Astral Monk

Yes, an advantage of post standing is that there is not, generally, any visualization going on. Just clear your mind and relax. Nothing to focus on except tiny adjustments along the way. 8)

Ok, last metaphor--reality is a book. Each word exists in a specific linear sequence, seamlessly flowing one to the next with no interuptions. Each page is tied to every other page, and the whole works together as a single unit. It tells a complete story with a start, finish, and flow. Consciousness can only perceive one word at a time, even though it vaguely recognizes the whole book exists as a single unit. If it were to pause between reading one word and the next it mind seem as though 'anything could happen' and there is no constraints. Even during the story flow it might not be able to predict the ending or even next word. But that is the illusion of reading. The reality is that the story is conplete, finished, and there is no possibility of it being changed by any amount of reading it. 8)

Consider the sage tho--he is one with the dao, in perfect harmony, never disrupting the flow. Uncaused causes clearly are disruptive. What sage would initiate them? How can one be in harmony then assert ones 'own will' above that harmony? I think 'free will' (in the hard sense) is a search/dream of a power we dont possess and that only seems (in appearances) reasonable because we cant see the whole picture of our being. If we saw that clearly we'd see how silly the notion is in the end. Also, I'm not saying metaphysical facts are necessarily the best basis for social policies either, lol. 8)

Here's a q for zhan zhuang experts: How does post standing generate energy? Is it that there is some mechanism cranking up the amps, or do we get more in touch with whats there, sensing the vibrancy that already exists? How can stillness generate power? 8)

lol how can standing post be ANY simpler or more accessible??? Stand. Correct posture. Breathe. I feel zhan zhuang is an excellent method to allow the body to reassert its natural structure via gravity. Meditation postures are generally very unnatural (eg. full lotus). Standing post can deliver meditation while strengthening the entire body without strain. Ultimately the goal is to realize a sense of being 'transparent' with energy--a state of perfect natural balance. Like any energy work, that is the beginning, opening the door to more direct energy work. Most people, Id suggest, wont need or want to go there, and will be satisfied with strength, clarity, and vitality--which basic post standing will give. A good teacher will be a great help. Especially at basic stage. But there is little harm in just applying the principles and standing to get started. A more accessible form of exercise I can scarcely imagine! A good place to look could be in IMA schools or teachers. Post standing is often an important part of IMA training, and some of those martial teachers might know a thing or two more to guide you further. I have wondered whether them guys who stand guard at the Queens palace all day have good zhan zhuang skill? Also highly skilled at standing all day--unionized city works employees.

...written by crypto-commies with the aim of destabilizing western society! It worked!! 8)

Is yin 'free' to create yang? No, the one naturally and necessarily arises from the other. This law relation is the basis for all phenomena. As in the Heart Sutra--emptyness is the same as form; form is the same as emptyness. There is seamless unity between all components of existence. Where is the 'freedom' in law and necessity? How can we have such when the very basis of our world is a seamless causal connection? If one is guilty, all are guilty. If one is innocent, all are innocent. 8)

There is a 'soft' notion of free will that most people naturally confound with the idea of true ontological-causal liberty. It is the Aristotelian idea. A will is free so long as it is not coersed, so long as the impetus of motion comes from within and not forced by externals. No argument there. Basically this is what youre saying marblehead. And its why we naturally create the concept of responsibilityto assign blame. That is a moral valuation, however, and does not touch on the true nature of reality, the metaphysical conditions of existence. Thats for our convenience. But logic will undress this notion to its bare roots when we follow things to their natural ends. That is where 'real free will' vanishes into the thin air it came from. Im not responsible for being born. But if hadnt been, nothing Ive done wouldve happened. All my choices arise from a choice made by others. And theirs from yet others, and so on. None of those choices appear in a vacuum or are uncontingent on what came before. We are merely moments in an argument, never the sum total. 8)

Only an uncaused cause has a necessary connection to unfolding events. Everything else is contingent. Meaning unless we find a First Cause, we can be confident that all events are contingent and mutually reinforcing. Causal connection is fully distributed in the universe. Where are the breaks? To prove free will you need to prove you are the source of such an uncaused cause. I suggest that if we take an honest and exhaustive analysis of our experience we will never discover such a cause. Instead we will continuously find ourselves fully emmersec in context after context with absolutely no breaks and no mystery how one moment moved to the next. All our decisions are couched in the fabric of our one single Being, seamlessly. We are not a patchwork of unexpected parts. 8)

'Dependent origination' Means everything--EVERYTHING--arises and falls together. The universe, timespace, intention, consciousness--they are all seamless facets of one single expression. One body, one being. We distinguish them at our convenience and peril. Though your intestines operate by they own need not immediately directed by conscious will, they are not, in fact, separate beings. We cant blame them whem we get the crummies. Even if it is directly the result of their purposeful function..or misfunction. We should realize that looking at them in isolation as an independent organ is merely an artficial limitation to restrict the scope of our inquiry/domain of discourse. But while we can practically speak this way, the truth is they were never separate, but were always seamless part of the total body. So it is with all things!! 8)

Indeed. Totally skipped right past him. Too much of a populist for my liking, lol. 8)

