Gerard

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LOL! I am trying to figure it out as well. Addressing Buddy's anger towards my statement, You said: "ZZ is too static " Yes it is, you are not moving physically; hence it's static. TOO static? It's a static exercise. "It would be the best Qigong because you are not moving externally, hence qi flow is faster." Yes, I agree. Best Qigong of the whole lot but ineffective as a martial art. Anyway, I get very tired and hungry like an elephant when I practice ZZ but not right afterwards, which happens that I don't feel like to eat for at least 4 hours (good sign as it shows that internal alchemy is speeding up and therefore less need to take care of the physical body). Eventually I need to eat a lot after a mere 10 min ZZ session in order to replenish the work exerted by the whole body against gravity. So how can I fit Mabu in my routine and let alone IMA after ZZ practice? Impossible? Maybe I need to work more on achieving a 110% relaxed state during ZZ practice? It could be a dauting task for someone living in busy society.

I don't know why you get angry for?? What I said is what I feel, maybe you feel differently, then go ahead take ZZ as martial arts conditioning. I see and approach ZZ differently. This is the way I see it: ZZ is too static and works directly (without using physical movement) with the internal aspect of your body and you are detaching from the external environment as you are slowing down your breathing while your eyes are shut. It would be the best Qigong because you are not moving externally, hence qi flow is faster. However, in this approach to Qigong the more doesn't mean the better. Neijia work in a similar way but not so aggressively and are a good way to break from a constant ZZ routine. Remember that DaMo taught moving energetic arts to the Shaolin monks because they were rotting their health after so much static work (maybe this is a legend but it makes sense to me). Btw, I see Mabu a way of strengthening exercise for the lower part of your body.

Question: What has this got to do with Taoism? ?

IMO more important than the neck is the abdominal region. Tension in there and it affects the entire body, and not only that the energy balance of the internal organs. That makes Chi Nei Tsang the most important Taoist health maintenance practice. Good luck.

I think the underlying reason has got to do with Sheng Xiao (Chinese astrology based on yin & yang movement). Buddhist (south) practice is more fire, hence less hair/bald heads. Taoist (north) practice is more water or wood, hence long hair. That's the way I understand it.

Zhan zhuang meditation has got nothing to do with Mabu stance conditioning for Neijia. Regards.

Seminal retention. First: 1. If you live in isolation. Very easy because qi is moving freely around the body and constantly absorbing jing's energy;hence the seminal fluid is being utilised non-stop. 2. If you don't. You'll have to discharge it at some stage because sooner or later it will become stagnant. Kind of like a full battery, eventually you'll need to empty it (use it) in order to become full again. So, in this case dual cultivation is the best method to balance the discharge process as you'll absorb the energy of your female partner. Masturbation is a bad method because you will gain zero. 3. There are ways to delay the seminal discharge stage: 1. Diet. Avoid or limit Yang foods especially red meats, dairy and dairy products and processed food. 2. Meditation and Qigong. 3. Quality of sleep. 4. Sheng Xiao/Astrology. Your astrological and inner yin & yang configuration will determine your sexuality. Example: A fire snake born in the Aries month with rising Leo will need a lot more sex than a water pig born as Pisces rising Cancer.

I was wondering if purchasing a book on this subject will do. I heard the book written by Mantak Chia is not that good, so I am considering others or whatever. I know I got deep blockages in the abdominal area and my internal organs, and I need to release them because my spiritual progress is stale right now. Thanks in advance.

Personally I would practice any Qigong near anything that is unnatural. However as this is unpractical for most (including myself) try to minimize the harm; that is practice in an environment as quiet and as far as possible from any electromagnetic source. If you guys have the chance to practice Qigong in the wilderness you will understand what I mean. For instance: http://www.summitpost.org/images/original/74431.jpg

Rain, I don't live in the US. Thanks anyway. Currently Brisbane, Australia. But always moving Thanks for the link. I needed a reference that would show me how to do this for myself.

I found these two videos on YouTube: The second one shows He Jing-Han. Thanks for your help.

The real process is that one. It happens naturally that way. For the same reason we have our heads up (Yang, close to Heaven) and feet down (Yin, close to Earth) and not vice versa. Trying to reverse the order from qi to jing is plain nonsense. Hope this was helpful.

Care to develop that answer? Thanks.

Thanks for your replies, guys. The problem I have is a tilted pelvis which makes things very difficult when it comes to maintaining an upright back. So what do I need to do in order to keep the right stance? In my case I guess I need to widen my leg posture otherwise I will be bending my back in excess due to my natural shortcoming. I don't want to exercise my muscles I am trying to target the tendons as explained in the link provided in my first post. Thanks.

