sasblamthanb

The Dao Bums
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content count

    85

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by sasblamthanb

  2. Posted

    EFS,

     

    Re: What is your grasp of these concepts?

    where words are concerned, my grasp is ‘weak’... just some things I came across and that occurred to me long ago that might give you additional insights and avenues to explore...

    Find your own ways!... Counseling seems in order that points everyone to stay with aligning their own ‘directions’/ elements /planets, etc. etc. first ...

    then later, if needed, seek correlations and “overlay(s)” with various “knowledge systems”...

     

    Re: “ Or is it more centered on cosmology and earth history than individual human lives? “

    My post was much more closely related to individual human development and experience than cosmology and earth history. The "logarithmic time scale" mentioned also refers to the way humans metabolize ‘time’. Quick example - the first ( of 12 (zodiacal) developmental stages) lasts only a short few days in linear time but is experienced as an ‘eternity of bliss’... in childhood a day can seem like a week... but by old age, the passage of a month can ‘fly by’ and it seems like just a couple of days have passed... the first few weeks of life experientially seem to last as long as the scorpio stage which in linear time can last from ~42 yrs old to death-( provided of course you get the full ride on this "logarithmic time scale"... ;) )

     

    "...Our life in time begins at conception; however our time sense changes as we age according to a precise and knowable pattern and mathematics. Our fundamental ideas about time are often incorrect and perpetuate the wounds we carry. In attempting to heal these wounds inflicted by time, we may discover the path which leads beyond time. But first, understand for the time of your life." A.T. Mann

     

    very short utoob

     

     

    re: “The Wiki says his work is based around the concept of a "logarithmic time scale" and, as you say, developmental archetpyes. Could that be similar to Joseph Campbell's work about how myths and story structure mimic stages of human development?”

    Short answer is - Yes. Working with myths in the light of ‘heavy on prenatal’ opens fertile grounds for re-interpretation/re-“grasp” of multiple creation myths and developmental myths...prior to the hero, warrior, feminine, etc etc. myths (that were Campbell’s specialty). Long answer would take books - not even nice long posts would do...

    I mentioned that the tarot classically is used as symbols for situations and that I think it might serve better as a developmental map, with most of the cards symbolizing prenatal stages.

    Some 'ifs'... if the ‘deck’ developed unconsciously... if our personal history doesn’t go forward, it goes around in circles... if neurosis is reborn each morning... if only ~26 of the cards track post natal development and the rest map prenatal stages and possible prenatal ‘traumas’ (and folks, I used that word for the sake of brevity), etc. ...actually if for ALL those ‘cards’ that are for stages before ‘prefrontal lobe’ maturity, rational ‘talking therapies’ are helpless and useless, then all the ‘re-establishment of body flow’ practices (old and new, from the East, the West, n, and s) we read about in here and eslewhere may be ‘working’ on these otherwise inaccessible ‘barriers’ and work therein would get us much further than studying astrol with / and various “knowledge systems”...... good lord what rambling, big if's :) ...

     

     

    More re your OP... re “how do you zero and align this grid?”

    It is not ego centric to zero the “grid”(s) at your own ‘center’

    ( zero and align... here in ‘infinite’ space and now in ‘eternal’ time’ for all the precious ‘thou are that’ters out there ;) ) .

    There are many ‘hierarchies’ in astrology ... and ultimately all of them are ‘symbolic’ of something in human experience or potential. ... fields within fields, etc. etc... for example, galactic astrology requests 1)an orientation to galactic center and 2) to where our solar system is in the galaxy , 3) where it is ‘going’ ... and 4++) a whole new orientation to space, time and meaning concerned with individual contributions to the ‘evolution’ of the ‘planet’, etc, etc. - distinct from the geocentric or sideral orientations that form the main paradigms of typical ‘astrol.’ ... and... then at some point, galactic astro also becomes a limiting symbology...

     

    Esoteric ‘bud-ism’ (and esoteric astrology also) teaches that each of the many ‘rulers’ (dhyan-chohans, etc. etc. )of an eon (in relation to the ‘sentient’/ ‘consciousness’ aspects of these long cycles of manifestation, poofing, and coming again) have ‘sides’ that reach into and participate in the material and simultaneously have sides that remain fully ‘spirit(ual)’/ non physical. (This ‘looks’ like a duality. It’s not. The “sides” word was used where really there are no sides.) An individual’s experience typically goes through similar (but not equivalent) progression -starting ‘spiritual’in utero, growing into full participation in the ‘material world’ through childhood and adulthood, then in old age, an inevitable withdrawal from the material... (provided of course you get the full ride on this "logarithmic time scale"... ;) ) (note: again this would take books... see how this whole paragraph omitted the ‘cyclic’ mental and soulful aspects of manifestations? etc.)

     

    So re “Have any of you found something that could qualify as an "understanding in terms of physics" to explain astrology?”

    Find your own ways!

