Pero

Haha... After now having trained in his neigong a little bit I haven't changed my opinion which was/is the same as yours, that this is not the center of gravity. But at the same time I can tell you that I do kind of feel something moving up and down as displayed in the pic. Don't know what to call it, calling it COG is just as well I guess. It's just that IMO more than "COG" it's the way you hold yourself, perhaps the directionality of the tissues in the body but maybe not that alone. Disagree with @freeform that pulls change the COG, or at least COG as normally understood. Sometimes (if I'm having a good day, which is not very often lol) I can pull on my palm or elsewhere and feel the pull across the body and also increase it. But this does not in any way change my COG if I'm standing still. IMO there is nothing actually moving the way we normally think of it (though it may feel like that sometimes) - something going from one place to another (which would change the COG). But in any case I think this is an issue of terminology, a problem of the way we describe things that are happening instead of a problem of whether there are things happening if that makes sense. I mean, if you follow his instructions, even if the terminology he uses is wrong from a physics perspective, you will get the results he describes. So to me it's not such a big deal. As for Damo, other than reading his books and watching videos I only had some brief interactions with him online. Personally I quite like him, he seems nice enough, nicer than many here (me included lol). Certainly would be happy to meet him in person if the opportunity ever arises.

What are other key circulations?

Sure it changes as change positions/move, but it'll never be in the chest as he says, since most of our weight is below it. For it to be in the chest, our heads, necks and shoulders would have to be as big as the rest of the body. https://www.physio-pedia.com/Centre_of_Gravity Perhaps he didn't actually mean this but something else and expressed it incorrectly, like the excess tension in chest Grey mentioned.

Bump @freeform

Yup... I've read through parts of the Attracting Immortality and personally have no clue how one is supposed to actually practice from that. Seems like it would be helpful to someone who's been to a retreat and got the guided instructions the book refers to. The "sleep" practices seem relatively straightforward however.

Yeah that's something I'm beginning to learn, though very slowly lol. Been told by others in the past but I kept going something like from zero to 2 hours per day for a month and then nothing for the next month, then repeat again lol. Although part of it for me is also other things happening in life. Anyway now I'm just trying not to be too mechanical about the whole thing and enjoy myself like you mentioned and also go more by how I feel than by time I set for practice. Seems easier to be consistent that way too, though I'll see how it goes forward. It's kind of weird though because sometimes I feel I'm doing way less but somehow manage to make some progress better than when I put in more time.

Cool, I don't think I'd be able to manage more than two hours regularly without working less which isn't possible. Been meaning to watch that first stretching video but keep forgetting it (the second one is a bit much for me though hehe). I like Intuflow and had occasional periods of a month or two over the years where I practiced it daily. Will give the whole thing a go before standing training and see if I feel any difference. Thanks!

Anything in particular you recommend? Wow an hour a day?! Damn... What do you mean with "opening the body"?

Yes I can imagine lol.... Well, I'm in too. For the past two months (or maybe more) I've been trying to get myself to do some regular qigong practice again but haven't succeeded so far. Perhaps this will help. 18.11.-21.11.: nothing 22.11.: did two ~15 min sessions 23.11.: did one ~20 min session 24.11.: nothing yet

What's actually funny is that while he gets routinely insulted on this site it's not a problem to any one. But one or two general negative comments from his direction and immediately you get all up in arms that he's spewing out hatred. Very funny indeed.

That is exactly what is going down here. He put no detrimental statements, you're seeing things that just aren't there. Having a glass of wine or more even is not crazy wisdom. Saying that unless you're like Virupa you shouldn't drink unless you're mindful so you won't get dead drunk and cause problems for yourself and others is the wrong message? Dzogchen teachings have no rules about not drinking alcohol. So if a Dzogchen master does not permit his students to drink it's not because of Dzogchen teachings per se. That said I doubt you'll find many if any who don't allow it (except if their students are monks, that is a different matter). There is nothing Loppon Tenzin Namdak says in that quote that is in opposition with Norbu Rinpoche's teachings. It's just your idea that drinking constitutes crazy wisdom, it doesn't. Honestly I can't believe I'm even having this conversation.

Right, those are the shravakayana ideas, but mahayana and particularly vajrayana doesn't see it that way as far as I know. Theravada I don't think so. Mahayana schools (like Zen) yes. This is also what Jigme Lingpa says in that quote. Nothing he said points to what you've concluded. What he is saying is that if we can't control ourselves, like with drinking, then we can take a vow never to drink. But if we can control ourselves then there is no problem having a glass of wine etc. Basically if you're mindful you'll notice when it's time to stop drinking. He gives the example of Virupa to show that unless we're something like him then we still have to worry about our limitations and conduct accordingly.

Haha well yeah, but that is a very very rare achievement. Rainbow body at death is already very difficult, in life much more so. I don't think there's any mention of "without a teacher". In Vajrayana and Dzogchen a teacher is implicit. As far as I understand whoever realizes Rainbow body has realized Samyaksambuddha. The difference with Sravakayana idea of Samyaksambuddha is that for them a Samyaksambuddha is achieved by only one, someone who turns the wheel of dharma. But in Mahayana Samyaksambuddha is the goal and there can be many who achieve it but it doesn't mean all of those Buddhas then turn the wheel of dharma for the first time. But that quote is saying "Buddhist" traditions, I don't know if Malcolm disagrees with that (although root texts themselves can indeed say so). In any case, in that book Jigmed Lingpa says that the goal of common Mahayana and Vajrayana/Dzogchen is the same but the later works much faster.

It's on pages 82-85. "The most exceptional sign of Dzogpa Chenpo at death is the dissolving or transforming of the mortal body. As stated before, there are two main forms of dissolution of the mortal body: the attainment of the dissolution of the atoms or the most subtle particles (total dissolution) of the mortal body, popularly known as the attainment of the Rainbow Body, through training in Tregchod, and the attainment of the Light Body or the Great Transference through training in Thodgal." Then there are also some other achievements. But in any case they are not the same. And also TI, from the same pages: "Jigmed Lingpa: ... The result is called the Fully Enlightened One (S. Samyaksambuddha)..."

To be means to exist. The base is beyond the four extremes too. About bodies in Practice Of Dzogchen book (should be available online), will get you pages later now have to go.