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Good day guys. Jun Yu Xian again for another beginner's inquery. Please suggest a diet that could help me in cultivation and also would help me make my body fit. Note that I am not neglecting workout. I just want to want to eat something healthy.

Hi I'm a newbie, I've started to get into Taoism only recently, and beside the confusion around lineages, efficient practices, light body, real/fake teachers, etc., something more foundamental isn't quite clear to me: what is the actual goal of cultivation and of Taoism more in general? I come from an induism background (I'm not indian, but I've been to India, had teachers, studied scriptures, practiced meditation, had great unexpected results, etc) and if you consider that tradition, even though nobody can't really describe well what Enlightenment is (for obvious reasons), at least a newbie can have some sort of idea. I mean it's also called with a name and a good description which is Turiya and Sat-Chit-Ananda. Then if you are lucky enough you experience what it actually means concretely, which is not a state of unchanging perfection where angels cuddle you and pay the bills for you lol, but of course it's pretty amazing compare to "before" so to speak. All this to ask you guys, what is the so called Enlightenment in the Taoist tradition? I'm asking this for 2 reasons: 1. I don't see the connection with endless cultivation, I mean to achieve what beside permanent peace, happiness, satisfaction? 2. If a person, as in my case (I'll spare you the whole story which started with a spontaneous kundalini awakening until the crown chakra and it happened out of the blue, but I've been extremely lucky and blessed, I'll be grateful forever), does feel, or "has achieved" if you prefer, permanent peace, happiness and satisfaction, what is the point of cultivation? I'm asking genuinely, these are not rhetorical questions. I see that basically in the end all traditions point to the same thing which is Pure Awareness, calling it with different names (Rigpa in Tibet, Nirvana in Buddhism, Dao in Taoism, Moksa/Turiya in Hinduism, etc.), so that's why I don't get the whole cultivation thing if you have to anyway "simply" dwell in this ever present Consciousness. Of coure there is no end to the Evolution, it would be naive to put a limit to the infinite, but I'd say it's much "higher" and healthy to be full of love, peace, compassion, kindness, etc. compare to being able to levitate, fly, light up things, or who knows what other siddhis there are... I hope I have been clear enough to give you guys the opportunity to shed light on. Thanks a lot! P.s. If you are wondering about my nickname, well yes I'm genuinely looking for a real efficient safe practice to see what light body actually means, especially if it improves compassion, kindness, love, etc. You are all welcome if you wanna share something

I came across a manual describing the teachings, and touting the benefits of Falun Dafa / Falun Gong and thought it sounded like a very intriguing branch of cultivation practice. If anyone has worked with this approach I would greatly appreciate to hear your opinion on this path and methodology, and any additional resources you can point me to. If also anyone may offer further insight as to the "Falun" and its activation, I'll appreciate your input. Is it possible to create (?) and activate (?) the Falun in solitary study and cultivation training? My best regards!

I want to talk about my experience with Heartfulness. Now, I'm not talking about the form from Mindfulness in the book "Cultivating Heartfulness" that I've seen spoken about around Daobums, but something different that has completely changed the way I cultivate. Most of us are practitioners or at least know of the refining processes of cultivating and internal alchemy. We all know it to be an excruciatingly long and arduous process to refine our internal energies in order to produce measurable results. I have always been drawn to daoist practices from a young age and would meditate without even really knowing what it was, it just felt nice. But i didn't start officially Cultivating until just after college but i was underwhelmed by how little return you get for so much effort. I had processed far enough to have formed my Dantian and refined my senses enough to be able to detect spiritual energies and their movement. However, then i encountered a practice called Heartfulness that utilizes Yogic Transmission and this put my cultivation into hyperdrive! It would normally take me about two weeks to take in qi, extract the impurities, refine it into a higher form, and condense it into a pearl to draw up into the second dantian. But with Heartfulness, i was able to complete that entire process in One Day while i was At Work! I don't sit behind a desk, i work at UPS. I'm constantly moving and i was able to refine a pearl almost Passively while i was constantly busy. It felt like as long as i was doing Heartfulness, the energy would move Intelligently on its own to complete work within me, automatically. After a week of this, my body became stronger. I was able to walk around in 40 degree weather in shorts and a teashirt without getting cold and things that would normally hurt or bruise me would hardly hurt at all. I wanted to share this with my brothers here on Daobums so that you all could give it a try and share your results here! It's completely free, all the teachers are volunteers. https://heartfulness.org/us/masterclass/- This is the three-part video series that introduces the practice and helps you experience the transmission. https://heartfulness.org/us/experience-heartfulness/- You can follow this link and scroll down to “Try Heartfulness with Assistance” for a more personal experience with a real person rather than a video series, though I do recommend the video series first.

