forestofemptiness

For Marblehead, who says there isn't a "shred" of evidence: Lancet NDE Study Dr. von Lommel, as many others before him, became convinced that mind does not depend on matter after conducting his NDE study on patients in the cardiac ward. What has not been proven is the modern assumption that matter is primary and mind is secondary, and that one causes the other. Our direct experience would suggest the opposite.

Regarding siddhis and karma, the bottom line short answer is that siddhis are beyond our control. We can no more choose to cultivate a specific siddhi than we can choose to become a famous actor or professional athlete. These fruits require a certain amount of luck, natural talent, and drive. In other words, a siddhi comes when a person possesses the potential and the proper methods of cultivating it. Without the potential, no amount of cultivation will help. This often is a problem with mediators who practice in a tradition that isn't suited to them. For example, some people are great at having visions and others aren't. Yet some people will find themselves in a tradition that emphasizes visions, even though they tend to be more feeling or auditory oriented in their spiritual experiences. Personally, I have had some experience with siddhis and I can say they have nothing to do with spiritual development; although spiritual development makes them easier to access. Further, I have found that they are inconsistent and unreliable.

The teachers I trust the most have said that siddhis have nothing to do with enlightenment, but rather with karma. On the other hand, I find the process itself is a wonderful siddhi. I can fit all of you in my innermost being, and still there's room for more.

Garma CC Chang, who studied Chan and Hua Yen, says that Hua Yen provides the philosophical basis for Chan. As for the connection, Zongmi was both a Hua Yen and a Chan Master.

I have found that the application of traditional leadership principles (full range leadership model, etc.) has been very effective rather than try to apply Taoist principles. Of course, my leadership experience is limited to small groups (no more than 5-10 people), but I have seen it effectively applied by people at higher levels. Keep in mind that a lot of people will be advising you who don't have jobs (there are lots of students on the Taobums). Taoist principles (and for me, Buddhist principles) are most effective for governing the inner kingdom. By holding oneself to a high standard of honesty, sincere, ethical conduct, developing objectivity, and so forth, I find I am better able to assess situations and know what to do.

The easiest instruction: Take a comfortable position. Gently bring you attention to your breath. Do not try to control or change your breath. Count your breaths, from 1 to 10. When you reach 10, start again at one. If your attention wanders, gently bring it back to the breath. Resources: Anapana Mindfulness

Phoenix Jones

TTC 38: Therefore, the Tao is lost, and then virtue Virtue is lost, and then benevolence (kindness) Benevolence (kindness) is lost, and then righteousness (justice) Righteousness (justice) is lost, and then etiquette (ritual) This describes the loss of true morality. We lose the Tao, then virtue, kindness, fairness, and then all we have are the empty rules. However, to regain the Tao, we simply reverse the process. Allow morality to cultivate fairness, allow fairness to cultivate kindness, allow kindness to cultivate virtue, and allow virtue to lead back to the Tao. In Buddhist teaching, the precepts are rules of practice. They are like training wheels that let you distinguish right and wrong until your practice catches up and you realize how to do the right thing naturally. I think one sided morality comes when we focus on the outside world, and neglect the inner. Once we realize that other people are the same as we are, then we tend to be more fair, kind, and so forth. So I think this dialogue, in the end, is too simplistic. It's not an either/or thing. *TTC translated by Derek Lin

Beoman, My bet is that KFD and DhO would tell you its A & P, a temporary state. I've notice that rapid noting can lead to exactly the sort of vision/distortion problems you are talking about. I have a few reservations about it, but nothing I'm willing to share in public. I would agree with what the others said about grounding. I doubt that it would hurt you physically, although it can be mentally destabilizing. I'd also think about working on the shamatha side of the house as well.

What were your instructions you were following? What was your posture, and breathing? How long?

Actually, this is quite false. One can cultivate mindfulness to the point where one sees thoughts, even subtle thoughts, as objects.

Why do you say that?

Here is an interesting article from the NY Times: Kung Fu for Philosophers

Traditionally, it goes: Sensory form --> feeling (like, don't like, neutral) --> perception ---> thoughts/feelings/reactions/actions about, etc. --> consciousness The idea that everything is mind comes much later in Buddhism. I've been taught that Chinese Xin refers to both thoughts/feelings, and that separating thoughts and feelings is more of a western thing.

