thelerner

If you wanted to discuss and explain your definition of Bodhisattva, why start with such a harsh tone? Why open with insults and condescension to the group? You did realize the thread would quickly become a little war zone. You attack people they attack back, then you fall back on the Sheeple offensive. You can have a normal conversation here. Really. State your belief opinion, discuss the feed back without airs. Even in the highest ranks there are disagreements about the fundamentals, and we are all far from the highest ranks. So unless you not so secretly like creating and being attacked, why not edit your writing a bit. Still stating your ideas, but give condescension a break. Or better yet, don't give break. Be your normal self, then on January 1st, make a special effort to be nice. Nothing negative..bite your tongue, double check and rewrite your posts.. Just as an experiment, see what happens. You won't have to give up any of your normal rhetoric, but you'll just have to edit out the derision. Which I expect might be hard because you do it in almost every post. Its really not needed. Please, just try it, not now, but in 4 days, January 1st for 3 weeks. Just being in live and let live mode. Stating your truths and keeping your writing positive. It can be done. You can do it. It will be hard. The big reward is people will take your ideas and writing to heart.

I enjoy listening to Dharma speeches, ie on right living, thinking etc., but thats really not the same as 'Self-Correction'. There's a guided meditation I use called Evening Inventory Meditation (free podcast from Meditation Station) where you review your day, but again that's not necessarily getting 'in' very deep. In the realm of Know Thyself, what do you recommend?

I read 'Younger Next Year' and was very impressed, its about a doctor and older patient's investigation at how to improve life and health. Here is a TED talk that echoes that book by 93 year old Charles Eugster. Both have the same message, Work, Exercise, Diet are the secrets to turning back the clock and staying strong. But its hard, it takes great effort and discpline, certainly at first. JohnC wrote: "I've had experiences of wu wei, deep long term body injury healing(lower hip and atlas vertebra healing... I've had it that way for so long I just assumed that was how it would be forever...), alignment with my path in life(life just seems to flow), an over abundance of energy regardless of sleep, it will highlight your talents and any spiritual ones.. Over all it's pretty fucking awesome if you ask me. I usually practice gift of the tao through the day at different times, and from 9-11 every night I'll do 30 minutes of zhan zhuang, 30 minutes gift of the tao<S-M's flowing chi gong>, and 1 hour of stillness movement. Preferably 2 hours of stillness movement daily, 1 hour in the morning 1 hour at night." I don't mean to focus on a particular practice. But look at the time he puts in, the consistency, how it hits several notes and just as importantly is consciously carried on through out the day. Dainin is another member who is inspiring not for volumous writing, but for their consistent daily practice. Many members shine here, another S-M person is RainbowVein, but again people who have long term commitment to a practice that hits several facets of spirituality hit gold.

It'd probably help to read a lot of science fiction and pop psychology. A couple of good boogie men <or woman, why let men have all the fun> are required too. Like the damn dirty lizard people, or accountants.. stuff like that.

Yo, I was joking. No pit bull and I drowned my last 3 cats <joking only 2 of them> <bazinga, I don't drown cats>. The humor is that you you'll launch into a long rant at the drop of word like Christmas, Hope, Pitt Bull etc., I apologize for spoiling this thread, though it may be redeemable and I will gladly step away from it. You also tend to disrail topics some times. my apologies if it was in poor taste. I hope this Christmas you can excuse my pitiful bull. Sincerely Michael

Yup. I had no concept 'movement' could be allowed during emptiness meditation, perfect stillness was what I considered the goal. Learning Ya Mu's Stillness-Movement has been very helpful. I've found it allows me to stay in meditation for longer periods. There may be a naturalness to it that I'd previously over ridden. It a relatively small thing, but instead of hands together loosely on the lap, it holds the hand together loosely on the lower dan tien. Another good discovery. As always your mileage will vary. Like JoeB I cross train.

I don't think I've suffered from depression, but I do get bouts of melancholy. I think its a matter of being sensitive and empathetic in what can be a cruel world. I think exercise helps. Sometimes there's just too much energy stuck in the head, negative thoughts circling like vulture. A hard work out sucks them out. There's a tendency to look for exotic 'cures' before we've gone through the common, like eating right, getting enough sleep, just plain disciplining our mind.

Well that was provocative. You know Vmarco is wrapped in giant buttons aching to be pressed. What next? Vmarco I named my new pit bull puppy after you? I hope you have a pleasant holiday?

Yet dig a little deeper chakras spin, earth spins, chakras have a vortex, the earth has an active magnetic field that looks like vortex coming through the poles that make life here possible. Adept could be right, we don't have good measurement tools for such 'energy', but thats not to say we never will. Maybe chakras themselves are our creations, just mental mantras aimed at a specific body location. We tend to treat our inner guts as mechanical pieces we have little control of. Something is happens to some people who've spent years doing chakra meditation. It could be a positive result of developing greater body awareness.

