Thrice Daily

So do you have a sex life or sexual fantasies of any kind or have you just cut those out completely

the perenium and all the pc muscles on the way to coccyx and sacrum I feel are all valuable to get to know better and try to isolate and activate as is contracting the anus and learning to contract the prostate. Doesn’t it all help to activate as much of this area as possible to help with mco / bringing awareness there. it feels like it’s very valuable to me and get the area physically sucking in and out gaining strength in all the tissues there I guess you could do it without and just by sitting you would still create a good amount of pressure and activity there (if you have at least two or three hours a day to sit, that’s been my experience, at least that) I don’t know, I feel like all of that is the underside of where the dan tien sits. It makes sense to keep it strong no? I’ve developed in meditation before and neglected my lower centres, and felt kinda cut off from my sexuality, like I didn’t need it, didn’t feel all that healthy for me, prefer to keep it integrated. I'm not a priest or a monk and I felt there was a tendency to accelerate rapidly down that path if I only concentrated on upper centres. Do you feel there is a sexual energy component when dealing with the lower dan tien or not at all? Is it something you relate to?, work with? Or ignore? Shun? Or it just isn’t part of your material existence as a Neidan practitioner? I ask that question to all of you on this thread if you manage to see this post. Cheers it’s been fun reading so far @ChiDragon @Shadow_self @Forestgreen @Antares @ꦥꦏ꧀-ꦱꦠꦿꦶꦪꦺꦴ/

How important do you guys feel breath work is working with Lower Dan Tien . Do you bother with Breath at all in Neidan or just tend to release it to natural breath and yi instead to focus internally without placing emphasis on breath. Im interested to know what a Neidan practice would look like if you were viewed practicing, sitting in stillness with relaxed breath? spontaneous movements? Hand mudras if they arise?

What is the point of the system? In your eyes? I’d say Love and Grace but that might be unpopular here. It’s the same as we offer to our children through (love and Grace) and I’d argue it’s the point and directional flow of life itself, through us to our children and from what ever created us. (Might be an over simplification but I’m an optimist at heart) The source of the Tao? That’s one reason why I think Virtue is so important and is a natural Emanation of proper training, despite the teaching or system, but perhaps that is my natural inclination or acquisition over the years anyway. It’s nice to be nice, I can’t abide the contrary, if genuinely mean spirited. But then again we could argue it’s all down to perspective One man’s food is another man’s poison. Is there something beyond the Tao or not beyond the Tao, that is the question. And one like a child to an adult, whose answer is dependant on faith alone …

Makes sense. Thanks for sharing that. If you could travel back in time would you like to learn to do that and become a working practitioner?

Now you’re talking. That’s as cryptic as the chicken and the egg.

I guess we are talking about something slightly different. I think just about any practice done daily brings enormous benefits , health wellness etc It might not give supernatural abilities though. I don’t really seek such things these days, do you? Genuine powers that are 100% outside of the realm of the imagination are beyond the scope of my understanding in Taoism proper to be honest. I think it’s always worth leaving 1% for the possibility of it being self hallucinated unless something can absolutely be proven beyond belief to defy science and logic entirely, I’d love to hear what these legit teachers can do to warrant charging 50k plus genuinely. have you got proven examples @Shadow_self that would be alright to talk about on here?

