Eviander

Even demons and mischievous people's can cultivate the Buddha Dharma. If they do wrong with it, it doesn't represent Buddhism as flawed, only the mind of the cultivator being flawed.

What does that mean..really..and what is wrong?

No, that's Television your talking about.

No. I'm talking about the actually establishment called "Buddhism" world wide. Yes they might have secrets undisclosed to the west in some far east cults..but again..the word religion appears before it.

 

This is the real Buddhism.

 

It's sad to see how humans have tampered so badly with Buddha's message. However the Four Noble Truths are still valid and they can't be manipulated:

 

1. Life is suffering

2. Suffering is caused by attachment

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable and it is called Nirvana

4. There is a path to attain Nirvana and it is called the Noble Eightfold Path, which is spiritual in essence

 

I have felt the truth of the Four Noble Truths in deep meditation and afterwards so many times, that I fully agree with it.

 

I would stay away from the rest of the Buddhist written material.

Yea if your interested in comparative religions I guess..but most of it contains the same mess Christianity has (hells, loyalty to the state, loyatly to family customs..ect.).

But as for the Buddhas message..I could simply state that life only becomes suffering once you perceive it to be. So to layer that with Taoist philosophy..or some more modern existentialism..life is neither suffering or none suffering..it simply is..values only come when we apply them in our logical framework.

Anyways the Buddah as a teacher had some sound advice..but you could say the same thing about Jesus (if he existed, which is off topic). The point being the religion that followed simple parables is perverted. Like every other religion in part it is used by governments to neuter their subjects. Why do so many countries with Buddhism as their religion have totalitarian governments..hmm?

It's a religion. It contains dogma and is full of bs.

Just another opiate for the masses.

Oh no I want to enhance them. It's quite amazing how creative the mind can be on its subconscious/unconscious level. I just have a fear of the unknown..like everyone else.

I usually dislike the effects of all alcohol except absinthe. I doubt drinking every now and then will negatively effect any sort of martial art discipline though..especially if its absinthe . Though I have only drunk it a few times.

So anyways, whenever I do a slight meditation or simple breathing while lying down with my eyes closed for awhile I begin to see very strange phenomenon in my minds eye. Images of faces, or people, or very alien looking things come and go without my control..and yes to a novice like me it is a bit intimidating. When I am having these visuals I always feel like I can enhance their lucidity but am afraid to do so....just as a general survey I was wondering what the contents of some of the users on this forums closed eyed visuals are..and to what extent they can control them.

Edit. I also want to add that I also sometimes see reptilian eyes, pineal crowned beings, and sometimes even very strange looking architecture..arranged as cities or towns.

The issue of using pharmaceutical agents, natural or synthesized, for the purpose of dealing with emotional storms does not have to become so complicated. Some people are mentally ill and need to be on their meds because human DNA ain't perfect; some of us come out with chemical issues that need to be rectified.

 

If you need to go on a mild anti-anxiety agent for a temporary period in order to reacquire your emotional balance, then do it! And when you've found your balance, ween off of it. You've gotten some very sound advice in here, my friend, but none of us can offer more. If the real people you share your life with are telling you to address this issue, then listen to them. You sound like you have good people in your life who can be honest with you.

Yes I agree, I have gotten some sound advice, but I did make up my mind not to use synthetic pills to solve this problem.

I agree with what others have said here. ultimately change must be independent of substances. you can become free because the root of the problem is always in the mind.

 

but. it can help, while you're working on change through meditating... becoming more grounded, confident, willing to be spontaneous, not needing to plan a conversation out... just do it. just walk out the door without without needing a plan.. while you're doing that, it can help to use some herbs. I would suggest you try a combo of Agar 35 and Semde, both are completely safe, ancient, Tibetan herbal formulations. Semde is a mood uplifter that has no withdrawl symptoms, and Agar 35 works likewise against anxiety but is more 'curative', in other words.. it balances your Qi. getting both bottles will give you a 1 month supply and thats all you should need, while you work diligently to change from the inside, the herbs will give you a good base to lift off of, then you wo'nt need them anymore. u can get them here - http://www.siddhienergetics.com/

 

let us know about your progress, we can help.

