vonkrankenhaus

Re: ----- So there's Effie Chow demonstrating "empty force" power." ----- I wonder: Can anyone here see what she is really doing? -VonKrankenhaus

Re: ----- "1) Can neidan practitioners engage in martial arts such as boxing & judo and not hamper their spiritual progress?" ----- Yes. And other activities. There are also other forms of martail art training that you may find closer to working with these ideas than Judo or Boxing - like some of the Shaolin-based Chinese Gongfu systems which feature Iron Shirt training as part of their basics. Many times these will include Neigong training as part of advancement. Each family/style/school may have different parts, and each teacher may have more or less of this, so actually meeting students and teachers is most informative. ----- "2) Why does anyone do tai chi in the first place? It seems to me like it will get their practitioners killed. I don't mean to sound snide or obnoxious but does tai chi actually WORK?" ----- Again, since your emphasis right now seem to be about martial art ability, take a look at the various "family" or "school" Gongfu styles first. If anything, training in these will show you what you may need to know to understand why you might eventually doing Tai Chi practices or not. Tai Chi will wait for you to see it. And yes - Tai Chi "works". -VonKrankenhaus

Re: ----- "How is this possible and where did he learn how to do this?" ----- This is not difficult at all. Skill to do this can be developed by, I would think, any advanced qigong practitioner who live around animals and paying attention. So, when living in forest amidst many animals, this kind of interaction will become obvious and grow in detail. Also, some old farmers I have met have been able to do this type of thing to some degree. -VonKrankenhaus

Re: ----- "I'm talking about dementia generally, which can affect any part of the brain." ----- Are you? Or are you talking about an "identity crisis"? Brain degeneration and damage - or damage to one's beliefs? People in the modern era have been artificially grown and cultivated to perform work and to follow certain beliefs about what and who they are. This always results in some sort of "collapse of belief" or "identity" crisis, because human beings are not actually any of this - and life will provide many clues of this that will not, and cannot, be just "wished away" or "believed away" or made to appear as a "fault" of ours. The kind of physically measurable neurological degeneration that is common today is a full-on effect of the massive assault on human beings that we somehow have been trained to call "progress" - like the direct injection of neurotoxic chemicals and metals into our blood, the chemically-designed "food" pranks being played on us, and the direct pumping of toxins into the overall environment from which we and our "food" are arising from and returning to. These are two different things. One is disillusionment, and the other is degeneration or "destruction". -VonKrankenhaus

Re: ----- "And so female humans are the only primates that precisely synchronize their menstruation cycle with the lunar cycle - when females are in natural, connected to the Earth, as the moon governs life on Earth via the water and gravity energy." ----- Human female menstrual cycle is 28 days. The lunar cycle is 29.53 days. That's over a day and a half difference - does that "precisely synchronize"? The Moon is reflecting the Sun. Perhaps there is a "lesser known" cycle of the Sun that is what the human menstrual cycle is actually corresponding to. -VonKrankenhaus

There is a trend in the fake culture whereby various degenerative conditions are whitewashed - brain-damaged "ADHD" children are rewritten as "special", with "unique intelligence", etc, etc. And there are psychological shell games, wherein degenerative illness is represented as if it were some sort of "coming of age" thing that would produce or represent accelerated "self-development". We should be clear about what is degeneration and damage and what is growth and health. To have a set of beliefs, and then to see through those, is not equal to a degenerative illness. - It is merely the degeneration of belief. If the beliefs were basic and pervasive, then the degeneration of the need to believe them is what has happened - not necessarily the degeneration of the ability to believe them. When we degenerate our beliefs, it is like then trying to decide what to do about Santa Claus. When we ourselves degenerate, it is like degenerating - like if an infection, or cancer, rotted off our toes. Those are two different things. Degeneration, illness, and sickness are all benevolent signs that we have strayed very far from Tao, from the Natural Order by which our lives, and all lives, are appearing and disappearing. This is why we must not be confused about these things. It is like misinterpreting a "message from God", and may render that benevolence useless. And it may get in our way of truly understanding how and why we are becoming sick and degenerating, and changing or reversing the correct things towards gaining or recovering normal human health and functions. -VonKrankenhaus

Perhaps the herbs you are using are quite Yin - possibly over-effecting kidneys and liver, hence the skin sensitivities. -VonKrankenhaus

