thelerner

Sounds good. Have you had any luck finding a teacher, yet? Rgrds, M.

darn.

In my view its such a given, that uh, they don't really preach against it. The basic precepts of Buddhism would argue strongly against any such immorality. This says it better then I-http://www.buddhisma2z.com/content.php?id=384 "The Buddha said that the buying and selling of human beings is a wrong means of livelihood for lay people (A.III,208) and he forbade monks and nuns to accept gifts of slaves or to own them (D.I,5). These teachings seem to be the oldest known prohibition against slavery. Some centuries later, the Mahàvastu condemns slavery, saying that those `who enslave beings who are without protection or refuge'will be reborn in purgatory. The Upàsaka÷ãla Såtra (3rd century CE?) says a lay man should neither buy nor sell slaves nor sell his wives and children into slavery, something husbands and fathers sometimes did when in debt or during hard times. Despite such teachings, slavery has existed in all Buddhist countries, as it has everywhere else in the world. The first country with a significant Buddhist culture to abolish slavery was Japan which did so in 1590. When slavery was abolished in most other Buddhist lands it was done by the colonial powers; in Sri Lanka in the 1820s, in Burma, Laos and Cambodia at the end of the 19th century, and in Thailand due to pressure from Western governments in 1905. The last Buddhist country to abolish slavery was Bhutan in 1962. .. " In my view, Buddhism generally encourages strong ethics but.. individuals and society are more then willing to ignore and look the other way. Imprisoning spirits.. that's outside my realm. Don't know any Buddhists who do such. I know Taoists write uh Fu's that allegedly keep bad spirits away and are more likely to be on the exorcism side of things.

and if I'm only me, then what am I?

An open heart is a beautiful and vulnerable thing. i tend to keep mine in a clam shell thus immune to heart ache but not experiencing all of life.

We will see. Maybe in 35, 45 years, I'll leave this body and tell it 'So long sucker' and experience some new real estate, then think Drifting-Through-Eternity was right. Til then, I really don't know. Though I hope to get some clues within deepest silence.

Just the simplest of advice here. If you've been moving forward quickly, then take some time to.. digest the new level and energy. To me that means slow down, do less, shorten the practice. More mint tea, less vigorous yoga. For a while at least, a few weeks, then build back up. Too often we force things in a linear manner, when real cycles are seasonal. A time to build, a time consolidate, rest then build again.

My thinking is sometimes its good to disassociate from your body. For example, often before meditation I'll run through an "I'm not" series. I'm not my thoughts, they are as clouds drifting through the sky I am not my body, it is what I inhabit. I'm not my emotion, I acknowledge them and let them settle like waves on a pond. I'm not my.. future.., past.., possessions.., etc., i am breath and awareness I'm way to much a sensualist to want to stay in that state permanently, but during meditation, and a few other times, it's not a bad place, or tool to have. There is an Oasis feeling to it.

Well.. gotta pick some number.. thought 1 too small, 5 too big. 4 is too pointy, so 3. Though after 3, comes the forth. By Earth, I was thinking in terms of 1a . First step taking time to learn the elements, how they're expressed in the human mind and through human activity. Thinking that in the beginning, every action, every thought- can be broken down and understood in it's elemental/seasonal nature. While I've studied a bit of daoist element theory, I've probably spent longer with Hermetics. Western metaphysical system, particularly Rawn Clark's take on Franz Bardon. Rawn has the Archaeous system- a series of lessons where you 'stack' the elements onto your body. For example feet to waist (including hand to wrist) is earth. Waist to solar plex is water.. etc., It's not just naming its putting elemental attributes within that area, feeling them there. You explore the nature of the element. Bardon has a couple of exercises breaking human nature, habits etc., into elements. Admitted it does get personal but they're derived from how we experience the element. In further lessons the Archaeous delves into the different levels of the body and mind but uses the same elemental coding to understand them. In decision making and understanding myself, I've found elemental theory to be excellent cypher. It simplifies yet allows clear paths of interaction and change. Like, um, anger. If I'm angry then I lose earth, my stability. I can destroy things, but not really build. I lose the flexibility and calmness of water, yet to calm, I need water.. flexibility, life giving. I could use other road maps, but element theory is an awfully good one. Thus to align better with the dao, to me means, knowing getting intimate with the elements and there interactions. Seeing in my mood, thoughts, actions, as well as within nature, world events, what's going on in terms of element theory.

