island

I seem to have a social conscience that constantly reminds me that there are people starving in the world. It is not a boon to happiness. It's a constant whisper.

Maybe your purpose has found you...?

To transcend the lower realms and express our true selves, to be authentic beings.

Thanks for sharing Leon.

Its because you have this spot that you can't see past. My grams and gramps had it, the spot where they were taught they were disconnected from everything.

Now i'll have to watch the movie.

Lone Wolf and Cub Series:

Sword Of Vengeance

Baby Cart at the River Styx

Baby Cart to Hades

Baby Cart in Peril

Baby Cart In The Land Of Demons

White Heaven In Hell

Shogun Assassin

I cut out sugar about 2 years ago and that includes most natural sugars. I'm on an 70% Veg (no roots) 30% fat/protein organic diet.

No wheat,gluten,soya,dairy or yeast and i drink only water.

My efforts have been rewarded with better health....IME it's was a life saver.

Took a little while to get there but one step at a time, and the first few weeks are the toughest.

Can you quit? It depends how much you want to?

Oh and learn to cook! It's a worthwhile investment. I never had time or the inclination to cook before but now i enjoy spending time preparing meals in the kitchen, it's all about conditioning . Best of Luck.

I've had a life full of small misfortunes and "bad luck" since my adolescence. Nothing like your extreme-sounding scenario, but a constant uphill battle where decisive pieces fell apart more than together, often at critical junctures in particular sectors of my life.

 

As a result, I constructed a negative, cynical, angry, protective shell around myself. That then likely projected even more negativity in my life like a feedback loop.

 

But I recently made a turning point a month ago... And have come to believe that:

 

Sometimes life has to get negative enough to force YOU to become positive.

Sometimes you have to get challenged enough to turn you from a victim mentality to a fighter.

When you lose all hope, that's when you must find faith.

When you lose yourself, that's when you can find yourself.

 

That life IS a learning experience, and sometimes we subject ourselves to some hard lessons...

Nailed it! great post IMO.

Sometimes it seems like your practice and life itself connive in providing situation to test you.

Fear is a survival mechanism and an autonomic response which is difficult to control. Overcome fear and maybe your principles will hold strong? but for the average person who doesn't have the luxury of principles, surviving life threatening/survival situations can teach us a lot about ourselves, It is a true test. When the occasion has arisen, my principles have been found to be lacking. Everything i believed in, and invested in, those very principles that one holds dear to and identifies oneself by, can vanish in an instant. That is not to say that someday in the future i may rise above my fear/ instincts to survive and my principles may just win the day, i'll just have to take each situation as it comes.

Hi Apech, in my opinion there's a bit of a difference between being under pressure and facing death. You'd be surprised what people are capable of doing, even well principled people.......oh and by the way, how much do you weigh?

wing chun

We all live by sets of principles and those principles can change at any second.

In survival situations you simply do what you do.

No judgement attached.

It's not the man but the message. So it doesn't matter where he was from.

Judaism encouraged only sexual acts in a monogamous relationship, so God knows where the catholics got celibacy from? I guess it's all down to the interpretation of the scriptures.

By the way God killed Onan for spilling his seed on the ground in Genesis so semen retention maybe isn't such a bad idea?

Apepch7 you assumed correctly, i was referring to traditional Shamanism.

Everyone else thanks for some great insights and observations. Food for thought.

Can anyone explain ways in which Shamanism or Shamanic practices could be considered 'rational' from the western mind perspective?

I know myself well. I would never........

If you truly know yourself. you wouldn't deal in absolutes. No offence but you haven't scratched the surface in my opinion.

The one who seeks to come to a deeper realization of consciousness and the essence of being through facing death, conquering fear, and destroying his enemies, physical and ethereal.

It's a double edged sword. This is not something to undertake lightly....but hey, if this is your calling?

It's a rocky road you wish to tread. You have a very arduous journey ahead of you. Good luck. My 2 cents

I felt it, thankyou.

Running on an empty stomach is not such a good idea, but then again, running on a full stomach is not a good idea either, however, a small snack 1 hour before a run is not such a bad idea. Every person has different needs, listen to your body.

Lentils.

I once asked a Taoist, what should one use for psychic or spiritual self defence? He laughed and said that you don't need weapons or shields, just Permeability. No defence is the best defence.

"I started fantasizing about having an empty room with a zafu and a meditation mat, and just one blank wall with an open window behind me, sunlight and silence."

What a beautiful picture you paint.

I practice 'embracing the tree' for 30 mins every morning and apart from relaxing and correcting alignment and emptying myself, i do breathing exercises in and out of the Bubbling Spring points and the Laogong points for 9 - 18 breaths each.

Flying