thelerner

I don't believe in such a predetermined universe. Maybe if I saw more direction in history I would. My next move isn't la;ksjfdsa;kldf written. I see actions as pushing over karmic dominoes, but the dominoes don't flow in straight lines, the interact w/ others and fall in unknown patterns. As far as coincidences. I think we have far more choices then we consciously realize and the coincidences we notice are often just examples of greater awareness to a particular area. Michael

I've started working on Franz Bardon Initiation Into Hermetics and some of practices on Rawn Clarks Abardoncompanion.com site. I'm working through Rawn's IHVH chanting series. A simple practice taken to the NNnnnth degree. Fascinating stuff. Just wondering what other people know about it and how they practice. Michael

Bardon goes pretty far out, you could say ultimately far out in the last steps of his practice and thats only his first book. I like the psychological foundation he lays out in the first steps. Nothing exotic, understand yourself, exercises like the light/dark mirror to see yourself and shadow completley. Slowly going through the steps on attention and one pointedness. Simple physical routines. Very basic stuff that is so important. Some stuff seems new age, others are almost like old time religion, ie thanking and charging the food and water your drink. Simple prayer/affirmation when you rise and sleep I've been doing a simple Hebrew chant. Rawn Clark has this amazingly complicated system based on an old classic. I'm on his level three, and there's mental, visual, emotional, vocal levels to it that are really dynamic and pretty challenging. I can't imagine what he has you do for the next 5 levels. I've always had a hard time with the concept of prayer on many levels. The usual- why should we pray and to who? Does he owe humankind a refund etc. The chants provide solutions that go beyond my head. Michael

Here's my happy quote of the day: In this world there are only Lovers and Teachers Only that anything else is due to limited understanding. Michael

In marriage are Mythmaker and Mythismaker a mythtic match? Actually rumor is that they've both gone through Kundalini. I think most of the married male bums I've talked to are in my position. I practice and dabble but my wife doesn't. Which is a bummer. Whats the scoop? Michael

For those Yuppie Ipoders. Most libraries have CD's of Chinese Pimsleurs along w/ other language systems available. Doesn't take long to suck'em into the Pod. Pimsleurs system takes it nice and slow which I like. Michael

What a business that would be. I'd call it Karmic Lost and Found(KLF). For $5,000 I'll give your next carnation all the detailed information you think they should have. I'd need some tibetans, a good website, an offshore account and I'd be ready to go. Cheaper rate for the bums ofcourse. And I'd offer a guarantee, any slip ups and we'd make good on your second carnation. Michael

I wonder if Shen is his real name? Michael

Mbanu, this leads to the questions. Do we think immortal exist (physically)? Any evidence of them these days? Why not? Its been a while since we've batted this around. Its fundamental to Taoism though. Religious Taoism prays to a pantheon of immortals. In shamanistic meditations some taoist connect and learn from the immortals. I think its an old mistranslation or superstition. I don't think we have living immortals around. I've paged through books about Chinese taoists hermits. Some who've been assumed by village folk to be immortals. They weren't. Live long enough as a hermit and rumours spread. I do think there may be documented evidence of taoists going into month long (years) meditation. Which is something of a superhuman mystical feat. I'd like to get more info on that phenomena though. Michael

You've got a point Thad. Should have said minor bummer . My wife smiles and leaves to my madness. Michael

In Western terms the common man who says 'I am God' is considered a kook and either sent off to an insane asylum or stayed away from. In Eastern terms (say from India) he is considered on track, with a deep correct understanding. (He must be alert cause the Car God is big fast & doesn't always look where its going). I have no problem, matter of fact admiration, for the person who displays deep calm and peace, saying they am enlightened. It may not be your idea of enlightenment and it maybe just arguing semantics. But its certainly light-ening from the heavy state most of us are in. A caveat is that the person isn't full of themselves. I'm not going to fly or shoot sparks out of my butt, but I think I can achieve, and have tasted (a little) of what that persons enlightenment is. Its pretty good. Its very good. Simply the 'mildly enlightened' person who isn't full of themselves is worth much more then the acknowledged 'unenlightened' who is stuffed, IMHO Michael

