bindo

Hey all,

 

First time poster. Just wondering what you would guys think is most compatible with Kunl.... err spontaneous nei gong.... Xing Yi, BJJ or Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies? Xing Yi and BJJ are not without their charm, but I really saw the Tao embodied in Richard Simmons' Deal-a-Meal cards. Has anyone tried the Sweatin' to the Oldies routine while practicing semen retention? Is it safe?

 

Thanks!

Camer---err ameroncay

I think the magic is in the little striped shorts. Not the deal-a-meal cards.

Chi kung apprentice,

Why do I want ascension THAT bad? When I was a little kid, maybe ten, I head the story of Elijah going straight to heaven in a fiery chariot. I asked my dad if it was possible for anyone and he said yes. Then I asked my priest and he said yes too. So that sealed the deal in my mind.

 

After that it always seemed to be my ambition but it didn't really become serious and all consuming until 1985 when my dad died, my grandmother died and my entire unit was wiped out in a plane crash. After that I got obsessed with death and gained an overactive survival instinct I guess. I wish I could say that I love the universe and want to return to the souce out of some altruistic ambition but the fact is I just dont want to die.

Darin

 

Cameron,

Max is from Michigan? I guess I'll have to do some more research. But he lives in L.A.? Do you know why he chose California to live in?

Darin

I grew up in Michigan. Livonia to be exact. Max told me he's from the Troy/Ferndale area.

Where do you live, Darin?

I've had good results with the Egoscue method, but I think I favor Somatics, by Thomas Hanna. I once had back pain for nine months, gained twenty pounds, was miserable! Couldn't sit or sleep w/out pain. Then I spent two hours learning somatics from the book and all pain was gone! Worth checking out and fairly easy to learn.

Here's an interesting site that sounds a lot like kunlun.

 

Shuichuan

Have you ever noticed how the hippies had a very "spontaneous", or free form way of dancing, back in the 60's.? They had a little "acid qigong' thing going on there.

Transmission by LSD! Sounds like trouble.

Is there one where I can read up on the Kun Lun that the folks here are involved with?

kunlunbliss

well this thread went right down the toilet!

Are the any TaoBums, or KunLuners in the Bay Area?

I'm in the North Bay-Marin County

Also,

 

Try cold shower with deep breathing.

 

As cold a shower as you can stand.

 

Inhale as deelpy as you can and hold your breath and count to ten.

 

Exhale completely. After the breath is Exhaled hold your breath and count to ten.

 

Repeat..inhale..count..exhale..count..

 

This combined with the cold water for 5-10 minutes is really invegorating!

I'm really pulling for you guys, but it seems to me you are taking the band - aid approach with all of these physical techniques which only keeps your focus "down there", thus increasing the very energy you are trying to overcome.

It's all in your mind! Where are your thoughts? Refuse any and all sexual thoughts. Just flat out refuse them!

If you are just trying to not have sex, you are putting the odds against you. It's too negative. You need to move toward something positive, something spiritual, and divine. And open yourself to that force, and call it down into you.

You need to exceed your self, spiritually. Think of how you will feel if you succeed. What a victory it will be, and what a giant step forward you will have taken to be free of every urge and impulse that you allow to enter you by stepping outside of the machinery as a free being. There are many layers, of course, but every step is hard won and creates a momentum that will soon take on a life of it's own and then it becomes an effortless effort.

Are you moving away from something? Or are you moving towards something? Where is your mind? Where are your thoughts? Where are you focused?

you had to look anyways...

Who represents the highest spiritual attainment to you? Put your mind on that and do japa (repetition of the name) as often as possible, from deep in the heart center or above the head. If you focus on energy, you run the risk of increasing it, leaving you hornier than before. Don't be a slave of desire.

It's a good idea to have a hose nearby if you are playing with matches, but it's an even better idea to not play with matches in the first place.

I am totally fine with you joining our group.

 

I am presuming you are a woman?

 

Probably you will open up even faster and as you don't have to worry about 100 days and are all clear for takeoff.

 

So..that's four..who else is with us?

According to Seinfeld, she should have to do 150 days.

[quote I've read nothing but positive comments about Kunlun on this forum and just wanted to know what other people thought about all this? , maybe someone can give me some reassurance.

Thanks

Peace

?????????????????????

Are you being serious? Didn't you answer your own question in the same sentence?

