neidan practitioner

Questions for Mak Tin Si: 1) Mak Tin Si, on your website it states the following: "Taoism have been in China for more than 5000 years now." Lao Tzu was thought to have lived somewhere around the time between 600 to 400 BC, during the Eastern Chou dynasty, I believe. According to what I have read, Taoism was not not yet a formal religion at this time period, and Taoism did not become a formal religion until about 142 AD, when Chang Tao-Ling (Zhang Daoling) created the 'Five Pecks of Rice' Taoist sect, also referred to as the 'Celestial Masters' sect. It seems that the practices of this sect are similar to what you practice, honoring Deities and Gods, using Fu for protection and healing, and using ceremonies to ward off evil spirits and such. Prior to this time period, there appears to be no records of a formal Taoist religion, but there are records of the shamanic practices of the 'Wu', or Chinese shamanism, as it has been called. What form of Taoism are you referring to that existed before the Five Pecks of Rice/Celestial Masters sect, and which goes back 5000 years? Are you referring to the practices of the Wu? 2) You also mention on your website: "After the store is opened, an immortal went into the temple one day and introduced both Tin-Si to learn under a hidden immortal who is training in the deep mountain in China. Both Tin-Si were attuned from the immortal and trained under this immortal via the Altar. Mak Tin-Si got his poor vision and hearing improved, while Lau Tin-Si improved her memory and brain power. This immortal then passed on a very powerful Taoism energy to both Tin-Si. From then on, both Tin-Si inherited this old branch of Taoism." Does this old branch of Taoism referred to here have a name? If so, what branch of Taoism is it? I am trying to place all of this in the context of what is known about the history of Taoism. 3) What is 'Thatch Mount' Taoism, and when did this branch of Taoism come into existence? Thanks, np

Here is a link to an article that contains descriptions of some the famous Taoist immortals: http://www.qi-journal.com/philosophy.asp?-...rchID=Immortals Best wishes to all, for I am off to sip the pure morning dew on the high majestic mountain peaks ... - np -

From what I understand, and I could well be off on some of this, diifferent branches of Taoism used the term differently. In early Taoism, there were many who were actually trying to create an external physical elixir that would bring physical immortality. Unfortunately many of those doing the experimenting met unfortunate ends, since they ingested poisonous materials. So an immortal to them was someone who was physically immortal. In other sects, an immortal is someone who has spiritually ascended to the Taoist immortal realms. These immortals can apparently appear to people on earth in a bodily form if they wish to do so. In other later Taoists sects that were influenced by Buddhism, from what I understand anyway, an immortal is someone who has not only achieved complete spiritual transformation and ascendance, but also has achieved a oneness with tao or complete enlightenment. Those are just my impressions from reading various Taoist texts. As I said, I may well be off the mark on this. At any rate, a Taoist immortal who has not yet left this physical realm, has been described with characteristics such as the following, (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xian_(Daoist)): "They are immune to heat and cold, untouched by the elements, and can fly, mounting upward with a fluttering motion. They dwell apart from the chaotic world of man, subsist on air and dew, are not anxious like ordinary people, and have the smooth skin and innocent faces of children. The transcendents live an effortless existence that is best described as spontaneous. They recall the ancient Indian ascetics and holy men known as ṛṣi who possessed similar traits" Don't forget to say hi to them when they bound past you effortlessly as you are climbing up the mountain. - np -

Here is more info on zhan zhuang from the dachengquan crowd's perspective. One should keep in mind that zhan zhuang was common to all the internal martial arts though, so it has a broad tradition. http://www.da-cheng-chuan.org/tga1.htm - np -

