Birch

Thanks DK!

"To each their own path!" Hear hear! Yeah the tongue crackling stuff is pretty weird. The "tickling stuff" is elsewhere. At one point in practice I found a very clear (to me at least) connection between Vipassana and Chi-gung (qi-gong). Contemplating on the "what" was running through me/ "I" was running through "myself" was an interesting exercise. Also the very "voluntary" aspect of Chi-gung lends itself to asking, "Well, if I'm able to run all this stuff up "on my own" despite "outside circumstances" then...what's going on??? I still don't know. I get hints and I can explain it in drawings - sort of. Edited to include http://www.kundaliniawakeningsystems1.com/downloads/kundalini-psychosis-or-transcendence.pdf

I reckon in my case: Definite experiences of K per the description given by Tao in his video and Susan and co. elsewhere on here in the past. Not "ongoing" (as far as I can tell - although as I write the sparks are crackling on my tongue, really small ones, nothing to write home about) Definite experiences of chi (the ticklish stuff as mentioned elsewhere on here, but it doesn't go everywhere (yet)) I feel a bit less stupid than I used to, or at least I now know I'm a lot less smart than I previously thought, either or

Yes it's "all perspective" (sigh) and from where I sit I often ask myself whether I like the view from here or not. But I'd rather not use a view of "it's all just perspective" to justify some people doing things that are patently cruel, demeaning, harmful etc to some other people. So is this the point at which I am allowed to proffer a death threat and you will accept it as simple "just perspective"? Or should I abstain because I risk banishment? Or will I abstain because I don't think that threatening people with death just because we might not agree with each other's perspective is a "good" thing to do? Note to mods, it's some questioning, not an actual death threat.

Neijing Suwen 64 (On Needling with Respect or Contrary to the Four Seasons) "Regarding inserting needles into the five viscera: insertion into the heart causes death in one day, with the main symptomatic change of belching;insertion into the liver causes death in five days, with the main symptomatic change of talking;insertion into the lungs causes death in three days, with the main symptomatic change of coughing;insertion into the kidneys causes death in six days, with the main symptomatic change of sneezing and yawning; and insertion into the spleen causes death in ten days with the main symptomatic change of swallowing or gulping. Needle insertion into the human body that injures the five viscera produces symptomatic change and certainly results in death. The affected organ is determined by noting the symptomatic change in order to identify when death will result." From http://www.amazon.com/Dao-Chinese-Medicine-Understanding-Ancient/dp/0195921046

I'll hopefully get back to this later about the fundamental "orneriness" of humans or not and whether "civil" society is a cause or an effect ;-) You seemed to be arguing for the need for rules because of fear and lack of trust? Doesn't the TTC suggest that when Tao is lost then rules come into being? I wonder if pre-"civil" societies were actually more trustworthy than less but I don't know that either. I don't knowfor sure, except the way I know for sure from my own experience having been brought up in a "civil" society, living in a few, having suffered in some cases for it and continuing to be an observer of it. Not in the same way as "Buddhist" suffering, although the ego our civil societies seem to currently be constructing is a nastier version of what it used to be IMO. Mr Seeker, when you consider defending something, do you consider why you are defending it? - Not always because it is worth defending...? Something I think is important is not to mistake "judging" for "naming". I see evil all around me and it is often called "for our own good" or "for your own good" or "for the good of humanity" or "health" any number of names that seem like they mean a lot of good things but when you actually see what's in front of you, well, yeah, it's basic evil. Dressing it up in a hat and red claws and saying "Look at the evil over there in the night" is a really old trick.

Well I dunno what I believe but um "allowing humans as a group to rise beyond subsistance level by constraining members from applying that capacity to their own community" - FAIL? I was thinking more "allowing some groups of humans to rise beyond subsistence level by constraining other groups from applying that capacity to their own community." Doesn't a "return to Tao" ensure existence for all or something? Where's the "evil processes/good processes" argument again? As I have suggested before, unless the existence of "evil" whether they are processes or anything else is acknowledged then "good" won't get a look in. Don't "good and evil support each other"? Or something? Doesn't Taoist thought consider "creation," "destruction" "opposition/hurting" cycles etc? It seems to me to be a bit more involved than just "good or evil". The stuff that is explained by TTC explains an escape out of dualistic thinking pretty well IMO but I haven't got into any cultural/civic society relativity stuff with it yet. I know there are more military/government references in there.

Agree with both DK and Susan

Thanks TaoMeow! Looks like the jars are a good idea Yeah, some of the stuff is very stinky . I hadn't bet on it stinking the house out Still, it does work, which is why I'll keep it around. I liked the idea of the ginseng etc in silk. Deciding where to keep things is interesting (at least I think so ) I've gotten very used to putting things in the fridge (at one point, pretty much anything I ate was in there, plus a few cosmetics as an experiment) - but not everything needs to be in there. And putting some things in there doesn't seem to change their longevity either. And it depends on what time of year it is. Anyway, I found this thing which I thought was cool (no pun intended) http://www.globalenvision.org/library/7/1847 - Apologies in advance to Vortex

Dude, why are you asking anyone else?

