yabyum24

What are your thoughts?

How about Dolly Parton?

I like this one but it's hard to sing along to if you're a bloke

Some intricate (but catchy) mediaeval music:

I don't see why not. Didn't Buddhist monks practice kung fu in China?

was your work striving to achieve circus tricks and can you prove you are a good act.

Well... I was hoping it would help me to pull some chicks.

For those who have cultivated at least five years, can you describe what have you accomplished....??? It would be something like you couldn't do it before but now you could. If you were asked to demonstrate your special skill, can you do it instantly....???

I have only cultivated since last September but I can already clearly and visibly demonstrate something I couldn't do before. A few years ago I used to practice yoga and one position I could do is called 'cow face pose' (see link).

Then I injured my back and right shoulder (not during yoga) and could no longer do it on that side. Reaching behind me in a certain position would cause me real pain and my movement was thus quite restricted.

Within 2 months of starting Tai Chi I had full movement back again and can now demonstrate cow face pose with both arms - something I have been unable to do for at least 2 years.

Okay, I'm no John Chang, but I'll settle for that healing. It's 'miraculous' enough for me.

... that it really hurts if you try to slam a chop stick through a solid wooden table with your bare hands!

I absolutely agree! Unfortunately, the study of history is neglected by most here in the U.S. I have seen some writing which could be nothing more than conjecture, that the Ukrainian oil fields that are largely undeveloped may play into this crisis. Any thoughts on that scenario?

There's definitely been a big behind the scenes tug of war contest between east and west prior to this exploding. It's probably a noxious brew of economics and strategic concerns. If the Ukraine wants to buy-in to the EU, then oil is 'black gold' and can help finance it, especially if global corporations get their mitts onto those oil fields, look at how the oil was "privatised" in Iraq.

Russia, obviously wouldn't be keen to see that happen, but probably will settle for cutting its losses and keeping the Crimea. A bit of a carve-up by both players IMHO.

You have a keen understanding as to the political dynamics and history of the region.

"If you know your history, then you know where you're coming from".

Marley (who didn't quite mean it like that )

All True, but its reflexive to worry/be scared of Russia in the West and there's good reason it. Russia has Ukraine and much of Europe by there Oily balls.

Sort of... but the truth is, they need our currency as much as we need their oil and gas. Both sides stand to lose if there's confrontation and the Crimea is just not worth it.

I'm kinda hoping for Wu Wei. Greater Ukraine will fall into a more Eurocentric orbit. Crimea joins Russia and is not the prize they think. It stokes nationalist pride, but has great costs in terms of money and problems w/ a large angry population that didn't want to become Soviet.

The majority on the Crimea are ethnic Russians and want to be part of Russia. Let's face it, if I were an ethnic Russian in the Ukraine right now, I'd be scared of the Ukrainian Nazi groups. They are not saying nice things about ethnic Russians. There is a history in the Ukraine of Nazi support going back to WW2 and the neo nazis are consciously harking back to this "heritage".

Whilst the majority of normal Ukrainians are good people who just want a better life, there is a sizable group with a fascist agenda. These guys were instrumental in the violent edge of the opposition and now consider a large share of the 'spoils' to be theirs by right. The threat of Russian action may be the only thing keeping the lid on a bit of follow-up "ethnic cleansing".

Unfortunately enlightened wu wei won't wash during an election year. It'll be seen as weakness and start a poorly thought out political ball of sanctions rolling.

True. The response has been badly thought out and is totally inappropriate.

It's basic strategic common sense. The Crimean population is mainly Russian. It belonged to Russia until recently. Russia has its naval bases etc. located there. Does anyone really expect them to hand that over to a nation that could potentially be a NATO member in the future?

Get real. Russia is only doing what any other major power would do in such circumstances. Why does the USA hold onto its base on Cuba? Why does Britain keep hold of the Falklands and Gibraltar? (security, economics and will of the population).

Rank hypocracy from the west on this one I'm afraid. Putin doesn't want the hassle of invading the Ukraine but he would be stupid to relinquish the Crimea.

I like this book.

