VCraigP

Once upon a time someone posted a link to the whole Nei-yeh. I think I have it on some back up harddrive somewhere.

Craig

I like clarity. This is difficult to attain from TV news.

I think the following is accurate

1. Egypt was and is a Military dictatorship.

2. Mubarek was the target and symbol of the oppression of the Egyptian people by the military dictatorship. The mob which demanded change in their country focused on FIRST having him removed. This protest was "allowed" to happen by the Military which chose not to act against it's own people.

IMO the removal of Mubarek has not changed the power structure of the country at all. The military is still in charge. I believe they will do all they can to create the illusion of a democratic process. Whether the people will be able to achieve any further progress in that direction is certainly an open question.

There are some questions I believe American citizens should be asking themselves.

Do we support democracy? Do we agree with policy which grants billions to oppressive governments because it supports our goals in the region?

If one takes the view that America has the right through economic and military might to achieve whatever advantage we deem necessary then we must also understand that our support of oppression WILL have a negative impact on others which will result in resentment and hatred of American policies and perhaps of American people and our way of life.

It is historical fact that we have supported the overthrow of democratically elected governments which policies did not reflect our interest in a region. We have propped up dictatorships throughout the world. Did these actions advance American and Multinational corporate interests? Certainly.

As an American (and I know not all reading this will be Americans) you must view historical facts and global political reality with as much clarity as possible.

Are American actions justified? Can we be an example to the world of a successful democracy while still engaging the world in the ways described above? Are we truly a democracy? Can we promote freedom and liberty within our borders and work to deny it outside our borders?

The inconvenient truth is that without taking these actions American interests would not have been protected. The result of not engaging the world in this way would no doubt have led to a tremendously different America and world. However it is incumbent upon US Citizens to KNOW what is being done in our name. This is in my view the most dangerous aspect of America in the world. Our populace is largely IGNORANT of what we are doing outside our borders, and IMO are intentionally kept ignorant by those in power who mostly hold the opinion that citizens can never be told everything as they would not make the right decisions about international affairs and protecting their own interests.

I attempt to maintain my neutrality while making the above statements and just encourage all to view things as they are and minimize one's projections.

It would be simple to just agree that the popular uprising in Egypt is a good thing and that our support of a dictator for 30 years is a bad thing. I basically DO feel that way, but the world would be a far different place I feel if we had not used Egyptian cooperation to stabalize the region. Cooperation which would not have been forthcoming IMO had we not bought and paid for it with massive military support.

It is nice to contemplate what the world would look like if we ALWAYS insisted on supporting democracy and overthrowing tyrants, and if we insisted on extending our laws and constitutional principles in all dealings done outside our borders. Wouldn't that be nice. while we're at it, wouldn't it be nice if we had no standing army and no nuclear arms. Wouldn't it be nice if we had cradle to grave healthcare and free schooling up to graduate level too?

Sorry, just daydreaming now.

Wishing for clear vision to all.

Craig

excerpts from an essay I mostly but not completely agreed with,

would appreciate it if the source were attributed..

Craig

Taking a quick break from FP Qigong discussion to direct y'all to pay a little attention to very significant world events and to meditate deeply on them.

....

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Wow.

What a rich and multi layered essay. Will re read again.

Deep bow.

thank you.

Craig

thanks

listened to several old friends today.

Craig

Ralis, you said;

The idea that this is Sean's house is preposterous.

Your assertion is preposterous.

It IS in FACT Sean's website. It is not a democracy. There are simple rules.

I am continually amazed at how much time is spent WHINING about the rules.

Get over it. There are moderators and there are rules. If you don't like it, LEAVE.

Have a nice day.

Craig

At this point I think that Mubarak remaining in power is out of the question.

 

It is my opinion that it is up to the military now. What ever side they take will be the side that wins.

I think we have a tendency to overly focus on the figurehead here. I believe the protesters understand better that replacing one figurehead for another is not going to get them much but window dressing.

In fact this is an example of a military dictatorship trying to represent itself as a free country on the world stage.

The Military has already chosen a side, their own. The rank and file Army probably would not attack peaceful protesters. But the power brokers of the Egyptian military are further entrenching their power in the government since Mubarak dissolved his government during this crisis. A much higher proportion of military not civilian people are stepping into the roles of those dissolved by Mubarak.

