SAMANTABHADRA

Joeblast, Can you speak a little bit more about the technical aspects of doing what you're talking about? For example, sequentially activating 'every part of your air passageways' would mean what to you? I have some strange breath and diaphragm (and spinal) experiences, and am wondering about this.

Anybody have a short explanation for someone living in a third-world country without abilities to buy the book at this time? A basic overview would be nice. Just breathing into the perineum or what?

Wow, super interesting. I haven't been able to sleep much at all since friday, and have been feeling a lot of juice.

Just thought I'd throw this out there. I play capoeira angola, which is the slower style of capoeira. I don't hesitate to say that I haven't found another regimen of training that integrates the whole body in such a profound way. Lots of stretching of the tendons and muscles involved, flexibility of the spine is promoted and increased, super core strength is generated, and the whole body is integrated into a singular whole - something I think is a goal of many taoist practices. Lots of time spent upside down as well, in handstands and headstands and things of that nature - reversing polarities and whatnot. Also, aside from training, there is the actual game/ritual of the 'roda' (pronounced 'hoda') in which the game is played. It is a circle of people, playing berimbaus (a stringed instrument which appears deceptively simple to play), different kinds of drums and bells, and singing. The songs are generally led by one person, who introduces a chorus and then leads the group in call-and-response singing, mixed with improvised choruses. The roda has a boatload of energy - I find the music of capoeira particularly powerful for practicing any kind of bodywork. Just to let ya'll know, if you're doing the physical taoist practices, trying to improve core strength or whatnot (I know Trunk suggests Pilates) this is another option which is very challenging, and fun. And you play with other people, so it's more like a game than training by yourself. Ch-check it out

Lovely.

Yo, I just started reading this today. It has the commentary by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche. I'm seriously interested in taking this beast on and understanding the view. If you want to come along for the ride, please jump on board. The more, the merrier. Peace, Eric (PM me if you need a copy)

For me, I always interpreted the bardo teachings as having to do with our mind in this very moment. Every new moment is a rebirth of sorts, and every moment between thoughts is a bardo. It is our karma, our habitual thought patterns, our clung-to beliefs, that keep us in our present cycle. In this next moment, you could be totally free of all your baggage, all of your "karma", if you just open your mind up to it's true empty nature and let go of all the bullshit. Buddhist meditation and philosophy is mostly just about seeing this, understanding it, and putting it into practice. I have no clue whether or not I'll be born in a new realm other than this, but the teachings work.

Clearly 8 years of daily use means it must have demonstrated profound benefit to you. Care to share some of the results? Looks great but I don't have 90 bucks to drop on a book.

Embrace horse about 6 minutes. I generally go by breaths right now, since I'm traveling and without a timer. 60 deep, slow breaths. About a year and a half ago, I was doing Neutral Horse Stance and Embrace Horse for about 9 minutes each - vibration and the whole shebang. I stopped at some point, and am gently working my way back up. I do the neutral horse stance and embrace horse every day, and the nei kung exercises twice a week as perscribed in the book. I am building up, as he suggested. Right now, my twice-weekly workout goes from embrace horse to playing pi'pa, both sides. Tomorrow I will add the next exercise. Love it. how's it going for you?

http://www.amazon.com/Book-Nei-Kung-C-Chu/dp/0961658606 I have been doing the exercises as perscribed in this book for the past 6 weeks, and plan on continuing forever.

This thread was spawned by the dude in the ayahuasca thread mentioning how he loves cats. Why are cats so fucking cool? Why do I feel connected to them and love to interact with them? Is it because they are the supreme zen masters of the home? I read a text called 'Esoteric Meditation' where he mentions that cats are profoundly powerful meditators. I would say this is true. They are also incredibly energetically charged. I mean, just watch them stretch. Watch them move. Hell, watch them lounge. If they aren't little furry balls of harmonious qi, I don't know what to think. I have had two extremely profound dreams in my life involving a white tiger and myself. Both of them were significant and accurate in depicting the character of events that were to unfold in my life. What's the deal? Anyone communicate with them? Anyone have strong cat connections in their lives? I'm a dragon in the chinese calendar. We get along well with tigers. I was a cat in a past life?

Welcome!

Fuck this movie rocked. Go see it go see it go see it in 3D if possible. I was tearing up many places. It made me so sad and so thoughtful. Really made me think about my race, the human race, the American race, as I left the movie theater and drove through the paved grid. Made me want for a real community. A community of aware beings. Can't find very many here in the midwest.

This whole thread is something. If I may put forth the book cosmos and psyche by Richard Tarnas. I think it's a brilliant read; a bit hefty in the middle with empirical evidence, but the message and the target audience call for no less. If nothing more, read the first few chapters and the last few chapters. Much of the debate on this forum and many others, and perhaps in many forms throughout the world today, expresses one of two dominant archetypal energies facing off. Subject, object, etc. They are to be integrated as a society, and we can be the ones who do it. So, yes to open debate and dialogue. As to the jhana question, I speak as someone with no formal claims to attainment of any sort: I suggest that insight is insight and jhanas are not. I do not suggest that jhanas are worthless; to the contrary, I think they are valuable tools. If you think about us as self-programming computers, insight is realizing that we aren't our programs; but if that knowing exists, then it certainly doesn't behoove us not to change the programs. Why not?

