Lucky7Strikes

Lol. That's not a conversation. That's Thusness barking at you. It's like a damn lecture.

All you got from that post was "impersonality"?

This is just pure shit. How long have you been in non-conceptual awareness states? Probably never. You just wrote that whole crap based on what you believe other people do as "mistakes." You never truly experienced any of these state you preach against, and even if you have they were never genuine because all of the Thussness dogma had been sitting in your brain through the whole experience.

There is no problem of calling it God. Your certainty of "no source" is just another form of energetic clinging as to "a source." Denial is just another form of attachment as it is just another form of affirmation. You deny a Source, but you also affirm this moment, of "hearing" of "seen." These are just the same states of mind just directed at different objects. Your suchness, being part of a greater universe, of awareness, is precisely the definition of "Source" or God in esoteric religions. Of being the Son or manifestation of a greater spirit. Or of having the quality of knowing, Nous. Or being an aspect of Brahman, the universe. It's no different. I am Brahman, Brahman is the World, I am the World, all say the same thing. What you are against is an dualistic understanding of a source, between "I" and "Source of I." Liberating into dependent origination is no different than liberating into universal awareness, which is often referred to as, God. All your arguments are strawman argument making the theistic traditions into dualistic modes of perception, when in experience they are not. Your posts lack insight into theism and the insight into the varying ways humans have sought divinity. When have you ever truly studied advaita, taoism, hermeticism, sufism, esoteric christianity, all of which you will dismiss as inferior to Buddhism because they are at "I AM" stage or "clinging to the source"? What varying meditations or energetic practices have you practiced to have genuine knowledge of them? Your quick to judge vipassana practices without spending any time doing them at all. Have you ever practiced other systems outside of Thusness's stuff? Probably not. You filter every spiritual language through Thusness's medium, a prime example of dogma, you judge through the intellect trying to categorize everything into its models. Have you ever let the possibility of an "alternative" into your mind? My guess is no. This is a powerful idea, that perhaps there is an "alternative" to the way you have thought for the past five or so years. Just that slight thought! You sound as always, a very close minded individual, a devotee, a fanatic.

And you can call luminosity God. And you can call interconnectedness "oneness." We are all One vs. We are all interconnected. What's the difference? Your distinctions between theism and emptiness are absolutely arbitrary and just intellectual play. All those essays on differences between truths of this and that religion is not that important. They are just different ways of describing the transition from the ego mind to universal mind, from self-awareness to just awareness, duality to non-duality, head to heart. The degree of transition is just different and the mind interpreting it in varying religious lingo is what's at the base of all the clinging to terms and stages of enlightenment. The more you let go, the less there is. It's strange, you are understanding less and less as the experience of living becomes more mysterious. A lot of the certainties in your head melt (maybe literally too) away, but you find that energetically, you feel more at home, more integrated to each moment. I don't, or can't stand, scripture or spiritual language in the recent months. When I come across them I can feel my mind crumbling into dualities and pseudo mental structures. My mind is trying to forcefully conform experience into an idea, like trying to grasp running water. I realize that in the last 3-4 years that I have been studying, meditating, debating spirituality I have gained nothing in terms of intellectual understanding of the world or what I am. But I can see why something is not a certain way. Whether things are interconnected, disjointed, one, made by God, biological phenomenon, or any number of theories I have entertained, I have no clue what all this is, and I'm starting to wonder whether that's maybe the best way to understand it: to wonder, and to not understand it. ... So there is just this mysterious awareness?

Impermanence, Non-self, and Unsatisfactoriness and three characteristics of all experiences. The four noble truths: suffering, cause of suffering, nirvana, eightfold path Theravada methods split into shamatha concentration and vipassana insight practices. Zen, imo, has no basics other than zazen, and "not always so" as aptly said by shunryu suzuki. Haha! Maybe that sums up all buddhism. But Zen is more of a show than a tell. Zen parables don't teach you doctrine, they display wisdom.

Stephen Batchelor's Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist is basically this story. He was a devotee of all the rituals and empowerments until western philosophy began to make him question his beliefs. He went from east to west unlike many spiritual practitioners in the west.

Well said!

Well put. Most of us here don't have a clue and the rest is mere speculation. These guesses just cloud our minds needlessly. Imo,intellectual analysis is rather futile regarding this issue of essentially, "who am I?"

