Vajra Fist

My father in law practices Nichiren. In Japan, Soka Gakkai is regarded with a great deal of suspicion. It is involved in politics, and there are rumours it uses it's practitioners as cash cows to fund further influence. I would stay away as much as possible from that organisation. Nichiren by itself is fairly innocuous, but I'm not sure I agree with a lot of the founder's ideas

Most of the people who claim to have achieved enlightenment say it was a sudden, dramatic experience. Doc Morris said it felt like his head was being blown off. I think the most in-depth account of what enlightenment is and what the experience of it was like on this forum came from dawg. Also he's the only bum here who claims to have attained it. It's a great read. Edit - interesting parallel I saw with the Doc was the unconsciousness as an almost seperate entity. A higher mind. Doc said he had a sort of conversation with the subconscious, before reaching an agreement to merge both the conscious and unconscious mind ('like a fist being pushed through another fist').

I guess it's each to their own. In certain daoist practices they talk about the establishment of an energy mechanism in high level transmission. Like the master establishes aetheric 'training wheels' so the refinement of internal alchemy doesn't go wrong at high levels. My understanding is that it's a similar principle with the falun, it's not so much a sentient entity, but something to help refine virtue and qi developed through the cultivation and qigong into higher level energy. It's either something that you believe exists or you don't. To call it a 'cult' because you don't believe in it is slightly disingenuous. I did my university thesis on cults and brainwashing. That was about 15 years ago, but I vaguely remember the characteristics to look out for. 1. Separation from society or from influences that contradict the group's teaching - there is nothing of the sort in Falun Gong. People practice in their daily life. (The drummer in David Bowie's band practiced Falun Gong) 2. High financial demands, often linked to progression in the group. Or else payment for higher level teachings through labour. - you see this in Scientology. However everything is free in Falun Gong. All the materials, practices and everything are available to download for free online. There is no 'inner circle'. 3. Coercion or manipulation into following the group's teachings. - it's a purely internal practice. You cultivate yourself and you have no accountability for that. Similarly no disconnect for leaving the group. I still have many good friends who practice and I meet up with them now and then. 4. An authority figure in the main founder - Falun Gong does have this, admittedly. But then, most qigong schools do. Look at Chunyi or Wang Liping. Or that guy in the 90s who used to give six hour qigong transmissions. The schools are built around their authority. Moreover they often charge thousands of dollars for their teachings, whereas FG is all free. Plus Li Hongzhi is something of a recluse. I only saw him once in the decade that I practiced, and that was when I went to a seminar he gives once or twice a year. Anyway, no offence if you disagree and still want to call it a cult. I don't practice any more so I have no vested interest. Just wanted to set the record straight as I see it.

These days I've been experimenting with a few bits and bobs. My main practice, as always is the mani mantra - which to my mind is a thousand practices in one. I've also kept up a regular Shaolin martial practice. But I've been dabbling in a few qigong forms, 8 brocades, zhineng and a bit of Chen. All good fun. Also someone kindly shared with me the secret smile pratice from KAP. Sometimes it's good to branch out a bit, try new things.

This looks like a wonderful form.

I practiced it for over 10 years. Gave it up a couple of years back to focus on Buddhist practices. It's not in any way a cult. It is an extremely safe, healthful practice but at its root is l the idea that your spiritual breakthroughs are tied to the cultivation of your heart - how well you embody the characteristics of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. It teaches you to turn the other cheek when being abused by others. Not only remaining calm when being attacked but remaining compassionate toward others. It's completely free - there's no membership, fees or mandatory group attendance. You can literally download the book and videos and practice on your own without ever meeting another practitioner. I stopped practicing because I got stuck at a certain level and felt like I wasn't progressing anymore. I still have a bunch of friends who practice and get loads from it. I won't get into a debate about it here. It was banned in China because there were 100 million people practicing it in the 90s. Which is utterly terrifying for the communist leadership, as the founder wasn't a party appointee. The cult propaganda came later and included loads of coerced testimonies and falsified footage. A good friend of mine was tortured for about three months before finally agreeing to give a false testimony to the tv station about how it ruined his life. The reality is a innocuous, peaceful practice.

I've recently discovered congee as a breakfast food to boost spleen qi. There's a tonne of different medicinal preparations for congee. I bought some astragalus root and goji berries for my first batch this morning. What do you put in yours?

And how about to half of the world's population, three billion people living in poverty. Or to the 1.3 billion living in the most extreme conditions of poverty? How would they view a pimple?

