thelerner

With energy style meditations, the safety rules are keep grounded, if it gets too strange, or hurts-Slow down or stop (or circulate it safely if you can). Generally just concentrating on the hara is usually pretty safe though. If its not for you, then slowing down or stopping is imo recommended until you get a qualified living teacher who knows you and your situation. Its uncommon but practitioners can do damage to themselves when energy heats up in the wrong spot.

So you've given up on tolerance. Look forward to Kalachakra war, but you're not 'for war'(!?), just look forward to it. I'd say your not just for war, you're happy to incite it w/ inflammatory language. Just beware light the fire of war and it burns all. Better to seek tolerance. You post in absolutes and in your own strange glanguage. There are many, I'd say most Muslims, know Peace and are peaceful. Are good neighbors and friends. You won't know that, can't, as long you start out lecturing people about their pedophile prophet etc., methinks you're the one who won't know peace. Waiting til some Tibetan mythic war to take place is not the way to go. You have the ultimate circular illogic, You believe everyone should believe just like you, if not; War until they do, until there beliefs are obliterated. (The (anti-?)religious war to end all wars. That always works. 'Fight for what you don't believe in' (possible motto)) Funny since you claim your belief is in no beliefs. Like a true fundamentalist its not enough for you believe and live by it; Everyone must, otherwise you look forward to war, the crushing of their beliefs and substitution of your own. Tolerance, respect for civility, law and each other is the way. But if you lived near Muslims, with your belief system you'd be wonderful at starting little mini conflicts.

I second putting it in the pit, mostly because of your comment. This is text book on how to incite people. Take a nasty incident and use as an example to 'purge the Country of this disease'. The answer is not obliterating anyone. Live and let live, not easy. Blessed are the peace makers, but they're out numbered by those who throw gasoline to further their prejudices. I heard about this incident on Public Radio. It was followed up by a Myamar Buddhist leader calling for peace on all sides.

I'm just starting level 2, on astral awareness. Rawn makes it clear in the theory section its not to be considered the aura, but it is a field a few inches from the body. I'm doing the levels standing up. It feels natural and strengthening. Its also not what he recommends. Tumoessence is doing some of his practice in the twilight state between waking and sleep. Pretty good idea, in that deeply relaxed time you probably have deeper access to your subconscious. My imagery for level I was at skeletal during the relaxation phase where he'd repeat relaxing skin, muscle bones. At times I'd use flashes of beach memory, ie how the water rests on the sand, the air rests on the water, the sun shines on all. I'm happy to see the top layer being referred to as electric vs fire in the 2nd level. While it departs from Eastern element theory, I prefer it. I don't like my head region to be considered hot. I can better feel electric fields in my brain and it sending electric fields through my body to feel and control it. Similarly the whole head as electric organ is useful for feeling where my attention is as I walk. Eyes sending out fields to see, focusing it on sky, car or squirrel. Ears also, all the sense organs using electricity and fields to be aware. Kinda digressing. In the level 2 astral practice my main imagery at the moment is furry brown gloves on my hands and earth element region. Water circling my waist/water region. Small white bits of round Styrofoam circling my air/chest region, and electric arcs in the electric/fire/head region.

If its a dream, its a damn persistant one. I keep waking up to it and I spend quite a bit of time in it. Still treating the world as a dream as a metaphor and practice is useful in the don't sweat the small stuff philosophy. But Time is real. I began this earlier, I'll finish a bit later. It'll take time to do it. No matter what my philosophy or cultivation. Time is the great river we live in. As long as we have physical bodies we are in it. We can cultivate mental attitudes where time doesn't affect our minds, ie meditational states where time flies but in reality time is passing, our bodies aging, events separated and moving down stream. We can have a healthier relationship with the element of time, not be rushed, see things through long perspectives, but time is a force more powerful then gravity. It Is. Possibe that outside the body we have a little more play room.

Hey I'm generally on the side of vegetarians but your writing style and arguments not going to convince anyone, the arrogant tone is just going to harden positions. 'You may be eating your grandparents', not only won't that argument fly in Western society its going to have the opposite effect. Keep it simple, know your audience. Can we agree its better to go through life creating the least amount of unnecessarily pain? Vegetarianism tends to be better for our environment, and better for our health. Its that simple. Particularly in the West, factory farming is often disgraceful. The animals we eat do not have a good quality of life, quite the opposite and we the consumers bare a measure of responsibility for that. And we're hurting our quality of health by over indulging in meat. I eat meat, but recognize its not a good thing. So I use it more as a condiment. Little bit of meat, lots of veggies.