I was told that zhan zhuang literally means something like standing stance. In other words, it is standing practice, or standing meditation. It can be used to help calm the mind, strengthen the connecting tissue in the body, and in my experience is also a very effective form of qigong (it builds energy fairly quickly). You can find some more information here: http://www.yiquan.org.uk/art-zz.html The most basic standing stance is the wuji standing stance, which is done as follows, (you will likely come across variations of this): Stand with the feet parallel, about shoulder width apart, with the toes facing straight forward. The knees are slightly bent, i.e., do not lock the knees, but let them extend forward a bit over the feet. The pelvis is tucked in a bit to help naturally straighten the lower spine. You are not pushing the pelvis all the way forward, that will feel awkward and unnatural. For me it feels like I move the lower part of the spine about an inch forward or so from the fully backward extended position of the pelvis. This feels relaxed and natural. The back is kept naturally straight, with the chest sunken, i.e., do not lift the chest at all, just stand vertically with the chest and shoulders completely relaxed. In the wuji stance, the arms can just hang down naturally by your sides, or you can rest the palms lightly on the sides of the legs. You should also lower the chin slightly which straightens the back of the neck. You can close the eyes, or just close them a bit, and gaze forward. The breathing should be slow, deep, soft, and natural. A variation of this is to hold the arms in a semi-circle in front of the body, with palms facing inward, and with the shoulders and elbows dropped. This can be done at the height of the navel, or at chest height, and is known as big tree, or tree standing, and maybe known by some other names as well. There are many other variations of standing stances as well. What I described are the basic stances as was taught to me, but although they may be basic stances, they are a very effective form of qigong in my experience. - np - [Edit: Fixed a couple grammatical errors.]

Standing meditation has traditionally been used to help build internal strength and energy in the internal martial arts. The book that others have mentioned "The Way of Energy", by Lam Kam Chuen looks like it might be what you are looking for then. The internal martial art dachengquan mainly focuses on various standing meditation forms to build internal strength and energy, and greatly down plays practicing forms, although it seems more recent practitioners of yiquan (new name used by some for dachengquan) are adding all kinds of shadow boxing like movements to their practice as well. Since you already practice bagua, you are already doing a moving form of qigong, so standing meditation, also known as zhan zhuang, big tree, and post standing, and by other names, is probably what you are looking for. Many people don't practice it much these days, maybe for just five minutes or so at a time, so they may not realize the benefits that can be had from longer and regular practice. Once you get up to standing twenty or thirty minutes of practice a day or more, you should quickly start to see the benefits. It can be a bit tough to do at first until you get used to it, but it is well worth it in my experience. It has been said that standing meditation is the real secret of building internal power in the internal martial arts, and was how Yang Cheng Fu and other famous internal martial artists reached such a high level. This was said by Cai Song Fang, who is a well respected tai chi master in China and who specializes in mainly doing wuji standing meditation for his training, (not the same as 'wuji qigong', a moving qigong form), which I believe Cai Song Fang learned from Ye Dami, who learned it directly from Yang Cheng Fu. - np -

There is a saying that goes like this, "In Taoism there are no heretics, just different sects". - np -

Or one can just go ahead and practice simple standing or sitting meditation for free, and make just as good, if not better progress. Just simply quieting the mind and keeping the back naturally straight and relaxed while sitting or standing is all there really is to it. Do we really need to pay a teacher to learn that? IMO. this is the real secret of qigong and cultivation that the teachers for profit don't want people to know, or which the teachers for profit don't know themselves. For the beginner, simple standing meditation is probably the best IMO, although maybe not easy to do at first, and in my experience is much more effective than other types of moving qigong exercises I have tried. BTW, I am not putting down various moving qigong exercises or the internal martial arts in any way, as the body needs exercise, and these types of moving exercises are very good for the body and health in general, in my experience. I love practicing tai chi. Yes, one should probably have a teacher if they are going to learn an internal martial art or the more complicated forms of moving qigong, as the subtleties of these arts may be hard to grasp without the guidance of a teacher; and although instructional videos are getting very good these days, a video is always limited in scope due to time constraints and variations of how things should be done at different stages in the practice. That is the beauty of practicing simple standing or sitting meditation. No complicated procedures to learn, and it gets right to the point of cultivation. Maybe that is just too simple for our modern minds which expect that the simpler something is, or the less it costs, the less value it must be, or something like that anyway. - np -

I find it hard to understand why anyone would even consider paying that much money for some basic qigong training. If someone just diligentlly practices simple standing meditation or sitting meditation, for even just 20 or 30 minutes a day, over time they should be able to make good progress. I guess the hype and allusions to great secrets being revealed and great powers appeals more to the ego. Also, it may also be that many people just do not know any better. It's sad how unscrupulous some people can be, but such is the way of the world. - np -

