thelerner

I liked what Aeran said, but if that hasn't worked perhaps the direction you need to look at is living with it, not healing ie it is what it is. Accept the pain and work on strengthening the surrounding systems. It's paradoxical but sometimes in surrender there is peace and progress.

There's a thread in the Forum and tech support section where you can ask for one. I like mine. It's a personal blog. I have a general section for random thoughts and diary features, a story section plus sections for specific ideas and things I'm working on.

Your writing reminds me that there is a time to pause and collect. Stop looking for new things, new ideas, new methods measuring this versus that and accept the 'winter' season of practice- keeping it deep and simple. <course I'm in the midst of doing the opposite now, but that's me. I've been in winter mode for too long>

Respect. Don't remember how he cooked, I met him at an anniversary party for the IMU (Inner Metamorphosis University) which hosted Full Moon Meditations. I remember him being big on Himalayan salt. I assume he kept things simple but practical.

I knew a city hermit, great guy. One peculiar but very daoist thing he did was keep the heat and electricity off in his apartment all year. He got ambient heat from floor and above so it wasn't too bad. No lights, so when the sun went down it was dark. He did it that way to be closer to nature.

Interesting how common sounds often mean similar things in different languages. Take ai or aye. In many cultures it means yes, and Yes, is not a bad connotation for love. Like Ohmnn, Aii tend to be a central connection sounds. In some kotodama (sacred sound) systems moves from heart (Aahh) to throat/truth (Eeei). It's one of those things you feel personally, see where Aaiiee vibrates as you say it slowly. Getting away from Daoism, I was taught that love is positive feelings and emotions to a person (or even an object). It's a little more clinical, but the more you connect a person to something positive, the more you love them. I love my wife, because I connect her to many pleasurable things and support. I love pizza because its salty, fatty.. crispy too. Most of all I love when my wife brings me pizza.

If someone had bad vision we wouldn't tell them if they were more optimistic they'd see better. Or if they needed reading glasses, that if they had more energy they'd be able to forego them. Yet the brain is as delicate as the eye and when it has problems we tend to give similar advice. I'm reading the book 'Change Your Brain, Change Your Body..' (Daniel Amen), and he makes the case that sometimes mental problems can be caused by say, falling down and hitting your head at 8, bad drugs at 17 or one hundred martini's too many at 50. That we damage our brain, screwing up our filter and focus leading to emotional problems and that such damage can be clearly seen under MRI's or deduced through questionnaires. Further that there are nutritional solutions and methodologies that can repair the physical brain, and the mental problem gets fixed as a result. Thus for some problems, we can't think our way or change our mood its not a software problem. Rather they require fixing the hardware. Don't know if its correct, I haven't finished the book but I think its an important point to consider. For some problems like dopamine and serotonin imbalances, the book claims exercise helps, ie gets more blood flowing. For others supplements are recommended.

I'd add, don't let the benign introduction fool you. If you tap on his name, and look at his older posts, you'll find most them deal with curses and calls for destruction of..lots of groups. If you look at his posts under a dozen different names, the tone is the same.. its not just wacko eccentric; its hating, cursing, I am messiah- kind of stuff.

Reading history. Not an absolute but many shining examples of it. You find it inconceivable that experienced soldiers might put down there weapons and from that point will fight no more? Or that Conscientious Objectors can be pretty much the bravest people on earth, putting themselves in harms way to protect others or stop fighting? Perhaps the best modern phenomena of Soldier becoming pacifist is the Veterans for Peace (google it) movement, but be assured its by no means modern or an American phenomena. People who know war best, can become its harshest critics and pacifists. Similarly you can look up acts of heroism by CO just as easily. Many acts of bravery above and beyond.

I think a country needs its conscientious objectors as much as its soldiers. The objector 'checks' the worst impulses of nationalism and destruction, they act as a national conscience, checking the propaganda all nations at war create. Yet in a dangerous world its naive to think we don't need soldiers. Some of the best soldiers will become conscientious objectors, and the some of the conscientious will be in the front lines and beyond, maybe not fighting but risking there lives in an effort to gain peace.

Ah, but is that all, or part of mastering the basics? For example I have one of Wang Lipings books and its gets pretty sophisticated pretty quick. I can't help thinking a teacher is a giant help in this. I did a martial art, Aikido and there are dozens of books on it, but without a teacher and dojo, it'd be real easy to fool oneself.

Here's what I think based on some of the more hardcore teachers who've written here. Beyond the basics, in the tradition Chinese esoteric schools, you go level by level. As you learn and master one art over years or decades, you go on to the next. Thus the most important technique is the one being taught, once mastered you move onto the next, which may be doing it longer or wholly different. There may not be a single important technique, since techniques change as your grow. So the cliche answer imo, isn't a technique, but dedication and integrity in the practice.

I'm spit-balling that you're from the U.S; the draft was done away with in January of '73.. 44 years ago. There may be the odd politician but no political party is advocating doing away with the draft. So, while you may have to worry about a war in the next couple of years, you don't have to worry about the draft being re-instated. At the moment the US has about 1.2 million soldiers in the military and another 800,000 in reserves, who are trained. Training is real important these days. It's not just run over the hill with a rifle like wwi and ii, weapons, rules, communication are much more complex. Untrained cadets aren't of much use, particularly when they're unwilling and conscripted. So.. for the next couple of years and probably beyond don't worry, if you don't want to join the military that's your option. Friends of mine who've joined, looking back, are actually happy they did. They learned and it matured them. They were mostly Navy and weren't involved in active war. Plus as I recall they weren't always so happy at the time. addon> I remember turning 19, and my mother asking if I'd registered yet. I told her no, I hadn't. She asked if I was a conscientious objector. I told her no, just lazy. 30 years later, I have a son who's interested in joining ROTC. As there's no shooting war going on now, I agreed. You can learn valuable skills, travel the world, gain real world knowledge, earn big bucks for college and nice health benefits when older. Side note, we said no, when he wanted to play high school football. We also recommended like his grandfather he join the Air Force, or the Navy. So less likely to be on foot patrol in foreign lands. I respect our soldiers, I respect our conscientious objectors, I don't always respect our leaders.