Relatively speaking, the causal connections reach far beyond our limited individual actions. We literally have to arbitrarily cut off the connections and limit them to the range of one person's actions. But that isolation is entirely artificial, which is why 'responsibility' is nothing more than a practical excuse to administer punishments, not a recognition about the true nature of the reality we are living in. Its like standing on a beach in the water and looking down at your feet, purposefully ignoring the rest of the ocean, and imagining the water lapping your toes is doing so of its own accord and not as the result of the movement of the entire ocean behind it, which we are pretending doesnt exist. And when you step back and realize there is no true separation between ocean and sky, nor ocean, sky, and man, then youre in a real pickle, because all those notions of responsibility fall away as utter illusions! 8)

Yes..I remember 'free will'..as in that vacuous concept that no philosopher in 2000+ years has been able to satisfactorily demonstrate as having real existence, lol. Having real 'free will' means being able to be a 'first cause' in the universe--a cause that is absolutely not caused or connected to any previous set of causes, hence, is not part of the existing causal stream. This is the ONLY way that real responsibility can be conferred--to First Causes, because they are Necessary Causes. All other events in a causal stream are Proximate causes, or we might think of them as continuing the wave, but never starting it. We do not spring into existence from nothing. In fact, nothing in our experience does, including our intentions and will power. No one will ever be able to find an example of an act they performed that came into being without being connected to everything that came before in their lives--every little experiential detail, and then further and further until the whole universe to the beginning of time is included. There is no stopping the causal connection wave. That is the reason why 'responsibility' is a false concept, and isnt 'real' in any ontological sense. Like the cave of diamonds, the light touches every corner, binding all together in one single manifold. Rather than accepting this, and the absolute reality of relativity, we make use of concepts like 'responsibility' for practical and selfish social purposes--lock up 'evil doers' and so on. Doesnt mean we are correct or even understand the meaning of the concept we employ. Its a natural outcome of human thought. I would say this though--that there might be a possibility of real true spontaneous action arising at the highest levels of cultivation. The sage, a friend of emptyness, might find a state akin to the original spark that kickstarts a universe unfolding. Maybe. But lets face it, such creatures are few and far between, truly rare and, relatively speaking, rather wonderful beings. They make a special case. For the rest of us, there is pretty much zero chance that anything we do is actually truly spontaneous in the sense of being a First Cause. That decision to murder someone doesnt just appear out of thin air. It is the consequence of a whole lifetime of previous experiences and their natural outcome in that person. 8)

If the truth is no one is guilty of anything, then the concept of responsibility is illusory, empty, groundless. Fortunately I agree with that. Afterall, dems de facts!! 8)

Since the sage is in tune with heaven and earth, they must treat people as heaven and earth do, not differently. Heaven and earth dont show preference for any being or any value, hence its appearance to those beings is ruthless, unconcerned, and even abusive. The sage reveals truth--the world as it is. How could the sage's words be dipped in honey? 8)

I mean to return to this thread, but its a sit-down-desktop-cpu thing rather than phone texting lol. My feeling, generally, is that humans shouldnt try to fix or restructure economy, but dissolve it altogether. Economy is a system designed to create and maintain inequality perpetually. It closes and narrows minds and starves spirits. Even now we can only talk about how to use the system to fix the system. Something not right there. 8)

I notice in Tom Bisio's Bagua Neigong book he uses a character similar to what awaken has here for chong. Looking it up on translate seems to mean 'in' as inside, the middle of something. 中 So I guess this is what awaken is speaking about. 8)

Du mai, ren mai, chong mai...3 mai running up\down torso...chong mai known as 'thrusting vessel'. There is also dai mai (belt vessel) and bao mai (wrapper vessel) that wrap horizontally around torso. 8)

Taichi 10? 8)

Why is earth element important for children, relative to the others (5 elements right?)? 8)

Any examples? 8)

How can you teach children neidan? Dont you need to be at least 16-18 to be able to begin such practice? 8)

Generally I think this is good, but we need to look for age appropriate activities. There is a movement to add mindfulness training to early education. That usually involves relaxation, focus, breathing. Simple things like whole body breathing can work wonders. No need to focus on moving this or that energy--just breath, maybe open and close (like Spring Forest's 'breathing of the universe'). Even basic taiji form can be useful, without a need to delve into deeper meaning or application, like cloud hands. Goal being to calm and soothe. I knew a girl who taught her Girl Guides Hakuin's Butter Pill meditation, although she didnt know it--visualizing a nice big egg melting from the head down. Different kids will have different needs, of course. 8)

This is interesting. However, since we are always continually living in energy, we cant help but move it. Any physical exercise will stimulate this. Its odd to think that just moving your arms in a certain way will produce more acute results. 5 Animal sports is often presented as an exercise form. How does that differ from any martial art kata or routine? We can look at it just as physical movement. How can that possible be dangerous? When I read that I feel like we best stay in bed and never move at all lest we create 'qi deviations'. Now, 5 Animal sports as spontaneous qigong is a different matter. The intent is different, and the results may be vastly different. But...how different would this be to children merely playing at being a deer or bear or monkey? Kids do things like that to no ill effects. What has to change before childs play becomes energy possesion? 8)