Those are some interesting herbs. I googled them but could not find much information. None of them act as a serotonin reuptake like st johns wort do they (to your knowledge)? Because not much information on their chemical composition is available.

As for my progress from my initial post I do believe I have become slightly better. I did some self hypnosis and am continuing my yoga and am beginning a course of radical undoing.

Also I asked this early and also googled it...but is the fudosai meditation posture just another word for the lotus? If this is so will the swastikama(Sp?) meditation pose be sufficent for the secret smile meditation.

I understand the reluctance to acquire a dependency on drugs, but theanine is really benign, and since it's $20 for a month's supply (at vitamin Shoppe) you probably won't get hooked. You could always drink a boatload of green tea, which is what all of us should be doing every day anyway.

I have just tried so many things...ssris for a little (did not like them..for reasons we all know) collodial gold...kundalini yoga class (bad teacher maybe?) and acupuncture and klonopin (ok so maybe not that much) but I really think that I want to take the natural route. Even though I have been suffering more than is normal for a physically healthy 19 year old from this for at least 2 years..I think a quote from a game called planescape torment might come to bear here and that is endure..and through enduring grow strong.

Anyways...what is your favorite type of green tea (offtopic but its mentioned) because the ast type I had was organic japanese green tea and it was nasty.

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showtopic=9719

 

There you have the secret smile. 10 min a day and it will do wonders for your pscyhe. It is designed to make you relaxed, confident, happy. loving and blissfull. Once mastered realy well it can be done much quicker just to get into the state. It also cleanses all the channels realy well, makes you fairly grounded and centered becasue of the whole body and dan tien aspects and it brings up a lot of your old stuff/trauma to be dealt with as you can see from what some people write here. I would realy consider cutting 10 min from the yoga for this one. At least try that for a week.

 

Ah and Kava Kava, if you get some can I have any it is suposed to feel realy great but is ilegal in my country. As I understand it is banned several places but that is just because some people got liver damage from using it (probably in too large doses) together with alcohol. The ban will probably be lifted sometime in the future. I couldn`t recomend other specific herbs but I have seen a lot of research about herbs in general and as a rule they actualy work for what the traditional doctors say they do but usualy the effect is like 20-30% where the western meds have an effect of 40-80% (but the herbs are often good for you in other ways whereas there are realy, realy harsh and COMMON side effects to most western anxiety drugs, weight gain, memory loss, getting more depressed, getting addicted to it etc.)

 

The way to make natural stuff work is to combine. A herb often fixes 20%, accupuncture another 20%, an aromatic oil 5%, diet everything from 5-100%, yoga, qigong and meditation takes the rest although is itself very often more than enough for a cure. Sudarshan kriya cures depression in 3 months in around 80% of the cases acording to six studies, meditation works as good as drugs sort term and better long term against anxiety etc.

Thanks for the secret smile link..only one problem..what is the fudosai meditation posture? I am not flexible and if it is anything like the lotus then what would be a good substitute.

And I know a good place to get kava kava (liver damage has been debunked) but i am shaman is probably where I will order mine. I might not use it for anxiety though..or maybe for a little bit of recreation and anxiety.

I am aware of traditional chinese medicine..I tried acupuncture and it worked for a bit for bodily awareness and chi flow..but I know herbs ect are also included but I am on a limited budget and cant go out and get tai chi classes, acupuncture and a herbel analysis...

And again I am new to eastern techniques so what is sudarshan kriya..I googled it and got kriya yoga?? Which was explained as breathing techniques, is this correct?

Keep practicing the breathing, the more you use it, the more powerful it becomes, I can assure you. Much more powerful than the taste you had when you first tried it. Keep at it, soon you will be able to feel a wave of relaxation sweep through you when you use it.

 

Theanine is certainly worth a try, some people get good results from it, others get nothing. See how it works for you.

