thelerner

I had some rambling advice but nothing specific or overly useful. But this came to mind- Get a dog. Having a dog makes you a member of the dog tribe. They'll see you, talk to you and you'll have a built in subject. It can be hard to ask people out for coffee and stuff, but it's way easier to hook up to walk your dogs. Nobody gets to know a neighborhood and the people in it, like the dog walkers. For the introvert it means meeting one on one or in a small group. Also mean learning from the dog. Friendly, energetic, in the moment.

Sometimes I think the concept of Enlightenment is dangerous. So I keep mine simple and low, splitting it into two. A body type enlightenment and mental type. Course people can have them both. My paradigm probably isn't correct at the highest but gives me something to shoot for.

I am saddened at his passing, RIP, old school friend. What a brave maverick. He had a vision and built it. A very rare thing. Talented, dedicated, ornery, calls it like he sees it, take no prisoners or bullshit. Yet approachable and helpful. Very Tao. I had daydreams of going to his small retreat down south. I'm sure I would have learned much.

This is kinda a song version of the OP-

At least he kept his fingers, which puts him ahead of some disciples.

I like this. Power is not bad, it is the capacity to get things done. It should come naturally in a well lived life, even if not used. Yet as the writer said, without balancing it with wisdom and compassion, power can go nuts. Blow up the ego, get side tracked into paranoia or delusions of grandeur.. dark places. Wisdom and compassion, gratitude and giving, keep one in balance.

Any excuse to get the family together, share a meal, show gratitude is welcome. even when its low key.

No problem. I've thought, for the householder path, ie not the monk or ascetic, beyond a wholesome discipline, be natural. Find a comfortable middle ground where you have some discipline, based on where you are now, which you can grow or lessen depending on the season and where you are in life. If you find it acceptable, imo, it's not wrong to play your cultures (dating/mating) game. Learn the rules and within a healthy regimen, and not hurting yourself or anyone else, be natural, have fun. When we're young, as men, losing jing, feeling attraction is normal, its our nature. We can partake of it, positively. Drew wrote about psychically connecting to woman, often without consent, advanced but not very moral. He didn't write about dating or having a healthy relations with any. In other words imbalanced, imo. His writings could be fascinating but had a frenzied, sometimes scattered energy to them. I wish him well, the man seemed to have some juice and knowledge (certainly more than I) but lacked balance which is so important.

It's not showing up as a map from me. Here's what I get when I hit it: This map is currently frozen. To unfreeze, please Upgrade the account that owns this map to one of our paid plans for more visits. In case the map is not owned by any account, Sign-Up for the service and claim the map with a paid account. Any one know another map site we can start?

I'd point you to yoga nidras, the original guided meditations. Some are more sleep oriented, all of them deeply relax the body. To some extent relaxed body and mind can be the best you can hope for, especially when an energetic meditation, chemical or worry is keeping you up. Here's a good source for ones to try : https://www.yoganidranetwork.org/nidras/

I think that is or is close to a Pangu Kaishan Golden Shield/Bell art I did years ago. Physical body armoring with some chi gung practices built in. An iron shirt like practice. I liked it, had applications for self healing, toughness, martial arts. As far as Golden or Rainbow body I don't think it went there. Though who knows at its highest level. I take Golden and/or Rainbow body as semi-mythic. In the stories told, the main 'hero' doesn't come back to teach, ie a dedicated student spends years or decades studying at the monastery, disappears, maybe there ashes or finger nails and its 'assumed' Golden/Rainbow body. I assume if you gained such powers you'd stay there, at least for a bit and teach. Teach your friends, your masters, parents, brothers etc., You'd want to share, but seemingly they are never seen again, vanished to quietly explore other dimensions. Mythic. I never expected to be as good as teachers who spent there life dedicated to their art. At best I could be a middling student and thats fine. I have a life to live. Monks and masters spend the majority of their life working hard and long at it. 4 or 5 hours a day doesn't cut it. That doesn't imo, mean long dedicated practice bears no fruit, it means you probably won't get supernatural powers. If it was easy, everyone would do it. If it was very very very hard but possible, you'd see 1,000s with it. With Golden/Rainbow body as far as I know, simply doesn't have living role models. Its mostly anecdotes and finger nails. With an art like Golden Shield qigong above, you'll working from slaps to fists to sand bags, to wooden bricks to sticks to bats. Cool stuff, takes time and practice and should make you healthier, more resistant and energetic, not supernatural but you'll have a living teacher and fellow students along the way. With arts like that, a live teacher is very important for feedback.

