Nungali

I have read your meaningless post. Is it meaningless or is it you did not understand it? It has meaning but you need to read below the surface and read it carefully if you DO want to understand it ... otherwise ... okay , think of it what you will. I did not invite you to be a Muslim. That is correct, you did not, I agree with you. So your statements are funny On one level they are funny ... actually they are two type of 'funny'. But were you not taught to look deeply, for 7 levels of meaning? .I said a very simple thing: Do not whatever you are doing in that graveyard. And I thank you, and I will be obedient to your instruction. Since you asked I have not been back to the Pit section ( the graveyard of dead and finished things) of the tao bums forum and I have not read the posts again about " Jesus a fictional character ? “ and I have not read where you were arguing with alwayson again. My friend the graveyard is an analogy for the Pit. Try to read deeply, on more than one level. You are torturing earth bound spirits of that graveyard in order to satisfy your Nafs which is already strong. I do not know what you mean by that word as my ignorant and limited understanding of the Koran has not led me to understand what the Nafs actually is, so I am not sure what you mean by that; do you mean a general concept of the self, my psyche generally and all of its parts as some type of undefined conglomerate, perhaps you mean my ego … but in what sense of ego, the modern western sense , the new age sense, Freudian meaning , or the soul. I assume you mean my Nafs is in an unrefined state? My ego is as some understand it as a base consciousness. Or do you mean in its root form as ‘Nephesh’ or Nefesh … Nafesh … Nafs? A type of instinctual animal soul? I guess you are saying I have a strong ego , in the negative sense Ahhh … that may be it? You are saying I am on an ‘ego trip’ ? Stop telling Sufi stories because you do not have the pure heart necessary for the nur of them. How can I stop telling them when you help me write them? Does a dusty mirror not reflect some of the nur ? Is it not better to some nur , even a little than ظلام If you want to clean the rust and debris in your heart, pray to Allah. Of course. The descending to Hell issue: Good luck and peace to you as you will need in Hell Hell is a تشابه جزئي .. or of the pit here in tao bumsاستعارة please forgive me if I translated wrong as I . I hope I did not write 'my mandarin needs candles' or something else wrong. Hi Z, I was just about to answer, its late here and an old friend just appeared out of nowhere so I will answer you later. I have been reading some of your threads in this part of site and enjoyed them ... I haven't responded as yet as you requested that the reader read some Plato ... so I am catching up, thanks for your response and input

I do not disagree with Isimsiz Biri in this matter. So he is not bound ... there ... that should set him free! I release him from your binding spell!

< Looks around for the appropriate hat to wear … AHA! – the turban ! > My Brother, Peace be upon you. Why do you speak to me so? For what else can I answer you with but; I was trying to do the very same thing you were … you should read my last post carefully. I might accuse you of the very same thing … as I saw you there myself … you were foolishly battling with a ‘lost soul’ were you not? My sin was I arrived too late, I wandered in to see what was there, I saw suffering and distress and my immediate reaction was, I intended to offer succour. I saw you there and I tried to call out but you could not hear me … I was not allowed to speak. You were trying, you were saying “Breathe in from your nose slowly. Breathe out from your mouth real slowly with a haaaa sound. Focus on One Point (dantian) Persevere. You can do it.” Admirable , but more appropriate to offer that advice to a brother fellow believer who is having a crisis in spirit or of faith (in that case, I see how you would be a rock and persistent, I saw how you stood firm, you kept insisting “You can do it”). But that man was not of your own faith, I think you know what went wrong initially and how you let yourself end up where you did? A different approach earlier might have stopped it from all 'going to hell’ . So I came back to the graveyard (thread) and wrote of my experience as it seemed relevant, I did write I had been to ‘The Pit’. Or this all could have been acted out as a Sufi story. It would go something like this; “A Brother of our Order was leaning against a tree by the road in the shade, another brother came along the road, and not recognising the first and being tired from the heat of the day also took rest in the shade, the first recognised him though and turned to the second brother and said “I have just come from the graveyard, a place where old dead things are left lying around. I did a meditation there.” The other said, “Dear sir, Whatever you are doing in a graveyard, is useful neither for you nor for those earthbound spirits. “ The first answered, My Brother, Peace be upon you. Why do you speak to me so? For what else can I answer you with but; for the very reason you were there also my brother … I saw you there. Would you like to help me write a Sufi story? I hope so, as you and I are part of it. All we need to do is figure out who of us is Mullah Nasudin ...and who is the confused spectator ... or who is the spectator and who is the spectre perhaps? I hope you want to help write the story because it is already written and you helped me write it. It goes like this; “A Brother of our Order passed by a graveyard, he sensed souls and spirits in distress, … “ And around and around it goes like a snake swallowing its own tail … until it finally ends with the first brother saying , “Enough! I have work in Heaven and I have work in Hell. For I have one eye fixed on the glory of Hallaj and the other on the Peacock’s Angel. How did YOU end up there my brother? A different approach earlier may have stopped both of you descending … and dragging all those other souls with you. My faith is in God but my birth Yezidi, what is your reason for descending to hell?” Now THAT would have made a good Sufi story! Focus on One Point , Extend Ki, Keep Weight Underside, Have ‘No Mind’. Breathe. Persevere. You can do it. Live your tradition. Peace.

