Jonas

Thanks Yes when we cut the ties to our habits and our old life it is somewhat the same as when we cut the ties to our parents and move from home. Just now the journey is to our "spiritual home".. I also learned when you have a higher purpose the material things settles by themselves. I never had to worry about basic needs.. things got solved sometimes in miraculous ways.

When I read your post I come to think of some events from my own life. When I was mid 20'es I decided to abandon composing music since it put me in self ambition, consumed a lot of time, made me eager to "show off". It felt this was totally against the spiritual stream I felt in my life plus I wanted to simplify things in order to suit spiritual practices better. I sold all my equipment and actually devoted myself to spiritual Sadhana for a long period. I took a very simple part-time work, rented a cheap apartment fix some old furniture that I repainted. No TV etc. I never regret that I did this fullheartedly since it took me on a spiritual adventure I never would have encountered halfhearted. However now, years later, the circle is complete, I picked up my "abandoned parts", integrated them again, and realize music, composing is part of my essence, and is a way for me to express myself blissfully. I could not just be without that part of myself. So I bought back my equipment and start again. Just because we awakened Kundalini or opened the microcosmic orbit it doesn't mean we will not be interested in personal things anymore. However when awakened to our nature, those things will come from being and not ego-mind. Now I am lazier since it’s a temptation for me just to sit still and sink into the bliss that is part of being. It doesn't mean you get weak or in-dynamic, it means that you do not do things with your mind anymore but your essential being. My music was more "mindful" and elaborated before but now it is somewhere between mindful and mindless. That's just very nice. I think the same goes for writing.

Meditation for me is to deepen and solidify the state of being in a "blissful magnetic field". Sit on a chair or on a stone in nature and sink into the spirit and kind of bliss come and deep relaxation.. Try focus lightly on the "field of energy", without artificial effort. I usually don't sit in any formal position, but I have come to understand, trough this forum, that the fullotus is very efficient (I never tried this). (However when I meditate formally I usually focus too tight since it is too static (no movement) so it will not be with the attitude of "not being mindful about it, but also not being mindless about it". That attitude come naturally when I relax informal, or walk, or sit in front of computer and write like when I am writing this message.. And that is like the hen that hatches the egg...) Before I opened my pathways full, and the MACO, I did a lot of intricate meditation practices, visualizations, moving inner visualized balls, etc., and it had a good effect on preparing the pathways. But now I feel that this kind of practices for me would just be wrong since they already made their job. Just to sum it up.. the solution is not always what we think, however a good idea could also be what Kat says.. seek up some renowned energy-healers, let them scan your energy field and hear their opinions. I once did with a good result.

Let me add a little more to my previous post... Like you I myself have always been interested in finding genuine people that follow the original teachings of Pythagoras but not found any. However to understand Pythagoras I think there is a need to differ it from neo-platonism, since it was added a lot of speculations and parallels later on from other sources, and especially in todays newage-versions of it. One of the things the Pythagoreans were aware of are the energy-forming aspects of Sound. In today times Robert Monroe investigated the power of sound on the psyche with his Hemi-Sync-system, also Hans Jenny and his Cymantics are worth to mention and Google. You can see some real videos and experiments on how sound affects (creates in) matter. (Just Google it on you tube). In ancient cultures the Word and Sound were associated with a mouth / seed, as the initial point of any creation. You state your intent with Words and then something is created. That is the foundation (FIRST-ONE) point in all magic. Also relations of tones, harmonies, creates different states in ourselves. We listen to a sad melody and become sad, and opposite. Words and music carries information and geometry, but also geometry carries information (words) in the reverse aspect. Contemplation on the Mandelbrot Fractal has made me discover some esoteric principles and parallels in there. This fractal is never "outdated" or a "fashion-thing" since it comes from true mathematics, a simple formula like z = z^2+p and is the same in the whole Universe (that's why mathematical language is so pure and universal). Pythagoreans divided number in masculine and feminine (odd and even). If they had known about imaginary numbers and fractals I am sure they would have been very fascinated by all of that. You ask for some contemporary views on it, but be careful, just Pythagoreanfullots states... watch out for home brewed newage-materials. In my understanding the Pythagoreans took on themselves a lot of hardships, like working hard in the soil, moved around a lot (didn't make themselves comfortable in great houses), observed Mouna (silence), Meditated regularly in early mornings and evenings, and listened to lectures by seniors. They observed very high morality and ethics. They studied mathematics, relations, music, scales, the laws of frequencies. I highly recommend the quality-book "Sacred Geometry" by Robert Lawlor. I had read it about three times, and still I reflect upon the lessons therein. Its a great book and can be sound on Scribd. Its not overly esoteric, quite scientific and objective, and that's why I like it! A good site about some Pythagorean / Greek info is http://web.eecs.utk.edu/~mclennan/BA/index.html There is also reference to the Pythagorean Pentacle (Pentagram) and a lot of useful information.

