thelerner

Loved Daredevil, the first season more then the second. Liked Jessica Jones, found Luke Cage slow, but redeemed by the nurse. I enjoyed the original comic books but find the Iron Fist predictable and at times boring enough so that I fast forwarded it, the first time I'm watching it. His character feels inconsistent, more whiny then heroic. The Hand isn't what it used to be, now its more like teenage wannabees instead of a mystical deadly assassin group. Even the enemy Madam Gau seems more grandmotherly with good advice and less a villain. There's another largely unmentioned Marvel show going on. Legion, not on Netflix. About an ultra powerful mutant (yes, they use that name) who's spent most of his life locked up in mental wards due to supposed insanity. He's broken out, and for most of the series is dealing with inner demons, while being 'earth-breaker' dangerous. It's uneven, mostly good, watchable but at times gets lost in tangents and artsyness.

The style of reverse breathing I was taught was very slight. A light tightening of the buttock area, the stomach moving inward is slight, not dramatic or tightening much. Thus the feeling is a compression of the incoming air. In some systems (which involve packing) the tightening and sucking in, may be more muscular and intense. How does Spring Forest reverse breath fall upon that scale?

Is there an Icon you press for attaching? Otherwise trying to add by moving gave me 'we don't support that kind of file' type message. taobums.pdf Never mind. Found it. At bottom of the screen, there was More Reply Options, I hit it and it opened up an Attach Files (Choose Files) which could search my computer for files and pull them out.