Literalism! It doesn't matter if Jesus is 'real' or not ... the whole dynamic of such an event is not based on 'reality' it works just as well if Jesus is 'real' or 'a fictional character'. Why waste your time? If you believe that should be enough ... if you believe then you are wasting your time trying to prove a ' literal reality ' you should be doing something about and with the dynamic reality you feel in yourself. If you believe in some other religion, prophet, or magico/mythical system and you give THAT literalistic reality .... you will be trapped in ignorance like any one else that does that. The spiritual and religious world is about symbolism and analogy ... to try and 'prove' it has literal mundane existence seems, IMO to short circuit the whole process , before long ... people obsessed with this approach will end up father away from being spiritual and religious and possibly devolve into a qlippoth of an empty dogmatic fundamentalist shell that oppresses society and the human spirit of light, life love and liberty.

Just did a meditation in the graveyard. Phew ... just got back from a visit to hell ( a bit like it was last visit ... before I even heard of taobums ). Its true ... there ISNT a separate hell for all the different religions (why would there be ... that would make hell a better place, Hell's not about being a better place). 'The Pit" ... who are those poor souls trapped down there ? It looked like I couldn't post in the pit, a shame ... I wanted to post ; O Lord, deliver me from hell's great fear and gloom! Loose thou my spirit from the larvae of the tomb! I seek them in their dread abodes without affright: On them will I impose my will, the law of light. I bid the night conceive the glittering hemisphere. Arise, O sun, arise! O moon, shine white and clear! I seek them in their dread abodes without affright: On them will I impose my will, the law of light. Their faces and their shapes are terrible and strange. These devils by my might to angels I will change. These nameless horrors I address without affright: On them will I impose my will, the law of light. These are the phantoms pale of mine astonied view, Yet none but I their blasted beauty can renew; For to the abyss of hell I plunge without affright: On them will I impose my will, the law of light. Sorry , if I wrote about something 'up here' that I am not supposed to mention ... hey, I'm new here <shrug> it was broken before I got here.

Just bought it <looks towards the letter box> ...sigh ... long wait .