I expect more window dressing and figurehead shuffling. To get the Military leaders of Egypt to step aside for a true constitutional democratic reform is Highly unlikely.

The new Vice President was a CIA liason who worked with our government in the "rendition" program to do work offshore which we could not do in the USA because it was not legal. I doubt the Egyptians would see him as an acceptable alternative.

Hopefully the press will be allowed to operate freely again soon to help the world see clearly what is happening there.

Craig

Are you saying someone staged a coo? Or that the pro Mubarak supporters are being paid?

Coo coo.

Actually coup d'etat is the full term (courtesy of your local spelling police)

the Mubarak supporters appeared out of the blue the day after Mubarak gave his speech defying the protesters demand to leave.

It has been widely reported that the pro Mubarak supporters were paid for their activity. Other analysis indicated that this move was a fairly unsophisticated attempt to discredit the heretofore peaceful protesters by luring them into violence. The term "agents provocateur" has been used for hundreds of years and this is a perfect example of this ploy. In any case, no, this was not a coup attempt, but rather an attempt to de-legitimize the protest movement.

hmmm

Is it possible that the concept of immortal fetus is an example of the use of symbolic language which is so prevalent in Taoist and Chinese thought?

Perhaps it is not a thing in itself but an attempt at describing a stage of development.

IMO it is an analogy and not a description of an actual physical mini me :-)

Something which needs to be created by combining yin and yang. Something which must be nurtured to properly develop. Something which should not let free from the body prematurely. something which eventually matures into the world.

But dont take the analogy too far. It is not a child which separates from the mother and has it's own beingness. IMO this is where the analogy should be abandoned.

Craig

Consider this...

No matter what time you eat, sleep, etc the Sun rises and sets. the seasons change.

The effect of the tides of energy coming from the ebb and flow of the daily rhythm are always there.

Craig

What kind of "gongfu" do you do?

Perhaps you can inquire with your teacher regarding meditation practice and/or qigong to go along with the "gongfu" training?

In Memory of Jack

May all schools insist on daily physical training of some sort for ALL students.

This statement of what is ideal is so far away from what is really happening these days.

Meanwhile I am teaching my son how to do perfect pushups. How to deadlift and swing a kettlebell. Also Hsing I structure and standing practice. If the school doesn't offer it properly you must fill in the gaps yourself. This is true for all subjects.

Thanks Jack for helping us remeber to get up out of our chairs and do SOMETHING!

Wow I just realized Jack was almost exactly twice my age!! If i'm lucky I am just at my halfway mark :-)

Time to do some Jumping Jacks!!

Does everyone realize where the name comes from?

Good health and long life to all.

Craig

I found a few things about this thread remarkable.

It is astonishing how little actual dissection of the article there is and now much knee jerk reaction to each individuals preconceptions about the subject and what they think Ken Wilbur was saying, or in the case of those not reading it at all, what they suppose Ken W would say. (one of my more egregious runon sentences, Yes?)

What I got from it was first of all, CONTEXT.

What is the nature of agrarian societies in which the dharma and similar philosophies evolved? How does the agrarian society compare and differ from our Post-industrial society? How does this difference inform on the appropriateness of charging for so-called Dharma.

Also for me this article was quite valuable in defining the meaning of Non-Dual. What does it mean to acknowledge the ascendant, transcendent as well as the descendant, material world, and how is that contrasted from purely ascendant traditions and their rejection of MONEY, Sex (women), the Body and Food.

This perspective of acknowledging both impulses and not rejecting but embracing the material as part of spirituality, ie balance and harmony represents my ideal of what Taoist practices and philosophies have advised.

As for paying for Dharma, practices, etc my view is as always the same. ANY Teacher deserves to earn a living. However if said teacher seems to be taking far more than he needs or asking far more than seems proper to YOU, then YOU have the choice to view them as not being in Harmony with your values and therefore not a proper teacher for you. We are not an agrarian society and do not have the same support structures for Monks and the like as have existed in the past. Therefore the impulse to view money as "filthy lucre" and paying for spiritual teachings as a taint is an impulse in my view which needs to be grown out of.

FYI I speed read about 2/3 of the article before I ran out of patience today so Kudos to anyone else who may have studied it better.

That's what I got out of it.

Thanks ShaktiMama.

TTFN

Craig

Thanks Craig for the reply,

 

1. Master Wu is quite expensive or at least way out of my reach. When I first saw his info I was excited and thought I found a good teacher. However, after seeing his prices (lifelong teaching, each module 1500 +) it's way out of my reach.