I have to agree with Yen Hui. The highest level masters are probably unknown to the masses and would probably be walked past. We feed on TV images and stereotypes, Value things through Western materialistic eyes. In China anyone w/ any reputation was sent to re-education camps or worse during the cultural revolution. The quiet ones survive. Michael

Is (a methods) complexity good? Better then a simpler system? I don't question hard work or time on the mat, but is complexity neccessary? Are degrees of complexities artifices put there by people who would codify a religion? Learning and change are inherently uphill. But isn't there a time when we forget the system and move intuitively? Shouldn't all philosophies and training evolve simpler? Maybe its ones taste or predisposition. Michael

In between boiling water and doing laundry I'll be at Live Chat. If people are on but not responding, make a noise. 2:45 Chicago time Michael

grok

The person we sponsor should be the best at reporting to us. The person who'd give us the best taste of actually experiencing it. To that point I'd say Yoda, who is our most prolific writer. Then I'd consider Spyrelix who wants the job and says he'd do a great job recording it for us. To that extent Trunk would be a good choice too. If people are really serious, we should make it into a real vote, with Sean O, to get the final decision with regards to honest and fair counting. If we're serious someone should put it into a poll. Michael

I can't draw worth a damn, but I get the image (black & white) of a sword slicing the Tai Chi image in half. Its not to show disrespect to the symbol, but to illustrate the work needed to cut through imagary into the real. If done well it should have some eye catching drama to it. Michael

I really admire your book, '100 days'. Glad to have you here. You know what they say, Old Taoists never die, they just transform and reform Michael

This site is a a gold mine of global dialogue. Spend some time hunting down the best threads, bam you have 20 or 30 pages of very interesting philosophical dialogue. With permision there are some interesting personal logs here and on the HT site that could make interesting fodder. Michael

In my day we only had one tantien and that was the hara located in the belly. Now you whipper snappers have lots of them. Middle ones in the heart or sometimes the solar plex, high ones in the brain somewhere. This tantien inflation has to stop. Pretty soon you'll be calling them chakras, giving them colors and then where will we be? India thats where. Like Cam, I started off in Aikido where there is a tradition to concentrating and centering on the lower tan tien(hara). In alchemical taoism I do find using 3 tantiens useful, belly, heart and head. Michael Pole star is usually another name for the North star, Polaris. The light purple star that keeps its position at night and has the other stars (hence the universe) circle around it

Your always poetic often cryptic messages will be missed. Don't stay away too long, even forever takes coffee breaks Michael

I bought David Deida's "Enlightened Sex" book last week. I'm a sucker for books that also contain audio CD's. I like the book a lot. You can clearly see Chia influences in it, such as MCO and Big Draw type control. There is very little technique but much emphasis on relaxation, body awareness and opening your heart and connecting it to your lover. Its written from a man's point of view and much of it is answering the questions of how to relate to woman. The line between staying sensitive while being masculine. Its probably not as 'enlightening?' for woman as for men. One book I have that is simply called Tantra by Val Sampson is very good. Its an easy introduction with many good pointers. Sampson is a journalist who did an article on Tantra and got sucked into it as a serious hobby. Its conversational and not very technique oriented. Again Chia's name pops up every now and then as someone who influenced one of her teachers. I probably pick up some sort of trantric book every year or two. Sex is too important a part of our lives to let get stale. Michael

I'm in category of joining here to find the non-ordinary reality. Despite some deep experiences and years of meditation I'm still a rational mind in a Newtonian Universe- which is too bad. Hopefully I'll follow Tonytao experience and be dragged out of it. Michael

Welcome Glad to have you aboard. Don't hesitate to post questions or great thoughts or telling us about the style of chi gung you practice. Is the Giles you mention the Giles at Chei Nei Tsang? Michael

You've trained longer and harder then most of us. Seems to me you're sitting pretty high up and wondering what next? From my point of view, you are very accomlished. You've spent long ernest time 'on the mat'. There are fruits of your practice that you take for granted that many of us may never know. The only thing I might suggest is- Sometimes when you work hard for something and it seems its eluding you, take a break, surrender your desire and let the universe decide. Michael