Aetherous

I've had enough training to know that the crystallizations I saw in his skull were totally abnormal. They are apparently like Tibetan Buddhist relics, which formed in him as a result of the practices. But who cares?

I can't speak for all that he does, but we did learn some of that stuff in the little training I've been able to do with him...like to help a person get into alignment (if we see and feel that it looks off, help adjust them physically into something that looks right...or if someone's spazzing out and going off into their own world, try to relax and calm them, bring them into center and awareness)...or there are methods that do specific things internally or energetically to help, and signs to look for of when to do them. I barely know anything, unfortunately...but those ways of helping are super interesting to me. The effects are real. A key thing to realize is that it's not a qi healing session. "A person heals themselves". The work is happening internally within the practitioner...it's internal alchemy taking place, as a result of your own practice. Extra things that a person does can just help (and for many of it, anyone could help, doesn't have to be some adept practitioner). Many of those extra helping ways are contained within the other practices of the system already... There's another effect, of 'teaching in presence' or the proximity effect to people who are going deep into their practice...helps us as well. So practicing with Max can be more effective than most of the days that we do it alone. For people (like me) who don't have kunlun friends that live nearby, it helps to practice in nature, near trees...

It's supremely funny that you said "zero juice"...inside joke amongst kunluners. Maybe someone will understand what I'm getting at. I got zero juice from Max too!

The system is actually mostly based off of the red phoenix line of practices. The kunlun method (the one I learned) hardly bears any resemblance to Sifu Jenny's yigong...I'd say it's entirely derived from red phoenix...however if you do yigong you're getting a similar effect to the kunlun method, so no need for concern. In Michael Saso's "The Gold Pavilion" (which is originally from the same Shangqing tradition), it talks about 'kunlun' referring to the pineal gland. I'm sure there are other stories or teachings within that tradition, or Chinese culture, which could give a lot more meaning to the term kunlun. It's obviously a great name, since people still love to talk about it.

I love #2.

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They do.

Very nice idea! ... It's possible to have concept-free awareness (past and future are conceptual only). Just a matter of recognizing it. It's not a big deal. Also, awareness of the world is always present moment...especially if it's enjoyable. Like surfing for instance (I can only imagine...oh crap, damn conceptual mind!). I personally feel like it's more useful to develop the ability to think...to 'keep your wits about you'...but that's coming from someone who tends to just have nothing going on up there most of the time. The grass is always greener, so when people's monkey minds are jumping about all around me, I'm kind of out of the loop. A stone monkey. I can really relate to Lao Tzu's verse: ...and of course I like the link in my signature...addding the soul nourishing elements to mindfulness is important.

Same with his ideas of enlightenment and spirituality...

The Buddhist Path: A Practical Guide from the Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche Pretty simple, probably aimed at beginners...but I like it more than most I've seen.

That's obviously what she was doing, until you decided to speak as if you've experienced everything, and as if she hadn't experienced what she was talking about.

Nope, it's not time.

One school I belong to claims (in my own words and understanding) that by attempting to stop cultivating bad things, and trying to cultivate good things only, the dual being eventually becomes dominated by the good...so instead of the animal instincts and drives sometimes controlling the person, the soul and its intuition and intelligence lead the way. These tame "the beast" naturally. Without effort, once you reach that stage of cultivation. Then you have a spiritual human being, no longer conflicted internally...no longer of a dual nature. But yeah, I agree that "we all have issues". This is in line with the above.

Or you could get real for a second. As for your personal take on Buddhist philosophy, relative truth is by definition not false, and is not a prison to escape from.

I know that your heart has been harmed in many ways throughout your life, and that the discussion in this thread has caused you to go into a violent and bitter defensive mode. Sometimes that's necessary. Just want you to know that you can drop it...no one is going to harm you here. In fact, you're just harming yourself with that state of mind.

I've had this same effect from practicing S-M from the book alone...sometimes after just continuing the practice, there's a little breakthrough and more energy is released from it...other times the negativity of not wanting to sit for so long just continues on post-practice. I'm wondering if people who have attended the seminars experience this as well...or does the transmission you get possibly take care of that?

I disagree with you completely, tulku.

For your health, try an acupuncturist. Also, some people here (like forum member Ya Mu) do distance healing that is said to be quite effective.

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Yes.

I think technically in neigong you don't absorb qi from the outside...doing so is a qigong method, and it is what could be considered 'outdoor student teachings'.