thelerner

Welcome, great to have someone with your experience here. After years of Tai Chi many look into Qi gong practice. There are many short easy routines out there like Pen gu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lZVdt8t2WQ. Some consider consider Tai Chi a branch of Qi gong.

Manitou used the words Dark night of the Soul referring to an experience the current pope went through. Its an interesting turn of phrase. My Aikido Sensei once said all the truly great martials artists went through some physical catastrophe which gave insight into how they could become extraordinary. I wonder if its the same with enlightenment through Dark Night of the Soul. You have to pass through it through some powerful loss before reaching the other side and gaining a bones deep understanding of the world, rather then merely intellectual. I know at least one person who credited there enlightenment with the loss of a parent. I've never suffered all that much, not really. So, its a phenomena I haven't experienced, for better or worse. I suppose many of you have. What triggered it, and how did it change you?

Yup, I don't know real estate, but in business the more information the better. With big money items, paying a professional appraiser can yield a huge pay back, at least get input from a local realtor and/or internet. Be honest about the situation with them. Sounds like the first Realtor was way low balling it.

Nice night for meditation.

While I find the arguments for Paleo diet compelling. I don't think our ancestors had that much fat in there diets. Wild animals aren't as fatty as farmed or domesticated. Organ meats can be fatty, but they're not that big. I

bump.. the 25% off coupon seems to work. Bringing the price down to 149.25. I'll be out of town, helping my parents for a week. Maybe when I get back.. Might be nice to finish it up by December chill.

We won't cut all emissions. Not going to happen. We'll probably see some reductions, probably a reduction in the worst trends. Likely see a 1 or 3 degree increase in the next century and increased weather 'weirding'. Making many things worse and some things better. Human extinction in 15 years is not in the cards, unless we see a meteor or volcanic catastrophic. My city, Chicago should be under 100's of feet of manure if trends at the turn of century had continued. All logical numbers pointed to it We changed the course of a river, we stopped using horses which were incredibly polluting. Likewise, London should have been choked by coal dust, smog and mega pollution. Reading the article you link to shows many thoughtful comments in the letter section. Not from deniers, but rather people/scientists whose model and understanding differ. Bringing up different variables that will change outcomes. They're not brainwashed, they're people who've studied the issue in-depth. There voice and expertise need to be listened to. Not shouted down with CAPITALS. Also My ancestors survived the 10,000 years of ice age. Where the temperature was a balmy zero and chance of 300 foot ice glaciers were 100%. That was without modern tech and resources. We'd do much better now.

Perhaps, but trends reverse themselves, and given time and space so do insects. When things get dire, people will stop certain behaviors. Humankind can live without certain insecticides and herbicides, we can't live without crops. Things reach a bad enough level we'll stop using them. Insects are made to be eaten, by other things. They may bounce back faster rather then go under. The city of Chicago and many suburbs have stopped using herbicides, I expect other urban areas to follow; why spend big bucks killing dandelion? All the major parks, and that's many square miles, are having large areas go native prairie. More and more gardeners are growing plants specifically for butterflies and bees. Butterflies have seen a bounce this year after a long decline. Ultimately lack of territory will be the greatest threat. Much of the decline species are sadly creatures we don't really notice. The past decade there has been an huge decline in bees, hive collapse syndrome. Logically food prices should be through the roof. We shouldn't see wild flowers, fruit trees shouldn't be fruiting, but they're doing okay. That's not to paint a rosy picture, just to say, the logical connection between half bees gone and half the crop reduction doesn't work. The world is complex. There are problems that have to be solved, trends that have to be reversed, but if you look at simplistic models or follow only apocalyptic news, you won't understand the full picture.

I concur- people who don't agree with me are brainwashed. That's the only possible explanation. Yeah, me and you are the only ones's who've overcome the mind-washing and frankly I'm not so sure about you. Its not that you're wrong, its that you only take your data only from one side, which is the extreme. Climate change is a serious threat. I'm sure we'll be continuing to have this conversation in 15 years in 2030. No extinction, but there will be changes.

Hmnn, we have an answer to what happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force?

, well it works for me, but only for small change! go figure.

Great stuff but not really answering the exact questions. Not how, but what is it like when it first turns on.