Ok. Where ever I have looked, it is nowhere to be found. Strangely enough, the same applies to the 'I' who is doing the looking. Maybe I am just really bad at hide and seek. [Edit - Further comments added later:] More seriously though, before one can ask where something is, first you should probably establish if that something exists, and you also would want to establish what frame of reference you are using as a basis to locate that something in. However, before you can do that, you also need to be clear on what you mean by something 'existing'. Is one referring to 'existence' in a relative sense, as in relative to some given frame of reference, or are we talking about existence in some sort of absolute sense that is independent of any arbitrary frame of reference? If one is talking about a relative frame of reference, then one would need to first clearly define exactly what that frame of reference is. If one decides they are talking about existence in an absolute sense, best of luck even getting started with establishing an approach. However, before starting into all of the above, one may first want to consider the question, why should one care? What potential benefit is there to expend the time and energy with the above approach? Is it even a meaningful pursuit? These may be just as difficult questions to answer as the previous ones, if not more difficult, and may open up a whole different line of questioning. So, why should one care if the mind exists or where it might be, etc? If one answers, well, it might give you a better understanding of who and what you are. Then I might ask again, why should I care who or what I am? Do I even exist? What does it mean for me to exist? What is existence anyway? You may well end up back where you started. Maybe before asking any of these questions, one might first ask, can thinking ever get me anywhere with any of these questions, or is that just a recipe for running around in endless circles? Couild there be some other way? I'm getting weary now, so I think 'I' will stop now. What is now? - np -

Ok, alas, it was a really long time ago, so I guess it's hard to say for sure now. Also, yes, one's definition of shamanism is important too. One could use the term loosely, or try to adhere to some formal definition. Some types of shamanism deal with the 'lower' spiritual realms, inviting animal spirits to enter the body to try to gain special powers or abilities, etc., and I could see why a religion might try to distance itself from such things, while other forms of shamanism seem to be more oriented to 'higher' spiritual aims and practices. In the end I guess it doesn't really matter whether it came directly from forms of shamanism and/or various folk religion practices, or from informal spiritual practices that later became more formalized. Was just curious. If I work really hard at my cultivation, maybe someday I can find out for myself. - np - [Edit: Fixed munged post]

Ok, what makes you think that it came from Siberia? China had its own shamanism in southern China, which is also where Taoism seems to have first appeared as well. Also, Siberia and southern China are not very close together, and we are talking 2500 years ago and earlier, as well. One would think that there probably wasn't a lot of long distance travel going on back then.

Hi zinedine, Really, only your teacher knows what they really intend by saying that. They may mean that one should try to comprehend outside of normal thinking processes and perception, or they may just think that saying "see and don't see" sounds like a cool Taoist type thing to say and may impress the students, and may make the students think the teacher has some deep mystical understanding that the students do not have. Something to consider here, this is an open internet forum, and pretty much anyone can post here. There is no guarantee that anyone posting here possesses any deeper an understanding of 'Taoism' than you you do. 'Taoism' is a broad term that includes many different mystical and religious practices and traditions, and which has also been evolving over time, and it is not one homogenous system or clear cut set of practices. One should take all statements made here, including my own, with a healthy dose of salt, but you likely already realize that. In my view, those who intellectualize about Taoism, or attempt to explain Taoist concepts and practices strictly on an intellectual level, and who insist that if something can't be explained in clear cut, linear, and strictly intellectual terms, it must be nonsense, have clearly missed the boat. Talk is just talk. I am just talking now. Talk, but do not talk. (Just kidding! ). For a good general overview of the history and various practices and sects of Taoism, see Eva Wong's book 'The Shambhala Guide to Taoism'. Read, but do not read, Grasshopper. - np -