Fullmetal Alcehmist: Brotherhood!!!! And Code Geass!! Samurai Champloo! Andddd Vegabond the manga is probably the top notch quality manga you will ever find.

Has anyone finished the Kunlun Level 2 all the way to 36 repetitions? If you have, can you share your experiences? Also, for people who do practice it, do you lock your knees as you breathe in and straighten the body as you point the sword fingers to the side? I remember from a seminar that you are not supposed to lock your joints at any time, but from how I've been practicing it, I've always locked the knees, not severely but so that the legs are straight. I gave all my books away so these little details bug me when I practice. Any help would be great. Thanks.

Ah ok, thanks. I've also found that reverse breathing seems to be the more natural way to practice. I practiced level 2 intensely for about 4 months years ago but couldn't get passed the 18-24 mark. I noticed I was forcing my body, but the depth of the bliss vibration was incredible. I could feel my spine vibrating after practice and all in all without proper grounding and mental firmness I knew I couldn't push myself any more. I am thinking about restarting it, although I've heard Max does not include it in his system anymore. This time I'll probably take it much easier.

It's very difficult to believe that KYMQ has no relationship to Kunlun. There are so many similarities. The lifting of the heels and placing the palms one over another across the body is the basic posture for yi gong. The transition to Golden Flower Mudra placed at the third eye is also taught by Max. Same mudra, same method. The breathing is the same, just that the flow is opposite of the RP. Uniting the hemispheres, from what I recall from one of Max's lectures is also a purpose of RP, as well as releasing DMT from the third eye, which Sifu Matsuo likewise mentions in the dvd. The Kwan Yin mudras are identical to RP mudras. The Yi Gong posture generates a type of bliss energy in the body and opens the central channels. It's not just a formless form movement. That energy is utilized by the RP completing the alchemy. It could be from a different teacher and lineage, but knowing that Max was one of his teachers, it's difficult to say they have nothing to do with one another. Which body mudra was Sifu Matsuo writing about as really important?

He does mention very briefly the lifting of the heels from what I remember. That's very interesting, it's kind of like combining RP with Yi Gong. But I'm not sure that would ground the energy, more activating the bodies polarities into opening the central channel. Can you share a little more about what Sifu Matsuo said in the e-mail? Thanks.

I was being a bit critical of Dwai, but realized it wasn't going to be a productive discussion in any way. I think logically your position and Dwai's position can both be justified and negated. But for convenience sakes, I would, as most people do, take your position. It's probably the more practical way to live.

Yup, mine as well. But lately I've been letting go of trying to conjure up theories or models of reality. It's difficult to let your mind go from constantly trying to formulate a coherent understanding of its existence. Perhaps true understanding lies more in our intuition. I agree with your assessment on reactive qi, or in other words, reactive impulses and habits do cause a lot of unintended behaviors. They are just expressions of energetic blockages which are basically energy trapped in a cyclical pattern. Observing and letting go of blocks, thoughts, obsessions is really a widely practiced and very effective way to deal with your inner self, namely a vipassana technique. For me I like practicing a downward qi gong to dissolving energies in the brain down to the earth. I like doing a sort of waterfall meditation I learned. You just imagine a mist entering your crown and dissolving down to the earth. I don't know if you are familiar with Bruce Frantzis's stuff, but he teaches similar downward dissolving, he calls it "sinking the Qi." Having energy rising to the brain and letting it congeal there, ime, is never good.

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I can feel the insides and most of the outer parts of the skull. But I really don't think it means you're enlightened. It's just a natural effect from drawing your attention inwards during meditation as most people do not pay attention to their body. You should be able to feel certain energetic points in the skull and not everything as just "no obstruction," namely the pituitary and the pineal glands. When you are doing qi gong in the skull, notable effects should also happen to the lower parts of the body, especially the spine. There are many levels at which the brain can open and your skull will also transform accordingly, not to mention the true mind at the heart. I've been in states where the brain seemed to have completely melted off and the heart became the new center where one's intentions and activities emerge. Sustained focus, depending on your intentions and location, can create blockages instead of releases. Qi is supposed to flow. Just 2 cents.

I agree, both extremes can be detrimental. Better just steer the boat, the middle way, effortless effort.

