thelerner

Link?

The thing about getting old is everything reminds you of something else. Every object is a tunnel into the past: Snake & Shade

hmnn, aren't we all. Too often we attack a perceived threat, when in reality it's just a person passing through. It's a world of choosing my way or wu wei..

Ssuper. Only one man in 10 billion would ever rhyme docile with atlatl. You are that man. Pretty much the peak of evolutionary poetry.

I could ask the lady but that kind of physical immortality isn't good for the world. We die to make room for our grandchildren; there hopes and ideas. Change.. I can still get immortality from a sweet ripe peach, just not the longevity kind.

I'm glad. You didn't want to shoot him and he didn't want to die. War, anger, fear.. killing is easy. Keeping the peace, Live and let live Harmony.. that's hard.

1,024, my favorite number, no wait, that'll probably lose make mine .. 108 When it comes to Buddhism, always take the high ground (& number) addon> I will also guess 54 and am willing to take the middle third of the book.

Unhid. It was the only one hiding, please let me know if it was the wrong one.

Not in my book. I've heard one meal a day called the Royal path in Indian circles in the West its often called intermittent fasting, but modified bigu. Not really. Nor have I seen numbers of days in relation to bigu. Bigu, for most is simply going without food. Others may have different definitions, but that seems to be the tradition one. Yes bigu is dangerous and odds are for all your writing you're not doing it now, cause of that danger and you don't want to waste away. I know people who've successfully done bigu, but only for days at a time, (heck last week even I fasted for 3 1/2 days) responding to and in touch with there own bodies needs. For me, good bigu, comes naturally, is not forced, and is relatively short. One of the mechanism it probably uses is ketosis. I think true bigu is possible for a very small, dedicated, long term, well trained, hardcore people. But I've seen some pushing bigu who don't practice and those who do, caught cheating. Its the kind of practice responsible people don't push, because.. well starvation. Anorexia is a nasty mental disease, and the pursuit of bigu can be its killer spiritual counterpart.

Do you investigate the papers you quote? Even there first paragraph? Yours by the way starts with Bigu being described " while eating no solid food (or the equivalent of 250-300 calories per day, vs. the recommended 2000)". I had eggs for breakfast, they had 70 calories. I don't consider eating the equivalent of 4 hard boiled eggs a day, or the same in soup to be bigu. As I wrote, I met a bigu advocate who when pressed, admitted to drinking soup each day. If bigu happens naturally that's great, ie not hungry for a day or 2 or 3 and you don't eat fine. I've known practitioners like that. With incredibly efficient metabolisms. There are also extremely advanced practitioners who can do it safely and a whole mountain of people who fool themselves. Imo, its not something to tout. People die of starvation. Lay people and monks have died pursuing bigu, they painfully or joyishly waste away. This kind of spiritual anorexia is not to be highly praised. It was fascinating reading the Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei, because early on there death fast was getting a little too real.

Similarly I talked to a 'breatharian' at a seminar, who claimed he hadn't eaten in a year. When pressed he did admit he would drink soup, but that didn't count?! To some extent long fasts can be explained by going into ketosis, ie the body adapts to living off of fat as opposed to carbs. Where a little bit goes a long way.

Amen, brother Steve

I'm all for building up a dedicated practice but when you're younger having a balanced life is more important then marathon meditation sessions. Not that you can't meditate for long periods and have a good discipline, its that you shouldn't sacrifice your social and well.. financial life to get there. Get too extreme and your results and mentality may suffer. Ones practice should benefit there life, not be an escape from it. Escape never lasts, it just postpones. Face what you must, grow strong and resilient.

I hope so too, but whatever they say.. I'm gonna have to back it up, weigh and consider. I don't deny there existence, I've met and talked to people who've met and talked to various incarnations, but seeing, listening, and respecting doesn't mean I'll buy into what they say.

I tend to be as or more skeptical of 'divine' beings and revelations then I am of people/celebrities. that could change with time and experience,

Well.. name a real lineage and the organization can write back 'never heard of him'.