Drew this topic is not the place for this. Start a new one in the Off Topic section. In the meantime I've Reported your last posts. Your hearts in the right place but your mind is trying to start a flame war. You're going to get a suspension, ironically by spamming a person's topic about your causes. P.S this is just my opinion. I am in no way a moderator, just a person up late wondering why the hell you're showing poor net manners.

Dude your spamming this guys topic with your own agenda. You made your point and now you're messing with the thread of someone who's asking for help. You don't like it when people overwhelm your topics with spammy off topic remarks. Don't do it here.

This is a bit tangental but I think the best way to get together with friends on the Bums is to do it with the Chat function. Conversing in real time adds an intimacy that normal topic replies lack. When you see people you know online, send them a PM you're going to the Chat feature and if they're interested to meet you there. In the old days a member would highly recommend a teacher and on occasion there'd be collective road trips to see them. I'm thinking Max Kunlun and Ya Mu's Stillness-Movement practice.

I think you're already aware of the problem of getting too top heavy, ie theoretical. Glad you're doing some solid practice. I'd also add if your concentrating on your practice, don't pick a fight w/ your parents by insulting and/or trying to change there religion. It'll only distract you and piss them off, probably a waste of time. Welcome to the board. Michael

I'll keep it simple, The Ultimate Tao .. is .. Yes

<<later gentler addition> I and most people here don't believe what 'reality' TV says. I think there many positive aspects to be a Prepper, in some ways its camping with steroids. Self sufficiency and getting away from civilization for a time are good things. That said it can turn obsessive and destructive when taken to an extreme. People end up over justifying because they've invested so much in it. In times of disaster turning to neighbors(who are friends) friends and family is not a bad strategy. We've had some pretty storms here, ones that have knocked out power for over a week and instead of a bunker mentality, we share, look out for each other and help other. It's worked out well. Granted we're not faced with an extinction event, but friends working together is not a bad way to deal with out of the ordinary disasters. There are alternatives to arming up and going Rambo. You may have a bias to assume one will come because you've invested so much in it. Just like a some religious groups have so much invested in the Rapture that they're expecting it any day now. > Hmnn, hate to say it but imo you are lacking perspective. Your analysis is flawed because you're taking unrelated events, considering them intimately linked and earth shaking catastrophes when they're not. The result is paranoia. Literally you assume the world is about to end. It's not, your dire predictions made 6 months ago have proved wrong. If you've been predicting a North Korea/Syria Apocalypse scenario since 2007, based on your careful research you've been wrong for 6 years. Your 'lead' article is from 2009 is very short and has no names or references attached to it. Its easy to find such small partisan articles using Google and create any doomsday scenario you want. Use Google again you'll find conspiracy theorists craving validation who'll back you up. If it'll make you feel any better North Korea is not on Israel's top 20 worry list. Far from it, they have plenty of other things neighbors, politics and economy to worry about. I get it, you're scared and are hoping others will be. Obviously we both see the world differently. May I suggest we settle our differences (like men of science) with predictions?? I say no WW3 or apocalypse this year. North Korea will back down or do something relatively small. In Syria unless Assad retires the slow motion civil war will continue. Iran is tricky, ultimately they don't want war, we don't war (at least we're sick of it), but its an election year there, so more rhetoric then movement on that front. Hmnn, Imo that's the word for this year, Rhetoric. North Korea Rhetoric trying to bluff the world into more aid. Syria, machismo keeping both sides from sitting down to make peace. It's a sad state of affairs but its not the makings of WW3. You already stated WW3 starting with Russia defending its beloved Syria last year; what are your current predictions and do you have a rough time line? Also if you'd be so honest- have you been making dooms day predictions for a long time? If so what were they and when? How far back do they go back? 1999 w/ the Y2K crisis? Mayans? Sars? Which black horses did you back that didn't leave the stable?

