Old Man Contradiction

if the door's open I'd take it I've seen someone on TTB say the shaking is blockages being released. I've just learned that the shaking wakes up your nervous system.

my bed is a shiki futon that lays on the carpet floor. I think it's a pretty good neutral bed.

My favorite exercises are ones that you can get better and more coordinated at, and are endurance exercises that you can almost literally do an infinite amount of time if you could tolerate the burning pain.

I couldn't agree more.

I think it's probably fine here. A mod will take care of it if you want i'm sure. Meanwhile more people will see it while it's here.

there's an off topic section?

I say the more the better. The more shaking I can do before my class, the quicker and more grounded I am. Also, the more internal training that I do within my stance, the better I perform during class. My experience shows me that the more the better. I stayed with my teacher because he's the best i've seen, coincidentally he stands for hours.

Don't forget that a lot of people could stand like a tree for hours and hours if they wanted to, but most of them give up after a couple of minutes. I know I get to a point where i'm just coasting on the pain and my arms can basically hold themselves up, I usually end up quitting because my mind wants to, not because I fell over from my body giving out. Or you can add 30secs a day or every two days. or 20 secs a day. whatever you see fit. A fellow student said that Yu Yong Nian's book talks about some of the more advanced things that you can do with zhan zhuang, which might interest some of you (I haven't read it). The one sifu I've met that has trained with Professor Yu is the fastest martial artist I've seen. Also, his power looks compact like a bullet that would explode on impact. He suggests standing for hours if you have the will, but minimally 20mins. And the #1 thing I learned was "how to transform an empty post standing into a real internal and physical training"... quote from Yu's site. If you can get past the shaking just one time, you are home free.

I was reading Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, and something occurred to me. Buddhism says the inherent flaw in Advaita philosophy is that nonduality is the end all be all of realization. Maharaj of Tantra Nath lineage (not advaita) also has experienced deeper truth than that of nondualism. Basically his process is like this: Seek the source of your "I-am-ness" or ego, abide that which is prior to the "I" thought. Then you will realize nonduality, but even nonduality is impermanent and relative. He says going beyond that is indescribable. You realize that there is no unity and no nonduality. I'm a noob so I can't really elaborate... I was wondering if our buddhists can compare this teaching to buddhism. It looks like to me one example of an enlightened being that is not buddhist, considering his experience of deeper truth than nonduality.

I'm gonna start taking cold showers now. It sounds good and for some reason i intuit that it may help with my headache-like pressure.

Just wondering, is a buddha basically god? Not what people think god is, but if you escape the dissolution and recreation of the universe, but yet are still existent as something limitless and without intention... is that not natural god?

cool. And I do believe that realization a la buddha is different than Nisargadatta. Do I know for certain one is wrong and the other is right? no clue... but anyway, I started reading Crystal and The Way Of Light today, I already like Namkhai Norbu. By the way, how do you pronounce his name?

You don't know what you are talking about when it comes to Dwai or Nisargadatta knowing what they are talking about when it comes to Buddhist realization. Actually from what I've read, Nisargadatta has never talked about buddhism... so what are you talking about?

This is true, and for example Nisargadatta uses the word nondual to express both nonduality, and that which is beyond duality and nonduality. The ambiguity can be confusing. Another thing, is the teacher telling you the philosophy, or is he trying to guide you to a realization? What is said is commonly not the meaning. When told to look for the source of ego, my awareness retracts from the mind and then permeates my body, my internal space, and the external space. Sometimes my awareness shifts out of objectifying itself into "not something", I lose my self to the moment. Is this the source of the ego? no, but the instruction brings my awareness deeper.

One more question, does Dzogchen teach a moment to moment practice? The thing I love about Maharaj is the moment to moment instruction to constantly sense that I Am. Just as Maharshi taught to constantly seek the source of the ego. It seems like buddhism is basically saying that the EXPERIENCES of Advaita and Tantra Nath are good and valid as far as they go, but their interpretations are incorrect and that there is deeper truth.

I remember reading somewhere about fascia being a part of transmitting neuro-messages to muscle, but I can't find that info anywhere. Do you know anything about this?

cool I will get that book, it is at a not too far away book store. After reading it and then maybe the other one you suggested, I will see how my temperament relates with the teachings, and maybe my driving impulse to wake up will bring me to Dzogchen.

I can't really comment further until I meditate and read more. What is a good book for learning about Dzogchen? It seems like accepting dependant origination would take a lot of "not defining things"...

hmmm, that feels right. And I apologize for my monotonous questions, I should get a book on Dzogchen. Now my question is... let's say you realize the truth that's always been laying on your background, you realize nonduality, you realize Maharaj's "parabrahma", and then you walk into a buddhist temple to speak to a buddha... What would this buddha tell you? So according to Dzogchen and dependant origination, what happens when "you are liberated" and then your body dies?

I got a bit of reading to do...

By the word god, I was meaning basically any meaning of the word besides that of an individual entity. Not a god, or the God. But universal god... I was wandering if perhaps Buddha became part of the impulse of compassion, creation, beauty, awe, all of these things, I wonder if he, and other buddhas, became one with this impulse that is inherent in nature and the universe. the Inspiration and Insight at the Center of the Cosmos. Or do you believe that ultimately enlightened, he is still a conscious entity that is making choices in the universe? Or is everything that he does just complete spontaneity and rule of nature?

Just curious, do you like hiking, camping, fishing etc.. ? I just started fishing lately, and am going to start hiking before the weather goes bad. It seems like experiencing the Great Outdoors is a good way to get grounded.

happiness and unhappiness are both one thing. It is only separated by the illusion of time. Underneath it all is abiding peace. Who you are.

I remember reading that initiation is vastly important in the use of sacred syllables. Not that that means anything.

I'm really bad it speaking to those outside my own temperament. But since he wants super powers I'd suggest him to someone who is rumored to have similar powers, but will give him good practice. Chunyi Lin might be attractive to this individual. Although I don't trust Mantak Chia, his "high spiritual" cultivation might also be attractive to this individual, and at least introduce him to something that will open the door. Maybe telling him of a taiji legend and referring him to a simple local teacher...