Aetherous

The Tao Yin section looked pretty sweet to me, just glancing at it. I also liked the stories.

Of course. That's what jobs are for. The karma burning will happen regardless. The student's sacrifice should be their passion and effort. I don't buy the karmic exchange theory for charging money at all. Paying for "the school" might be legitimate. But why are there any costs for the school? A teacher can easily pay for a website from their own pocket. You can meet in a public place, or in the teacher's home to learn...or through written word online (a new concept to the spiritual world). There are usually ways that you can get out of charging students money. And there are always lazy excuses for charging a lot! And do they still charge the students that really care? If so, then this isn't a valid argument. Another way to do this is by simply observing each student's effort...and continuing to teach those who show they care, while refusing to teach those that don't show it. This doesn't involve money.

Hey Stig, I think there's no problem with charging fairly. If you are sharing your time, and what you have is something of value, then there are two reasons to charge. If the teacher wants to develop the student more personally, and form that kind of bond, then in my view they shouldn't charge. The student's dedication is payment enough, and the teacher gains the satisfaction of sharing what they're passionate about. Why teach if you only care about the money? That's a fair exchange...and to me, it feels more correct and natural. For spirituality this is especially true...whereas for something like taiji, it makes more sense to involve money. I think this kind of argument is the biggest crock of shhhhhhhh I've ever heard (no offense intended, I know you heard it elsewhere). Like I said, there are more valid ways of having a fair exchange. And there are also valid ways of making the teaching seem valuable...for instance, make the training challenging so that the student earns it. Also, if you have a passion for it, that will come through in the teaching. Money can get in the way of that! Anyway, the choice is always up to the teacher. There are pros and cons to every decision. Some people will hate you, some will love you, no matter what. Think about what kind of character of students you want, and what your character is...then decide based on that, and let the pieces fall where they may.

One breath away.

Wow, you will really fly someone out there? I'm willing to go! Will email you, even if I don't fully believe this is true.

Overseas teaching jobs! Good plan. Wishing you luck, and will keep you in my prayers.

One thing which recently happened in my life...I crossed paths with an old high school buddy, who had subsequently kind of lost his mind through drug experimentation or shamanism. And concurrently, I had temporarily lost mine too, through incorrect practice and lack of sleep. We met up at a local cafe, and ended up talking about tons of stuff. It was very awkward and forced conversation at first. Then the flood gates opened the more we opened ourselves and attempted. Weather magick, power animals, Taoism, poetry, high school people that we know, natural living, survivalism, conservationalism, minimalism, etc. Many things were discussed. We ended up going back to the cafe many times, writing poetry, talking about whatever, meeting random people that we knew. So...point is that cafes are a good place to have interesting conversations. Especially the shady ones...not Starbucks. Certain things open people up, like sharing poetry and art with eachother. Sharing information about spirituality. Getting involved in projects. This just came to mind.

Here is another source, where it's still there. http://www.weather.com/weather/map/interactive?animation=true It seems common to me...nature moves like this, and does crazy things often.

This looks awesome. Almost wish I were a woman.

"(Fate) helps those who help themselves." Maybe you should take a trip to the nearest mountain, and spend some time practicing there. Maybe an ancient master will show up, in some way. Spending time in nature is healing, regardless. About wanting to escape, there are two factors... 1) It's good to develop the life you wish for. For instance, what is preventing you from living in your own place? Get a job if money is the issue. This is your life, you should try to make it what you want it to be. Maybe move to a different state? 2) Wanting to escape is just a feeling. All feelings come and go; but of course while they're happening it feels like it's the end of the world...just remember "this too shall pass." You can dissolve all of these unwanted feelings by practicing breathing. Then you can feel just fine, as if you're liberated, and training on a mountain with ancient masters...while in your parent's house. Or something like that. Anyway, trust me, I know the feeling of wanting to escape. Get some more sunlight, brighten up your living space...it's good to think of places you want to travel to. And actually do it if you have the ability. Go into nature and get the space that you require. Dream and realize. De-stressing is supremely important. Best of luck in finding out what works.

Sweet, thanks for sharing what you could. He is knowledgeable.