Longer response via pm, but for here; Maybe .... the 'imaginative function' is a powerful tool. Hand up ... Egyptophile here ! (Or I should say both hands up and palms to the east?) a small little smidge of such matters Oopps ... forgot about that. ... I was just googling 'chod rite' and that site came up on the first few pages on an university or similar address. they do ... but after a time that approach causes all sorts of merde to break out ... like any thing that is squashed under the carpet Ha! Had to put my glasses on to check ... RUDE evocations ... okay ( Phew! ... nude Victorian GD magicians evoking nekkid - YOIKS! ) Certain mindsets require certain ceremonies ... or are invented by them.. 'GD style magic stuff' is quiet Emperor / mars / martial / forcing style ... one can (again, depending on the mindset and development), approach the subject and/or practice from an Empress / Venus / persuasive style ...( or just drug them with a magic potion so they cant help themselves { venes, venenum, venom, poison, charm, magic philtre } no offence to Venusians, but anyone who has been 'shot with Cupid's arrow' will agree, or those who have had another shot with cupids arrow with their name on it

But where you SURE you were actually in a fencing class? A friend of mine had a Datura with his GF back then . In the morning , in the middle of his shower she slipped in with him and , according to him, they had the BEST SEX EVER! He rang her at work later and she said "What on earth are you talking about, I went home last night." Worked with a guy that was bareknuckle boxing champ of an outback town, (used to fight in the cattle yards with the punters sitting on auction seats) ... he was a master of drunken boxing ... (the double secret ... its not that he is pretending to be drunker than he is that's the trick, the trick is , he IS that drunk and can still do it! )

Hopefully it should reappear in a day or so .

Thanks ... still learning to drive this thing. Where is the disappeared for no reason bin?

O M G !!!! I just spent over an hour answering you and rewriting what I wrote more correctly ... set the curser a line up to correct spelling and hit the space bar ... gone! What is going on here ???? Lost ..... Maybe I will try again by coping to MS word and pasting in reply in one go ? When I am not feeling so gutted by that!

No, but I am considering getting this ... The True Grimoire ... it looks like an intelligent work on the subject . Thanks for the link. Do any of you guys read Patrick Harpur?

Was that a typo? Loa? Mine was Simbi la Flambau (sic ?) fire serpent;t great for me as here in Oz Rainbow serpent is a major' general creation totem' (and personal totem spirit , also Nugali lizard ) When I returned home from the Voodoo ceremony, in another part of the state, I had a physical vision of a sunset with a giant snake with an open mouth thrashing about in lava like clouds and all sunset red and orange - blew me away! Which loas did you encounter ... did you draw up their veve ? (A bundle of personal spiritual questions aren't I ? )

I have always wanted to try this; http://www.karateblogger.com/stari/articles/Tinbei.htm But no teacher here. The machete form and the ‘short spear’ version; which I have heard can be spear head one end and a lump of coral club on the other end, part of the art is twirling and changing ends. - Probably a vid of it somewhere. Via vortex? Yep, you like weapons. I would love to work with spear a bit, I have never done it. Long pole, never, but looks interesting. Love the idea of shark tooth sword (I have seen them before but not used ... except in an old movie where the invaders had metal swords) , I linked above to a form with a turtle shell shield and coral club. I am attracted to the Halberd as well, interesting in light of its position and use in field battle tactics as well. The three section staff; not that I was much more than a blundering idiot (but tying to work with a real usage for me as opposed to 'form' or 'demo' ... stiff foamies handy for this, but not ones that bend), I found, like nunchuks, that it is best to hold on to them and not go all twirly and flashy ... I notice in demos the 'twirly flashy' (please excuse my lack of correct terms) bit is when distance is large, when an attack closes in, the technique changes . ( Yeah ... I backed off a couple of attacks that way and with full extension but partner then stuck end joint with Bo and it whipped back at me nastily). What do you see as pros and cons of three section staff? Ah ... there is the thing I was thinking about with Kama ... people who not only train with the weapon but use it everyday in work. They have a special way ... once I trained eco on beach at dawn (forms have a lot of scuffing sand towards opponent with the oar or feet ... even hands when down low ... form originates with fishermen from a sandy island ...so they say) , the beach Lifesavers were in the distance (who row surf large with long oars boats), they were really checking it out. Throwing ... yes, I am very rusty with that ... knives and tomahawks (I won a bit of money from betting (on myself) tomahawk throwing actually - off a Krav Magra guy who was in the Israeli Army ... he said to me "In Israel, in Krav Magra we train martial arts with weapons too, it is always the hand gun ... sometimes sai, but that is to strengthen the wrist ... for handgun. Throwing isn't shown in many of the forms but some do it in Sai, where you start with 3 , one in each hand and one in belt at back, at the beginning moves one is thrown and then the spare drawn. We practiced aiming at feet, nasty. Then discovered (because of its prongy springy nature) if it hits the ground at the right angle (not point) it flips up wildly towards the shins, body or face ... ummmm best not try that. Errrmmm ... I knew this would happen ... I have never trained in Chinese martial arts , the closest I have got is Okinawan. So I am unfamiliar. Is this like the difference between (and again please excuse my lack of technical terms) using the weapon and doing all those things I have been talking about ... and all the other internal things that are going on (like, to divide it up; one time with sword, visiting senior says 'Forget everything I said yesterday, today it is all about timing and rythem' and the next day 'forget everything I said yesterday, today its all about relationships.' and all those exercises of holding composure in the hara, while sitting, then moving, then being attacked, then moving and defending and being attacked with weapons and still maintain composure ... and doing that while attacking with a weapon by maintaining what you learnt in sitting meditation and instruction ; breathing, extending ki, absorbing all through hara, no mind, visualising weight underside, spherical awareness, blending with opponent/ partner ? That stuff? Ha! If it is you guys can just say; requires Nei li(內力) which acquired from the practice of NeiKung(內功). No doubt there are things I missed ... unless I totally missed ?