Well, so do I, despite my niggles. The guy's made a good effort, so a pat on the back at least. There's some interesting material there (besides the pictures I mean ). Thought I'd better get that one in before someone else does.

Yeah .. but ... but .. its got real women's boobies!!!!!

This one's for Apech:

in a Mara environment.

???

I know it sounds almost prudish...

But it's not.

You're absolutely right. There's a legitimate concern that any casual reader may conflate Highest Yoga Tantra with the current trend for neo-sexual stuff.

There's nothing much about empowerment, vows, generation / completion stage etc. in the book, so it does have a kind of sex manual feel to it.

Oh yuk!!!! its got pics of women's boobies.

You only think that because you're a cat... Some humans enjoy that kind of thing, unbelievable but true! I know, you'll never look at that dude who feeds you in the same way again. Sorry

The book itself is a bit of a 'jumble sale' - some good stuff, if you rummage around. Where I take issue with a portion of what he's written is his repeated mentioning of the peace of "nirvana" happening after orgasm. How much of this is explicit in the various texts he's referring to and how much of it is his interpretation of those texts? I can't say. Okay, he limits it to the "Beginning Methods" section but still...

3) the Bliss of Cessation (Viramānanda), the bliss of orgasm and the peace of nirvāṇa that follows p273

Your most subtle attachment to a belief in a separate self, the final obstacle to eternal peace and bliss, is released. (after orgasm) The Third Bliss (p274)

If this was the case, you could just have sex and get enlightened. I've got nothing against sex or orgasm but the post-orgasm wipe-out isn't nirvana.

The Intermediate Section features orgasm with subsequent...

Reverse Urethral Suction (Vajrolī Mudrā Karmamudrā), the method of Vīravajra, after the practitioners ejaculate, you both meditate on visualizing the upward flow of the subtle energy of mixed female and male fluids from your genitals back up into your central channels. p278

Once you've come, you've come and no sucking it back makes any difference - even if it were possible. The coarse (rupa) fluid cannot enter the central channel, as this is a part of the "energy" body.

We finally get to the advanced methods on p278, where the presentation is a bit more familiar but we need a mop and bucket to get through to it.

I may have been projecting so many things onto other people without realizing it at all...

 

Is intuitive information actually accurate?

We all project qualities and attributes onto people we meet, some of it will be right, some wrong. It's guesswork based on previous experience. It's especially strong with people we meet online, as we only have their written word to go on. One person I dealt with online a few years back was a completely sectarian, argument-picking asshole. The sort of person who attacks everyone for everything, yet I was assured by someone who had met him in real life that the was a genuinely sensitive and caring individual. Who was right? And why didn't it ever come across in what he wrote? He was banned from one forum after another.

So is intuitive information accurate? It's probably more important to consider what you do personally with your projected notions, rather than question their veracity. You'll never know for sure (is it ultimately relevant?), but you can see how your mind reacts to it, and that does matter.

There always seems to be a big discrepancy between the early tantric texts which don't mince their words on orgasm, fluids and that sort of "visceral" thing, and subsequent instruction which places the prana strictly within the central channel, with no release.

If it is Tantra, it is not Dzogchen.

Tantra is the path of transformation, there is no transformation in Dzogchen.

Dzogchen is the path of self-liberation, transformation does not occur.

Brilliant.

Somehow, Dzogchen terminology threads always feel a bit like this:

But what do you think of this? If from the good Ol U.S. of A. and it's some of the finest playing I've ever heard.

It's real skill and a hell of a party.

On man. she was something else. In a class of her own.

My father in law loves this kind of stuff. It's called Schlager Musik in Germany.

It's similar to cheesy HeileWelt stuff, so take a deep breath and go for it (if you must):

I made an account to see if I can find any persons living nearby, that is, around Leuven, Belgium, who follow the same path...

Welcome Graggy. Well, if you can't find anyone who lives near you, there's always those fine Belgian chocolates as consolation

I was watching a science programme last night about what came before the Big bang? Essentially it looks like scientists can't imagine that there was nothing, as "nothing" could not be a cause for "something".

So where does that leave consciousness, as per the OP?