a human's body can be composed from different past lives of various entities. Thus, some Taoists believe that the human desire to become integrated is based on a literal need.

 

The primary spiritual purpose of the preparatory and intermediate chi practices of Taoist meditation for achieving spiritual maturity involves gathering all the energies of an individual into one integrated, whole energy or consciousness. This unified energy/consciousness creates a "ling", the Chinese word for "soul". A unified ling can reincarnate intact; a fragmented or nonintegrated human consciousness cannot.

 

Since many Taoists believe that most people will not come back as a unified being, they consider talking about reincarnation to be a waste of time. They do, though, discuss karma, which they often characterize as the Law of Return. In this concept, the energy you put out eventually comes back to you in some form, though it is not certain when or how that will happen. Responsibility for the deeds you do and the psychic energy you put out is critical to the Taoist philosophy of how life and justice works.

 

The life-affirming Taoists seek a primal route to experiencing nature of the nontemporal "soul" by training the body to be fully conscious and aware. By placing attention on the living human body and on Consciousness (which they deem to be immortal) (my note-this isn't your "mental consciousness", but the part of "universal consciousness" that you are connected to at all times, and which you cultivate an awareness of during meditation), Taoists hold that focusing on this present life is as equally important as giving credence to the concept of an afterlife.

Assange was just arrested. I think the charges are bogus. After he threatened the banks, then the pressure to shut him down was greatly increased. He is not being given due process and is already being treated as guilty. No bail is being granted.

 

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/07/wikileaks-arrest-julian-assange-arrested_n_793077.html

Yeah, pretty lame. It says this:

Judge Howard Riddle told Assange that he had "substantial grounds" to believe the 39-year-old Australian wouldn't turn up for subsequent proceedings. He then put Assange into U.K. custody ahead of an extradition hearing.

I don't know what "substantial grounds" he had, as Julian Assange gave all his contact information and location to the British police as soon as he entered the country. He and his legal team have never backed away from legitimate investigations. Media circus? Yes, that is what they have been avoiding.

The case that the warrant was issued for was already thrown out, but was only reopened significantly later. It's all highly suspicious.

It seems you conviently left out the part where I wrote:

"Education is the Key to Survival."

It seems you conveniently added that in long after my initial comment (you first edited in two lines that started with "the place", which I had seen when I wrote my post, and then when you made this new post apparently had simultaneously added in the bit about education- that's how I saw it on my end, anyway).

At the very least you could hold me accountable for stuff that I would have realistically seen at the time of my writing of the post!

Look - I'm not going to argue with your kind.

What exactly is "my kind"?

What does it take to make a Terrorist?

An Invading Army.

 

What does it take to make A suicide bomber?

A dead; son, brother, father, sister or wife..

 

 

The same scenerio has been played in the past -

Beginning with the Holy crusades A.K.A. Bush On a Mission for God?

The results were The Ottoman Empire that lasted from 1299 to 1923 & covered Europe.

http://en.wikipedia..../Ottoman_Empire

This was one of the reasons I relocated to Peaceloving & Neutral China ...

Because, you know, China hasn't done anything to, say Tibet recently.

This is a game that EVERYONE plays. Not just America. America is certainly one of the bigger (biggest?) players. Same old story. Different times. Different players. Same game.

Not to mention that, depending on your working definition, there are terrorists even in countries that aren't invading. How is it you are defining terrorist? "Terrorism" as a type of tactic can take many forms. Street gangs can be terrorists. Street gangs, and other relatively low level forms of organized crime are all over the world.

So are you saying that the biggest slaves are people who practice things like Taoism and think they are free but really aren't?

I'm saying that one has to be very, VERY careful when treading such a path. However, I think that such a path which encourages introspection and really rigorous observance of self can help prevent you being just another slave that thinks you're free.

What are your motivations for doing the things you do? Where did it come from? How are your actions impacting others/society as a whole? Questions along this line are things you should be frequently asking.

It's kind of like, take a person who's arrogant, and always saying, "haha, I'm better than you, I'm stronger than you, I'm faster than you, haha!" and he learns, "oh, I need to be more humble!" then he goes around saying, "I'm more humble than you! I can go soooo long without bragging. Yeah, I got the humility thing down. You should practice more, because I'm beating you."

Is that person REALLY being more humble?

It's so easy to THINK you've escaped, but still be trapped in an potentially more ensnaring trap, because you think you are not trapped...

Now one person might REALLY be more humble than another person. And if you are making such an appraisal about yourself or someone else, well, really try to understand the motivations and reasons and other checks that you go through before saying/thinking that. Be critical with yourself- is your appraisal really HONEST?

