Birch

Thank you TLerner for this post. Reminds me that much war is indeed in our (I mean, people's) heads. Of course "ideologies" are important as they may in many cases decide under what conditions people live. My current ironic POV is that all of them seem to be "fighting" for the "good" of "their" people. Be a hell of a lot easier if it were understood that people aren't anyone's in the first place. Or if they are, WTF is up with that?

That was good. From what small part I think I understand about the masons is that they were/are a sort of a group of cultivators. The "great work" and all that is freedom from, well, whatever the current perceived as oppressive consciousness happens to be. In some centuries it's religion, in others, well, it's religiousity in anything. Unfortunately, I think it ends up being as religious as the very things the practices are supposed to get people to look at critically. I dunno how it is for others, but IME cultivation is frought with that. The escape velocity is pretty incredible, especially if your fellow cultivators are also socially doing favours for you and each other. Then of course the problem being that the masonic movement itself then decides on criteria for everyone else's "progress". I'm probably wrong as usual.

Ok, I'll buy one Confucious T-shirt if it's not made by slaves. It should read, " CONFUSCIOUS? I am, fucking confused" You could have a Line of them that say "...fucking confused about (fill in the blank with something current)".

Yes it's staining the body with an image that endures. Yes "ego" chose it in a sort of a wu-wei kind of way with relatively convoluted rationale that only later made some sense when viewed in relation to ego's cultivation efforts (which are themselves convoluted). I think it's kind of fun:-) Also one of those "future prepares past" kind of things. Maybe my immortal self decided it. Who knows? Who cares? I will when I'm old and laughing:-)

The 5 colors blind the eyes. I welcome squant. Found it in a garden somewhere, didn't he?

Good points Jetsun and Mr MH. I think a lot of the cognitive behavioural stuff is predicated on this kind of idea. Seems that social hierarchy really causes people to stress out. That "middle manager" syndrome. I think it's trying and draining to attempt to take all one's cues of self-evaluation from the outside but the outside often gives you a clue as to the inside. On a small, everyday scale at least.

More Naga? I think even that has been mixed up with all kinds of other things (if it exists in the first place, I don't know anything about it:-)) Reckon you could ask Max what he was referring to? Or Chris or someone? Doesn't mean it can't also coexist with Drew's find:-) But it could mean some interesting limitations placed on actual "acheivement" in cultivation, hence maybe some "power envy" on the part of some, hence the race to replace with technologies. Speculating as usual:-)

Well, I was going to post about that "it's all just chi" idea but then I remembered a distinct experience of black smokey-like stuff visually leaving my body through my mouth during meditation. So now I dunno.

VM, was that a Ken Wilber quote? I wonder, who is to be the judge of one's mediocre offering? Personally, I'm not convinced that perceived excellence is anything other than a rise to the values of the moment. If I don't rise because I disagree with current values, am I then inauthentic? I suppose I don't care.

I find I have problems with static build-up in winter. I don't feel great around 100% synthetics, it has a kind of a cold, repulsive quality to it (also not good IME when it comes to managing heat, although if it's mixed in small amounts for stretch etc that seems ok)

Is this covered by some kind of international war treaty? In other words, could a person who considers themselves wrongly arrested/accused take the US to some kind of international war crime court? They also do not have boundaries, apparently. Yeah, I'm not sure how this one got passed, is there constitutional recourse?

When I started out I experienced them as spinning. Now I experience them as "knots" or "stuff in the way". I still think they're interesting as broad systemic "points" to go to. But I don't seem to be as into Chakra things as I was. I feel the 5E stuff is good for me and then there's just plain old emptiness and mindfullness. But I find mindfulness kind of dull. A bit too strict. The other day I set my alarm and woke to the secret smile by Glenn Morris. I hadn't heard or done it in ages but I have to say it put my day off to a nice warm start:-)

It was a good interview. I was intrigued by Max's thoughts on DNA and abilities. Seems there's a lot of teachers claiming that qi-gong has an effect on it. But Max pointed to the race card. Anyone know anything about this stuff? I realise my question might be of the "can of worms" type but I'd like to suggest that we're all pretty "mixed" from a genetic POV at this point (even if in some quarters there are continuing attempts to categorize based on smaller and smaller differences, huh Mr Dulles?)

Hmm, not sure about that. However, if you're correct and instructions and ideologies belong to something then shouldn't that be made clear prior to anyone's adoption of them? And I'd include pretty much anything in that suggestion, not just religion/cultivation Rather than " oh look, try this it will end your suffering" My personal 2cts take is that anything that gets you to realize the "choice" thing you're referring to is probably a good idea. That's about it.

Maybe they'd be correct in such a case. Reminds me of that attempt to distinguish between different types of capitalism. Apparently there's a "good" kind and an "evil"'kind. But that's in the other thread. When is a religion no longer beneficial might be a question I'd ask.

Focussing on the positive only is half of what gets people into this shit in the first place ----shadow opinion alert---- Rivers...Eygpt:-) Seriously, bitching on the material, physical and spiritual theft and carnage of centuries ain't allowed on TTB?

Ah, "Das Vater". Neat trick folks.

Excellent account:-) Yes, mine is quite photogenic, although like the thing it depicts, you're unlikely to see it with me just like that:-) It was only later that I figured what it was really doing there. Seems it has "friends" too, albeit symbollically. All very similar (that sounds a bit strange, but the way I see it is as a multilayered bio-symbolic act, hence my suggestion to the OP for caution in the choosing of the objects and places of inscription) Will take a pic at some point. Probably not going to post it on the TTB's though:-)

Calls himself "Marblehead" to belie a soft heart. Atones for his past by kind support of the present and future. Don't take no bullshit, maybe a little bluegrass. There we go:-)

Oh good one Taomeow. I don't know what the immortals think of mine but it does seem pretty representative of both my self and my practices. I wasn't thinking "spiritual" when I did it though. I was thinking "how do I take this body to represent myself?" as opposed to someone else. Tattoos have been used by different people to different ends throughout history. I think it bears thinking about what kind of history you have in mind.

I didn't think it belonged to anyone. I thought that was the point. Oh well.

Kind of a jing/chi/shen thing?

Bhuddism = digital, Other stuff (like Taoism) = analogue. ----opinion alert---- Not to say bhuddist meditation practice ain't useful. Of course it is. I think I'm a bit of an idiot but if any religion enables a person to acheive that which by definition it intends (or professes to intend) then why get annoyed when it works?

It's just an idea I have. When it comes to reality, a person is in alignment or not with all parts of it.Both inside (emotionally and intellectually and spiritually) and outside (environment, events, people etc) That's a bit of a side-topic and a personal opinion though:-) In meditation (of course of which there are many types) there seems to be a phase or phases where "old reality" comes up for "processing" - which is also (one?) of the functions of dreaming. I was thinking about the yi/qi/blood relationship and pondered that a lot of meditation which uses mind-focus "too much in the head" could actually lead to inflammation in the brain tissues which could cause the type of issue you're referring to but it's really speculation on my part. As Chi-dragon suggests, it will pass but I also like to suggest caution:-) It's not a race:-)

Hum, seems like it happens to a few that until one can realign one's mental activity with reality then states blend a bit. I have this idea about inflammation from too much mind-watching causing it. It ought to settle down but as usual I'd say cut back, go see a teacher. More physical exercise and better breathing?