Oolong Rabbit

Hi Bum Grasshopper, They have a couple of old videos outlining the taoist tai chi set, but not Lok Hup Ba Fa. I just don't think you can learn something so complex from a DVD. I am curious, how long have you been practicing taoist tai chi? LHBF was master Moy's main form. According to my instructor he believed our bodies needed a few years of taoist tai chi to change the muscles/tendons and open up the body before beginning LHBF. Have you learned both parts of LHBF? The second part is supposed to contain most of the energetic components. Is this your understanding as well? Brgds!

Is it common to re-experience an old trauma after an accupuncture treatment? Bassically I fell on my left shoulder while doing construction 10 years ago. Last year while practicing taichi, my instructor noted that one shoulder was higher than the other and that my movements on the left side were very limited. Anyhow, to make a long story short I have been very slowly working this out with taichi. Tonight I had accupuncture with electrodes and cupping. It actually felt good at the time, but an hour later while reading to my son, I began to experience excrutiating pain where the injury initially occured. I had to stand up and take a few deep breaths. Is this normal? Could it be a blockage clearing up? Thanks in advance.

Believe me I know where you are coming from. I do not think that you are becoming bored with life, it's just that you are starting to see through life's illusions. This is just an outcome of cultivation. The worst thing is that those around who do not cultivate will thnk you are being antisocial or as you put it... a total deadbeat. What are you really missing though? TV is just junk food for the mind. Sexual desire once fulfillled just leads to more desire (after sex I feel very unfulfilled spiritually). I don't drink anymore, and I actually find it very difficult to be around drunken people. It adversely affects me on some level that I don't fully understand nor can I explain. My diet and the foods I crave changed. I have even grown apart from old friends. It's not easy but I can feel that these are all healthy changes and for the best. There's already been a lot of great advice offered here. I find taking solace is nature is good chicken soup for the soul. Also if you can meet like minded people to cultivate together, and discuss these things with it helps a lot. As for these feelings being caused by you no longer masterbating.... that is an effect. Meditation/cultivation is the catalyst. Brgds!

Thanks again everyone for their input. I just received my second treatment today. There has been no pain reverberating out of my chest from this session. But after about 25 minutes or so on the electrical apparatus, I began to feel pain and heat rising up in the problem area directly surrounding the needle. Basically it felt like the current or perhaps muscle contractions had loosened something up and brought it closer to the surface (similar to Matt's experience). It's probably too early to say, but it feels pretty good. I am going to stick with the accupuncture, but I still think it's going to take some focused taichi work to get the muscles and tendons loosened up on that side of my body. Matt, Did master Tao use accupuncture or energetics alone? Sunshine, He said he is using a longer needle and inserting it under my shouldblade (scapula). He said this a fairly common problem spot in his patients. Brgds!

I learned a long time ago, that you can't reason with irrational people. I would have changed the subject, and if he kept pushing just say "well we'll have to just agree to disagree". Maybe even throw in a request for him to pray for God to reveal the error of your ways if you are wrong. The bible thumping crowd loves this stuff, and it will make him feel empowered. To be honest, a few years ago, I would have handled it much diferently. I would have went for the jugular throwing all kinds of arguments contradicting the dvinity of Jesus, and parallel myths etc... but I have long since let go of my animosity towards christianity. For all it's bad points, it has its good and serves its purpose. Brgds!

Hi Harry, Ahhh Erstverschlimmerung, just as I suspected! . It happened again last night when I laid down on my back. The odd thing is that I fell on my back, but the pain seem to be coming in the front near my left pectoral. Like a stabbing sensation. There was only one needle in that area and no electric stimulation. I slept on my side and seemed to be okay. I had accupuncture once before, but wasn't overly impressed. This guy was much better. He inserted one of the needles pretty deep and I could tell he hit the problem spot. Anyhow, I am scheduled to go back on Saturday for another treatment. He said I should get 2 treatments a week as it is not good to go too long between treatments at the start. I will let you know how I make out, and I appreciate the advice! Thanks cat :-). In one of Erle Montague's video on standing meditation, he says people can break down into tears etc... Basically we carry around these physical and emotional traumas in our body. Do you think the Moxa was effective? I have never experienced it. Check your inbox brother! Namo Amitabha.

Thank you for the explanation brother! Namo Amitabha

http://www.mcremo.com/

Very illuminating. The Dao resonates in your words. Brgds!

I don't know anything about Li Jong's teachers prophecies, but I do know that the world economic system as we know it IS collapsing. The biggest and oldest US banks and brokeridge houses are collapsing. There are trillions of dollars in derivatives that are underwritten by these entities. This is a teetering house of cards and many of the bottom cards just fell.

First of all, you just set yourself up for failure. You state that you are looking for a veerrrrrryyyy good teacher. Now if someone answers that they are, you can rest assured they probably aren't. There are many great teachers here but few of them would openly come out and state that about themselves. Secondly, it would take many many lifetimes to learn ALL that there is to know about Buddhsim and Taoism. Be realistic. Set achievable goals. You can't build a house without first laying down the foundation. Brgds!

I am not so much concerned for myself, but I am taking precautions for my childrens' sake.

