Nungali

You did not read my post carefully: I said ; “I do not know what you mean by that word “ I understand the concepts … I am not clear on your understanding of it – that is what I was asking. I was also unclear about the concept as written in the Koran, as I have not studied it as you have. However my teacher/s have explained the concept to me in many ways and showed me how the idea and concept developed. What I was seeking, with my detailed questions was what YOUR understanding of it was from YOUR reading of the Koran. I asked you many questions to get a clearer idea of what you think about it but you chose to …. Answer in a ‘different way’ … rather agitated I thought. Also note I asked you if you meant this; “perhaps you mean my ego?” and this “Or do you mean in its root form as ‘Nephesh’ or Nefesh … Nafesh … Nafs? A type of instinctual animal soul? Please note – I asked this : “ Or do you mean in its root form as ‘Nephesh’ or Nefesh … Nafesh … Nafs? A type of instinctual animal soul?” Do you agree with the Wikipedia definition of Nafs? “Nafs (نَفْس)is an Arabic word (cognate of the Hebrew word "Nefesh" נפש) which occurs in the Qur'an and means self, psyche, ego or soul. In its unrefined state, "the ego (nafs) is the lowest dimension of man's inward existence, his animal and satanic nature." Yet, curiously, it also has divisions and is capable of evolution: The pure nafs (nafs-i-safiyya) On this level "one is dressed in the attributes of the Insan Kamil, the perfected man, who is completely surrendered and inspired by Allah." One is "in full agreement with the Will of Allah.” How can this be ‘satanic nature’? It is OK, I don’t expect an answer, I just include this here as an example of what I was getting at in my original questions to you … that you posted here from another thread (instead of answering these questions in that thread - but, whatever. In my studies ( and I know you won.t agree with this … but they are academic studies from an eclectic religious perspective, not personal belief systems that I clutch and defend with an angry sword – sword is a symbol of the mind) I have found a path through the Levantine religions of similar concepts. Concepts of the soul and spirit and their qualities can be seen to have developed in Islam through Judaism and before that, in the original Levantine and monotheistic Zoroastrian religion. “It is this divine current which really speaking is nufs, which means breath or the ego. Nufs (or nafs) is a term that the Sufis use rather loosely. We read in some texts that they say nafs means breaths. In other texts we read they say nafs means appetites. In other texts they say nafs means ego. What do they mean? it is al of those things. But looking at them in different ways. First of all nafs is the breath, because it is the life-force in us. We say what is the life-force? We watch a person die and you watch them breathing, and then there is a moment when they stop breathing. That is the moment when we realise suddenly that person has gone, that soul has gone. The soul experiences different kinds of breaths. That was the breath that took the soul home. The soul is a breath-current, that is one meaning of nafs. The second meaning is that nafs could mean ego, which is that because of your consciousness the way you breathe determines what you think you are…. So we have gone from the hungry nafs to the thinking nafs to the peaceful nafs. The peaceful nafs will say ‘Not only am I at peace with the world, but I feel peaceful. I am peaceful.’ The whole consciousness is very different. That kind of person’s experience of themselves would be universal, cosmic, at peace with everything.” http://www.zoroastrian.org.uk/treader/?p=89 Now, compare to this: “The pleased nafs (nafs-i-radiyya); The stage comes after the 3rd principal stage. On this level "one is pleased with whatever comes from Allah and doesn’t live in the past or future, but in the moment." … "One thinks always: ‘Ilahi Anta Maqsudi wa ridhaka matlubi’. One always sees oneself as weak and in need of Allah." (Wikipedia) [The reason I keep quoting Wikipedia is because you seem so fond of that source yourself.] I could go on and write much more on the subject and how the concepts developed through times and cultures in the Levant and via monotheism and how so much of our Levantine theology and philosophy and core and root concepts has developed from Zoroastrian ideas and principles but do you really want to discuss this in a thread about a martial arts movie? Especially a movie that has come from a magna comic ??? especially a movie that is described as this: “The one-year-old Daigorō is given a choice by his father: a ball or a sword. If Daigorō chose the ball, his father would kill him, sending Daigorō to be with his mother; however, the child crawls toward the sword and reaches for its hilt. This assigns him the path of a rōnin, wandering the country with his father as "demons"—the assassin-for-hire team that becomes known as Lone Wolf and Cub.” (Wikipedia ) And takes the ‘demon’ baby in a baby carriage with him?? (I too think it is a fun movie, but I would not base my life and practice on it) And I am the uneducated one on the way to becoming a demon am I? Thank you for your perspective <bows>

