liminal_luke
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Everything posted by liminal_luke
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Ordained Daoists are not that uncommon, at least not here on the forum. Cloudwalking owls though? Now that`s something really special.
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Loveherbs, IĀ“ve got the feeling that you are ashamed of your porn usage. I bet that shame around watching porn is a bigger problem than the porn itself. You are not a bad person. Really. Watching porn might get in the way of other things you want to do in your life but it doesnĀ“t make you a bad person. All the advice about 12 step groups and such is good but sometimes focusing on the "problem" just makes it bigger. You could become a professional porn addict, a recoveree with a busy meeting schedule. This isnĀ“t so bad and many people have turned it into a viable spiritual path. But itĀ“s also possible to just do something else. When youĀ“re in the grip of porn it probably seems next to impossible to put it down. Do something else though and I think youĀ“ll find the spell is broken. Bottomline, sex just isnĀ“t that important. OK, well itĀ“s sorta important. But there are so many other things to do in a day and when you start doing them sex will stop being the be-all-end-all. Go for a walk. Talk with a friend. Then, if you go back to watching porn afterward, donĀ“t beat yourself up about it. The time you spend watching porn doesnĀ“t cancel out the good you did when you werenĀ“t watching porn. You are more than your porn usage.
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Tao of Conscious Awareness. or why so much importance placed on 'conscious awareness'?
liminal_luke replied to silent thunder's topic in General Discussion
If IĀ“m remembering my Freud correctly, the whole point of psychoanalysis is to "make the unconscious conscious." The parts of the psyche that hide behind the childhood couch tend to cause trouble for the other parts; life runs smoother when all our subpersonalities come out into the light of conscious awareness. Conscious awareness is important for more than just mental health -- we need it for our physical health too. Thankfully, we donĀ“t have to consciously command the heart to beat to stay alive (most of the time) but it is possible to become much more aware of our bodies than we customarily are. Awareness begets good function. Just as the parts of our mind play nice when each part is "seen" by our larger SELF, so too the parts of the body. Much sickness results from a lack of communication and cooperation between our various physical parts. (IĀ“m making the usual distinction here between mind and body and saying conscious awareness fosters the health of both. In reality, thereĀ“s no difference. The mind is the body; the body is the mind. But there are two doors into the temple and some people find one entryway more convenient than the other.) Of course all this is just preamble to the crowning spiritual jewel of consciousness: awareness of awareness. This is a topic better addressed by Bums who are, umm, aware of such things. Not me. People tell me that awareness of awareness is important and I believe them. Postscript: awareness of awareness of awareness of awareness... -
IĀ“m so happy to hear youĀ“re feeling better, TTDB. Whatever youĀ“re doing thatĀ“s working, keep on doing it!
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Keep it short -- get read. Cultivate the siddhi of brevity. Almost as good as lighting fires with your chi.
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@Yang So sorry to hear about the suicide of your sonĀ“s girlfriend. ItĀ“s probably been 30 years since my dadĀ“s suicide and I still think now and then that maybe I could of prevented it somehow. Of course his suicide wasnĀ“t my fault, just like the suicide in your family isnĀ“t your sonĀ“s fault. IĀ“m not telling you anything you donĀ“t already know. Indeed, it sounds like youĀ“re fiercely aware that itĀ“s not your sonĀ“s fault. Still, I hope you donĀ“t mind me repeating the obvious. My mom said it was so weird after my dadĀ“s death -- everybody came forward thinking "what if"...what if theyĀ“d made that call or said something different or reached out somehow. The truth is that my dad was going to do what he was going to do. I donĀ“t think there was anything anybody -- least of all me -- could of done about it.
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Thanks for this! This is an old thread but eerily relevent to where I am just now. IĀ“m still with my partner, heĀ“s still struggling, IĀ“m still struggling with his struggle. I like the idea of acknowledgement. It feels so much more doable than acceptance to me too. My mind sometimes rails against the very idea of acceptance; part of me is not at all sure that itĀ“s a good idea. But acknowledgement? How could acknowledging the truth of whatever situation I (we) find ourselves in be bad? ItĀ“s not. OK, acknowledgement it is then.
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My mental-health challenged partner told me tonight that if heĀ“s going to heal he needs to start from a place of accepting his disease. This in direct opposition to my approach which is one of fighting. I donĀ“t like his problems (and even less how it effects our relationship and me in particular) and am not in any way OK with it. But I was nevertheless impressed with the wisdom of what he had to say. To heal from an illness do we have to accept it first? Is the feeling of "wanting to get rid of the illness" a form of hostility? Is fighting for health contrary to this kind of acceptance or aligned with it?