I can't figure out how to add the original 10 page pdf saved on my computer into a post. So I'll do it the old fashion way, like men of old, cutting and pasting (which is a shame because it was well edited w/ different colors etc.,) Here it is: taobums.pdf <Great thanks to Kosta Danaos for sharing his time and expertise to do this interview. Also to Mjjbecker for asking, organizing and writing down this great Q & A> OK, folks, I am going to do this via pdf so that everyone can download the Q &A. My answers are in blue. Most questions are legit and I wouldn't mind having a conversation with the people who posted them. Some are not, and I have answered appropriately. My apologies for this format but time has become the most precious commodity we possess. anamatva, on 26 October 2011 - 06:50 AM, said: 1. does internal power such as can perform miraculous physical actions (chopsticks, knives, pyro, telekinesis, etc) have uses in realizing spiritual truth. In other words, can the robust qi of a practitioner be used to gain insight? Answer: It can, though not necessarily. Internal power is a tool like anything else; if you misuse a hammer, you can break your hand, if you hit yourself on the head with one, well, good luck to you. Internal power is just an added physical medium, nothing more. I have met far more people that had realized spiritual truth without internal power, than with internal power. If internal power is used under monastic discipline, as with the Tibetan Naropa yogas, then the chances for realizing spiritual truth are greater. If I am distracted on a daily basis by the image of Zoe Saldana (guilty) , the odds of my achieving spiritual truth are greatly diminished. 2. does it have usefulness for longevity, or does it cause excess wear on the body, and energy body, to start fires with ones qi and do similar things? Answer: If you use it with the intention of generating power, it is more likely to cause harm to you that not. If you use it for longevity, the approach is different and more balanced. To quote Philip K. Dick, the light that burns twice as bright lasts half as long. thank you You're very welcome. Kali Yuga, on 26 October 2011 - 09:56 AM, said: I want to know the answers to 2 specific questions which only Kosta is capable of answering. 1. What is the nature of your disbandment why John Chang and you did not get along? Jim McMillan, also former student of Chang, has told me that John refused to teach him any further due to the "Headmaster Spirit" being angry there being foreigners in the school? Is this relevant in your case? What is the real reason why you are a "former" student of Chang and not a "current" student pursuing fusion and beyond? As anyone on this forum would give their left gonad to be a lifelong student of that man. Answer: From the very beginning, Sifu John told me that non-Chinese could not be students of the school. At the time, he seemed to waiver from that commitment for personal reasons of his own; perhaps he did not expect that we Westerners would progress so rapidly. When the Magus of Java came out, there was a backlash from the Chinese students; right or wrong, the rules of the school had literally been written down. So we were told that we could not progress beyond a specific level. I refused and resigned from the school. I have searched after many spiritual disciples of both the East and the West, and cannot consent to racism as a basis for any type of spirituality, though I will freely admit it exists everywhere. Having rejected the spiritual base of the Mo Pai, I no longer wished to be involved; neikung is too much work. I never "disbanded" with John Chang. I have not talked to him in years, but he always inquires about me and I about him when visitors go one way or the other. Perhaps one day we will meet again. 2. As to your knowledge, has there ever been any Indonesian to ever complete the base training of mopai to the point of "Fusion of Yin & Yang"? or not? Is there anyone in the Indonesian school to have achieved likeness like Chang with electrogenesis and pyrokinesis etc, or have all the students not been able to fuse their yin and yang? Answer: No. There are some who have developed very unusual abilities, extraordinary abilities, as did I when I was training, but none like Sifu John. Please understand, this is completely logical. In the history of this lineage, there were only ever one or two students in each generation, with the Headmaster recognizing the latent talent of the newcomer when he appeared. Sifu John was not at a level where he could see this, so he opted for a democratic approach, figuring he would let Nature sort things out. But you cannot be a fighter pilot unless you have perfect eyesight. It may be (and is likely) that no one will follow him, that instead the lineage will continue in a different form. And this is completely OK. Peace Profound. And to you. orb, on 26 October 2011 - 01:18 PM, said: I believe that a big problem that appeared since the publishing of the book was something along the lines: Here is an amazing valid system that many people would love to practice but they can't because the access has been denied (the reasons are irrelevant) So I have a question with two kinda ramifications: Since Kosta (and westerners in general) cannot be taught past level 3(or 2b), what form of Qigong/Neigung does he continue to practice? Answer: I do not. I practice meditation every so often and breathing every so often to secure the flow, but not rigorous qigong as it is popularly perceived and most certainly not neigung (having rediscovered sex with my wife in my dotage). I seem to retain most of my abilities however (though not all); I do not