Pranaman

read those books about John Chang, I believe something similar is talked about. Unless the whiteness is different than the Wuji

anyone here noticed that there isn't anything online that is remotely as impressive as your martial arts teacher in person? at first I naively assumed that since I can't find a single punch thrown on the internet as refined as my teacher's, than it's just because he's badass. then i came to this.

when doing Zhan Zhuang while intending in the six directions, are you still doing a standing zen practice?

my take is this: when I picture the way the universe is works(the way or tao), I see a mandelbrot set. taoism is about riding the natural patterns while climbing to higher waves of them. balancing all experiences. the nondual does not exist in duality. balance your self, and neither will you.

stand look for zhan zhuang

this is true. I believe my teacher is no desciple of his by any means but i've seen a picture of Chen Xiaowang correcting my teacher's posture some twenty or thirty years ago. i've seen this video, I'm sure I can't expect to experience the presence of power as intensely online as in person. Like a lightning bolt hitting a nail on the head and receding into the clouds faster than it came. Obviously it punctured. The roar of the thunder pushed forward in echo. damn, i'm glad to not be in it's way. This is the best way I can describe the punch I speak of.

Once upon a time there was a young prince who believed in all things but three. He did not believe in princesses, he did not believe in islands, and he did not believe in God. His father, the king, told him that such things did not exist. As there were no princesses or islands in his father's domains, and no sign of God, the prince believed his father. But then, one day, the prince ran away from his palace and came to the next land. There, to his astonishment, from every coast he saw islands, and on these islands, strange and troubling creatures whom he dared not name. As he was searching for a boat, a man in full evening dress approached him along the shore. "Are those real islands?" asked the young prince. "Of course they are real islands," said the man in evening dress. "And those strange and troubling creatures?" "They are all genuine and authentic princesses." "Then God must also exist!" cried the young prince. "I am God," replied the man in evening dress, with a bow. The young prince returned home as quickly as he could. "So, you are back," said his father, the king. "I have seen islands, I have seen princesses, I have seen God," said the prince reproachfully. The king was unmoved. "Neither real islands, real princesses nor a real God exist." "I saw them!" "Tell me how God was dressed." "God was in full evening dress." "Were the sleves of his coat rolled back?" The prince remembered that they had been. The king smiled. "That is the uniform of a magician. You have been deceived." At this, the prince returned to the next land and went to the same shore, where once again he came upon the man in full evening dress. "My father, the king, has told me who you are," said the prince indignantly. "You deceived me last time, but not again. Now I know that those are not real islands and real princesses, because you are a magician." The man on the shore smiled. "It is you who are deceived, my boy. In your father's kingdom, there are many islands and many princesses. But you are under your father's spell, so you cannot see them." The prince pensively returned home. When he saw his father, he looked him in the eye. "Father, is it true that you are not a real king, but only a magician?" The king smiled and rolled back his sleeves. "Yes, my son, I'm only a magician." "Then the man on the other shore was God." "The man on the other shore was another magician." "I must know the truth, the truth beyond magic." "There is no truth beyond magic," said the king. The prince was full of sadness. He said "I will kill myself." The king by magic caused Death to appear. Death stood in the door and beckoned to the prince. The prince shuddered. He remembered the beautiful but unreal islands and the unreal but beautiful princesses. "Very well," he said, "I can bear it". "You see, my son," said the king, "you, too, now begin to be a magician." From "The Magus" by John Fowles.

MC Xander is a melodic beatboxer who practices and is inspired by vipassana and hatha yoga. I have only heard three of his songs but he speaks about the meditation in relation to living life as well as talking to others about your own possibly eastern originated beliefs all within the context of real life messages. The music is absolutely sick! check em out. MC Xander myspace (don't know if this belongs in the forum, but I love the music and thought someone else might too)

where at? and i'm not just asking, I really want to show up anonymously and without friends so I can break free. they've always jumped in first. i haven't been in a pit sober and my heart says you got the ears for quality sound, which means quality metal.

what do you think is the most direct and the most effective method for dealing with the energy of fear?

"even if there was a jewish sectarian teacher, he had nothing at all to do with the crucified christos." I believe that is what John M. Allegro many years after he translated the original dead sea scrolls. Too my mind, there was a jesus, there was a buddha. Probably the same gifted individuals blessed with a contagious and uplifting energy for everyone they came in contact with. definitley not to be worshipped. anyway, just my belief.

i experience burning sensation all over my two entire soles. This is when I do rooting work.

oh man, due to injury, i'm not going to be down there for a damn long time. i'm talkin like a month or two months. I've had an injury with the symptom of sciatic nerve pain when I take a step or move my leg. It's been like this for almost three months, and it's hold me back from progressing. I keep injuring it in class because of the different drills. Now I just do all the upper body strength training and standing. I doubt Sifu Fong would have a problem with the strategy. but it's wrong I tell you, it's wrong! this heavy feeling sucks! as far as discipline goes, pictures yourself being as good as your teacher thanks to the practice you do now.

I'm trying to heal up before monday. Do you have any suggestions for curing a sore throat and an aching weak body? thank you

thanks dudes and dudettes

i was curious as to what some of you thought about how humor is a part of the tao?

true

I practiced tonglen for a little bit, that's a good idea too. one that sticks in the grass would be nice. no thanks. thank you everyone for the advice.

thanks everyone. I fear social encounters with people that I used to drugs with. Like, whenever my brother and his girl are around, i get uprooted and end up in my head and anxious. They are really fast paced, and I feel like they might take my withdrawn behavior when i'm around them as being snotty and not wanting them around, although it's just my fear. This makes them hint at me being a dick and it makes my fear stronger. It's really hard to stay centered around them because they don't mind verbally and symbolically tipping their meaning towards me being an ass, which isn't what I want to transmit at all. and I fear starting conversations with beautiful women. although i'm starting to act from my heart in these situations which helps. and my subconscious is really homophobic too. I got to the root of this the other day for the first time in a long while. and my mind instantly spoke," I have no reason to hate them". This really resonated with what I felt was the source, although hate was not the source, it was the fear of my ego losing it's identity as straight. I had some experience a long time ago that my mind attached anger and loss to the homosexual community. So I know my fear and understand it, but realization doesn't let the fears go away. at this point in time I just feel the fear. I feel the fear's life. I don't combat it. I will look it in the eye when i'm out in the world. I may take up samadhi in my free time.

i'm basically always hungry, unless I drink kombucha. I don't know if it's a blood sugar thing or what. one time my hunger went away when I ate an apple. but i just ate a banana and i'm still hungry. in fact i just ate fried pork, some ham, an egg, spinach, a tomato, and as well as that banana, i'm still hungry. a lot of the time including now, it feels like i'm dehydrated and don't have enough oxygen in my body, so i'll drink a few liters of water and will get a headache from it and still feel thirsty. i get alot of headaches, that might be connected. I exercise everyday, but when i have these symptoms and go to my yichuan class where our sifu really pushes us, and we all soke the floors in sweat, all my negative symptoms go away. no headache, no thirst, full of O2, and not craving food but only hungry from the exercise. anyway, does anybody know what could possibly be going on here?

cool, I actually have started eating paleo so if it's pre-diabetic i'm on good track. thanks everyone

nice

i'm amazed. it's hilarious too.

my teacher teaches what seems traditionally, but i feel like has tailored it to be his own. he says that the reason he does not hold back any secrets or methods from us, is that he wants the art to live on. I believe that realizing answers through self experience, makes it more your own. Once it's your own, you are free to make your own art.

gain inner strength and congruity.