Gerard

The Dao Bums
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About Gerard

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  1. Voidisyinyang

    Personally, you should be obsessed with "mastering the breathing process" according to Theravada Buddhism: https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?t=21892 There is a further key link about "nimitta" in that link which is an excellent piece of information. That links with the meditation retreat link I sent you by pm after you asked about visualising deities (it will lead you nowhere). This combined with IMA practices to remove deep blockages will set your practice up for life. You need to work with the Yin & Yang and the 5 Forces (elements) as in our world sitting meditation practice won't cut the mustard which is why moving the way structured according to Chinese IMA is so helpful. All the best
  2. Alien encounters during dream

    Curious is a good description: Crab Nebula
  3. Am I practicing Qigong or Neigong?

    Yes correct and they banned internal martial arts, burned down monasteries and temples, killed monks, removed a lot of stuff from TCM and blended it with Western Medicine rendering it to almost being useless. Second strike: practices like Taijiquan were stripped down into easier to perform forms (shorter), eg. Beijing 24 of the Yang style. Many of the old masters fled to neighbouring Taiwan and America so they could practice the old way peacefully without being harassed or murdered by the Red Guards. Most modern Qigong forms were developed by the Communists. Go figure about their effectivity. Yes, linked to the Neijia arts and their connection to Taoist science and TCM medical theory. Deep work. When I first attended Ba Gua lessons with my teacher he told me very clearly: you'll find out what neigong really means with circle walking and the Eight Mother Palms practice.
  4. Spotting a fake master

    1. Claims 2. Money (substantial quantities involved enough to fund a lavish lifestyle) 3. Promises 4. Goals 5. What his system will help you attain (linked to point 1) 6. Fancy names used instead of his real name; eg. Master of the Sacred Kunlun Order of the Sublime Bliss rather than Joe Citizen. 7. Hinduism. This tradition is often associate with charlatans. Same with Christianity. Examples: 1. Swami Nityananda 2. The Vatican
  5. Heat during meditation

    Not only that but bear in mind what WOOD entails: The main function of the liver is to regulate the movement of Qi within the 'body.' This regulatory function is essential for the physiological actions of all organ systems. If this is the case that only means one thing: Practice should be 24/7 One must learn to be calm all the time Remember the nick of one of the three Taoist elders depicted in the book "Opening the Dragon Gate: The making of a modern Taoist wizard?" The Master of Absolute Serenity I wonder why?
  6. Heat during meditation

    Yes but also take into a/c the Lower Jiao time (Wood-Liver is active too as it's one of the organs involved), 11pm-midnight (not pictured). Basically from 11pm till sunrise and a few hours past that time Wood is still strong (basically around 9am). This explains why Theravada Buddhist monks don't eat any solid meals until 10am to be safe as they obviously practice retention due to celibacy.
  7. Bagua book

    Hi Steve, Yes but that would go beyond the scope of the art. It's just way too much stuff going on which is the main reason I'm not interested in writing any books. Best is finding a real life teacher which for some people is next to impossible hence my advice would be to travel and live where that teacher is until they get the basics right.
  8. Bagua book

    Hello, Thanks for your interest but I won't be writing a book about Ba Gua Zhang/Quan.
  9. Yes good stuff. The dragon itself being an action and power orientated 'animal' will bring this year significant changes which will culminate with the Fire Horse in 2026, for good or for the worse as this animal can either bring disaster or complete regeneration. Buckle up for sure.
  10. Heat during meditation

    OK you are quiet during the Wood hours. But also check your: 1. Diet 2. Other Lifestyle factors: how much you think during the day as this indicates level of Wood activity and excess Wood leads to excessive Fire (Liver Yang rising); stress levels, living at full throttle which also lead to excessive Fire. 3. Sexual activity
  11. Heat during meditation

    Liver Yang rising caused by Kidney Yin deficiency. I suggest you seeing a TCM practitioner with herbal qualifications in order to flush your system from excess heat. If you regularly stay up late this will exacerbate the problem, which itself was caused by lifestyle habits like study, work, computer use, partying, etc. during the late night, wee hours and right up to sunrise.
  12. Dao Bums (here i am)

    You know why, do you? https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-when-a-snake-sheds-its-skin-why-isnt-it-colourful-160997 The Wood type even more! Myself doing what my own nature loves best:
  13. I don't believe any of that especially coming from a major religion often associated with FUNDAMENTALISM which treats women like stray dogs. Sufi yes, they are a totally different bunch. Thumbs up! "Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself." (Rumi) But Islam in general don't think much of them and in some instances they are murdered and imprisoned. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-many-sufis-in-world-i_b_902164
  14. the need to know

    You'll learn nothing useful from books as in gaining insight of what we really are, the subtle processes that take within all of us, and what is the real meaning of full realisation. Btw, the Vipassana teacher was only concerned about one single thing: How much are you thinking during your meditation practice? Twice a day for the entire 3-week retreat. He asked me nothing else. At the end of the retreat he said: you are only a baby meditator but you'll go far on this path. If took me roughly 10 to 14 years to find out what he said was 100% correct. I also knew the solely inner work path is not adequate for modern practitioners due to the sheer amount of blockages and state of imbalance we are all in when we first start this path. One must manipulate the body completely and bring the Yin & Yang to complete balance in order to fully understand and grasp the Mind.
  15. the need to know

    I don't teach but I could and HAVE WRITTEN ZERO BOOKS. I will never write one because good teachings are passed on orally and this this the way I have learnt. I have learnt Ba Gua from a teacher, a Water Ox, who hasn't written any books and I doubt he'll ever write any as he also learnt the master-apprentice style. He learnt Xingyi from his uncle (he hasn't written any books, Roy Jenzen from Perth) and Ba Gua from a Beijing-based teacher: Wang Tong. No books either. I also learnt from He Jinghan. All his FOUNDATION work videos available on YouTube are priceless. A big thank you from here. He has written one book but tbh I reckon he did it to pay the bills, for all the free vids he released online. Nothing in that book is different from all his audiovisual material. The teacher I was assigned to in the Vipassana retreat I attended in northern Thailand hasn't written any books and you'll never find any info about him online. He is a Dutch guy, a Fire Rooster, with a very deep insight. Won't say much here but he was spot-on with many things about this 'spiritual' business (full of inflated BS and excessive talk and written material ). More hardcore practice and less talk that's his belief. He actually wasn't impressed at all about the stuff I experienced on retreat: siddhi phenomena? He said nothing about it and wasn't slightly interested and impressed at all. Today this stuff doesn't impress me at all either. There are far more important things to care about. Hope this info helps.