I actually just finished typing a warning to some friends that I will share here because you asked Mantis..... The US fianancial system. A word of caution brothers. This is very far removed from cultivation, but have you guys been reading the headlines about the major US banks collapsing? Economics was sort of a hobby of mine for years, and I've got to tell you guys this is very serious, and may lead to a complete collapse of the US and even global economic system. These hedge funds and banks take the same dollar and invest it hundreds of times over in financial instruments called derivatives. It can potentially make huge returns for them, but when the investments turn against them they can implode as we are witnessing. All of of these greedy behemoths are so intermingled that if one collapses, they will take down the rest in their wake. This is exactly what has begun to happen. The 2 massive US mortgage firms Freddie Mac and f*n*y Mae have been taken over/bailed out by the US government. These 2 companies alone guarantee 5 TRILLION in mortgage loans (mostly bad ones that will never be paid back). Bear Stearns collapsed and was bailed out with 25 billion by the US government. Merill Lynch was collapsing and got bought out/bailed out by bank of America for 50 billion. Lehman brothers collapsed in the biggest bankruptcy in history. The latest was AIG which the US government bailed out by giving them an 85 billion dollar loan. The government is also planning to bailout the US auto industry with another 25 billion. Guys I can't tell you how serious this is. Longterm seeing the entities collapse is good, but short term we may very well be heading for another Great Depression. Yes it can happen again. What can one do? Not much, but take precautions. If you or your loved ones have funds in the stock market, take them out or move them into something very low risk. Best thing is to buy is tangibles such as gold and silver etc... I would also advise stalking up your cupboards a bit with non perishable food in case things get nasty (beans, rice etc...). Worst case scenario nothing I see coming happens and you are stuck eating them. Also consider buying some multi vitamins as supplements. Namo Guan Shih Yin Pusa! Take it or leave it friends, but I don't see a happy ending to this...

I agree those PETA folks are nuts.

I wear a bagua talisman on a red string. P.S. If that doesn't work I have a tattoo of Chang San-Feng on my chest

Hi Hundun, I think we pretty much agree on the importance of being honest with yourself, and we're just splitting hairs here now. I only stated my point because for a while siddhis and such were very appealing to me. I then came across writings about how the siddhis often turn into traps or false paths. I began to see people saying and doing things here and on other forums that just felt very wrong in their quest to attain abilities. This led me to examine why I desired them. The truth was too ugly for me to acknowledge at first: that these desires stemmed from vain ambitions to inflate my ego. I rationalized that I wanted these abilities so that I could help/heal others. How noble my ambitions were... not. I kept digging away and realized that this was B.S. My ego had just slapped on a coat of whitewash to rationalize my desire into something more palatable. In any event, I am not saying the siddhis are evil, but the desire for them is usually ego driven. If the siddhis arise, they arise. But don't go chasing them Anyhow, what kind of Oolong? I am partial to Wuyi Rock and Phoenix .

I think many people deceive themselves when it comes to siddhis and developing abilities. When pressed for why they want these things, they will usually come back with answers like wanting to help or heal people. This is great, but is the desire to heal people coming from a selfless compassion for others; or is your ego deceiving you? Do you want to heal people quietly without anyone acknowledeging or realizing what you did for them? I am willing to bet that if most people examine their motives carefully and honestly, they still lust after the ego gratification that would arise from using these abilities... even if to heal others.

Yep, "Life of Brian". A satire on christianity.

I had a synchronistic experience just now brother. When you described in your first post about finding things left on the floor, the first thought that came my my mind was a very old masonic ring my mother found at work and gave to me. I scrolled down and the third post in this thread you started talking about the place you work in being an old masonic temple. Freakin cool! So did I just pick up on your vibes or what man? And no, I hadn't scrolled down, nor was the writing about the old temple flashed on the screen in any way to queue my mind subconsciously. That post was only visible on my browser after I read Spectrum's first post. I think the most interesting part is that there was zero conscious "effort" put into establishing a connection. It just happened. Alternatively it could have just been pure coincidence, if you believe in such things. Brgds!

Many thanks for the wealth of knowledge you have shared with us openly and freely. You are living what most of us only dream of brother. You will be in our thought and in our hearts.

I experienced this quite powerfully after 2 months of sexual abstinence while doing breathwork snd meditation (with maybe a little help from a teacher). At the time I described it as a propeller spinning in my abdomen, vibrating and energizing my body. I could also hear an audible whirring. There seemed to be a side effect in that this was making me very edgy/nervy. I have had to slow down. More emptiness/mantra meditation, less compression breathing. I no longer seem to be able to raise the energy as strongly. I suspect it's because I have not been as dilligent in Jing retention. P.S. The best descriptions I have read is Waysun's Liao' Essence of Tai Chi. "chi turbine" in your stomach... he hit the nail on the head.

I think there's a chi kung practice called fragrant chi kung that produces this phenomena. It is also a sign of good cultivation one of my teachers explained, and there are many stories about cultivators from various traditions including christian mystics exhuding flowery scents. For what it's worth, I experienced an incense-like smell the first time I practiced Kunlun neigong. It only lasted about a minute. I now understand that my body was actually trying to expel bad/stagnant chi in my lungs.

There was a famous master of the internal arts who had mastered several styles/systems. When asked if he would have done anything differently if he had it to do all over again, he said yes. He would have focused on only one style. Less is often more, and you are better off doing 1 thing well than several things half-assed. BTW Hua Na Da, Ironically, I have the exact same issue as when it comes to Tai Chi and Liu He Ba Fa .

Hi Dao Zhen, I realize time does not always equate to effort, but can you tell us roughly how much time per day you were practicing Yi Jin Jing. Also are you free to share how many different postures the form you practiced entailed? Many thanks!

Neat picture Spectrum! A little annecdote I was told about Master Moy Lin Shin and this posture... There was someone who had heard how Master Moy had been known to treat/cure people which western medicine sometimes could not help. This individual had developed gangrene in one of his legs and the doctors told him it could not be saved: the leg had to be amputed. He asked Master Moy if there was anything he could do to help. He calmly said yes, had him grab a bar on the wall and introduced to him to creeping low like snake. He had him do this day in and day out, and the fellow's leg was eventually healed. The gangrene was caused by a lack of blood circulating, and creeping low like snake helped open up the arteries and move the blood. The hidden health benefits of tai chi are simply amazing. There are many stories like this, but they are not publicized.