dwai
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Everything posted by dwai
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The reason I brought it up is because it really does vary. For instance, there is a group of people who aim for alchemical enlightenment - aka immortality (rainbow body, etc). That is a different ideal from enlightenment that is the goal of wisdom traditions such as Advaita Vedanta or Buddhism.
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First we have to define what "enlightenment" means.
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What is the purpose of Qigong, Powers, Practices?
dwai replied to welkin's topic in General Discussion
This is a good sign. You are able to recognize the “void” in your life. It is due to a primordial programming that is in us all. Most people go through life trying to fill this void with things, people and relationships. But it cannot be filled that way. More you reach out into the phenomenal world for fulfillment, the more you end up yearning. The only way to fill this void is to seek its source. Where from is this void originating? Towards that end, qigong will definitely help. But not in the way most people understand it. Developing your Qi, powers, etc won’t solve this problem. The answer is in a side-effect of qigong or other such mind-body repetitive practices. It results in focusing of the mind and eventually stilling of the mind. At that point, with a still (empty) mind, when you seek the source of the void, you will find the solution to that which is at the root of all suffering in the world. And with it, all suffering will simply disappear... -
What is the purpose of Qigong, Powers, Practices?
dwai replied to welkin's topic in General Discussion
The purpose of Qigong is cultivating Qi. -
If you have questions about Advaita Vedanta or even generic non dual practice, I'd recommend watching it. The questions and associated answers don't involve just technical/academic concepts of vedanta. They are practical and have simple and lucid advice towards practice and meditation. With sessions such as these, often we find our most pressing questions answered. I've experienced this time and again with Swamis in person (e.g., in a live satsang) and especially with Swami Sarvapriyananda's sessions.
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This video is highly recommended. Ashtāvakra Gita is one of the highest level texts of Advaita Vedanta. But watch it at your own peril
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Dao Yin is a moving practice and has many useful functions, primarily around health maintenance and improvement.
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The term "cultivation" evokes the sense that the mind-body complex is a field in which certain "crops" are being cultivated. What are they? Some may call them "virtues". What these virtues are going to vary based on our progression on the path. Initially it may start as martial power, ethics, morals, etc etc. But with time they will be revealed to be aspects of our "true nature" - stillness, emptiness. Eventually, one will get to a point where it becomes apparent, that the cultivation was more a de-cluttering, and eventually, nothing at all. The crops were always there and there never existed a separate field, the crops or the process of cultivation.
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In terms of thoughts, my understanding is very clear. Anything that has a name and/or form in the mind is a thought. If there is not a name and/or form involved, it is no longer a thought. There is an entire realm of consciousness that operates beyond thought. I keep coming back to 'antahkarana' (of Indic traditions) vs the western idea of the 'mind' over and over again. This page does a decent job of pointing out the difference -- http://tripurashakti.com/antahkarana/
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As a musician who mostly improvises, I can tell you that there is some thinking involved but mostly at random intervals. The improvisation starts with an active thought, but then what happens is “I get out of the way”, so the music flows through me and onto the instrument. “I” reappears from time to time to ensure that the improvisation re-enters the primary melody and rhythm of the song (or musical context which is the backdrop), with active checkpoints from time to time. Many good artists will tell us that, this is the way for creativity to take place. “Get out of your own way”, “let go” etc etc. this is true for even internal martial arts. My first teacher’s constant admonishment was “get out of your own way” BTW very interesting turn in the discussion...
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Pain in the scapular region caused by incorrect posture in ZZ?
dwai replied to gatsu's topic in Healthy Bums
I'd look to refine the alignment more. Typically I found that even after years of ZZ, it is possible to fall into slightly misaligned ways of standing (our sense of balance etc keeps changing very subtly all the time). It is hard without actually looking at your alignments to make any suggestions. +1 to what @Fa Xin recommend. Find a good teacher and have them refine your posture. Second best is to review it with someone over Skype. But to summarize, too often I find that what people think of as "properly aligned" is actually, slightly misaligned, with the weight leaning backward. In order to counter that, a slightly exaggerated leaning forward from the hips is required. This requires the chin to be tucked properly and the muscles in the upper chest to drop downward slightly. Also, always seek to suspend from the martial crown. That will naturally tuck your chin properly.- 20 replies
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Time lapse video: Zhan Zhuang - Holding the Ball
dwai replied to marko's topic in General Discussion
Love your view -
Didn't Gurdjieff's stuff feed into the theosophical society of Madame Blavatsky?
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Lets be kind brother Though I do echo your expression in that we'd rather explore and investigate with clarity than kowtow to assumed authority and wade in a swamp of complicated words and concepts... BTW, who is Mr G? Anyone I know (of)?
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Do you mean that "active thinking" happens "outside" us? Where is this "us"?
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Let's take a scenario where you are "actively thinking" and then "drift into day-dreaming", to whom do both of these activities happen? And where do these activities take place?
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Where is active thinking happening? Where is day-dreaming happening? And to whom? That is the main question. Only by letting go of the intellect can meditation happen
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This! There is no separate 'meditation'. What most people call meditation is only preparing to meditate. Real meditation is what is called "samādhī" and it is not a state, but the true nature of the Self. Yes! In realization, there is no duality, there is no separation and there is no competition.
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What if it was the dog and one tail instead?
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First thing I do after waking up is merge with my deities (Lords Shiva and Vishnu). After that, I meditate on prolonged Omkars, leading to stillness and silence, wherein I rest. In terms of cultivation, my current practice involves daogong and taijiquan at least once a day, for releasing and emptying. Typically the session lasts 30-45 minutes (since past year or so). Or I might do multiple sessions of 15 mins per day at different times. And constantly, abiding in and as Self-nature, or primordial awareness. But it is not a "doing", so can't be called a practice anymore.
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I think he said "Advaita" (Nondualism) as opposed to monotheism (dualistic) and he was quoting Swami Vivekananda's prediction from the 19th century.
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Any one who wants to understand non-dualism, should absolutely watch this lecture. Here's wishing you a very happy enlightenment
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Can't you do it as a "note to Self" -- "please lead us from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge and from death to immortality"? Until the realization of one's true nature happens, prayer is one of the recourses. There is no dichotomy there. I have a hard-core scientist skeptic type friend who is an atheist. He has similar objections. I don't see any issue. Since I am the Self, I appear as both the deity as well as the individual. So as the individual, I appear to pray to the deity, and as the deity, I appear to bless the individual. They are just means to navigate the domains of limitations. There is room for all in non dualism. Because ultimately it is all just an appearance.