9 Daily Habits That Will Make You Happier By Geoffrey James | Inc – Thu, Dec 20, 2012 Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is the highest expression of success, but it's almost impossible to make others happy if you're not happy yourself. With that in mind, here are nine small changes that you can make to your daily routine that, if you're like most people, will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life: 1. Start each day with expectation. If there's any big truth about life, it's that it usually lives up to (or down to) your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: "something wonderful is going to happen today." Guess what? You're probably right. 2. Take time to plan and prioritize. The most common source of stress is the perception that you've got too much work to do. Rather than obsess about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first. 3. Give a gift to everyone you meet. I'm not talking about a formal, wrapped-up present. Your gift can be your smile, a word of thanks or encouragement, a gesture of politeness, even a friendly nod. And never pass beggars without leaving them something. Peace of mind is worth the spare change. 4. Deflect partisan conversations. Arguments about politics and religion never have a "right" answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can't control. When such topics surface, bow out by saying something like: "Thinking about that stuff makes my head hurt." 5. Assume people have good intentions. Since you can't read minds, you don't really know the "why" behind the "what" that people do. Imputing evil motives to other people's weird behaviors adds extra misery to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation. 6. Eat high quality food slowly. Sometimes we can't avoid scarfing something quick to keep us up and running. Even so, at least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or an imported chocolate. Focus on it; taste it; savor it. 7. Let go of your results. The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do. Focus on the job at hand rather than some weird fantasy of what might happen. 8. Turn off "background" TV. Many households leave their TVs on as "background noise" while they're doing other things. The entire point of broadcast TV is to make you dissatisfied with your life so that you'll buy more stuff. Why subliminally program yourself to be a mindless consumer? 9. End each day with gratitude. Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as a making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.

This may not be the case and will probably not be helpful but I was reminded about a case of chemical enlightenment. A research scientist took a powerful psychoactive drug that turned off his emotions. It turned off a chemical in his brain. It made him very dispassionate about everything. He sounded like you sound and he didn't like it. When he stopped taking the drug it went away. So..without knowing anything or being any kind of expert, I wonder if you've used an energy trick ie kundalini to stop a chemical process in your head? Or if its a case of hearing very depressing news and commanding yourself to Stop the painful emotion; and it worked too well, everything stopped? It may go away by itself, you may need to give yourself permission to feel again, to cry again when in a state of deep meditation or hypnosis. Or perhaps a mental reboot through fasting or try serotonin boosting foods or drugs. thats all I got. good luck

Here's a link the HT usa website: http://healingtaousa.com/ There is an article in the article section called: Magic Numbers, Planetary Tones and the Energy Body as Musical Instrument that had some of his ideas on the subject. I can't open it up right now, but as I recall it talked about the link between Planetary Tones and Chakras. i think. It has a pretty active forum too.

Acting honestly and authentically has much power. But you can't fake it, whether its crying on your hands and knees when he opens the door or grabbing his chest hair, if you act true to your nature it'll be powerful. still might now work though..

Here is the short version of a very poignant and thought provoking talk called the Last Lecture. The longer one hour version is available on youtube and very worthwhile to listen to but to whet your appetite here is the condensed version- 10 minutes.

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When I read some of Michael Winn's more esoteric articles, I get the answer- Yes. I don't understand but in some systems, somehow..yes. If you're really interested, you should post the question on the HealingTao usa's forum, then come back with the answers you get.

Hmnn, new Plan D: Taowmeow's husband

Suninmyeyes, congrads on starting Capoeira, it develops amazing coordination and is fascinating to watch. I'm working on the concept of developing some good 'gateway' habits. Gateway being a habit that leads to doing something else. So two gateway habits I have on my list are: Drinking a green drink each night to become a bit more alkaline and a cold shower each morning. If not time for a long shower, then a short cold splash in it. I figure that'll wake up my body and develop a stronger will. Drinking the green drink, in this case Trader Joe's green mix should help me avoid the poor habit of eating and drinking late at night.

I'm probably luckier and fortunate then I am hard. Grew up in Chicago in a relatively white bread area and despite being in the city. It was a rather suburban setting. Went to public schools, they had a chance to be rough but I fell in with a secure nerdy group. Feeling particularly non tough, I studied karate in high school, Taekwondo because it was the only convenient offering in college, then a decade plus of Aikido. No particular talent in martial arts other then showing up, but enough time on the mat and you get some skills and a decent mindset. I worked in a rougher part of Chicago, the Pilsen area. My dad had been robbed at gun point a few times there, so had my grandfather. I was always lucky, somehow never a target. Too often I shy away from hard, and thats hurt me. Maybe the fastest way to growth is under stress, or at least following a rythym of stress then relaxation and I take the easy way too often, particularly of late. Maybe I can change that in the coming year. Add some stress, eat more bitter.

Bottom line. Subtle, what have you done? What has happened?? i hope it worked out well.

Guns don't kill people Bullets don't kill people People don't kill people Massive internal bleeding what's done them in.

What gentle words and gracious smile. What a good world she's formed around her.

They areas seem quite different to me. I use the heart area for emotional intelligence I'll use it as a focus in metta and sound meditations. Personally I use focus on my solar plex to generate and collect heat. All in all I use the heart focus more then solar plex.

I'd say we don't. But it offers some good templates, particularly with the family. The greater point is there are good ideas all around, some come from religious frameworks. We can keep the great ideas, without having to pick up a whole dogma. I'd add the religious overtone give it an importance that we'd otherwise lead to neglect. Because while it (for example weekly sabbath dinner) has great rewards in terms of family unity, its also depends on work and some sacrifice that would easily be blown off in the busyness of life.

I like this. Compassion without action is a mental fart, it smells okay to us but gets little done. To help the real world, to get out of our heads, its important to do karma yoga, taking time to help others. Great thoughts and loving philosophy don't cook the rice or sooth the needy. I'm assume at the Buddha level Presence is enough, but if we're not there then imo we need to role up our sleeves, give to charity, go out of our way to help others.