steve

Loved the books myself. I read them when they were first published and re-read all of them a few years ago. It was an interesting experience - while reading through one of the books that talked a lot about dreaming, I realized one day that I would have a completely lucid dream that very night. Sure enough, became lucid in my dream and spent the time traveling around and doing a bunch of fun stuff. Haven't had a lucid dream since.

Nice quote. When we find something that makes sense to us, I think it is very natural to become enthusiastic about our insights. It can be a subtle boundary between sharing something that excites us and making someone else feel that their own values or beliefs are being challenged. I don't follow the goings on much lately so I don't know of anything specific but its always good to be reminded about courtesy and civility. Thanks 3bob

I recently went out to dinner with some friends and family for a birthday celebration. At one point, I looked around the table and EVERYONE had their mind buried in their cell/smartphone.... uggghhh!

Dear Hagar, Your posts are such a breath of fresh, cool air. I'm glad I visited today. _/\_

Hi Stig, I've been scarce lately but I stumbled on this. You're a good person and whatever went down, I'm sure that hasn't changed. Sorry to see this is causing you pain. I'm there if you ever need to chat. Be well, Steve

I once read a cool book called Time's Arrow and Archimedes' Point (or something like that) by an Australian scientist of some sort. It talked about the symmetry of time and how most experience and measurement of asymmetry relative to time may be more a function of our perception rather than any absolute asymmetry. Very interesting stuff and similar to this paper. Then there are the experiments that seem to show that our neuro/musculo/skeletal system takes action before we are ever consciously aware that we've decided to act. For all of our knowledge and investigation, there will always be mystery. And BTW, I try to maintain a healthy skepticism. Nice post forest.

Gibran and Krishnamurti - Thank you both for sharing these words of wisdom - two beautiful quotes from two beautiful minds.

My top three - 1. To Be Human - Jiddu Krishnamurti 2. Awareness - Anthony Demello 3. When the Shoe Fits: Stories of the Taoist Mystic Chuang Tzu - Osho

Just finished The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz - Loved it! Very personal yet universal. Deeply disturbing yet life-affirming and hopeful. The only problem is that it's full of Spanglish and Dominican euphemisms. Fortunately there is a great annotated guide on the web. Highly recommended.

Very nice Jane - thanks for that. I've found the water method to be a very nice compliment to the fire method that I've practiced for a long time. The fire method is very effective but seems to lack a component of love/compassion/stillness that the water method has at it's core. That's my experience anyway. Yeah, Bruce looks great. I'd like to meet him someday. Steve PS I just finished practicing some standing meditation and Chen Pan Ling Taiji in Olympia, WA. The mist and fog and Puget Sound were wonderful stimuli for dissolving

I'm going to use pin yin spelling and assume that you are asking about Tai Ji Quan, not just Tai Ji. First, I'll define Tai Ji as the principle of balance and mutual interdepence in Daoist cosmology. My attempt at a concise definition of Tai Ji Quan: Tai Ji Quan is a martial art based on applying fundamental principles of Daoist cosmology, Tai Ji, to combat. The Tai Ji Quan forms are often mistakenly equated with Tai Ji Quan but comprise one small facet of Tai Ji Quan training and have been effectively adopted by many as Qi Gong methods for health and fitness. Is it mystical? Hell yes Is it simply bio-mechanics? Absolutely In a word? Natural

I've had feelings similar to what you describe. For me it seemed to be related to a loss of security. That feeling of self and the normal day to day reality provides a certain predictability and security, albeit artificial. Opening up to reality means letting go of certain conventions and accepting unpredictability. Eventually the lack of security becomes less uncomfortable for me because of the understanding of the fact that there is no security, only illusion. Tough to use words for this stuff...

If the mind is truly and completely still, how would you know?

Au revoir. Nothing wrong with moving on. Be well.

I just started reading "The Self Aware Universe: how consciousness creates the material world" by Amit Goswani. It really seems to be a worthwhile read. It's written by a physicist who finds reason to believe that the universe is a product of consciousness, rather than the other way around. He supports his ideas with Quantum Mechanics. I think it would appeal to cultivators and physicists alike. I'll say more about it when I'm finished reading it.

I think Frantzis is quite accomplished in martial arts and Daoist meditation. The price is high but good instruction is priceless. We'll see what the market says... I would like to spend some time with him given the opportunity. Reading through some of his Daoist meditation work shows that he knows what he is talking about.

