Cameron

I am confused what does Spider Man 3 have to do with anything?

Brain damage? Who knows maybe it's worth the gamble

Ok

My advice would be no. Tripping/taking drugs gives you a quick glimpse into a higher awareness but it's gone the next day and the damage is done. If you want something long term got to get on a spiritual path. Check this out! Don't let this be you! DS4tvvFNIns

Accoring to Max, Dec 2012 date is just another day. He said the reason Mayan calender ended there is because THIER civilization ended so they couldn't go further. His take is enlightenment, immortality, whatever is more an individual thing. Like he supposedly has the abilty to "ascend" anytime but stays here because he made a Bodhisattva Vow to help others. A mass awakening would be fun though I wouldn't bet on it

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Max got hit by a lightning bolt when he was a kid and I think he said he has been struck by lightning many times. So trying to hurt him with electricty probably isn't going to do much Max is really humble so don't think he would want to battle a supposedly enlightened Master like Liping. Probably if they ever met they would learn from eachother. Max also is close with a high Tibetan Master named Adzom Rinpoche. From what I have heard he is extremely highly developed. Maybe in your guys universe Max and Adzom Rinpoche would have a tag team match against Wang Liping and David Shen Just watch UFC and stop projecting on these incredible beings.

What would be really cool if Chris or someone would write a book about Max's life someday like they did Liping. Believe me, from the little bit I know about Max it would be atleast as entertaining as "Opening the Dragon Gate".

For me, Max's transmission was very powerful but it was the first and only transmission I had. I did more workshops with him and the energy I experienced was very high. Max said you only need to see him once, but I think seeing him multiple times was beneficial. Basically he says you do one workshop with him and your all set. My guess is Max will go to Europe again. If you end up being more drawn to Max then Wang Liping you could practice from the book until he comes and would have a really good foundation for when you get the transmission. For me the energy after I met Max was very intense and not grounded. So if I was going to recommend the best way to do it to someone I would say practice I Jong, Mao Shan standing and maybe a little Kunlun for awhile even before you met Max. Which would be the case since it would be awhile until he returns to Europe anyway. But if you decide to go to the Wang Liping retreat best of luck. I am guessing that would be an incredible experience if you can do it.

Oh, ok. Well, read the book then. Maybe also pray to heaven on which path to take or something

Intersting question. Should you do a Max workshop or a Wang Liping retreat? While Freeform's description is interesting it's not really based on experience with Wang Liping. The issue here is that there is alot of feedback here on Max and Kunlun(mostly positive, don't pay attention to the people who say negative things about Max they mostly all haven't met Max or done Kunlun)and little feedback on Wang Liping. Considering this could potentially be one of the most important decisions of your life I would say do as much research as you can. Read all the posts on Taobums about Kunlun, read the new Kunlun book, if your on the west coast Max is doing more workshops next month and he does a free lecture the night before his workshops. You can vibe him out for yourself and ask questions first. Read Opening Dragon Gate if you haven't already. There are atleast a couple students of Wang Liping on Taobums, maybe pm them or read everything they have written. I am guessing the David Shen Foundation board has info on Wang Liping. It costs money to join but it will probably give you more details and info on the practices then here. Good luck

Good point. I will be totally honest with you. I have stayed awake all night on more than one occasion really wondering if I had made a good decision or not. I wouldn't say I have regretted getting the Kunlun transmission, but you really start to realize after awhile this isn't like other things you have done. It's a life changing practice all the way. And for me there have been moments of extreme intensity where it did feel like my body was on the verge of shifting into something else. So, to add to what Scotty said, it's not all bliss anf fun and can be quite an extreme ride at times. And it pretty much has been going for me 24/7 since I met Max. That said, now that I have come to terms with the process I don't feel like I have even scratched the surface. The new book is a good resource for beginners since Max teaches I Jong and 5 Elements standing. In an idealic world you would probably do those practices for a good while before getting the Kunlun transfer or starting Red Phoenix since they introduce these incredibly high energies into your system. You live and learn. Max has said on the private Kunlun discussion connecting to the tan tien and breathing from there is the most important practice. It's the basics but really without a good root and being grounded Kunlun can get pretty wild. So I don't know if Scotty or I can really say these are benefits To me it's more like we are in the middle(or beginning)of a larger alchemical process that may not be all that pretty at times, wonderful at times and hopefully end up somewhere better, more refined, enlightened than before we started. Cam