If I travelled back to the younger me before I started with Mantaks Iron Shirt, Inner Smile and 6 sounds I’m pretty sure I’d still tell myself to get stuck in. I mean the postures in the books have got some serious age to them. Embracing the tree goes back to the Han Dynasty , the golden turtle and buffalo postures must go way back too, animal frolics or older? Holding the golden urn, yin and Yang position is simply the body symmetrical arms twisted one way most and the other way most. Awesome shapes , especially if you do kungfu eg White Crane [again extremely old, maybe even the oldest of the popularised animal styles] , or WC The usefulness of these postures in evident if anyone has been practicing diligently enough for a length of time (or just has been blessed with an intuitive body) Yeah I’m glad I know them and I’ll hasten to add. I bet they are as old as Qigong and Neidan itself….. Personally speaking I feel similar about inner smile and 6 healing sounds . I can’t understand how and why someone would bash them. The six sounds is a strong and vigorous procedure that is deeply affecting the organs and emotional health of the practitioner . 6 sounds earliest written complete records appeared around 500 CE (could even be earlier) Should I not practice 6 sounds because Mantak taught them (and quite well to be honest) to us westerners… Should I not pay attention to my organs with gentle relaxed wi wei attention because Mantak Chia again taught it to us Westerners. Of course not. I’ve just got a respect for him. I’ve heard the stories… about his master and where he got the teachings or didn’t. I take him at face value though and just respect him in terms of what I’ve learned about the connection I have with myself and the universe through his teachings. Nothing more to say really. I feel sad for people that hurt themselves with his stuff but feel even worse for people that don’t know any of his stuff (just universal Taoist common sense really) and bash it anyway. Prove me wrong if you got a good argument against I’d love to read it… Rant over. Yeah I’m still cool with my younger self following the Mantak books. I’d just say, ‘chill out a bit you don’t need to breathe so hard’ 😂 ‘70% everyday Is a way better way to go , I’ll totally agree with that ethos’

That’s good. It’s a shame about the power grabbers and money grabbers. Negative emotions are certainly not what you need being exuded from the teacher. One thing if I could travel back to the younger me. I’d tell myself to be less judgmental of teachers too. Early on I had a tendency to go to a class then come home and read everything I could on the subject only to return to the class and really be looking to judge the teacher for being (my idea of) right or wrong. Sometimes in terms of safety it was good to be like that. Yoga teachers recklessly encouraging neck rolls , things like that. That aside though it was extremely hampering. Judging teachers from the level I was at because I’d done a bit of reading was not cool. I did similar for a little while with Mahayana Buddhism, thinking everyone was trapped in Samsara, was self cherishing and a virtually couldn’t see the truth of the teachings , for something like seeing them paying eachother compliments on material accessories they may have been wearing. I’ve found helping people snap out of their own suffering for even a moment is a valuable practice, , and really doesn’t leave me wanting anything. Having another look back at the past , gives me a chance to see past teachers as the flawed and incomplete people they are just trying to get through life like me. Feel blessed to have picked up anything from them really… I’ve learned loads over the years in the most unlikely of moments. Whether it’s brushing my teeth standing on one leg, or massaging my eye sockets whilst sitting on the toilet. All valuable stuff… All this talk of Mantak Chia being crap, I’ve really got to wrap my head around it. I’ve not been on this forum for ten years but it seems people really don’t like him and think his books are rubbish. I'm still processing this to be honest. I’ve got a lot of practical gains from his material to say the least…

Eastern Poland around 40 minutes from Belarus

Fair point. My teacher who taught Yijinjing had this, it was also like he was wearing a coat of heavy relaxed muscle all over his body. It must have taken him some time to develop. Do you find you found this development in your body? I haven’t personally had long lasting results like this to be quite honest.

I think you’d have to be in a pretty special place to find one of those

Really don’t get this nothing to show for it business people talk about. i’m struggling to understand how anyone can develop a daily practice and not find it valuable Perhaps the most value comes from not looking for value, Im struggling to understand your concept of obtaining something For me it’s been more a process of stripping away layers of delusion to really more of what really is rather that what I think things are to be. What starts as a big deal, generally tends to end up being no big deal Bringing me to my next question, what is it exactly that students expect teachers to do? I understand being on correct course can be important, otherwise with one tiny deviation we could end up being 1000’s of miles away from where we are ‘supposed’ to be But isn’t that exactly where we are ‘supposed to be’ isn’t that the point? I don’t want to force the point, but still… To really learn to me, develop our song etc that’s it no? Relax, contract, repeat, release, let go… i must have spent around a year doing absolutely nothing but earth. Literally a lot of time I was barefoot. And I tried to only give reverence to the earth I was standing on beneath my feet. That was it really , May be boring , but didn’t play with anything else. Talking, I tried to talk only for the benefit of those around me and really moved out of my own way. Arguably this was more valuable than a teacher, and how things were back when ‘I’ was looking for something for ‘me’ I’m not sure what people expect from teachers? If they are real I’m surprised more of them don’t disappear and become the hidden masters they are probably far better off being. Just being, unless they are doing Neidan

