thelerner
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Everything posted by thelerner
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Question: Will we need unobtainium?
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I was going to post on the Phowa thread, then thought its already moving away from topic, why push it further. Instead of using the word vibrate, can we say some practitioners have more 'Juice' then others. Not just presence, but inner vitality, matched with a transcendental personality that effects everyone near them. I'm thinking in terms what people who've gone through Kundalini have; Juice, not necessarily enlightenment, but circuitry that's rewired for higher energy. And if it not rewired, they burn out. Juice: What is it? How do we get it?
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How to transform Prison Planet Earth into Immaterial World of Neither-perception-nor-non-perception ?
thelerner replied to tulku's topic in General Discussion
One person at a time. And as long as we're here we should take advantage of the Prisons's benefits. Good library, interesting inmates, conjugal visits.. -
groan, I kinda hate to see this topic popping up again.. can't resist. I think the theory, if we get rid of vicious dog breeds people wouldn't get bitten, mauled and killed by dogs, is flawed. I think it runs into the problem I call the Paradox of Prohibition paradigm. Where a seemingly common sense idea is flipped on its head by unintended consequences. For example, one breed that's responsible for much biting is the German Shepherd. A person might call the police to discuss an idea to save childrens lives. They come in and say we need to get rid of all German Shepard. They hope the police will come on board, then tell them they'll have to kill all of their police dogs and if the police have pet German Shepards at home, they'll have to be killed too. I expect the police will show them the door. The military who often see their dogs are heroes will not be open to it either. If they announce their plans and send out trucks to euthanize such dogs I don't think they'll get many people bringing their dogs to it. Look at the scope of the problem, there are by some estimates over 500,000 German Shepards in the U.S. If you made a law to destroy such dogs, it would unpopular, probably impossible. If outlawed, people would hide their dogs, and such an animal without exercise goes neurotic. Others will let their dogs loose before letting them be killed, thus creating wild packs. No one would take them to a vet for rabies shots in fear of being outed. I won't even go into taking dogs from the blind to be euthanized. I think the problem is better solved through training, licensing and insurance. Dogs have to be licensed. Part of the licensing is required regulated training for some breeds. Training for the owner and dog of potentially dangerous breeds. Some breeds would also require a type of 'insurance' payment. The yearly payment would be a deterrent to people owning such dogs casually without acknowledging they could have potential problems. Money raised would go for canine education. Not a perfect world, but a balance between freedom and responsibility.
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The "Use" of Pain, Hunger, Lack of Sleep and other Discomforts in Meditations and Yogas
thelerner replied to tulku's topic in General Discussion
I remember going through a picture book on extreme ascetic Indian holymen. It pictured some who'd point one hand straight up there entire lives. They'd sit alone subsisting on very little pointing, all day and night, muscles and bones atrophying. In some ways it was an awesome display of human dedication, but their main power seemed to be in pointing and self denial. Its good to push ourselves. I think it was TaowMeow, who I highly respect, wrote 20 to 30 minutes is relaxation, real meditation happens at 4 hours (this was years ago). Establishing discipline is good, but get too far out of balance and you crash. Or fall into the trap where the goal is discomfort and not the fruit of practice. Maybe the Buddhas story points to there is nothing wrong with extreme practices early on, but ultimately they have to be dropped. Its also worth noting he did them in a community of others, so he had elders monitoring him. If you're doing anything extreme its important to have an experienced mentor guiding. Extreme practices (ie long fasts) can mess with your mind and you may need someone to say, its time to slow things down or stop. my 2 bits. -
You are right, the majority of the big names were deist. But not all and in the greater majority they were not. America was very lucky to have such people in our founding. I agree with you the Tea Party claims a legacy it should not, our founders were not all fundamentalist christians out to found a Christian country. I also agree with you we were not the Christian country many paint us as. In the 1700's and 1800's the majority would say they were Christian but most weren't very religious and regular church goers. Within the 'major' 7 mentioned, most were free thinking some were not and amongst the greater majority most (I believe) weren't. Which only reflects that they were men of their time, whereas Jefferson, and Franklin (I can't add Washington here) were men in many ways ahead of there time. At the time Deism was a radical idea, it informed their thinking but was not discussed widely and publicly. (ie Jefferson's bible was held in secret most of his life) I think we have to be careful to see the reality of the situation of the time and not make the mistake generalizing the situation like the Tea party does. Still, my main point is to understand the Tea Party and it's popularity you need to see that their power comes as much from the doctrine of smaller, less intrusive government with a balanced budget, as from the fundamentalist potentially regressive policies. Though some Tea Partier's are whackos, most are regular people in fear for the economy of the U.S. To reach them you need arguments on the economic side, and can't paint the whole movement as insane.
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See if you can contact this man- http://www.jingxinyuan.net/linaiwei.htm . He used to be an active member here. Very talented and authentic. He had some solid suggestions and contacts for people studying in China. Because he's a traditionalist from a demanding lineage only people willing to do serious highly respectful study should contact him. Michael
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Why man must give up Food and Sex in order to Evolve
thelerner replied to tulku's topic in General Discussion
I've read how in some traditions (male) masters become more feminine so I'm willing to buy a bit into the bisexual part. What I've never heard of is 'self-reproduction (parthogenesis) becomes possible'. Do you have anything to back that up? Any tradition or monastery where they're 'self-reproducing' or is it more hypothetical, theoretical possibility. -
Travel broadens the mind. It can teach what is necessary and what isn't. It also forces real responsibilities onto you, so fuzzy head strong philosophies take back seat to life's realities. I agree the people who say finish your studies and do well at them, such knowledge will give you an edge in life. If you can travel, get some books on it, pick a direction and life will show you .. be open to its lessons, if it says.. you'll wash dishes 10 hours a day.. do it. If it gets you to an Ashram, go there. Be open, hopeful and a bit careful.
