Gerard

How about stopping this habit for good? Interested?

I chopped off most of your post in order to reply to you specifically. I just took a random bit, that's it. FOUR TIMES I should have been , but it didnt 'come off' Well it's not you who is deciding when to stop anyway. I mean this Earth-based Nungali but the higher YOU. The other YOU. From VF's post: According to Buddhism, reincarnation doesn't exist, but rebirth does. This is something I find quite confusing. This is because the self doesn't exist. So there's not an eternal soul which leaves one body and travels to the next at the point of death. To answer that, from my experience. 1. Hindu view: soul/spirit moves from body to body after death (incorrect). This is reincarnation. Other traditions, including some Taoist branches believe/follow this model. 2. Buddhist view (very close to what really happens but it doesn't give you the full picture which is a lot broader and complex). Spirit/Mind remains but the karma continues (new body after death). This is rebirth. 3. Quantum Mechanics. It ticks all the boxes and it is a very accurate model but it doesn't talk about rebirth, new life/cycle after death and such. It misses the simplicity of the following model. Too complex, which makes sense as it is a major branch of Physics (Western science), so we won't be hearing any specific discussions about this subject. Out of the question. They do care about consciousness though but in their theoretical model. 4. Pre-Buddhist Taoist (Tao Teh Ching). Buried under a layer of metaphors and poetry it gives us a big picture of what is exactly going on even though rebirth isn't mentioned anywhere or how the process takes place; eg. Tao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, The Two gives birth to Three, The Three gives birth to all universal things. Very good stuff and IMO the core of Taoism itself plus a simple and deep explanation of Reality. Still a very metaphoric explanation of what is really going on.

It's like the process behind physical death in each of the sequences of YOU that are generated ALL at ONCE. I just read one of your posts in a different thread about the old lady in the hospital ward wanting to die which she was unable to. She wasn't aware of one fact: https://youtu.be/43VhRKJX_sk You 'die' when you run out of gas whether you want it or not or like it or not. Not before then.

Like all religions they a have in common two things: 1. Tradition, custom, respect to the deceased 2. Underlying element of fear The actual process of 'reincarnation' doesn't work like that at all, in fact it's a lot more complex and has got nothing to do with a spirit leaving the body after death. Taoism isn't concerned about reincarnation. Before it was contaminated by Buddhism it was only concerned about the science of yin & yang (eg. I Ching) and understanding how the two major forces and their five sub forces influenced everything and how to treat illness due to the lack of harmony and balance (Huangdi Neijing). It's the world's oldest science!

You'll sleep like a baby when you practice an energy that has been rising for most of the day (Yang Wood ---> gallbladder organ). At 11pm it becomes active but it's also when the San Jiao peaks (the sum of various organs energies having a profound effect on overall health). I also drink a coffee during that time to help descending the gallbladder energy. Training the whole day and night is the ideal scenario but unfeasible for most. So try this in a retreat environment.

Yes but the method is too slow, unfortunately. Focus exclusively on squats & walking meditation. Remain in low position as often as you can and as long as you can.

You didn't state your location but in Australia there have been instances of shark attacks on divers (including fatalities): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329895013_Fatal_shark_attacks_on_divers_in_Australia_1960-2017 Also check this global stat excel file: https://www.sharkattackfile.net/spreadsheets/GSAF5.xls Japan, Bahamas, Mexico, Galapagos (Ecuador), etc. locations where divers have suffered from a shark attack.

Twenty years of practice and fourteen of those dedicated exclusively to Ba Gua Quan + grounding work (squat + hiking in the mountains). Grounding improves everything, including stronger Spleen, Liver Yang rising no more, GB force descends rather than ascending as in most people, clears heat as a result, dispels dampness...and brings the Qi down. It takes a lot of work, discipline and effort to attain this but the results are truly awakening. You will know why the schooling and the whole academic system is so destructive, especially to seekers born in Fire years and or born under a Fire sign. Excessive thinking is one of the toughest hurdles to overcome.

SQUATS until you develop the legs of a competitive powerlifter. That's how ungrounded you and the entire urban population of this planet is. Note: I was like that too! My goodness I wish I had before and after photos to show you what I was before and what I have become now. Hard work pays off! Best time around 11pm when the GB meridian starts kicking in and also when the Lower Jiao channel is peaking.

Certainly: 1. You were born with LEGS. Use them! 2. Taoism was born in the mountains. Putting the two together: This routine will cure many, many ailments; for sure. NATURE is the greatest healer!

Sure there is and this one is the jewel in the crown: Culture, chairs, heels in our shoes, etc. We all live in an ungrounded world. That position will turn you into a normal human again. Do it EVERY DAY as often as you like and remain in that position as long as you like it too. Cold feet & hands, hot head, liver Yang rising, weak spleen, poor digestion, etc. It fixes all of them plus a lot more.