Like you say, people are raised from the beginning to hand over their power, no offense to anyone but I think the Church and other mainstream religions are all about controlling the masses and teach people from the start that they have no power themselves and must put faith in "God" and the church for their "savior".

I'm hesitant to say it's any one thing. Because really, society is large and complex. Plenty of people grow up in Church culture, and actually wind up swinging wildly the OTHER way.

So how do you control that?

By telling people they are free and can do what they want..... but you've already accounted for that.

The best slaves are the ones that don't realize they're slaves.

Kinda an extreme view, but interesting I think.

My outlook on Americans being "too smart" is not very optimistic. Because of how deeply ingrained the thoughts are in the culture and society itself. Because it's not JUST media conglomerates controlling the news that are the problem. It's the organization of various institutions which instruct people from the time they are born that society is a certain way, that there are certain standards. It's the very gradual way that people WILLINGLY hand over their power and their rights.

I'll hand over a little bit, I still have a lot left.

I'll hand over a little bit, I still have a lot left.

I'll hand over a little bit, I still have a lot left.

I'll hand over a little bit, I still have a- oh fuck.

Except even then, it doesn't occur that way! It's more like:

I've always had so much, I'll hand over a little bit, I still have a lot left.

I've always had so much, I'll hand over a little bit, I still have a lot left.

I've always had so much, I'll hand over a little bit, I still have a lot left.

I've always had so much..................

Nobody recognizes how much they've given over, because they've never known otherwise.

Hm credibility. A degree is a nice little sign of credibility, but when you lie and crap on 100s of people repeatedly, your words are empty.

 

Alot of these people belong in jail, let alone not have any credibility in the media.

Yes, well that credibility is all part of social reproduction.

People with a degree are more credible than people who don't have degrees.

You get degrees by working inside a structure in one way or another. Even after you get your degree, you can have it removed.

Obviously the methods in order to get the degree will teach you the "right ways". Anything outside that "right way" is the "wrong way".

People accept that, and work with it. Now obviously there's some wiggle room. Things evolve. Mostly as society changes. At one point, if a scientist contradicted Aristotle, or the Church, or their king/dictator/benefactor, they were removed. Until we became "enlightened" and we started doing science for the sake of unbiased knowledge. Right? We still do that... right?

Reporters learn how to report so they can tell us things accurately, right? But much has been written and said about the limitations of journalism. Reliance on "official" sources means you're only going to get the response that the source wants you to get. You can investigate, and find alternate views, but only if those alternatives are also "credible".

If you don't have a degree or a significant amount of experience on the field, then you aren't even fit to comment on the situation. Even if someone takes a dump on hundreds of people, well, they obviously knew more than us, who are we to criticize them?

Rather sickeningly twisted if you ask me.

If America ever becomes like 1984, all the people of Tao Bums should form their own Taoist Country and call it Taobumia

"America will never become like that, the people are too smart, and will stop it long before it gets there." - Actual words from somebody in a class I took when we discussed this very subject

Right when im writing a reply that has to do with wikileaks you two mention it

How can we not?

But it's interesting- there's a lot of anger directed towards wikileaks, even amongst citizens, because they claim that the government has a right to hide some things, that there are some things that the public just doesn't need to see, etc etc. It seems that a lot of people are thinking, "as long as I don't have to see or know about it, I don't care."

Which in my opinion, is a very, VERY dangerous position for people to take, especially in a country where it's the people who are supposed to (in theory) be the check to the government! It only has as much power (in theory) as the people let it have, and people are WILLINGLY letting the government have it!

Groups like wikileaks come out, and there are people who are calling for him to be tried for treason (even though people don't seem to understand that he's not from the US, so you can't try him for treason.....)

Now I don't support releasing information that puts lives in danger. And I don't think that wikileaks releases that stuff (in fact, apparently Assange has kept those files encrypted, only to be released in the event that someone makes an attempt on his life).

From what I've perused myself, it's mostly stuff for internal usage.

But on top of that, people don't even look into things like media ownership. As soon as you start talking about this, the word "conspiracy" inevitably gets thrown out into the mix. And when people hear that, they think of UFO's. When they think of those, they think of nutjobs in the middle of nowhere. And when they think of that, you automatically lose credibility. Because obviously you are a nutjob in the middle of nowhere because you believe in corporate conspiracies which means that you believe in aliens and everyone knows that's all made up.

The way society on its own reproduces itself needs very little prodding from the government. And of course, we turn to the people who are in power and they just stay in power. The people push it along on their own. The snowball is already well on its way down the hill.

This is something that I read about, talk about, and write about pretty frequently, especially in the post 9/11 era- there is no real definition of "suspicious" that you hear anybody give. You hear them SAY suspicious.... but what is suspicious?