Yes, <bumping> and ending a post with a question- ie So what do you think?? helps. You could try to keep it alive solo with your own comments or PM someone who likely has expertise and ask them to weigh in on your thread.

Life is short. People spend entirely too much time poking themselves and wondering why it hurts. What I mean is, you should ignore people's posts and threads if they're going to annoy you. If a site is consistently causing you grief, stop going there. It's a big world- real and less real internet. Don't waste time on places you don't want to be. 99% of the time we're not going to change anyones mind, so its best to state your truth and walk away then look obsessed .

That which does not suck the life out of us, only makes us stranger. And strange is good. Builds character, makes us look at the world differently. Matter of fact was just listening to a Chod youtube. Fascinating, Not just the chopping your body up into smaller pieces, but the feeding it to evil beings!?! A bit extreme, even visually, not logical or intuitive or seemingly wise, but sometimes strong strange medicine, does the soul a world of good. I wanna see if I could find a good guided meditation on it. If we can't face the demons with awareness, fearlessness and compassion, then who will?

Thing is, when I murder people I make sure the Echo is only recording positive things I'm saying. Like a Giant Stay Puff Marshmallow Man, I am sure my Echo would never hurt me.

Speaking of music. Love my Amazon Echo smart speakers. Millions of songs and records (w/ prime) at my finger tips as well as an all knowing computer that answers your questions. Hold I'll ask Alexa the meaning of Life. She tells me 'A traditional answer is 42' she always knows just what to say..

In the morning if I wake up early, I'll listen to a guided meditation. These days Barry Long on freeing the mind from habitual thought. Sometimes I'll do sets of Wim Hof breathing in bed. In the shower, when I'm good, its cold, and afterwards I'll do Rawn Clarks YHVH canticle chanting. I'll try to get near water and either meditate with counting breaths or into reverie- a more opened eyes state. In the evening a little more meditation. Sitting in half lotus, hands on dantien, a gentle natural rocking, lately just sitting. I've found breath counting makes my breathing faster.. like I'm bored and want to get done with it. So lately I'm not counting. Just sitting, then a rub down close (shortened version of Stillness Motion close) at the end. The above is when I'm good. Lately I haven't been.

The other guys are more experienced but I see it this way. Often (hard to say all) meditation begins and ends at the lower dantien. It's.. the stabilizer. Many Daoist schools laud the micro-cosmic orbit, though some let it happen by itself, others have visualizations and movement to get it flowing. From my experience what many consider the MCO is not the full expression, instead its a sensation mantra, whereas the 'Real' thing is closer to a controlled circulating kundalini- very powerful phenomena. With Daoism taking the power circularly around, whereas Kundalini yoga may take it straight up. Again since generally you start and end at the lower dan tien that's not a bad place to focus on in early training, that and breath. Course, different practices different focuses. Addon> In the beginning, look around, try different things, see what you connect with. Ultimately you have to marry a practice in order to go deep. Marry one, flirt with others.. occasionally.

Very astute. Don't know why but after looking forward to it, I haven't watched a single episode of the new season. Its like I'm waiting for the right time. slightly tangential, I was afraid after the movie Dr. Strange, the board would be inundated with those seeking to head to secret monasteries in the Himalayas to train in mystic masters, ie we'd be hit by Strange fever. It didn't happen. Yet this guys story is.. close to what I was worried about. But as Liminal points out, keep open to possibilities, big world and ya never know. Maybe keep one hand on wallet, but mind open..

I'd love to go through Samwell's training, if it weren't for all those white walkers . addon> reading through his Asprey interview I don't much mention of lineage and teachers. High level people I've met are all about there teachers, in awe of them and there lineage. Proud and humbled by it. I don't see that there. Bit of a red flag. back to OP, a guy toots his own horn that much and it could be coming out of his butt. I'd be a bit skeptical. The real secret to the masters.. the real one (imso).. long dedicated disciplined, heart felt practice. long- measured in decades dedicated- live the technique in all you do disciplined- daily heart felt- sincere, passionate, beyond the mind do- a female deer. **imso = in my silly opinion