Aetherous

Have had some awesome ones. For instance, in one I stepped outside of my parent's house on a beautiful day, and all of a sudden there were pieces of land floating in the sky (similar to the movie Avatar, before it came out). Turned out they were actually alien invader ships in disguise, then these high tech Marine ships flew by and tried to take them out. Last year had a dream that the Mississippi flooded really bad so that numerous states were completely wiped out. I think it did end up flooding, but wasn't anywhere close to that.

"Love me when I least deserve it, because that is when I really need it." -Swedish Proverb

...on second thought...letting go. ...and on a third thought... I don't view your accomplishments as pathetic.

On the other hand, I'm totally a sponge any time someone is saying anything halfway good. For instance, balance's post...for some reason I was never instructed by Max to try doing even reps of the RP levels. Each class, as we know, is taught differently...so it's nice to see something new and sensible to play around with! If everyone agreed that only Max is allowed to have ideas about this path, then there would be little learning or growth going on. Sometimes people need to play the role of teacher in order to learn things...as they say, you best learn by teaching. It's not up to us to stop these people from learning, with our personal decisions about how we behave. (Of course, for this path you should go to the course and be certified by Max before attempting this.) You're right that each person is walking a different path to the Tao. If you feel like it's inappropriate/disrespectful to speak up, then it'd probably be best not to. If another person feels like it's necessary to say something, then it's probably best if they do. We can't really judge one another based on our own path and decisions. Those reading whatever is said here, can feel whether the words have the ring of truth for them personally or not. Seems to me like most people (except the awakened ones) will simply zone out if what they're hearing isn't for them...their eyes gloss over and their mouth droops open (yes, this really happens when a person is disinterested or they can't absorb any more info).

Balance! You have PMs...

Good idea cat. A spontaneous movement teacher (shuichuan) once told me, "Once you connect to the energy of the Tao, you will never be lonely again." I found it to be only partially true. A teacher for health class in high school once told me, "Human beings need physical contact with 10 other people per day in order to be happy and healthy." So maybe that's the other piece of the puzzle. Also, Blue Monk, maybe consider moving out of London.

Please don't misquote me.

I don't think anyone cares if you want to talk about a stipulative definition of the word compassion. That's all good. In the right context, it might even be interesting. But you encounter problems when you say that the actual (lexical definition) is wrong, and the one you're using is absolutely right...not just in Buddhism but in all cases. I find great value in the actual definition of compassion, as I'm sure others do. And little value in your stipulative definition. Since you're quoting Buddhists and bringing a primarily Buddhist message (even though I don't think all Buddhist traditions would agree with it), it's not a bad thing to point out that this belongs in the Buddhist forum. That is not attacking you or the message. That is where it belongs. Anyway...peace out.

Tried to take off with level 3 before I was ready, and experienced some problems...definitely still at level 1.

Ridiculous.

I've found red phoenix to be very helpful for letting go. So is one breath if you get really deep into it. Come to think of it, I guess all the methods are good for it. I wouldn't concern myself with popping. The kunlun practice is different for everyone. "Some start with movement and move towards stillness. Some come from the void, beginning with stillness, but eventually there is movement." "Movement means there is a blockage...we favor stillness." Energetic sensitivity...always calm the mind with one breath. Relaxation in the body and mind creates movement...then you can feel it. Just some ideas from a fellow practitioner. Not that you need any help.

This definition of compassion is strictly limited to (certain types of) Buddhism. The actual definition of compassion in any English language dictionary doesn't include the Buddhist defintion whatsoever. Maybe this thread would be best served in the Buddhist discussion forum, where it won't confuse people.

I don't know what you're talking about....do you?