With no clear definition, people are left to judge suspicious using whatever prejudices and preconceptions they have at their ready disposal. This doesn't help stop crime/terror/whatever, it just gives a loophole for people to report those of different faiths/appearances to the police.

On that note, how do you guys feel about the wikileaks business?

Try looking for a reason to develop Remote Viewing. I experimented with it 3 years ago to help me with something. I found that as long as the need was there, I could tap into that power. When the need was no longer there I didn't do it anymore.

Did not or could not?

Have you tried?

If you don't mind my asking, how did you do it? What did you experiment with?

I'm not trying to offend or pry, if you don't want to answer that's fine, I'm just trying to be thorough for my own purposes of finding something that works.

Riiight, so what you said could'nt have come off as condescending?

 

Also the beginning of what you said "seemed" to imply you assumed I don't practice to develop things either.

 

Just came off that way. No skin off my back though, so dont worry

That's my point-

I know how it could have seemed, but that's not how I intended it (as the saying goes, "the path to hell is paved with good intentions!) yet I don't really have any other ways of conveying what it is I meant to say other than the words I said, yet those very same words can come across as condescending!

And so we are caught in the vicious cycle of language and the internet.

Way to cherry pick in what I said. Hope you grow up soon

Don't take this too seriously

You shared your opinion on the topic, and I thought I'd share mine, which would hopefully explain my line of questioning.

I'd like to find a method that works reliably and repeatably. It's fine if it works for you when you need it to. But that's not going to help me much in my research and development of something like remote viewing in the way I like to go about things. It's not a slam against you. It's just... what can I say other than "that's nice".

Unfortunately "that's nice" doesn't really carry over too nicely, because it tends to carry some condescending tone or something, which isn't what I mean at all.

It's worked everytime it's happened .

 

I Don't look for that type of thing until I "need" it, and it happens to be there when the time comes.

 

Rather not spoil a good thing, and disappoint myself.

I like to practice and develop stuff. You know, so I know I have it in case I need it. Even if I never do. Chance favors the prepared mind? Maybe I don't trust the universe enough. "God helps those who help themselves", and all that jazz.

A couple times I think I've experienced internal vision.

 

I'd say just meditate.

 

About remote viewing, just let the information come to you. I don't know what to say other then that.

How often has that worked for you?

So let's say you successfully get to alpha and theta states- how do you turn this into remote viewing?

The silva methood remote viewing course claims to be able to teach this skill.

 

"Do the drills, get the skills."

Anyone know about the course? Experiences? Successes? Anyone know the drills?

Most definitely

Some stuff I'm interested in and helps a lot.

Sometimes I see people going through the same things I've gone through, so we can both be helped by our experiences.

Sometimes there's a topic I'm not interested in, but later on it will come up, so I'll come back, find it, and see what everyone has to say. Or not.

Overall, it's fun.

I've gone through periods where I don't really post too often. Then I'll come back. The I'll go, then come back. Don't force it if you feel this is antagonistic to your goals, stop. Maybe one day it will help you out some more again, without taking any steps back.

Ok, then, what's normal according to western culture then? I live in the USA.

I live in the US- and there is STILL no normal! That's the point!

If I were to ask you, "non, what's normal for you?" That would be such a broad question that it'd be impossible to answer. Even if I narrowed it down, "non, what's normal eating habits for you?" And you'd probably just give a list of foods you eat the most. But that's not really "normal", it's just a list of your particular habits. It doesn't mean anything. If you take a sandwich to work with you, and you work Mon-Fri, does that mean you are addicted to sandwiches? No, it just means that given your work schedule, you eat sandwiches.

Now let's say you quit your job, so you stop eating sandwiches, as you have time to prepare more elaborate foods. Are sandwiches now "abnormal" for you? Not really, they just aren't habitual any more, so don't occur as frequently.

Stop trying to be "normal", stop trying to find "normal". Just act as the situation unfolds.

again the only reason why I'm practicing non-masturbation/celibacy is because I haven't gotten a sex partner.

No offense, but that kind of reason for practice is not very constructive- it'll just lead to failure and frustration (some of which you tend to hint at in your posts). If you are practicing celibacy, it should be because that's what you feel you need to do. Even if a great woman came along and said, "non, I want you", if you really wanted to practice celibacy, you'd say, "sorry, I don't think that's right for me at the moment." If you are practicing it just because you don't have an alternative..... i don't see good things coming out of that. Sorry.

And really the whole "downside of cultivation" is really just the fact that for one the rest of society isn't actually a healthy society, and two the society doesn't tolerate cultivators so they must isolate themsleves from the world.

Now this is something that I disagree with.

Spiritual development should help you be able to relate to different people better, in my humble opinion and in my experience.