 

Kava Kava, or Kava extract can be very effective, but it works best taken for 4-6 weeks at a time, and the effects are cumulative this way. It doesn't work that noticeably if taken as a single dose for a social event. The stuff about liver toxicity is mostly unfounded, it was related to using other parts of the Kava plant than just the root. In addition, people who had toxicity (liver failure- a bad thing, can kill you or require a liver transplant!) were also taking other hepatotoxic medications. Don't take tylenol with it. If you use it take Milk Thistle 3 times daily to ease any mild strain on your liver. You can also get Kava powder from some places, and if you take enough of it, or make a drink of it, it can approximate the 'intoxicating' drink of the South Pacific with immediate effect, certainly relaxing and anxiety reducing. But you would want to use that infrequently.

 

But even though Kava is a plant, it is not that 'clean' in your body...liver enzymes can be elevated mildly with the kind of use outlined above. I do know that the 'brain doctor', Daniel Amen has used it to get over a stressful period after the death of a friend, and does recommend it for occasional use.

 

But the question remains...if you come to depend on an outside substance, natural or not, to function socially, you will not develop any power to do so on your own. Again, reinforces the experience that 'I am not enough' without this substance. I know Ram Dass has talked about this, maybe in 'Be Here Now', I don't recall for sure.

 

Better to use breathing. Or explore Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Or google cranial electrical stimulation (CES), as a standalone treatment for anxiety,or an addition to what you are already doing (theanine, breathing, etc). Lots of information on the net, here's a start:

 

http://www.elixa.com/CES/CESfaq.htm

 

One type of low cost unit for home use is the CES Ultra.

 

As far as the chi ramifications of using something like this? I don't know.

Yes. I do not want to become dependent..and want take the cheapest route possible. I am thinking about kava for recreational and maybe occasional anxiety relief..like I said earlier..but I will explore breathing techniques more in depth (or pranyayama is the hindu name?) since like I said in a previous post...I believe my head or jaw is pushing down on my left lung and my sinuses or very irritated..

Also thanks for the link to elixa..I might give that a try considering it is within my budget.

So anyways..I suffer from some acne on my face..(mild acne..which should not be mistaken for pimples). And was wondering why the taoist, or eastern, or w/e views and treatmens for the cause of such where..since evidently the western method does not work ( I already tried)...My guess from my knowledge of these traditions would be a lack of chi flow to my face..anyone have any suggestions on what to do?

Well, that dude is also sitting on a rock, and you can even see the rock digging into his shin. What ridiculous things people will do for a cool photo op, lol. Bet he couldn't hold that actual pose there for more than 2 minutes...

 

Anyhow, if your hamstrings and hip sockets are tight, it will be hard to keep your lower back vertical - and it will take ab tension to do so.

 

What you need to do is be able to rotate your legs "backwards" in your hip sockets. So, the best stretch for full lotus is probably the wide leg stretch.

(For our purposes, she should also be working on counter-rotating her toes back too.)

 

The closer you can get your torso flat to the ground, the less pressure will you have on your legs in full lotus. I've been doing this for a month & a half now, and it's made half lotus far more bearable now - taking a lot of pressure off my knees, thighs & ankles (where it doesn't belong). I can see it being a very comfortable, structurally-optimized pose, ONCE you get the hip & hamstring flexibility so there's little to no pressure...

That makes sense for sure. So in your experience..what seems to be helpfull for building up to lotus rather than slowlely moving your legs up to your thighs in a half assed lotus is to to do the splits..untill you can get them as wide as that image? For godsakes if this is the case..I have a year of painful stretching..

Another question about lotus and taichi..does taichi facilitate a practice in where lotus will come as one unlocks the chi through the slow dances..or do you have to do yoga..or painfull strecthing in order to make progress into lotus?

So I have social anxiety..for reasons I do not know..energy blockages probably. Anyways..I tried acupuncture..am doing some yoga..and bought a taichi dvd and did some (though the tai chi is not habitual). None of it seemed to work..so I started taking my dads klonopin and it certainly works. I am going to get my own prescription soon..and am wondering if anyone has knowledge that pertains to such medication and chi flow..if it negatively effects the flow..inhibits the kundalini energy or damages my psychic body in any way shape or form..because mentally it certainly helps..though I don't plan to stay on it longer than is needed..

http://biologyofkundalini.com/article.php?story=TurningItOff

 

He says no fruit even -- I've found this to be true. I'm still just doing water (and garlic until the bacteria are killed off -- they leach out of my brain when I have "O at a Ds" -- shooting electromagnetic energy into people who suck it up....