know if that is because during the eight years I practiced strenuously, my internal make-up was changed by virtue of the training. Or is there any other school that he would recommend since Mopai is inaccessible to westerners? Answer: If you are interested in achieving transcendence of the spirit via a method similar to the MoPai, then I would counsel following the path of Tibetan Buddhism from a good teacher of the Naropa yogas, though you must be prepared to dedicate twelve years of your life. If you are interested in martial arts, I would suggest the lineage of Chen taichichuan as taught by Chen Xiaowang, who is a great master. If you are interested in power, I am personally very capable with both a Glock 17 and a Ruger .357 Vaquero, and can recommend both these firearms without hesitation. Thank you Mr. Becker for doing this. Thank Spiros the pilot - he is the one who was surfing on taobums and got me to read through the Danaos topics, bribing me with beer. Mr. Becker of course had told me all about this site in the past, even referencing specific links, but he being in China and I in Greece, he could not physically grab me by the scruff of the neck and set me down in front of a keyboard as is his practice. In any case, when I became interested in doing this I dumped on Mike because he is my friend. Sinfest, on 27 October 2011 - 06:25 AM, said: 6) Is it possible to channel energy directly from from the universe for energy work (like healing, sidddhis, etc) - or do we have to absorb it, store it & convert it to a more usable form (like an electrical transformer) first before we can use it? (from post 42) Answer: Both. Think of piping and reservoirs and access to a river to get the proper mental picture. The larger the reservoir, the more water it can store, the larger the diameter of the pipe, the more flow it can contain. Channel energy is literally like that. 5) Advice? Based upon your long study in MoPai, qigong, martial arts and life in general - do you any key tips (like referred to on p 36), precautions or wisdom you'd like to impart to us? Answer: I don't think my study of MoPai neigong or qigong in general was terribly long; I studied for eight years, however diligently it may have been. The key tip I can offer is to strive for balance in your life between material demands and the pursuit for spiritual truth. My own preoccupation with the MoPai was because I thought it could offer a return to more primitive practices in the pursuit of spirituality and a means to combat materialism; I fear what is coming ahead for all humanity, you see, should greed and ignorance continue to prevail. That having been said, I counsel balance and very deliberate actions in your future; trust in Allah but tie up your camel. More_Pie_Guy, on 27 October 2011 - 07:49 AM, said: 1. The twin goals of "enlightenment" & "immortality" are often listed as the ultimate neidan endgames.. However, "enlightenment" is often described as the transcendence of all duality (including Self)...whereas "immortality" would be the eternal preservation of "Self," no? It seems almost contradictory, but I suppose this "immortal self" that does goes on would be a transcendence of life/death (belonging not quite wholly to either state) as Sambhogakāya? Or no? Answer: Damn, these are good questions! Give that man a cigar. It is no coincidence that George Lucas chose just these archetypes as the foundation of the Jedi and the Sith respectively: the Jedi dissolve into the Universe and become one with it; the Sith endure and promote their own "immortal self". Having studied Buddhism before the MoPai, these are questions that bothered me as well. Then there is the stanza in the Tao Te Ching that states (my translation) "those who retain their center endure, those who die but continue to exist are immortal". I'm afraid I cannot really answer your question - I can offer an opinion , but not an answer. My opinion is that the Mass Unconscious, the Overmind if you will, resides beyond space and time in what the Chinese call yin, and what we today are calling gravity wells and dark matter. The more of our conscious mind that we pour into this Overmind, the more that is retained, until in the end you become a fully-fledged and voting member of the Board of Directors. I think that is what the fuss is about regarding the union of yin and yang. The Buddhist approach, as you know, involves essentially "melting" all the yang chakras so that the knots are freed and one's personality merges with Mind. Which approach is correct? Who knows? I'm afraid I'm not really qualified to offer more of an answer, but thank you for the question - it was a good one. 2. My personal question to you is with your background in engineering, what do you believe Qi or Chi really is. Answer: What I have stated repeatedly. I believe yang chi is the force that is driving solar nuclear fusion, the expansive positive force of the universe, and that yin is its dark/gravitational counterpart, the contractive force of the universe. The effect of observation (Mind) on particle reality is well documented; I would study the works of Penrose, by example. In the Greek Orthodox church, there is the example of St. Spyridon , who reportedly converted a pagan philosopher to Christianity by using a potsherd or brick to illustrate how one single entity (a piece of fired clay) could be composed of three unique entities (fire, water and clay), a metaphor for the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. The potsherd is said to have miraculously burst into flame, water dripping to the ground, and only dust remaining in his hand. My personal belief is that everything is like this: the spiritual is not separate from the physical or the mental. This is how I view chi- as part of physical theory, but a part of physics as yet defined. kundalini, on 27 October 2011 - 08:22 AM, said: 1) What is your level? Answer: Ah! I take pride in stating with humility that, after a year of painstaking effort, I have finally reached Level 50 in Fallout New Vegas, and can go no further because no new DLCs are being produced. 