 

Yep. He charges what he charges now. I have many friends of limited means who still attend lifelong training. He is offering weekly classes now where he is based. Unfortunately what I was able to attend initially is not available anymore. I understand that his week retreats are expensive. He still offers weekend seminars from time to time so depending upon where you live this may or may not make sense for you.

2. I don't care for esoteric classes. I'm interested in qigong only. I'm not seeing that al-a-carte availability from him.

 

I am not sure what you deem "esoteric". I think Wu's approach to Qigong is that it is NOT separate from the whole of Chinese Wisdom tradition. If this is a problem for you then he is definitely not right for you.

 

3. I'm a "proof is in the pudding" guy. I've been around several masters in the 25 years I've been into this who "radiate" qi. These are the guys I seek out. This is why I asked you about how you feel when you're in his presence. It doesn't mean anything to me if he has lineage or is deeply respected by people in China, if nothing is felt in his presence then that's not what I'm looking for.

 

I believe I addressed this area clearly. Let me make it more clear - his presence has a strong effect on my which I noticed immediately. His ability to bring you into a deeper Qi field immediately IS tangible. I believe he is the first teacher I have had who carries a tangible lineage Qi field and can / will connect you to it.

4. You mentioned Shaking. Do you know why Master Wu teaches shaking?

 

Shaking is a basic practice for releasing blockages on many layers of the physical and Qi and Shen levels. Everything he teaches has as a core concept working with the Jing/Qi/Shen layers simultaneously. I could go more deeply into answering or writing about shaking. It is simple and profound. This combined with the practice of the Heng sound creates a no nonsense connection with the lower tantien which is priceless in its simple effectiveness especially but not only for beginners. To get an even better taste of this practice and more might I suggest you look into a $20 purchase of his CD http://www.masterwu.net/articles_threetreasures_cd.html

This is a great introduction to the basics he teaches

 

5. You mentioned doing forms with low stances. Do you know how Master Wu would bring someone who could not do the low stances up to that level? Does he care to start a student where they should start based on their current condition or does he give everyone the same exercise who comes to him?

 

I have the impression that Master Wu used to teach much more strictly and Old School when it comes to this type of thing. As far as my experience he does not emphasize or require one to do challenging stances, but he does often repeat "go deeper, a little bit challenge yourself." When he used to teach taiji in Portland he would often give just one move a week to new students and let them practice without much further input.

Many students didn't last because of this old school way. His way has changed much since then, become more American friendly for better or worse.

 

6. Now I would be interested in his Bigu training as it's long been an interest of mine but if you look at his prerequisites, you'd need to train with him for 3 years continuously. Plus, pay the prices for his "secret" training. Sorry, can't afford that.

Yep. The Bigu course is a "special topic" course which is generally open to his "lifelong" students first and then those with 3 or more years training second. It is a very small class. I look forward to quizzing some of my good friends upon their return to the ordinary world in a few days.

 

Master Wu has his standards. He doesn't have the ambition or desire to attract too many students. Many of his students are TCM Doctors and he teaches a lot which applies directly to those practitioners.

 

In the end it sounds like he doesn't appeal to you for several reasons.

I find his authenticity, sincerity and value to be unquestionable on the basis of MY OWN judgement, experience and values. Doesn't mean he is for everyone. You could do far worse.

Thanks,

Again, check out the "Three Treasures CD" http://www.masterwu.net/articles_threetreasures_cd.html

This covers some really good basic material including shaking and I recommend it to everyone.

Sorry for the direct plug of my teacher's material. Not something you will see from me regularly.

Finally in the end I always refer to my sig:

Think not that all wisdom is contained in your school

Wu seems to be endorsed by a lot of the big name tai chi and qi gong people.

And with good reason...

Anyone ever get the urge to drink enough colloidal silver to turn their skin blue? lol

Its very healthy...

 

TF

Do more research.

Dont believe ANYTHING the FDA tells you.

ta ta

Craig

Thanks for all the replies.

 

If I said that it's because that's where "it wants" to go, would I sound like a nutcase? Oh wait, I already do, most of the time

 

It's all sort of a spontaneous thing, but given that jumping off the top of a large building could also be deemed "a spontaneous thing" I wanted to get some feedback on potential risks from people who have experience doing "controlled jumps".

