thelerner

An intriguing part of some taoist alchemical practices is the ability to reherse death. In the deeper conscious dream practices there are methods to re-integrate the different soul spirits that would generally separate out at death. Thats more Michael Winns bag. A good place to get other views might be to ask on his site and/or get his Dream CD. Tibetans have there Powa practices too, a similar death practice. I do think its important to live for today, but keep a consciousness of death. I think its important to die well and to calm and together after death. Michael

Sounds like a sensitive young 'man' to me. After the brain surgery he may well be worth pursuing. long as he isn't making that sound m

A lot of scientific debunking is just the love of poking strangers with sticks so you can enjoy the ensuing fight with them. Take Mormonism, there is a religion that can be particularly easy to poke holes in. But then aren't most religions? You can debunk and criticize yourself into a cold cement corner where nothing is sacred. I'm not saying we shouldn't be critical, but there are some sacred cows we should allow to roam free in order to stay sociable. Cause cow tipping can be obnoxious, specially when its yours. Michael

What common mistakes do people make when they first try the system? How much self practice is recommended before playing w/ a partner? What are your success rates and what holds people back from experiencing it? Look forward to the interview. I believe Yoda did some work in this area. Michael

'Enlightenment' to me is looking more and more like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And I'm old enough to know that rainbows are an optical illusion, they have no end. There may be physical enlightenments I can achieve using physical means to open up energy channels in my body. There may be psychological enlightenments I can achieve allowing me to lose petty desires and feel truly at home in the universe, most of the time. But the big E, fuggetaboutit, at least for me. Michael

I'll head there in a minute. Join me ?

If not now, when? When things are perfect? That will be a long wait my friend. There are pieces of the world that are indeed perfect. Seek'em out and cherish them. There are places in the world we can fix and make closer to whole. Find'em and do the work. Karma (service) yoga is as real and worthwhile as any other. I'm not much a bliss person myself, but I do think the state holds power beyond just feeling good. Michael

No 600 and I don't think she should be allowed in the same room with them after day 50 . Hi Cam, Ultimately if you want to keep high vibes on this thread (which is a really good one) you'd have to move it into your Personal Discussion site where you'd have complete control. Michael

Minke De Vos from Silent Grounds website has an article on her experiences doing a dark room retreat. You can find it at silentgrounds.com or google it. I'm sure it would be a very deep experience, getting through basic fears, intensity of senses, intensified emotions.. If you follow the Universal Tao system, the dark room seems to be a graduate level class, maybe PHD. Go, go and report back Michael

Hmnn, I was just thinking I'd like to go to another seminar in 3 or 4 months. To re-invigorate and get ready for level 2 stuff. So depending on timing and family obligations I'd be in. Michael

Sorry I'll miss it. It would be a great honor to study with you. Yours Michael

You can try a Patti Cake method of balancing before meditation. With your left hand clap your right shoulder twice. Then right hand clapping left shoulder twice. Repeat a few times. Then left hand claps just above right knee twice. Then right hand claps left knee. Repeat a few times. Finally left hand reaches behind you and taps your raised right ankle twice. Then the other side. Repeat a few times. This helps balance the body and the right left brain. You can experiment w/ clapping fairly hard on the shoulders and knees, it helps release tension. keep the clapping hand relaxed. Another physical trick is tottering a little left and right a few times, increasingly slower til you find a good center point. Then doing the same front to back until you feel just centered. Having an experienced meditator or a (yoga,taichi,aikido,feldenkrais...) person look at your posture while meditating is a good idea. Often people don't keep there backs straight enough (my lower back always tends to slouch). Yours Michael

Well said, Matt. Tangentally, I find long term spiritual people turn more androgenous as they age. Glenn Morris mentions that in his first book. Hopefully as we age we drop the Ism's, Asm's and chasms that divide people. Michael

Anger and love of The Drama. Michael

My advice would be forget Best. Find a practice that is good and resonates with you. Marry it, do it faithfully for a year or two. From that vantage point see where your next step lies. From what I've seen here over the years, the sincerity of the practitioner-how they incorporate the system into there whole life- has more to do with results then the particular practice. Yours Michael I'm old and blind enough to say Forget the 'more money equal more tao' thinking. Ultimately we must throw away the books, videos, seminars and other's opinions and just practice, practice, practice. When you get off your computer and commit. You're on your path. Don't know if it will be THE PATH, but even if its just sitting quietly you'll be moving along

Good luck to you. A sincere heart moves mountains. Five hours a day is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there Michael

You're right to be cautious. It is indeed strange stuff. Not to be entered lightly. But if you're well grounded, have the time, chance and inclination; it might not be a bad game to play. As long as you remember its play and not take it to seriously, even when entering its extremes. Michael

Thats what I figured. M

True, but I keep the lights on. I look forward to hitting the dessert at night. Darkness, quietness. Living in the city all my life makes those things rare experiences. I have Glenn Morris's Meditative Mastery Series. Its on cassette (6 I think), which is too bad. Most of it follows his first book. The production quality is so so, but if you're a fan of the book you'd love it. I think it was redone and is out on CD's at the old Hoshin site. There are a number of guided meditations on it. Things like The Cave where you create your own free form world, others based on elemental archetypes. They're open ended to give you space to create and explore within them. Most important is his Secret Smile meditation. Its the same as the book but he reads you through it. Instead of being organ based like Chia's system, it fills the microcosmic orbit up w/ positive emotions, ending w/ sexual charged energy. It really does bring a smile to the face. You're supposed to end it by staying seated in the void (thoughtless), for as long as you can. It also has a couple of breathing exercises, more on dreams, a little on healing and energy transfer, a lecture on the benefits of the sun salutation. As I've moved to digital I haven't kept up w/ it. This winter, I'll reread his books, and digitize the series for my Ipod. Michel

I really enjoyed Morris's work. The West lost one of its most knowledgeable, friendly esoteric pioneers when he died. I have his first 2 books and tape series. I'm just taking steps into increasing quietness and peace. The void can wait a while. Not that I want to avoid it. I hear its a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there Michael

Dittos, I've appreciated your insight and comments. Michael

Couldn't think of a koan so I googled one: Zen master Ummon asked: `The world is such a wide world, why do you answer a bell and don ceremonial robes?'

I wrote a bad koan, an embarassingly bad one 'Why was the Buddha fat?' I think I get a good answer to it though. The answer I get is 'Why does the conditioned mind have the need to attack so much?' Because the original question points to the hostility of the one who asks. My initial answer and Wayfarers to the hanging man koan, wreak of attack. I'd try to kill the asker, he'd try to piss on him! A koan's purpose is to point you toward enlightenment, not anger, cuteness or cleverness. You're screwed and about to die. The asker isn't you and they're not making a flippant remark like 'have a nice trip'. They're a master trying to give you a last chance to settle your mind and see truth. Michael

Grab the stick, bang it twice and answer "This is a short staff". Words are not reality, you can't hold words, but you can hold and bang a short staff. Why is the Buddha fat?

He's a da man, he's the magician man. First rule of Magic; One mans magic is another mans engineering. Thats not to say he's not brilliant and mutlifaceted, but he playing a different game then the top chigung masters. An illusionist has a wide variety of tricks and tools use. He's supposed to fool us, that what we pay magicians for. He's even willing to show us the tricks. Did you see the Houdini style escape from a prison cell. Without him showing how it was done, you'd could be obliged to think he charmed a lock or teleported through a door. Magicians spend 10's of hours, sometimes hundreds of hours on single tricks. But remember-Magic Rule #2 is Remember a trick is a trick Michael