I want to talk about my experience with Heartfulness. Now, I'm not talking about the form from Mindfulness in the book "Cultivating Heartfulness" that I've seen spoken about around Daubums, but something different that has completely changed the way I cultivate. Most of us are practitioners or at least know of the refining processes of cultivating and internal alchemy. We all know it to be an excruciatingly long and arduous process to refine our internal energies in order to produce measurable results. I have always been drawn to daoist practices from a young age and would meditate without even really knowing what it was, it just felt nice. But i didn't start officially Cultivating until just after college but i was underwhelmed by how little return you get for so much effort. I had processed far enough to have formed my Dantian and refined my senses enough to be able to detect spiritual energies and their movement. However, then i encountered a practice called Heartfulness that utilizes Yogic Transmission and this put my cultivation into hyperdrive! It would normally take me about two weeks to take in qi, extract the impurities, refine it into a higher form, and condense it into a pearl to draw up into the second dantian. But with Heartfulness, i was able to complete that entire process in One Day while i was At Work! I don't sit behind a desk, i work at UPS. I'm constantly moving and i was able to refine a pearl almost Passively while i was constantly busy. It felt like as long as i was doing Heartfulness, the energy would move Intelligently on its own to complete work within me, automatically. After a week of this, my body became stronger. I was able to walk around in 40 degree weather in shorts and a teashirt without getting cold and things that would normally hurt or bruise me would hardly hurt at all. I wanted to share this with my brothers here on Daobums so that you all could give it a try and share your results here! It's completely free, all the teachers are volunteers. https://heartfulness.org/us/masterclass/- This is the three-part video series that introduces the practice and helps you experience the transmission. https://heartfulness.org/us/experience-heartfulness/- You can follow this link and scroll down to “Try Heartfulness with Assistance” for a more personal experience with a real person rather than a video series, though I do recommend the video series first.

In Damo Mitchell's new book titled "A comprehensive guide to Daoist Nei gong", I found him distinguishing between the cultivation/working with the Central Channel from that of working with the Heart field. According to the book, most Daoist lineages deal with the former and seldom refer to the latter. In my own experience, I found that the Central Channel development does seem to be the main focus of the daoist traditions I've studied. However, when I went to my master, it seems he was working on both, albeit the heart field cultivation is something that he added to the traditional teachings he was handed down from his master. He often tells us that the most powerful force in the universe is love and the heart field energy is that of love primarily (albeit he doesn't specifically discuss the heart field). Would love to hear more thoughts on this.

You practice. Perhaps you practice a little. Perhaps you practice a lot. Maybe you practice every day. Maybe you don't. Maybe you meditate. Maybe you ruminate. Perhaps you move about, or not. You might move fast. You might move slowly. Perhaps you read, and write, and think. Or maybe you feel, deeply. You might follow a well worn path. You might forge your own path. Maybe you follow secret and esoteric teachings. Perhaps you train high on a mountain. Maybe you train in your back-yard. You might even train at the local strip mall, right next to the dollar store. (I see you! You know who you are...) It doesn't matter where, or how - at least not to anyone other than you. But to you it matters deeply. To you it is essential! So why do you do it? What do you want from this?