Re: ----- "I'm of the school of thought that says true awakening is about becoming more capable and useful in the world. There should be more clarity of mind, not forgetting to do important things, being apathetic, etc." ----- Yes. The quote in the OP reads not so much like "enlightenment" so much as "disillusionment" in things that had previous been followed or believed. So looking more like coming to grips with the fake culture, the brainwashing, and just stopping from assumed motivations. As if someone see through the modern fantasy, and let the modern fantasy just fall away. And it look like the pause just after that, before reality start to become apparent. Before the true dream of one's life starts to become obvious after the modern junk is rendered unbelievable. Life is play, not work. Normal thing like raising children shows that our Play is not in vain, but our "works" can easily be, and win/lose is just a game. -VonKrankenhaus

Specific living ones, or in general? -VonKrankenhaus

Yes. It's interesting to see this appear now, because it points to the basis of a range of cultivation practices that are quite old. In fact, there are many "secrets" of cultivation "revealed" in the article - some may recognize this. But the "like a plant" concept is not really accurate. Humans do not process Sun energy like a plant. -VonKrankenhaus

Re: ----- "Are carrot greens actually edible?" ----- Yes. ----- "How, then, would eating the upward orientated part (greens) affect us physically in comparison to eating the usual root (orange) carrot?" ----- Normal way to eat this is to eat both, but the commercialization ideas about food have created "products" out of various parts of some plants - so today "carrot" means to consumers only the root. To actually examine carrot plant, I will use both physical and metaphysical ("energetic") way of applying YinYang thinking. Heaven's force is pushing downward on Earth = Yang. Earth's force is pushing outward ("up") from Earth = Yin. So root is exhibiting more contraction, and leaves are exhibiting more expansion. Carrot greens are not as expansive as collard greens. Carrot root is not as contracting as burdock root. Looking at 5 phases, roots are generally associated with Metal, and big summer greens = Fire. Carrot greens are, among all greens, contracted and associated also with Metal. Roots are generally Metal association. Among roots, orange carrot root associated with Soil, white carrot root associated with Metal, etc. So orange carrot (and greens) is nourishing to lungs (Metal) and also spleen/pancreas/stomach (Soil). -VonKrankenhaus

Re: ----- "Can one find freedom even within that sickness, happiness in bondage? That is true freedom, no?" ----- Of course - the seed of true Freedom is found at the deepest pit of slavery. Yes - all of this is relative, YinYang. If you can find true Freedom in sickness and bondage, then this has changed you. Does anyone have a story about how they discovered "bliss" in the depths of despair? How they discovered true Health in the depths of sickness? And how they have followed this despair and sickness to Freedom? I have heard many such stories. -VonKrankenhaus

The book linked looks like a basic overview. There are many similar books, some in english, and they are like the many books about TCM. The fully western books by western modern authors are like some of this with a lot of psychology concepts added as explanation or interpretations. Reading al this stuff, plus watching all the videos available online now, would give anyone a good general idea about the subject. Correspondence with friends who are students of living teachers would add context and perspective, and even just attending a workshop or seminar with a real teacher would add even more. Ironically, learning from books is much harder for a beginner than for someone with experience and training. -VonKrankenhaus

These things can be just temporary feelings. Enlightenment implies "made lighter", upwards, lofty - this is vertical, and relate to Transcendence, wherein we transcend dualities (horizontal) and see the whole (One). This requires Freedom, to Transcend. There is no Freedom without Health, as anyone who has been sick knows. There is no Happiness without Freedom. So playing life in Happiness - this is not possible without mastery of first Health, and of Freedom. -VonKrankenhaus

http://www.panspermia.org/astronmy.htm -VonKrankenhaus

Anyone else have results from their trainings they could describe here? -VonKrankenhaus

Human growth is experience of Jing/Qi/Shen, and food (environment) is appearing as Shen/Chi/Jing - it is a mirror. Food energetics is just like any study of energetics. Applying YinYang thinking (Dualistic Monism), we start with One (Monism) and divide, bifurcate (Dualism) and we see complimentary opposites. Phyically, contraction and expansion are physical criteria we can use. Food is a temporary contraction of the environment,as are we. Physically, the Earth has formed as contracted structure, and Heaven exhibits expansive structure. If we look at energetics and not structure, then Earth is energy contracted to the point of not moving much (Yin) and Heaven is extremely active (Yang) - this is "metaphysical" way. YinYang thinking is discovering Change. If we want to see change in more detail, we can use 8 Gua and also Lo Shou - 5 phases. Original way of Lo Shou is physical viewpoint of Human standing on top of Earth. 8 Gua was also physical orientation with Heaven above and Earth below - like the way food grows - then King Wen change to "metaphysical" orientation 8 Gua. Same concerns as in the above explaination of physical vs metaphysical way of looking. Looking at carrot - carrot root is growing downward into Earth. Carrot top is growing upward from Earth. "Vitamin C" extracted from plant will have different energy if taken from the root from that taken from the green top - but science nutritionists do not see this yet. Vitamin C from root will have more contracting energy, and Vitamin C from the greens will have more expansive energy. -VonKrankenhaus