Totally diff aspect; Voodoo rite in graveyard (not Haiti but in Australia) First time at voodoo ceremony ... very impressed, went off wonderfully, great ritual experience, powerfully magical, put a lot in context afterwards ... but after the rite someone goes "Let's go down to the cemetery ." I am all; ' Here we go! Hope they don't spoil a great night ... I am going to go because I hate what some people do in cemeteries ''' gonna keep an eye on these voodoo dudes. Wonderful as well, they cleaned the graves, straightened some headstones. tidied up and put some flowers on neglected looking graves, good on em! Nice 'meditation'.

OOOH yeah ... hey you're paying off As well as agricultural tools as weapons there is always the good 'ol Aussie thong.

ermmma ... so was I ... I was just saying I am a chef so I could carry one. I need that! Let me at em !Awww ... I want to see Albanian weapons ... blurred photo looks like garden hoe (but prob not) ... yep used that too, saw a deadly demo with it (stepped back out of range of blow and bought hoe blade down across attackers leading foot/toes, turned hoe sideways, and got behind ankle, lifted leg for a take down and around so other end of hoe held the attacker down face first in an arm lock. Many of my weapons are farm implements or similar. Makes sense , got an excuse to carry them and the peasant cant afford weapons ... puts a new slant on it- in older times, imagine how used one would be to say, handling a rice harvesting sickle? Jo = walking stick Bo = pole across shoulders to carry water Tonfa = well or mill handle Nunchuks = rice flails for separating husks kama = rice harvesting sickles hoe= hoeing eco = fisherman oar (eco or ecu has a form with eco in one hand net or float on rope in other,( I like eco in one hand and fish in net in other) Sai ? Bokken? nah! No excuse, you're under arrest..