Namaste from India. It has only been like 10-11 months, since I started my self-paced self create practices. I awoke to inner silence right around this time and just fell into meditation. Unknowingly I started playing with energy. Without knowing it led to orgasm, I kept on it for days until finally my energy was too much to create orgasms as fast as before. I later realized that I was doing Microcosmic orbit very late into the game. No one told me anything, i Just fell into the practice out of silence. My kundalini was awoken soon enough and led to major major changes in my personality, energy level and intensity. I faced alot of pain and problems but almost effortlessly overcame them, the more problems came more intensely I did my practice even it tore me apart my thoughts were absolute calm and serene, body although was in non-stop pain for months on end until finally everything stabilized and my chronic diseases were pushed out. It really felt like I was reborn. It feels like a fairy tale even now. I only follow my internal wisdom and my heartfelt guru whom I never met face to face and perhaps never might but somewhere I feel deeply connected. I know no martial practices, I am very unfamiliar with chinese way of doing things though I can relate alot, I have followed no yogic guidance rather I rejected every single thing that didn't work for me and built my own path. I wish to explore deeper and deeper and I find this community to be more apt and suitable for good discussions of occult and esoteric practices. I was on AYP before but sadly there are not enough proper intellectuals there and only people with fear of kundalini and wishing only to know how to deal with it, not enough who wish to explore the entire aspect, practices and occult. My only hope is that I might receive a good discussion here because I have too many questions and can go on and on about it for years on end.

Hey everyone hope all is well. I hope I'm posting this in the right thread but I was have came across a few different sources of information about practitioners that develop this rock like sphere of energy in their lower dantian after years of practice. From my knowledge this is when the actual yin and yang of the bodies energies connect and you are then able to cultivate this energy in a sphere that you can manipulate. It stays in the stomach region but can be moved up and down and side to side. Would anyone happen to have any information or maybe has experienced anything like this? That is was I think is our battery pack, we just have to learn how to connect every wire to that battery for it become the whole sphere and rock hard.

I practice retention even though I have sex regularly with my girlfriend, but I was just looking for some thoughts on what you think a reasonable frequency to release might be for a guy who is 23 going on 24. I know that the production of the male essence decreases with age so it's important to watch it, also it's winter here and as is advised i pretty much avoid it entirely lol. Not sure if I'm at the age yet I have to start worrying about loss of virility though. My reasoning is that I have become acutely aware of the energy difference before and after ejaculation, the mood difference, how long it can take to recharge via rest and nutrition, and also my partner and I have better intimacy the longer I retain. At the same time, sometimes you gotta let it go lol, and even though I practice circulation exercises I've found the jing and yang energy can stagnate somehow and it becomes uncomfortable. Just looking for some advice. Thanks

