Aetherous

Well, if a person misinterprets the golden rule, then they weren't really following it were they? I like your idea of "do not harm yourself or others".

How are you certain of this? Also, did you know that the "golden rule" is included in all of the world's major religions? To address the excellent points you made against religion: forcing our opinions on others, excommunicating, killing, persecuted, or other ills....all of those things are against the "golden rule". They are unethical, and equally despised by all people if it happens to them (so this is an example of how morality is objective). It's just the nature of the human mind, that the institutions and people which teach ethics can tend to act unethically. The mind typically does the opposite of what we attempt, in order to maintain balance (a great example of this is watching people making new years resolutions to lose weight). This isn't an excuse...just an explanation.

He can do it quite well, and has practiced many other things over the years. How about yourself?

Who is the lady you were talking to? I have a personal guideline of avoiding people who over-talk.

Aaron, I will tell you: Taoism.

I can only somewhat agree with you, being inexperienced in the fine art of avoiding karmic backlash.

An easy way to distinguish, although not accurate, is to say that dark magic is about material gain or appeasing the "lower" self, and light magic is about transformation of one's self to a higher ideal. For instance, manifesting gratitude in your life. There won't really be negative karmic repercussions. Versus manifesting a million dollars...there might be some issues due to the fact that it hasn't been earned. Not trying to stop anyone from achieving success by saying this! I am honestly clueless and just thinking out loud.

Sometimes friends let each other know when they're being absolutely ridiculous.

Nice. Yes it can be freaky how sometimes it works amazingly well. Where is the line between dark and light magic, and what are the consequences? It's good to know what you really want to cultivate.

Zerostao, Well, I believe that tyrants and the greedy-rich don't ever just go away...it's nice to gain self sufficiency and have a minimal "footprint", but that lifestyle does not in any way solve the collective issues of the country.

Vmarco, I feel insulted and terrorized by your vicious attacks...it's as if you were barking and growling at me, lunging at me in an attempt to change my opinion. You have been creating an atmosphere of violence rather than peace in this thread about Hawaii! I'm not kidding whatsoever. Time to look at yourself. Also: You did.

Those are good ideas, but I'm thinking more along the lines of big changes...for instance, the national defense act which recently passed, which enables citizens to be imprisoned indefinitely without evidence or trial. How can we stop these types of things from happening? I guess the basic answers are: contact your state representatives, stay up to date on all of the laws that are being passed. Ya know, things no one really likes to do. Edit: Didn't see your reply, Serene. Really great resources, thanks!

How can we take more responsibility to alter America's destiny for the better? I am passionate about this, but aside from having conversations (which are worth a lot), how can we really make significant positive changes on an individual level...which affect the collective level?

You mustn't. The article cat posted was sensible, and yes apparently vicious dog breeds are a problem. But no one on earth gets randomly attacked by dogs 20 times per day, or even 20 times per week...that sounds like an enormous personal problem, which has nothing to do with the lives of anyone else. Good luck with it.

facepalm, oh facepalm palm in my face, this facepalm all palming my face

dissolved in mist too sent forth from the winds, held back at the four corners

How so?

Good feng shui!

Sounds intriguing!

What the hell... I can't believe this guy has been talking about vicious dog breeds for more than one post. What a ridiculous subject to keep going on about. But I guess if vicious dogs are actually attacking him over 20 times a week, then his feelings are justified. I can't even imagine that happening to anyone!

It used to be a spirituality.

I've experienced this same thing before, too. The sensations eventually go away. Obviously, cultivating fear and aversion isn't going to help. It's good to focus on things like: gratitude, compassion, acceptance, love, joy, etc. Letting go is good. Getting deeper rest is good, too...so sleep more.

Osho quotes keep you unaware of reality.

Winning!

Not legitimate. Endocrine glands don't flex. Although sometimes there are areas in the brain that can kind of 'balloon open' (I'm not saying that's the right terminology, either). This may be the third ventricle, and not the pineal gland. But this still isn't "flexing". It's true that activating the brain centers can cause a descent of sensations throughout the body. A simple explanation, although not complete, is that hormones are released from the pituitary gland which balance and regulate the rest of the endocrine system...and this is what we're feeling. It's beneficial if done sparingly, like just until you feel it. Then let it go. And best done under the guidance of a teacher, who has legitimate methods. About "channeling energy from above"...well the upper parts of the body (heart and above) relate to the sky, in Taoist alchemy...in my opinion, these are not just metaphors, but are direct correlations between micro/macrocosm. To change one is to change the other. Maybe the sky does have energy which we absorb into our bodies, when we activate the brain centers. Who knows.