As much as I agree with that I was told in Taiwan it was custom to bring your would be teacher a gift. I felt a little weird doing it to be honest as it was not genuinely self motivated, felt a bit forced , never the less I did. Much better being genuine. It’s a heart led connection I think that is important and a mutual understanding. Like process of life, trust and respect developing naturally at its own pace. Asking for proof is a little difficult unless we are talking about physical techniques right. Even then not 100% clear cut, especially demonstrated with opponent/willing opponent Also I think there is an element of needing the teaching and the teacher, that makes it most likely and beneficial. There is a ‘meant to be’ moment of sincerity that is often lost throwing money around. I found this similar working as massage therapist. The people with the money that wanted the treatments didn’t so much need them, they were generally healthy and well kept. Just sightseeing and kinda bored. not really searching for health intervention or healing at any deeper level. They would probably not get a very deep treatment either when they paid for it and got it. They came for a different reason. Nice lunch and a bit of cake is not the same as fasting. Seek and ye shall find. Seek bullsh*t and you will probably find it…

As much as I agree with that I was told in Taiwan it was custom to bring your would be teacher a gift. I felt a little weird doing it to be honest as it was not genuinely self motivated, felt a bit forced , never the less I did. Much better being genuine. It’s a heart led connection I think that is important and a mutual understanding. Like process of life, trust and respect developing naturally at its own pace. Asking for proof is a little difficult unless we are talking about physical techniques right. Even then not 100% clear cut, especially demonstrated with opponent/willing opponent Also I think there is an element of needing the teaching and the teacher, that makes it most likely and beneficial. There is a ‘meant to be’ moment of sincerity that is often lost throwing money around. I found this similar working as massage therapist. The people with the money that wanted the treatments didn’t so much need them, they were generally healthy and well kept. Just sightseeing and kinda bored. not really searching for health intervention or healing at any deeper level. They would probably not get a very deep treatment either when they paid for it and got it. They came for a different reason. Nice lunch and a bit of cake is not the same as fasting. Seek and ye shall find. Seek bullsh*t and you will probably find it…

Not to mention hierarchy internal politics, power grabbers, money grabbers, and worse still the pathological types that tend to gravitate to decent groups, particularly group leaders. in a word Ego/False Ego So sad isn’t it. Jealousy Envy - Shame Guilt can poison otherwise great groups with just one or two insidious characters in the mix… I spent some time living in intentional communities / eco tourism camps. All the rage, unfortunately. Disparaging as it is though, Even the darkest of places and times deserve a candlelight to steer people through. I think it’s one of the most enduring characteristics of traditions like Taoism and Buddhism, even in the darkest times and places, the practices found their way through, being preserved and passed on by the faithful. Why Ride The Horse , when you can levitate above it… indeed indeed…

To trust or not to trust.. That is the question. I’m sandwiched between both answers. A teacher can teach in a moment, or years… A student can be ready at one time for one teacher, and another time for another teacher. Sometimes we meet in harmonious place, sometimes we clash. Who knows who and when? And sometimes the best teachings are simple demonstrations… Or maybe even the best teachings are found in stillness, in quiet in a temple or shrine in front of statue or statuette . Or simply out in nature with earth trees and skies. Guess we’re all different, like that, in a way at least.

I’ve had this experience and returning to the visual as red seems to be a no no and produces no next step. Just my experience. It was unnatural to try to return to it as another part of the process had already flowered.