A good source material on the Pythagorean teachings (I have in my own bookshelf) are "The Pythagorean Source book and Library" by Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie. Is more like an anthology that complies different source-texts from these historical times thus giving a fairly objective view on some aspects of the teachings. It is also includes the book "Life of Pythagoras" that is a kind of Biography over his life. I have read a lot about this stuff, but long time ago, so I have not everything fresh in my mind so forgive me if I am a bit off But my distinct feeling about it is that the Pythagoreans were really a great authentic spiritual movement, maybe the only one in Greece around this times. They were practical people, much like the Essenes, lived in harmony with everybody and nature, they were vegetarians, and they were focused on deep states of meditation and healing therapies that involved chantings and music. They worked as efficient energy-cultivators, much like the Daoists and contemporary Buddhists (in India about same time). They encountered much friction and difficulties in dealing with some authorities (that couldn't accept some of their radical and free views) that helped them in their process of selfobservation and selfdiscovery. Pythagoras is now associated much with mathematics and metaphysics, but this is only one side of his movement. However the teachings of the significance behind numbers, geometry, energy-ratios, sacred ratios (like the Golden), angulation, was an important part of the teachings. To my opinion this movement was powerful like the Buddha-movement in India about the same time. However less is known about it. Later on the teachings were compiled by different "rational philosophers" like Plato, Aristotele, etc., that had a more intellectual left-brain-sided approach to it. From there on the Greek philosophy started with its Aristotelian "classificative, deductive logic" / system that really ruined the mystic and magic side of anything.

