Bubbles

Words are cheap and internet is full of posers so only life, not me, not you, will check the posers' and armchair enlightened people.

Thanks Brian

This is all good but until we see how all this allow so-called enlightened people handle real life situations like family fights, unemployement, child death, dementia of an elderly family member; this is nice and easy talk. What is the value of enlightenment as a concept with nice verbose slogans that gives people an escape hatch from life?

People are stuffing themselves with all kind of things these days

You made my day with this one. People can't help being themselves even if names change, right? Good luck on your path (again)

From the very little I know about CT, I doubt he is just parroting something he heard.

This 'enlightenment' thing seems a marketing gimmick.The more you believe you are coming closer, the more delusional you are. -Getting over oneself -making no excuses whatsoever for any of our actions (taking responsability) -using rough (buddhist/taoist/..ist) wisdom, -having one's butt kicked by life (and others) on an almost daily basis do the job better than doing enlightenment seminars/practices one after the other lead by people who are, more often than not, frauds (neo-advaita, neo-tantra, neo-dzogchen, blah, blah, blah) On the other hand, complicated, intricated, highest, inner, secret teachings are for people who live in caves, monasteries, mountains and who don't have their system polluted by the daily garbage we are exposed to in our modern urban lives.

Do whatever you can to consult again a TCM doctor, and, for heaven sake, stop any practice.

Obviously! Having political discussions into the Pit, in the middle of all the other stinky threads may be a little confusing today because the Pit is more or less associated with some area where the bad threads (with the bad guys) end. But I like the idea that members who really want to put aside their ethics and cultivation for a while could discuss politics in some specific area, in a private Off-Topic subforum ("the Cage"/"the Ring" or something like that). You are right, there could be a warning saying that (over)-sensitive members should stay away from the area because no mod will come to rescue them at the first bruise on their ego. So this could be a loosely moderated area. We don't want to put more workload on mods.

I wish you were right. It seems to me that cultivation is for a lot of people here only an excuse for justifying their prejudices. I find this a little excessive. Political discussions can be interesting- like any other one- as long as people are not trying to be absolutely right. I find laughable that so much people here denounce institutionalized brain-washing religions and can't see they are in the same pattern with their so-called political opinions truths, I mean incapable of seeing outside their own thoughts.

Yes, resentment is not very conducive to spirituality

Would you like to moderate the Pit or would you be among the Pit's moderated? :D

That's what I thought. The context is not the same: Socrates is talking about who should 'hold office and rule' which points to a very different reality than what happens in modern day politics. The ideal ruler in Plato's thinking has nothing to do with any elected President: no love for money, no desire for power etc..

This seems to be a made up quote. Can you give the exact reference in Plato's works?

Hello, Are you trying to sell some amulets?

If I recall it well, it was during the bried period of time I was a mod that viator decided that no new thread could be started in the Pit area. It seems that the question is two-fold: (1) should be Pit stay under the forum rules? (2) should members be allowed to start new threads in the Pit? Possible answers are (A=Yes), (B=No) A(1) + A(2) means that it will give more work to mods A(1) + B(2) is the current situation. Is there any good reason to change that? B(1) + A(2) means that there would be some aera here running on free wheel with no moderation at all. B(1) + B(2) means is a reduced version of the previous one but, it could be that some would derail some threads from other areas in order to have the discussion moved into the Pit and have their own party there. My take is that the current situation is fine because the two last options would feed trolls and malevolent members (yes, there are).

@mvingon: since you obviously took for yourself something that was written for another, I will add that if your medical conditions are related to your family relationships, it confirms that children should become independent (financially, emotionally, spiritually) early enough. No parent is good enough to be allowed to have such importance into her children's life. No child deserves to be abused by her parents. Parents should know when to stay away, children should know when to go away. A lot of things can be done to heal yourself, which you are probably aware of, I would also include healing parental relationships. Take care

Thanks a lot for your post mvingon, for speaking up the way you feel it right to do so. My point was simple and boiled down this: internet forums are not the good place to receive a diagnosis for any condition (not to mention some pain around the Heart). First things first, consult a doctor.This is common sense. It became nonsense to me when it appeared that the pain was here for a year and that the poster was coming here sharing and asking questions *for fun*. I am sorry guys, this is irresponsible.This what I am saying.If you have a problem with the way I put it, I am sorry and I can see how it could only trigger the anger and the disgust I inspire you. I am OK with whatever you think about me, and I sincerely hope you will find relief as I hope Shad will take care of himself.

Thanks Shad282/mvingon (should I really make a difference between you?) for your words of appreciation. They were expected and rest assured they are properly received! To have a teenager attitude you don't have to be a teenager, you can hold many inflated titles or/and hit a venerable age and still have an unsettled mind or be unable to get a life. If Mom and Dad still need to look after you when you have 24 years old, you need to wake up. Health is not about having fun or taking things lightly unless you don't care about it. Having a good diet can only be beneficial, dabbling into energetic techniques when one doesn't have a real clue about his own body's state of health is another thing. That's why an assessment by both MD and an Oriental medicine doctor is important. You have to know exactly where is your starting point. Take care everyone!

Of course I am making assumptions, that's how it goes; in the same way people make the assumption that I am a total jerk by reading my posts. I don't care, I speak my mind as freely as you do. So: You went to see a MD because of your parents nagging you, who probably paid for it. You are living with them because you don't earn enough/any money. You like doing things for fun, you like experimenting with your body (this includes masturbation), you don't feel any fear when it comes to death (which happens a lot to young people), but feels some concern about your physical appearance. You don't like authority much and don't seem to have any real goal in life. Now, guess how I came to make this unacceptable assumption that you are acting like a teenager? There are some things you could do to help yourself regarding your health, some people have already given you good advices, but are you willing to follow them with consistency? I wish you the best on your path. edit for spelling and grammar

Online practitioners? ugh? And then? What treatment are you following? None I bet. You're just kidding and playing around with that death thing: you went to see a MD for your face eczema and simultaneously say you don't care about death? come on..cut the garbage. This sounds like teenagers behavior. I am not your dad Shad282, so have fun with your experiments.

OK So..a year on this pain, right? Any input from an MD or a TCM doctor on this during this year? Again, although most people are just fine with giving you their online diagnosis, I would just stop fancying about its possible relation to eczema, masturbation and what have you. I would just show up in a good TCM or oriental medicine doctor's practice. This is not about acting out of fear. It is taking care of yourself in a responsible way. Playing with energy, meditations etc. on your own when you don't clearly know where your body-mind starts from is not a good thing at all. You'll screw yourself up.

What are you trying to achieve messing up with these symptoms? Just stop any practice. Have yourself checked by a MD or a real TCM doctor, it is common sense.

Yeah!

Good post Dawei, Self-moderation aka applying the rules to oneself first and foremost should be the attitude of really grown-up people. Alas! Bubbles-happy-not-to-be-a-mod-anymore