thelerner

Cool. Exploring how traditions work with the channel is undoubtedly worth a thread.

Sorry man, didn't know anyone told you to stop thinking, quite the opposite really. I don't think anyone here wishes you to fail or insinuates your doing something wrong. In truth, you've never said what you do. I was only interested if you Did anything, ie.. I'm concerned about X so I do Y, kind of stuff.

So, what is your vision and are you acting on it? What are you actually doing? We might actually support it but I don't think you've ever mentioned what you actually do. Mostly you seem to make online rants and talk about your greatness. Plus aren't you doing the same thing? Making tons of suppositions and assumptions about us?

Not sure if you're reading and understanding what people have posted here. I think CT's post sums it up best. Beyond our love of greens, browns and blacks, do you see any relevance it might have for you? Cause you seem to be launching off into rants and messianic complexes. C T, on 01 Jan 2015 - 19:37, said: Almost everyone at some point in their lives dream of being a hero, or a saviour of some form or other. Its a sort of on-off complex, isn't it, and not exactly one based on realistic premises. Sometimes the feelings, boosted by external events, can get very charged, and people read all sorts of things into these feelings, but only a special breed of people can actively & effectively engage their inner resources to mobilise something tangible in themselves that will contribute positively and significantly towards making a difference in the world. Its easy to shout slogans and proclaim one's vision, but to be resolutely focussed on a primary objective with unwavering commitment and patiently setting the stage right, and holding the same values for 20 or 30 years with no guarantee of any progress is no easy task. Altruistic, authentic Change masters are few and far between - however, vessels of sound, these are easily shaped, used and then discarded like paper cups. What these sound carriers call heavy, the Masters would call 'opportunity'.

There's another rumor around..this one says If Freemasons were a shadow group for the New World Order they'd be tied to Livermore lodestones! Anyone other then me know about that? I suppose if these Livermore loadstone freeloaders existed they'd go back to WWI and the knights of St. Knee. How should a seriously spiritual sperson deal with the likes of these scurvy scoundrels?

my country is my family, though who rules whom is often up for grabs.

Perhaps this is was not constructive. my bad.

What does feeling others pain do?? Does it burn calories? Does it help them? Does giving a shit fill up anything more then a toilet? What you actually Do, means something. What you care about, whether it's soap operas or starving children doesn't mean a whole lot cause it doesn't do anything. Other then self drama and allowing one to assume they're better then others.

Good article. Well, its the Wooden cycle, which to me is more yin then fire, more yan then earth. In my mind goat works best, it can be domesticated or not, is stubborn yet predictable. A goat seems like a very taoist creature. Not showy like a dragon or Ox, not insubstantial like a rat or bird, it thrives in areas and does well on its own.

Come back soon, and remember: reading and tolerating those you disagree with is a tough & worthy practice in itself .

Never trust a penquin, they only see the world in black and white. Masons on the other hand, from the little I know about them, seem pretty cool to me. Historically quite progressive, maybe even ahead of the civilization curve.

Happy New Year All. May we live in interesting mellow times, at least for a year or so. With hope the coming one is a little less fiery. Maybe it doesn't matter, but I see a difference between Ram and Sheep. One is wild the other domesticated. Which is more accurate to the Chinese Zodiac?

Hmnn, guess i've always taken myself to be the ruler and king. and thus have profited from my readings. as have my minions.

Fear and paranoia of the Other (group). That, and not having closer knit communities. Two biggies.

In the KAP practice they do the Secret Smile practice. You fill yourself up with Confidence, circulate it.. then Humor, then Love, then Sexual energy.. The more I've done the practice the more I understand the value of Humor. Its so much for chuckles or laughter, the side of humor is it doesn't take the world too seriously. It allows us to laugh at ourselves and the craziness of the world and all the set backs that befall us. Once we've give up our humor we've lost an important tool for keeping happy and sane in the world. later add> For anyone interested here's a description and discussion of the Secret Smile http://thetaobums.com/topic/9719-dr-morriss-secret-smile-breathing-basic-kap-1-giri-for-the-tao-bumbs/?p=116420

I like what your saying, but I don't want to be completely without passion or be heartless as stone. Not yet anyway. Right now it'd be nice to water down my desires into preferences though. Nice link. I'll have to take a deeper look into that site.

No matter how old we are, we still can't escape the role of little child to authority figure that our parents hold. There criticisms and compliments rock us. We're conditional, Pavlovian. What happened to you also played out in thousands or millions of other homes at holiday dinners across the world. We got criticized/honest advice from our parents and it stung. Inevitably we'll do it to our kids. Its not meant to be mean spirited and its a continuation of the child improvement program they signed up for when you were born. So grin and bare it. See if there's anything in the criticism you can use. Try to understand they didn't mean to offend and your just hurting yourself by taking offense at it. Grin and bare it, as well as you can. Afterwards don't pick at it or discuss it. Leave it alone, nothing to see here, go on with your business. It'll probably happen again next year. Anticipate and practice nodding sagely into a mirror.

I love to hear street musicians and bands. We don't have enough of them in Chicago. In Europe it seems I saw more. Talented soloists, even full rock bands playing in the subway for tips. I wish we had more such music around.

Swami Pranabananda life was fascinating. Short lived, died at 45, he packed alot of life into those years. Starting as something of a priviliged spendthrift, thrown out of his family house at 22, finding and founding his own way. Very interesting. http://www.yoganiketan.net/swami-pranabananda-paramhansa/life-sketch-of-swami-pranabananda/home.html back to OP There is the question of aiming high or low. To be the simple desireless (possessionless?) or strive for godlike bliss and powers (manifest all conditions and things). Being relative novices we crave the high. Fantasize about it. Yet I have a suspicion as we cultivate higher we gravitate to the low. As we get more accomplished we drop the desire to manifest stuff, be it fine clothes, TV's, even bliss. Like the famous zen ox pictures we drop all pretenses and become simple travelers, ultimately not becoming gods as much as blending into all.

To what extent do you consider Eckhardt Tolle's work (power of now..etc.,) to be good source? Like many I consider it a new spin on old Buddhist awareness teaching.

Predictions for the future. The first rule of Prediction Club is there are no rules for prediction club, except these: Rule 1, Include sort of time table. When will the thing might happen or some sort of schedule. Rule 2, Try to make it some what exact. Too fuzzy and a prediction is worthless, ie I predict a war in the middle east; wow what are the odds, be more exact with who and a rough time table. Rule 3. Keep it civil. son of a bitch, I meant to put this in Off Topic.. moderator?? later edit> thank u.

The problem I see here is, in Western medicine a bad doctor who gives you an anti-biotic (or right medicine), will still cure you if thats what you need. The bad qigong healer who lacks experience, training and 'juice' is just waiving his hands and you're gonna be screwed. Hopefully good doctors on both sides can help you or direct you to someone who can but the bad doctors too often claim expertise in all areas, and are more interested in $$ then your health. Thus the test studies done in China are legitimate, but are they only as good as the healers who performed and/or taught the patients. So.. how do you distinguish a good Qigong doctor? Is researching their teachers and lineage the only way?

This is a bit dark, but for some reason on my mind. How have great masters died? (i forgot d in the title) Those of the modern age as well as historically. Are there any commonalities? I don't want this thread to turn negative towards any one or any practice, matter of fact I'd be interested in learning about the person's life and accomplishments. Yet I wonder what we can learn, if anything from the circumstances of there death.

Ditto, also.. what kind of bike?

Wait.. What are we talking about?? Who's got more yang or the bigger wang? if you wanna compare wangs then I guess we'll need pictures & to move to the pit.