Actually,in my understanding, Hindu Tantra, Daoist Alchemy and Western Alchemy and even cabbalistic alchemy traditions, authentic shamanic tradition with rebirth and initiations, old hermetic "snake / fire - cults" all had the same basic knowledge. Those who say alchemy is about collecting material things, herbs and elements are wrong. Those who interpret alchemy in purely symbolical philosophical, metaphysical and psychological terms are equally wrong on the other end of the extreme. Alchemy is about the practical inner transformation of man to a "reborn heavenly man". Even the historical Jesus Christ taught about this knowledge. He is said to have said to the scholastic priest Nicodemus something like “Unless we become like children again, reborn again as it were from a mother’s womb, we will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven”. Compare this to the Daoist Explanations of our Prenatal Nature (as opposed to the created postnatal ego-nature, which must melt down and leave place for the prenatal / childlike one). So this is my understanding of Western Alchemy and alchemy in general: The laboratory is the body. The Lead and Mercury is different states of the inner energies. However Mercury takes a special place in that it is involved as the medium or Agent that is involved in all stages. It’s the Daoist Chi equivalence. The vessels of the alchemist’s laboratories are inner centers / cauldrons where transformation of energy takes place. We beging by lead, that is the lead of our ego, personality, mind, heavier elements. It ends with Gold as the “Inner Golden Embryo”. And mercury is the "secret agent" that will assist transforming the lead to gold. The Sulphur is nothing but the inner fire. In Daoism sometimes referred to "pure yang-fire", in hindu traditions to Kundalini. It is when the inner sexual waters (mercury, Jing ji) "cooks" and steams up the Sushumna (spine). This is the result of mixing Water with Fire (heating and purifying the water). This is just the beginnings of a series of alchemical transformation resulting in the birth of the Golden Embryo of Child (Tipheret initiation in the Kabbalistic tradition). The "Red King". The birth of Christ in the stable among the animals is a total analogy for this, just that the Alchemists referred to the Inner Christ (the Saviour within, the Daoists Spiritual Embryo), not the historical person. To know more about the real application of this process, just read the Excellent books "Lu K'Uan Yu - Taoist Yoga - Alchemy and Immortality" (a very advanced book belonging to the Single Cultivation tradition). Also for a more practical understanding of the basic steps please read Taoist secrets of Love by Mantak Chia. Those two books are a must to read for everyone on the Tao Bum Formus in my opinion. (However be careful to physically manipulate the Chi, Mantak Chia himself took back the “milliondollarpoint” practice where you should stop semen by the fingers, but the basic practice and knowledge therein is fantastic). There we understand the Great Significance of the Jing Ji energy (our sexual energy) and the great caution and respect we ought to have of this transformational energy. The reason for the medieval western alchemists to express themselves in so obscure terms was that anything spiritual but the scholastic Christian teachings were officially forbidden. Knowledge outside that was associated with sorcery and witchcraft and was sometimes persecuted with death. So they had to work under the somewhat silly and humorous pretext that they actually were trying to manufacture physical gold in a physical laboratory from ordinary materials like coal, stones, etc. The authorities were pleased with this, since they could expect a lucrative outcome from this. But at the same time the texts can be translated to processes in our body. It is a very genial camouflage. Some alchemists that had gone very far in their own transformation really had developed the immortal fetus not to be a little fetus anymore but a “grown up King”. That is they had created a spirit capable of extraordinary things and some of them really was producing real gold from other metals. There is namely a law that a body created / coming from higher energy planes has power over laws of the lower planes. Normally when a person have certain healing energies he really makes them from alchemical transformations but he uses them in an early stage before the immortal spirit is created. And the powers of such person are limited to some qualities. The reason why so few accomplish the Work is it is required very high degree of self-control, level of practice and sincerity. However the true practice is not so hard, but it is more about always keeping yourself in balance not to destroy the process. So the western alchemists said to work With Nature Trough Art. It means that Nature (the transformational processes in the body) will do it all but not without the work of Skillful Means (application of the art). This is at least my understanding and experience!

Hello folks! I am new to this forum but I have read the posts some time now before I decided to register. I am coming from the tantric / hindu / kundalini system that also have systems for transmutation / pranayama and deep meditation techniques. However I am more and more interested in the Taoist approach since it seems to focus more on the different quant-stages of energy and have much knowledge about the transformation of Jing to various Chi and finally Shen (Vitaliy, energy field and Spirit). I definitely have raised the chi up the spine in different periods, but I have fallen in some traps.. Especially giving my energy out to women in a kind of "soul orgasm", dissapated it on healing, and other things wich forced me to take a long break from it all to burn all ties and bonds created. Actually the system I come from regarded the dual cultivation as superiour to the single one (it was said you could get further, faster trough that) but I also know the pitfalls on that way. Right now I am inte the single cultivation (I am single) and I succeed to transmute my Jing to chi. Reasons I believe I succeed is following signs: 1. Feeling a thick aura of blissful energy around me. 2. Very calm. Easy to sink into empty mind state. Even at work. 3. Don't care about people around me, I have my own field. 4. A kind of wet, cold and clean fluid coming down from my prain that washes my eyes. 5. Having perfect sight 6. Thick silent breath. 7. Feeling cold energy back up my spine. 8. Deep voice. 9. Very little need for sleep. Of course I save my seed and do some squeezing of perineum to pump up the Jing and inner breathing practices. I do it when I feel it. I have no regular schedule. It works for me. Along with that I keep calm and watch my mind for agitation and sexual fantasies. I also realized that food is of extreme importance. If I eat cream, meat or any heavy food my heart goes up in rate. Since the body gets subtler when you transmute sexual energy it must work hard to get rid of all heavy toxins coming from bad food. So a good mixer (magic bullet) helps me mixing drinks of fresh fruits and veggies, also short time cooked soups of vegetables and fish, nuts and yoghurt is my mainly diet. I don' eat bread or much carbon hydrates. So that was a little about me and my life right now! please comment if you feel like it!

