ralis

Seems that every few weeks we have a new wannabe strutting their stuff. Is New Dawn just looking for female students? Males need not apply? I guess those secrets are too hot to handle! ralis

Sounds like cultivation makes one too fragile and sensitive. ralis

Drew, Don't you ever watch football games? Especially in hot weather there are large tubs of Gatorade and ice. The players guzzle it down. No one dies. ralis

I put 1/2 lb. of frozen blueberries in my protein shake every morning. It is really good! ralis

"Enlightenment is". That statement is nothing more than an absolute anthropocentric view by humans. I don't care if the quote is from a Lama or not. No one can realize the so called absolute nature of all phenomena. Buddha's are given way too much credit. The illusion of stating that one can know the absolute nature of all phenomena is no different than the quest to find the Higgs Boson particle (CERN) that will unlock the key to the universe. The Higgs Boson particle determines mass and it is believed will lead to? To further clarify, the use of the verb (is) is used as an absolute conceptualization of an object. We all use (is) everyday. However, when it is used in some context as the above statement by Dzigar Kontrul, a dogma and doctrine are created. Furthermore, Buddhist's deny the existence of any permanent self. Yet, claim a permanent true nature. ralis

What she means is enlightenment is conceptual in the context relative to any given culture. Furthermore, enlightenment can't be conceptualized. The concept of enlightenment has been packaged and sold as a consumer item in the U.S. The so called gurus that come through Santa Fe NM have given spiritually a really bad name. Enlightenment for a price! Sufi idea of enlightenment: Union with a universal love i.e, God. Bliss. Buddhist: Realizing dependent causality. Native American: Union with the great spirit. The European Enlightenment: Circa 1650-1768. European philosophy: Some claim Heidegger was enlightened along with a few other European philosophers. I have read some of the phenomenologists i.e, Ponty and Buddhism was a profound influence in those writings. Catholic Enlightenment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Enlightenment. ralis

These discussion about enlightenment just get way too heavy. If you link to this site, Bob will enlighten you once and for all! http://www.subgenius.com/ ralis

In reference to KAP, I have benefited greatly. For now I won't elaborate about my physical problems and how KAP has been useful. KAP has helped me understand the flaws as well as the potential of some of the other Qigong systems I have used. Therefor, I can fine tune a system I am familiar with. Since all systems have value in certain situations, then there is no need to dispose of any system. Just knowledge of oneself and what system to apply when needed. I concur with ShaktiMama that "enlightenment is a cultural myth". Here in Santa Fe, one can purchase enlightenment for a price. As far as gurus, systems and the myriad stuff offered in the spiritual marketplace, I think we are missing the point. That is to say, when certain teachers offer a system that is better, higher or has more woo woo content, all that is being offered is a tiny anthropocentric view. None of what we do compares to the real power of the ubiquitous life force of the universe. I am not certain if anyone can handle such power. I barely touched it once and it nearly destroyed me. It did not come from the earth. It had no personality and was just pure force. ralis

I was shocked and not surprised when Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize and mentioned war 44 times in his acceptance speech! While at the same time the DOJ was filing a brief to get John Yoo off the hook. The concern I have is, if this motion is accepted by the courts, it will overturn war crimes and make null and void the judges trial at Nuremberg in 1947. Nazi judges from the "Ministry of Justice" rendered opinions to allow for war crimes to happen in Europe during the war. The outcome at Nuremberg, created international law making torture and unprovoked attacks against sovereign countries a war crime! Professor Jonathan Turley expresses it well in this video! http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...ress=385x411977 Irag: 4 million refugees, 1 million civilians dead. Why? Can we use Taoist knowledge etc. to hold leaders accountable for crimes against humanity? Or, do we just keep our heads in the sand and worry about what kind of enlightened music or the correct cultivation methods to use! ralis

I don't care if you are being pragmatic! Your point is moot! The point is, the U.S. and international conventions against torture and war crimes forbid torture and unprovoked attacks against sovereign countries. Read the Nuremberg tribunals. No memo Pres. or lawyer can overturn these laws. If you go back and read, you will find that water boarding is torture! ralis

