thelerner

I propose if it wasn't <at times> boring would we really be on the web, posting and searching?? Reading an author like Eckhardt Tolle you get the feeling he'd be as happy in a closet as in a party, probably happier.

I've got an oil lamp thats historically made to burn olive oil. Its suppose to have a nice slightly greenish flame. I'll have to fire it up.

Isn't it boring? Which is why I/we leave it.

Foes would take your life companions will distract you go your way alone

I think the topic is heading for The Pit. Don't know about hate, but I found White Wolf's comments on homosexuality to be disgustingly deep in conspiracy theory, <ie dark, paranoid and unwarranted>.

Later , thinking of the past or future, getting wrapped up in fantasy or imagining.

This is from Teacher Dao Zhen. Much wisdom here, I probably quote this twice a year. Some things he recommends are simple, but simple is..relative By Dao Zhen On Sexuality and retention I think for serious students, this is a big hurdle to overcome. It is best to not get into the habit of gaining depression when an emission happens in sleep. It is natural, and go slow and do not force anything, nor become obsessed with "saving" jing. Keep practice, follow solid methods and guidelines. With time, all will become secure quite naturally. I have found the following to be a help for me in my practice. Yet this is by no means advise from an expert, as I have very little experience. In the tradition I am learning, it is generally accepted that a serious student is celibate. - Points to help prevent emission during sleep - 1. Change conditioned habits and patterns in regards to viewing and interacting with women - on the street, and in the manner we speak and deal with them in public situations - If we flirt, and have playful interaction with women, it may stir things up quite a bit, and cause trouble during sleep. Honor and respect women as your sisters in Tao, yet do not view them as sexual objects, nor project sexual fantasy on women. 1-a. Do not view pornography video, magazine, or sexual movies. 2. Diet. Do not over eat, and do not go to bed while full. I have found it best to eat the last meal of the day around 5pm or so. Also in the tradition I am learning, it is thought best to follow a simple vegetarian diet, with no spice, garlic, onion, scallion, chives, and cilantro. 3. Do not have very heavy blankets on the body that will create too much heat when sleeping. 4. Do not sleep on the stomach. Sleep on the back with one leg crossed over the other – hands resting below the navel, or on the right side with one leg tucked behind the bottom leg at the knee level – right palm cupping the ear – left palm below navel area. 5. The most important point I have found that helps is to sit for 1 - 2.5 hours or so in proper seated meditation practice before sleep. This is perhaps the most important point, and will yield the most results. In this tradition, we have a method to transfer Jing to Qi that is taught. It is termed - "Lighting a Fire", or "Burning a Soft Fire". It is very effective, and yields the effect of the Jing being transformed to Qi, and really is like something burns away and evaporates. There is great warmth generated in the Lower Dantian area that moves, and steams upward during the process in a manner that is very pleasurable and uplifting. One is left with a feeling of great expansion, and the sign that the Jing has been completely transformed, and it is safe to sleep is one has a feeling like a vast, expansive, clear blue sky. The sign that one has made some gain in transformation of Jing over a period of time, is generally one will stop to have dream activity. There is a great stillness in the sleep state, and no real strong dream activity. This is also related to the pattern of the Metal conquering Wood; Or the Po suppressing the Hun during the night. When the Hun is suppressed by the Po, it wanders away from the sphere of the liver, and the resulting experience is dreams. As Jing is transformed into Qi, and the Hun is strengthened, there is less and less dream activity during the sleep state. One sign I have also come to notice is that if I was lazy and just lie down for sleep without practice, there will be a feeling of something stirring in the lower Dantian, like a movement, or maybe even a worm or something is really moving and stirring. This is a sign that one will experience an emission during sleep, and it is important to have a strong will power, and sit up and cross the legs and sit to Burn the Soft Fire. It is also a good idea to get into the habit of getting up from sleep at any time in the night when you awake and there is a stirring in the sexual organ, or a strong erection. Just sit up, cross the legs, and lightly gaze over the Lower Dantian area and sit in stillness. In this system, they also teach a standing method of body movement, contraction and breathe retention in the first stages to strengthen the lower gate, to help prevent the emission during sleep. This stage does not last forever. It is as if the body and being is at first in a habit to let the liquid flow out, and loose the essence. Yet with slow and steady practice, the body and being learns another way. It becomes the natural state to preserve the essence, and no loss is experienced. It is an investment of time. So it takes a strong and steady will power. Constant and steady daily practice over a period of time. Persevere.

