liminal_luke
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Everything posted by liminal_luke
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3Bob....Ah, I dunno. Co-opting is the way things change and adapt when brought to new cultural contexts. While purists may scoff, the results aren't necessarily bad. I'm living in Mexico right now, and know a thing or two about authentic Mexican food, and I can tell ya, it ain't the same as the "Mexican" cuisine in most restaurants in say, Portland, Oregon. For starters, when you go to a restaurant here in Zacatecas nobody brings you a complementary bowl of chips and salsa. And guys wouldn't dream of quaffing down margaritas with their meal. Just doesn't happen. Does that mean there's something wrong with chips and salsa accompanied by a nice margarita? Not in my book. It's much the same, I think, with western yoga. The arguably dumbed down stretching that passes for yoga in many gyms isn't the same as one might find in India, but that doesn't mean no good can come from it.
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I got acupuncture needles directly from a friendly acupuncturist once. Not sure if he was acting according to the "rules" or not, but he was happy to provide in any case. Perhaps there's someone you know, or even someone on here, who has access and is willing. Just a thought. Liminal
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Mind Control in the Martial Arts
liminal_luke replied to Unseen_Abilities's topic in General Discussion
Thanks CT for your posting about the philosophy of Karate. I suppose it's like anything, what you get mostly depends on the individual teacher--as pointed out my Nungali and Colonel Goji. The karate class here gets a rave review from a friend so I think I'll at least try it. Tai chi certainly has it's appeal, and if I knew of an excellent teacher here I might try it as well, but I think maybe there's something about karate that is more likely to fill the particular quality that's lacking in me right now. Perhaps choosing a martial art is a little like deciding what food would most nourish your body. When people are very balanced they spontaneously crave what's good for them. When they aren't so exquisitely balanced sometimes the tendency is to avoid the very thing most needed. We don't always want our broccoli, even when it would indeed be good for us. Right now, I suspect Karate is my broccoli. Liminal -
Mind Control in the Martial Arts
liminal_luke replied to Unseen_Abilities's topic in General Discussion
Chi Dragon, Thanks for you opinion. Would you explain why Karate wouldn't work for that purpose? Liminal -
Mind Control in the Martial Arts
liminal_luke replied to Unseen_Abilities's topic in General Discussion
Please forgive if I'm veering a little off-topic, but what do you guys think about Karate? Ordinarily I'd gravitate towards something more philosophically hip (aikido) or energetically profound (tai chi or bagua), but in-person teachers are scarce in my little corner of Mexico. I have absolutely no interest in beating anybody up-- and getting my ass kicked has, if possible, even less appeal--so an aggressive, macho atmosphere won't work for me. That said, I could really stand to get in better shape: improve my aerobic capacity, agility, basic strength, and so forth. All that kicking and punching might be just the thing. Thoughts? Liminal -
No, The Tao Bums as a whole is not exhausted, but a few individual members need a nap. Liminal
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Me, I'd go with the part that thinks "it is a part of a process, that I should accept this whole experience." Then again, that's what I usually think. Intense practice leads to intense results. Nothing wrong with that, though it can certainly be scary at times depending. The thing about your breath becoming very subtle sounds very good to me. If it's more intense than you like, I'd experiment with cutting down your practice time. My two cents. Liminal
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What is the most popular definition of "oneness" in taoism?
liminal_luke replied to TheExaltedRonin's topic in Daoist Discussion
My understanding... Always there are three: yin, yang, and the deeper level that lies betwixt and between. Perhaps this is no exception. Duality, non-duality and the deeper level betwixt and between. Liminal -
I like all my posts--that's why I write 'em. Don't usually bother to press the button though as I assume people know that I agree with myself. Well, most of the time anyway.
