Meson

I want to say something, but I'm not sure what. It's just a shame that the people most in need of healing would be turned away...

I agree with you. Also, that it doesn't necessarily have to be about lust for money or guru status - a lot of teachers just won't have the knowledge to treat all health issues. Being a meditation master does not necessarily endow you with the skills of a psychotherapist, MD or healer.

If in doubt, get a referral or a second opinion!

-O-, thanks for sharing that story. A very cautionary tale, I hope she makes progress.

Until people raise their energy body vibration rate and learn how to shield themselves they should stay away from such. Chances are far greater of getting a disembodied liar that will try to convince you they are an "ascended master" or "spirit guide". This is exactly what a lot of the "channelers" are doing. Practice your internal qigong, be a good and moral person (virtue), stay calm, and practice Listening.

Ya Mu - I totally agree. This is what I have been taught and also what I have found to be true through practice. There are countless beings who are NOT interested in your evolution. Virtue is paramount; discernment very useful too. As my teacher has remarked on more than one occasion, the best technique for protection is strengthening.

It seems to me that the evolution of all beings is a law of the Tao, or of the universe. Working within that structure or assumption is different from a gimme gimme gimme ego grasping for more type of mind. A mind of compassion includes and emphasizes the desire to help others acheive higher spiritual aims, my evolution is your evolution. Perhaps you can explain how a fraudster can get in the way of what seems to me a fundamental universal law"

Well, not all beings are interested in evolution. A fundamental universal law is free will, even if that choice involves devolution. We all have made, and continue to make those choices. And there certainly are many posing as guides and helpers who only want something from you, I have experienced this! Ignorance and desire for personal power (you might say they are very closely related) are major obstacles to discerning between ego wants and true intent. It's part of the path for me. Being on your guard is of course a necessary skill, but work on yourself is the best protection; it does indeed appear true that like attracts like. Hope that helps.

When you get into the Holy Spirit in particular, Jesus and Paul refer to the Holy Spirit as personal (of course, one can debate which texts were added later, are they interpreted correctly, etc. but I am trying to work from within standard Christian doctrine as much as possible) so identification with impersonal life force is a no-go. But this is what I had in mind when I made the remark about Shakti and the Holy Spirit, since Shakti is said to be an intelligent and transformative energy, not just ordinary life force.

 

Anyway, the Hebrew is totally different and very relevant here. There are two Hebrew words that are be translated spirit: neshama and ruach. Neshama is the one that is related to breath (as in breath of life in Genesis 2:7), but every time the Spirit of God is mentioned in the OT it is a translation of Ruach Elohim. Perhaps the ancient Hebrews had a better understanding of qi versus shen than the ancient Greeks.

Please do continue sounding smart! That's very interesting, I have also wondered about the parallels drawn between the breath of life and creation in the context of chi/shen. The idea of a personal God being anathema to Taoism (an intelligent and transformative force seems acceptable though).

I emphasized the use of the original Greek word logos, because it seems to carry more of the idea of the impulse before speech. In Zen this is called nen, and it is the underlining pressure that gives birth to the discursive thinking mind (and therefore, it also gives birth to the separation from unity into duality, multiplicity and form).

 

Now compare this to the Tao Te Ching, where one gives birth to the two (yin and yang), which births the three (heaven, earth and man/flesh), which give birth to the ten thousand things/everything. And all of this is triggered by ming or the named (logos), which the TTC tells use in chapter 1 gave birth to the 10,000 things.

In Zen, how is nen viewed? Is it seen as an involution, or as the natural order of things? Or maybe both?

Many thanks.

Hi - just interested more in where you feel lost in your training? How is it connected with having to relate it to your previous body of practice/understanding of others?

Thanks for sharing.

Yan Xin's stories in the book "Scientific Qigong Exploration" would be a decent place to start.

Ok thanks for that, I'll check it out.

I think that if you spend some time with advanced "qi" healers, or read their stories, you'll find they operate through an "information" vector as much as through an "energy" vector.

That's intriguing, do you have any more info on that or links etc? I'd be interested to hear what qi healers or TCM practitioners say about this point. Thanks!

That's an interesting example; I have been wondering myself about things to do with personal intent and the intent that any system requires of (or imposes on) its practitioners. And when a split emerges between the two.

Do you think there's any reason why Oriental internal alchemy has such a strong martial component while other systems don't?

I would agree only to the extent that anything can be turned somewhat into a gongfu. If the moves are practiced as developed then energetically they can't be totally separated from the original intent, which is martial.

Hi - can you say a bit more about this? I would appreciate it, I have had some reservations along the lines that I think you are talking about here. Especially what you call the original intent!

Many thanks.

There is no becoming anything for a Buddhist. There is no transcendent being that cannot be described.

 

Buddhas realization is not a stripping away, but a cutting through.

Hi, just wondered if you could say a bit more about these, how you interpret it?

Thanks!