I think this is an interesting thread, and very practically minded, too. My own unproven hypothesis is that life drains are due to blockages and attachments. Mental resistance manifests itself all the way down to the physical body, and would also manifest itself in the chi-body. I find that as I cultivate Buddhist practice, and I let go of my ideas, my fixed positions, and attachments, I become more relaxed and feel "better" inside, even when I'm sick. As I feel better, I try to share or project these feelings with everything around me. Energetically, the idea behind my Buddhist practice, and Buddhist qigong, is to let energy flow freely, rather than try to hold or contain it. Holding and containing it creates blocks. Energy is allowed to flow freely because the source is infinite. From what I am reading here (and please correct me if I'm wrong), but it sound like from a Taoist POV, the point is to plug into this energy and then accumulate it for oneself.

I didn't realize there were lots of Buddhist/Hindu masters who died young--- other than Adi Shankhara. Most of the Buddhist masters who've I met are old. Most of of the Buddhist masters I've read about lived to be old. Master Xu Yun was severely beaten by communists when he was 112 and still managed to pull out another 7 years.

I'm stunned that people take this so seriously. This is a forum, not a community that we are forced to live in. Are we seriously comparing internet forum moderators to dictators who control all aspects of people's lives and can kill or torture human beings on a whim? If people think that moderators have some sort of power because they can control internet postings or ban screen names, then it sounds like they need to spend some time off-line to re-ground.

GIH's fake acupuncture story: Fake Acupuncture Story

Having seen the Taobums pre- and post-moderation, I would say it is a much better place post-moderation. People will complain either way: don't moderate, and people complain about the mess. Do moderate, and people complain about censorship. But at the end of the day, this is a private forum, and the moderation is very light. I would thank the moderators for their voluntary work to make this place better.

Neither English, nor any other language exists other than as a mental construct--- it is a made up pattern that we are able to learn. English does not exist apart from or until the arising of English speakers. With qigong, the idea is that the meridians and dan tiens exist independently. And if dan tiens and meridians exist independently, then one would think there would be more consistency in their description. I've found descriptions vary widely even within a culture, much less talking across cultures.

To flesh out the question a little further (keeping in mind this is a question, and not a statement): Is it possible that the results of qigong are a result of the practicioner's mind rather than the qigong itself, and the qigong forms simply facilitate the mind's creation of these? By way of a story: perhaps there was an ancient Taoist sage who learned the benefits of non-attachment, cultivating positive feelings, mindfulness, and acceptance. Now he goes and tells people they should do these things, but they all scratch their heads. So he says, "Here is an ancient Tiger-Warrior form. If you do this, then these feelings will arise." People who believe this take the form and achieve the result. Over time, people ascribe a certain power to the form. In fact, there is a famous story involving Levi-Straus* (an anthropologist) who had his cynical assistance learn how to cure people by hiding objects in his mouth and sucking them out. He discovered that the people were cured, even though his assistant didn't believe. To take it further, perhaps dan tiens, meridians, nadis, chakras, and all of this are created by the practitioner, rather than discovered. Accordingly, one who learns according to yoga will discover the nadis and chakras of yoga. One who learns qigong will discover dan tiens and meridians. Of course, all this may require an adjustment to the view that mind is simply an epiphenomenon of matter. * I remember it was Levi-Strauss, but I may be misremembering.

Yes, Dawei, this is what I was getting at.

Actually, I think it was seandenty. As I recall, he was all over 2-4 hours before you could do anything else. He also had it out a lot with Michael.

I like this post. A Christian, a Muslim, a Jew, a Buddhist, and a Hindu can all look at a mountain and agree that it is a mountain. But when we come to the so-called "spirit world", we are led to a variety of differences. No two people report the "spirit world" the same way. People who become interested in the "spirit world" are simply exchanging one set of thoughts, feelings, and sensations for another. The truth is not to be found in one set of sensations over another--- the truth is so whether you are in a dream world, a waking world, or a spirit world. Exchanging a prison of iron for one of gold may look better, but the fetters still bind the same. The Buddha did not teach retreating into a "spirit world", he taught the end of suffering through the cessation of clinging/craving.