Well, 'cultivating' isn't chasing is it Loved doing this bit in the Rite (actually everyone loved this bit ) “ Behold! the fire of God upon the altar as I have sworn by Djinn and by Shin and by the space between! (returns to his throne) BRO. MARS. Hail, sister of the Scorpion! SOR. SCORPIO. Hail, Lord of the Eagle and the Serpent! BRO. MARS. Amen. I appoint you to lead the army. SOR. SCORPIO. Let us carry the holy symbols with sacred song and dance round the altar of Mars. [The take up the spear, the sword and the drum - all march round five times deosil before MARS in procession headed by SCORPIO, ARIES, CAPRICORNUS.] Strike, strike the louder chord! Draw, draw the Flaming Sword! Crowned child and conquering Lord! Horus, avenger! ( X 5 ) ..

Hang on .... Hold the Submarine ! It looks like a direct hit on the Sun but it also looks like IMO something came out the 'ou\ther side' and is still going ! @ 34 and 45 seconds

So, we have an exploded comet (as I predicted, errmmm ... as I bet ) now what happens? I guess if it didn't emerge it went into the Sun? The Sun ate the Comet ? The comets remains orbit the Sun? I guess they will be sucked into it. What happens now ? Solar burp? Too little to make a difference I suppose ? Hmmm ... off to check comet updates.

Power is great! It feels good ... it can be a good thing ... it is alive and vital! There is nothing wrong with power … it’s the gift of Mars … as long as it is balanced and in proportion with the other ‘gifts’ (especially in tandem with Venus and regulated by Mercury ). This is Martial Power ; “This is the day which down the void abysm At the Earth-born's spell yawns for Heaven's despotism, And Conquest is dragged captive through the deep; Love, from its awful throne of patient power In the wise heart, from the last giddy hour Of dead endurance, from the slippery steep, And narrow verge of crag-like agony, springs And folds over the world its healing wings. Gentleness, Virtue, Wisdom, and Endurance-- These are the seals of that most firm assurance Which bars the pit over Destruction's strength; And if, with infirm hand, Eternity, Mother of many acts and hours, should free The serpent that would clasp her with his length, These are the spells by which to reassume An empire o'er the disentangled doom. To suffer woes which Hope thinks infinite; To forgive wrongs darker than death or night; To defy Power, which seems omnipotent; To love, and bear; to hope till Hope creates From its own wreck the thing it contemplates; Neither to change, nor falter, nor repent; This, like thy glory, Titan, is to be Good, great and joyous, beautiful and free; This is alone Life, Joy, Empire, and Victory! “ From; The Rite of Mars.

. I did not think that was his son. The son I know of is Kisshomaru. A series of those Jo Suburi start with an overhead twirling motion. To see 'Ueshiba' twirling over the head ... continuously, perhaps a thorough internet search ? Good luck , I don't recall that - but I haven't seen that much footage. My Kobudo teacher disdained such moves ... but he was combat based ... perhaps for use as warm up or 'drill' ? ' Not all 'Masters' or Sensai are 'nice people' ... some can be irresponsible or suffer from lack of balanced 'inner development' . One Okinawan 'Master' boasted of defeating another by jumping out of a tree onto the others neck and breaking it. Funokoshi took karate to Japan under rather unusual and strange conditions ... with little inside knowledge, however he was a thorough gentleman . One can hardly imagine Funokoshi climbing a tree let alone jumping out of it onto someone's back to break their neck! .