2) Could you explain completely what you know of the MoPai level 4 technique? Answer: I already have. Harmonious Emptiness, on 27 October 2011 - 08:29 AM, said: I haven't read The Magus of Java, but Mo Pai is no less intriguing by what I have read on TTB. My questions are: Since the goals of Mo Pai make it somewhat of an "Enlightenment practice," is there a philosophical foundation of Mo Pai which helps to bring students towards a supreme understanding of Reality? Answer: I suggest you read the Magus of Java to answer these questions; I understand it is on pirate websites as a torrent, though I cannot legally advocate that you download it from there. But in summary the philosophical principles of the school follow the line of Mo Tzu, though what I witnessed in Java was more along the line of shamanism and ancestor worship. Are there scriptures or texts in particular, Taoist, Buddhist, or others, that help to reach this goal, or are philosophies of Mo Pai all learned directly from a master, and through one's perseverance in the practices Mo Pai? Answer: Sifu John has a book given to him by his master with the practices of the school outlined in medieval Chinese all the way up to Level 72. I have seen it, but of course could not read it. Yuen Biao, on 08 November 2011 - 09:07 PM, said: I have two simple questions: 1. What type of meditation does Kostas prefer to practise in terms of what he believes gives him most benefit; for instance would that be standing (wu ji, Zhan Zhuang) or seated for instance (lotus, seiza). Answer: Even though I have practiced other forms of meditation, most likely due to simple repetition, I still like to practice the MoPai seated method, sitting in a half-lotus because of creaky knees. It seems I can reach deeper states of meditation with this practice. Bear in mind though that such choices are very personal. 2. Does Kostas agree with Bruce Lee in regard to his famous quote: "It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential." And can we also follow this philosophy in terms of spiritual practices and internal martial arts? Answer: Yes and no. I certainly would not counsel wasting one's time with overcomplicating things. On the other hand, I firmly believe that ability equals the definite integral of effort put in over time, dt - the more time you put in, the more efficient you will become as well. *Edit - to say thank you! You are very welcome. Trunk, on 08 November 2011 - 10:51 PM, said: two questions: 1. In your view, are there some few fundamental principles / mechanics pertaining to cultivation in general that we should keep in mind? Answer to both: Remember that we are complex entities, and yet, like St. Spyridon's brick, all one unit. Neither cultivation nor harmonizing essence are independent of one's own nervous system or metabolism, nor are our actions independent of the consequences of our own lives. If your nervous system is unhealthy, your mind will suffer as well. If your metabolism is unhealthy, so will your practice become unhealthy. Be deliberate and responsible, and accept that one plus one equals two. Keep this in mind and you will do well. vortex, on 14 November 2011 - 10:21 AM, said: 1) Do Yin & Yang qi attract or repel each other? (Your book seemed to contradict itself on this?) Answer: Both. They are not friends but business partners. As solar nuclear fusion contests the force of gravity and hence shapes space and time, and vice-versa, so do yin and yang qi compete. Where one goes, the other inevitably follows, vying for supremacy. 3) How exactly does the fusion of Yin Qi and Yang Qi in Houtian neidan (like MoPai) lead to enlightenment and/or immortality? Answer: I have tried to answer this to my best ability time and time again; unfortunately, being neither enlightened nor immortal, I cannot do better than I have already done. Thank You You are welcome. MJJ Becker: Further to the above, there were of course a bunch of other questions asked. I leave it to your discretion whether you wish to take up the option of addressing any of these and have copied them below: Enishi, on 26 October 2011 - 05:31 AM, said: In The Magus of Java, is the description of the fight between the two masters that included phrases such as 'it was as if bombs had been dropped' intended to be literal or partly symbolic/figurative? Although I have experienced things like remote viewing and spirits, I found this part of the book a bit hard to swallow. Answer: Then by all means do not swallow it. I do not think symbolism is implied, though I could be wrong. Sifu John told me the story, and I being a Westerner, recorded everything on tape for posterity and to prevent accusations of embellishing and/or fantasizing. I am responsible for the literary depiction, not the content of the story; that, you will have to take up with Sifu John. Warrior Body Buddha Mind, on 26 October 2011 - 07:03 AM, said: Q: How does one sever the Dan Tian chords in Mo Pai - is it mental or physical? Answer: Both; the two are inseparable. Tell me you can have a thought without simultaneously firing up a matrix of neurons and neural synapses in your brain. One indication that you have severed a chord is that you briefly pass blood in your urine for one or two days upon severing each one; this quickly passes. When