dwai

What will opening chakras clear?

The mind is a mirror in which we see the reflection of our Self -- that's the seeing and recognizing part. The dust of life settles on this mirror gradually and obscures the image. So we clean the mirror every day -- that's the maintaining part. Is it necessary to keep cleaning the mirror after seeing and recognizing it? The question arises "Who is recognizing, and who is cleaning/maintaining? Who knows if the image is clear or obscure?" That one doesn't (need to) do anything.

That is the only Siddhi, rest are all parlor tricks of varying degrees.

Interesting stuff about the 'jhanas'... In the Advaita Vedanta tradition, "stages" of meditation are not given much importance since realization requires the intellect to be active. It could be said that even if you enter into nirvikalpa samadhi in yogic meditation, you are still you (i.e., the body-mind complex) when you come out of it. Savikalpa samadhi (a still/settled mind with active intellect) is necessary for nondual inquiry. There are preparatory practices that include a combination of yogic meditation (dhyana), selfless service (seva), good company (satsang), and devotion (bhakti). These will help the individual seeker achieve mental focus and establish an active silence/stillness. The problems encountered in the Advaitic path are as follows - Chitta mala - Impurity of the mind (can be resolved using selfless service) Chitta Viksepa - Scattered mind (can be resolved by using meditation) Asambhavana - Doubts about the veracity of the teachings (these can be resolved in the company of fellow travelers and realized teachers, as well as with devotion to the lineage/teachings) Viparita Bhavana - Regressive tendencies - these are usually a result of incomplete foundational work, such that even after reaching a certain degree of understanding and clarity, from time to time a "slipping" occurs in the mind of the seeker. These are a result of vasanas (karmic patterns) that re-emerge. On a side note, a holistic medicine practitioner I used to visit told me that problems tend to rise in cycles (sometimes, it is a 13-month cycle, some larger and some smaller).

In Classical Advaita Vedanta, three levels of "reality" are defined. Pratibhasika Satya - Pratibha means image, pratibhasika means imaginary. This is what can be called illusory - imagination-driven, the stuff of most dreams, etc. Vyavaharika Satya - Transactional reality - this makes up our waking world and waking experiences Paramarthika Satya - The Ultimate Reality - This is the undifferentiated nature of Pure Consciousness, where there are no longer differences (dualities) such as me and you, this and that, subject-object. One could also call it pure objectless consciousness. The practical aspect of Advaita is to discern between Vyavaharika and Paramarthika by recognizing that our true nature is pure, undifferentiated consciousness. Towards that end, a few different methodologies are provided. These are both phenomenological as well as intellectual in nature, and requires some preparatory work such as the ability to steady the mind and body - Drik-Drsya Viveka - The method of seer and seen Pancha Kosha Viveka - The method of processing the five layers/sheaths of our being Avastha-traya Viveka - The method of the three experiences (waking, dreaming and deep sleep)

He also goes into a very esoteric concept here.

Hi Mark, Can you elucidate this for me? It'd be great if you could explain the first four concentrations in lay-person terms, etc.

The role of deities is necessary, depending on the path one travels, IMHO. Understanding that Deities are "real" at the transactional/causal level is essential. Deities can help individuals progress spiritually so long as one knows how to practice with them. Not having deities and not having a practical approach to spiritual practice, but only theory about a formless G_d (half-baked IMHO) will lead to problems such as fundamentalism and violence. Having deities but not having a practical approach to working with the deities (such as tantra, etc.) will also cause problems of superstition and delusion/dependency.

Which is the locus standi of Advaita Vedanta as well. The 'self" and "no self" debate is inconsequential (IMHO) beyond the preliminary stages of study/practice. We should simply do the work and the truth will be revealed.

Technically, the Self doesn't choose the Self; the Self is always and forever the Self. The "accident" is for the so-called separate individual who seems to suffer from the delusion of separateness and individuality. P.S. This kind of thinking (Self choose the Self) arises from being unable to discern between the jiva and Atman.. From the jiva's perspective, there is ignorance and corresponding liberation/enlightenment. From Atman's perspective, there never was any ignorance or a need for liberation.