I'd like to believe my mother is not the "real" one -because jeez, if that's a "mother" then I'm Santa Claus. Oh wait... I AM Santa Claus

+1

Thank you Susan! I think Tao has to be my favourite sexy-intellectual of the moment. Sam Harris was on my list for a while too but his agenda is too weird and he's a bit stuck up Santi has to be my favourite "sunny guy"

Nope. Bad idea. Sticking organs aside (leads to death) "intuition" is best left to itself ONCE you have better understanding (whether that be through 4-7 years education) or otherwise. You might find this book a)pretty interesting and b ) a reasonable "western rational" explanation for why it could be better not to go sticking needles in oneself. http://www.amazon.com/Dao-Chinese-Medicine-Understanding-Ancient/dp/0195921046/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1283916416&sr=1-1 Would also love feedback from anyone who has read it. Thanks!

"To pretend nothing is wrong? Bah humbug. To get depressed? What does THAT accomplish? " Nothing at all What it may not allow you to do is to "change the world." But it will allow you to change your world. Maybe take some people with you?

"I tend to think that the aliens have been here for a long time, and that they are us. Or perhaps we are a result of interbreeding or gene splicing with them. That could possibly explain the anomalous (among all endogenous life forms) behavior patterns that are leading toward massive global self destruction." Ah, now there's something interesting. Except it's not "massive global self-destruction." The destroying is being done by a portion of humanity.

Yes I did mean 5 Elements. "The blender" is somewhat harder to explain. I won't be so bold as to say it's "the universe" The only one I know is the one I know and I don't know much about that even. More like a "resolution machine" aka "karma" or "life."

I was just calling it "the blender" the other day Neat post Seth. My present take (for today) is if you keep insight, keep emptiness the 5E will sort itself out in a way (wu-wei) which is favourable to you and others.

Which side of your neck? In my small experience, if it's the back, I suggest a small adjustment that I found helps tension: - Put your chin slightly lower and ever so slightly forward of where you might usually carry it - Smile It doesn't even have to be a grin, just enough to open the stuff that would like to be opened.

Another reason not to get caught up with "scenery". IMO and small experience. If you'd prefer a "non-esoteric" explanation (same thing, different words to describe it) that could perhaps calm you down. I mentioned on the other thread that qi-gong helps me to not freak out (well, not too much;-)) and I'll add that have a solid mastery of your breathing can be counted on to relax you and handle whatever comes your way. I believe those Tibetans referred to it as a "lung horse"? Anyone?

Great posts from Effilang and a good article on the outside link from Dwai. I think Qi-gong helps me to stop from totally freaking out. In a sense it helps me to keep "together" and it also helps to find and smooth out the things that need smoothing out. I think "pain" happens when we withdraw consciousness from anywhere in ourselves - but I guess that is kind of OT.

"Parts from catchy pop tunes seem to play over and over, on and on.. " Yup, it's an "ear-worm". Cure is to sing it all the way to the end. Otherwise you get it stuck in feedback. Ah more "resolution" Prevention could be a good idea. Don't listen to it

I don't know anything about Mo-Pai. But from more recent research, I'd suggest go check out Ya Mu. In fact I think it was his most recent post here (a bit more technical than usual and included neatly stated case-studies) that now has me properly convinced. Why am I convinced? Lots of self-practice, study, etc. BTW his website doesn't do him justice but that would be par for the course.

Yup, "root" chakra is def linked to mundane and physical realities. But don't get confused between the latter and "metaphysical realities." Therein lie so many pitfalls. "Money", for example, is a "metaphysical" reality (to the extent that we attempt to share/impose its meaning as "wealth" or "value" by attributing such to it, even when it seems to cause us the reverse). While it often can be used as a "currency of exchange" for physical material benefits, it is NOT them, i.e you couldn't physically eat a dollar, nor can you pay someone to love you. Do you see what I mean? A neat book on chakra correspondences is by Anodea Judith. I can't attest to the full "traditional" equivalence of her stuff, but IMO very much worth looking into.

Lino, Do you reckon that maybe your knowing about the theft could be part of a ways towards ceasing such? I remember reading Castaneda and following that something "dark" came to me one night and "left" with a piece of me (from my gut, it felt like) - so I figured that it must have more need of it than me and let the matter go. I guess I'm reminded of those fish that hang around other fish. If you realise that you have huge resources (I hesitate to use the word "infinite" because I don't know what that means, but just let's say "really really really vast") then one "thing" of this realm making off with a piece of you or flattening your head ain't no big deal. Wasn't forehead flattening used by some cultures for something? http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/citequery3.pl?dbname=GreekTexts&getid=1&query=Hipp.%20Aer.%2016 In passing, I thought this was interesting. I have a picture of a "melon head" from Peru that I was given by a friend from there. She explained it was "brain surgery" http://journals.lww.com/neurosurgery/Abstract/2000/10000/Preconquest_Peruvian_Neurosurgeons__A_Study_of.28.aspx You wouldn't be tapping into some pre-conscious stuff there? That would be very cool but maybe not sustainable for where you're at now?