Bindi

What if it backfired and they convinced you that they had the truth, and you ended up joining the cult for real??? If they were any good at what they do and you weren't very sure of yourself they might manage to indoctrinate you. I'm watching an interesting series at the moment Scientology And The Aftermath. I walked into one of their centres when I was 18 or so, and they had me and my friend sit down and fill in a long questionnaire. Luckily we got bored and left it unfinished, and no one was in the room so we just walked out. If they had been doing their job properly they wouldn't have left us alone...

David Godman, who has written many books about Ramana and his followers, responds to a question about whether effort or no-effort is needed to realise the Self.

I came across this interesting story from Dr. Paul Pearsall's book, The Heart’s Code. Good evidence that the heart records information directly, and that it can rightfully be called the heart brain.

I do see the 3 dantians as each being brain-like in their own way and worth spending a lifetime developing, but I've always struggled to see all the organs as having consciousness.

Science is weighing in on the rejuvenating effect of decalcifying and restoring the pineal gland. This is a link to a 2018 journal article "Pineal Calcification, Melatonin Production, Aging, Associated Health Consequences and Rejuvenation of the Pineal Gland." I'd bet this is what the alchemists have been trying to effect, and why there are so many references to returning to youthfulness.

From the Lingshu scroll compiled in the 1st century BCE on the basis of earlier texts. Too much joy and happiness can cause the spirit to shrink and scatter and not stay stored. Sorrow and grief can cause qi to be blocked in the foundations so it does not move. Great anger causes confusion and doubt and a lack of control. Fear and fearing cause the spirit to be unsettled, to shrink away and to be non-receptive. The wise nourish life by flowing with the four seasons and adapting to cold or heat, by *harmonizing joy and anger in a tranquil dwelling, by balancing yin and yang, and what is hard and soft. So it is that dissolute evil cannot reach the man of wisdom, and he will be witness to a long life. *"Harmonizing joy and anger" refers to not allowing any emotion to become dominant or extreme, but it also refers to the opposite problem of unnaturally avoiding experience of emotions by setting up barriers.

To use 'plain vanilla penetration ' as a defence is beyond disgraceful.

I understand the pineal as being relevant to both day and night, melatonin is secreted in different amounts during the night and day depending on light level. Its secretions peak during the nighttime, which makes us feel drowsy. One possible tie up that I am considering is that the pineal works via darkness and light, is it only coincidence that dark and light are yin and yang colour codes specifically?

Do people who activate kundalini return to youthfulness though, youthfulness being an external marker for pineal activation? Like the 4 and a 1/2 to 5 year old chickens who returned to egg laying and health after transplantation of day old chick pineal glands. To my knowledge only Neidanists claim return to youthfulness as one of the effects of neidan, it's not mentioned in any other spiritual system that I know of.

There's also the idea in the Neiye that these things naturally happen if you are attending to the '5 thieves,' which might translate as there is naturally a fire lit under the cauldron, the contents naturally 'cook,' the Way is a natural way, and to me this is correct. At its simplest the Way is a method of aligning the human body and energy to its natural potential. At least to the level of Zhenren Beyond that a very good teacher might be required.

From what I’ve read I don’t think it’s possible* to decalcify the pineal, but I haven’t looked into it that much. *Though it may be possible with the right energy cultivation.

If you ever need to have a brain X-ray pineal calcification will show up in that. Beyond that if you age slower than your peers that would be a pretty good indicator of pineal health.

Medical studies seem to use injections, maybe the effect is lessened if taken orally. It might be a very popular remedy for all sorts of age related conditions soon going by the article.

And this from Jerry Alan Johnson: 4. Upper Dantian Center: The center of the Upper Dantian is located in the pineal gland, which is a small, reddish-gray colored gland attached to the base of the third ventricle of the Brain, in front of the cerebellum. The pineal gland is a mass of nerve matter, containing corpuscles resembling nerve cells and small hard masses of calcareous particles. It is larger in children than in adults and more developed in women than in men. The pineal gland is the organ of telepathic communication, and receives its impressions through the medium of vibrations caused by thoughts projected from other individuals. When an individual thinks, he or she initiates a series of vibrations within the surrounding energy field which is radiated out from his or her body as energetic waves and pulses. Therefore, this area is considered the space where the Shen transcends the limitations of form and merges with the infinite space of the Wuji. From the Wuji, the Shen then progresses towards reuniting with the Dao. In the article they state that the pineal is in the geographical centre of the head, and from Descartes "This is the “little gland” which alone of the brain's structures is not bifurcated."