Genuinely see very little of that in Buddhist circles. In yoga groups, certainly In fact, there's a whole practice of vajrayana called chod, which is orientated around 'feeding' (and thereby pacifying) demons (internal or otherwise). Internal emotions are met head on, embraced and accepted. Not suppressed in any shape or form. It is a path of bravery. The op knows very little about Buddhism beyond what he may have read in a magazine sometime. https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-feeding-your-demons/

Working in the city, watching people not even spare a glance at homeless people living in puddles of their piss on the floor, let alone spare some change, or offer to buy them a hot meal, makes me angry. Child abuse, murder, gang violence, poverty, the lack of social welfare, the cultivation of hatred toward people fleeing war or famine, those also make me angry. Other things annoy me: the vanity of the selfie generation, the lack of self awareness inheritant in complaints over first world problems, shaming and publicly destroying people on social media without regard to the consequences, those also make me worried about our future. But a group of people trying to develop compassion for others, gratitute for their lives, and trying to live mindfully and peacefully in the precious few years we are given, that doesn't make me angry. Not one jot. For those people, I have the greatest respect and I hold them in the highest esteem.

Just wanted to say thanks all for the replies. I came with strong views, but I've listened to some compelling counter arguments, and tried some promising new exercises (thanks those who posted ping shaui gong vids). My views on the issue are now more ambivalent, and not as black and white. Grateful to this forum and you all.

Two very different videos

Yes well I never claimed to radiate good health and vitality myself. Although I would love to, don't get me wrong. But I believe when you look at a system, you should look at the teacher. And then ask yourself if you want to become them. JAJ is a teacher for instance that many people seek for high level teaching...

I'd rather not mention names, so as not to offend anyone. I know some people on here consider them their masters and have great respect for them. If you're curious who I had in mind please pm me. This is an excellent point, and it is true. My experience in person with qigong masters is indeed limited. But I do believe this can be transmitted through the screen. I've listened to dozens of dharma lectures in which I've felt the qi field of the teacher, the quiesence I can only liken to fresh snowfall. I've never felt the same way listening to one American daoist master give long lectures on the arts, for instance. Not for a second. And that is someone who has dedicated his life to internal arts. Maybe it's just as you say, that the changes are a lot deeper than surface level. Maybe something like yoga works from the outside in, rather than the inside out?

So it's a question of how diligently you practice? Most western teachers don't practice that well?

An old Chinese guy when he was a teenager living in Taiwan, as far as xingyi is concerned. His book 'radical xingyi energetics' has lots of interesting exercises to cultivate qi. I haven't tried them though as they seem fairly time consuming as an adjunct to other practices

Interestingly, those who have undergone phowa in Tibetan Buddhism are said to have an indent on the top of their skull. From my memory it is said to facilitate the transfer of consciousness at the time of death to rebirth in a pure land.

That's a sad story, of a life entangled with karmic debt. Hope he found a happier rebirth.

How does juicing work from a TCM perspective? Since it was a cold food, potentially damp forming, I stopped juicing. Would love to hear anyone's thoughts on it from that perspective.

Fascinating stuff, thanks for posting

Compassion is the most simplest, most direct path. It yields the greatest qualify of life and happiness, generates mountains of merit and leads you to rebirth in a pure land at death. Therefore all you need is the mantra for generating compassion, the heart mantra of Avalokitesvara/Chenrezig/Kuan Yin. Om Mani Padme Hum. Here is a nun who made this mantra her sole focus for 45 years. The Buddha said: “I can count the number of dust motes, but I can not reckon the merit and virtue that results from one single recitation of the Six Word Great Bright Mantra.”

Does maha vajra have a legit lineage? I got the impression it was something he made up.

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I remember learning nine mudras from a DVD by Stephen Hines a long time back. I could never work out whether you're supposed to hold each mudra for a period while continually reciting the associated syllable, or if you are supposed to quickly run through the mudras in pace with the recitation of the entire prayer. Anyone who practices this do let me know. Not knowing has always bothered me.

This is Nichiren, not Pure Land. Specifically a sect within Nichiren called Soka Gakkai, which is regarded by the rest of Nichiren and Japan more broadly as being potentially a cult. My father in law practices Nichiren and he doesn't have such extreme views by any means. Referring to Pure Land there are two major Japanese schools, Jodo-shu or Jodo Shin-shu (or Shin). The main practices are chanting solely Namu Amida Butsu, or Namu Amida-bu. It is a Buddhism of faith, where you rely on the vow of Amitabha (referenced in the sutra above) to deliver you to the Pure Land at death, and the ultimate enlightenment. It is also sometimes used as a 'safety net' for other practices, especially in Zen. Whereby if you fail to achieve enlightment in this life through your own efforts, you still will achieve liberation from samsara and another shot in the next life (in the Pure Land). It's a perfect, easy and non demanding practice, and certainly one most cultivators should consider, especially those getting older.