This is the solution, this the salvation, this the perfection that I offer to all those who can listen to a divine voice within them and are capable of this faith and knowledge. But to climb to this pre-eminent condition the first necessity, the original radical step is to turn away from all that belongs to your lower Nature and fix yourself by concentration of the will and intelligence on that which is higher than either will or intelligence, higher than mind and heart and sense and body. And first of all you must turn to your own eternal and immutable self, impersonal and the same in all creatures. So long as you live in ego and mental personality, you will always spin endlessly in the same rounds and there can be no real issue. Turn your will inward beyond the heart and its desires and the sense and its attractions; lift it upward beyond the mind and its associations and attachments and its bounded wish and thought and impulse. Arrive at something within you that is eternal, ever unchanged, calm, unperturbed, equal, impartial to all things and persons and happenings, not affected by any action, not altered by the figures of Nature. Be that, be the eternal self, be the Brahman. If you can become that by a permanent spiritual experience, you will have an assured basis on which you can stand delivered from the limitations of your mind-created personality, secure against any fall from peace and knowledge, free from ego.

``Thus to impersonalise your being is not possible so long as you nurse and cherish and cling to your ego or anything that belongs to it. Desire and the passions that arise from desire are the principal sign and knot of ego. It is desire that makes you go on saying I and mine and subjects you through a persistent egoism to satisfaction and dissatisfaction, liking and disliking, hope and despair, joy and grief, to your petty loves and hatreds, to wrath and passion, to your attachment to success and things pleasant and to the sorrow and suffering of failure and of things unpleasant. Desire brings always confusion of mind and limitation of the will, an egoistic and distorted view of things, a failure and clouding of knowledge. Desire and its preferences and violences are the first strong root of sin and error. There can be while you cherish desire no assured stainless tranquillity, no settled light, no calm pure knowledge. There can be no right being -- for desire is a perversion of the spirit -- and no firm foundation for right thought, action and feeling. Desire, if permitted to remain under whatever colour, is a perpetual menace even to the wisest and can at any moment subtly or violently cast down the mind from even its firmest and most surely acquired foundation. Desire is the chief enemy of spiritual perfection.

from "Essays On The Gita"

The psychic self control that is desirable in these surroundings and in the midst of discussion would mean among other things:

1. Not to allow the impulse of speech to assert itself too much or say anything without reflection, but to speak always with a conscious control and only what is necessary and helpful.

2. To avoid all debate, dispute or too animated discussion and simply say what has to be said and leave it there. There should be no insistence that you are right and the others wrong, but what is said should only be thrown in as a contribution to the consideration of the truth of the matter.

3. To keep the tone of speech and the wording very quiet and calm and uninsistent.

4. Not to mind at all if others are heated and dispute, but remain quiet and undisturbed and yourself speak only what can help things to be smooth again.

5. If there is gossip about others and harsh criticism, not to join - for these things are helpful in no way and only lower the consciousness from its higher level.

6. To avoid all that would hurt or wound others.

SRI AUROBINDO

This should be called Message Board Qigong. The art of energy maintenance while dealing with morons, smart-asses, jack holes and shit-for-brains people on the internet.

You nailled it.

You said you "had your fun".

 

My guess is most Taobums(including myself) have not "had there fun".

 

So..it's probably a situation where you did what you needed to do, and then moved on to celibacy.

 

But my guess is for 99% of cultivaors on here the Taoist sex practices will be probably be the long term solution not celibacy.

 

But...really....really...impressive..keep it up!

I did the Taoist sex practices for a while too. The problem I had with them is they worked so good, I felt as though I was becoming addicted to sex. Practice, practice, practice!

Yeah..that just doesn't seem balanced for a westerner at all

 

In all seriousness IF you can do the celibacy thing great. Let's get real though. Can you? Are you celibate? Or are you instead saying have sexual realationships but don't get married?

 

I am more interested in real living peoples experiences with this than some long gone guru from a different culture than mine.

Excuses, excuses!

Sri Aurobindo is a westerner, as well as an easterner. And, he was once a real living person! Until 1950.

Born in India, he wasn't allowed to associate with Indians, nor learn the language. He was raised by an English nanny and went to an english boarding school, and his first language is english. At seven years old he was sent to England to be educated and didn't return to India until he was 20 or 21. His partner, the Mother, was from France.

I've been celibate for about twelve years. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I was in my 30's, so I had my fun already. The difficulty is in stopping sexual thoughts! One sexual thought leads to another, which leads to horniness, which leads to sex.

Thoughts come from outside of you. I disciplined my mind to throw away the sexual thought and immediately turn my thoughts toward the Divine Mother. Do I want to rest in her arms? or do I want to blow my load? It was an easy decision for me.

After a while you will realize how animalistic the sex impulse is, and you will get tired of feeling like a puppet for it's expression. Having been on both sides of the sex question, I would never go back. My respect for, and relationships with women immediately improved.

Sex is a habit, not a need. It can be overcome. The way I see it, if you can overcome the sex desire, you can overcome all other desires...and be free.

I can sympathize with this story. Beautiful woman are so powerful.

