forestofemptiness

How did it work for you?

I thought it was VERY on point. I respect the decision not to keep it up, though.

Usually, one of two things happen when people teach themselves energy work: nothing or they often mess themselves up. This stuff is pretty serious.

My basic impression is that Tibetan internal practice is very square and fiery. It involves holds, locks, strong intention, etc. It also tends to generate a lot of heat, which is helpful if you live in Tibet. Qigong (as I've learned it) is largely the opposite: no holds, no strong intention, no stops. It is more fluid, flowing, and circular. Personally, I like Buddhism for the mind, and Taoism for the body.

To be fair, people don’t often react with prejudice and violence to my mere bodily existence, so it’s a little easier to be forgiving. No doubt we mean very different things by the term “enlightenment.” But of course, many people subscribe to #2.

Unless it involves guns and pickups? Or being anti-abortion?

I looked through the book briefly, but it seems that the first part is to "charge up" so to speak, and the subsequent parts are directing or using the energy. Not sure if this means you have to go through this every time--- the book wasn't that detailed.

Did you try it out? No sex?!?!?!

this happened to me just this morning. I was doing a practice, and "remembering" how it was easier doing it in the old days out of a cave. Nice to hear this happens to others. But this is a good point--- we often assume the Western perspective: one life, one body, one set of memories. But if there is a whole karmic mass of past habits, then even in Western form we might be more Eastern. Taking one life is a very, very narrow view.

From a spiritual perspective, I think there are some major "foolish" stages some of us often pass through: 1. Not having a teacher. Most of us start out here in the West/modern world. We can be very "do-it-yourself." 2. Having a bad teacher. Having bad teachers is a source of wisdom, and having bad teachers help you to realize what to look for in a good teacher. 3. Having a good teacher but not following the directions. Like dying of thirst next to a pure lake. 4. Having a good teacher, following the directions, but not trusting that the fruition will come.

The evidence of post-death states (thukdam) in spiritual masters really helps in inspiring my practice. Interestingly, this happens in all religious traditions.

Damn, sorry to hear that. But glad you obviously have developed the skills to cope with it (or so it seems from here).

Interestingly, one can look at this from a Buddhist POV through the three interpretations of the Pureland: 1. The Pureland is where you go after death. In this view, one would focus one's efforts (or non-efforts) on attaining this Pureland. 2. The Pureland is the mind. In this view, the Pureland appears when the mind is no longer clinging and grasping. One's efforts (or non-efforts) are focused there. 3. The Pureland can arise on earth. From this view, we need not wait until death nor until enlightenment to at least create a semblance of the Pureland here and now on earth. So if one is more inclined to #1-2, then one would expect one's teacher to stay clear of politics. But if one is inclined to #3, then I would certainly expect the teacher to have and even express political opinions. Personally, I don't mind a teacher's political leanings (left, right, center, non-) unless they support populist authoritarians. But usually, if a teacher is over-involved in politics, I am suspicious. Politics has a very "othering" tendency that I feel is incompatible with the spiritual path. But I agree with LL--- I usually go to a teacher for their particular expertise.

"One who teaches oneself has a fool for a student." --- Lincoln Tzu

Resting mentally can be a challenge since many of us have trained ourselves into a state of constant stimulation. Of course, this can be undone, but it takes some time. There are overt practices you can do, such as resting the mind on an object of meditation, focusing on a book or a podcast, or going for a walk, bike ride, or run WITHOUT listening to anything but the sounds of nature. There are analytical practices you can do also, such as the four mind changers in Buddhism. Over time, simply doing one's practices again and again leads to a sort of natural resting IME.

Not a hook 🪝 I’d care to bite. 😆

You use the mantra suitable to the practice. If you are doing Pureland practice, you use an Amitabha mantra, if Chenrezing, you use Manis, etc. Also, many mantras require you get the mantra from some one who has "activated" it. Also agree with @steve

Yes, of course. As the Tibetans say: nangwa sem--- appearances are mind. So what you see is a projection of your inner state. Angry people experience and feel a very different world than positive people. We can see this in ourselves--- when upset, tired, and down, the world seems much sharper and full of edges. When in a good mood, everything seems fluid, free, and it is easier to see the good in others. For myself, the world was once quite fixed, solid, and material. You can also see it as people age. When younger, we tend to be more open, less fixed in our opinions, and have more qi. As we age, it appears there is an ossification of body, qi stagnates, and opinions/thoughts/world views become quite fixed. The good news is that this fixity is merely an illusion. Nothing is fixed. Everything is changing, fluid, and interdependent. But this habit of mind/qi can take some time to work with.

Damo Mitchell says he found that it shifts as you get closer to the equator: http://lotusneigong.com/the-ding-鼎-and-the-lu-爐/ I'm about as Western as it gets, and I haven't had any particular issues with Taoist or Tibetan energy systems. I had to go through a lengthy period of learning to relax/open (physically/mentally) though. If I had to speculate, Westerners may also be more impatient and try to "make things happen" much as the fable of the Chinese farmer who tried to make the crops grow by pulling on them. Finally, all this constant stimulation with Western devices/media isn't good, plus google and the internet is literally rewiring our brain. Many Westerners strike me as constantly overstimulated.

Well, like you describe here--- holding the posture, and settling the mind onto whatever space, and feeling what's there. I should add I'm not necessarily against imagination per se, but I feel that when I imagine something, relying on my own memories and mind, I usually miss what's actually happening. I'm always a bit surprised.

I should have said, "Thoughts about doing it without imagination?" For me, the internal arts seem to work better without.

It brought to mind the famous HDT quote: The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.

Mental illness, like everything else, arises from causes and conditions. Mental illness is largely seen as a brain/body problem, IME. So when you are in the bardos between lives, for example there is no mental illness. It is a product of the brain/body. I'm not saying mentally ill people cannot meditate. I'm just saying it needs to be done with a teacher (actually, any of this should be done with a teacher). There was a member here who had meditation induced mental illness who used Taoist techniques to overcome them. But she did it with a teacher. There are other people who are mentally ill who meditate as well.

I wouldn't do any practice without consulting and working with a qualified teacher. Qigong can be like tossing gas onto the fire.

Well, if you live in "quiet desperation" then I'd certainly recommend a break from online forums. No need to stress, plus I hear its bad for the jing. I was just questioning whether India is, in fact, "doing well." Science despots? On the Dao Bums? Are you kidding?