It's still pretty difficult for me to explain, but the energy has a very different quality to it than qi that I experienced from qigong. I think in qigong you gather energy from the universe, the earth, sun, moon, stars etc into your body and mix it with your own qi. In Kunlun you tap into what is basically felt as an unlimited energy source inside you. It's like tapping the unlimited energy of space or something inside yourself. I don't know if you can tap into it quite the same way without the transmisison. But after the transmission it felt like basically someone opened this door to this river inside me that doesn't stop flowing. The energy itself feels very different to me than qi. Not necissarily better but different. Sometimes it feels very intense and sometimes blissful. It rises up and makes you feel happy, giddy all of a sudden. So there is this fun aspect to it for sure. It awakens what they call "the magnetic body". I am still not quite on the other side of experiencing all of the benefits of it. I have had some interesting experiences but I wouldn't call myself awakened yet. The magnetic body seems to be doing it's thing 24/7 even when I don't practice. If having more energy or not getting sick, improving your health etc is your motivation you will probably experience improvements in those. I didn't sleep for over a month when I first recieved the transmission because the energy was insane. That balanced out after several months. Besides that the major thing people seem to experience is higher spiritual states or even the Diamond Body. I have no clue how many people are actually going to complete these higher stages but it seems Max has attained it and some of his top students. Max says combining Kunlun and Red Phoenix can give you the Diamond Body or Dragon Body which is the highest state a human being can attain according to Max. No kunlun practitioners from Taobums has got that yet

In the book it says the bliss practice originates from Kunlun Shan. It doesn't specifically say Max lived there. I was under the impression that Max had spent time there also but I think it may be more a mix up in language. I had heard several times that Max was one of four teachers given permission to "leave the temple" to teach. I think the original way it was explained was every 100 years 4 teachers are allowed to leave the temple and teach worldwide(I remember Max saying this somewhere). But I could see how this might be more a metaphor for people who had learned the practice being permitted to teach? Maybe Sifu Jenny or another of Max's teachers had given him and several others permission to teach Kunlun publically and this is what that means. After I met Max and learned the practice it's not a big deal either way, but could see how some of the story about Kunlun could be confusing as it clearly states the practice is from Kunlun Shan in the book. That said I don't think Chris or Max are intentionally decieving people and am sure it's more a mix up of language or definitions. Max has a very unique way of communicating that I could see making someone really caught up in being scholorly unhappy. I look at alot of the things he says more along the lines of zen parables to stop the mental concepts. When you meet him in person it makes more sense. The "coyote" aspect of his character.

I hesitate to do it since I still get such intense energetic experiences from Kunlun 1 and Red Phoenix 1(there are also 3 levels to RP) Also, Max mentioned it's not necissary. Still, it looks like a pretty cool practice. I think Craig has or was practicing it.

Max is definetly "outside the box". I mean, the traditional aspect may be there but as those of us on the Kunlun forum are learning there is alot more to Max than his Taoist lineage. The transmissions I recieved from Max in the workshops I have taken have definetly had a permentant life changing effect. I know what Max offers goes beyond the techniqe because I can stop practice for days or weeks and still feel the magnetic current very powerfully. I don't think this would be the case from just doing the practice alone. I think Max has mentioned several times that these practices come from an older root that got seperated and he put them back together. He has even mentioned they go back pre-Taoism to the School of Anubis in ancient Egypt that he was "connected" to. I agree to a point there have been inconsistencies here and there. I think probably part of this is Chris and Max just don't or can't talk about certain things publically. I don't know the whole scope of the situation so just have to trust they know what they are doing. Max has opened up to us more on the private discussion and though it is exciting to most students some students find the lineage kind of wierd. I just look at the results I guess. Whether my experiences come from Kunlun or Mao Shan or outer space I trust will be revealed to me in time

Bump. For any newbies that want to read about how the first few of us Taobums started Kunlun. To update, yes, I still do the practice. From my experience it is a very powerful letting go or surrendering practice. I can't say it is for everyone because as our experience has shown here some peope didn't enjoy their experience learning it. Though, it sounds like the overwhelming majority of people who did a Max workshop benefitted from doing so. Though I enjoy the practices I wouldn't say I recommend Kunlun over any of the many other paths or teachers available. I think picking a practice, path, studying with a teacher is a very individual thing. At most I would say it has been the right or wrong path for me. Obviously most students think their teacher is the best. It's no suprise they think their teacher is the best, that's why they study with them! However, I genuinely haven't seen this in Max's students. They all seem for the most part to be good hearted people and incredibly benefitted from studying with Max. Max is very humble even though he is clearly an extraordinary person. He doesn't call himself a master and doesn't say what he teaches is better or more advanced than anyone else. If your interested, I would say get the new book which has alot of the practices and go from there. Best, Cam

Max is an excellent martial artist. He does a unique Bagua form and is very strong.

