mostly_empty

Not an expert, and haven't read the book.... But 1) I would take (consistent with his other writings and other sources) that he is very much thinking about local in the sense of close to and from a particular vantage point. I would say close to "you", but "you" are not unified in that sense if you are talking to this flavour of buddhist. If you think of yourself as being a particular point of focus of a greater possibility (or the entire universe), not as a self-existing being, then local really refers to what is perceived by the focal point that is you. 2) Great time is the "space" in which all local, or local-ish, temporal orderings of perceptions can unfold. Again, if you were an orthodox buddhist you wouldn't want to assert that it is a clock-time of a physical universe. That is not what we experience, although we can certainly engineer things that work on that basis. What is experienced, the locality of our experience", is arising and falling. But experiences which transcend time - happy samadhi everyone! - still take place within a potential temporal space. Overcoming Great Time would be, according to theory, part of enlightenment. I wouldn't know, myself! I hope this helps, not really my cup of tea, but I did spend a little time thinking about the buddhist points of view during my mis-spent youth. Cheers

but also consider https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=21400 I am happy this winter. The snow under my feet crunches in the morning and is quiet by afternoon. Other years, at this time, it squeaks!

Dear Sulo, Some perception of blue light occurred for me the very first times I did the FP exercise. More practice tended to facilitate this. No such phenomena occurred in the periods (like now) when I do not practice. So ... a) abnormal as in low frequency ... felt entirely natural and hasn't worried me at all. b ) definitely a mystery, although there some theories one could consider. c). I would say it was more an epiphenomenal signpost. If you are worried about this then definitely don't do FP. Because the light is a fairly obvious but inoffensive change; it is reflecting what are much less obvious but probably more important changes - so if this one worries you you probably are going to be more worried about the other ones! I would also say that you should probably avoid any energy work at all if you are worried about standing differently from the general human population. The cultivation practices that are effective will all make you rather nervous in this regard. Good luck,

Right indeed. It is just that the dividing line between superstitions and taoist science is cultivation. For an idiot such as myself, my own beliefs are of little consequence in the haze of confusion in which I generally live. But observe carefully and lots of interesting surprises emerge.

Absolutely. Most of Daoist (or other) beliefs falling into the same category. However, watch carefully and see if something cannot be learned. About beliefs, and patterns in time. Myself I will superstitiously continue to walk in circles getting nowhere, and see if the year's cynic tally justifies Mr Lo at the end. Cheers

Wandering back towards the OP, if possible... One suspicion is that some people don't entertain the idea of matriarchal cultures because they imagine that it is it a flipped patriarchal culture; simply with women on top. Not that this doesn't have some advantages, but as a culturally well conditioned male the attraction of being reduced in the social order is limited. I think that the actual archaic cultures had dimensions of status and respect that are simply absent (or ignored) nowadays. To return one doesn't just put women in charge (our premier is lovely, but she can only do so much....) - one has to value actions by more than aggression and dominance. One would think that the non-martial Daoists would at least entertain the idea - but maybe not

Dear Rocco, Mindfulness of breath helps you stabilize consciousness. It has many other effects as well. As you subdue the tendencies of the monkey mind you can use this as a platform to consider the cycle - arising, falling - of thoughts. So while having some clarity of thought and separation from the daily world helps generate insight into how one's life functions, the main insight is into the nature of mind. The many "flavours" of insight noted by "awaken" refer to experiences which, if you practice and stabilize, tell you quite a bit about mind and consciousness.

Read slowly, read again..... In fact I put them back on my "to read" shelf after reading them. I am letting them ferment and digest bit by bit the second go round.

Taoway, In addition to the modified forms suggested, you may consider that some of the moves have a lot to teach on their own. So just trying to perfect the opening, for example, can take as many hours practice as you might throw at it. In a way I would be more worried about the low quality air than the lack of space. Cheers.

A long time ago a roommate of mine introduced me to eskrima. In less than 20 seconds (not kidding) he bruised more than my ego. It is fortunate indeed that my philippino colleagues and friends are very gentle and friendly people.

"I drank what?" - Socrates.

Good for what ales you?

Reference tau - the rate of change of the apparent angle to the apparent size being a constant that describes the distance from you. More to the point - an amusing coincidence that something with this phonology so correctly describes the relations in the world... Perhaps dogs are "tau-ist" after all.

Nah, taking responsibility for our actions has its merits - but trying to be responsible for everyone else is much less fun than you think. I did try that on for size once upon a time.... Obviously people giving to a charity mean well and do hope for a good outcome. Full stop. Thinking that you control the outcome of anything in life is just bound for unhappiness. ("if you want to hear god laugh, just tell her your plans"). If I were you I would wait ever so patiently until everything goes as well as it possibly could. Wu wei and all that! Cheers.