I back packed through Florence at 24. The city really captured my heart. The Churches are the museums, breathtaking to the point of overload. Great place to wander and get lost in. Tons of little eateries, artistic shops. I was able to stay at an inexpensive pension, for a few nights, a shut down school dorm for a few more. I think the city houses Michaelangelos' David; fountains and statue's abound in the city. I went there again 15 years later on anniversary with my wife. Again, very charming. Nice to eat well, but I miss the carefree, nothing but time backpacking days. Ideas- Travel light, expect to walk long distances with your luggage. Don't expect elevators. Finding cheap hotels means more $$ for food and activities. Spring for a coffee and a backpacker might give some insights about faires, bars and places most tourists miss. Lots of free walking city routs available on internet or as podcasts. Very worthwhile. In my younger days I'd follow around tour groups. In famous Piazza (Squares) ask for prices. 20 years ago a coffee could be $15, whereas a few blocks away it was $1.75 When you're sick of the city there are some beautiful but strenuous bike riding tours that are great- no crowds, no museums. (very strenuous) Have planned and unplanned days. Don't forget about Nice, its got a beautiful park. Save money, eat off the street, ie street vendors and/or make a few meals from bread and cheese then splurge. Don't be too ambitious, the best times are often hours sitting with a beer and hors d'oeuvres people watching. Loved Florence, loved Venice for a slower pace the 5 villages were very nice. Cinque de Quinsomething, laid back Italian Riviera was nice. Never made it to Rome.

I was impressed with Jung's simplicity until I saw his castle . I like this: From Cracked.com Fascinating Vending Machines around the world #1. Cars (China) Sapidaily.com No, not toy cars. Not even fancy model cars. Actual, honest-to-God cars. OK, fine, electric cars. But still: real cars that you can get in and drive places. The concept works just like the vending machine at your workplace and even costs around the same: You walk up to the Kandi Machine garage building in Hangzhou, China, pay a little over $3, and the mechanism serves up a 50-miles-per-hour, electric-powered vehicle that is yours for the next 60 minutes. Once you're done, you can leave the vehicle at one of the many drop-off points. The idea, incidentally, is to help combat pollution in China before the country is completely swallowed by a cloud of smog and no one sees it again. Kandi's CEO plans to expand these facilities all over China and have at least 750 such garages available in Hangzhou alone. That should cover about -0.02 percent of China's population, but still, it's a nice idea.

At my level, MCO is more a physical mantra kind of meditation. Feeling sensations move along the two paths. It has some uses.. but I don't think of it as full MCO. To those who have had the full MCO, what was it like? What do you think jump started it from physical mantra to kundalini-esque experience?

maybe one day we'll be the ancients and people living in hovels ruled by damn dirty apes will say 'According to the The BaoTums Post #26 it says... and thus it must be so' Ancients is such a fuzzy word. They have my respect, but I know for the most part they are creatures of there culture. There beliefs have to be filtered through the Buddhist creed- Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. Though I understand that is somewhat misleading in that- http://fakebuddhaquotes.com/believe-nothing-no-matter-where-you-read-it/ Still close enough to be on my cheat sheet. Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense. This is a bad translation of the Kalama Sutta — so bad, in fact, that it contradicts the message of the sutta, which says that reason and common sense are not sufficient for ascertaining the truth. And it’s very common as well. Here’s the original version, from Access to Insight: “Now, Kalamas, don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, ‘This contemplative is our teacher.’ When you know for yourselves that, ‘These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness’ — then you should enter & remain in them. The Buddha is talking to some people who live near his home country. These people, the Kalamas, are confused by the multiplicity of teachings that they hear. Many teachers arrive, who extoll their own teachings and disparage the teachings of others. And the Kalamas want to know, “Which of these venerable brahmans and contemplatives are speaking the truth, and which ones are lying?” The Buddha’s reply is very full, but it’s clear he says that “reason” (logical conjecture, inference, analogies, agreement through pondering views) and “common sense” (probability) are not sufficient bases for determining what the truth is. It’s not that these things should be discarded, but ultimately it’s experience and the opinion of the wise that is our guide. So this brings up at least two questions: 1. If experience is to be our guide, does that mean we have to test out every theory and practice? No. If a teacher says something like “taking drugs is the path to happiness” you don’t have to try drugs. Your experience includes observation of other people’s experience, so that if you have seen others suffering through taking drugs you don’t have to repeat their mistakes. 2. Who is to say who the wise are? You are. Through your experience (see point 1, above), whom have you found to be reliable and insightful in the past? Those people are “the wise”. Now you don’t have to take everything they say as being the absolute truth. You can use your reason, your common sense, and your experience as a guide. Not all of “the wise” will agree, for example, so you’re still going to have to figure things out for yourself ultimately. It’s this second criterion that is often overlooked. The first instance of this version of the quote that I’ve found is in a libertarian book by the pseudonymous author, “John Galt” — Dreams Come Due. I strongly suspect that Galt’s libertarianism caused him to alter the quote in order to make it supportive of his position. Incidentally, the “no matter where you read it” is an anachronism, since spiritual teachings were orally transmitted at the time of the Buddha.

