Poll inspired by BKA's "karma" thread

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

 

Love is the antidote to fear.

 

...

[Stosh]

Yes , it would be very telling.

I admit that I don't think anything can be done which defies physical laws, the usual response is that I don't know them all , which is quite fair to say... by the same token, if I shouldn't claim to know , that which I don't,, then how could one fairly claim to have knowlege of superpowers that they don't know either.

All that aside, some quite reasonable people here feel that these powers exist, Ok , well, if I can bend so much as to give it at least the benefit of a doubt, then a weilder of such superpowers could bend so much as to describe some relatively harmless example by which some credibility could be established. Are you saying you have super intuition? Heck , I've got intuition , strangely effective it is sometimes , but then again it fails often ,so I can't use it much , or I can't put much weight behind it.

Elsewhere some provocative pictures were posted , which sincerely made me curious as to what the subjects actually thought, while not in a million years do I think I could change my mindset on some matters, there are others which I really need to update. And besides which I am just curious as to what is being alluded.

Edited December 15, 2013 by Stosh

[Marblehead]

Fair wonderings Stosh. But I will leave them for others to speak to.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

 

Spontaneous healing.

 

Spontaneous recollection of kung fu movements.

 

Prescience of a strange order.

 

Improved health.

 

Improved senses and physical abilities.

 

Only to a very limited degree, you understand.

 

I am not making any grand claims.

 

But quite possibly things like these might occur.

 

And other Things, far more mysterious, which are not yet spoken of.

 

Hmm.

 

Mysterious.

 

...

Edited December 15, 2013 by Captain Mar-Vell

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

 

The spontaneous acquisition of the ability to perform feats of staff form tai chi chuan, as I understand it.

 

I still need to find a teacher(s).

 

...

Edited December 16, 2013 by Captain Mar-Vell

[寒月 Hanyue]

Other;

 

It isn't that I 'don't know', but at the same time I do it because it is who I am. I started young with dream and shamanic work (not that I called it that or understood it as that at the time). Then I spent years ignoring it all. But somethings just don't leave you alone. It doesn't matter how many different directions you go in, its like a maze that keeps leading you to the same place despite the routes taken. My first esoteric teacher looked at me when we first met, and smiled, when I enquired they told me what they saw of a past life/lives of mine. So on the one hand I don't feel I have a choice. It is, er inevitable

 

Best,

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

 

On superpowers;

 

A strange form of intermittent omniscience.

 

In fact it can be quite unpleasant.

 

...

Edited December 16, 2013 by Captain Mar-Vell

[Brian]

Other;

 

It isn't that I 'don't know', but at the same time I do it because it is who I am. I started young with dream and shamanic work (not that I called it that or understood it as that at the time). Then I spent years ignoring it all. But somethings just don't leave you alone. It doesn't matter how many different directions you go in, its like a maze that keeps leading you to the same place despite the routes taken. My first esoteric teacher looked at me when we first met, and smiled, when I enquired they told me what they saw of a past life/lives of mine. So on the one hand I don't feel I have a choice. It is, er inevitable

 

Best,

 

 

I intentionally left this one off, snowmonki. I am pleased that you mentioned it.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

 

http://halcyonhierophant.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/so-why-hell-would-you-wanna-be-hobbit.html

 

...

[Green Tiger]

makes me feel good

 

That was my first reaction. I started practicing qigong because I liked how it felt. It helped me to realize that I was using way more effort in my taiji practice than I needed to be. Now taiji feels great too.

 

Nothing better than waking up with plenty of time to bask in the glow of the practice. I've got to get up early to really enjoy it though. It's not the same if I feel like I have a limited amount of time. It feels so much better to approach the practice like I have all the time in the world.

[Taomeow]

Taomeow,

 

Very interesting take. I'm very interested in your view on this this. (Though perhaps I should make it a new thread as it doesn't really fit the topic?) Do you consider Buddhist Metta practice--repeating over and over again phrases like "may you be happy"--external photoshopping?

 

What about Mantak Chia's healing sounds? If I do the heart sound "Ha" and let go of impatience and hatred in my heart and begin to feel love....is that different?