Yes, as Fu Yue said...sounds like a positive experience. "By their fruit you will recognize them." About problems occurring in your life, it's not something to be encouraged, but it can be a sign that you're moving forward spiritually. Could be "bad karma" resolving. There are two ways that we become purified... 1) Punishment (like bad things happening) and us meeting the challenges. 2) Conscious cultivation of good thoughts, feelings, actions, words, etc...in each moment. If you choose number 2, you can offset number 1 so that you have good luck instead. So much more preferable. Good to cultivate awareness of things, for instance, finances. A person could pay little attention and end up losing a few thousand by accident. Or they could choose to pay close attention and ensure that they don't lose it. If some mistake in the bank happens, the person will notice it right away and have their own records proving that the money was there...they're on top of their responsibilities. Concern yourself with the mundane things! It's like zen monks cleaning the place...normal people might scoff at chores, but that is a big part of their spiritual path. So be normal. That's part of being grounded. Being very full of love is great, it's like you're a young leaf on a branch full of life, but as the wise ones say, you must at the same time also have deep roots and be very sturdy. Or else you'll be broken off from the branch, get blown any way the wind decides, and end up dying early. Cultivate a normal mindset, and keep spirituality as only a percentage of your overall life. Maybe you will be able to find a lot of other ideas about grounding on this forum. The way I see it, the more grounded (smart, calm, clear headed) a person can be in any situation, the more spiritual they are.

Agreed. It is also "escapism" which isn't middle path at all...nor is it realistic. A spiritual teacher would never say things like these. Too much ideas...too much extremism... The spiritual path is like a snake eating its tail, spinning around. You are cultivating the bitter aspect with very little of the sweet (lets say, yang)...eventually you will move forward and cultivate primarily the sweet aspect with very little of the bitter, after having seen its uselessness (lets say, yin)...as you keep progressing, eventually the two poles will be experienced at a more and more rapid rate...until the point comes that you realize these conceptual and self-imposed dualities are just of the mind and can (SHOULD) be dropped. Like a ping pong ball that you let bounce...at first it rebounds very high, and then falls again...then it begins to bounce faster and faster, as well as less extreme of a height, at an exponential rate...then at some point the ball eventually comes to a stop...and is still. At that point you break free from the snake-circle. Then "duality" is seen through. You still can think and have ideas, but they come from a more realistic point of view. So that's an idea of what should happen later on. What should be done right now, though? Find a real path, and do it. You can still talk and think you're right, etc...it will make no difference. A ping pong ball doesn't bounce higher and higher on its own.

Which ability do you mean?

The post is basically saying "get direct experience". Those words are meaningless, but getting direct experience is not. Just like I could describe how a durian tastes, or you could just taste it. Any intelligent person knows which is more reliable for understanding. No offense but this is kind of a 'duh' thing. Totally agree. It's actually an exploration of life.

It seems to me like one of the main purposes of the mystery schools, and even some spiritual schools, is to experience the state of death while living. I urge you to have your own experiences, by learning from these groups and practicing, rather than taking anyone's word for it. Words are meaningless. And then once you have experiences, question them. Consider, if your experience (positive or negative) of the inner realms relies on the location in the physical body, while living, then what will happen when there is no more physical body? Maybe it's just a fact that no one knows. Or maybe they do. I don't know.

The way I am viewing this, everyone involved is trying to do the right things and help in their own way. When people are attacking egos in the spiritual community, they are trying to help each other grow. But it becomes plain to see that reflecting another person's shit back at them isn't very helpful. Bob sees shit and reflects upon it, then Bill sees Bob's reflected shit and decides to reflect it back...so on and so forth. Just a bunch of shit. Just a bunch of mirrors rather than people. What are you looking at? We always have a choice on what we focus on. Shit is addicting. Using the mirror is addicting. But it's possible to simply drop it and live a life of pure serenity, remaining untouched, in the midst of a shit storm. It's just about where your focus is. It's about moving forward. BTW, I say this totally as someone with much experience in diving into the shit storm as you all know. So despite this coming from the likes of Scotty...this is just sharing a helpful idea that I have been reflecting upon.