I always thought such references were referring to the saliva of those who've gained enlightenment. That it is alchemically transformed nourishing sweetness. I was just referencing a post about it: Another post that was in the Best of.. about bliss: (I think it was from Karen and/or AYP(?)) The yoga practice of Shambhavi Mudra Or, maybe we should call it amrita, the nectar of immortality. Before you conclude that I’m selling you some new MLM wonderdrink, let me begin by saying that you produce this magickal elixir inside your own head. You can’t buy it. Although, if I could bottle it, I would definitely try to sell it. At the back of your head, just around the occipital ridge, south of Sahasrara chakra, you will find the Bindu chakra. From what I have read and can sense, this chakra releases a kind of mystical substance that flows down the back of the throat to be stored at the Vishuddha chakra (which was the focus of the last post), where it is stored before taking it’s final journey to it’s demise at the fire of the navel. What is it exactly? Well, Wikipedia says it quite well, “In yogic philosophy amrita is a fluid that can flow from the pineal gland down the throat in deep states of meditation. It is considered quite a boon: some yogic texts say that one drop is enough to conquer death and achieve immortality. Modern neurochemistry holds that the pineal gland produces Dimethyltryptamine, a psychedelic tryptamine, which is probably responsible for our REM-dreams.“ Cool huh? Now I’m gonna tell you how to access it… I always teach my students when doing yoga to smile, but I rarely have the opportunity to say why. Although this technique is more sophisticated than simply smiling, that is where it begins. At the roof of the mouth is a point, that when you concentrate upon, gives you a kind of pratyahara, or freedom from input through the five senses. That spot, which acts as a trigger for the bindu chakra (Dr, David Frawley calls it a “watery third eye”) is the meeting point of the five senses. By relaxing it, the mind ceases analysis of the objects in the five senses and the objects are free from mental definition, or grasping. At this point, a kind of compassion come over the spirit and it’s said that amrit drips down, releasing cosmic bliss. Was that a mouthful? It’s easy, try it: Me> Seems to me references to the sweet saliva after (certain) enlightenments run through several cultures.

At some point possessions end up owning you. Sometimes its worth the trade off, but you need to realize it exists. Spend enough money, time or heart on something and you're tied to it. By some belief systems we are beings tied by 1,000 strings. Every lover, every friend, every emotional attachment is still there weighing on us, pulling us, connecting us karmically to others.

Some people are serial dreamers, can naturally return to there dreams. Its a good thing especially if you want to do dream work, ie lucidity and beyond. I've found and I think science backs me up, waking up in the middle of the dream is great for recall but bad for feeling awake. There are some smart phone apps that try to measure you sleep cycle by when you move around, and they try to wake you up when you're not in REM. Otherwise waking up 30 minutes earlier or later may have you up outside your REM state

Security is an illusion, but an important one. All things can be taken away, hurt or destroyed at any time. Yet, its best to live in appreciation and assuming things will remain, cause mostly they will, but not forever. Koichi Tohei was an incredible optimist. Going to war, when Japanese were saying I'll die for my country, he said I will survive. As a commander he is reputed to wave to enemy troops and communicate, we're going this way, you go that way, so no fight.

Cut programs that they think don't affect them. Under 40 okay with big cuts to social security. City dweller okay with cuts to Parks.

.. never mind, interesting, doubt death is a choice.

When I was in a high stress job what really helped me was the martial arts. Great way to blow off steam, I did Aikido which was good because it was hands on; big attacks, big throws yet relatively rehearsed do you didn't get too beaten up. Versus Karate where I'd leave with bruises each day.

In my mind there is a large middle ground between having some government and the NWO. Karl, if you want to live in the world of possibility you may want to aim at smaller government, which is certainly possible, versus No Government which barring apocalypse is not. I think Rallis is for smaller government. Really most people are. They just want to cut programs that help other groups .

Two of my favorite modern writers who've written biographies are Stephen King On Writing http://www.amazon.com/On-Writing-Anniversary-Edition-Memoir/dp/1439156816. Amy Tan The Opposite of Fate http://www.amazon.com/Opposite-Fate-Memories-Writing-Life/dp/0142004898/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 both easy reads with good instruction on writing. King had been a school teacher.