 

Loving feelings generated from a practice like Metta, are different from loving feelings that arise from detoxing the internal organs?

 

About metta, I don't know. Sales people in stores who have to say "have a nice day" hundreds of times a day, every day -- do they accomplish anything? I'm not saying no, I don't know. Personally, I haven't noticed any bright auras around them in excess of what you can see around people in different occupations. And I'm not sure my own days when I do shopping are any nicer than those when I don't.

 

The healing sounds (not Chia's -- he's one of the picker-uppers, not "the" source... they are traditional and ancient) are different. They resonate with the actual sounds emitted by the organs, though only a trained or natural ear can hear them as sounds that can be verbalized, but the "vibe" is authentic. I've heard my Kidneys emit the Kidneys sound many times (with my ear against a pillow... and Kidneys are easier to hear than other organs because their meridians open into the ears.) And the cat hissing in anger emits the Liver sound (anger is stored in the Liver...) And so on. So, when you work with what's real, it's not photoshop.

 

I remember a scary story on the news, long ago. There was a young woman with a newborn baby who had been raised in a strict religious family, don't remember which religion. She was prohibited from ever saying a "bad" word, she was never allowed to express "negativity," she was supposed to be respectful and pious and praise the lord and honor her parents, stuff like that. Her dad called on the phone. (Landline times, not a cell phone.) When the phone rang, the baby started crying. She picked up the phone with one hand, the baby, with another. "Yes, father. Yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, the baby is crying. No, sir, I can't make him stop. Yes, I know it's my fault. Thank you, father. Yes, I can try." And she started hitting the baby with the phone receiver, and was at it until she killed him. "All right, father, I made him stop crying, just as you told me to."

 

So, I remembered this story because it illustrates, in a more extreme fashion but not dissimilar to many others, why I believe that superficial expressions of "being good" can effectively stifle all expressions of "being real" -- and that's dangerous, because real stuff that goes unexpressed builds up tremendous pressure under the lid and sooner or later either implodes (destroying one from the inside) or explodes (destroying whoever is around). It's not good to be angry and frustrated and miserable -- but pretending you are not when you are, refusing to own your own feelings (and, in relation to others, often refusing to own one's own behavior -- e.g. expressing anger with body language but faulting others for noticing, and promptly projecting it -- "you are angry!" Oh fuck... Yes, now I am! ) -- that's worse than occasionally losing one's temper and saying a "bad" word or crying or yelling in sheer frustration, under stress, under pressure, under reality. The pious, righteous types scare me, more often than not... The robotic unfeeling ones, more so...

Edited January 11, 2014 by Taomeow

[Aeran]

Longevity (19 votes [10.11%])

 

Goes without saying - the longer you live, the more you can do of everything you want to do.

Immortality (12 votes [6.38%])

End cycle of reincarnation (10 votes [5.32%])

 

These two tie together from what I understand, one being the consequence of the other, but I don't claim to have a perfect knowledge of such thing.

 

 

 

Cool "superhuman abilities" (7 votes [3.72%])

 

It's not something I stress too much, but I'm definitely interested in such abilities, not just personally developing them (although I want to do so - especially the capability to heal) but in understanding how and why they work. I think such abilities have a lot to teach us about how the universe works, not to mention that they serve as an immediate and undeniable refutation to the reductionist-materialist view of the universe which has infected our society.

 

 

Reach nirvana (7 votes [3.72%])

 

Depending on how you define it. Like enlightenment, it seems to be one of those things which everyone understands differently - but I want to achieve greater understanding and greater happiness.

 

Find myself (20 votes [10.64%])

 

Although I would word it as 'reaching my full potential, becoming everything I have the capability to be.' Physically, Intellectually, Spiritually, Energetically.

 

 

Join with Light/Tao/God/ThatWhichIs/etc. (20 votes [10.64%])

 

This is a bit iffy philosophically, just because my understanding of such things is far from complete, but I want to understand the ultimate purpose of our existence and to move towards it.

 

 

 

Help others (18 votes [9.57%])

Personal healing (21 votes [11.17%])

 

These two go together as well, imo. I've had enough health problems in my life that I want to do whatever I can to reduce their frequency in the future - for myself and for others around me. It seems like one of the easiest, simplest ways to both directly and indirectly improve myself and the universe.