    For crowd control, “Appearance is always misleading and geared toward concealing the fundamental sameness of things.”

     

    The sun is not what is appears to be. The sun is more than what physics books and currently dominant ‘scientific’ paradigms tell us it is... and...

    We are well within/ inside the ‘sun’! ... we are of the sun - not far away revolving around it! see http://www.atmann.net/artdesign.htm#sss

     

    ... and ... galaxies are also not what they ‘appear’ to be. ... ‘space’ has qualities non-local, instantaneous, independent of distance.

     

    Biologic ‘entities’ have quantum, plasmic qualities not acknowledged in current paradigms.

     

    If you must have something with “scientific” support - look at torsion fields, cymatics , resonance, superluminal ness(‘faster’ than light) etc. etc -

    such ‘nonsense’ might help open the development of your own cosmic synesthesia

    ie your own personal ‘astrology’

     

    Find your own ways!

     

    all the best

    • Like 1

  3. Posted · Edited by sasblamthanb

    Start at

    The Round Art of Astrology

    book by A.T. Mann

     

    (Fakipedia info re the auther at

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._T._Mann )

     

    also, it looks like he wrote book re your questions

    The Mandala Astrological Tarot

     

    ... Re your tarot ?'s ... through the years, the cards’ ‘meanings’ derived from classic texts never resonated with me. Then it occurred to me the 78 cards may be a developmental ‘journey map’ ... most of which are prenatal ! --ie only a few cards relate to / map post natal ‘developmental archetypes’

     

    Have fun...

    • Like 1

  7. Posted

    that suck about enlightenment

     

    Enlightenment is not something we can define / distinguish for others from ‘non-enlightenment’. It can only be experienced. Any act, especially ‘verbal’, about it, either by current or historical masters/teachers/guides, - even discussing possible practices, markers and patterns, giving testimonials, making associations, etc - regarding enlightenment is probably more harmful than helpful in the long term. No one can really say what practices are precursors / causes. Ie No one can really say whether choosing and doing various things ‘in’ various ‘bodies’ ‘triggers’ the experience or not …or what ‘practices’ end the experience. It cannot necessarily be accomplished through ‘energy work /therapy. It can’t necessarily be ‘neuroscience-d’, ‘movementscience-d’ , ‘substancescience-d’ into experience… or sought in the ‘empty’ or the ‘full’, or ‘in the world’ or ‘in the void’, in the 'light' or in the 'dark', or even in the unity/'neutralization' of those ‘poles’… etc etc etc… No one can really say how ‘possible’ enlightenment is. No one really knows if it is a natural, ‘normal’ state that is blocked in ‘regular’ humans or if it is an experiential state that emerges when it’s ‘reached’…

     

    The clarity and ‘flow’ of enlightenment can only be experienced in a ‘now’. The ‘state’ cannot be grasped or established permanently. It ends… not like it begins… but the experience always ends.

     

    … some ‘things’ what sucketh about enlightenment :)

  8. Posted · Edited by sasblamthanb

    worthy of mentions…

     

    Hot / Bikram yoga is worth a try for just about any noob to yoga… esp during the wintertime… and esp if you have any pain or ‘old injury’ issues at the start. The instructors are typically a slight notch higher in quality and depth from Hatha (ie americanized) yoga instructors, but instructors are really case by case regardless of 'style' - and as someone said above the teacher is as, if not more, important than the style.

     

    Another obscure ‘school’ is Prasara. The postures and transitional flows are more physically challenging than stock yoga asanas, so consider it only if you are close to healthy ie already ‘strong’ and ‘flexible’ ( ie youthful - but not necessarily young). The focus is on re-establishing your 'natural' bodyflow ... and turning bound flow to healthy flow in the 'first body' takes the brakes off spiritual progress... and ...etc

    Scott Sonnon has championed it for years in the west… has a book and dvd’s about it available online

    Note: As is often the case with ‘teachers’, Sonnon’s own latent disorders / instability / challenges / conflicts / unresolved issues / wotchamacallits are starting to show up more and more these days. Maybe it’s just a passing midlife crisis or something… wishing him all the best.

     

    hth

    • Like 1

  10. Posted

    Preface: My qualifications for posting in this topic = Haven't smoked in decades ... but I have 'quit' before

     

    Tobacco is a very powerful ‘medicine’

    Collectively, it is a much abused ‘ritual drug’

     

    It is a very powerful medicine for a ‘broken heart’

    It is a much abused, very powerful medicine for a ‘broken heart’ - much abused, in large part,because its active substances are among the most addictive in the world.

