dwai

A very revolutionary idea, isn't it? (disclaimer: Even this is not an original one )

Further more, positive and negative are just values we ascribe, based on our own predilections (projecting from the past, into the future). Mainly, derived from the power of memory and imagination.

Agreed. But that comes at a slightly different level of knowing For instance, if at all I do get frustrated with something now, I don't find any individual to "blame" for it. Things happen as they happen. The frustration must be rising from my inability to accept the situation as it is, and from my inability to "let go".

Suppression of emotions is never a good thing. It is best to find a safe outlet. For instance, if you are frustrated, go find an empty space and scream your lungs out. And then let go and move on. We suffer with these emotions because we don't/can't say the right thing at the right time. For instance, if your boss is a tool and you are worried about losing your job if you call him/her out on it, that is an emotion that is suppressed and will fester inside. Instead of letting it fester, why not, find an outlet for that frustration? Write down what you feel and then burn that piece of paper (disclaimer: not an original idea). Ideally we should be able to articulate our frustrations in a healthy and timely manner (and not worry about the consequences).

If you know how to raise the Qi to the upper dan tien, make sure you know how to drop your Qi to your Lower dan tien. In the system I practice, raising the Qi to the upper dan tien is an advanced practice that one does in small sessions. Always after any practice, you should sink the qi to the LDT. It is better to cultivate opening of the heart (MDT) before proceeding to the UDT, imho. And always, sink the Qi down to the LDT when closing any practice session.

Here's the text I am working with -- https://www.swami-krishnananda.org/panchadasi/Commentary_Panchadasi.pdf

The third book is very interesting but is abstract imho. It does cover some interesting concepts from what i can remember. I should revisit them again soon. I would say, if you want to focus on taijiquan, get the book "The T'ai Chi Classics" by Master Waysun Liao. It is one of the best books on Taijiquan and you can learn some very powerful neigong methods from it.

The book on YiQuan is all about standing drills. The one on Taiji is about a modified grasp sparrow's tail. According to the books, the Yiquan guy whose student Jan was (I have to go to the basement to look up the name), mainly practiced Yiquan standing meditations and a simplified taijiquan form. Not fluffy imho. But one man's stuff can be another's fluff... I think the trilogy is rather well written. Albeit, reading and learning from a book is far less effective than actually finding a teacher who can show you "hands on".

Maybe joy instead of desire?

What can that, which is complete and free desire? Veiling and unveiling only appear to be.

Yes I am in agreement with you. It was meant to be "your point is very valid".

If I wanted to go down that route (Chen style), then Practical Method would be it for me. I too like him and his pragmatic approach a lot.

Standing is the way to develop power. Imho, if someone doesn't have a standing practice, they cannot develop internal power. I have a three-volume series on Yiquan titled "Warriors of Stillness trilogy". The author Jan Diepersloot has done an excellent job outlining the practice of Yiquan as well as adapting it to Taijiquan. I find their standing drills are there in all good taijiquan systems. I've seen some of what Mizner teaches viz. Huang Sheng Shyan/Yang Ban Hou styles - and his introductory work is standing meditations. In Temple style (which is what I'm a student of since since 2002), there is extensive standing. https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Yiquan-Awareness-Warriors-Stillness/dp/0964997649/ref=pd_cp_14_3?pd_rd_w=sZ7ka&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=GGFZRMJWKSZ4Q49GNRBA&pd_rd_r=85e3d3ad-ff05-11e8-8b23-7f522031bab0&pd_rd_wg=YSLmn&pd_rd_i=0964997649&psc=1&refRID=GGFZRMJWKSZ4Q49GNRBA

Why not? Ramana Maharshi was a case in point. His presence and silence awoke some seekers and for others he did commentaries and expounded on various texts. Ramana said that a few seekers are like gun powder, just the spark of presence is enough to light them up. Some more are like wood and you have to light a kindling and wait for them to “catch fire”, and most are like wet wood, so they first have to dry in the heat of a blazing fire (or under the sun) until they are dry enough to burn. (The above is from my memory, so not a direct quote). Imho, the student would have eventually awakened simply by sitting in Master A's presence, but he didn't have patience, didn't have a mentor who could guide him in that way. That said, we must remember that stories like these are meant to make us think and ponder, and aren't necessarily providing any authoritative standards wrt. students or masters.

Cheshire cat’s point is very good too. However, If you want to develop singlepointedness of your mind, purify the body-mind, id recommend learning taijiquan from a good teacher. A good taijiquan system will include qigong, standing meditation, seated meditations, etc. Once you develop enough maturity in taijiquan, it will naturally unfold Self discovery, etc.

Illusion is an incorrect translation based on its intended meaning. Unreal in this context means something that is impermanent and not independently existent. A more "user-friendly" option to consider is "transactional reality" - that which is always dependent on something "else" for existence. That which it is dependent on "awareness" is called "absolute reality".

The one I do is doing a full squat (like squatting to go potty eastern style) with my elbows pushing my knees outward - inhale and push apart, exhale and relax the kua. I find it helps my hip flexors too.