Sure, I went through a phase when I was like, "ah, nobody does what I do, ah, I'm so alone, ah, everyone is a horrible person, ah, I can't relate to anyone". And then I thought, well, if I'm practicing a system that reveals actual, universal truth, if I am cultivating an ability to know what is real, if I am working on compassion, if I am working on getting to know myself- then won't that help in meeting others?

And do you know what? It did.

As soon as I dropped all the crap of "oh no one will ever understand me" or "I'll never be able to connect with anyone", and instead just met people, and enjoyed who THEY were rather than what I wanted them to be, I started to connect much more easily, much more consistently, and much more enjoyably.

Yes, non, perhaps you should begin by learning about the underlying mechanisms that surround things such as obsession, addiction, depression, loneliness, or whatever, rather than focusing on the surface causes (addiction to food, sex, feelings of being ostracized by society, etc etc).

I picked up a book on abnormal psychology, and found that a lot of the problems I were dealing with which I thought were just idiosyncratic quirks were really mild forms of OCD. I had never had a problem big enough to ruin my life, nor warrant a trip to a doctor, but I saw that some of the things I was doing were (literally) textbook cases of certain psychological functions.

Once I understood that, and I understood the clear steps to fix it, the problems really did resolve themselves. Most of my problems came about because I didn't know what was happening, and I was relying on trial and error, looking in the wrong places, etc etc.

So learn the mechanisms, because these things can show up to cause problems in a wide spectrum of areas.

Normal masturbation IS what Im talking about. NOrmal sexuality IS what Im talking about.

What is normal? What is the standard you are using in order to create such a concept?

There are TONS of variations in methods and traditions, and even within those traditions, tons of variations, and even among people, TONS of variation, and even in one person, TONS of variation from day to day (do you eat the same thing every day? What is a "normal" food for you?)

Don't get so hung up on concepts of normal, because normal just flat out doesn't exist.

However, creation of a "normal" IS a key strategy in marketing, public policy, control of populations/individuals, etc etc. So be careful.

Normal masturbation and sex IS addictive. That's why taoists developed other methods.

EVERYTHING can be addictive!

When looking at cults, it's better to learn and observe behavior, as cults can manifest themselves anywhere, regardless of their religious/spiritual affiliation.

That said, even some institutionalized religions border on cult tactics- reliance on a group, having a single leader who is the only one capable of doing anything, insulting members or seeking to otherwise tear them down in order to get them to follow the leader.

One could argue that Christianity follows these tactics (only through the Church can one find salvation, only the priest has the tools necessary to instruct and lead people on a spiritual path, people are inherently sinful and weak, so any attempt to do things on your own will just lead you straight to hell, so only path is to follow a priest), but you could also make the argument for other areas as well.

Semen retention is usually a very small part of a much larger system. In fact, in some cases semen retention is not the goal, it is the byproduct of correct practice.

So after you have taken practices which allow you to feel and regulate your body (energetically and physically), then when you partake in sex, you can move the energy in places it doesn't normally go. When your awareness changes from just ejaculation, to any number of other things possible during sex, then you don't ejaculate as frequently.

Best thing I can suggest for doing this safely and without potentially harmful side effects is to not just practice semen retention alone, but adopt a practice which allows you to feel and value the other energies/sensations which sex can provide, cultivate an awareness and/or control of those, and you'd be surprised how that can lead to a reduce in the frequency of ejaculation, even if you do orgasm.

This is the prevailing and, sadly, often correct view. However, it's not always the case! Sprouting certain seeds, grains, and nuts, all easily purchased in bulk for next to dirt, leads to the most healthy food on the planet, guilt free. For us vegetablarians, they even offer complete proteins!

 

Just add water, a little sunlight, and a few days of occasional rinsing.

 

I recommend chickpeas/garbanzo beans and lentils as great, tasty starters at affordable prices ($2.00/lb, which is enough for multiple days of food). Carrots are another wonderful and usually affordable staple.

 

Can't wait until I can pleachitecture myself a house from various food bearing trees... That'll be the life.

Awesome suggestions!

But unfortunately, that only works if you've got space to grow that stuff. If you're in an apartment, or a house in a really cramped housing area, then you're going to have limited options for how much you can produce on your own

(I think I've posted this before.) I often wonder why, at qigong workshops, foods like donuts, cookies, chips are served.

Same reason why in America, being overweight is a sign of lower socioeconomic status- junk food is cheap.

Ramen, chips, packs of soda, a package of donuts, fast foods, etc etc- MUCH cheaper than whole foods, organic foods, etc etc.

Go to an organic food store, then go look at the prices and compare them to junk food or fast food for an equivalent period of time (food to feed you for one day, one week, two weeks, etc). Junk food is just cheaper.

So if you're doing a seminar and want to provide snacks, how do you cut costs? By cheaper food! And that food is probably "junk".