Lemme know when you coming to town -- first beer is on me! Do do de doo do de dod doo <little 'I won again' dance> WELL ! If you loose the bet you have to deliver Brian ... its up to you to get me there ... so, O don't like flying ( private jet okay, but I will not travel with the masses) , preferably by boat ... but not on a cruise ... anytime after mid-January is fine. Thanks

.So I travelled there again in my imagination to check on things; the comet is closer to the Sun ... it is travelling at terrific speed with high momentum entering an inner sphere of Stella radiation plasma vortexes and twisted magnetic fields, the forces contending are quiet terrifying to get any where near it, the interplay between momentum and gravity is frightening ... then a space girl invited me to unzip her green metallic suit ... this time I though, ah what the heck ... so I did it. The suit opened and everything exploded into a giant explosion of steam and ice chunks and blinding white light ... then I cam back ... hmmmm ... maybe I shouldn't have done that ?

Congratu-ululations ! I have never read a post that summed up so many previous posts (with outward descriptions and not-so-hidden innuendo) and tied all the threads back together and on topic in so few words . <applause>

I once read a paper on folk stories and many western stories have an origin in Sufi stories. I like this one: I like the ' Tale of the Horrendous Dib-Dib.' Hasan walks past the old widows place at night and her window is open … she is a strange old woman, up to … who knows what? So he walks past the window and listens. He hears a moaning noise , a rather horrible noise and ‘concerned’ he goes and peeks in the window. There is the widow thrashing in bed “Oh I cant stand it any longer …. the horrible Dib-dib …. How can I sleep when it torments me so … that horrible horrible Dib-dib.” Concerned he rushes home but on the way there he starts to feel unwell himself, by the time he gets home he is worse, he goes inside and up to his wife, “ Quick! Call the doctor. I think I have been infected by a horrible spirit … an evil spirit.” The doctor comes and examines him but cant find anything wrong, Hassan tells him the story. The doctor says “This may be case of spirit possession, there is not much I can do … but, as you tell me this, I am beginning to feel unwell myself.” He decides to lie down and bids the wife to call the Imman. The Imman arrives (and to cut the story short) the same thing happens to him. Eventually there is a crowd of people lying around and moaning and being possessed by the horrible Dib-dib. Eventually, they pull themselves together and go around in a group to the widows house with an ancient Koran, spells, incense and all sorts of parapanalia . They surround the house and start reading from the Koran and chanting and sensing and trowing holy water at the house. The widow sticks her head out the window and “What is going on out there?” They explain and she calls them all idiots and bids them to the window. “Look ! There is the monster that has possesed you. If my husband could have one done last job before he died … but he didn’t … look over there, there is your demon. They looked to where she pointed and there was the sink with the dripping tap ; dib-dib … dib-dib …. dib-dib.

Pakea or longpork http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism

Ah memories. I went to a party one night. Pulled up in the paddock next to the one with the sound stage and outdoor lightshow (the car park paddock) got out the car and looked across the rest of the paddock and saw a strange stubble pattern over about half and acre. Went to have a look "Hey you guys! There are about 200 'blue meenies' over here!" - stampede - What a night (and party) that was ! (They are rarer here than the 'gold-top' ) I personally prefer the ones that grow in the bamboo grove in summer wet season; a luminous green ground spreading fungus - a luminous green toady and a glowing soft blue light toady (not to eat but to look at as I walk along the bamboo grove trails at night amongst the fire-flies ... a much nicer trip IMO

I was NOT going to try this, but I saw Maori do it in NZ. Catch lobster, split down the back and hang them on the fence for 3 days in the sun (at least) until the inside turns into a green liquid goo ... then drink out of the shell ! Maori have cast iron digestive systems!

My Sufi teacher taught me about Nafs before I ever met you ... however thank you for your 'particular view' on this subject <bows> If you would like to discuss' Nafs' with me or 'Tazkiah ' or my 'biography' ; the books of virtues and vices (which, I thought was a rather funny pun ..... 7/10 for that one ) or sword technique (if you can excuse my ignorance of Japanese language and terms) , that is fine but perhaps open another thread for that? Thankyou.