Sounds like a great idea, Steve. I'm heading down to South America for an indefinite period in a couple of weeks, and I plan on attending a Goenka 10-day vipassana retreat in Buenos Aires in March. I think the atmosphere should ideally push you to practice with more ease and resolve. Vegetarian food is a plus, too. Free room and board for 10 days, and getting closer to wisdom. Win-win

....go on...

I've wanted to try it, but never actually had the time/resources to implement it. Not something I think you could switch to while also working 40 hours/week. Sounds like mad benefits though.

Go for it, dude. Sounds like your conditions are pretty optimal. In the end, it's really about your own feelings. If your heart says 'go' then go. Just keep listening so that you'll hear if it ever says 'stop.'

Ciao all, Thought I might solicit some advice from some of the more TCM-minded folks here. Since I was in my early teens, I have experienced a strange phenomenon. When I breathe deeply, expanding my diaphragm downward (for instance, in singing or in some yoga/qi gong), I frequently have a 'burbling' - for lack of a better term - coming from my lower abdomen. It is as if there is air inside my intestines that is getting pushed around. This has been a constant in my life for many years. I should mention that it is completely pain-free, but it isn't what I would describe as 'comfortable'. It weirds people out, they can often hear it going on if we are somewhere quiet. If I breathe shallowly, the problem goes away, but I don't particularly want to breathe shallowly. I think this should be resolvable, but I don't know how? Any ideas? Anyone experienced this? Thanks in advance

Dhrupad - An ancient style of North Indian classical music, a sonic meditation for the singer and the listeners. Divinely attuned. A morning raga, of devotional flavor, for the early morning hours around sunrise. http://www.esnips.com/doc/9b79324a-6cb1-4b...inDagar-Bhairav

Sometimes I suspect that my intestines aren't pressurized correctly? Specifically, that there should be more pressure in my abdomen, so that there wouldn't be room for all of that trapped air to hang out. I do not, however, want to go about trying to pressurize myself without any assistance from someone who knows what they are talking about. I think there are probably some stored up emotional things going on there, and there may be some physical pain involved in releasing them. I don't want to hurt myself.

Thanks CT and Xabir, for opening a lovely internet wormhole full of beautiful teachings. May we all realize them fully.

Ciao all, Wanted to get everyone's opinion on deity practice. I have studied various spiritual traditions since the age of 9 or 10 when my uncle died and I became suddenly disillusioned. some of the practices that have resonated very strongly with me are Buddhism (specifically the tibetan and ch'an/zen traditions), Taoism (here I am ), and Candomble/Umbanda/Santeria/Vodou. The last four are by NO MEANS the same tradition, however they all come from the same grandfather tradition of African spirituality, which uses drums and song as a means to call the spirits down into material reality. NOW. I recently began doing some mantra for Ganesha. Om gum ganapatiye namaha. 108 times, in raga malkauns, usually using one to three notes, around midnight. I offered a cookie and some incense once, a banana and some incense another time. I am looking for grounding, to be more grounded and rooted. To be able to pursue my path with discipline. Ganesh is said to be the clearer of obstacles... in this way, he can be paralleled to the Orixa (african spirit) Ogun. I am trying to invoke his archetypal 'warrior' energy in myself. The question here is... IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, in your point of view, is this deity I am invoking simply a characteristic energetic potential latent in myself which I am trying to awaken by concentration and psycho-physical practices driven by intent? OR is this deity an actual entity unto himself, who is pleased with my intent and actually goes about helping me. (This may be a false dichotomy , but that's another discussion) I have also been doing the Vajrasattva mantra 'Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hung' with the intent of staying connected to my bodhicitta and realizing the interdependence of all things. I have no transmission for this, except reading it and hearing it on youtube . Thanks all in advance.

Oatmeal raisin

This is truly my own understanding as well . Just wanted to hear other opinions, points of view. In my understanding, the human being contains all potentialities for human existence within itself - all ranges of energy from highest of highs to lowest of lows, infrared to ultraviolet, etc. - and the rituals or practices geared at specific energetic signatures or archetypes is a psycho-somatic kind of magic designed to invoke these energies within ourselves. That being said... if mind is all, there is truly one consciousness, then it is possible that they are actually entities unto themselves, as well as being part of our own consciousness. make sense? Thanks to both of you for catching my mistake. Yes it's the padmasambhava mantra. I was reading yesterday about Vajrasattva and the 100 syllable mantra and mistakenly identified it as his. In terms of mixing taoism and tibetan buddhism, I've found them to be quite compatible in terms of body work - qi gong and yoga. Visualizations and explanations from both traditions have helped me awaken awareness within my body.