Hello senior students, I will start with myself, what most people see me as. My body was born 1995 in hamburg, germany. It is 22 years old by now and I started to wake up around one year ago. I always went straight against the system and I had a rather hard life for some german guy in germany. Authority from someone because his backing is too big for me to handle? Shutting up because others might talk bad about me? At first, I never cared about stuf like this. Not after the manipulation started for real. It was after getting into highschool. I had to fight everyday, after a while it was too exhausting. All of the other students started to let it be and to make the best for themselves. It was only me who stood up against her, when our homeroom-teacher started to insult our parents. It was me who stood up for the other students. It was only me who went against the authorities. Because some delusional people might laugh about me, I have to stop? Yeah todays society is not so much different from those wuxianovels. I will not stop doing the just and protect what makes us human because others might lock me up or kill me! So what, I would have to start anew from scratch. But I have total trust in my soul, that I would again went against the corrupt and evil system. What is the situation in germany like: Teachers which have no clue what they are doing. School and kindergarten being a tool of mass manipulation. Politicians which are being controlled by banksters, instead of shielding their people from them. People letting themselves getting manipulated and not doing a thing about it, but hitting on those which protect them and their rights. Governments speaking about peace and freedom, but making war and censorship. Humans killing the earth which gives them life, to create a monopole of food and water. Police being allowed to use violence, but people are not allowed to protect themselves. Society biased on laws and not on trust. Being PERSONAL instead of PERSONA. Not having a REAL document of proof that we are german. Globalism destroying culture and life in the nation. Only a strong nation can have strong relationships with other nations. A strong nation is held together by trust and not by fear! By manipulating the people they established a system in which the weak rule the weak and kill the strong. Strength is to PROTECT the people you love and in this time we need to get as strong as possible. Why? We need to fight a group of people which have been ruling us for thousands of years, practising satanism, stealing, raping and murdering our children. Running the money system and the big industry. Making us sick and selling us toxic cures to make us think that we are getting help. Talking is not enough to ensure our safety. Those people do not care about right or wrong, just or unjust. Those who seek wisdom and knowledge are getting denunciated or even killed. So if we want to spread the world and convince others of the way, we need to start walking the way. We also need to have the strength to protect ourselves. Do you think one of the real masters has to fear anything in the world? They know about chi and how powerful we are, but they chose a different path, full of blood, rape of children and ritual offerings to satan, instead of meditation and inner alchemy to gather chi. I asked myself: What can I do? When I first learned about mopai, i wanted to gain insight and strength to be different and to proof myself and others, that there is more. The deeper I got into neigong, and eastern arts and kept reading wuxia novels, i started to realise that our world is not too different from what I read in the novels. They are a few people, not strong as in the novels, but with dark and evil intentions they built up a system, in which the evil can do whatever they want to do. Not to fear anyone on this planet, except a few masters, which still don't see the need of spreading their wisdom or take in the ones which really want to become strong to protect as many beings from suffering. Reading the Dao De Jing, Breaking the Habit of being yourself, Spiritual materialism and other highly spiritual and philosophical books, I build a foundation of how the world works in my eyes. Now with the political situation being how it is now, we only have one chance. Waking up! The way is full of moments of awakening. So many moments to enjoy and to be. It has never been that easy to gather information. Stick with mopai. No need for the other levels because it all is in us and it will come to you when you are ready for it. But How? Right! We need to cultivate. Do not think about failure or success. Just do it and you will find the way. Imagine a reality, as real as possible. You have to react on physical level to it. What will you feel in a certain realm. This is possible thanks to empathy. I call it comprehension. If you are able to comprehend how it would feel to break trough the first level, you will break through in no time. What is my 'I' doing now: Today I am learning alternative medicine, after that I will go to asia and see wether I can be taught by a master or in a taoist monastery before studying traditional chinese medicine in a chinese university. To protect life, I would like to travel the world to spread the words to those, who can't hear them now. To help those, which can't be helped. To ease their worries and to illuminate the darkness surrounding them so they can see just like us. To do this, we first have to understand darkness. Understanding gives birth to love. Love is what we need to illuminate darkness. Illumination of darkness is to understand it and to understand it as part of you. By understanding darkness, you illuminate it. I want to cherish life. But to cherish life you have to know death. To cherish death, you need to know life. Ask your selves, why am i living. What is the meaning of death? And what is the meaning of living? Is death really something bad? What would happen without reincarnation? What does my ego hope to get by joining this forum? It hopes to find allies to protect what has to be protected. It hopes to find allies to walk the way together, hand in hand and each one for himself. It want to hear your wisdom and wants you to listen to mine. Let us go this way together, what do you think?

Taoist GrandMaster Wang Li Ping will be teaching a ten day intensive in China, starting on the afternoon of Dec. 21st and ending at noon on the 31st. Mr. Richard Liao will be translating. Please email [email protected] for complete details. www.dragongate-academy.org Our goal is to build a bridge between Master Wang Liping and everyone interested in Taoism. We wish to benefit all to communicate their experiences during their practice to learn the Taoist Golden Elixir system. We hope the heritage of Dragon Gate shall live on in the new era to enrich lives everywhere.

What are some of the main techniques in classic Taoist meditation? It would be very helpful to hear some simple explanations on some of the fundamental techniques. There are many different techniques that have been developed such as the Inner Smile and Micro Cosmic Orbit, but as I understand these are just thought forms given to processes that occur during meditation and the movement of energy through the body, and are just different ways to achieve the same goal. Going back to the origins of Taoism, and man's essential nature, there are no words or techniques, just feelings. How did these masters meditate and achieve immortality? It is doubtful that they were practicing a wide variety of techniques and visualizations, each with their own catch phrases and number of repetitions. It is more likely that the early Taoists practiced a simple form of meditation, with little technique, just basic guidelines from experience masters, such as collecting the mind and breath in the lower dantian. What is the classic form of Taoist meditation? It would be great to hear some opinions on the basic steps. Thanks.