 

Actually, one thing that has started to come up for me that marriage really is the way to go for serious cultivators(unless your doing the celibacy thing which let's face it 99% of men can't pull off).

 

Marriage-to someone who you can be in harmony with you not kill your spirit like so many modern marriages-and it goes both ways men do the same to woman-seems to me can be a sort of "container" for your alchemy.

 

It just seems marriage to the right partner is the way to go. Especially if you do Taoist practices and learn Taoist sex stuff(I can't say I really am adept at that at this point but am learning!) probably the love and affection for your partner would grow.

 

Also-a real loving marriage I think would act as a sort of protection in the desire world-

 

So yeah...finding the right partner and making a committment and stuff seems where it is at to me.

"Regarding your question about a complimentary soul and marriage, the answer is easy to give; the way of the spiritual life lies for you in one direction and marriage lies in quite another and opposite. All talk about a complimentary soul is a camouflage with which the mind tries to cover the sentimental, sensational, and physical wants of the lower vital nature. It is that vital nature in you which puts the question and would like an answer reconciling it's desires and demands with the call of the true soul in you."

"As to the question of marriage in general, we do not consider it advisable for one who desires to come to the spiritual life. Marriage means usually any amount of trouble, heavy burdens, a bondage to the worldly life and great difficulties in the way of single-minded spiritual endeavour. It's only natural purpose would be, if the sexual trend was impossible to conquer, to give it a restricted and controlled satisfaction."

"As to sexual impulse. Regard it not as something sinful and horrible and attractive at the same time, but as a mistake and wrong movement of the lower nature. Reject it entirely, not by struggling with it, but by drawing back from it, detaching yourself and refusing your consent; look at it as something not your own, but imposed on you by a force of nature outside you."

From "The Integral Yoga" Sri Aurobindo's Teaching and Method of Practice.

The first one is a specific reply to an individual about his own personal situation.

I am likely going to India at the beginning of January for a World Congress on Psychology and Spirituality.

 

So, I would like to:

 

A. Invite any other Tao bums to attend!

 

B. Solicit premier ideas about where to go (ashrams, museums, sites, etc), who to train with, and other tips about visiting the primal holy Land of baby Krishna!

 

So far I have sent a form to Pattahabi Jois's Center in Mysore, stating that I am considering training there for 6 months! I tentatively plan to visit Amritsar, the home of Kundalini Yogis/Sikhs, Siddha ashrams, and many couches thanks to couchsurfing.com

 

Much love,

Jake

How about the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry? That's where I would like to go.

Again, the energy working between them was incredible. And she was so new too!! Amazing. It really captivates the imagination... what this practice's existence may mean for me, my friends, family, taobums, and the world... is mind boggling and I haven't even started thinking about Red Phoenix or Golden Flower yet!!

I think a lot of what Max taught wasn't intended to be fully understood but rather to stretch open our thinking about what is possible. I wish I remembered more of his exact phrases, but whatever. I'm just glad this stuff got figured out in the first place... sounded like Max has had quite a cultivation career!! He should write an autobiography of a yogi someday.

Hey Yoda,

I thought of the Quakers too. The Ken Burns documentary on Mother Ann & the Quakers was fantastic! So, what's the Golden Flower all about? W/out giving the entire technique, of course. He didn't teach that one at the SF seminar.

Thanks,

Gordon

wow, just checked out dragon herbs, and seems like there's a whole bunch of stuff I want to buy. However, I'm having trouble figuring out if I need to build up more yang, or more ying, or both. I was hoping maybe someone on this forum could help out. Lately, I've been feeling really cold (might have something to do with winter), and at social gatherings with a lot of ppl I don't do much talking. I don't know if this means I'm more yin at this point in time or what. I do have more energy than usual though ever since I've been eating healthier (which is Yang). Should I just start off with the starter program?

 

Thanks

 

Also, does anyone know whether or not they deliver to Canada?

The starter program is excellent. Maybe add some Buddha's Yang in small amounts to start with. You could even add a lung formula, seeing that it's the fall/metal season. Time to tonify the lungs.

I don't see why they wouldn't ship to Canada.

I have now started to explore the teachings of Alan Watts. He was an incredibly articulate and profound thinker. So naturally I wanted to learn more about this person and his life.

 

I listened to a discussion with Laura Huxley that gave an insight into his personality that a monologue can not offer. He led and controlled the discussion in a domineering manor. Not really interested in hearing anything that was different to what he already knew. I think this can often be found in intellectuals as they are so convinced in their superiority, knowledge and understanding.

 

He died at 58 with a heart attack during the night. What surprised me was that he became an alcoholic possibly due to financial and social commitments he struggled to meet.

 

I will continue to explore his works as I find them fascinating but I am posed with a question.

