silent thunder

Who is it? The one who carries this corpse around? The one clinging this meat to this skeleton... filled with water and air?

Wait! ... what?

don't worry mate... I corrected it for ya. phew, that was close!

The Sage is in the world but not of it. No matter what conditions spring from dao, the Sage occupies the center, taking no sides, having no fixed notions of should and should not. Mastery does not need to imply incredible learning, or intricacy of plans and devices. True mastery is exemplified in simplicity. Why spend years learning to carve designs, gears, cranes and levers, when all is needed is a simple block of wood to chock the wheels of the wagon, while you load it? A small action at the key moment of shifting conditions, brings rapid change without much force. In this wu wei, the Sage, being fully present, perceives conditions with clarity and thus with simplicity notes where to apply minimal force to achieve great result. Without need to invest in long drawn out and intricate plans, the Sage may respond adroitly in any situation and is perceived a Master in all situations. While remaining an uncarved, unresplendent, non-fussy demeanor and approach to conditions of life, releasing expectations and notions of how things should, or should not be, the Sage with minimal effort in any situation brings about vital effects and carries conveys the appearance of mastership, to those who look at the center from somwhere on the circle.

I hear you friend. lately I'm just watching the wheels letting it go...

how does one acquire what already is? where is there to go and what is there to do, when what is, is all that is? what to do when what is being sought, is what is seeking...?

Fully agree mate. I've long had the observation in myself that what is often interpreted as fear, is actually the sudden rise of inner power in response to a situation. The pure energy of it is neutral, but so potent, it triggers the reject response and is easily labeled as fear and shunned, instead of cultivated and used. Seems a symptom of the disconnected nature of our culture.

I recall making one of my many blasphemous statements in the presence of a religious friend, about one of the many contradictions in the king james bible. religious friend: "you can't say that! that's blasphemy against god! you offend god and are in danger of damning your eternal soul!" me: "dude... chill. I can say it... i just did. and it makes sense... why would god not want me to use the logic she supposedly supplied me with?" religious friend " " me: " blasphemy is pastor territory, when they have no answer, or can't tolerate the cognitive dissonance pointed out in one of their many fallacies, they cry 'blasphemy' and hope to shut you up... I mean, seriously, if the creator of the entire universe, is capable of being offended by this simple idiot... she's quite insecure for a supreme being."

Ya got me there.

He did admit to not being certain which one was the dreamer and which the dream. Who wakes from the waking dream?

Nice one Lima! the most straight forward path? realize it's here now. be it... wake up... right now.

Master Wang Li Ping teaches the fire breathing method, it is foundational. The region between the eyes is not Niwan, in the center of the cranium, it is the central orifice, (the square inch in the square foot). This is a gateway, or portal of shen in and out of the body. Master Wang recommends the Secret of the Golden Flower at his retreats, specifically the version translated by Richard Wilhelm.

The Sage is in the world, but not of it. This phrase changed my experience of life when it saturated awareness. Being present in the world, without trying to carry it. Participating fully without taking it personally. The Sage veritably dances through the world, dancing the dance, connected, healing, working, playing, fully present, yet not entirely invested, in the end, it's still only a dance. No matter what occurs our essential nature is spotless, unstainable, never cracked, broken or marred by the dance of life. When dancing, I move through the music across the floor, there is no predestined time or place to arrive. Unless I manufacture one. I dance through the music (environment) and movement (decisions/actions) arises in natural expression of connected presence. When releasing a need to end up in a particular spot on the floor (condition in life), I am able to release more fully into presence. When present without taking it personally (thinking things should be different), I am utterly, perfectly, exactly where I am... should and shouldn't fall away as irrelevant. The center is everywhere. Bliss is a natural state. Participating fully without taking the world personally has become 'the art' that I cultivate and it's coming around as the cycles play out... but only when I release openly and fully, without projecting or holding back, nothing kept sacred, all open to flow and change. Release the outmoded forms of thought and identification with emotions that bind me to unhealthy reactions based on should and shouldn't, but not to the point where it breeds harsh unconnected closed heartedness, or overly emotional fancy and fantasy. It doesn't do to release in a harsh analytical manner, any more than it does to release in an utterly disconnected fantasy, with no attention to detail, or presence in the eternal now. True Release to me is about releasing into full presence, into authentic essential nature. It is not about 'not giving a shit what others think or do', or 'being above it all', or 'simply hardening the heart and not caring'... nor is it about not giving a shit what I do and its effect on the planet and others... letting the world do its thing without a care or connection. Quite the opposite. It is releasing fully into what is, as it is... now. As I have release that which is not part of my essential nature, notions of self that were handed to me by my well meaning parents and by a not so well meaning society/school system/government, my heart opened and when the heart began unfolding, awareness and presence unfolded and the intricately interconnected nature of life beams all about me, no matter the circumstances. When I take action, I release fully into it. When I love, I release wholly into this emanation. When no action is required, I release fully into not doing a thing, with no regret, or guilt. Release into presence... in the end, what else is there? Bit by bit, I move in and through social situations as I move through my forms, with awareness, presence, open to shift... flow, without predetermined expectations. When conditions shift, respond naturally, spontaneously and fully accept what arises, whether you will act to bring shift, act to move on, or not act and simply abide, in presence and acceptance, the center is everywhere and the Sage dances through it. It's blissful to participate in the game of life, without taking it personally, or having to demean or devalue it to protect my essential nature. There is now the unshakable knowingness that at our core, our essential nature is truly spotless, unbreakable, unstainable, never lost and ever present.