Re: ----- "Do you think a truly achieved teacher would go around demonstrating whatever abilities they have in Seminars?" ----- Yes. And I myself would do that, any time. Because otherwise, what are we talking about? "Belief"? Putting anyone in a position of "belief" in you, or in anything, is no favor to them. But showing them, totally and honestly, with no "BS", about what you are and what you have attained from your own practices is a better context for a teaching relationship than leaving a bunch of unsubstantiated guesses and movie-like fantasies hanging in the air - unless it is convenient or necessary somehow that people "just believe" in such stuff, like when you need to make money off them with minimal culpability, etc, etc. I think it is important that people actually see what they are training for, and that all accepted students see that you are actually where you have said you are taking them, and that there is always the understanding that we are all equal beings all just trying to be free and happy. Without that, it's more like a "cult". There are enough of those. -VonKrankenhaus

Re: ----- "he claims to have yang shen double, the ability to shoot light blasts, and also the ability to meditate for a month without stopping" ----- Well, let's examine those: Ever have an imaginary friend? Ever see Star Wars and play at what was seen? Ever save up for weeks and weeks to buy something? In a way, these claims are perhaps not much different than the experience of an american teenager who maybe has a paper route job, likes movies, and saved up to buy a new bike. -VonKrankenhaus

While this is a subject taken up by some as a form of self-therapy, by far the most advanced uses of this can be seen in corporate and political (and military) information services offices, propagandists, mainstream media, and the legal profession - where there is an enemy to diminish and a consumer/believer to pump up and manipulate. It is not meditation. It is the use of words and language to alter mental associations. That said, an understanding of the principles and techniques of NLP would be interesting and helpful for just about anyone. The book I posted a link to is a good start, and there are several other books also useful. -VonKrankenhaus

I had never seen any commercial book about qigong until very recently - just in last few months. When I began in the early 70s there was not much consumer demand to know qigong. So now I am looking at many of the books commercially available - it is amazing. I would think that for someone beginning, commonly available books are showing something like an introduction, and also are attempting with various levels of success to translate the thinking behind qigong to modern materialist science-believing consumers. Most of the books at least do introduce some of the basic issues and general beginning practices, and this is helpful to someone who will be seeking a teacher after seeing a basic orientation (no pun intended!). But - there are many misunerstandings in various of these books. Very basic things, and also much just plain guessing about advanced practices and attainments. This can create unrealistic expectations, or even get in the way of development. I do recommend reading about Taoist thinking and philosophy first, before any book on just qigong. If you start with the biggest picture first, then break into little details, the whole might better stay visible throughout the journey and be recognizeable and re-integrated later on. -VonKrankenhaus

http://www.amazon.com/Mind-lines-Lines-For-Changing-Minds/dp/1890001155 -VonKrankenhaus

In general, I think that people would find that various masters are going to be different than their expectations. The same would be true about psychics, for much the same reasons. One good question might be - what is everyone's understanding and expectation of "high level"? And where did these come from? -VonKrankenhaus

There is nothing disgusting about the sexual relationship between men and women. However, the fake version of the sexual relationship between men and women that has been taught to and in modern "society" has many irreconcilable and untenable aspects, by design. It is a matter of being simple and virtuous enough to recognize the false and attain the truth - just like in every other endeavor. Otherwise is much difficulty, because although the true roots and trunk of this still do exist, and they are still in the earth, almost all the leaves have been "artfully" reshaped, painted, and mislabeled as if it were another kind of thing altogether. -VonKrankenhaus

Spleen/Pancreas/Stomach - Soil Energy, sweet taste, gathering, condensing, centering. Yellow millet, pumpkin, orange-flesh squash, onion, sweet vegetables, etc. -VonKrankenhaus