Well your not alone. Many people who are drawn to meditation and the like are sensitive souls who felt like they didn't fit in. It hits everyone, I'm sorry its been with you for so long. I don' t know if there's a magic solution but as you get older it does get better. People do mature. You'll gain a little more control of your life and can guide it towards people who'll accept you. For me travel helped. Not a solution open to everyone, but I had a backpack and took the road, hitting the Middle East and Europe. It led to important lessons in self sufficiency and learning to be more aggressive with getting to know people. Another thing that helped was joining a fraternity in college. Not a social fraternity but a service one, Alpha Phi Omega. It was created by people who missed the Boy Ccouts and was based on getting together and helping others through service projects. It had good parties too, and the fact it was a co-ed fraternity helped me greatly in the date department. I was also a shy sensitive person. I was just listening to the audio version of 'The As If Principle' book, its thesis was change through thought was hard. It wasn't positive thinking that creates change its positive action. It turns conventional thinking on its head, stating for example: You don't sleep late and act lethargic due to depression, rather your depressed because your sleeping late and acting lethargic. If they have it at your local library it might be worth checking out. Course such books are a dime a dozen. Still it did convince me that beginning a new action, gathering up enough conviction to start a new habit can be vitally important, perhaps more so then positive thinking.

I have such a good picture and I can't get it to show up here. Oh well.

The youtube didn't say anything about oil companies keeping out the idea. Electrolysis methods for converting water into hydrogen and oxygen have been around for 2 centuries. Almost every high school chemistry and geo-science class shows the experiment at some time. its simple and basic. The sad fact is, it takes more energy to separate the 2 then you get out. Forget cars, if there was an efficient method to do it then every government would hop in big time because cheap energy means increased productivity, some country in the whole world, whether a small island or giant China would undoubtedly take advantage of it. If there was genie in the bottle, someone would have posted it on the internet and let it out. For goodness sake they're showing a car running on water, thus there are blue prints and dozens or hundreds of people involved in its creation. All of them <and there wives, siblings and friends> has internet access. My take is- its a hoax, one that's been around since Henry Fords day. Sad lesson: You can't believe everything on the internet. There are no easy answers or all powerful illuminatti, but there are tens of millions of engineers working on energy problems. They'll come up with some solutions, but it helps if we educate ourselves and don't get too caught up in internet hoaxes and conspiracy theories. <full disclosure: I work for the Illuminati and was paid $5 million dollars to write this.>

There are some forms of gentle 'reverse' breathing. In one you slightly clench your buttocks and think in terms of the universe/chi moving into your hara as you breath in. Thus no tightening the stomach as you breath in, but you end up with some of the internal benefits. Your mileage may vary. Its a technique used in the Wudangtao audio tapes by Master Chen.

Thinking back I shouldn't have said mocking and laughing, I was just repeating your words. Really its more disagreeing and cautious about extremes. Since you gave me advice let me offer some back. In studying history look at all of it, not just the disaster scenarios. Bad stuff happens, good stuff too. More importantly study your mindset and how often over the years you've sent out dire predictions of apocalypse. If you've been playing 'man w/ End of the World is Coming billboard' every year for the past few years you may want look closely at your behavior and question whether the problem is the world or with yourself. While I agree the world is screwed up, I know it could much much much much worse to the 12th degree. In some ways your latest post should be saying 'Whoops, I was wrong posting about WW3 Coming 6 months ago'- because you posted it and no WW3, not even close. The world didn't choose up sides and cause mass destruction because of a civil war in Syria. I don't mean to be offensive, but its a waste of life to be a gloomer & doomer decade after decade. Also I think it does little good to be focused on Everything bad that could happen. Because you down play the big odds like food poisoning, getting hit by a car etc., while scanning the skies for the killer asteroids and Pole Shifts. Ultimately its good there are some Preppers around but if its not a fun hobby and turns into a paranoid life style then its bad. I guess I'm for a middle ground, keeping ones eyes open but assuming the worst won't happen. Ultimately I'll depend and work with my Friends Family and Neighbors versus hunkering down in war mentality if a disaster strikes.

Sorry man, still mocking and laughing. If you've lived in fear of nuclear war and apocalypse since you first created this topic last year then.. you could have spent your time better.