 

With his profound understanding how could he end up an alcoholic recluse? Did the world become so intolerable he could no longer live in it? Surely this is counter to his teachings?

 

I know no person is perfect but I thought he would have gone happy and surrounded by friends.

Just as an aside; I live in Marin County, CA, where Alan Watts used to live. About fifteen years ago I was on a big Alan Watts trip. My girlfriend and I decided to split up, and she ended up living in the house where he died, in Muir Woods.

Also, they used to have an AW birthday party every year down the street from where I lived at a bar called Ted's. I went once. I don't know if they still do it but it was pretty cool!

Bindo

I couldn't agree with you more. Jade Medicine and Dragon eggs were excellent products, I used them myself.

 

I don't think it was the government which brought this company down from what I remember.

 

Now you have piqued my curiosity. What happened with the govt??

 

 

Craig

I was told the gov't required them to test all of the herbs they use at a cost of nearly $10,000 per herb. Test for what, I'm not sure, but they decided to just close their doors.

Lawyer fee's, testing fee's, and loss of sales were too big of a hole to climb out of I guess.

The owner of eastearthtrade.com was the source of this info if I remember correctly. I think he was somehow involved with Dragon Eggs in the past. Anyway, he's very well connected in the industry.

Gordon

The thing about feedback is that generally only people with complaints will bother writing in. People who are happy with the product often won't, and so can often form a silent majority. Which gives a very skewed perspective.

 

Just so you don't respond entirely to negative feedback, I will add my .02 here:

 

- Max is a very student-friendly teacher. I don't know him intimately, but there are certainly no ego problems on the surface.

- I, for one, like all the "show & tell" demos. The crazier, the better.

 

So, I don't think either of these needs any "watering down."

 

As far as all the marketing hype...well, I don't really have a problem with that, either. It kinda whets the appetite and it's not like he doesn't really have the goods. Let's face it, a lot of a "product" lies in the presentation. So, I guess you could make this really clinical and technical, but why not make it fun and enchanting as well? Which matches his playful attitude of not taking things too seriously.

 

Also, I think it will be a looongggg time before any students outshine him. Don't mistake his humbleness/false modesty for weakness. Quite the opposite, in fact.

I agree with vortex completely. I've started to reply to some of these posts a few times over the past couple of days but couldn't find the right words w/out it turning in to a total rant.

Ego?- who? when?

Skirmishes? Where? on this board? you mean like every message board ever created?

Sensationalism? I can understand why some people would see the movie trailers as "sensational", but I don't agree. Same for the demonstrations.

Hard sell? My sister attended the free lecture in Encinitas, and my brother went to the recent free lecture in Alhambra. I just spoke to both of them on sunday and we all agree that we like the fact that there was no hard sell to go to the seminar. Quite the opposite. If they were any more casual about things, you wouldn't even know there was a seminar!

"If you're interested, we'll be here the next two days". This is how Max ended the free lecture in SF. Hard sell? I think not!

Not to mention, they are just getting started.

Chris, you don't need to change anything.

Not all herbs are created equal. Also, the terms 8:1 , 4:1 etc are almost next to meaningless. They do not refer to a standard of any kind, not only that but there is no regulation about what constitutes an 8:1 or 4:1 or whatever ratio. It depends on the manufacturing process.

 

Craig

The ratio's are the same for everyone. The industry standard is 4:1. But you're right, the manufacturing process and the quality of herbs makes all the difference in the world. That's why Dragon Eggs had the most potent products out there. They used 6-11:1, depending on the formula, supreme grade herbs, and a low temperature, water and alcohol, full extraction. 1-5 drops is all you needed to take. I've been using there products for 23 years. They're out of business now, thanks to the gov't, but I bought a lot of product before it all disappeared. Their other line, Jade Medicine/Herbals was great too.

I agree with Craig.

 

Dragonherbs is The Bomb.

 

As everyone knows my favorite formula from them is Tao in a Bottle.

 

It's also one of the more affordable formulas..some of the other formulas like Heaven Drops(like $350 bottle of Ginseng) might be good after your a millionaire..even then I like TIB the best.

 

c

Yeah! Tao in a Bottle is awesome! Source Naturals has a great product called Theanine Serene which I've used many times and it's a lot cheaper than TIB. I like Dragon Herbs and Eastearthherb.com-their brand-Long Hay Flat 8:1 quality extracts,great company! And FourSeasonsHerbs.com, Ron Teeguarden's old company. Small time, nice people (Diane & Scott), excellent quality herbs,4 or 5:1, less expensive than DH. Their Black Dragon formula is great! So is Athletic Power Drops.

Also, at East Earth Trade, they sell the Sanjiu concentrated powdered extracts so you can make your own formulas easily.