Sounds reasonable.. and when you still need to eat something its better to eat light / pure than gross

Thanks!

Thanks! In general terms I try to avoid heavy proteins (like much beans, any meat, etc.) and much carbonhydrates (like pasta, rice, potatoe). Start with very low carb and then feel what you really need. If you feel you are insufficient with energy, just add some noodles or sweet potatoe gradually. In general when on the way of cultivation and energy retention you should not need so much food / energy as people not going this way. For me its a bit extreme to fast some days and then eat normal. Fasting can be good sometimes (especially if you are in a deep meditation period) but normally I think its better to balance your diet. I seldom drink cold water but prefer fresh juices from any kind of fruits and vegetables. Mix grapes with ananas and fresh spinage leaves (the handpicked fresh ones you buy in a bag for example). Or try strawberries with oranges. Another one is tomatoe with spinage leaves.. Its really interesting to find good mixtures. Then add some water (not too much). I bought a "magic bullet" mixer to effectively mix it. If I eat out (as I do together with workmates) I always try to order fish. Salom and white fish are good. If I am home I take a put and boil some water. I ad some olive oil in it. Then I add fresh colorful vegetables and just cook them slightly. I also add fish. Red (salmon) and different white ones are nice. If you like you can change fish for lenses, example red or green dahl. I dont put any salt in but sometimes some chili in. They I eat this with sticks slowly and drink all soup left over (most nutrients are in the water, so dont pour it out!). Add some genuine brewed Japanese soy to season it. I was thinking to go totally raw but that I think is too extreme for me. I like slightly cooked and warm food. If I am just a bit hungry, I like to eat some nuts and dried fruits. To breakfast I eat yoghurt, goji, nuts. No musli or serials. Cottage cheese is also nice. The most important is to feel that your food is "pure". Of course you may eat junkfood once in a while, I am not fanatic, but the important thing is that your main diet should be light and pure. I find that after one or two month of eating like this meditation / inner silence is very easy. Just my experience!

Hi pythagoreanfulllotus! Nice you are the first person to comment my post. I've read some of your postings and I find them very interesting and inspirational. I feel right now I am not "full" in my pineal gland. Its like a vessel there and when its full of transmutative fluid (purified yang-chi) it will flow over and down the face to the heart. I remember in hindu tradition it was called the "nectar of Amrita" and is very vigorousing and purifying. Its not the same as the ordinary chi circulating around but a more refined clear fluid. But I experience some of it already and since I have been there before I know how it should feel when youre on right track. But I will definitely try to do as you suggest, focus there and see if I notice the bliss. I also had the opposite experience.. in the "dark nights" I felt extremely underpressure in middle of brain, like something pulling my hair from within the skull.. I cannot say the reason for this underpressure but it was not comfortable. I have had two major experiences, one back in spring / summer 2000 (lastin 3 months) and one about same time the year after, also lasting about 2-3 months. I can tell details about that but not right now. It was quite powerful experiences back then, but then I got together with a gf and I kind of lost the way and entered into samsara hehe. Looking forward to hear more from you.