This Russian lady was capable of mystical feats without her being regarded as either a Taoist or a Buddhist. How did she inherit these powers? Probably her spirit was already very strong due to karmic evolution as a result of spiritual practices in previous lives. Here's a page about her: http://www.mysteriouspeople.com/Nina_Kulagina.htm And a video sample: The wikipedia says something very interesting: Nina said that in order to manifest the effect, she required a period of meditation to clear her mind of all thoughts. When she had obtained the focus required, she reported a sharp pain in her spine and the blurring of her eyesight.

I suggest you do the following: Sit down on a cushion(s), close your eyes, breath in and breath out and let go. Do this for 20 years. Then come back and see where are you at. Here are some manuals. Free available to anyone. No frills. http://www.buddhanet.net/ebooks_m.htm Taoist: http://www.1stholistic.com/Meditation/hol_..._meditation.htm It doesn't matter what method you follow as long as you are able to control your mind. Personally I believe Vipassana is on the apex of meditations. Available on the Buddhist link. Enjoy the path.

No, Buddhists believe that every time the spirit is reborn body and mind is formed and within the mind there are four subgroups: thoughts or mental formation (sankhara), perception (sanna), sensation (vedana) and consciousness (vinnana). Now if you are trying to identify yourself (ego) with that mind, you'll find it nowhere as it is purely a product of karma. It's not you. However, Taoism does not contemplate the concept of karma -but I found this term being mentioned throughout this and other threads of this forum- and they just view the concept of reincarnation in terms of the soul migrating to another life, whereas Buddhists like myself understand that during the rebirth process a new conscious state is born carrying the seeds of good and evil deeds during its karmic evolution.

I would take with a pinch of salt of what a so-called Chinese Taoist master has to say. Remember real Taoists don't go public and LYING is part of Chinese culture. John Chang paid the price for going public. The main character of Chronicles of Tao apparently was born in New York. About Wang Liping, who knows? Anyway Thomas Cleary is a Taoist himself and has been studying with a master of the Complete Reality School for many years now so he knows what is writing about. There are living masters in China (and other parts of Asia) who are not teaching at all and are capable of those feats. They don't lie because they don't go public and never show anything in public. They have achieved Yang Shen bodies and are centenarians.

I would take with a pinch of salt of what a so-called Chinese Taoist master has to say. Remember real Taoists don't go public and LYING is part of Chinese culture. John Chang paid the price for going public. The main character of Chronicles of Tao apparently was born in New York. About Wang Liping, who knows? Anyway Thomas Cleary is a Taoist himself and has been studying with a master of the Complete Reality School for many years now so he knows what is writing about. There are living masters in China (and other parts of Asia) who are not teaching at all and are capable of those feats. They don't lie because they don't go public and never show anything in public. They have achieved Yang Shen bodies and are centenarians.

There is a lot of misconception with ZZ. Let me put it this way: Because one is fighting gravity the muscles need to carry an excessive load that will rise fire qi and hence tension. So ZZ has a point of diminishing returns, that is the more or longer you do it the less benefit you get. That is my case, after 4 years of doing daily ZZ I quit. It was developing my entire musculoskeletal structure not just the major muscle groups but all of them. Hence my dietary requirements were enormous. In addition due to the fire qi build up (problem that was compounded by my internal energetic structure, fire horse, according to Sheng Xiao and 5 Elements Theory) my body became too Yang. I no longer practice ZZ, just sitting Buddhist meditation (Vipassana). However, I must admit that for a beginner (and perhaps for anyone that doesn't have a fire nature: sheep, horse or snake) ZZ is an extremely valuable exercise with all the well-known Qigong benefits. Sitting meditation combined with moving Qigong delivers equal benefits.

Define me the mind, please? What mind, where, when?

Sorry if I disagree but grounding is dependent on Yin and Yang. Nothing to do with the mind. If you are a cave dweller and meditating non-stop for three years then only live on "qi" and water due to their extreme Yin condition. However, if you are doing a lot of physical activity and/or living in society then eating meat/fish is not going to deter your spiritual progress as in this state you are more Yang and hence you would need more meat/fish and sexual activity. It's all about balancing Yin & Yang according to our energetic requirements and own internal make-up following Shen Xiao (5 elements applied to Zodiac). Remember that Siddharta Buddha died of eating either "mushroom delicacy or soft pork".