9th

Well.. my original post was just something I found interesting... that two extremely different sacred texts from ancient times indicate that the death of a holy man causes earthquakes. I wonder if it was some kind of common knowledge that was passed around, like an urban legend or something. Also, Ive always found it interesting that the Buddha seemingly identifies the framework of the Earth's crust floating on the mantle, back in 400 BC or such. Of course, by "liquid" he may have meant water.. but its still interesting.

Sublimating or "transforming" sexual energy on the physical level deals with rerouting hormone production (as opposed to semen retention... thats a whole other story). Any sort of effective energy work or practice will naturally entice the body's endocrine system to perform at a level beyond the "normal" functioning (which is really a substandard use of its potential, if not an outright sickness). The endocrine system is the physical bridge to the energy body, and it may undergo numerous changes during your personal practice - and the unfolding is an individual matter, since everyone has different constitutions, natural proclivities, etc. If your sadhana was leading to a loss of libido, then it certainly is telling you something. Everyone has been through spots where their practice takes them to unexpected, unknown or uncomfortable situations. Its part of the whole process. Thats not to say that your re-calibration of the time table (by leaning back towards the familiar) is "wrong".. in fact it may be quite "right". We are all straw dogs anyways.

I dont consider myself a scholar, and to be frank I couldn't really care less about debating the minutiae of these concepts ad infinitum... especially with scholars and even more especially with "experts". The terminology is nowhere near as important to me as the reality itself. If you wish to twist and twist in the wind, then go right ahead. I welcome and encourage the disparity, the obfuscation, the fragmentation and so forth that occurs in the sprawling depths of false appropriations from fatal intellectualism. Think again of Cerberus. "The menu is not the meal" and its not something that interests me enough to spend a great deal of time on (except in rare cases, for certain reasons). I prefer to spend my time doing things that are meaningful and worthy of it. For example, to attain "dignity" in your eyes, or in the eyes of almost everyone on this forum - has absolutely no value to me. In fact, its often counterproductive to accomplishing my actual objectives. I can tell you with great certainty that you have not divulged the intent of my original post, nor the responses, but that is only to be expected. 'Why is that?' you may ask. And that would be good. But then again, why should you?

It is also considered a maturation of other meditations involving an object of concentration - like a mantra, altar, painting, etc. etc. Once concentration is developed sufficiently, it is turned away from the object of meditation and towards the idea of "I". In this way, samadhi is not considered a goal in itself, but a step along the way. It is akin to the buddhist practice of vipassana. Inquisitiveness in general is a great aid to this practice - if you are driven to uncover mysteries, you are well suited to this. If you are driven to sing songs and hold hands, it may not be as fruitful. The key is to continually deepen the realization of how much the thought of "I am" affects the experience of reality - until that thought process itself is overturned by seeing it in its most naked and profound implications.

You've already answered your own question... correctly, imo.

Thats ok, I wont dignify your post with a real response. Opinions are such wonderful things, dont you agree?

Imagine you live in a contested region of Palestine, for example - and you speak out against the terrorism occurring around you at the behest of the local authorities - you are saying such action is counter-productive to Eudaimonia? That is defacing the nomos. Since you are not american, I doubt you know of Rosa Parks, but her famous bus sitting is the perfect example of "defacing the nomos". It certainly gets much more subtle from there. You have conflated your idea of "human flourishing" into this in a strange way that I find silly. It is the same as saying that achieving Wei Wu Wei depends on living somewhere that has the right kind of government in place. Fortunately, thats not the case at all. Eudaimonia depends on nothing but your own personal choices. Living in accord with nature is Eudaimonia. It is the same concept as Wu Wei. Both could be translated as "Harmony". The greeks tended to emphasize the personal whereas the chinese tended to emphasize the impersonal. I dont translate it as "human flourishing", and I dont exactly know what you understand that to mean - nor do I have any interest in finding out. I consider our current human society to be incredibly fucked up and broken. You may disagree, so be it. Of course its a wiki article, and therefore an aggregate of numerous sites - its not a single article in and of itself. But the cynics were known for their "antinomian" principles and values, as were numerous other philosophical, religious and esoteric groups throughout history. It is not unique to them, but rather it is unique to a certain kind of nature that some creatures are aligned with... but such creatures can appear in all places, in all times, in all forms - they are not limited to a particular nationality or racial background or even species. Also, you cannot ascribe absolutes to concepts of social ethics. Our human world is not a matter of "order" or "chaos". Human society is a matter of cultural convention, which changes frequently according to time and place. Moral law is not natural law, it is a man made construct which is subject solely to the whims of its creator - be they based on social equality and justice, or rank hypocrisy, greed, violence, hatred, etc. What is considered truly immoral today was considered entirely moral and even sanctified in the past. Inquisitions, slavery, burning witches, etc. etc. And it goes on and on. This is really and truly very basic stuff. It always serves one well to have one's head and ass wired together. Good luck.