Ok, Awake. I just couldn't see how someone could be in such a state of panic about just getting a sore back, especially when it had already been explained to you some things you could do to help alleviate any bad effects you might be having. For example, trying not to focus too much on any problematic things, going for long walks, keeping yourself calm as best you can, etc. I also couldn't see how if you were really having a problem that was making you panic this much, that you would still be calmly making posts in other threads here at the same time you were posting panic posts here. It doesn't seem to add up, that someone would be so panicked even after people had already explained that if you do your best to stay calm and don't focus on it too much, and do things like taking long walks, ill effects will start to dissipate. On the other hand, if you had been doing some stretching exercises or other physical activity that you don't normally do, then it might be that you just stressed something in your back and that might indicate just a physical problem. However, you also mentioned no specific details at all in this thread really about whether that was the case or not, so how would you expect people would be able to assess what you might be experiencing? It doesn't sound like what a person would do if they were sincerely looking for assistance. If you get this freaked out when you feel any unusual sensations or ill effects that might be from meditation, why are you doing meditation? To put this more in perspective for you. When I was younger I had some spontaneous occurences of this sort happen to me, even though I wasn't practicing any meditation or yoga or anything like that, not did I know anything about chi kung, meditation, or yoga and such at the time. So, for me, I had no framework at all to try to sort out what I might be experiencing. At any rate, I did go for a 2 or three week period where besides the strong energetic type of feelings (sometimes intense) that I was experiencing, I also was getting bad headaches and a stiff neck, and it felt like my sinuses were full of pressure, although I didn't have a cold or flu or a runny nose and such. I was taking that nasal spray stuff and it wasn't helping at all. Still, I wasn't at all panicked or overly concerned because I kind of gathered, based on the strong energetic things that were going on as well that there was something unusual going on, and I kind of suspected it might be a 'yoga thing' or something along those lines, so I started doing some research at the library and reading various books on the subject. After about 2 or 3 weeks, the strong pressure in my sinuses and the headaches passed, but I was doing lots of walking which probably helped as well. I have had other ill effects somtimes as well, but for me all passed in due time. Trying not to focus too much on any problems that arise, and taking long walks may help you out here as well. If I had woken up with pain in my back, I might be concerned as well, but I no doubt would have just observed over several days to try to determine if the problem was just an effect of meditation, or an actual physical problem of some sort, and to see if the problem started to ease on its own. It doesn't hurt to go see a doctor of course, but you may end up having to go for a bunch of x-rays and not fun tests of various types if the doctors don't see a physical problem when they examone you. On the other hand, if you just did something that stressed out your back, the doctor or chiropractor may be able to give some relief. Without you having provided more details here, it's really hard to say. At any rate, going to a doctor sounds like a good thing in your situation if you are sincerely worried about this. If the doctors don't find any physical problems, and you can manage it, maybe try going for long walks and doing some gentle upper body rotation exercises, if it doesn't hurt too much, to see if that helps with your situation at all. Also, try not to focus on any problems too much. If it is due to whatever meditation and other stuff you were doing, it is best not to focus on any problems areas to much, so as not to aggravate any problems. Also, if the problem you reported is due to a bit of energy build up in the spine, this is not a 'blockage' in the sense of a 'problem' area, but is something that one might experience when energy is forced or directed into the spine with intention, instead of allowing things to progress and 'open' naturally, as I described in the other thread. This is the types of ill effects that may occur that I was alluding to when I said it is not a good idea to use intention to try to lead or direct energy (at least at beginning stages). At any rate, if this is due to this, and not a physical problem with your back, it should pass after a while, if yo don't keep focusing on it too much. - np -

I was giving this guy 'Awake' the benefit of the doubt, but it has become clear to me that this guy is just out trolling. If you have any doubts, see the latest thread he started today titled "please help me very quickly". - np -

Ok, awake, I was giving you the benefit of the doubt before, but now I am convinced that you are just trying to yank people's chains. I guess maybe you are bored. np, out.