Actually I'd like to see to see a little more 'politeness' in the political system. In my view the move towards hyper-partisanship keeps the pragmatism down. There were long periods where both sides were much more willing to work with the other side to get things done. These days many moderates are gone and people play for the camera and the 'red meat' of there constituencies. I think there's a wide difference between Republicans platform and Democrats**. Yet, intelligent politics has to be pragmatic and benefit the majority of people. This creates compromise, which is good, imo. Zealots and 'true believers' on both sides are destructive. **imo Trump leans Republican and a bit Libertarian but is mostly pro-Trump and makes decisions based less on ideology (or study) and more on instinct, populism of his current audience and who he talked to last.

This subforum 'Systems and Teachers of' is meant to serve as a platform for members to explain there traditions (ie " very specific discussion on a system or teaching/teacher) unlike the General forum where off topic comments are more or less acceptable. Beyond straightforward questions and direct comments, please keep the conversations here civil and on subject. It's a great way to learn indepth about an art. What I'm getting at is- please show the OP author respect here and in turn if you want to explain indepth about your system you should be able to do so, without getting tangled in unfortunate tit for tat arguments and side topics (better created in General or other forum sections).

I've been into female vocalists re-doing famous rock songs acoustically. Like Fiona Apple doing Across the Universe Alanis Morissette doing King of Pain Natalie Merchant doing Space Oddity Cheryl Crow's Sweet Child o'Mine.. Here's the latest such find-

To reiterate (since we're on a new page), we're looking for one or two members to volunteer to be moderators. The job requires equanimity and judiciousness, but it teaches them too. I've found it interesting, at times frustrating but always rewarding. This is an opportunity to put into action ones wisdom, wu wei and judgment, thus deepening them. Get involved, discuss and settle issues, large and petty with a great group of people. I've enjoyed the role but think its time to take a break and get some new blood in the system.

Thank you. Sorry for the loss. An inspiring life. I particularly liked learning how Western resources helped keep Bon texts alive- In fleeing on foot from Tibet, the Bön lamas had no choice but to leave behind them many precious texts critical to the study and practice of Bön. Many of these texts were later destroyed by the Chinese. Thus, it became critical to the preservation of the Bön tradition to seek out the few remaining texts for republication; these often could be found only in remote areas of the country. His Holiness eventually returned to Samling Monastery to borrow texts for this purpose. There he met David L. Snellgrove, Ph.D., a researcher of Oriental and African studies from London University who was engaged in research at Samling. On Dr. Snellgrove's advice His Holiness and the abbot of Yungdrung Ling traveled to New Delhi to have the monastery's texts reprinted; there His Holiness worked on the project with Samten Gyaltson Karmay and Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche. In 1962 Dr. Snellgrove invited the three men to join him in England under a grant from of the Rockefeller Foundation. As Dr. Snellgrove's assistants they taught Tibetan culture and religion. Geshe Sangye Tenzin Jong Dong remained in England for three years during which time he also visited and studied at Benedictine, Cistercian and other Christian monasteries.

Out of curiosity, What is considered Chaos magic?

I'm very protective of screen space and for months there's been a Red Banner at the top of The Dao Bum screen, ie Version 4.2.4 of the IPS Community Suite is now available. This includes a security patch and we recommend you upgrade as soon as possible UPDATE NOW. Is it only staff who sees it? Is there anyway to be rid of it? Thanks.

I get the feeling that's a widespread view in every generation since and before the Buddha. Was it Aristotle who first recorded, kids these days.. no respect. Consults All Knowing Google- wrong it was his teacher “The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.” ― Socrates I didn't know they had internet back then.

Maybe it does. Too early in the morning to look up details. More to the point, I understand wanting to use her example to make a larger point but using a persons name, right down to reminding people your spelling it correctly, in order to shame them** in a public arena, shows negative, clingy intent on your part. My two bits as a member not a mod is your post would work fine using only the first name. addon> **Marblehead- I didn't feel there was any shaming going on there. Just statements of facts as he understood them. Me> solid point.

I've been impressed by the works of A J Jacobs. He writes books about his long term life hacks. Like.. Drop Dead Healthy, where he spends a year trying to be the healthiest man in the world, or die trying.. funny expose on health, and that is exactly what he does. One year trying different, faddy things. So.. I will spend next week, memorizing the numbers to all my credit cards, bank accounts and relevant phone numbers. My tool will be pseudonumerology http://folk.ntnu.no/krill/home.htm a system of mnemonics. I already know 1 thru 10, ie 0 is Sss, 1 is t, 2 is n, 3 is m... So its matter of writing down the numbers, creating words that go for them. Like 7362715 is Come (73) Chain (62) Cattle (715), words that afford good imagery. Then cue cards with number (and its relevance) in front, the mnemonic words in back then practicing them. The grand hope is if you use the system enough, it becomes very fast. When you need to remember numbers you do it on the fly. There are lists of simple words that already incorporate 0 to 100. I will start tomorrow and log my progress. Anyone else have simple One Week projects they can suggest?

Good idea but you don't want to use the same password for multiple sites. Maybe add the second to first and second to last letters in the name of site to the password, making it unique.

Bully, for you. How old is the crest? Would you care to explain the symbolism.