    If you look carefully, you can find the ‘broken heart’ part in close time proximity to when you first started smoking – even if, ostensibly, it started as a ‘social’ smoking…

     

    re: the breath ‘form’ aspect of smoking (and meditation), there’s something to that – but not much …

    the breathing alterations are mostly to optimize ‘dosing’ of the medicine to the brains. :)

     

    fwiw: ‘medicinally’ / to not be ‘abusing’ the drug / and to prep for breaking the addiction (if that’s what you want) – it’s best to confine your smoking to btwn noon and ~ 6PM…

     

    re health and smoking… to ameliorate the cancer risks, RollingThunder, a now deceased Cherokee intertribal medicine man who deeply 'understood' tobacco as medicine aspects, (and others) counseled that ppl who smoke should consume NO dairy products.

     

    All the best

  11. Posted

    Deep in the eyes of the ‘loving’ dog is deep in the eyes of the ‘living’ dao …

     

     

    ... traditionally-trained Daoists generally counsel against having pets. My teacher does; I have seen a widely-respected monk on Wudang advise against owning pets in most circumstances; and I believe that Master Ni Huaching includes not owning pets in a list of advised practices for cultivators, perhaps in 5,000 Years of Wisdom. I have also never encountered pets being raised in Daoist temples. A primary reason is for health, both energetic, and in terms of the microscopic filth animals carry on their bodies, which is not healthy for humans. Additionally, the worlds of humans and animals are separate in Daoism (yes, yes, with the caveat that there is no real separation, of course), and I have heard it said that mingling the two is indeed unnatural and unbeneficial to the practitioner.

     

    I suspect it is practical, not Taoist(, energic, or whatever) reasons for this historically. The old monastery ‘masters’ probably eschewed dogs in house because they had enough trouble keeping the stupid humans/' sht cleaned up off the floors… plus Chinese dogs ( like Chows, etc. ) aren’t exactly the most warm hearted bunch on the planet

     

     

    A primary reason is for health, both energetic, and in terms of the microscopic filth animals carry on their bodies, which is not healthy for humans. Additionally, the worlds of humans and animals are separate in Daoism (yes, yes, with the caveat that there is no real separation, of course), and I have heard it said that mingling the two is indeed unnatural and unbeneficial to the practitioner.

    The health benefits of personally compatible pets far far far outweigh any health risks.... btw, the planet is covered in "microscopic filth" - avoidance won't help ... :)

     

    ... I have heard it said that mingling the two is indeed unnatural and unbeneficial to the practitioner.

    Lots, if not most, practices would indicate the practitioner create some space for practice away from "mingling" with any and all distractions, animate or inanimate ... so yes, the dog would have to be somewhere besides trying to lick his face during practice. But, in day to day, living, walking practices, a dog can teach as well as a high level master...

     

     

     

     

     

    Did you know that churches will take chips in the offering plates in Las Vegas?

    … and who take up the offerings?

    The chip monks.

  12. Posted

    …my best ‘measure’ of optimal breathing is the clear, effortless, unrestrained, flowful, side effect breathing that spontaneously happens when (incrementally or directly) awareness is really sent ‘back’ towards/ to pure awareness itself

    … and, btw, never come even close to sustaining it when awareness returns to ‘normal’ realms

    …and, to date, no breath techniques nor carryovers from other practices have approached (re)producing this blockfree ‘breathing’…

  18. Posted

    .

     

    ... liver/galbladder cleanses all over these traditions which are gentler, slower, and surer, usually involving bitter herbs, special diets, and external applications of heat with oil with herbs to the right side while lying on the right side....

     

     

    If you have time can you please post some of these protocols and / or links and references. Thanks.

  21. Posted · Edited by sasblamthanb

    Skipping meals and fasting are two different things.

    Loosely, the freeing up of energy some experience when fasting is primarily from giving a break to all the systems that have to handle 'mass quantities' of food day in and day out .

    Unless something else is going on - 'blood sugar' issues, adrenal burnout, D eficiencies, or worse, etc the feeling weak is more likely a function of when you eat what (instead of what you eat or when you eat) hth

  23. Posted

    It's really rare for topics to be deleted. The search is reliable, but a bit tricky to use unfortunately.

     

    You could try advanced search looking around dates you think the post may have been.

    I also use google advanced search just searching thetaobums.com. That sometimes gives better results.

     

    p.s. I was going to search for posts by pietro as I though it was his thread, but I think I found it on page 2 :)

    http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/3238-different-kind-of-polarities/

     

    Thanks, Mal.

    I hadn't noticed the thread was born in 2007 so my search dates were off...

    Have a great weekend.

     

    PS Mods feel free to delete this thread

  24. Posted

    Recently (within the last week or so)I saw a topic and now can't find a way back to read it.

    It was abut a viewpoint where commonly accepted 'polarities', etc aren't really polarities at all.

    There was even a strange word for it but I can't remember it.

    The topic is no longer in View New Content

    I searched on some terms I knew were in the topic

    'Celsius', 'degrees', 'zero', 'polarities', 'polarity'.

    Nothing found on the topic...

    Does this mean the topic was deleted? Or is the search engine not reliable?

    If anyone has the link or remembers the author or has the content please drop me a note.

    Many Thanks.