silent thunder

Not sure what Taoists recommend, but I have used a foldable, portable, one person far infrared sauna for many years and particularly in the cooler months it has become of invaluable benefit, particularly before any long sitting, physical work, or moving forms. It utilizes three ceramic tiles; one on each side and one on the back. A small foldable stool to sit on and a tiny air heater for added heat when desired. It will build an impressive sweat. The far infrared penetrates soft tissue quite effectively in my experience. One or two cycles and I'm moving like warm liquid light. At 55 after a lifetime of hard martial applications, cliff diving and rock climbing... It's delightful. Folds up and stores behind my easel in under a minute. Quite reasonably priced and mine has lasted for over a decade. Highly recommend. https://www.homedepot.com/p/SteamSpa-1-Person-Indoor-PP-Plastic-1050-Watt-Portable-Infrared-Home-Sauna-with-Digital-Controller-and-Foldable-Chair-Brown-SP-SS0002-1P/330414880 They come in a variety of options now. Some have a steam heater in place of the air heater I use. Some come with heated foot pads and no air or steam heater... while a few other foldable models are taller and cover the entire body. I use the model where the head remains outside the unit.

Your sharing reminds me of the Japanese art of Kintsugi; the mending of broken pottery using fine metals. The restored pieces becoming more cherised and valued for having been broken and mended by skilled, caring hands... their scars becoming a mark of beauty and resillience which enhances the inherent beauty of the original work.

At this point on the path, my local awareness no longer processes that people's mentation and imagery/interpretations of what they perceive in the world and in other people around them is what is occuring carte blanche. It is a reflection of their own state of mind. What any given individual is experiencing is how the perceptive process is interpreted for him/her and further in that moment, and which words and imagery they select to share their interpreted experience is personal and not definitive or objective, in my experience. Give them a few months or years and the same might be processed differently, even to them; let alone anyone else. As always, this one says: take what is offered and run it through your own system and see what arises within your own local awareness.

@gentlewind Hello Brother! Delighted by your presence here! I'll be looking for your next publishing of poetry. Would you share a link? You have always inspired me by your gentle, yet piercingly authentic presence. I consider your presence here a gift and one I appreciate deeply. Wishing you and yours a delightful Fall and a bevvy of beauty filled moments.

Saw this show last Friday with my Son. Next day we were spinning the vinyl and he said. "It was like being in a Cathedral of Light and Harmony!" Surprised him with Tickets tonight @ The Hollywood Bowl!

@Cobie deleted

@markern noticed in him

Then perhaps the mind answering is caught in a rigid pattern... and only perceives one pattern that it assumes is the answer... This one has always preferred unanswerable questions, to unquestionable answers. flowing presence as water in life

@blue eyed snake I so appreciate you!

Really appreciate Silas and BH. That album has been my morning commute companion for the last week, synchronicity. This gal has a vocabulary that never ceases to capture awareness.

Wishing you well on your journey and a warm welcome! *hug*

How language forms thought and mindscape is a fascinating arena to explore. A nigh on endless sidepath of limitlessness. Always another word, always another way to string them together... This thought settled on my thought pond one afternoon, unsought and unbidden, but most intriguing in its implications. Humans tend to think in words. Though the words they think with, were created by others who came before and they learned from... so if you are not thinking without words, or thinking words of your own devising... in essence, you are thinking the recycled thoughts of others. This began an exploration of the etymology of words which became something of a passion for a time. Now, (i) glaze out for long periods like a gape mouth, not thinking much at all, gratefully. Happy hunting!

i have found that while there inevitably will be discomfort and there will occasionally be intense pain, this does not require, mandate or force one to suffer. Suffering is a product generated in egoic awareness; it is a crisis of perception in my experience.

I would appreciate any input by folks with lived experience regarding the culture, food and music.

Not many human voices can resonate at this depth. A rare and stunning rendition.

Ripples across time Lives are as dew drops at Dawn Breathing and passing

"i appreciate you" is a phrase that regularly flows now, which arises from gratitude for the simple presence and actions of others.

Recently this bit by Sri Andamayi Ma on rebirth crossed my feed. On a related path, there's a documentary film maker who's dedicated years of his craft to interviewing folks whose bodies have died and then returned to life, as well as a few who recall past lives. https://www.youtube.com/@AnthonyCheneProduction Have found in my own awareness, that what has been recalled of past incarnation arises when relevant either in the moment, or while settled deep in the wash of the xing sea within. happy hunting mate.

Guess it's a semantic issue then. Fact checking is due diligence to me. It should be pursued like science, let the evidence lead the way to clarity. Any spin of the facts is just another lie which will eventually be revealed, and countered by the check, or ignored, embraced and swallowed by the wilfull ignorants (and there's no helping or hindering those folks it seems). C'est la vie.

Fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity. ~George Carlin Gods how I miss that man's insight and fearlessness with observation and word smithing. As for fact checking bothering you slightly... what's wrong with calling out lies when noticed?

When first encountering Wim... there was interest. Charismatic, energetic and palpable force. This soon dissipated, revealing what can be summed up by one word. tension. So this one moved on.

@Chrrris If the film made an impression on you, delve into the book as well. Same title. It was written by Dan Millman and is his in depth recounting of his experiences meeting 'Socrates' a seemingly simple mechanic and gas station owner, who saw the potential in Dan and became the teacher who transformed his process of interacting with reality. There's also the prequel, The Journeys of Socrates, which recounts his teacher's story of moving through Russia during interesting times. I found both fascinating. Happy travels mate.

This bit in your sharing presented as a potential mark of your inroad to the path. Engaging in presence is a cornerstone of the foundation in each of the endeavors shared with me by the few masters I've encountered. Simple presence is far from simple, indeed, it is the most profound and transformative of experiences my awareness ever processes. Experience, presence and beingness are The Path to me. Intellectualizing about those experiences, may be a useful tool, or enjoyable diversion in attempts to share with others, or glean details of what arises in experience and presence. But the words shared and the word forms/concepts to me are always a shadow of sorts compared to the experiential awareness and beingness... as you say, as a finger pointing, but never the point. I'd say your draw to experience over belief, or thought forms is a strong benefit to finding your path. Seek out places, animals and people who engage your presence and settle into that for a starting point... Honestly, overly intellectual pursuits, while endlessly engaging to me and pursued for two decades and several higher degrees, have always revealed themselves to be a sidepath to my process in the end. Kind of like sitting and looking at a menu and expecting to derive nourishment from the pictures, instead of actually engaging in a meal. Now, taking my own cue... after all these words, I'm going to turn on some music and play with my cat... Welcome to The Bums!