Hi awake, not sure if you were addressing your question to me, but anyway, walking can help to balance out imbalances in the energy, but it doesn't reduce the energy or anything like that. When you practice meditation, energy can move to certain sensitive areas of the body, and if the energy remains there, it may cause unpleasant effects. For example, if energy is building up in the neck or head area and remains there, you might experience headaches and the like. Walking can help to relieve these kinds of situations by balancing the energy more evenly throughout the body. (Sometimes these excessive build-ups of energy in certain parts of the body are referred to as 'stagnant chi'). Tai chi is also good for helping to bring the energy more into balanace, if a person knows it. If you really don't want to stop your practice, then I may as well give some tips on how to practice in a safer and more balanced way. This is just based on my own experience and research. You should do more research and reading of course. You could start practicing sitting meditation (you can sit towards the front part of a chair if you don't like sitting cross legged on a cushion on the floor), and use the method of breathing slowly, softly, deep and naturally, and instead of focusing on any energetic or other sensations in the spine or elsewhere, just be mindful of your breathing, keeping it soft, slow and deep, or you can just keep a passive awareness of the dan tian area in the lower belly (not focusing strongly on it). You should sit with your back straight, but not at all forced. Keep it natural and competely relaxed. These are the basics of Taoist sitting meditation, and you will continue to naturally cultivate more energy by practicing in this way. If you do meditation this way, and don't focus on any energetic sensations and the like that are occurring, you can develop energy in a natural way, which is a safer and healthy way to practice. Allow what happens to occur completely naturally and without any forcing. If you focus on energetic or other sensations, you are more likely to cause imbalances in the energy or other problems that may lead to bad effects. (I know the monk said he thought it might be otherwise, but he did also mention that he does not do this type of practice ). Anyway, I still highly recommend doing a lot more research on this as soon as possible, if you are planning to continue, as I keep harping on. Another problem is that there is a lot of conflicting info out there, so what do you believe? Well, for one thing, if you are practicing on your own without a teacher, it is better to take a safer approach than to not heed people's warnings and just blunder forth. If problems arise, you may not be able to find someone who can help you out, and then what do you do? In meditation, you will still be aware of energetic and other sensations occurring in the body, but the idea is not to focus on them at all. Focusing on sensations or other effects is what can lead to imbalances and problems. The meditator is kind of like a passive observer, being aware of what is going on, but not giving direct focus and attention to anything that is going on. Just being aware and allowing whatever is going on to happen and to progress naturally and of its own accord. BTW, you can also do the same kind of meditation in a standing posture with the feet shoulder width apart, and toes facing forward, and the knees slightly bent. You can just let the hands hang down by the sides or rest the palms lightly on the sides of the legs. This is a very effective chi kung meditation posture as well. It is also a good way to build up energy and improve health. Anyway, it sounds like you now realize that it is better to not just jump into such things without some proper guidance and knowledge, so hopefully you will take peoples' advice and do more research on this. There are many different approaches to meditation, but what I have been describing would fall under the the category of Taoist meidtation or chi kung meditation. Anyway, good luck in you research, and if your library has 'The Secrets of Chinese Meditation' by Charles Luk, the chapters in that book on Taoist meditation contain some very good info on Taoist meditation. It also contains excerpts of a book written by a guy in China who practiced Taoist meditation and wrote about his experiences. That same book was also translated into English by 'Shi Fu Hwang' and 'Cheney Crow', and is entitled 'Tranquil Sitting'. No doubt there are other good books out there as well. - np -

Awake, one last comment on this: Regarding whether what you have been experiencing is related to kundalini type experiences, or just related to starting to open the Du Mai channel, I can't say for sure as I don't know much about the 'kundalini experience' other than what Gopi Krishna wrote in his first book 'Kundalini'. My impression from reading Gopi Krishna's book was that kundalini is somewhat different than what is experienced/achieved in Taoist meditation and other related forms of chi kung (qigong), although it seems it is related. My impression from reading Gopi Krishna's book is that the kundalini experience is likely to be a much more intense experience, although it may not have to be that way, I don't really know. I was also under the impression that kundalini would be something that you would have to work at for some time in meditation for it to activate, but that may not be the case as well. I do know that in Taoist meditation and chi kung, that the process of opening the Du Mai channel up in the spine can cause various sensations of warmth, heat, cold, vibrations, swirling sensations, pressure, euphoric and pleasant feeings, discomfort, and such. A younger person would likely be able to initiate this process with less time and effort, compared to an older person, when practicing the appropriate meditation techniques, since their vitality is already quite full to start off with. Awake, based on the limited information you have provided so far about what you experienced (assuming you weren't just trying to pull our legs ) I would be inclined to think that you have just started to open up the Du Mai Channel, and this is not something to be too overly concerned about, but I would suggest that you at least do more research on this first before proceeding further. Yes, you may still continue to have similar experiences, as once the Du Mai starts to open the energy won't just stop on a dime. However, if you stop the meditation practices until you do some more research on this, you will at least reduce the risk of causing problems or bad effects. So, if that's the case, I don't think you have too much to worry about. However, if what you are experiencing is related to a 'kundalini awakening' type of experience, then I might expect that you might continue to experience much more intense type stuff, even if you are not continuing to practice meditation, and if so, you have JJ Semple here offering to give you guidance with that. - np -