Walking barefoot is one of the great, simple joys of my life. Barefoot now for twenty plus years. Only ever wear shoes at work (which is 4-7 months a year), or in a restaurant/store. "Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the wind longs to play with your hair." ~Khalil Gabran

who among us is capable, or willing to trade convenience for quality? even when convenience is not all that convenient...

Hyperventilating... is panic breathing, anxiety breathing, and is all but useless to me. It is characterized by rapid shallow breathing where the breath enters only the upper portions of the lungs... resulting in dizzy, light-headedness due to the brain (and orgains) all receiving insufficient fuel. Hypoventilating... is often confused with hyperventilating, but is an entirely different animal. This rapid, deep (to the bottom of the lungs with a big full santa claus belly on the inhale). It was introduced to me as warrior breathing and is used in some types of Tumm-O and Pranayama. Hypoventilation is a tool I use regularly which super-oxygenates the blood stream and conveys a host of benefits, including intense pain relief, supercharged euphoric perception, deep organ healing and heightened sensitivities to subtle energy.

Here are a few from our usual campsite up on Black Mountain... in Boulder Basin.

I didn't pay them much attention in New York or Minnesota, but the pigeons here in Cali are gorgeous! Their neck feathers, iridescent green and/or lavender are utterly captivating! When playing Qi Gong in my living room, I'm often entertained while I look out the balcony sliding door onto the rooftop of the building east of us... the pigeons hang out there and walk their patterns you describe on that rooftop, their necks giving off little flashes of green n purple as they do their dance of life.

The master has failed, more times than the student has attempted.

Next time you're there, head east out of the market into the park, it's just over the hill east side of the duck pond. It's brilliant.

That's the one! How awesome is that giant tree fort? We love to take our breakfast up there and eat in the shade, or hang out and watch the softball games if they're playing.

It's rather insane the relationship with food here. So many people eating as quickly as possible, whatever is handy and cheap, as if eating were something to get out of the way! And often eating alone, rather than waiting and sharing at leisure with family or friends. Row upon row of processed food line both sides of every shelf 3 meters high... for tens of thousands of square feet in each grocery store. And those are the standard grocery stores, not the mega, warehouse freaks of nature... I've been inside a Costco once... still haven't set foot in a Walmart. Some things are untenable in my life. In each grocery store, there is a thin line of real food, produce, eggs and the like that runs along the outer rim of the space. My son knows to stick to the ring to find real food options. Regularly while we're shopping and walking by the end caps, he'll peer down an aisle and state "yup, bright colors and boxes... no real food in that aisle either." We are very fortunate in taht we get most all our food from our local Farmer's Market each Saturday. It hosts some 200 venders. It's like a festival every weekend. Live music at each end of the market, about two dozen restaurant stalls, bakeries, juicers, coffee stalls, organic anything you can imagine, pickled everything. All venders are vetted must be within a 50 mile radius to participate so we know it's not shipped in. We go to the grocery store for cleaning supplies and odds n ends any more.