Why would you want to turn off kundalini??!

I have been on quite a number of diets considering my age. So far I have tried being a vegan, vegetarian, and now I'm back to eating both poultry, fish, and diary. My reasoning for going vegan at first was because of the vegan craze of intellectuals in my generation and how it is the most "primordial and organic lifestyle for the human primate". Unfortunately I soon found my energy levels and body mass drop momentously and had to rely on coffee in order to properly function. My parents then inclined me to at least go vegetarian (at this point I was reading a lot of Hindu/Buddhist philosophy on restricting your actions to not promote or indulge in anything that is connected to suffering). So I was vegetarian for a while..but I still had the same problem with being to thin..to weak..and not having enough energy. I kept reading these "gurus" who said it is pivotal for one on the spiritual path to not consume meat..but I soon decided that my suffering and lack of proper protein was to much of a loss as opposed to the suffering of some birds or fish. Anyways..I have now been reading a little about how dairy can be unhealthy for you..which doesn't surprise me (of course every research or scientific study is biased) so I do believe my next diet trial will be a non dairy diet with fish and poultry (by the way, does anyone know what this is called?).But I am interested to know what diet the users on this forum oblige to and the reasoning they do.

Another great paragraph of Nietzsche from his book The Dawn:

"Are you co-conspirators in the current folly of nations, who want above all to produce as much possible and to be as rich as possible? It would be your affair to preset them with the counter-calculation: what vast sums of inner worth are thrown away for such an external goal. But where is your inner worth when you no longer know what it means to breathe freely? When you no longer have the slightest control over yourselves? When you all to frequently become sick of yourselves, as of stale drink? When you listen to the newspaper and leer at your rich neighbor, made lustful by the rapid rise and fall of power, money, and opinions? When you no longer have any faith in philosophy, which wears rags, and in the candor of those who have no wants? When the voluntary idyllic life of poverty, without occupation or marriage, which might well suit the more spiritual among you, has become a laughingstock to you? Do your ears ring from the pipes of socialistic pied pipers, who want to make you wanton with mad hopes? Who bid you be prepared and nothing else, prepared from today to tomorrow so that you wait and wait for something from the outside, and live in every other respect as you have lived before--until this waiting turns into hunger and thirst and fever and madness, and finally the day of the bestia triumphans (rise of the beast or triumphant of the beast) rises in all its glory?"

Yes, I am reading the portable Nietzsche right now at my own possible pace. I know he has been demonized but he was indeed a brilliant philosopher and psychologist by edging in his unique view of life and the necessity to realize perspectivism and create your own meaning in life (he was the father of existentialism).

Though we must remember he had paresis (syphilis) and was quite unhealthy and mad. He denied anything but that which was of the earth..and of course..in his time such thought was very hard to be open with. He is definitely great for stimulating the three lower chakras in my opinion (maybe even the fourth). But he did not have any experience in meditation, lucid dreaming, or out of body experiences..and as I am aware, very little knowledge thereof. He was intellectually brilliant non the less..and is probably a necessary read for any intellectual, mystic, Taoist, or whatever (though he was contemptuous against mystics..but again..he himself seemingly did not know how to live considering his health).

A quote from the Gay Science.

"Will and wave. How greedily this wave approaches, as if there were some objective to be reached! How, with awe-inspiring haste, it crawls into the inmost nooks of the rocky cliff! It seems that it wants to anticipate somebody; it seems that something is hidden there, something of value, high value.

And now it comes back, a little more slowly, still quite white with excitement--is it disappointed? But already another wave is approaching, still greedier and wilder than the first, and its soul too seems to be full of secrets and the lust to dig up treasures. Thus live the waves--thus live we who will--more I shall not say.

So? You mistrust me? You are angry with me, you beautiful monsters? Are you afraid that I might betray your secret entirely? Well, then be angry with me! Raise your dangerous green bodies as high as you can! Make a wall between me and the sun--as you do now! Verily, even now nothing is left of the world but green dusk and green lighting flashes. Carry on as you please, you pranksters; roar with delight and malice--or dive again, pouring your emeralds into the deepest depths, and cast your endless white manes of foam and spray over them--everything suits me, for everything suits you so well, and I am so well disposed toward you for everything: how could I think of betraying you! For--heed it well!--I know you and your secret, I know your kind! You and I--are we not of one kind? You and I--do we not have one secret?"