[Oh God ... I keep hitting the don't like instead of the reply ... If I keep that up I will have to 'knock' the finger with my bokken ] Ahhh ! Now they are coming out of the woodwork! Jo was so unusual to me at the beginning but I came to love it ... especially practising the 20 shubari (sic?) but against specific sword (or 2 sword) attacks. No, no sharpening or bullets but it does need sanding and oiling ... unless you actually never make contact with it on another weapon. Yes, sharpen the attention, I did clout someone once ... we weren't sharp ... live blades REALLY sharpen the attention speaking of which ... I forgot ... 3 section staff ... I got up to the part of the Chinese form where you sort of use it as a skipping rope (a downward strike with the middle section) and jump over it with a double front kick ... then the next move, the rear end came around the back and cracked me under the base of the skull ... it sits covered in dust in the back of storage now ... I made a foamy to replace it . I like the way Bo can do leg attacks that the Jo cant (OWWW! That pool que shot on big toe joint ! hop hop ) Did you do much with bokken (we got up to 6 multi part drills - first 4 from Mr Sugarno ) Did a smidge of training with Dave Brown here ... awesome! (also awesome for his explanations of many Japanese 'empty hand' techniques ie. they were developed in consideration of the fact that you ARE carrying a sword , or are about to or in the process of drawing it ... or a tanto . VERY illuminating instruction! ) "deer hook" bagua "knives" WACK! Oww to finger! I was able to have machete as it was in bamboo fencing tool kit . But I prefer NOT to have them 'handy' - wood is less messy, not as much 'splashback' (Aboriginal elder friend has good technique when he has to put on the 'tribal policeman' hat ... bundi {small club 'punishment wacker'} in one hand, machete in the other ... you break law , be a man and take the hit ... you want to get smart about it, I have a machete as well). How about a pic of your sword ? Now I am off to google a pic of "deer hook" bagua "knives". .... okay ...got em .. OH those ones. maybe wear some forearm guards for a while at the 'begin to learn the form' stage ?

Hmm ... never tried that (I am a chef too ... but not a Japanese one) I have adapted twin machetties from what I learnt from sai and kama (rice harvesting sickles) ... I think Capoera has a machette form? I notice one on a cooking tv show last week ... beautiful tool .... layer upon layer of flowing metal patterns in the 'blade'.

Sorry, I am not familiar with 'casting entities into the light' or 'healing modalities'. You quoted Levi, so ... I guess the meaning is his. In a way, what you say outlines the process, so, in a way, yes that is what I am talking about. But to be specific (and use your terms) I would modify it a bit; You 'descend' bringing the 'light' with you, it illuminates your fears, demons, devils, unwanted energy or beliefs. According to Levi the 'devils' are changed into angels (not led by them) ... its a gradual evolution ... a healing takes place, not only in the self but in these entities, which, although originally were an objective outside diamonic entity have become aversely incorporated into the psyche (ie. denied by the rational ego and forced into the subjective unconscious) their gradual rising into the light is healthy and holistic incorporation into the conscious world ... this is where these 'demonic forces' can be 'beneficial helpers' of a special kind (as suggested by the Lamas quote I made above). Its often a hard concept for those who have been conditioned by western ego scientific rationalism (me ) ... I found it best explained by my current shamanic teacher ( a Bundjulung {East coast Australian Aboriginal elder and 'shaman' or Kadiacha Man} ... in his country there are certain 'spirits' ... they seem pretty scary to most (even the aboriginals), one of them has a habit of throwing one of his legs over his shoulder and hopping at fast speed and chasing you , you cant run faster than him and he will catch you ... others seem equally spooky and bizarre ... my teacher when talking about them gets sentimental and describes them as spiritual beings that are the protectors and teachers of his people.

