Blackfinger

Thanks for facilitating this, Apech. Good informative answers. Much appreciated

Hi there all Does anyone know of any of Wang Liping's students who operate in the UK? I am trying to get some guidance with "Ling Bao Tong Zhi Neng Nei Gong Shu" and the practices of the Longmen Pai school. However I'm not aware of anyone even vaguely nearby who can help with this stuff. And just to clarify - I am not after high level transmissions or seminars with WLP himself etc. Just some help with working through the foundations and basics and getting to a stage where the SHO/MCO could be opened. Thanks in advance, and feel free to PM if appropriate

Thanks Soaring Crane - I will try this

Thankyou Jox - I will indeed try this.

Question for Damo: "Hi Damo, In your book 'Daoist Neigong', chapter 1 pg 25, you state, about the conversion of shen to dao, of pure consciousness to emptiness, that "I am afraid that my understanding ends here as I am working on this stage myself." I, like I imagine most of your readers, am impressed with your honesty and clarity regarding this. In the c.3 years since writing this book, how has your work on this stage progressed and are you able to share any of this with us? Do you think you will be able to write a followup book, or a revised version of 'Daoist Neigong' to incorporate any findings from your ongoing work? Thanks for your time." cheers for faciliating this, TBs

Spotless - a very interesting read. Thanks for sharing

I didn't think anyone still subscribed to the true concept of YHVH as being the description set out by SotG above.... YHVH is not the petty minor god referenced in the old testament. Rather it is the Tao, the infinite, the ineffable. I think ZYD has said it perfectly above. If I could 'like' a post twice, I would

I think maybe you are confused as to what an egregore is. Will your teacher's school have an 'egregore'? Definitely. See my comments in a post above. I don't think this should stop you from doing qigong though! Self mastery: absolute control of one's thoughts and deeds. Best of luck with your path

Self mastery should be the first step before embarking on any magical path....most curriculums emphasise this. Start small.

It's still your energy. As i mentioned above, on the small scale, you trust the people you work with. If not, you shouldn't be in there. Negative influences tend not to last very long within the egregore/group. EDIT - this counts of course if you are an active member of a temple etc. If you practive GD work alone, there is less of an issue. The greater GD egregore is so distant as to be non-existant if you are not a member of a practicing group. So you will not be affected either way by it, in my opinion. Certainly no more or less than any group's 'egregore' (whether it be qi gong, kung fu, wu dang style, your office, your local, neighbourhood, your nationality etc etc etc)

'Chaining' is a bit of a negative word. The energies of the egregore are there to be drawn on when needed by you, as well as vice versa. But being part of a group means respecting those who share the same egregore. On a microcosmic level, this is more important. The GD egregore as a whole is a lot more distant. If you are associated with an individual temple, and do pathworkings etc to get familiar with the group egregore then it becomes a definite boost to your work. And as I mentioned above, you know the fellow temple members and so are happy to give them your energy if required. The GD egregore itself is more distant - I am not overly aware of it. So I wouldn't worry too much about that. And like I say, the egregore is a two way boost. It is a tool, like any other. You could say that by performing bagua regularly you are chaining yourself to the egregore of the trigrams and bagua practitioners worldwide, with all the negative and positive connotations deriving from that.

Hard work, for a birthday!

Draja has some good solid stuff - the emphasis on relaxation and concentration/meditation is spot on (i think it's in his Magic Simplified book). Same as Bardon. It's this dull, long, hard work that is essential to any magic (and any self-improvement) but doesn't have the fireworks. So, many people skip it. And end up fooling themselves.

I will say however that although I agree with SotG the two systems are not mutually incompatible. The energies and forces dealt with are the same across systems. It is only the paradigm which differs. And this can be as rigid or flexible as the practitioner desires. But I agree that entering the GD system includes alot of additional baggage (or aids depending how you view it). I don't advocate pick n mix by any means but ultimately the goal is the same and the method of transport does not matter as long as it gets you there. I reckon....

Helpful....

Generally good advice above. I would heartily recommend both the LBRP and Middle Pillar. One of the key points about the MP is that it brings energy downward, rather than upward (upward raising energy is apparently behind a lot of the more extreme and unpleasant kundalini type symptoms). CHannelling the energy downward from the crown, and circulating it, is safer (apparently). I have had no issues with it. Bardon's system is excellent, though a bit hardcore. Step one alone took me >1 year to do. So maybe not a quick fix for the OP. Also, the success of the methods of the western mystery tradition may depend how much they resonate with the practitioner. If you are put off by the Kabbalistic nature of the MP exercise (based as it is on the sephiroth), then it is possible the results will be tempered by any inherent distaste for this aspect. Given those caveats, I would say defdinitely go for it, though. If you do notice any lessening of psychic activity after 6 months or so of the LBRP, then you can switch to the invoking form, knowing that you are starting on a fresh sheet and having banished any residual unpleasantness.

Echinacea is all you need. For flu and common cold. Certainly preventative at first symptoms. May help cure too if you're in the grip of the grippe!

I ordered this book recently and received it a couple of days ago. Looks intense. After a quick browse, I'm not sure how much use it would be without a teacher from the same lineage...the instructions are detailed and precise, but the material definitely needs some clarification, and the user some guidance/direction, I would've thought. I'll have a more detailed look later. Now that SotG has revived this thread, has anyone been using this book i nthe intervening two years since OP, and do they have any experiences to share/advice to give?

Just some food for though here, for those who say that meditation etc cleanses and promotes balance and harmony: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2012/may/22/anders-behring-breivik-meditation Apparently not necessarily. Disturbing stuff.

Greetings all! Been lurking about this forum for around 6 months, reading up plenty of interesting discussions. I did have an account under the same name previously, but it was deleted and I asked for it to be reinstated but didn't get a response so just decided to re-register. I am primarily interested in Daoist neigong, internal alchemy etc, and inevitably the inflammatory Mo Pai. I have been practicing meditation for a few years, though my main path is western hermeticism. I have been drawn to Daoism because of certain synergies and crossover elements between the two ways. I believe the core forces underlying each are the same, and only the paradigms are different (and not necessarily irreconcilably so). I have long been interested in Eastern philosophy and originally studied and practiced Zen buddhism before moving over to Daoism. I am not interested in the regious aspects of the path, so much as the tangible explanation of realities and forces within core practices. So I'm here to find out more about things, delve deeper, contribute a bit to this great forum and hopefully make new online friends and contacts! take care everyone, and all the best with your practices.

Chang Thanks very much for the welcome! It is a great resource, this forum, and am looking forward to getting more involved. All the best