or the other one inside the unknown logos signs, omens, fate

"I don't have any personal history," he said after a long pause. "One day I found out that personal history was no longer necessary for me and, like drinking, I dropped it." I did not quite understand what he meant by that. I suddenly felt ill at ease, threatened. I reminded him that he had assured me that it was all right to ask him questions. He reiterated that he did not mind at all. "I don't have personal history any more," he said and looked at me probingly. "I dropped it one day when I felt it was no longer necessary." I stared at him, trying to detect the hidden meanings of his words. "How can one drop one's personal history?" I asked in an argumentative mood. "One must first have the desire to drop it," he said. "And then one must proceed harmoniously to chop it off, little by little." "Why should anyone have such a desire?" I exclaimed. I had a terribly strong attachment to my personal history. My family roots were deep. I honestly felt that without them my life had no continuity or purpose. "Perhaps you should tell me what you mean by dropping one's personal history," I said. "To do away with it, that's what I mean," he replied cuttingly. I insisted that I must not have understood the proposition. "Take you for instance," I said. "You are a Yaqui. You can't change that." "Am I?" he asked, smiling. "How do you know that?" "True!" I said. "I can't know that with certainty, at this point, but you know it and that is what counts. That's what makes it personal history." I felt I had driven a hard nail in. "The fact that I know whether I am a Yaqui or not does not make it personal history," he replied. "Only when someone else knows that does it become personal history. And I assure you that no one will ever know that for sure."

find softness within force of life that crushes dreams into stardust, light

loose lips sink ships but what do sunken ships lose when the matter of perception flows into liquidity serendipity is a chest full of treasure, of gold sizzling center critical key stones non-unturned for course correction praxis abraxas labels the cycles of cosmic form, of time flashing in the void you saw the light of venus reflected in swamp gas from a weather balloon that was trapped in a thermal pocket there were no aliens

The self must struggle to exist. The other is.

Yes, but is "him, her, that pile of wood, the dust floating in the air, the sun streaming through the open door" etc. going to be able to teach you how to take apart an engine block? Or how write a program in C++? You need to be able to discriminate between the type of knowledge derived purely from life experience, and the kind that can only be imparted by a trained expert. Life experience has no teacher other than life itself - that should be obvious because it is. The profession of teacher is still 100% valid in regards to actual teachings - in other words, training, methods, procedures, formulas, etc.

wu wei is acting without acting... so its not so much acting from your preconditioned self as it is simply being already the nexus of all things in motion.. which is everywhere and nowhere, without center or periphery

I'll take a shot at counting the sparrows here, its something I enjoy anyways. Bed imagery is fairly universal, and especially in this case (as in most dreams) with the double meaning of a "resting place". Rest in this sense could even be a reference to nirvana or the eternal ever renewing moment - the source, or origin of experience - the true "home" of awareness. In your case, the bed was missing from your family situation, indicating your recognition of the restless nature of social manipulations, and your non-identification with learned associations - even if it is at a subconscious level. You will have to answer this yourself, as to whether the character of your sister was actually a representation of her - or instead a mask of sorts for something else, in other words a symbol that evokes certain feelings so that you will understand what the energy is doing. So this part requires more introspection on your part because it could also indicate some sort of familial issues are affecting something - and you experience it as an amplified situation in the dream so you can relate to how it might affect things.

pay justice no heed piper at the gates of dawn rats and kids follow

The story commences with the journey of young ibn Tahir, who is, according to his family's wish, intending to join the Alamut garrison. There, he is appointed to the squad of the most valiant soldiers, named the fedai. Fedai are expected to obey orders without demur and their life forfeit if necessary. During their demanding training, they come to be convinced that they shall go to heaven immediately after their death if they die in the line of duty. Hassan managed to achieve such level of obedience by deceiving his soldiers; he gave them drugs (hashish) to numb them and afterwards ordered that they be carried into the gardens behind the fortress—which were made into a simulacrum of heaven, including houris. Therefore, fedayin believe that Allah has given Hassan the power to send anybody into the Heaven for a certain period. Moreover, some of the fedayin fall in love with houris, and Hassan unscrupulously uses that to his advantage. Meanwhile, the Seljuk army besieges Alamut. Some of the soldiers are captured and Hassan decides to demonstrate his power to them. He orders a pair of fedayin (Yusuf and Suleiman) to kill themselves; Suleiman by stabbing himself, Yusuf by jumping off a tower. They gladly fulfill their master's order since they believe that they will soon rejoice with their beloved in heaven. After the siege, Hassan orders ibn Tahir to go and kill the grand vizier of the Seljuk sultan Nizam al-Mulk. Hassan wants to take revenge for al-Mulk's treachery against him long ago. Ibn Tahir stabs the vizier, but, before he passes away, the vizier reveals the truth of Hassan's deceptions to his murderer. Ibn Tahir decides to return to Alamut and kill Hassan. When ibn Tahir returns, Hassan receives him and also reveals him his true motto: "Nothing is an absolute reality, all is permitted."