Another thanks for sharing your experience. Death brings a time when things get very real.

Don't know about karma, but I think when a person of conscience does something selfish or against another they create something..maybe a thought pattern that stays around until it pays what it thinks is owed. Nothing supernatural just the play of conscious and subconscious. And I assume those with out conscience would be immune to such 'karmic' events.

Amen, if it bleeds it leads, we get a false sense of impending disaster peddled by extremists in order to fill TV/media time. There's an industry thats fed by keeping people up in arms about ..whatever cause will get eyeballs and even better a subscription to a heavy dose of hyper-partisan nonsense. Look at the answers to your initial post. So many are people rushing to defend there pet cause, particularly when its extreme. You've given them an opening to pontificate. I was watching a comparison of the debate on gay rights in the British parliament government vs the U.S. senate. The U.S came off as irrational fear based lunatics. Hopefully its just a camera was on them and they're playing to an audience that wants high drama instead of factual arguments<which can be made by each side>, but it a real problem here.

Crazy guy kills two people. Lets get all political and hope he's on the other side. If the manifesto was pro NRA <in some ways he is pro-gun> and he was a paranoid militant against the government cauz they gonna take our gunz and hated Obama would it change your ideas even an iota?

Such direct democracy cuts both ways. Look at California. Irresponsible people will vote themselves benefits, bread and circus, until the money's gone and they're bankrupt. Other times corporations have funneled billions into swaying public opinion there, often through fake grass root funding. With power to vote there should be some level of understanding. Public money for well publicized non partisan policy papers that clearly lay out costs and benefits. I am often embarrassed by the crooks and low lifes we elect here in Illinois. I'm talking convicted criminals, people on death beds who'll give the job to there kids, literally mentally ill people, its a joke. The newspapers and media have failed to educate the public.

I've had trouble in the past with Chrome's compatibility with TTB. Firefox uses way more tech resources, but it works.

Thank you for your answers. Interesting how teachers advice tended toward practice diligently and know thyself. Here is another question, Teachers Only, no discussion except by said teachers: <anyone can ask a question ofcourse> What breathing exercises <if any> would you recommend for a beginner? How about for a more senior practitioner? Thanks.

It would a shame to take the time and effort to go to China and end up having bad time because you carry the heavy luggage of prejudiced views. I recommend dropping your simplified view of Theravada and take the opportunity to learn. Keep your mind open and fresh. Go in full of your 'Real Truth' vs there 'limiting beliefs' and you'll create a self fulfilling prophecy where you're snubbed, spurned and shunned.

I like to keep God out of my Buddhism. It falls into the area of things I don't, and probably can't know. Whereas the Buddhism I like is the clear experiential outlook and instruction.

Thanks R, you've given a Midwesterner a team to root for- Go 49er's . You've also answered the eternal question of why there is so much evil in the world. The shit happens while he's watching sports.

Don't tread on me, circa 1000 B.C.

bump I've started my batch. In a 3 gallon carboy w/ airlock, 2 1/2 gallons Trader Joe's 'Just Squeezed' Apple Juice, Handful of organic raisin that'd been rinsed then nuked in 16oz of water, 1lb dextrose (corn sugar) & Nottingham yeast. That's it, been slowly fermenting for 2 1/2 weeks. For what its worth the Nottingham has had very little odor thank goodness, I've heard the Montrachet gives of rhino farts and is better suited for basements then office closets. Anybody else starting a batch? More info at Homebrewtalk.com.