What is your interpretation?

It's interesting that the Neiye doesn't talk about 'fire', or later stages of alchemy, but it does talk about emotions and the 'Fount of Qi". There is more as you say, no doubt, but the 'Fount of Qi' or 'Zhenren' is still a a good level to achieve, and to my understanding is the basis for further development. zhang 15 "The Fount of Qi" 1 When Jing is preserved, it naturally grows. 2 Externally it will emanate. 3 Hidden inside, it becomes a primal spring 4 Abounding like a flood, it harmonizes and equalizes 5 It becomes a fount of Qi. 6 When the fount is not dried up, 7 The four limbs are firm. 8 When the spring is not drained, 9 The nine apertures freely circulate [Qi] 10 Then you are able to exhaust the universe, 11 And cover the four seas. 12 Within, when your mind is unconfused, 13 Without, there will be no disasters. 14 When your heart is whole within, 15 Your body will be whole without, 16 And you won't encounter natural disasters, 17 Or receive harm from others; 18 Call such 'Shengren'.

And what would it be called if I resonate more with the simplicity of the Neiye? zhang 3 1 All forms of the Heart 2 Are naturally infused, naturally filled, 3 Naturally generated, naturally completed. 4 They can become lost, out of place 5 Due to sorrow, happiness, 6 joy, anger, desire, or profit-seeking. 7 If you are able to cast off sorrow, happiness, 8 joy, anger, desire and profit-seeking, 9 Your Heart will return to its natural flow 10 The natural emotion of the Heart 11 Is beneficial calmness and tranquility. 12 Do not vex it, do not disturb it 13 And harmony will naturally develop.

So far I'm just trying to define the water part, I think the water part of the equation is a very good place to start. Water should be the very first topic IMO and ideally it would continue to be the only topic for many years.

This is my tentative summary of the meaning of water as it makes sense to me - When the emotions (positive and negative) are balanced and routinely rest in neutral then the yuan/first/original/primary/fundamental energy or qi which was previously dissipated in a downwards direction will start to flow upwards.

Do you consider her to be external to yourself though always present, or your Self visualised as Kali/Shakti?

When I think of water in Neidan I think of this sort of reference: Water is True Water, Fire is True Fire. Water and Fire conjoin: you will never grow old. Water and Fire are divided between above and below. How can they be conjoined? You must avail yourself of the True Soil of wu and ji in order to seize and control the True Fire and the True Water, and to apply pressure on them. Thus you can cause them to ascend and descend, and to return together to the Earthenware Crucible. After Water and Fire have been balanced, they coalesce and form the Golden Elixir, which is the Pure Yang of the One Breath and is as longevous as Heaven. Source: Verses quoted from the Ruyao jing (Mirror for Compounding the Medicine) — Commentary by Wang Jie (14th century) What is this water, and how to make it rise? Is it related to De?

Isn't it all meant to be found within?

Yes it might be a Westernised model of TCM, I embedded the link in my previous post. I still take issue with the idea that joy is a negative emotion though.

I was referring to this system (below), though I have seen joy referred to as a virtue or a negative emotion as well. Element Wood Fire Earth Metal Water Planet Jupiter Mars Saturn Venus Mercury Mental Quality sensitivity creativity clarity intuition spontaneity Negative Emotion anger, frustration over-excitation worry, anxiety grief, sadness fear, lack of will Positive Emotion patience joy empathy,love courage calmness Zang (yin organs) liver heart/pericardium spleen/pancreas lung kidney Fu (yang organs) gall bladder small intestine/San Jiao stomach large intestine urinary bladder Sensory organ eye tongue mouth nose ears Body Part tendons pulse muscle skin bones Body Fluid tears sweat saliva mucus urine Finger index finger middle finger thumb ring finger little finger Sense sight speech taste smell hearing Taste sour bitter sweet pungent salty Smell rancid scorched fragrant putrid rotten Life birth youth adulthood old age deat

Isn’t joy a virtue in the five element system?