Hello Everybody! A bit about me: I have always been "spiritual" lets say. Never bought into my catholic upbringing and the such. After a few experiences with psychedelic drugs I became interested in meditation, yoga and generally eastern religions and their mentalities and views on life and existence (mostly buddhism and jainism). I now have a daily yoga and meditation practice. Nothing huge, just 2 sets of sun salutations followed by 20 minutes or so of isha kriya meditation. I am posting today because I have been practicing the material from mantak chia's book on sexuality. My motivations for this in the beginning were very ego driven: i simply was jealous of the orgasms my girlfriends were having, and wanted more from my 3-5 second burst of an ejaculation. Now after 2 months or so of (not to successful) practice, I realize it is not solely about the pleasure of an orgasm, but the deeper understanding of ones of sexuality, and a more healthy control over it (eg, not ogling every nice girl that walks by). I have been doing the cool draw daily, but not too sure if I am getting anywhere. I don't really feel a tingling or energy like described, only like, a "fullness" or presence, imagine molasses travelling around the body. It seems i can kinda tell where the energy is, but its not a real sensation so I am not really sure if it is what I feel, or placebo. Im not sure what I am supposed to feel, or if what I am feeling is correct, but that's just my bodies own expression of sexual energy (were all different!). Although, on occasion I feel a distinct tingling sensation in my testicles, but I have not yet been successful on pulling it up into the perineum and rest of the body. I have also been doing the big draw, and seem to be making a little progress there. I definitely feel more when self cultivating, but when thing start feeling nice they do not really travel up the spine at all, and it crest over into ejaculation. Albeit the ejaculation is a little more pleasurable, it is just as short and underwhelming. I keep reading in many places of these incredible, energetic whole body orgasms, and would like to get there, but I seem to need a little more guidance than mantak chia's books are offering. Also I am unsure when I should put my tongue to the roof of my mouth, throughout a sexual experience (with my self or otherwise) or only afterwards to bring the energy back down from my head? I have heard some criticism on Mr. Chia;s teachings, and would be totally open to a new practice if any of you have any suggestions on how I could get this working! Have any of you achieved this? Any tips or experiences you would like to share? Anything at all is well appreciated Thanks, keep the good vibes rolling!

I've progressed in my spiritual development and meditative practices and discovered myself to possess Astral Blindness that is a rather persistent problem over the years. Does anyone have any recommendations or practices to begin working on this?

Does anyone have any experience with convincing Reiki with Internal Alchemy and where the energy of Reiki falls in Dsoist modalities? I have my own thoughts as to what it is and where it falls but I wanted another opinion.

Hi everyone. I would like to know which forms of Cultivation lead to full enlightenment rather than earthbound immortality? What does the method consist of in these practices? David

Hi everyone, I would like to know which forms of spiritual cultivation exist aside from the Buddha Dharma practices to transform or negate negative karma? How do they achieve this? It has been explained to me that the Shaolin arts enable karma to be transformed, something which somewhat changed my point of view regarding the martial arts practiced by the Shaolin, so now I am wondering whether the Taoist martial practices are able to act in a similar way, or whether another method is used to reach the same end? David

Hello, I was just reading about jing, qi and shen and there are a lot really, but for now i want to practice and try to cultivate the jing after reading its benefits. I was wondering if anyone knows some good videos on youtube or something that you recommend that teach how to cultivate it or maybe a website? or if it is possible to explain here, if you know any? and If you are advanced in such cultivation, can you tell me about your experience and how your journey was, and what impact did it have on your social, love and sexual life.. and other aspects of your life? Also, I do practice vipassana, is there a link between vipassana and cultivation the jing energy? Thank you.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately as I slowly, slowly re-engage with my own practice after a period of illness. I'm starting to think we're overcomplicating things. I've practiced and read about a great many systems of meditation and energy cultivation--which seem to grow increasingly complex the further I get into them--and they may be losing the plot, as it were. Simple "sitting and forgetting" and a more active component (Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga, etc) are helping me regain ground faster than any of the more complicated systems. So maybe we should just return to basics? It's a thought, and I'd love to hear yours.

I would like to know which considerations should be taken to choose a meditation technique or a cultivation practice among the various ones that exists. Things like their requirements or in what they consists in very general terms. Or if they would require the presence of a teacher, or, at least, his/her/its instructions. Or if they can likely cause problem to the health, physically or psychically, even if they are not too badly practiced. Or if they are in part oath-bound. Etc... Also, Daoism is not an unified movement (neither is Buddhism, neither is Hinduism, neither is Christianity, etc... for what is matters), but are there some practices or rituals which are more prevalent among schools?