Three drills seem to help and are preparatory in terms of taijiquan (jibengong) -- Look at this playlist and do the hip, waist, kua rotation drills (from the playlist below). Integrate your breathing with them and you will find that soon your hips will open up nicely.

That's a beautiful analogy!

Alignment IS for the purpose of feeling (and therefore learning) imho. When a good teacher adjusts the student's alignments, just a half-degree change can make a day and night difference between feeling some minute trickles and essentially opening the flood gates. But the student needs to work on becoming natural with the alignment (hence practice), such that the structure and alignment becomes so internalized that they don't have to think about it ever again. This is necessary until there is sufficient full-body integration and jin developed that the internal conditions are maintained without effort just with a regular practice (could even be a few minutes a day). However, there is a fallacy, imho, when one becomes "anal" about alignment. Because just mechanical adjustment of structure is pointless if it interferes with the qi flow. What is good for peter, may not work for paul, given that they may have different body types etc. Meaning, it is not a "one size fits all" proposition. I've known plenty of such "anal" taiji people, who will measure with a protractor and a divider exact angles to step (back foot HAS to be 45 degrees), exact distribution of weight, etc. Such people tend to "miss the forest for the trees", so to speak. The Internal arts are about a completely different level of perception and proprioception than can be afforded of by our senses and even rational mind. For instance, in Taijiquan, there's a saying that "we go from beginner (no form), to form (intermediate) to no form (advanced)". The idea is to leave the form, leave the structure behind and flow with and follow the energy. Of course, I'm sure there are many who might vehemently disagree. To that I say -- the proof is in the pudding.

In my case, it was the touch of my master's index finger to my forehead. He literally kicked my butt through the (gateless) gate, so to speak. That being said, there are valuable nuances to what Jeff is writing too. It is always about both the teacher and the student. For instance, Jeff asked (and I roughly paraphrase) "why was Master A not able to help the student? Indeed, if he really was a powerful master, he should have had the ability to influence even beginners/less advanced students!" I think the answer might lie in whether the student was able to grasp what was being transmitted by Master A in silence. In Jeff's tradition, the teacher can "feed" the student, but still the student needs to be prepared...open at the heart level first - I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong here. This is what I call purification of the mind (which will progressively open the chakras - which happens whether one is using raja yoga, bhakti yoga, jnana yoga or karma yoga). Typically in order for jnana yoga to work, some preliminary work needs to happen, which will result in what is called antahkaranashuddhi (or purification of the mind - ego - intellect - memory store complex) . Those could be in the form of (one or various combinations of) raja, karma, bhakti yoga. When the work is sufficiently done, the heart opens up, and is able to receive the transmission. Thanks and likewise - I'm only discovering your posts now but I do like what i read.

http://practicalmethod.com

Some sages have an uncanny ability to transmit the truth (even in words). I think/IME it is because the written/studied word works at the subtle level (madhyama), where as words verbalized without presence mainly work at the gross level (vaikhari). Reminds me of an old story I had heard. Once a sincere student goes to an old master reputed to the best, who has only 3-4 students sitting around him in silence. Not a word is spoken. The student sits for a few days but gets frustrated and leaves to go the master who is reputed to be second best, who has 10-15 students sitting around him and they all are doing some yogic practices with minimal words being uttered. The student spends a few more days here and finally, sufficiently frustrated in his ability to get the answers he was seeking, he goes to the third best master. Upon reaching there he sees hundreds of students and the master is preaching the truths, expounding on the sutras for hours on end. Student finds himself being very happy. After a few days he approaches the master and says “master, it looks like you are not getting the credit you deserve. When I was asking for references to great masters, I was told you are only third best in the land, the other two masters A & B are considered best and second best respectively! How unfair...I visited them both before coming to you, and i found your teachings to be most meaningful. Please master, tell me how I can help you remedy this gross injustice!” To that the master C replied .. “what did you see when you went to master A?” student replied “he wasn’t teaching anything, just sitting quietly and smiling!” master C asked “what about master B?” student replied “he was just teaching some meditation and yogic techniques and using very few words!” To that master C replied “ my dear student, how I wish I was able to teach like masters A and B. They are both at a higher level than me, and so, master B is able to teach what I can convey with hours of lectures with his presence along with just simple statements and meditative techniques, while master A doesn’t even need to say anything, his mere presence is all it takes for the teachings to be transmitted! You my dear student were not prepared for masters A or B, and that’s why you couldn’t benefit from their teachings.” student retorted “ so why where there only a handful of students with each of these masters, while you have hundreds?” master C replied “that’s because most of the students are not qualified for the other masters’ teachings yet. They have to attain a degree of purification of the mind to comprehend what they teach. So they come to me, as I give them material in a way that will help their minds grasp. It is a longer path.”

Too much pride on intelligence is another trap. The truth is beyond the intellect as well. Intellect will only take us to the gates of the truth. When you walk through the gate, the intellect stays behind. That is the source of so much mischief. The ego wants explanations. It needs the intellect to make up a satisfactory story. The fact is that no story is ever necessary. But that realization comes after making up and breaking down many layers of stories. The truth is that which makes story making possible. How can it ever be an object of any story?

Only when taken as separate “things”. It is always yin-yang or taiji. But mostly discussions about it is pedagogy.