Aetherous

If a machine were to recognize its own machineness, and then make decisions that are uncharacteristic of how it was programmed...would that make it not a machine?

Dude, are you serious? If he's really doing that, do you think demanding in such a rude way would persuade him to reconsider?

Have fun Camz! Wish I could make it too, but I'm saving up.

I agree that you need to stop what you're doing, Goss. Otherwise it will just continue. It's not his witchcraft being cast upon the taobums if people here are saying that you're perpetuating this. It's because you are perpetuating this. David may or may not be doing things to you. That doesn't matter. What does matter is that you chill out about it. If you keep making posts like, ...then it will keep happening. Whether it's entirely in your head, or if it's truly some dark magic at work. Good luck.

Yep this is true...I kind of forgot about this. When I was going through basic training they were still using (I think) depleted uranium in the ammunition in Iraq/Afghanistan, so we had to train with MOPP gear to avoid getting contaminated by our own weaponry. Anyway, good topic.

I personally felt a huge negative energy kickback when 9-11 happened. I slept for like 15 hours the next day, and it truly changed my life. The rest of the past 8 years I think is just the aftermath of that event. Many people all around the world are much more used to that sort of catastrophe happening, but I wasn't...I don't think most of our nation was ready for it. About what our nation does...I think this is the first time in history where a government has actually been somewhat accountable for what it does. Everything they do is broadcast to every home on multiple tv sets...if the people choose to watch it. And for the most part they do. These days the media really keeps the big guys in check. So to me, what the US has done in the world is very tame compared to the rest of time. About nuclear weaponry...if you look back to WWII, it's amazing to think we actually used atomic bombs. That would not happen today. So that's just one example of being kept in check.

It's only suppression if it's actually hard to control yourself. For me, it seems I can choose to go either way, so at this point I might as well break out of old patterns and spread the love.

It's part of life to be attached to people and things...I don't think it should be, or can be avoided. If someone fools themselves into thinking they're unattached to their lover, it doesn't solve anything. They will find they're still stuck in the same place spiritually, perhaps even worse off. If they suddenly pass away one day, and you find yourself holding back tears...then really what has that idea accomplished? So I think it's totally pointless to deny yourself of your instincts and natural disposition. It does nothing spiritually. What does a lot spiritually is honesty with yourself, and awareness of everything going on in your choices. So in my opinion, it's more about transcending attachments (by being conscious of the reasons for your actions), than trying to rid yourself of them. Puppy love is a good thing. Real love is a great thing.

Welcome to the forum.

What a great thing to do. No negativity! I almost think I won't be able to do it, but I'm in too.

How does Western lifestyle wear on the kidneys? One thing is sitting in chairs with a back rest. It's said that leaning back drains the energy from mingmen. Altogether we treat our bodies like people who don't care about their cars, treat their cars. Westerners tend to stuff whatever food (as long as it's protein and carb balanced) down their throats at specific times of the day, not paying any attention to the moaning of their intestines or the cries of their stomach. They stay up very late...most don't get a full night's rest. They do exercise intensely, many to the point of wearing down their joints or to the point of nearly blacking out or seeing stars, because it's apparently healthy to do it that way. Too much computer use, too much sitting around not moving. There could probably be many more reasons, but these are some ideas.

There are other types of meditation that work well before bed. I found that "awareness watching awareness" meditation was one of those.

Welcome.

I think people are confusing different practices here. If you want to cultivate a good qi flow, you're going to be doing something totally different than shikantaza. If you want to do shikantaza, you're going to be doing something totally different than vipassana, etc. Yes at the core of all spiritual practices there is the same path and result, but those practices aren't similar at all in some cases. You can either sit totally still, or allow spontaneous movement. You can confront your deepest fears by being present with the pain, or focus on diminishing the pain by working on your meridians with different mudras. You can't mix them all together.

Thanks for the reminder, Santi.

Hey Carson.

It was a really interesting video. I always kind of lose interest when they start talking about aliens and 2012, though. And despite there being a lot of very high level stuff talked about in the video, nothing is actually revealed as to what a person should do. Besides be excited about life because beautiful things are happening.

Just from my experience... When the fear of death comes, you have to let your body go in order to step through. The actual step is not located anywhere, and it's more like it comes to you than you coming to it. The final letting go before reaching the infinite is not done by us. A wind suddenly rushes up behind us and blows us through the gate. So staying with the pain and not blocking it out is the first step down the path...then you keep making steps (keep staying alert and allowing the pain to be there) until eventually the gate appears. You start seriously fearing for your life, having real thoughts of "what if I don't survive this?" In order to make the step through, you have to be committed to giving up everything, including your own life. You have to actually want enlightenment more than life. So just keep letting go. It will get progressively harder as the minutes go by. Then at the very last moment, it's let go for us (Grace). It can be excruciating right up until then....and once it happens it's totally weird. I guess it could help to not plan to practice everyday: but as of this very moment give up the rest of your life and be determined to attain enlightenment at this very sitting. Don't move until it's done. Just some ideas.

It could be that when we come upon pain, we transmute it over time and practice. Or it could be that pain is a pathway that leads to our fear of death, which is the gateway to the infinite mind, if we have the desire enough to stay with it and step through. So maybe the path to enlightenment is about dissolving karmas over a billion lifetimes, or maybe it's about transcending them in one moment.

All I know is that once Ya Mu invited me to check out his seminar for free! He seems genuine to me. Maybe if someone doesn't jive with him, it just means that he's not good for you personally.

So to sum up the idea of this thread: one ego is offended by another for being too egoish?

Don't drink or eat cold things.

How long do you do it for?

Really awesome. I'm sure you will remember that trip for the rest of your life! This one is great...captures the movement of human life and the beauty of the world at once. As if our little stories all meld into one glorious sunset at the end of the day.