“There is a remedy especially efficacious for debilitated people. Its properties for relieving exhaustion of the vital breath are particularly wondrous. It counteracts a rush of blood to the head, warms the legs, settles the bowels, brightens the eye, augments good wisdom, and is effective in casting aside all evil thoughts. The recipe for one dose of the soft butter pill is as follows: one part of the ” real aspect of all things,” one part each of “the self and all things,” and the “realization that these are false,” three parts of the “immediate realization of Nirvana,” two parts of “no desires,” two or three parts of the “non­-duality of activity and quietude,” one and a half parts of sponge-­gourd skin, and one part of “the discarding of all delusions.” Steep these seven ingredients in the juice of patience for one night, dry in the shade and then mash. Season with a dash of the six perfections, then shape everything into a ball the size of a duck’s egg and set it securely on your head. Practitioners who are just beginning their study should not concern themselves with the properties of the medicine nor the amount used, but should merely contemplate the fact that a delicately scented soft butter-like object the size of a duck’s egg is suddenly on their heads. When a sick person wishes to use this remedy he (or she) should spread for himself a thick cushion, hold his back straight, adjust his eyes, and sit in a correct posture. He should then shift gently to position himself properly, and set about meditating. Repeat three times the words: ‘Of the essentials of preserving life, nourishing the breath has no peer. When the breath is exhausted the body dies.’ By doing so, one can truly carry out this contemplation. Those who have this duck egg with the consistency of soft butter on their heads feel a strange sensation as the whole head becomes moist. Gradually this feeling flows downward. The shoulders, elbow, chest, diaphragm, lungs, liver, stomach, backbone, and buttocks all gradually become damp. At this time the various accumulations in the chest, and those of lower back pain, stiffness and constipation all drop down at will, like water flowing naturally to a low place. This sensation is felt throughout the body, and it circulates moving downward, warming the legs, until it reaches the soles of the feet, where it stops. The practitioner should then repeat the same contemplation. The overflow that penetrates downward sinks in and accumulates until it steeps the body in warmth, just as a good physician gathers together various aromatic herbs, brews them, and pours the concoction into the bath. The practitioner feels that his body from the navel down is steeped in this moisture. When this contemplation is being practiced, because it is induced only by mental activity, the sense of smell becomes aware of exotic odors, the sense of touch becomes wondrously acute, and the body and mind become attuned. Suddenly the accumulations dissolve, the bowels and stomach are harmonized, the skin becomes radiant, and the energies increase greatly. If this contemplation is conscientiously brought to maturation, what disease cannot be cured, what magical art cannot be performed? This is indeed the secret method for maintaining health, the wondrous art of longevity. This treatment was first devised by Shakamuni Buddha. In the middle ages it came down through the Tendai school, where it was used widely as a treatment for extreme exhaustion. Yet seldom in this degenerate age do we hear of this miraculous treatment. How sad that people today seldom gain knowledge of this Way. When I was in my middle years I heard of it from the hermit Hakuyu, who maintained that the speed of its efficacy lay only in the degree to which the practitioner endeavored. If one is not laggard one may obtain long life. Don’t say that Hakuin has become senile and is teaching old-woman’s Zen. Perhaps if you just get to know it, you will clap your hands and laugh out loud. Why? ‘Unless you have seen disorders, you do not know the virtues of an honest minister; unless you have accumulated wealth, you do not know the determination of an honest man.’“ - Hakuin Ekaku

dont worry about it breathe from the heels

This is a video interpretation of the Journey of Enlightenment:

Its worth noting that Hakuin originally learned this meditation as a healing practice, from a local taoist hermit. He was seeking treatment for his condition which had developed as a byproduct of many years of intensified meditation practices and koan study. Hakuin termed it "zen sickness" and described it in detail, which has led many modern researchers to speculate it might have been what we would call "nervous breakdown", although in reality it may be more complex than that (as always). It was a psycho-physical condition, ranging from intense mood swings and irrational thought patterns to strange physical sensations of various tensions or other unpleasant sensations. He suffered with the condition for some time, seeking aid, and eventually discovered the taoist hermit Hakuyu, who prescribed this technique for sinking chi. Hakuin (which is not his given name, that is Iwajiro, but rather one he took himself later in life - possibly as an homage to Hakuyu) considered this technique to be primary in terms of spiritual practices. He considered it necessary to practice what he was teaching, both above and within the framework of Rinzai school Zen buddhism. It became central to his methods. However, while there is certainly a universality to the principal for sinking chi among the various techniques, its practice is not exactly ubiquitous in all meditative traditions. It seems that certain people who engage in certain practices may experience problems in terms of energetic systems. Other people engaging in these same practices may not experience such problems, and as such may have no need to practice energetic methods as a result. This is an interesting phenomena, which gives a bit of insight into the different typology of people and how this relates to styles of spiritual practice as a matter of nature.. rather than purely preference per se. Hakuin's style of Zen became known as a bit of a reformation for Zen in general and apparently he still remains an influential figure to this day.