Cool, I made it through steps 3 in the IIH years ago. Let me quote Rawn Clark on what he recommends: "The archaeous is designed to be pursued in conjunction with the work of Initiation Into Hermetics. Lessons one, two and three, which are focused upon integration, are suitable at any of Bardon's Steps. Lessons four and five however, which are focused upon separation, should only be pursued after the completion of Step Two and the attainment of the rudimentary Elemental balance. Lesson six, which pertains to manipulation of the Four Elements, should only be pursued after good progress has been achieved with Step Four and the work of accumulating the Elements. And finally, Lessons seven, eight and nine should not be undertaken until the work of Step Five is begun." I'll be happy to have a secure foundation of the first 3 in the first month and maybe just get into 4 near the end. Rawn has a series of lectures on his site to help people along on the IIH beyond his Bardon Companion writings. They're here: http://bardon.dnsalias.net/Lecture/index.html . He thinks people spend too much time on the early levels, the lectures, even more then his Companion writings give encouragement and hints to complete the IIH. Right now I'm not up to tackling the full IIH. I'll settle for the Archaeous. So far doing it twice a day, my legs are sore(I do it standing), I get a deep relaxation response (runny nose, teary eyes) and time goes by faster. Which is the opposite of what happens when I practice Standing meditation without it. I'd like to get a third practice each day. One in late afternoon standing with the lowering sun hitting me. I'll do 2 more guided level 1's today, then spend a day or two working on it without listening. Start Level 2 Astral on Saturday. I compiled most of Rawn Clarks Archaeous writings into a single document.

Clicking on it shows, 'This video has been removed by the user.' I look forward to seeing it. I'm doing 'element' work myself and your work is up my alley.

I was reminded of this line from Ajahn Brahms excellent book 'Simply This Moment' - "I should mention that the so called samadhi nimmitta is not a light but that is the closest description the mind can give to this experience. It is an object of mind consciousness, not an object eye consciousness. However, because of its intensity it very often appears as a light. However it is perceived, it is something very pleasant and appealing. The mind has to be able to hold its attention on the nimmitta without moving and to do that it has to be very passive. Because any action of the mind to interfere, to control, to do; to order. to make, will disturb that tranquillity of the mind and the samadhi nimmitta will disappear. You will be back on the breath or you will go way back to the beginning of your meditation. The samadhi nimmitta is like a gateway into the mind. Because you have just come from the realm of the five senses, the kamaloka, you interpret the samadhi nimmitta with the language of the five senses. That is why it appears to be a light. As you maintain your attention on the samadhi nimmitta, if you go further from the world of the five senses, the perception of the samadhi nimmitta changes. The perception of light disappears and you go to the heart that is just a very pleasant experience which we call pitisukha. You do not need to think, “What does pitisukha mean?” “What is piti, what is sukha?” You cannot know the answer to those questions by looking at the suttas. The only way to know what pitisukha means, as it appears in the first jhana, is to gain that first jhana and know that at this stage it is the object of the mind. It is the object of mind consciousness, the one thing the mind is aware of. Because pitisukha is extremely pleasant, peaceful, and satisfying, the mind finds it very easy to find contentment in that one mental image; so the mind does the work at this stage." p. 14. Ajahn is a great writer and teacher. Its a free book. Google it if interested.

That quote can be used for many practices that come up here.

I think there's something to anointing oneself in the shower. I have a container of rough salt mixed with oil that I'll rub/scrape on myself in the shower. Very stimulating. Maybe even better then a salt bath. Speaking of which Epsom salt is good in the bath and cheap and readily available, plus you don't mind using a large amount. A quart is just few bucks. Nice to chant in the shower too. The acoustics add to it and the whole feeling of shower adds to letting go of things.

I liked the Fire video. Good music & imagery. I've been meaning to set up a hammock in a tent and broadcast video's like this on the ceiling backed w/ a good sound system. The subliminal sound and voice may be a little too loud though. The subliminals remind me of those used in the Silva technique where the sound frequencies bounce betweeen the ears and you need ear phones to get the full effect. Good imagery on the air one and I liked the music, but the subliminals came out sounding a little 'quacky'.

I've done Kunlun, but don't have much experience w/ Red Phoenix. I do know that 'brain' based energy practices can potentially be higher risk then others. So be careful with them. More grounding and if things get strange -you feel hot or hyper- slow down or stop for a while. Unfortunately with Kunlun there's not much organizational support. It's not a race. Slow, steady and grounded is the way to go.