My opinion on the reason that westerners have a harder time sitting in full lotus for extended periods of time is the problem of sex appeal that promotes the tensing of the lower abdominal muscles for the image of "toned abs"

See here is the archetype image of Buddha in lotus

See how he has a relaxed belly and face..I would see this would allow the thighs to be more comfortable and stable to sit in such a position for 2 hours plus.

as opposed to the westerner

This one, who obviously has some tension in the lower abdominal muscles and thighs..I would assume it would be much less comfortable to hold this position for 2 hours plus..

This is just my opinion of course..but personally I cannot even do the lotus position at all ..I've heard it is the most comfortable meditation posture once you are able to stay in it stably..thus I have much work to do..

So the pic is supposed to be sexually appealing?? To who(m) exactly?

 

This is OT so skip and maybe rethread if it happens:

 

More seriously (as it seems I often say;-)) it would seem that now it's young MEN (joining the ranks of young women) who have body-image issues and resort to some pretty out there practices like steroids, gym-bunnyism, shit like that.

 

To be sure, I'm seeing way more pumped teens than when I was at school. We were all seriously pale and gawky then. I sometimes wonder if they feel it's worth it.

Hey..its basically because girls I was attracted to used to call me fat...I still am a teenager though (19)..and became anorexic because of it. I actually wasn't fat at all though..I had the whole Buddha look (baby cheeks and a protruding belly.) I wanted to look like the "sexy men" on tv..but of course..I learned the hard way that it's not sexy nor healthy..now I suffer from a programmed habit.

Bruxism- 3 solutions/ideas

1) Hypnotherapy (suggestive, no need for regressive)

You can even do self-hypnosis with free internet scripts (google bruxism and hypnosis), but it is best to work in yr personal situation (ex: personal image stuff, yoga restritions, etc)

2) Botox 4-8 units each masseter (depending on strength of clench)

Usually provides 3-6 months of relief; at that point the body may have naturally reestablished new neuroplasticity and relaxation or you can repeat

3) Boris Prilutsky Medical Massage for TMJ Video (I am not sure if he ever released this on DVD)

This is basically botox without botox and the added benefit of more range of motion, fascial lengthening.

Great if you can get a copy (maybe contact him through his site and see if any are available)

 

Of course other solutions exist energetically...

Thanks for the suggestions..I will google some hypnotherapy for bruxism..since based on your post, you are not aware of any sites or torrents concerning body image/bruxism hypnotherapy.

As for the other two..I am only 19..I can't afford it and wouldn't go that route anyways..

I am aware there are many energetic Taoist or Hindu methods to cure this problem..which is why I posted this on this forum..Taoist practices are just so discreet in the west..and my google searches did not bring me any good results..which is why I came here.

I have that too.. us 'Vitta' types (Ayurvedic constitution for overactive mind) tend to hold tension in the jaw. belly breathing, of course, but yet the awareness of relaxation in the areas of tension. during meditation just notice where there is tension and focus there for the purpose of 'letting go' and relaxing that tension. also, keep the tongue lightly on the roof of the mouth to help energy move down from the jaw, down the front of the bod, to the lower dan tien. I think jaw tension is usually reflective of a throat chakra blockage.

I will start to do this..but I have been having some mental problems which deter me from meditating for to long..in fact I just tried a simple meditation sitting in the swastikasana posture doing breathing with my tongue on my upper palate this morning..though since I am new to yoga it gets uncomfortable fairly easy and my mind wonders after counting..and it gets boring (beginner at meditation to) I guess concerning this aspect, practice makes the better man..but some helpful hints on such meditations or new methods of meditation would also be appreciated.

Also , If anyone is interested..I just ordered A 5 dvd/cd/booklet set By Dr. Hyatt called "Radical undoing yourself..which is said to turn tension into beneficial energy...which will hopefully somewhat alleviate my problem

Radical undoing yourself

That's interesting that you mention it as an epidemic bad habit...I do it and the dentist insisted I needed a dental guard for sleeping, and many people I know have needed one as well, it seems to be a very common "epidemic" these days. Wonder why, it's such a common thing these days.