Yeah, sounds like you should have some kind of semi solid reputable connection before you leave, otherwise you're rolling dice as to whether the place you start at is legitimate. The good new is we have people here who have first hand experience. Thank you YM, Walker and others. I'd add: looks can be deceiving works both ways. The perfectly dressed monk who speaks perfect Kung fu-nese, may be a recent import from San Francisco, and the elderly janitor could be a monk who survived the Maoist purge. I trust Michael Winn at the Healing Tao USA, he may be a good source for legitimate leads in China. He leads trips there yearly. Not that I've gone on any of them, but I've seen the slide show and lecture.

This is from: http://peacefulprosperity.com/face-dancing/ Secrets of the Shamans: Face Dancing by Benjamin Langley This is a classic tradition/meditation from ancient shamanism. It may or may not have been around longer than mankind… Face Dancing is a term (Native American in origin) for meditation done while looking into a mirror. Gazing into a mirror can have a powerful effect. Glenn Morris writes a whole chapter on it in Pathnotes of an American Ninja Master. This is an interesting journey into self that can be done with eyes open. Some of the potential results of face dancing are: greater alertness to the details and shifts of your face as well as the faces of others… development of such deep self acceptance that confidence, self-esteem, insecurities, etc. all become non-issues… (when you learn to accept yourself deeply on your own, accepting others, and yourself around others becomes much easier) appreciation of the vibe projected by your internal state (how does your face change when you are peaceful, when you are angry, when you smile?) Like anything else, the more you practice, the better you get, and the further you can go. It’s probably best to start with the lights on… but once you are comfortable, do what ever it takes to have a good time while opening up deeper levels of self! Here’s a quick process you can start with. Take a few moments to relax. Take a few deep breaths. Look into the mirror. Allow yourself to relax. Pay attention. See how long you can be still staring into your own eyes. Allow your eyes to relax (use more peripheral than focused vision). See what you can see. Notice the area of your forehead, your throat, your crown… also look around your head, neck, and shoulders. As you relax, and continue to look into your own reflection, you may see changes… your face may disappear… you may see things that you don’t recognize (consciously) at all. The best advice I can give you is to focus on awareness and acceptance. It is best to perform this exercise (and any exercise) with no expectation. There is nothing in your life that you can’t handle… the resources inside you are always greater than any challenge you may face, internal or external. And one last tip for face dancing… keep smiling, ben

I don't think anyone has to lose either. I apologize for my tit for tat nasty remarks and will remove them. My 'allies' are drawn by humor and a certain lightness. If you came on a bit less heavy, you'd have a posse too. Believe me I'm not the irresponsible criminal that been rumored, I'm actually a pretty responsible conservative middle aged guy with a slight rebel streak. I belong to an active writers group that gets pretty wild. The format is various prompts then 20 minutes to write them up, then they're read. Its a lot like improv acting and we have some fabulously talented people. Breaking the nose at a 90 degree angle is relatively PG compared to some of the zingers that come out, things like pulling the eye ball out of the socket and making the person swallow it while the stringy cord is attached at the empty socket. One of our best writers is pretty macabre and takes great imagination to keep up with him. Love, drama and suspense stories gets written too ofcourse. What I mean is I'm used to writing short colorful stories with like minded people and there's a certain element of competitive rawness that makes for extreme in what ever genre we choose. In other words, I exaggerated my viciousness. a bit. I think we're both Aikidoists, I am peaceful but not a pacifist, yada yada yada.

What I was trying to get at was the mystic can know God. Others rely on faith, which can be an empty dish or not.

The disappearing reflection trick is pretty cool. Glenn Morris wrote about it in his book 'Pathnotes of a..'. As I recall he said it was caused by an aura effect. I can achieve it in dim lights by quieting the mind and turning my vision to a wide unfocused stare but if I think 'I've succeeded' the effect ends. So its kinda like a physical koan.