Hello all! My name is James. Im really glad to have found this forum, it shows me I am not alone with this love for cultivation. Spiritually freedom of the heartmind and the spirit. I have a deep enjoyment for all things eastern. I practice the yang style taiji and am slowly getting back into an everyday practice after a difficult relationship and breakup. I practice chinese landscape painting and japanese tattoo art. I find peace in observing oriental art and music. Im not too good at starting posts but I will improve! I look forward to connecting with you fellow ripples and reflections of the tao!

After finally coming back around to Taoism, the teachings and thought of which I internalized along time ago (mostly unconscious, I'm not trying to say I fully grasped them back then), I'm interested in cultivation techniques. Now this isn't one of those "where do I get started" threads. I believe I had already started before I came to this forum, so this is more of a "have I really started and what do I need to look out for and refine my practice?" I began using Osho's book the Secret of Secrets, which discusses the methods of the SotG and Osho's concepts. The line in the title best captures the technique, and I want to see if the translation is doing it justice or how it compares to other methods of Nei Gong/Dan. It has an emphasis on simplicity, and that the mind simply wants to make things more complicated but sitting silently doing nothing is really all that is required in the end. To this effect I had no idea about the concepts of Nei Gong, Jing->Qi->Shen alchemy, LDT, MCO or any of that. The 'backwards flowing method' is the closest it comes to describing the internal alchemy. I begin by sitting on a yoga block in a comfortable cross legged posture with spine erect, closing the eyes half way and focusing on the tip of the nose. I do this after 20 minutes of visuzalizing golden light coming through on the in breath, and yin qi coming up from feet to head on the out breath. First I press the thumb against each of the fingers to open up the meridians, I do this on the exhale for about 5 minutes. Then I simply fold my hands in a buddhist mudra of balance(right hand laying on left thumbs connecting) and watch my breathing. Not focusing on breathing in and out slowly, but simply being aware of it and watch as it calms naturally and slows. Then move into stillness and no thought for as long as I can maintain (usually 30+ minutes these days, not continous but I mean thats how long this practice goes). Now I want to do this method for 3 months if its remotely close to Taoist cultivation that this forum is familiar with before I begin to add on and look for a Nei Gong teacher around or order a book to being working that way. Thoughts? Advice? Questions?

Hello, (apologies if there's another thread that covers this, but I couldn't find one) I was just wondering what the basics/typical LDT cultivation consisted of? Microcosmic Orbit seems pretty universally similar: inhale up governing or conception vessels, inhale down governing or conception vessels (depending on fire or water orbit), but so far I've come across differing descriptions for LDT cultivation. If people could post what they consider to be the standard basics of LDT cultivation and/or what the following authors say about it, that would be much appreciated. I'm interested in what the following people have to say: Ken Cohen Michael Lomax Jerry Alan Johnson Michael Winn Mantak Chia Glenn Morris Chunyi Lin Bruce Kumar Frantzis Terry Dunn Yang Jwing Ming and anyone else you think is worthy mentioning. Cheers guys

My mum kicked my arse yesterday. I guess I should be thankful... For the first time in a while, I'm pretty confused and down, but perhaps that is just a result of being hit with a reality check. At dinner yesterday, somehow my mum and I managed to get on to the topic of my cultivation. After talking about how much better I am these days, which was backed up by my girlfriend (and I am so sorry she had to be there for this) my mum actually said I was much worse! I couldn't believe it, as much as I am trying and concentrating on breath and not violently lashing out (which was my big achievement) I was slapped back down by being told that these days I raised my voice much more and was verbally more angry. She wasn't wrong. It all escalated to the point where I was yelling and disagreeing with her. She remained calm with the odd chuckle (where my old self comes back to tell me she is disrespectful and making fun of me. Naturally, I yell even more) So I went away thinking, what can I do? Am I to practice not getting wound up by her? Am I making things up, is she actually not winding me up? Am I too sensitive? Do I have a chip on my shoulder? Am I seeking recognition for all my hard work and mad because I'm not being given the right encouragement? If so, why am I so determined to have my own mother encourage me? But should I be thankful that she has identified my flaws? Although, she's the only one that I behave like this with. Occasionally my sister...I guess it's just those two that know how to push my buttons. Perhaps everyone else is just beating around the bush with me and being laid back. It's made me very sad and confused, I don't know how much better I really am now. Have I been too complacent and cocky? Clearly there is some work to be done, I just don't know what to do right now