I recently saw someone "raging" against the Advaita Vedanta teachers (such as Ma Anandamayi), asking if their perspective -- that, at the highest level, most religious traditions have more in common than not -- isn't a disregard for each tradition's view. Most spiritual traditions have a vacyaartha (literal meaning) and a lakshyartha (implied meaning). People who have not had a realization shift (not yet had the profound accident) cannot understand the implied meaning, so they stick with the literal meaning (or the word of the teacher/lineage/tradition). While this might seem patronizing, it is not intended to be that way—it is merely an empirical statement (based on observation). The literal meaning is like an encoded message; the implied meaning is understood once a practitioner can access the decoder. Many accouterments accompany specific spiritual traditions in their specific socio-cultural and temporal contexts. One doesn't need to discard these - they have a lot of beauty (for those who choose to see it that way).

In real life, yin and yang are usually not in equilibrium. So, taijiquan gives us a practical tool to practice bringing them into balance internally and externally. Taijiquan practice does several things—when we do solo practice, it works mainly on the internal aspects of balance and harmony. When we do partner drills, it simulates situations where we can harmonize externally. It teaches us not to react blindly and how to neutralize/harmonize disruptive external forces with minimal effort.

This is a fascinating topic. I'm more interested in reading about it, but I want to highlight some aspects of the feminine that I observe in my mother - Patience Loving nature selfless service (to her family and friends) pragmatic wisdom

It means it is based on awareness/consciousness. I’m going to go a bit dualistic here - once there is awareness of the surface energy, it becomes accessible for application.

What does it mean to you?

Here he’s breaking down the different levels of Taichi What’s really cool is how he disambiguates between the yin and yang aspects of each level. Yin is always awareness, yang is varyingly release of tension, intention, and so on.

Ok now that we’ve gotten the outlandish theories out of the way, lets get back what qi in Taichi actually is. @Taomeow you make an interesting observation about qi not always being “energy”, but sometimes a pattern. What did you mean by it?

I thought you’d hold your comments?

No mitochondrial respiration required 😜

I couldn't agree more. There is no honor in being a pacifist in the face of tyranny. The Indian strategist Chanakya wrote in his treatise on statecraft - Arthashastra, some 2000 years ago that the following course of action should be taken (when faced with those who mean us harm) - Negotiate (Sāma) - Try to negotiate for peace. Payment (Dāma) - If talks don't work, try compensating the other party within reasonable means (and depending on your ability to endure a conflict) Divide (bheda) - If that fails, divide your enemy and scuttle their will Punish (Danda) - Use force (if you have the ability) Violence should be the last resort, but one should be prepared to deal with it. While the above guidelines are intended for statecraft, they also apply in everyday life.

I find reading a person's life journey a lot more interesting/inspiring than dry academic stuff

For me it was the Autobiography of A Yogi by Paramahamsa Yogananda

It IS spiritual. My teacher calls it "surface" power. We are not big on academic terminology - we focus on experience and application. We apply it in all our form practice by activating certain points in our body as connection points for this surface power. For example, if you move your arm, the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints are expanded, acting as an energetic conduit to this outside qi. Mentally, the practice involves splitting the world into two halves (conceptually). As the arm moves forward, it pulls the half of the world (that is behind the arm) forward with it. If it moves backward, it pulls the half of the world in front of it. This is just an example on how to get started. Eventually it works in all directions, as if we are floating in an ocean of this "stuff" - each movement causes ripples or tidal waves depending on the power of our intent. According to a comment in his video, he says it is an artifact of the neigong he teaches (shendao neigong). But in our system, this is considered pretty advanced (as opposed to the "internal" hydraulic based system most taichi people seem to be doing). Can't say about his system, but in our system, the 5 directions have to do with the 5 elements, and they are, IMHO, application strategies - not alchemical things.

agreed 100% It’s interesting that you made the point. After I started with my teacher, I happened to get a chance to touch hands with his then second most senior student. It felt like a tank was coming at me, though he wasn’t really “turning it on”. It was intimidating. My teacher on the other hand felt like a cloud (still does), and he can “disappear” at will and “reappear” suddenly, by which point it is too late to do anything. A few years later, I touched hands with that person again (I didn’t get a chance to meet him in between). I felt like he was a child, and I could move him around at will. I figured my skills had improved (I’d been working out with my teacher diligently for a few years, plus my own daily practice of 2-3 hrs).