I just got some Li Shan Wulong tea from Taiwan. I think it's the best tea I've ever tasted.

My favorites: Awareness - Anthony Demello To Be Human - Jiddu Krishnamurti When the Shoe Fits: Stories of the Taoist Mystic Lao Tzu - Osho The Question to Life's Answers - Steven Harrison ... in no particular order

I wouldn't point fingers at individuals like findley chose to do, simply because I am not an authority. Nevertheless, I think findley makes a very good point. When it comes to spiritual practices and cultivation, exploitation is rampant and not always intentional. People who are cultivating are looking for something they don't have (or think they don't have). This is the drive to cultivate and this makes them extremely impressionable and vulnerable. It's easy to plant a seed in their consciousness and since all of this stuff is experiential, no one can really prove or disprove anything. Buyer beware! I now feel that cultivation as a rule is a way of showing someone that they already have everything they need. It just takes a varying amount of time and effort for people to come to understand that.

I like Gong Fu tea method also - Yixing pot, water just a tad cooler than boiling, enough tea (Wulong) to cover the bottom of the pot in a single layer. 1st round - steep for ~ 30 seconds 2nd - steep for ~ 45 secondes 3rd - 60 4th - 90 The above times may vary depending on tea, water temp, size of pot, preferred strength,... After each "round" steeps, pour it into a pitcher. Once the pitcher is full, serve. Delicious!

1. Awareness by Anthony Demello (although I much prefer to listen to his talks than read him - his voice and method of delivery are wonderful). 2. To Be Human by Jiddu Krishnamurti (and just about anything else he has written). Contrary to Demello, I don't like listening to JK, reading him gives me time to digest and live the words, which is more important than just reading or hearing them. 3. When The Shoe Fits: Stories of the Taoist Mystic Chuang Tzu - Osho is the book that helped me break the code of the Daoist classics.

Which part of the foot is numb? The top, bottom, or entire thing?

Not reliably - all have been so modified over the years that I'm not sure I could honestly say any particular system is true to its ancient form. That said, a few relatively old sets are Eight Brocades, Five Animal Frolics, and Shiba Luohan Gong. Date of creation is certainly no guarantee although successful systems tend to last and weak systems tend to be modified or discarded over time. Certainly a new system can be better but there are only so many ways the body can move and I suspect the old masters investigated this quite thoroughly. The Taiji form is Qigong. It is not broken down into short, focused bits like most Qigong exercises are. I think that proper performance of the Taiji form will, arguably, yield as much benefit as other Qigong systems. If you like Taiji, stick with it.

Excellent question! I think the best way to answer such a question is to practice some different forms and see what, if anything, you get out of it. Find what is right for you - physically, emotionally, psychologically. When we try to answer questions like this verbally, I tend to find the answers gratuitous or rote. Physical movements combined with focus and breathing are valuable for a lot of reasons - physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual. Different patterns will be beneficial to different individuals and this may change over time depending on where you are at any given period in your life. I think that almost any movement of the human body combined with focused attention and breathing can be instructive or valuable when practiced appropriately. All muscle groups and joints benefit from stretching and strengthening. Often this will mimic other animals, sometimes not. Your idea of "aligning ourselves" "with OUR OWN nature" is absolutely reasonable and as, or more, valid than any other. This does not apply to us only as a species (although that's part of it) but also as individuals. The only way to do this, I believe, is to learn a variety of methods (or no methods) and either find what works best for you as an individual or develop your own. Be wary of putting too much faith in all Qigong systems, however. The vast majority of Qigong systems practiced worldwide were developed by opportunists during the Qigong "boom" in China in the past few decades or by non-Chinese riding on their coat tails. Most of what is practiced was not developed by ancient shamans who were deeply in touch with nature but by modern Chinese looking for something to believe in after the decimation of the Cultural Revolution. This Qigong craze started in the 70's in post-Mao China and really gained momentum in the 90's as China progressively opened to the west. The publishers of multiple Qigong books and videos are not sharing priceless, ancient secrets for the most part but anything that looks like it could sell. A very famous publisher of Qigong videos approached a friend of mine, wanting to put the Qigong sets we practice on tape and package and sell it to the public with a fancy name and history. Buyer beware...

I like the fact that people point out the human weaknesses of our gurus. It helps keep us from getting as attached. Gurus are simply people that have something we think we need. All they have is a different perspective. There is nothing else to have. Getting attached to the guru just gives you something else to have to shed. Books like this help that.