[Edit: I completely rewrote this reply to try to make it clearer and more to the point. ] Hi Awake, I was suggesting to try using mind intention to help return the energy to the dan tien area if you are experiencing ill effects. If you are sitting and practicing meditation correctly, in a proper sitting meditation posture, this is not normally necessary, as the energy will return to the dan tien naturally, and of its own. I was just suggesting this in the event you were experiencing some ill effects and wanted to relieve the situation right away, and didn't know how to address that. Going for long walks may also help as well to help balance out any energy imbalances that might occur. To answer your questions about whether what you are experiencing is good or bad, the racing mind thing and your current anxiousness are not good effects of meditation, but may be a result from mixing smoking dope and meditation and the other stuff you were doing as well, and also because of concern/alarm you may have about what you have been experiencing. By the way, dope and meditation are taking you in two different directions and may well cause various ill effects. Not a good idea at all. That is just asking for trouble, IMO. Other than that, from what you have described so far, it sounds to me like you may have just started opening up the Du Mai channel a bit. The swirling or concentrated energy around the lower spine area is one of the sensations one may well experience in such a case. I would recommend that you do stop any further practice, and quit the dope altogether (it's called dope for a reason), until you get some proper guidance, or until you do a lot more research on this first. - np -

Hi Awake: For a youger person whose vitality is quite full, it does not take much to start to open the 'Du Mai' (or governing channel), which runs from the perineum to the base of the spine, and up the spine to the head. There is another channel called the 'Ren Mai' that runs from the head down the front of the body back to the perineum. The two channels together make up the 'small heavenly circuit' or 'microcosmic orbit'. In Taoist internal alchemy, "reversing the direction" means preventing the generative energy from taking its normal outlet through the genitals (as occurs in the sex act), and instead 'reversing the flow' up the Du Mai and back down the Ren Mai in the small heavenly circuit. There are various points along the Du Mai channel, one being a point on the spine between the shoulder blades. When first opening up the Du Mai channel, the energy may not pass easily through some of the major points along this channel, such as at the base of the spine, an area on the spine between the kidneys, an area between the shoulder blades, and an area at the back of the head at the base of the skull, etc., until they are fully opened. If you feel that energy has moved up the spine and stopped 3/4 of the way up, it may just be that the energy is reaching a point along the Du Mai that is not open, so the energy may begin to build up there until it can work its way through that point. Having the energy stop at a point along the DU Mai or Ren Mai and start to collect there can sometimes be somewhat uncomfortable and even quite intense at times. For this reason it is advised that one should not use intention to try to move energy through the Du Mai and Ren mai, to open these channels, but instead either just sit in the sitting meditation posture and focus on nothing, or keep an awareness of your breathing, or keep an awareness of the dan tien area just a little below the navel and in a bit. Energy will then naturally begin to build up in the dan tien area (a safe location to hold the energy generated in meditation), and it will begin to flow through the Du Mai and Ren Mai channels on its own when you have built up enough energy. That is not to say you still won't sometimes experience discomfort at certain points along these channels as they are being opened up, which sometimes may be quite intense as well, but allowing this to occur naturally is a safer way to go. At any rate, you should do some serious research on this before experimenting, so you don't cause yourself problems down the road, that might be hard to fix. Also, you should visualize returning your energy to the dan tien area, as described above, if you are feeling discomfort in your spine, or if you feel energy is still at the base of the spine. I would also suggest that you avoid books that recommend you use visualization or intention to lead the energy up the spine. Chapters 5 and 6 in Charles Luk's (AKA Lu Kuan Yu) 'The Secrets of Chinese Meditation', and Charles Luk's 'Taoist Yoga' are good books to get a good overview of what Taoist meditation is all about. Taoist Yoga is a very in depth book on the subject, but may be hard to understand for someone new to Taoist meditation concepts. By the way, it sounds like you are maybe just 'experimenting' with various things such as dope and 'altered states of consciousness' for entertainment purposes. Not a good idea from my perspective. For sure lose the dope if you care at all about your physical and mental well being.

Dragonfire, you seem like a nice enough guy, but you seem to me to be off on a tangent in your thinking that isn't going to take you anywhere good, IMO. People say a lot of stuff, and people are often wrong. People also repeat a lot of stuff all over the internet so it might seem that there is really something to it, since it is repeated in many different places across the internet. This may make it seem a lot more substantial than what it really is, but I think that's not the heart of the issue here. I guess I could just say to myself, "Oh well, another one bites the dust ... " but that's not helping either. It seems that maybe you are trying to escape the sometimes harsh and sometimes boring reality of life by looking for some sort of escape. Something that will take all the pressure off maybe, and allow you to just give it up . Something like the 'end of the world' might fit the bill. Well, its all going to be over in a few years anyway so why not just give up? Could that be it? My last comment on this: If you have any respectable Buddhist temples in your area, you may want to consider dropping by sometime and ask to speak to a senior monk, if they have one. If you run some of the things you have been saying here by a seasoned monk, I think they might provide you with a somehwat different perspective on things, that you may not have been considering. Who knows? Life is short and we could stumble and fall through the exit door at any time. Ask yourself this: When you come right down to it, what is really important in this short time we have here? Could we actually be here for a reason, maybe? Looking for an escape exit just might be defeating the purpose. Or to put it a little less formally, chill out, dude!