The more you know, the more you realize you don't know. Or something like that

I agree with Yoda, which is why I definetly don't argue for or against any practice or teacher anymore. It's silly. We all have our own unique karma, destiny, energetic makeup. Who is to say what is a good or bad practice for everyone? The plain truth is some people love the practice and other's don't. Some people have good experiences with it other's don't. If you don't trust a teacher or their integrity and think they are making things up obviously that would be a sign to keep away. On the other hand, you might meet a teacher that challenges your paradigm and way you look at things and that may help you grow. It isn't a one size fits all world. We each of us just do our best to find what's right for us. I hope you do. Cam

An interesting FREE program going on now with teachers like Genpo Roshi, Ken Wilber and Byron Katie. It's on the first week where Genpo talks about his "Big Mind" process. http://www.masteringthepowerofnow.com/?=ILP

Taoism is vast, so hard to really answer. If I had to boil it down from what I have read and experienced is the Tao is the watercourse way. The path of least resistence and going with the flow of life rather than fighting against. Though simplistic if I was to boil it down the Taoist teachers I have met basically say the same thing. Go with the flow, be happy, maybe become enlightened or a xien(immortal)if that's your destiny or karma. Otherwise, basically enjoy yourself, follow the Tao. A Taoist teacher I met recently described it in terms of Wu Wei(non doing) and Yu Wei(doing). Most people are always doing,doing,doing and also with a sense of self and striving. Taoists goal is Wu Wei, like the Master Chef who cuts fish without thinking about it. Or the martial arts master who executes flawless techniqes and forms without thinking. Of course then you have qigong,alchemy,shamanism etc which go back probably to the roots of Taoism. And you have different schools. But still, I think the basic philosophy is the same or similar.

Very complex topic. Your sure to get many answers on this here. My general answer or advice would be it's better/safer to get a good, strong foundation in stillness practices before doing alot of energy work. The Healing Tao school works on getting the microcosmic orbit open as quickly as possible. It seems to work well for some and not others. It's basically what some people refer to as a "fire method". Though I have heard some people call the inner smile a water method. You might try out more of a water method and see how you like that. Such as BK Frantzis stuff or the Kunlun practice. Or even just quiet still sitting. Check out meditationexpert.com. According to Bill Bodri all the guiding energy around with your mind is a big waste of time and your better off doing emptiness meditation and allowing your qi to build up and the channels to open naturally on their own. The Kunlun practice(Kunlunbliss.com)basically follows this same philosophy but it is an active meditation. It also is said to open the channels naturally without needing to guide energy around with your mind. Good luck, Cam

When they first did the Arizona workshops I think I suggested doing the free lecture at the Barnes and Noble's(or was it Borders?) by the ASU campus. As I remember seeing other authors/teachers talking down there. They went with New Age bookstores and then focused on Scottsdale/Sedona but I would have loved to have had Max around in my early 20's. I was basically doing zen meditation and drugs though. So maybe it's best I didn't learn kunlun at that stage of my life with all the shrooms, exctacy and cocaine around.

Sort of weird since I think he had been improving overall lately. He had been pretty respectful in some posts he made in my practice journal. Heck, wasn't he saying over and over again about how he wanted to see Max when/if he ever went to Australia? In any case. Hundun, I had practiced qigong for about 10 years before doing my first Max workshop. When they say Kunlun isn't qi I would have to agree. Or atleast isn't the same variety of energy I had been familiar with before. I guess you can say everything is some form of energy or another. It's not like I am an expert on qi but it just seems to have a different quality about it. I think your entitled to your opinions but you can still express yourself without "going there". Also, another issue may simply be alot of Taobums have now taken the Kunlun seminar and though your entitled to your opinion of course it's definetly in the minority. I am talking about people who did the seminar. From what I have read the overall majority of people who have done the seminar have had a positive experience. These are all mostly pretty high level people with years of training in different traditions so your position and that of 1 or 2 other people seem to not be the norm. Anyway, take care. Cam