Kojiro, These two are the major forces that regulate the entire of you: 1. Yin 2. Yang Mess up with them and you’ll live a short and painful life. End of story. After them you have a range of forces each generated by the solid Yin organs, you won’t to mess up with them either. They generate the entire meridian network which must be opened and flowing nicely. This is a huge undertaking! -Diet -Lifestyle -Emotions -Grounding (modern world’s disease) -Sexual activity Also need to be regulated. See how you go with this GAME. Finally, the Mind (the ultimate YOU), which is like a new dawn. The final awakening process. From there are NO LIMITS.

And why do you think this happens in the fist place? Why are you/we going thorough all this effort whereas the next door neighbour is completely clueless about the NATURE OF REALITY and what WE ALL REALLY ARE. In that regard there are no maybes or coincidences. Some are definitively better than others. Some are blatantly fakes developed in order to finance the lifestyle of their creators + for egotistic purposes. Better trust methods created a long time ago, tested and religiously followed by generations of practitioners. Those which emphasise grounding above any other considerations are the genuine ones. Methods that quickly talk about or emphasise the need of ENLIGHTENMENT, stay away from them like the plague. Its very easy on this path to fall under the spell of mental creations/ various states of refined consciousness and the so-called ‘siddhis,’ which most are fairy tales. The Mind craves for its creation and anything else it can hold onto. This last aspect IMO is the toughest challenge of all; that is letting go of everything while still staying grounded and living material life as a necessary process. Mortifying and denying the body as some traditions include as a key aspect is WRONG. Guilt, sin and shame for who you are are no-nos. One needs to see beyond that. The body is an expression of the soul. WE ALL CHOSE TO BE HERE!

It’s much more than that. Luck, destiny, karma…? Whatever you want to call it. Look at this post of mine written back in 2004 in another forum: Hi guys I am trying to get involved in this martial art as Taiji is not part of my karma. I never liked it. It wasn't meant for me. Personally I find bagua more in touch with yin & yang interaction and harmony. I'd like to know which of the bagua styles are better for a beginner like me. Second question: are there any good videos where I can get started? (I know videos are no good, but gee better a video than nothing). Thanks, Gerard. Source: https://www.martialartsplanet.com/threads/pre-natal-or-post-natal-bagua.11597/ Note: I didn’t start training Ba Gua Quan until August 2008, So I had to ‘wait’ for another 4 years. Until then it was all about reading countless written material which lead me to little results but having a lot of academic knowledge. Is this good? Hell no! A profound inner transformation, self-realisation is what matters in the end. So two things: 1. Find the method not any method that works for you. 2. Find a good teacher who focuses on practice and doesn’t sell encyclopaedias and a whole bunch of videos showing how good he is. Thanks for opening this thread, Kojiro, Best of luck to everyone in this regard.

Both; however the animals are more focused on application as opposed to the 5E Fists.

To answer that: 1. Increased Kidney energy, the true source of Yin & Yang within you and everyone else. Kidney peaks during full moon and couples/mates with the Heart (sun). 2. Full moon is only an external expression of the Water Force.

Sorry I have no idea. I saw the Taoist temple on the way up to the top of the mountain. It’s very close to the Buddhist one and in China they both have shaped their culture together with Confucianism. In Taiwan they still maintain the traditional values as discussed here: https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=2819

Deleted. Wrong thread!

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If you are fluent in Mandarin, it shouldn’t be an issue. It will open many doors. There is a very peaceful and secluded Taoist monastery located in Ling Jiou Mountain, right below the Wu Sheng Buddhist Monastery, Fulong-Taiwan. I visited both back in the mid-2000s. But there are many others scattered across the island,

Please watch this film to see for yourself what China has become and where it is heading too: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_(film) 1. My teacher who lived in Beijing to deepen his Xingyiquan skill and also learn Ba Gua Zhang from his teacher. One day he saw what he thought was a formal Taoist monk leaving the White Cloud Temple dressed up in casual clothing. He previously saw him inside performing Taoist ritual. He asked him why he was wearing urban wear and he said: Just finished work as I get paid by the Gov. to pose as a Taoist priest and going home with my family! 2. Alex Kozma’s personal account when he visited and lived in Wudang: it’s a circus, a market setup by the Gov. to lure foreigners in and sell them ‘fluff’ at a very expensive rate. This is his response after sent him an email asking for advice about living in a monastery in mainland China. My advice: you’ll better luck trying in Taiwan, a country which still preserves Traditional Chinese culture. Good luck!

Steps to follow: 1. Asian squat (daily) 2. Stop doing any visualisations 3. Take it easy

Xingyi is not what I practice but I found this discussion (some of the comments are spot on!) very informative. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Xing Yi over other martial arts? https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-Xing-Yi-over-other-martial-arts Movement is an essential aspect of this internal style especially once one starts working with the Five Forces.

Online learning TJQ? You’ll only learn to dance; for the deep stuff you need a good teacher; however better dancing than doing NOTHING. Search for Ian Sinclair (Yang style) on YT. He has the full Beijing 24 set. Taught in detail showing various body angles which is unusual. They are placed near the bottom of his playlist. FREE of charge. Good luck bro

Preferably MOVING, eg. chopping fist/pi quan (Metal Force) see this video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4uJJYBrH9Eo It’s an art like TJQ and BGQ designed to understand and apply the changes between Yin and Yang.