 

Gain ultimate knowledge (10 votes [5.32%])

 

Absolutely. I want to understand the universe, how it works and why it works. A grand theory of everything might be a bit ambitious, but damnit I'm going to try

[CloudHands]

One of the center goals of my practice is "power".....but not in the negative sense that most people use such as power over others. With cultivation comes power over oneself and the ability to consciously choose rather than be pulled back and forth by past and present influences/karma.....etc. However, power is used in a negative sense in the options so I refrained from clicking that one.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Hello OldChi, "without mastery power is nothing". I don't agree on the word, and the field but on the meaning I guess we are close. I'd call that autonomie or liberty (to act differently than your mind or your orgnanic chemistry order you to do. You (or maybe not you!) know when you get angry at something/someone and you feel the energy/adrenaline rise on you and then you explode (generaly on the people you targeted as a cause).

I have been proud to be someone explosive, I helped me (or maybe not) to maintain what I called my respect my limits to anyone I thought to be disrespectfull or a threat but it's no more usefull now, I want my freedom.

I want to be able to be yeld at, even for nothing even for 5 mn and keep my inside quiet, ready to help that other person suffering. All of this because I know I can do it or at least I have to be it.

[Jetsun]

You missed to try find out what is actually true from your list

 

Hehe says a lot really

[Brian]

You missed to try find out what is actually true from your list

 

Hehe says a lot really

There were so many ways to word many concepts and so many that seem similar to an outsider but have great significance to followers of one belief system or another that it wasn't really practical to try to make this list comprehensive. In my mind, "try to find out what is actually true" would be part "Gain ultimate knowledge" and part "Join with Light/Tao/God/ThatWhichIs/etc."

[Jetsun]

There were so many ways to word many concepts and so many that seem similar to an outsider but have great significance to followers of one belief system or another that it wasn't really practical to try to make this list comprehensive. In my mind, "try to find out what is actually true" would be part "Gain ultimate knowledge" and part "Join with Light/Tao/God/ThatWhichIs/etc."

 

Yeah fair enough

 

I just think everybody should forget enlightenment, immortality and powers etc and remember that the truth sets you free!!

[BaguaKicksAss]

The 2 folks who selected "to impress others"; I'm impressed with your self awareness .

[Unlearner]

I marked other as one mostly as an additional note to "join with tao/etc", which is to find peace with others, nature, and self.

 

Ultimately, though, I'm not really sure why I practice, but perhaps I'll find out one day.

Edited February 20, 2014 by Unlearner

[Unlearner]

The 2 folks who selected "to impress others"; I'm impressed with your self awareness .

 

I'm actually a bit timid about telling other people, since I'm a bit of a loner in my philosophical views.

[Brian]

*bump*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Old River]

"Other" for both poll questions...

 

My motivaton is largely to cultivate a sense of peace in myself and in my local environment (wherever I might be). That's my short answer, at any rate.

[Brian]

It is appropriate for me to resurrect this thread now...

[Papayapple]

It is appropriate for me to resurrect this thread now...

Wow awesome poll! Give me a second!

 

 

 

By "I don't know" and 'Other' I understand partly everything listed and everything in between, as I realize I'm not only driven by my most virtuous motivations. I would also add just plain 'Fun'. Since it resonates with me-the child so much.

 

It's good to know though,  that my main choices were the most typical, seems like we're all just aiming for PEACE!

Gonna change the world together! Yay!

Edited December 12, 2016 by Papayapple

[Astral Monk]

It is appropriate for me to resurrect this thread now...

 

 Yes, a great timing. I was just reflecting on these notions lately.

 

For me, longevity is the main result we should look for--with more time comes more opportunities and maturity, and thus with longevity any of those other goals could eventually be reached. But not gaining longevity and devoting all time to goals that dont promote it or even decrease it, well, you just run of of timespace.

 

I mean who dont want unite with Dao/light etc? But lol, you will get there eventually anyway, so no need to cultivate such thing.

 

8)

[mvingon]

Oh. We can only choose one answer. Sorry, I've a few answers.