Are you a right wing "Neo Con"? Here are the torture memo links. http://www.aclu.org/national-security/secr...se-aclu-lawsuit

You lack compassion for others that need help with MCO etc. You hide behind secrets and the arrogance of not accepting students because your system is way too secret. What are you afraid of? This is an impoverished view. ralis

Serene, Great post! There have been times where I have liberated thought and had mountains of energy for doing. Then I go back to the over thinking mode and slow down. Which book are you reading? I have several including "All and Everything" Thanks ralis

I guess you believe water boarding and torture are fine? It is a known fact that torture does not obtain useful intelligence! Obviously, you know nothing about U.S. and international law, or even have a knowledge of history. Do you know how intelligence was obtained in WWII by U.S. interrogators from Nazi officers? They played chess with them and created friendships. Then they were able to obtain whatever intelligence was needed. Do you know what was contained in the memos that John Yoo wrote as to what is torture or not? He advised Bush that it is permitted to crush the testicles of a terror suspects child, while that suspect looked on. ralis

I think you should catch up on U.S. and international law. Start by understanding what war crimes are and how the laws against war crimes were instituted. The Nuremberg tribunals would be an excellent place to really understand why! See the link in my first post where professor Turley discusses John Yoo. Professor Turley has discussed many times the war crimes from the past administration and why Obama needs to follow through. If you read the transcripts from Nuremberg, you will know why the Nazis were prosecuted. Also during the war trials in Tokyo, Japanese officers were either shot or sentenced to hard labor (20yrs.) for torture and water boarding. 1M dead in Iraq most of whom are women and children is not a technicality! ralis

Enlightened? I disagree! If you read my first post, I noted the DOJ was filing an amicus brief in federal court to have lawsuits against John Yoo et al dismissed. This will accomplish two things. First, it will protect "executive privilege". Second, it will protect any lawyer or judge who rendered or will render legal opinions that justify war crimes. The very act of filing this brief, makes Obama complicit with war crimes. If the amicus brief is ruled favorably by the courts, then U.S. law regarding war crimes will be severely undermined. U.S. and international law were created from the Nuremberg trials to prevent and punish war criminals for torture and unprovoked attacks against sovereign nations. In Dec. of 1947, the judges from the nazi "ministry of justice" were tried and found guilty for rendering legal opinions that justified war crimes. If you recall that during the Bush years, Bush's lawyers claimed that "executive privilege" gave Bush the right to do almost anything. The theory of the "unitary executive" was what the Bush administration used to create more power than what is allowed in the U.S. Constitution. John Yoo et al in the DOJ used this theory to give advice to the Bush administration that permitted torture, unprovoked attacks against other countries and other heinous acts. Why? They believe the so called global war on terror, justified any previous illegal act. What we are witnessing today is the destruction of the U.S. Constitution. The establishment of which gave power to separate bodies and not to one individual. We have no use for kings! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37lR-sFJWW4 ralis

It seems to me that we are part of a machine that keeps repeating the same conditions. ralis

The U.S. is rapidly becoming a corporate fascist feudalistic state where the leadership behave as kings with divine rights as opposed to servants to the people. ralis

If the Tao is all phenomena, then a political participation is appropriate! Especially when humans are made to suffer! What are the Iraq and Afghanistan wars about? Creating geopolitical stability for oil!! Shell Oil just received the largest oil contract in Iraq. ralis Exactly what do you mean? ralis I am losing a lot of respect for him! I voted for him. ralis

Mahavishnu Orchestra is unreal! John McLaughlin is considered the greatest guitar player ever! Very few ever figured out what he was doing. Jazz scales plus Indian rhythms. ralis

Which guitar player are you referring to? The video I posted was more about Joe Bonamassa's guitar style than his vocals. Lot's of different influences from Hendrix to Robin Trower et al in that piece. My guitar teacher told me that piece was all improvised. That is impressive! My goal is to play as well as him. Maybe next lifetime! ralis

What garbage? Who is insensitive? ralis

Is this enlightened music? Opinions needed. ralis

Anyone heard Joe Bonamassa. His guitar playing is awesome! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7zBNsdhKXI ralis