Pine forest, a real one that I live near...wide dirt path that doesn't exist in reality. Bright gold chalice that's glowing. I pick it up, and don't really feel anything. Dull gold skeleton key. I pick it up, don't really feel anything. I carry both since I don't know if I'll need them later on. Kind of small peaceful sunny lake. Somehow I end up water skiing on it. Feels nice. Small wooden cottage. I knock on the door. Feels like I own the place, and that I should lay on the bed, but I'm unsure of this and continue on... The wall didn't exist at all at first. Then when I willed it to follow the instructions, it slowly appeared as a small stone wall that I could step around or probably climb over. Had to will it again, so that it was a stone wall that I couldn't pass in any way. I felt powerful, but like I was doing something stupid by forcing the visualization to be something that I can't pass...it didn't come naturally at all.

Nice name.

My bad, not trying to sound argumentative about this...I just find Golden Dawn to have been kinda ridiculous. Could have been the case, though. A lot of "illuminati" groups branched off of the original. Some were legitimate, and some just stole the namesake.

I have never heard this connection before...to me it seems inaccurate.

Yeah!

Niwan/upper dantien...where basically shen is converted to emptiness. Calm the heart, so the shen isn't disturbed. Pure awareness and bliss of your true nature, instead of emotional states of mind. Otherwise, I think how you work with shen is by using it to reveal your true empty nature, which is more upper dantien work. That's how shen is used. In the same way 'working with qi' is by refining it to shen, through middle dantien work. And working with jing is by refining it to qi at the lower dantien. Qi is refined to a higher vibrational state experientially, which is essentially awareness itself created through the subtle physiology of the body...through middle dantien work. Emotions can be brought up with this...so you calm the heart through various methods (besides just waiting for it to pass), to maintain pure awareness/bliss of true nature. Then with your awareness and bliss you work the upper dantien, and gain those effects (emptiness of true nature), which are more mystical and interesting. The effect isn't simply upward...it goes in both directions (always, no matter the method)...on the way down, replenishing and condensing. Best to work all three dantiens!!! "When the contents of the lower tan-t'ien move to the middle tan-t'ien, generative energy (ching) is transmuted into vital energy (ch'i); when the contents of the middle tan-t'ien move to the lower tan-t'ien, vital energy is used to produce generative energy; when the contents of the middle tan-t'ien move to the upper tan-t'ien, vital energy is transmuted into spirit energy (shen); and when the contents of the upper tan-t'ien move to the middle tan-t'ien, spirit energy is used to produce vital energy." -Eva Wong from the Translator's Introduction section of her book, The Tao of Health, Longevity and Immortality Well, in Michael Saso's book Gold Pavilion (a translation of huang ting jing), it's visualized. From what I remember, it's described as a red robed individual that you visualize. Saso was taught a color meditation, in which the bright red color is used to pacify emotions at the heart (this is just a small aspect of that method). I think so, but at some point you must stop experiencing it as qi in order for this to take place. Where is the gap between what qi and awareness are? Awareness is such a high vibration that we tend to not even perceive it as energy anymore. These three things are always one (in Jade Emperor's Mind Seal it's said that they are inseparable, the supreme medicine), but by doing different methods, the separate aspects of that one thing can be ascertained. I guess the explanation for all of Taoist alchemy: it's more complex and simple than we can say. If you can feel what it is to be awake. Also there is the blissful aspect...which isn't like joy. It's a subtle bliss that comes from nowhere, for no reason besides existing...it's like love...if you have a good sense of who you are (I don't mean this in a self enquiry way, but in a way of how you view yourself), then it's most closely related to that. This bliss is revealed through becoming accustomed to deep relaxation and surrendering. This is true...and you can experience these various transformations in the body. For instance when you feel qi, you might feel vibrations like ripples on a pond, or movement. When you feel it converting to shen you will feel warm steam rising in the body (the qi being transmuted). When you feel void, the shen is even more like gas that penetrates the entire body, which at some point turns into the energy which is the body being the same as the surroundings (emptiness), revealing that the body and surroundings as well as your consciousness are essentially made out of this one material (Tao)...that there is no separation, yet there is. Speaking about this is pointless...it can be experienced. Just some things to ponder, based on my experiences...I don't claim to actually know what I'm talking about, thankfully.

Hey bro, We all value good discussion here...and this place is moderated. Careful with what you say. May you receive the blessings of the Tao.

I feel that, CLPM.