dragonfire, you should pay attention to your own advice. You have stated some things in this thread as 'facts', that others have politely pointed out are clearly just speculation at best, and some things you stated as 'facts' are quite at odds with known facts. For one, the North Pole is an ice cap (albeit a rapidly receding one) with ocean underneath. It is however a known fact the far arctic once was covered with trees, as petrified wood has been found in the arctic to prove this. However, it is ocean under the North Pole area, not land. [ Edit: Here's a link for those who are interested in reading a little more about this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pole ] A person who is interested in the truth does not dismiss known information out of hand simply because the information does not fit with what they want to believe. Such is not the behaviour of someone who is sincerely looking for truth. To be frank, IMO, your words and attitude in this thread seem to show definite signs of delusional tendencies. If I were a member of your family I would be more than a little concerened about you right now. If members of your family have been expressing concerns about your behaviour lately, I would suggest you listen to what they have to say. There is a world of difference between keeping an open mind about things, and blindly believing in things to the point that you are denying what is obvious and undeniable, simply because it doesn't fit your beliefs. A sincere seeker of truth must first start by seriously looking into *all* their beliefs, and questioning everything. However, one can not do it by blindly holding on to certain sets of beliefs, and dismissing any and all conflicting information outright, or by trying to rationalize the conflicting information away by saying that people are just 'brain washed' or 'close-minded' because they point out that some of the statements you are making are false. Sorry to be so frank, but I have run across these situations more than a few times over the years, and the outcomes are sometimes not good at all. If you are really interested in truth, you should at least give consideration to what I and others have said here.

What are you basing this on? The 'end of the world' predictions have been coming and going over and over again, for many, many years, and the deadlines keep passing without so much as a hiccup. :-D However, there is a very real and serious problem of global warming facing the world today, and if current warming trends continue as they have been going for the last 10 to 20 years or so, there will likely be some very real disasters and severe challenges facing mankind in the next 20 to 50 years and on. We are already starting to see strange weather patterns and problems occurring around the world, and this may well continue to increase in severity if people around the globe don't wake up and smell the coffee. It looks like people may well continue to keep their heads in the sand until it is way too late to do much about it though. However, what you are saying is something else altogether. To make life decisions based on whim and speculation is usually not fruitful, but to make decisions based on what is real and true and present usually is. I think if people concerned themselves more with real and pressing issues in our world (such as the global warming issue, for example), and worried less about speculation and fancy and what if's, maybe we could actually start solving some of the real problems facing this world. Idle speculation is just that, and usually just leads to wasted time and energy. If we don't take a practical approach to life, much of our energy just ends up being wasted in one empty pursuit after another, until we are old already. So it seems to me, anyway. ;-)

I have run across references to the 'Kunlun School' of Taoism from Yang Meijun (now deceased), who first introduced Da Yan Qigong in China after the Cultural Revolution ended. She apparently learned the Da Yan Qigong system from here grandfather, who pased the system on to her. Yang Meijun referred to herself as "The inheritor of the 27th Generation of Dayan Qi Gong, Kunlun School". ( See: http://www.dayan-qigong.org.uk/authorization/ ) Yang Meijun has also referred to the origin of Da Yan Qigong as coming from the 'Kunlun School of Taoism', in a short video clip of her that I have seen, that was made when she was ninety. Whether she got that information from her grandfather or not, I'm not sure, but maybe she wrote further on this somewhere, or maybe detailed interviews have been done with her. I came across another website for 'Kunlun Shan Qigong' which also claims to originate from the Kunlun mountains, and which is apparently similar to Da Yan Qigong, though apparently from a different source. The story goes that this style of Qigong originated from a monk named Dao An (some say Buddhist, some say Taoist) from the Kunlun mountains in the Jin Dynasty. Not sure where this information originates from though. Maybe there is information on this monk named Dao An written of somewhere, or maybe this information was just passed on verbally...