Dear Brian, Interesting, but hardly conclusive. And somewhat at odds with other work which I have tried but not fully succeeded in tracking down. I will point out that imaging anatomical detail at ST36 is a long long way from actually imaging or identifying a meridian. However, it is in line with some work out of russia which also identified parts of the meridian system with vascular anatomy. It is, at least, a nice step away from people claiming that there is "nothing"!

your mess, man! repent! my responsibility rainbows earth to sky *note - previous version used "stretches" in the third line.... which is one syllable in my native dialect of English but for which I would rather take responsibility and repent before making a further mess...

...but they can’t stop you keeping your back still, breathing until fortune smiles

Liver Kidneys, spleen! If I had eaten better, need less qigong now...

I don't mean to be facetious, but consult the Yijing for a response! Disclaimer <not a master of anything!!!!!!!!>

Re RBB. I am generally leery about putting emotive/spriritual overlays on physical diagnoses.They do often make sense, but far more often after the fact. I am glad you are having a properly follow-up as there are dangers associated with this. However, it may be true that excessive sympathetic arousal for years on end might predispose you to this over time; thickening an atrial wall etc... Not clear whether the stress, the hypertension, or the forcing of the heart would necessarily be the causal agent since they each relate one to the other. Echoing a comment I made in the other thread - have joy! It mat be unlikely that you will resolve what you perceive as kundalini energy without opening the heart. Balancing sympathetic and parasympathetic activation (as per HeartMath's coherence measure) will alter the functioning of your heart. There is no research about whether it is helpful for RBB! But plenty to show that long term unresolved stress is particularly unhelpful. Take care!

Dear Manitou, Certainly not everyone makes the same distinction. That which I was encouraging to consider follows from what you might take to be the meaning of thought and reality. Samsara is a heavy wheel, periodic and the semblance of movement takes you nowhere you want to go. The wheel is the wheel of your thought... powered by your desires. Obviously, if you go along with this sort of thing you will consider it good to "surpass" your desires and replace your thought with wisdom. The 10,000 things revert to the Dao but there is a journey. We learn to ride life like a wave, the inner and outer transform because they are empty in themselves - but in no way does this mean it is all meaningless. But for a Daoist what is thought? If you have hun, po, shen ... all these characters... should you not be honouring each for what they bring? It is not "merely" thought and the relationship between thought and "you" is complex - but potentially life affirming. Pain is for awakening, but it seems hardly like the best way! It is just what we get when we don't solve things in other ways. So it is very helpful and something to be appreciated, but I try not to indulge!!!!

I will also comment about "misfortune". The DDJ and better yet Chuang Tzu are clear about the emptiness of "misfortune". I read the relevant Chpt 13 as referring, in a way, to the weight of consequence that comes with physicality. You cannot have "misfortune" without a body - it is such a blessing you cannot even believe it! So dwelling on it leads one, again, astray. Disgrace, the social comparison disaster, needs no such attention - it is lovely! It speaks to the heart of almost everything you need to deal with in yourself. Accept this grace and you will feel better - guaranteed.

Certainly the chapters have more to say. I was concentrating on the "how colours blind the eye".... How does this happen? When we don't treasure what is important we live in the wrong relationship to the 10,000 things. I will comment though, about a difference between daoist and buddhist "inspiration" that is larger or smaller depending on the interpretation and influences you hold dear. I do not think that archaic and classical daoists consider the 10,000 things as samsara for a variety of reasons. Buddhists consider this relationship of self to world as the origin of dubhka; through logic they argue that the emptiness of the world means that it cannot reflect other than yourself. Accordingly, short of enlightenment you will consider samsara in an unfortunately light. Some Daoists and those so inspired considered the 10,000 things simply to be empty. There is no reason to consider it in a negative way; problems arise when you stand in the wrong relation to it. So while the sage understands and deals appropriately with these things, there is no reason to aspire to indifference for us regular folk. Ask the I Ching about your relationship to the 10,000 things and you will receive a rainbow unfolding in your own time. Ask a buddhist and you will be tempted to find a cave... Cheers.

Dear Manitou, I will give it a go. Colors blind the eye.... The eye is the faculty of apprehension (to use a Kantian turn of phrase) - it is that which enables you to see. When you "see" something, does not your attention attach to that object? Don't blame the object and its colours, it is the inability to control your sight which makes blind to that which you are not attending to. It is easily said (rather than practised) that one can remain in balance rather than ignoring the outside world or being captured by it. You will notice that the verb changes for the Master. Masters observe, which is a balanced, neutral representation of the seeing implicit in the first line - respecting both the interior and exterior. Similarly for the others.