It is common because it is practiced by models and actors and musicians in the mass media.

Here is an example of a fairly relaxed image of heath ledger before his clenching

Then Heath ledger trying to be "sexy"

It is indeed..a very bad habit. And a mental sickness to say the least..that is hard to unbreak from my torturous experience with it.

have you tried exercizing it the other way? stretching the jaw by opening wide on all sides and the front, should help relieve some tension just as strecthing would in other muscles that feel wound up. this is something that is suggested to people with bruxism (teeth grinding)

Yes..but when I look in the mirror I tend to undo it..actually I remember clenching my jaw and holding in my stomach in high school in front of the mirror to try to get girls.

do the bridge (Setubadha Sarvangasana) and during the pose relax your breathing, release tension in the neck and jaw. When you do the bridge, you'll find yourself straining in all three areas. Simply relax and breath slow and easy....close your eyes and stay there for a few minutes. You'll find that if you relax and you can hold the pose longer...

 

also as scotty said - smile and belly breathing (albeit too much belly breathing can permanently distend your abdomen, as I found out).

Thanks for the pose..that one hits the spots a bit better than the whole routine I have been doing.

Is there any possibility that you are having automatic uddiyana bandha and jaladhara bandha happening? Jalandhara isn't really jaw "clenching" but it does involve some of the same muscles....and what you are describing about the sucking in of the belly sounds pretty much exactly like uddiyana bandha. What makes you feel this is such a "bad" thing that needs to be stopped?

 

Love,

Carson

No it's not this. I actually remember intentionally lowering my jaw and sucking in my stomach to look more sexually appealing ( though I'm realizing now that it actually does not look healthy).

A small smile, and belly breathing.

Quite effortless and effective..will have to make that habitual.other helpful exercises would also be appreciated.

So anyways..I noticed this in myself quite awhile ago and took up some practice in personal yoga..which hasn't really done much. What I am noticing though is a almost rote tendency for me to suck in my stomach or dan tien ( believe) and clench my jaw from sex appeal/t.v programming. I notice this also with many people while in the mall or school ect. Anyways I could go into detail..but I tried some asanas for this purpose and I always undo it because of masochistic habit (a peculair human tendency). Anyways I was looking for some exercises that are specific to jaw/clenching /dan tien or stomach sucking in. Since this seem to be my major problem..whatever asanas I am doing now do not help very much..and some discussion on this and practices to undo it would be helpful.

So I got into this art craze lately and have been admiring the relaxing powers of beauty and expression. I would just like to share two of my favorite artists here and hope that others will also share theirs.

Paul Laffoley: This guy is definitely more than an artist, hes actually more of a super-genius Renaissance man.

Heres a website dedicated to him Laffoley

Heres some of his visions

Michael Brown: I like the overall feel of this guys art, it makes life feel dreamy

Website: Brown

I was hopping to make this into some sort of art sharing topic, so feel free to share your artwork or the work of others.

(My avatar is also a painting of laffoleys )

Supposedly, this guy isn't teaching westerners. If you look hard enough on this forum you may be able to find somebody on this continent that is currently approaching this level of training but not through Taoist or Buddhist sources.

The only thing I could think of that is at the same level of Taoist esoteric teaching (which of course as we all know is 5000 plus years old) would be hermeticism, which is supposedly knowledge transferred to egypt from Atlantis am I correct?

Quite interesting. Is there any more information on this? Youtube, Blog or Website? Thanks!

Yea heres a good website on trans-humanism

hedonistic imperative

Just wondering if anyone has heard of trans-humanism and what there thoughts are on such things.

Just to sum it up, transhumanism is basically the idea of using nanotechnology or other high forms of enhancement to create human-cyborgs of overall extreme capacity.

Think of using stem cells to artificially create the state of ultimate "enlightenment" that some people search for their entire lives. Think of being able to buy this state of bliss or create states yet unfathomed with the use of technology.

Technology to better humanity rather than to destroy it.

Opinions?