I've found some PUA (pick up artist) stuff can be helpful to guys in a funk about there (lack) of relationships. Can give good tips on introducing themselves, getting self confidence, ideas on talk and general dating. Not all of it is misogynist.. woman haters club kinda stuff. But much of it is and alot of what Matrix guys writes falls into that category for me. Not all of it though.

Fine- You are the one with the problems. Not that it's horrible, we all have problems, but you've taken the conversation- too seriously, too personally, too emotionally. Quickly falling into swearing and calling people names. It doesn't show the most maturity. For that matter neither do my comments here, but I have a few thousand others that show a more considerate, thoughtful side. You are clearly an eccentric thinker, which is good.. out of the box, contrarian, exploring the unusual but it can be easy for such people to turn to the dark side of anger and paranoia. Thing is that actually covers over half the people here (not the dark side part). Probably if you choose to return you'd do better with a Personal Discussion Page to launch your various theories out of. If you stay the advantage to you would be a chance to learn to discuss things, with equanimity, less fighting, taking things so personally when people disagree with you. A very worthwhile skill. Back to the OP- It's amazing what the CIA (and other Gov agencies) is regurgitating these days. I wonder if there's a site that giving this stuff a bit more analysis. Separating the wheat from the chaff.

Being in Chicago, one of the 'murder' hot spots gives me some experience. Here, the murder problem is a gang problem. About half is drug related, another half is.. stupid turf/honor crap though the two are pretty mixed. What's confounded me about the situation is how often good ideas exacerbate the problem. Some of the latest increase is due to locking up some old timers, older gang leaders. This created a leadership vacuum, along with new territory fights. I understand the angst at the heart of Black Lives Matter, but its created a backlash where police feel targeted. This has made police less likely to stop and question people who are suspicious and led to more crime. When it comes to drugs, police presence moves or delays deals, generally doesn't end them. I assume walls wouldn't be to different. Matter of fact its pretty much the start of every Dystopian movie. There's the pat answers of better education, after school programs, jobs.. but they only go so far. I think we have to look at legalizing drugs.. carefully. Certainly there is already a trend in marijuana. Along with legalization, I'm not averse to other controls. To get OTC allergy medicine Zyrtec D I had to show a drivers license. I wouldn't be averse to such a control on marijuana. We have the computer power. To much and they're stopped. Their friend buys too much, and they're stopped. I was reading 33,000 people died in the US of Opioid overdose. That is huge, 15, 16 world trade towers, a year? Controlled facilities where you can 'use' safely might be an answer. Not a great one, but worthwhile if it saves 10,000 lives a year. To get the murder rate down,

First learn Earth. The element is stoic, strong, solid, patient. Master these things, in sitting, standing; in motion and within emotions. Know that within man, the earth element is close to the sexual. Learn control and honest expression. Earth is eternal and relaxed, contending with nothing, it lets things be. Aligning with the Dao.. what I get is learn from the 5 elements, learn from the seasons. Learn how they shift into each other. Know which to reflect at the proper time. Take your time, within each are a thousand lessons. Notice how there patterns appear in all things. Understand the building blocks yin, yan and neutral.

I quoted, what you quoted- so, when something you quote is shown to be wrong, instead of taking the time to think about it, you call the person a 'fantasist'? And go on to explain you have no time for those types of people. Way to learn Aletheia.

Whoa, don't know his philosophy, but the writer has some serious problems with woman. I'm sorry for any females in his life, and for any business that have the bad luck to hire him. Saying things like "Your “REAL JOB” is to fuck your company for the most money you can and leave to pursue you dreams. Treat your job like a slut that you would discard when she’s no longer bringing you the same pleasure she once did." Nothing wrong with leaving a job to pursue your dreams, but having a mindset of 'fuck your company', 'treat your job like a slut..' will not make you happy or likely to do a good job. I don't know if the world is based on a pop scify movie like The Matrix, but imo it tends to be mirrorlike; if you treat your job and/or woman with disdain, its going to be reflected back at you.