Can't help you with Golden Body, but at various times I made notes on the Golden Flower meditation. Its a tough nut to crack. One of its central practices: 'Turning the Light Around' has been a koan of mine for a long time. I've come to believe, like many traditions, some of it was oral and not written down. Its interesting to read translation of the original source, perhaps even more to see how different practices have been interpreted from it. <hah, re-reading my notes, I ignore whole chapters; 1-6 as yakety yak that'll probably earn me 3 or 4 lower incarnations > Can't say I've gotten far with it, but its a practice I keep coming back to. In any case here are my notes: Some of the latter posts include summations that nicely thimble-lize the practice:

I hate to discriminate, the right fruit at the right time can be orgasmic. Had some blackberries this morning, only 2 actually, both on a fruit plate. Soo good. Maybe its because there were only two. When pineapple is at its sweet juicy best I'll eat till my mouth burns. Perfectly ripe, slightly chilled honeydew, is something I'd marry or more likely have a short term fling with. Not off topic, since its a fruit, avocado is something my body craves, deeply satisfying. I second Taomeow's call out to Mexican street vendors. Here in Chicago, particularly the south side, they serve up something special.

Desire has its good side, but it's not all wanting and getting. Often its wanting and being screwed, or wanting and getting then wanting more and more. Often we chase after shiny illusions. To me, its best to downgrade desires to preferences, ie I have a preference for this over that but I'm happy with what I get. To enjoy life I need to savor what I have. I can prefer more, work towards it but life is best when I'm happy with what I have and the striving is done as much for its own sake as the end goal.

they did in 2016 . One was by Michael Winn on spending about a week in a Daoist cave in China w/ no food or water. He did have urine.. Interesting article. I forgot what the other one was about.

Taoism; how does it all work? My standing on one foot answer- Study Yin, Yang and Change and you will find your answer**. also 9,000 books**.

Generally I don't see 'power' as a good destination to point at, though with a good art, long term sincere practice it may be a side gain. On the other hand a very interesting read is Glenn Morris's book. I don't like the title but the stuff in there might be up your alley to get a glimpse of the esoteric side martial arts.- https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Strategies-American-Ninja-Master/dp/1883319293

Covid probably didn't help the virginity problem. It is such a bad static though? That only 72% of young men were having sex the last year? Don't know how it is now, but in my day, early 80s there was quite a bit of social pressure to get laid. Bragging rights, being a true red blooded American etc., The virgin was looked down on as a square, not with it. So, if part of this phenomena is less social pressure, then it might be a good sign.

I like this and think there much food for thought here. I tend to disagree with the Them behind it, rather see it as the human condition, both micro and macro. Think I'll copy it and give it some thought as a personal cycle. How my life follows the circle, which cycles I trap myself in. Right off the top of my head, in the Courage to Liberty mode, I've seen some higher level practitioners disregard responsibility and obligation in the quest for liberty/freedom, and that leads to problems. The ties that bind us, also give us balance.

For better sleep you might want to try Yoga Nidras. They're guided meditations from the yogic tradition. Relaxing the body, piece by piece. Many available for free, just google it. Tons of choices and styles at: https://www.yoganidranetwork.org/nidras/ When practice gets too strange, hot or energetic.. it's often a sign to back off. Stop, slow down or find a competent teacher. That and ground- walking quietly, particularly in nature or near water. Exercise can help too.

There's some good steampunk anime out there (Steamboy), and I dig the fashion sense, hyper steam-tech Elizabethan.

Hi Stratus, I like what you've written. PPD's were made for blogs such as this. It gives you greater control and leaves the Main Sections focused more on Topics instead of diary type writings. It puts your blog with other members who use forum to write about personal stuff.

For low hanging fruit, I'd point you to Anna Wise's work in the The Higher Performing Mind. Sadly she's passed away, leaving much work on brain waves and how they affect clarity and healing. She's got a book by that title and did a series of guided meditations that walk you through the different brain waves in a meditative state. I find experiential beats book knowledge, though they compliment each other. Here's a link to her series. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kVQ8qnro6H0nQM5l6ErsmU3lywhOJniK0 The series also has a nice healing guided meditation- Healing Circle.

Maybe it's my low level, but I feel if you want to help others, help them, but sending warm feelings and wishes out into the universe imo (or level) doesn't do much. Though might improve one's own mood.

Anxiety can run deep. Triggers that cause our mind to go into deep ruts of negative thought. That's why CPT is good, it can keep you watching for the triggers and break the pattern but it takes time. Lately my mantra in situations where I'm stymied is 'Just Is'. In traffic, in business, with difficult people.. it Just Is.. then the longer exhale, try to give the situation some perspective and light humor. Humor, not necessary ha ha humor but a sympathetic good will feeling, helps alot. In the Secret Smile meditation, humor is one of the feelings you run through the MCO orbit. It's helpful that Just Is, is so similar to Justice. I think we constantly take offense during the day because life isn't fair, we're not respected by people or the universe, we don't get Justice. But we're full of it, straw dogs without bigger perspective. Cause instead of being offended and indignant, it Just Is. KAP's Secret Smile meditation can be helpful with anxiety. It deals with confidence and humor. Always bastardizing things I used to do a quickie version of it when I'd visit the washroom.