Yiguandao / I-Kuan Tao (traditional Chinese: 一貫道; simplified Chinese: 一贯道; pinyin: Yīguàn Dào; Wade–Giles: I1-Kuan4Tao4),[α] meaning the Consistent Way or Persistent Way, is a Chinese salvationist religious sect that emerged in the late 19th century, in Shandong, to become China's most important redemptive society in the 1930s and 1940s, especially during the Japanese invasion.[9] In the 1930s Yiguandao spread rapidly throughout China led by Zhang Tianran, who is the eighteenth patriarch of the Latter Far East Tao Lineage, and Sun Suzhen, the first matriarch of the Lineage. Yiguandao started off with a few thousand followers in Shandong in the 1930s, but under the Patriarch and Matriarch's leadership and with missionary work the group grew to become the biggest movement in China in the 1940s with millions of followers.[10] In 1949, Yiguandao was proscribed in mainland China as an illegal secret society and heretical cult as part of the greater antireligious campaign that took place. Yiguandao has since flourished in Taiwan, despite decades of persecution by the Kuomintang that officially ended in 1987 with the legalization of Yiguandao and a government apology.[11] Yiguandao is still not able to be officially promoted in the mainland, but there are many members who live and practice there.[12] According to Dr. Sebastien Billioud, Yiguandao can be viewed as an updated version of the tradition unity of the three teachings of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. In Yiguandao's case it also incorporated Christianity and Islambecoming a unity of the five teachings.[13] Yiguandao is characterized by an eschatological and soteriological doctrine, presenting itself as a way to salvation. It also encourages adherents to engage in missionary activity.[5] Yiguandao is the worship of the source of the universal reality personified as the Eternal Venerable Mother, or the Splendid Highest Deity (Chinese: 明明上帝; pinyin: Míngmíng Shàngdì). The highest deity is the primordial energy of the universe, identified in Yiguandao thought with the Tao in the wuji or "unlimited" state and with fire. The name used in contemporary Yiguandao scriptures is the "Infinite Mother" (Chinese: 無極母; pinyin: Wújímǔ) and the "lantern of the Mother" (Chinese: 母燈; pinyin: mǔdēng)—a flame representing the Mother—is the central focus of Yiguandao shrines.[5] I wondered if these members practiced Taoism and preserved some of it in these difficult years in China. Still teaching and transmitting in person even though it was outlawed. I’ve not got a great grasp of the history over there asp trying to piece things together

I’m going to go out on a limb here @Shadow_self and say. I think there is a beautiful correlation between the Dan and any given Star in the universe. What do you think?

@Taoist Texts I have one daughter and I’m half way to becoming a saint me thinks. Can I ask , I realise you are busy. So hopefully it’s not too tough a question. Neidan Direct? Do you know of any patriarchs of Yiguandao that have been involved with Neidan practices to any notable levels. I believe there where 18 patriarchs altogether over the years. Do you know if any were proficient in Neidan? And perhaps have any writings?

ChiDragon, What is Neigong? 🐢

@Taoist Texts What do you make of the earliest characters mentioned here, Xuan Yuan and Guangchengzi for example?

Uniform eating is best I find. Don’t leave anything to chance. I’ve got a nice week fast (I still eat, just fruits and veggies etc and stuff to clean out gi tract every 6 months at least) I don’t care what anyone says about protein I have to hit my targets. Or I can feel my body switch to catabolism and start eating itself for fuel. Not cool. The other thing is fats. I get good quality pig fat where I live and find it perfect to fast cook my omelettes in and good fuel source. 2-3 days without fats I feel like crap. I know it’s my hormone system going out of whack having a knock on effect into the mental state, I’ve experimented without carbs but find they are ok for me. Fermented food too. I get good kefir where I am and keep a big bottle of that in the fridge. Every meal when I’m cooking I’ll have 3 or 4 good swigs of that… it’s easy when you’re locked in with an unshakable habit isn’t it? Good luck getting back to. Buy a weeks food, then you have to commit. 👍