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If it were me, I'd ring up 1-800-DIAL-A-MEOW. See Taomeow's personal practice forum for details. Liminal
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Normalcy is over-rated? what do you do?
liminal_luke replied to mewtwo's topic in General Discussion
I think RuPaul said it best: "What other people think of you is none of your business." -
If you had superpowers what would you do differently?
liminal_luke replied to BaguaKicksAss's topic in General Discussion
If I had superpowers I'd manifest a lot of money and go vacation with my partner in Puerto Vallarta. Then again, I suspect all the spiritual work and virtue involved in gaining said powers might change my priorities a bit. Liminal -
Some of the best gifts aren't wrapped pretty. Worthwhile practices are sometimes beautifully taught by shady self-proclaimed tricksters big on braggadocio and short on ethics. No matter. When you get your Yigong / Kunlun package in the mail you've got a few choices. If you never ordered it and it arrived by mistake, throw it in the garbage or take it to Goodwill. If it seems intriguing, well then, go ahead and tear off all that useless paper and look inside already. The only thing you've got to lose is your mind. Just one thing: Please don't get on Taobums and offer your critique of the giftwrapping your package came in. Don't say how you would of preferred purple or that someone put the bow on crooked. That stuff is distraction pure and simple. Focus on the thing itself and you'll find out soon enough whether it's something you want. Liminal
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I recently gained the power of happiness. Well, it's a work in progress, but I do get the odd jolt of joy here and there throughout the day. Best of all, it only took me three weeks of daily fourty minute practice sessions. No costly and obscure system necessary, just breathe slowly and calmly expanding into all the hidden nooks and crannies of your torso. If you like, I can post a video of myself smiling on youtube to document my achievement. Next up: levitation. Liminal
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Poll: Why do you keep visiting the Taobums website ?
liminal_luke replied to chegg's topic in General Discussion
I don't think I saw it as a poll option, but TTB members have really turned me on to some great resources out in the real world to study and learn from. Off the top of my head I heard about Kunlun-teacher Max and Jenny Lamb here and studied with both. Signed up to learn about the key sound technique. Bought an aneros. Am considering purchasing a Karen Kingston feng shui book recommended in the book section tomorrow. Considering experimenting with tonic Chinese herbs from Dragon Herbs recommended here. And on and on. Lots of taobums are doing cool things, and sometimes they mention them and it sparks an interest for me that I follow up on. Liminal -
Through depression we regain our spiritual bearings
liminal_luke replied to Nikolai1's topic in General Discussion
I used to think of depression as a stepping stone to spiritual growth too. That was before my partner's mental health started slipping. Now I think of my former attitude as more than a little dangerous. Sure, we can grow through any adversity. Many seriously ill people--cancer, aids, etc--say they are grateful for their health problems because they've grown so much as a result. Good for them. I'm sure people who emerge from depression might say the same thing. They come through stronger than they were before. But do we really want to say cancer isn't an illness just because some percentage of sufferers manage to squeeze some spiritual good out of it. Depression is no different. It's an illness that causes physical changes in brain tissue and leaves people at greater risk for other problems such as heart disease. For research citations backing these claims see Against Depression by Peter Kramer. Liminal -
Some people naturally vibe with Max. For others, his style isn't so appealing. If you belong to the later camp, my advice is to put your skepticism aside for some period of time and just do Kunlun, see what happens. Marry the practice, not the instructor.
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From one point of view, of course what matters most is the relationship, not a piece of paper from the government sanctioning it. Being legally married obviously doesn't gaurantee the kind of emotional intimacy and commitment (sometimes) associated with legal matrimony any more than not being married demonstrates the lack of those things. That said, it is important that same-sex couples have the same rights to marriage as heterosexual couples. Being married instantly changes things for couples--in the legal sense anyway--in literally hundreds of ways. It's possible to sit down with a lawyer and draw up a bunch of contracts so that two people end up in a relationship that resembles, but isn't really the same as, marriage. It's a lot of trouble though to do something that legally being wed achomplishes in one clean sweep. My partner is a Mexican citizen. Recent changes in federal law have opened up the possibility that we could marry and he could legally reside in the states. A few months ago this wouldn't of been a possibility. This matters a great deal. It's sad to me that some legislators are willing to go to such extreme measures to exclude people like me and my partner. It would be one thing, I suppose, if they just truly wanted to get out of the business of having the state sanctioning marriage. That clearly isn't the case. These aren't philosophical libertarians trying to disentange goverernment influence from the lives of the beaurocratically burdened citizenry; these are bigots. I'm sure that pockets of hatred against gays and lesbians are here for the long haul. Just as civil rights laws haven't obliterated racism. Over time though I'm confident that we'll stop enshrining discrimination in law and public policy. The desire for true equality is a great groundswell, especially among young people, and it will prevail.
