Rebirthless

Really love the communication with the helpful folks on this forum through DMs. I learned a lot that way.

Although I found the "no more than 2 DMs per day" and the "10-thread max storage" limitations quite inconvenient.

I'm suspecting that the first rule was enacted to control spams, but maybe 2 is a bit on the lower side. But the 10-thread-max one I don't really understand though - storing text surely wouldn't take that much space on the server. I'd really like to keep more than 10 threads in my inbox, utilities aside, they are tokens that I can go back to to renew my appreciation of people's generosity in trying to be helpful to me.

Very grateful that this forum provides a space for us to communicate and share ideas, just thought that the DM system could use a bit of improvement.

Thank you.

Hi. I'd like to change my name to "Rebirthless".

Thank you.

Been troubled by a physical problem that I'd like to use the service of a psychic healer for.

Does anyone have recommendations? Best if you worked with that healer before and it was efficacious for you.

I know he moved to the US long time ago. His most recent public lecture that I know of was the one given in UCLA in 2013 which I missed.

I really want to attend his lectures, but I can't find any of his recent activities online. I emailed his only website a while ago but haven't heard back.

Does anyone know anything about this? I really want to see him, doesn't even have to be a lecture.

The ultimate goal of (Theravada) Buddhism is to escape Samsara and therefore end all suffering for oneself. In the same sense, I wonder what the ultimate goal of Neidan is?

Neidan (& Neigong) provides various benefits in different stages, like improved health both physically and psychologically, improved abilities to enter concentrative states and so on, and the true masters with the right karma and dedication can give birth to golden embroyo and can dematerialize and materialize at will. In other words, they develop Siddhis.

That's all fine and well as intermediary road marks, but it seems to me that the highest goal of Neidan is not very clear.

For a serious Theravadin, his goal is very clear and singular - to reach Nibbana. There are no vague secondary goals, everything else is not nearly on the same level of importance. I know it's common to have "better rebirth" as a goal while claiming to be a Theravadin, but that's a much inferior goal than striving for Nibbana, a serious Theravadin would not have such a goal.

For a serious Neidanist, what is such a goal? To achieve Siddhis? What problem does that solve? One still goes up and down in Samsara after developing powerful Siddhis like dematerialization.

Here's an example of what I mean - a person who can enter 4th Jhana at will may go to the highest Rupa Brahma realm (except the top 5 layers, which are reserved for Anagamis only) after death and enjoy a life span of 500 Kalpas (each Kalpa is the age of the universe) of sublime bliss, but that's not really useful in the large scheme of things, because it doesn't last - he would fall back down again eventually, and 500 universe cycles is but a blink of an eye in this eternal game of Samsara.

I've also heard the highest goal of Neidan is to become a "Heavenly Immortal" / Tian Xian, but to my understanding, at least in the folk Chinese culture, Tianxians are just Devas or Brahmas, even the position of "Yu Huang Da Di" (literal: "Jade King Big King"), who is the king of all Tianxians, is just Sakka in Buddhist cosmology (and Indra in Hindu cosmology). And Sakka, being the most famous Deva king, is merely the king of Tavatimsa Heaven. Yes, it's a realm filled with luxuries unfathomable to us humans, but it's only the second-lowest heaven, there are many higher Deva & Brahma heavens above it. But more importantly, as I mentioned above, even an existence in the highest Brahma heavens aren't really that desirable, let alone one in a Deva heaven.

And by the way, they are not "Immortal", it's just an unfortunate translation error. The literal meaning of "Tian" is "sky", and "Xian" is "deity", so Tianxian's literal meaning is just "sky deity", not "Heavenly Immortal". No being is immortal in this world, even the universe itself will end one day. Yes, some beings live extremely long lives - e.g. a being born into the highest Arupa realm (the 8th Jhana heaven of "neither perception nor non-perception") can live for 84,000 universe-cycles. That's mind-bogglingly long, but that's still not immortal. It will die and come back down to (often much) lower planes.

Or is the goal to achieve "spiritual growth"? That's a vague term to me. What exactly does that mean? Growth towards what end?

I've even met Neigong practitioners who said they had no goals with their practice. I'm guess it's a popular to claim to have no goals especially in the Daoist traditions, due to the concept of "wu wei", but if a person has no goals, why even practice? 

Sorry about the long-winded way to ask this question, it has been on my mind for quite some time, I figured I'd lay it out for discussion.

I'm not talking about TCM herbs, the teacher specifically said the alchemical herbs are not TCM herbs. TCM herbs can get one to be healthy, but alchemical herbs can get one beyond healthy, and they are rare. LiuWeiDiHuangWan is the opposite of rare (I've had many bottles of it in the past, and HeShouWu can damage the liver).

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Go to a TCM clinic and ask the guy there 

I've visited many TCM doctors. All except one were clueless and incompetent.

I've heard from a certain teacher that there are alchemical herbs that can replenish the Jing and therefore assist one's cultivation.

I'd be interested to know what they are or where I can find more info.

6 minutes ago, Daniel said:

I vote 'no' on using intoxicants during cultivation.  If it can't be done without chemical assitance, I think something's wrong.

I never said it can’t be done. But if using herbal assistance can greatly shorten the time it takes, I think the path would be worth considering. 

When I take cannabis and do Dan Tian meditation, I can feel a large area of fluid energy bobbing around in my body. It’s hard to control but if I try hard I can control it and compress it into a much smaller area into the Dan Tian. 
 

But I was afraid if I held it in its compressed state it could overpower my meridians and explode therefore cause damage, so I quickly relinquished control of it. 
 

Side topic - my body was also shaking and it felt like I was in 2nd Jhana (strong Piti (rapture) and Sukha (bliss)) but if I tune my mind I could drop the Piti and (seemingly) enter 3rd Jhana (without Piti but Sukha remains). 
 

I seemed to also be able to enter the 4th Jhana (Sukha dropped, equanimity is developed) by further refining my mental state but tbh I’m afraid of 4th Jhana because I don’t want to alter reality or my life by accident. (You can change reality in 4th Jhana) 
 

(Could totally be my delusion on the Jhana part, granted) 

So my question is, has anyone heard of, or even had experience of, using cannabis to build Dan Tian container or gather Chi to Dan Tian? 
 

Hi all, I've been lurking around the forum for many years and finally registered because there are some posts I'd like to participate in.

I've been practicing neigong for 10+ years and would love to discuss related topics with fellow practitioners.

This is the best place on the internet for it, I'm grateful that such place exists.