. But I am not a 'true Samurai'. My tradition does come from a Samurai however ... but there are no more left. People can pretend to be a Samurai … or follow what they perceive as the Samurai Code …. Or try to emulate a Samurai, but the fact is …. They are all gone. And, I might add, my tradition came from the LAST Samurai. Through only two other people and then me. I mean ; The last Samurai … his student …. Then his student … and then me. But because the tradition had ended, it is not the tradition he taught but ‘Seito’ his family tradition … as the social class tradition of Samurai had ended. “Hohan Soken (1889-1982) some say Hohan Soken was truly the last Samurai. This is also noted in the Ripley's Belief it or not. He was born a samurai and was known as the oldest living karate master. He began his training under his Uncle Nabe Matsumura at the age of 13. After 10 years of training he began learning the White Crane system, where he had performed the kata “Hakutsuru” on a board floating in water. The white crane style and the shorin-ryu style provide the soft and the delicate movements of the bird with the balance and defensive moves of man to provide a balanced training. Hohan Soken had several well-noted students, one of which is Yoshimatsu Akamine Sensei, who is now considered to be the head of the Matsumura Shorin-ryu style of karate “ http://www.goldendragonkarateschool.com/history.html Also google ; Hohan Soken - many entries listed. Do not have Hasad. .

You left out Hasad - envy

Thanks you <bows>

First thoughts .... ' F**K ! I have been run over by this crazy guy and I wanted to film him with my phone as evidence and now he is going on with all this crap .... HELP ! SOMEONE! Get me out from under this car! "

.I like the stories of the Sufi, Mullah Nasruddin. Here is an example: In one town the Mullah stayed at for a while he would be on the corner acting stupid and begging, people would be entertained as when he was offered two coins he alywas took the smaller amount. People would offer him larger and larger amounts - and the smaller coin but he would always take the small amount and then they would laugh at him. One day a kinder soul said to him "Mullah, why do you never take the large amount of money, if you did you would have much more money and could eventually stop begging?" "If I did that," the Mullah replied " Then they would stop giving me money very soon and I would have no money at all. This way I am assured an income by allowing them to pay me so they can demonstrate to their friends that there is someone more stupid than they are.".

Don't worry he gave me good and kind advice at post 13 to make up for it <bows to Isimsiz Biri >

. Try the movement yourself with a jo … it seems to lend itself to the movement. There is a good example of one application in 20 Shuburi @ Shuburi 13 ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R9XqrT8UMA No 13 @ 4:21 . Application (one of) ; strike at opponent, he moves back to let strike past, then moves in to take the swung arm on the outside, but you step back as you strike ( reverse one hand grip backhand) increasing the distance so the opponent can not enter close enough and you strike him or his arms/hands. Can also be adapted for bokkan , the first swing is to meet and deflect opponents sword second move is counter strike (reverse the footwork for bokkan) …. It also has value as unexpected and unorthodox move, . [ This is not taught in aikido nor the sword school I was in ... I see it as one benefit of 'cross-training' . But I defeated opponents in both schools with this move ... too 'in the box' ... also this not kendo ... no armour ... one must be able to stop a hair away from the opponent, - show ma'ai skill and respect for partner. ]

When I watched some of that I thought; this is like watching flashes of something ...( I don't know what they were supposed to be) and listening to someone tell lies. ... "spanked" ............ wait a minute ! why does that vid title start with Comet Ison ??????

I knew I shouldn't have opened this thread Okay the worst was not just goanna but the 'best bit' . a fat pocket from ... it ... cruncked like a prawn and released this oil that seeped in through my ... everything .... into my .... everything oh ! Bleeerrrrgh WRONG! ... to the core of my being ... of course, back then I didn't realise I was a goanna myself .... First of all the Kooris were a bit insulted as they saved the best bit for me .... I escaped that by saying I was having such a bad reaction ... maybe goanna is a totem That changed things ... offering someone their totem to eat is probably one of the biggest insults ! They were apologetic and extra nice to me after that .... until the business with the green stinging ants

Actually one can start a fire with that as well. During 'free demo' just touch the two terminals together and hold them there. The auditor may yell and scream and say 'Don't do that!" ... but at this stage you have to ignore the distraction, just keep pressing them together ... eventually the machine will start to smoke and fire will be produced. Actually, I liked the sound track in the OP.

Yeah ... I was imagining it in my local rainforest environment. I especially like the 'floating' roof.