yeah ... sorry about that, if I doubled someone, I was reading all the replies but frankly, some of them were just silly and ill-informed opinion and I got impatient Hmmm ... v.interesting question! In my case it was a visualisation (in a fully fitted out Kagyu temple) so I ended up in some amazing old Tibetan graveyard (in my 'imagination') (also the trumpets, bells and chanting in deep guttural Tibetan helped ) On the western level I would use a different formular and although not quiet a graveyard visualisation (most westerners would consider it a 'descent into Hell' - but it is v.similar to Chod in many ways); like first part of V * OTO (western R+C Bodhisatva like ceremony) and Levi's Hymn to Honarius (I think it's called). Much more suited to the Western mind that may have not encountered eastern systems IMO. Sorry again, that is a quote (inverted commas) from a Lama on the third site down on google search ... I meant to post the web address but didn't (I am still having trouble driving this thing ... coming back from google I lost a long post yesterday ) What I would mean by that term is ... hmmm ; here we go ... (again, apologies a complex subject but trying to be brief) Daimonic forces and entities are integral and beneficial IF acknowledged the right way. if not they seem to get lodged on to human identity, somehow acquiring the human need for individual ego identity (which they aren't ... not their fault WE do that to them), if this isn't addressed then they can become 'complexes' and eventually can be seen as wholly separate invading entities or demons (which is an illusion created by human' traits' mixing with Daimonic ones the wrong way. One could say they are split off parts of ourselves that are seeking individual identity (because we haven't been able to 'own them'.) The Lama whose words I wrote probably wouldn't a agree with this but would probably agree with the remedy i.e. these entities now have a right ( and those that created them ... or others ... have a responsibility to assist) to spiritual evolution (I'm a bit rusty here ... I would need to break out my old Goetic diary / record ... it makes more sense what is written in there) No ... that's a very reasonable question ... I had a much better site reference that explained Chod in a great way (from some professor in a US university , but I would have to find it again (I might be able to get back here with it. ... but basically it explains a lot better what the above guy didn't explain too well - IMO) Scary , interesting, enlightening, colour, sound, cacophonous magical instruments, rounds of chanting, skeleton dancing tankas, .... all elements of a good tantric ritual ( focusing intent using the active mind instead of 'no mind' or 'singular mind'). It does seem weird to some but we need to remember this tradition came from, in part, old Tibetan Shamanism and shamanic initiation and transformation (in the 'otherworld' or by visualisation) can be a very 'gruesome' process. THE MAGICIAN [TRANSLATED FROM ELIPHAZ LEVI’S VERSION OF THE FAMOUS HYMN] O Lord, deliver me from hell's great fear and gloom! Loose thou my spirit from the larvae of the tomb! I seek them in their dread abodes without affright: On them will I impose my will, the law of light. I bid the night conceive the glittering hemisphere. Arise, O sun, arise! O moon, shine white and clear! I seek them in their dread abodes without affright: On them will I impose my will, the law of light. Their faces and their shapes are terrible and strange. These devils by my might to angels I will change. These nameless horrors I address without affright: On them will I impose my will, the law of light. These are the phantoms pale of mine astonied view, Yet none but I their blasted beauty can renew; For to the abyss of hell I plunge without affright: On them will I impose my will, the law of light. I heard a Lama say that in the past, and considering the mind set of some Tibetan Monks and they way they had grown up and been conditioned in their culture, family, etc. that there was a real chance that they may actually die of 'fright' if doing the ceremony traditionally and they are not ready for it.

. The thread title made me think of the Chod Rite of Tibetan Buddhism. But for that one might need a bead apron of human bones and a tunic of human skin ... and take off the top of the skull and cook up the guts in it and offer it to the demons there ... but that's for a reason. {No, I haven't done that ... just the chanting, temple ceremony and visualisation of the Chod Rite under the guidance of Kagyu Kama Lamas (the MOST demonically oriented, kind, considerate, laid-back and compassionate people I have met ! ) but you visualise you are in a graveyard ... some maybe still do the whole thing in a graveyard? } Go google Chod Rite .... on a good site that will explain why one might want to 'meditate in a graveyard'. e.g. " The meaning of Chöd is offering our negative parts to demons and the positive things, like good virtues and good merit, for bodhisattvas and buddhas. We're going to offer for the lowest realms because the beings in these realms need this the most. During Chöd practice your mind reaches a higher mental level. You need to visualize that your mind is pure. It is necessary to destroy past life karma. We are in Samsara because we are not yet enlightened, and we have a lot of debt towards our parents and other people. So during Chöd the mind resembles that of a bodhisattva. A bodhisattva is kind towards those who are suffering. To become a bodhisattva you need to wish that you can offer your body, good deeds, ignorance and everything. Chöd means that we cut the root of our ignorance. " If you do this with good motivation, it's very powerful. If you do this thousand times, yet without any good motivation, then it is useless. Chöd can be helpful if you have nightmares and fears. But during the Chöd, you must not show any fear, or else the demons cannot come because this fear would upset them. But if you're compassionate they will come to you, and they may even become your protectors if you're a really good person. That kind of protection is very special. Chöd brings a lot of joy to your mental state. It also makes the mind smarter and brighter. So visualize that you are offering your body, mind and speech to these beings. For the lower realms - offering everything that you have. They need it the most. Why? Because they are suffering. In previous lives they could've been our mothers and that is why we must help them. If we don't give that kindness back then they will continue to suffer. We must wish that they can become liberated . "