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Hi Mike, My take. Rather than try to solve this dilemma--how to be both a sparkling conversationalist and a virile lover in the same evening--I'd take it as an invitation to go deeper into your own psyche. Failure to "perform," socially or sexually, can be a doorway into a richer relationship with yourself--and ultimately your potential girlfriend. Don't be afriad of the dark. Not in yourself; not in other people. Your future mate will thank you. Liminal
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I'm considering trying some wild reishi from dragon herbs, possibly the purple variety as they say that's the most powerful as a shen tonic. If anybody has any experience with Dragon herbs generally, or reishi I'd love to hear about it. Thanks, Liminal
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My Journey Log - Semen Retention and Awareness/Meditation
liminal_luke replied to dee's topic in General Discussion
Hi Dee, I think Bagua Kicks Ass is in charge of the personal practice forums lately. Click on his name, and send him a message saying you'd like your own and he'll give you one. Worked for me. Personally, I love hearing about the experiences of people who journal their practice, and semen retention in particular is an interesting--and certainly controversial--topic. I look forward to reading about your journey. I think some members prefer to keep the general forum area relatively free of these kinds of personal logs to make sure there's room for questions and philosophical discussion about particular topics. Once you've got your off PPF though you can go wild posting about your daily practice and nobody will have a thing to say about it. Liminal- 11 replies
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I don't know about for a beginner or not, but I'm pretty taken with the Mary-El tarot deck.
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I suppose most people would see this statement as discouraging training for powers. Afterall, why put all that hard effort in if when I finally get the power I no longer want or need it? I don't see it that way though. For instance, right now I'd like to have the power of clairvoyance and be able to know what other people are thinking. Like most would-be clairvoyants the attraction is an ego thing. I'd be most impressed with myself if I could do such a thing with real facility, and I imagine I could use the power to get other people to be impressed with me too. This power could prop up a false sense of self like nobodies business. Now, imagine the amazing transformation that would have to occur for me to get to a place where I no longer "needed or wanted" this power. What a fantastic thing that would be to be a person who wasn't interested in impressing myself or anybody else that way. My sense of self would be so solid, so grounded! If training to become clairvoyant will truly get me to the place where I no longer care, well...I can't imagine a more worthwhile endeavor.
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http://www.gemisphere.com/gemstoneMissions/bla_mission.php If you're interested in getting a good blue lace agate gemstone necklace meant for therapeutic use (and feeling flush enough to pay the considerable price), here is a company you might be interested in checking into. Liminal
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Why on earth would one practice more than one system?
liminal_luke replied to BaguaKicksAss's topic in General Discussion
Something kinda cool can happen when you delve into different systems: they cross-pollinate in your mind and deeper connections reveal themselves. I spent most of my college years exploring Judaism. Some years later at a Kan and Li workshop with Michael Winn he related the alchemical mixture of fire and water to the intersecting triangles in the Star of David. It may not sound like much, but it blew me away. Later, at a SunDo retreat, I was working with the breath, in particular, the still point at the end of the inhalation and exhalation before things turn around again. To me the silence at the bottom of every exhale IS the alchemical fusion of yin and yang IS the mystery hinted at in the geometry of the Star of David, or even--to really go out on a limb here--the Cross. (The Cross connection happened for me while walking on the mostly Catholic pilgramage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. I wasn't a Christian then and I'm not now, but something clicked for me walking everyday looking at all those Crosses. You've got your horizontal and you've got your vertical, you've got that magic point in the middle where everything comes together. Something beautiful about that too.) Maybe I'm wrong. It's certainly possible that the way I'm putting things together isn't strictly correct, but that isn't the point. My far-ranging investigations have allowed me to glimpse threads that are universal across systems, and perhaps cultures as well. Would I be farther along the path, spiritually speaking, if I'd stuck it out with the Torah? Perhaps. Still, I've carved my own path and it hasn't been all bad. Liminal