Aetherous

You find money anywhere there is a lack of virtue. In my view, that is the truth and there's no way around it...but there are "gems" hidden in the piles of shit, too, so I pay in every way possible.

Just something I contemplate sometimes...how much better life is when I don't impose my will upon anyone else. Just let them be as they are, and I am completely separate. It can be incredibly challenging to change that behavior in myself, in regard to some people. For instance, when another imposes their will upon me in a very rude way, I impose my will upon them right back in an attempt to get them to stop. Or if I see someone doing incredible harm to the world...at first it seems impossible to step back and do nothing about it. What if I was the one that stopped, and simply allowed everything to be as it is, in a very assured way? That would be amazing. Mitt Romney can be himself...my parents can be themselves...my ex girlfriends can be themselves... ...and I can be myself. I don't know...random thoughts for you today.

I went through this as well. It's important to find ways to be calm. Get out of your head and focus gently on something else in the real world. The book in my signature is excellent...I recommend getting a paperback copy. In the meantime, if you can just make some green tea slowly, paying attention to every little aspect of the act. Use all of your senses. Watch the steam rise...look at the color...feel the heat of the cup...taste the flavor and try to distinguish all of the subtle nuances. So pay attention to things like that...with care. It will calm you down, and help you get out of your head and grounded in reality. Don't practice internal energy stuff. If you're focusing on the lower dantien, trying to move energy down there, you're doing the wrong thing in my opinion. I agree with the advice to speak with a professional. Talk to a counselor. Despite sounding scared about your situation, you have a very clear description of how it's going for you...you are speaking from a sane point of view. The counselor should appreciate that, and will listen and offer any tips they have. Really...go see one, and stop practicing what you have been. Calming down is the most important thing, and besides the advice above, you know what's best for that. Whatever works. Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot: time heals. This is impermanent. Being calm makes it more so.

Sorry to hear Leon.

Ah I see. Yea I definitely needed some time away from here the past year...it really helped.

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Not to assert my will upon you, K...but consider that it's not beneficial for you to constantly feel sickened from people that are invading your space. Even if it is true...wouldn't it feel better to just forget about that and move forward? Anyway, my apologies for if I ever do this to you. I'm just trying to get by and be myself, and also trying to be good (but that hardly ever works).

I recently read an article that stated people online are more argumentative with others (think, youtube comments section) because they don't see the other person's facial expression. They studied this phenomenon, and found that when the people's eyes were visible, everyone was much less hostile.

At least personally, I am happiest when merciful. My view is that compassion is our bliss. But maybe my heart is just weird.

The following is one of my teachers... Sometimes I'm not a good student.

www.thesecretknots.com

I personally relate more to wolf girls. Or maybe turtle girls, if such a thing existed. But I see those lion girls out there sometimes, in the wild, and think they are kinda cool.

how does it feel to be just another domino, falling by the touch of my hidden hand? how does it feel to be a pawn; just another sacrificial lamb? how does it feel to be the sweat shop worker, making supplies for my endless demand? how does it feel to be the rich man, creating the very hell beneath the spot where I stand?

You sit on your bum and forget. You give money to a bum to be virtuous. You act like a bum because Lao Tzu said it's the way.

http://www.cnn.com/2...?iref=allsearch Acupuncture got 50%, random sticking needles got 43% and other got 30% effective. Ear acupuncture has been used by the US military at times during surgery instead of anesthesia for pain control. You're seeing what you want to see, rather than what is real. Not that I care if someone believes in this stuff or not.

Look at Mufasa from the Lion King...because he was strong and completely self assured, he was capable of being nurturing. He was capable of being masculine. For someone who is lacking in strength and similar qualities (root), they will create destruction in their attempt to grasp at what they don't have...like Scar, who coincidentally acted somewhat feminine in his destructiveness. Not saying anything about women...strictly speaking of men and masculinity here.

Similar subject....leaving certain fingernails long to increase that corresponding element.

What's the book?

This is the rush and relaxation effect I was referring to...it's all good if you disagree with my experience. I am in agreement with 'use whatever works'. I was just cautioning you that with cold water therapy, it's a deceiving effect. There may be the 'rush and relaxation' but there is also increased alertness and risen internal energy (which are fire element). But it can be a good practice if used in the right way. As long as the results are good. Something else that will calm down fire types is developing compassion, and taking time to relax. I always recommend it, so I apologize if it's redundant, but the book in my signature is really helpful for this. Compassion is the direct antidote to anger, frustration, a judgmental attitude, and intensity (all fire promoting qualities). These qualities are similar to wind that's being compacted into a jar (your body and sense of self). Have you ever thrown a closed bottle into a campfire? The more compacted the wind inside, the more tightly closed the container, the stronger it is = the bigger the explosion when it heats up enough. Relaxing and having compassion is like opening the container and allowing the winds to not be so compacted, so they can leave the container...then your fire element will be more like a candle, rather than a forest fire or atomic bomb. Your emotions will be more like a breeze blowing through you, rather than constantly trying to contain an explosion. Just in my experience, and only offering my help in the best way I am capable...

A bit off topic, but in case you didn't know yet, they (the smart people) pretty much figured out the problem... http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/04/09/mystery-of-the-disappearing-bees-solved/ Nice to know, hopefully they (the powerful smart people) are doing something about it. ... About the rat study, this article provides a balancing point of view. They basically say that the study wasn't good enough scientifically. I don't personally have an opinion except, "why can't we just grow and eat normal food?"

Cold showers aren't very calming (although there is something like a rush and relaxation effect), but lukewarm kinda cool showers can be. Cold will increase your alertness, which may be the opposite of what you want...sometimes. It will cause your internal energy to rise (as blood is shunted to the core of the spine heart and brain, qi follows). It can shock your spirit out of your body a little, if it's really cold, and it might make you emotionally intense...which is like fire element. External cold causes internal warmth. External water causes internal fire. Our bodies compensate to harmonize between inner and outer. Sitting by a campfire can be relaxing (which is water element). This isn't alchemical theory necessarily...maybe it's totally wrong in terms of Taoism...just things I've noticed.

If someone is trying to hit you with a hockey stick, you should really contact the police about it.

Did some coffee shops. At the time I was mostly interested in the art of recording (preamps, A/D convertors, etc)...would only take myself seriously as a musician if I were in a band and played more of a supportive role.

To be sure, Christianity teaches compassion quite a bit...but the people who use the religion as a crutch, who aren't intelligent enough to read the Bible, they ruin the name. I don't consider them to be Christians.

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