That's it? Come on guys ... I'll start then (That sword reminds me of those giant sized Katanas! ) But briefly (who knows, maybe I am talking to myself ... there must be some weapon buffs out there ??? ) MIne:(Okinawan Kobudo tradition; Bokkan, Bo, Jo, Sai, Kama, Eco. Aikido tradition; Bokkan, Jo, Tanto. Mad untutored work-it-out- yourself-with-your-fellow-students-when-teacher-not-around tradition; Nunchuks, Tonfa, Yari and whatever that spike on the twirly string thing is. Likes ; Eco - like a bo and similar usage but extra advantage of 'shuto' 'blade' at one end. Jo - versatile . Bokkan for the 'Zen' of it all. Twirly thing ... phew ... what an art! Well, about 5 arts in one ( twirling, shortening the arc on the body and accurately flinging the thing ... return / rebound and body position to avoid yet capture and back to defence / attack without leaving a hole ... if you DO manage to strike and entangle , dealing with that ... the fact that any entangled opponent usually just rushes you with their weapon (no it doesn't work like it does in a Ninja movie as a tug-o-war) regardless that your bit of cord is around it.... the whole jutsu of dealing with an armed attacker using the remaining cord in your hands as a defensive weapon ... and at the same time the jutsu of tying them up with it in a flash - like face down with both arms and a leg tied up the back and the other end of the rope around the throat (apparently Japanese Cops were experts at this until the introduction of handcuffs in the 1950's) ... now THAT is an art! Unlikes; Nunchuks ...silly ... sillier if you don't know how to use them. Favourite; all of them but twirly thing was best fun - I made my own as no one had one, carved rubber point for practice with foam rubber around it and tape ... fun part ... buddies hopping around rubbing body parts going "Hey! That thing still hurts ya know! " Benefiets, varing distances ... relationship ... timing ... Collectors here? Not me, but have a friend who collects weapons, armour, small ornamental parts of weapons and armour (some absolutely beautiful, inlayed with metals and stones and enamel) - he recently got old trad Japanese armour ... so small ! It has old blood stain on the belt !

I have lived in a spot with various types of bamboo growing. Over the years it has been a wonderful resource for all sorts of things; building shelters, traditional Japanese fencing, models, utensils. Its a great thing to work with ... a 'gift from the Gods' . There are things that are difficult to do with it (if you are used to working with dressed square wood) but when you understand it there are a whole different range of things it can do and ways it can be used. One example is when some needs replacing (say parts of an old fence) I remove them and use them as frames for the bird netting on the veggie garden. After a while they degrade further, so then I replace them and use the old bits to make new compost bins, when they are further degraded and not good for that I smash them up and use them as kindling in the fire place. That's 4 separate uses from one harvest. And when a grove is cleaned out, nothing goes off like a bamboo bonfire ! Anyone else here work with bamboo?

THAT'S what that stuff is! Thanks Pretty amazing, the sealed section within the culm is acting like an alchemical vessel and extracting certain nutrients from the soil via the bamboo fluids and depositing the' medicine' in a ready made storage facility . ... What a plant!