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One simple way to release suppressed emotions is simply to stop doing the things we habitually do to suppress them. For me, itĀ“s chocolate cake. Anything addictive (even, say, internet forums) can suppress emotions and when the addictive behavior stops the emotions will come bubbling up. Common addictive behaviors include the obvious biggies like alcohol and drugs but also television, gambling, sex/porn, shopping, food, social media, etc. Even excessive busyness and work. Instead of addictive indulgences try a solo walk in nature. Writing in a journal. Meditation. My experience is that these things bring me closer to my emotional self.
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Oh boy! With this question you`re really opening the proverbial can of tuna. Opinions on diet here on the forum range as widely as in the so-called real world. You`re sure to hear from the vegetarian/vegan crowd. I favor a more paleo-esque approach myself -- eliminating grains, sugar, and vegetable oils like corn and canola. I believe fatty meat is a nutrient-dense food that most people need and not the culinary bogeyman it`s often made out to be. There`s good information about this approach here: https://marksdailyapple.com/blog/. @Taomeow recently suggested the idea of simply eating foods made by human beings and avoiding foods made by corporations. I think most people would drastically improve their diets by following this one rule -- whether they otherwise gravitate toward tomatoes or rib-eyes.
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Reveal Weird Stuff About Yourself Thread
liminal_luke replied to Sebastian's topic in The Rabbit Hole
@dwai What kind of guy worries about overdoing it in the gym because his growing biceps might interfere with "internal power"? What kind of guy asks internet strangers to tell him who they are without thinking? (Or at least I think that was the exercise. I repressed the exact language because it was just too bizarre to contemplate.) No worries about your oddness, friend. You are not even a little bit lacking in the weird department.- 119 replies
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Tao of Conscious Awareness. or why so much importance placed on 'conscious awareness'?
liminal_luke replied to silent thunder's topic in General Discussion
I know, right? Silent Thunder has written before about doubt as a positive virtue but heĀ“s really digging deep this time. In my book, ST is the Bum King of conscious awareness. ItĀ“s as if Tutankamon awoke from the dead, joined us here at TheDaoBums, and started a thread asking whatĀ“s the point in owning a little gold. -
Tao of Conscious Awareness. or why so much importance placed on 'conscious awareness'?
liminal_luke replied to silent thunder's topic in General Discussion
IĀ“ve been reading a lot of psychologist Rick Hanson on the web lately (https://www.rickhanson.net/get-started/). His big theme is that we can actually change our brains by "taking in the good" -- spending a minute or so on a regular basis letting positive experiences sink in. He says that if something good happens to us (or we make something good happen) we can use conscious awareness to really bask in the feeling, even briefly, and this basking will actually change us neurologically. Say you want to develop the quality of grit, to become mentally stronger and more resilient. You might spend a minute or so bringing to mind times in the past when you stuck with something difficult, when you felt determined and undaunted. Then, whenever you succeeed at anything difficult throughout the day (maybe you resist eating donuts a "well-meaning" coworker brought to work) really take a moment to appreciate how you used to will. Take that sense of efficacy into your body. This works with any quality we might want to cultivate in ourselves -- the sense of being cared about, feeling safe, appreciating beauty, and so on. Rick Hanson says itĀ“s not enough to have good experiences and move on. To change ourselves we have to take a short break and appreciate the positive happening. This is an application of conscious awareness. -
Reveal Weird Stuff About Yourself Thread
liminal_luke replied to Sebastian's topic in The Rabbit Hole
Maybe thatĀ“s what itĀ“s called. Not sure. It was at the Insight Meditation center in Barre, Massachusetts. They used to have a 3 month retreat there every fall, maybe still do. It was one of the most difficult things IĀ“ve ever done and also one of the most fulfilling. I kind of sucked at it, broke all sorts of rules. After about a month of silence, I walked into the small town nearby to buy a slice of pizza, a very unvegetarian slice. Not recommended. I anonymously submitted a question complaining about the no-masturbation rule that was addressed in an evening dharma talk. Towards the end, I even (gasp!) started reading books. Another no-no. For all that, the experience goes down as a milestone in my life.- 119 replies
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This is a great point. To my mind, anger (and other emotions) are always legitimate. Which isnĀ“t to say that the target of your anger necessarily deserves your scorn. Maybe they donĀ“t. But if youĀ“re angry, itĀ“s not for nothing. ThereĀ“s always a good reason. The reason may be something physiological, biochemical or neurological, or it may be related to something in your past. Rest assured though: there is a reason and itĀ“s a good one. As Chi Nei Tsang teacher Gilles Marin says, emotions are not rational. Emotions simply are and they need to be validated. If you can, donĀ“t be angry at your anger. DonĀ“t approach anger as if it was an enemy combatant to be eradicated. Difficult emotions like anger respond best to gentleness and curiosity. Bring as much open awareness to your anger as you can muster. Feeling angry doesnĀ“t make you a monster; it makes you human.