It's important to earn a living...so find the best way to cope with your job. Reduce your stress. Find things to do in your free time to shake it up and enjoy life! This is your priority, since you need to earn money to survive. But other than that, I'd say you're doing fine. Taoism is about being effortless..."wu wei". Doing what's natural and spontaneous. If you don't feel like practicing, then there is a reason. You probably shouldn't! Our feelings are very important in letting us know what's beneficial and what isn't. If you read Eva Wong's Tao of Health Longevity and Immortality, one of the things they (the immortals) say is that people end up doing more harm than good with practices by forcing it. So like I said, you're doing fine. Each moment is different; trust your feelings. Let go of your self doubt, and don't listen to those who perpetuate that in you. I see that you have the goal of immortality, rather than simply improving your health. Good. That is quite the elusive goal, but I think it's possible. There are quite a few books that you could get for the scholarly aspect of your path, including the Eva Wong one...but for the practical aspect (the part that actually matters), I can recommend Kunlun and its teacher Max.

I like rainy days...welcome!

Okay, so an idea that I toy with is that we live in a collective reality. There are many dimensions to it... For instance, if you are invited to an ocean view mansion, where you can stay for an entire season...where chefs prepare any kind of food you want...where you can bring any friends you desire...where you're given 1 million to invest, so you could essentially not work ever again... That is like heaven on earth! Someone, please make it happen for me! For some other people, heaven on earth could simply be spending time with people they love and enjoying simple things...like having a tea, making music on their guitar, meditating...who knows. That can also be great. So there are immensely enjoyable dimensions that we can actually exist in physically, mentally and spiritually. Then there are ones which are less so... Lets say you get framed for murder by the police, and end up living life behind bars. That would SUCK in comparison. Some people can improve their mental disposition towards the physical experience, but we could essentially say that they live in a hellish dimension of this collective reality. So how we use this information is by knowing exactly what we enjoy, and creating it in our personal dimension. Knowing what we don't enjoy, and eradicating it from our lives. Most often, there is a mix of pleasure and pain...lets say you're visiting family for Thanksgiving! So in those mixed moments, you just focus on the positive and try to make the best of it...or if you wish, simply don't put yourself into unpleasurable situations. If you get into a certain state of mind, you can feel that each action you take alters time and space and creates a new future. Like all of reality is separate from your current decision in the present moment. So what do you want? Instead of reacting to the stream of collective reality, alter its course. Impose your subjective reality upon the collective! Step outside of your karmic ties, outside of your predestined c(o)urse, and build the life you believe is best. In the spiritual path, they say "don't avoid". There is something to be said about training yourself to be content...but there's also something to be said about living life to the fullest. The spiritual path is a tightrope walk between magick (as described above) and the mundane (accepting the cold hard truth that nothing is ever perfect). So those are some ideas. Hope it suited the topic...I admittedly don't really understand quantum mechanics. ... Also, it could be that by altering fate/creating a better world, we are leaving others behind, and that they are entirely unaware that the world you currently live in exists. For instance, we are aware that super rich people exist...but if you were to go with them, traveling around, you'd be seeing "the world" through different eyes. You'd be in an elevated reality...one dimension of the collective. Conversely, these really rich people are totally unaware of the reality of living in a "ghetto". They know poor people exist, but that way of life is so far removed from their experience that it's essentially an entirely different world. So these rich people end up whining about the most ridiculous things, like if their veal isn't fully organic or something. Could it be that people's fate causes them to see/come into contact with the level of world that they are destined to? That if they change it, then they could 'level up' and end up living and attracting all sorts of good things...ending up like the rich people, being almost totally unaware of the reality of the poor people? It's hard to change your fate! It's a big multiverse out there, outside of our personal microcosm/macrocosm!

Also wanted to say...upper dantien work is related to the bone marrow (and whole endocrine system). At least personally, I find working with that more effective than imagining my skeleton or trying to pack qi into the marrow. Whatever works for you.

I think it's okay to allow qi to dissipate if you build an overabundance of it, with certain practices. Or maybe it's not, I don't know...just seems like it. Another way of looking at it is that you're clearing stagnation, instead of the negative way of "dissipating your qi". Personally I sometimes exercise a little while after practice, instead of doing massage. I do massage for specific stagnation and clearing, though, at any time...not necessarily as a closing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTC3KYAYRwA