I personally do not believe that such undertaking of another identity is a healthy end goal. It can easily lead to disillusionment of oneself as an emanation. However, as a stepping stone, which I get the hint from Shinzen, can be a powerful tool. But just as prone to many pitfalls of self grandeur.

This has been a problem for me as long as I can remember. I just can't get myself to do things without a genuine desire to do them. Understandably, this type of attitude has given me a lot of trouble with school and sometimes results in a rebounded states of laziness. The other extreme is addictive behaviors that result from over fixation on goals/fantasies/states of being where you are entrapped by a certain activity (or a person), becoming lost in them. IME the duality of addiction/repulsion are very much related, as in the preference for one state is also the cause for the repulsion of the other because the scale is already tipped one way in the mind; there is a type of reassurance that happens every time a certain urge comes up again. The answer is, as always it seems, the middle way. Instead of trying to control or conjure desires, to guide them and finally transform them. Our intuitive desires are most often what guides us anyway and one should honor its direction instead of trying to artificially construct one's own wants and dislikes. To an outsider it may seem that your sense of preferences have not changed at all, but in your mind there is no longer the constant deliberation between what "should be" and "should not be." You are simply yourself. In Buddhist terms I guess this could be understood as getting rid of karmic residue, and Taoists might call it fulfilling one's destiny. Just 2 cents...

That hype was mostly generated by Chris who was in charge of the marketing and presenting Kunlun to the bums in the beginning. But you are right, it still doesn't excuse Max from letting his art be presented in that manner. But why does it need excuse? It was very successful in drawing attention, a lot of attention, to his teachings than it would have if it was presented as "another average joe teaches qi gong." People would be very reluctant to pay travel, lodging, and seminar fee for someone they think could be find down the block. IMO, if Jenny taught without the Kunlun hype, she wouldn't get half the students she receives. To compare, look at the KAP site, it looks like a cheap pop-up ad. But it hasn't been as successful as Kunlun. A lot of the sensational stuff just seems like that to people who are not familiar with where Max is coming from. It's not flawed perception because the things shown and written on the website happen to be who Max is. From a person who comes from an entirely different context in life, all that seems crazy and threatening. So how do you attract beginners to such a practice without making them dismiss it as another qi gong exercise or new age pseudo art? It's a tricky balance. But I think the faith in Max's abilities in person by Chris and the early Kunlun team and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the practices made the whole thing work. It was in the lines of "just come see him, you'll see what we are talking about." In the past 3 years, Kunlun had become very successful in drawing practitioners of all levels. Most people on thebums approached Max with skepticism, but also a majority of people who have met him came back with a positive feedback and let the marketing hype slide, because they saw that he and the practice had the goods. He is in a way beyond the normal human, but what I was suggesting with the post was the being such a way does not detach one from the day to day life but more of the opposite. And it's not true that a lot of the misconceptions came from the website. It was more often generated by certain users here at the bums literally suggesting that he was a demon and a fraud with NLP techniques or something in those lines. It's worth noting that none of those people actually met him. It was just rumors.

Thanks for the great post, and I think this part should really be emphasized. When Kunlun was first taught in bigger seminars I don't think people understood that Max is down to earth, and as a result created this flawed perception of him as some ultra super human being with some demonic powers or whatever. I think part of it was fear, disbelief, fascination, and jealousy. When you go to his smaller seminars and he is just speaking to you in a discussion setting you see that he is very human, who is not on a on a throne perched up on a sky looking down at you, but one who is very much in touch with his inner divinity and earthly existence.

It only reads paradoxical and even hypocritical in language. But in experience which precedes words, it makes more sense, since it speaks more to an approach to life than logical analysis.

When you are following your intuition, there is no longer a sense of intuition. Intuition, senses, emotions are only so when you break them into their barriers. Terms like intuition is for the person who does not understand it. I think a similar analysis applies to truth or what not. At a certain point you simply are, there is just being. As frightening as it can be, imo the paradox of all of this is only seen by the dualistic eye. The non-dual vision doesn't ask questions, its more of the question being left as it is. I guess what remains then is the mystery of our existence. The deeper you sink into it and the more it reveals itself, I believe the mystery deepens into, as you say, the uncertainty rather than knowledge. Because ultimately certainties are all lies and blockages. Uncertainty is potential and possibilities, it's an opening to a structure-less states of awareness. Keep the good topics coming!