the chords are severed, you can actually feel the "ball" move in your belly at your command. -K-, on 26 October 2011 - 08:07 AM, said: Great! Thanks for doing this Mjj! I'm curious about what changes need to take place in a person in order for them to be able to do things like John Chang is able to do (supposed to do, because I have to admit to being unable to believe it ) thanks! Answer: Since everything is fractal, I believe the changes reach all the way down to the structure of our DNA. Gren1o1, on 26 October 2011 - 01:02 PM, said: I am in China teaching english, and wondering if Kosta knows where Mo Pai originated from? The exact origins/location of where it was founded, head quartered or anything alike. There could be remnants of when the tradition branched off that might accept students. Answer: When I was studying Chemical Engineering, I used to have a professor who fielded off questions with the blanket statement: "It's all in the book!", given that he had written the textbook we were using. I went through all that in the Magus of Java, and have to beg off doing so again here. I have no idea whether or not there may be another lineage accepting students, but I doubt it. suninmyeyes, on 27 October 2011 - 03:36 AM, said: Could WarriorBBM or anyone else who understands what Dan Tian chords are and severing them means explain it to me please? I am courious and have tried to google it but found no answer. I saw this chord severing recently around TTB and am not familiar with the concept in this kind of context. Is it something akin to passing through the gates of fear, psychological and emotional ,spiritual detangeling ? Or? What are the chords? How could someone severe it physically? Thanks Answer: I think I answered this question previously. Ish, on 12 November 2011 - 09:37 PM, said: I figure it might be too late, but it's worth a shot. 1. In terms of energetics and nei kung, what effects do the typical Buddhist practices of Vipassana (Insight) and Shamatha (Concentration) have? 2. Were there any practices more focused on the "mind" level rather than the energetic level in the Mo Pai system? What were their aims? Answers: Good questions! 1. Since similar neikung disciplines are found in Vajrayana Buddhism, I believe both Vipassana and Shamatha practices can help you quite a bit. I personally believe that MoPai neikung derives from the lost tradition of Amoghasiddhi, though I will not elaborate on this for lack of concrete proof. 2. MoPai neikung is strictly energetics. It was primarily developed for combat after all. vortex (again) on 14 November 2011 - 10:21 AM, said: 2) Does MoPai pose any particular health risks? And if so, how much of this is due to malpractice vs detoxing? Answer: I know of no one who has not suffered some kind of complication. I believe that this is because the techniques were originally developed for use by hermits/monks. 4) Did you really see John Chang levitate nearly a foot off the carpeted hotel floor like you wrote in The Magus of Java? Answer: Ah, the Jim McMillan controversy! I was told about this. Can anyone else see how much of an oxymoron this question is? Jim asserts that I am embellishing because John cannot really levitate, but instead is able to "merely" step on a vertical cigarette, whereas the evil Kostas says he has seen him completely nullify the force of gravity. Surely this is simply a matter of degree, or am I misreading the situation? Oh, and by the way, Batman beats Spiderman every time. 5) Jim McMillan said that John once had a friendly encounter with Mike Tyson and demo'd some ability on him that Mike apparently had trouble resisting. Do you know exactly what happened in this incident? Answer: Uh... blink? Blink again? (Vague uncomprehending look on face). rodgerj, on 14 November 2011 - 10:48 AM, said: Seems I'm late on this one. If I could ask though I'd ask; 1) Why do you think Pak John was so unhappy about your books 2) Why do you think Hollywood refused the proposal to make a movie? Answer: When I was a kid, I kept a goldfinch in a cage. It used to ruffle its feathers and puff up to twice its size in an attempt to appear fierce, not realizing that the loud mammalian sounds that accompanied that effort, were quite simply the laughter of children. To answer your questions then: 1. He wasn't unhappy about them. Your perception of the matter is skewed. 2. I don't think, I know precisely, since I was the one who was talking to the producers in the first place (and very serious producers they were). Moreover, Hollywood did not refuse; I did. The book was deemed to be un-cinematographic (in other words, of insufficient interest for the broad public); the scene that produced the most interest was the battle of Pai Lok Nen with Lim. As a consequence, they wanted to rewrite the whole thing, with scenes of me flying through the air à la Crouching Tiger and battling the evil Maoshanpai dudes who had come to prevent the white apprentice from ascending to the Jedi council halleluiah. So I ditched the option. Give me a break. Cameron, on 14 November 2011 - 04:00 PM, said: I am late in the game on this so no worries if it doesn't make the cut. I just have one question. Have these practices made you a happier person? Answer: Not the practices themselves, but a by-product of same. In practicing the MoPai techniques, my heart chakra or whatever was inadvertently opened; I have a burn mark in the center of my chest that has not gone away for seven years and seemingly never will. Since that time, I have also suffered the tribulations of life: illness and health, wealth and scarcity, friendship and animosity, love and hate. All these have served to make me a happier person.