If it makes you feel any better, you totally misunderstand what you're reading and from the first misunderstanding build fantasy on it. For example, Yes Exod. 34:33 has him put on a veil, but if you read before that, he's talking to the nation of Israel. So, his face is beaming and he's talking to them. He puts on a veil, but for next 38 years, its taken for granted that the 'beaming' dies down and he talks to people as regular folks, ie a veil isn't mentioned again. No sane bible scholar, critic or otherwise is going to come up with erasure of his face. Because that's your own strange add on. In my eyes the Old Testament is one tribes collection of Legends and myths not all that dissimilar to other groups. Because its old and survived it's taken on 'magical' meanings, but read as it is, it's iron age's tribes stories, history mired in legend, with a solid mix of superstition, some borrowed, some original. Written at a time they were dealing, again, with empires and other tribes that could easily wipe them out. You can find lots of bloody episodes, that were probably heart warming 3,000 years ago, in a 'Don't mess with us or our God' kind of way. But there's also much positive and even humanistic throughout the stories too. In some ways it, like any large diverse book, is a Rorschach test; you can take it to be about a loving caring universal god, or a bloody childish vengeful one, depending on your focus.

First of all, if it says CIA and its on the internet, you know its real. (not) Actually it's quite possible the CIA invested the $700 or $800 for the complete set, if so, more power to them. The Gateway series are a solid relaxing group of hypnotic recordings. Anyone interested can buy them online. I think the site also has at least one giveaway. Will they give psychic powers? Probably not. Did they make the CIA any smarter.. probably not. A (DB) friend lent me the Gateway/hemisync audio's. They're quite good, I cycled through them for a year or two. Minimalist, pioneers in the biaural affect with hypnosis. Nowadays there are dozens of apps that do two toned soundings. Gateway is available on the web, probably newer stuff too. For $60 or so you can get the remote viewing one. Will it let you see things far away. It didn't for me. I expect it gives no better chances then picking up one of the dozens of books on the subject. If one is scared of such things, then I believe we have more to afraid of from tech. To be honest downloading a game app and having to hit YES to having the game access my Google Info means I and tens of millions like me have just legally lowered our pants to attain, in this case, Cover Fire, a free exciting 3D shooter.

There's a chance its a modern mishmash of religious symbols. Lots of Hindu, Buddhist and even some Judaic/Christian Symbolism thrown in, example, lion and the lamb lying down in peace. To my low state of consciousness, the fingers clearly show the universal 'Do you wanna have sex' mudra.

I'll kind of echo that- being sad.. furious..angry, is all part of our humanity. To be immune to such feelings may be to lose a piece of it. The positive emotions, love, happiness, playfulness, even silliness.. I treasure those too. Like good wine over indulgence can create problems, but in the right amount they make life worthwhile. On the other hand I've also been exploring how in some cases 'fun', is seeking escape and distraction because we're not content and happy. Instead improving ourselves and our circumstances, we continually turn to distractions.

unsure, other then at the time and place of the comic's context, it was used as an insult by the unlearned man. Who gets schooled.

I've found its good to acknowledge both the emotion and it's source, but not dwell on it, especially when the brain keeps poking and ripping at the memory til it becomes a scab that won't heal. Sometimes you can use it's 'power' for motivation to do something good. Something that'll help others or yourself. Otherwise, long hard exercise is good when you can't escape a thought. Writing is pretty good to, especially from the subconscious. Turning off your internal editor and letting the words flow. Again, the point is to acknowledge, understand, then let it go. Move on with your life. Ultimately, such things only have as much power over you, as you give them.

over thinking. analyzing instead of being

bump. thinking of rings lately.

huh, so Russia calls it Chaos Magic School, here we call it Fox News. It also places most of the focus on the conspiracy theory and conspiracy theories focused on personal and other networks. And I suspect similar views on faithful viewers being independent persons and the masses being insects.