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Reveal Weird Stuff About Yourself Thread
liminal_luke replied to Sebastian's topic in The Rabbit Hole
I want one of those cute raccoon prizes so I guess I better dig deep and come up with another story. Many years ago, I attended a three month silent vipassana retreat. (No, thatĀ“s not the weird part.) We were instructed not to talk to each other at all except for necessary communication during daily chores. We could, however, anonymously give each other little treats, usually chocolate, by placing things on someoneĀ“s meditation cushion when they werenĀ“t there. Someone gave me a teddy bear -- I had no idea who -- and I decided to regift it. There were about 100 of us there at the retreat and by amazing coincidence (or weird karma?) I ended up giving the teddy bear right back to the person who gave it to me. We talked at the end of the retreat and it turned out that heĀ“d regretted giving up the teddy bear as it was personally meaningful to him, so he was especially pleased and surprised to get it back.- 119 replies
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Classical Taoist writing isnĀ“t my thing so no literature recommendations from me. I would like to say though, that if you feel like a noob, well, you must be doing something right. Noobs are famous for "having their cup empty" -- being ready and open to learn. ThatĀ“s so much better than being a cup-full expert. Also, noobs tend towards humility, to my mind the most Taoist of the virtues. So...if youĀ“re a noob and you know it clap your hands. You deserve the applause.
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HI Funnerfun, I second MarkernĀ“s suggestion of using the liver healing sound to cleanse anger. There might be several systems of the healing sounds but the one IĀ“m familiar with is from Mantak Chia. Master Chia has many detractors here on the board but I think the very basics of his system -- inner smile, healing sounds -- are very good. He says that when the liver energy is unbalanced it manifests as anger; the liver healing sound transforms the anger into the energy of kindness. There are books by Chia about the six healing sounds on Amazon as well as Youtube videos. In my experience it can take awhile for the sound and posture to make a difference, many more repetitions than the 3 or 6 usually recommended. Another more cathartic method comes from the somatic body-mind practice of Zapchen. HereĀ“s a video of Zapchen practitioner Laura Lund demonstrating how to deal with anger.
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The world will be saved one motorbike at a time. Some might choose to live without motorized transport, traveling about exclusively by way of village footpath. This is a fine and environmentally-friendly choice. Still, the earth is not dying merely from an overabundance of carbon dioxide emissions, but also from an underabundance of soul. When a person loves a motorbike -- the beauty of itĀ“s form and the precision of itĀ“s function -- thatĀ“s an expression of soul. The world needs more soul.
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Pretty much anything would be good. Does it involve doing a movement form or is it a kind of sitting meditation? Does it involve a special kind of breathing, visualization? What kind of time commitment is involved to do the practice? Suppose someone knows nothing -- like me -- and you wanted to give them a general overview so that they could decide whether the practice was for them. What would you say about it?
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I`m taking his online Yi Jin Jing course right now. Highly recommended.
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There has been a lot of negativity about Mo Pai on the forum over the years, and it`s understandable that members of MildMouse`s group might feel a need to defend their practice. Still, coming to the discussion with the sole intention to do "damage control" creates a dynamic that (unwittingly?) exacerbates the problem rather than helps. Some questions I am curious about... Could you tell us a little bit about the nature of the practice itself? What is the end goal of the practice? What experiences have group members had and how has the practice impacted their lives for the better?
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You might be the first Bum in history to state that Taomeow hasnĀ“t "done enough research" on any subject. Just sayinĀ“.
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Very strange experience. Enlightenment or something else?
liminal_luke replied to voras's topic in Newcomer Corner
Voras, No comment from me Voras except to say that it sounds like youĀ“ve opened yourself up to a part of yourself that you werenĀ“t aware of before. ThatĀ“s gotta be a good thing. Is it enlightenment? I personally donĀ“t like to use that word because I think that itĀ“s mired in all sorts of different associations and doesnĀ“t have a clear and useful meaning outside of particular traditions. I think the person that might best be able to shed light on your situation is @Spotless. -
Passion and and long-term love can coexist (IĀ“m told) but more often than not donĀ“t. Even in the absence of conventional sex, I believe thereĀ“s still an energetic exchange between partners. I think that most people experience this in relationships, but perhaps weĀ“re talking about different things.