 

This also begs an interesting (to me at least) question of why "it" would want to go somewhere potentially hazardous...

Kate

Your first post and your most recent reflect entirely different conditions.

"Trying" to pulse in your brain is one thing.

Saying energy "wants" to go somewhere is quite a bit different, if that is really the case.

In order to better answer it would be helpful to know what your practice is that results in energy "wanting" to pulse in the brain. What is your start and end point?

Big difference between efforting such a result and experiencing a sensation in your brain as a result of other practice. However if any/all practice create this result I would opine that it would be better to back off to a simple Lower Tantien focus meditation for a while. Perhaps subconsciously you want to experience "controlled" jumping off of bridges and such desire results in this attention going somewhere. Or perhaps this is just a temporary result of whatever it is you are practicing.

bottom line though is that for real analysis (short of remote viewing :-) ) one would need more info, and that there is a big difference between trying to make something happen and something happening by itself as a result of practice.

FWIW

Craig

New indirect methods for manipulating tao bums to PAY for KAP(kundalini awakening in a few days like santi said in a post some years ago.can look it up if somebody dont thrust me.people may dony like what I say,but this is information to people who dont have or can vaste money on bullshit.there is no shaktipat for the world.you have to do the work for yourself:Stop living in a FANTASY WORLD.The best is free like this http://www.dhammasukha.org/Study/Books/Pdf/The%20Anapanasati%20Sutta%202.pdf

start here:http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/23058505

Why ya gotta be a hater?

Just curious but is there a difference between Sifu Terry's Flying Phoenix and Grandmaster Doo Wai's Flying Phoenix? If so then what differences are they?

Sorry if those questions come off as offensive, if so then I apologize right now. I'm just curious to know is all.

 

James V. Horner

Terry Dunn learned from Doo Wai.

I know it is long but read the thread. Not a waste of time.

Craig

I sometimes don't understand why you feel the need to post.

It's clear that you didn't even bother to read carefully what the poor guy said.

But then I look at the links in the signature,

and this urge of yours suddently seems to make sense.

Disgusting.

Little1

Stop being passive aggressive. Just be direct it is more wholesome.

You think 5ET is just making comments in order to sell his products.

I think you are being small minded and reactive, not to mention knee jerk defensive about M.Chia's methods as has been shown so many times previously.

While 5ET's comments may not have been the most cogent in regards to this thread, to sneakily imply that he is only responding in order to advertise is to use your word Disgusting.

Finally, let me also be direct about the OP. I am highly suspicious of anyone who comes on the this or any board to directly slam ANY system and then refuses to really engage in a dialog about it. In his own words he is unwilling to discuss on a discussion forum. I don't think he is sincere and have said as much a bit less directly.

TTFN

Craig

PS - I have serious reservations about Chia's methods myself, though probably not as extreme as 5ET's views.

Also, Im not interested in discussing it. No offense.

DUDE

Discussion forum? do you understand the meaning?

this is where you are. If you dont want discussion why post???

goodbye Troll

nice to see you dipping your toe in again.

If I had the means and circumstances I would study directly with 5ET in Boise ASAP.

Hey Mike. Please come to Portland anytime, I want to experience your work directly. :-)

No really.

Respect.

Craig

I have a question.

If your side effect is always that you have nocturnal emissions this should indicate something to you.

Nocturnal emission is "generally" considered an imbalance symptom.

I am not sure that I can agree with your conclusion that this result is a positive one.

If you are doing retention, obviously having emission will change the state of your hormonal system. Again I think in general what you are describing is an imbalance.

Craig

 

I think all things can either be medicine or poison depending on how they're used.

Scotty

I think you and TM agree with the perspective of your last line here.

I also think that many are not reading TM's posts carefully. I do not see her advocating for or against smoking. I believe she is advocating for seeing the subject clearly and trying to discard the Politically correct filters.

I don't smoke. Both my parents did and it wasn't good for them IMO.

Sure TM may have hijacked the OP's question, but I agree that this subject has all sorts of baggage which needs setting aside in order to see the subject clearly.

anyway...TCM view of smoking tobacco is? anyone...

I am sure there must be an opinion from someone actually trained in TCM.

Also, "All IMA masters smoke" ??? My award for the most egregious generalization of this thread so far.

I wish I could comment about the effects of smoking according to TCM. I too am curious to know the answer to that.

Craig