Which brings up the question. How do I save a pdf here? How do I load it from my computer into 'My Media'? addon> couldn't figure it out so I copied and pasted.

I think I'll be able to do something. Just checking first if there was a reason the link is glitching. Addon> done.

I don't know about 'cosmic' karma, but as an individual we gain maturity and lower the action/reaction waves of thought by properly mourning, then moving on. I don't know if the individual doing the break up is cold hearted or not, but snapping back, means karma controls them less. To (overly) cling to the past is the stuff of karmic chains.

I see Liminals point. How about this, you just think and treat trans like any one else and I'm pretty sure your discomfort and questions become irrelevant.

True, sponging off Capitalism, is still taking part in it. Matter of fact its making yourself even more reliant on the system.

Are there many realistic avenues in the U.S, if you want to avoid the game of Capitalism. Not many, few good ones. If you don't play the game, how exactly do you get food, shelter, etc. in our society? Government welfare, live off the street, communes,..? Few choices. I read about a very 'Zen' man who lived in California, had a small hut, did odd jobs when he wanted, other then that hung out with friends, lived cheaply, spouted lots of philosophy, not a bad life. Easier to do in a warm climate. Without the talent for odd jobs it would be hard. I picked up hitch hiker who was a hobo. We had a great talk, he was migrating to Southern California for the winter, but he had hard life. I don't think there's anything bad or evil about working for a living. Probably most systems/games require it. The west might have too much emphasis on chasing money.

After one shooting and smearing countless people and spreading countless lies. Way to go Alex. Do people outside of bunkers really take him seriously? Isn't his thing predicting imminent collapse- Every day, every month, every year, every decade to those eager to hear, this is the end, buy gold and prepper stuff.

I like everything Zhongyongdaoist said. Use your intuition, try them. They may well bring you peace. and if they don't. Consider that it might have been the same kind of anxiety dream most people suffer from, only a bit worse but that can be due to the timing of waking up. If the above doesn't work then you may want to see the culprit in this drama is you; maybe your subconscious. In that case- just don't feed it, don't worry about it. It was nothing, a bad dream. Go on with your life, or perhaps to honor the dream, by doing something positive. A practice like fusion or 5 elements.. something that provides an avenue for growth. Sometimes, even when faced by the devil himself, you gotta stick out your finger, and live your life normally.

Good point. We play the game, for our families. And because its (almost) the only game in town.

I have a theory- when I sleep I am enlightened. When I wake up, I am not. Course keeping one's mouth closed, body in deep peace is half the battle.

No matter where you live, there's always someone to the East of you. Pointing out, how sad The Westerners are. The only solution I can think of is to move a little bit East of them, so you can be the one looking down. Do that too much and you circle the globe back to where you started.

We need our saints, they protect our humanity. We need our warriors, they protect our saints, who'd otherwise be slaughtered or taken advantage of.. eventually I acknowledge both forces within me. I am willing to forgive and I'm willing to punish and in extremity kill.

JUSTICE, Justice. Punishment. hurting the perpetrator and taking away an appropriate amount of there goods and freedom. Forgiveness is great, it can great help the person victimized heal, but I give equal time and effort to Justice; and if when that means retribution and punishment, I can live with that. Justice and punishment help the healing and forgiveness process. When a perpetrator gets off scot free or lightly, it creates another festering wandering wound.

I've been listening to Hypnotic trances by Kim Walsh. You can find her on Youtube. She's got such a wonderful accent, I love the ways she pronounces he-ar. I have a bad ear for accents but its delightfully lullying, a combination of Irish and English I'd recommend Hypnosis for Happiness and Contentment, and A Jungian Journey.

After freezing his head and brain to 15 degrees, and going through unimaginable trauma of the operation, I think the conditions of his chakras and such are going to be pretty low on the guys list of worries.

Looks great. needs more fire. perhaps deep frying too.

There's a place in Chicago, the IMU and they'd have 'Full Moon' meditations. Which would start with a little dharma speech, then 45 minutes seated meditation, 15 minutes free style dance- repeat 3 times. Got out at Midnight and you'd feel too energized to sleep that night.

Sometimes I'll use substitution. When a memory triggers an emotional response like anger, instead of launching into revenge fantasies or repeating and adding to the emotional response, I'll try to take a side trip into how I can use the strong emotion to do something good; make myself better. Living well is the best revenge, so try to funnel negative emotions into a project of self improvement.

Speaking of Master Lam, here he is in action- Classic Zhan zhuang, an often underappreciated but powerful practice. This is a 10 day class in videos.

There's an actual Buddhist practice, I think from the Theravada tradition. that follows similar language restrictions. I forget the details of it, but it struck me as a similar practice. I bet someone here would know it.

In theory Take the road less traveled or the one that presents the most challenges. That's what improves us and makes life memorable. in reality, keep doing research until the urge to travel passes then head back home, ignoring the crossroad.