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Question about BWE, isochronic tones, binaural beats, etc.
thelerner replied to forum_jedi's topic in General Discussion
That looks pretty cool. Could you tell us more about it? How do you use it? What are the software programs like? Thanks -
Swiss woman dies after attempting to live on sunlight; Woman gave up food and water spiritual journey
thelerner replied to DalTheJigsaw123's topic in General Discussion
I think the best breatharian practice is the one that evolves naturally. In one interview book 'Master of the Way' the woman who did QiGong talked about not eating for days. She didn't feel like it, so she wouldn't. Often she'd eat normally, other times she'd skip meals for a long period. She was very healthy, not skin and bones, and rarely got sick. She didn't try to be breatharian, instead she listened closely to her body. I met a Merkaba teacher in my travels, she had the same experience. Some Westerners who are self experimenting on very low calorie diets look thin and very unhealthy. It may be they're ignoring the spiritual which can spark extra vitality. On the other hand, Mark Sisson of Daily Apple was just writing about fasting, singing its praises. He thinks it might give the longevity benefits of low calorie diet, while keeping a person strong. Here is a very informative link for anyone looking at Western/scientific pro views of fasting- http://www.marksdailyapple.com/fasting-questions-answers/#axzz1tIyCMW7c -
I think fasting is healthy, maybe not the complete panacea painted, but healthy. I used to do 5 to 7 day fasts. I followed Daniel Reids book The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity. He kept you feeling full by swallowing psyllium fiber, ie metamucil and volcanic ash. Psyllium expands in your stomach making you feel full, the ash he said is tiny and has a charge, that helps with detox. He'd also have you put in a squeeze of organic lemon, later in the fast you could use some maple syrup too. The first few days were still hard, but for the last few there was a bit of a high feeling. You have to be careful of physical activity, even showers; take things slow, lots of water, he liked distilled for the fast. Sleep, rest. It may seem 'cheating' to include psyllium seed, ash, maple syrup etc., in a fast, but if the goal is detox, I think it allows it to happen faster. Quite simply you defecate more due to the fiber and that's probably a good thing; clean out the crap. Take it slow. I liked what Small Fur said. I'll add, look into some of the Yoga systems out there. Sivananda has some hard core programs and a very delightful center on Paradise Island. It used to be the cheapest Caribbean vacation out there, meals, shelter and hard core (& easier) yoga and long meditation periods daily for a very reasonable price. Some Yoga centers will help and give you guidance while you fast. See what's near you. There may be some wise experienced people closer then you think.
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My favorite New Age style composer is Deuter, particularly his 'Island in the Sun', for a while listening to it would knock me out and I'd wake up when it was over. Most of his stuff is very good. Here is a sample http://youtu.be/clSy4tnQmQo If I feel anxious I find Eckhart Tolle's words very soothing, sorta forgettaboutit, stick with now. The Zencast Podcast has one of his 30 minute speeches set to binaural beats, it's Zencast episode 48, Surrender To Now. Zencast has many superb talks and classes on Buddhism. Sometimes you've gotta go with the emotion instead of away from it. The Stone's 'Jumpin Jack Flash' has a tonic quality as he screams, 'but it's All Right Now, in fact It's a Gas'.
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My favorite New Age style composer is Deuter, particularly his 'Island in the Sun', for a while listening to it would knock me out and I'd wake up when it was over. Most of his stuff is very good. Here is a sample http://youtu.be/clSy4tnQmQo If I feel very anxious I find Eckhart Tolle's words very soothing, sorta forgettaboutit, stick with now. The Zencast Podcast has one of his 30 minute speeches set to binaural beats, it's Zencast episode 48, Surrender To Now. Zencast has many superb talks and classes on Buddhism. Sometimes you've gotta go with the emotion instead of away from it. The Stone's 'Jumpin Jack Flash' has a tonic quality as he screams, 'but it's All Right Now, in fact It's a Gas'. Whoops that was for the anti-anxiety music thread. Lately I've been downloading Green Day. I already have some of there singles, this time I wanted to go a little deeper and get the whole album, 21st Century Breakdown.
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An interesting (& free) source of info on the golden flower comes from JJ Semple. He has Podcasts you can download on Itunes that have some depth from the view point of someone more interested in results then philosophy. He also has a book too. Get itunes and search The Golden Flower Podcast or JJ Semple. Listen to them on Itunes, no ipod needed.
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Cancer-killing dandelion tea gets $157K research grant
thelerner replied to Thunder_Gooch's topic in Healthy Bums
Might be worth every penny and couple million more. Could be in a few years we'll find we were massively poisoning the very flower that could save us . -
My thoughts on juice are greatly influenced by Glenn Morris. He described a level of 'physical' enlightenment (vs. other classical definitions), a state where a person had gone through kundalini and was running higher energy. There circuits were clear and energy was strong. To be around them is to feel the jolt. His school and KAP program based on it, has the microcosmic orbit as one of its cornerstones. Develop and purify energy, and run it around the orbit. In I've been around individuals who indeed have juice. Presence beyond simple charisma.
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Yawwnn, You find everyone who disagrees with you to have no comprehension of the facts. Or is naive. You think in stereotypes, you disagree with a group and immediately paint them all as villains. You pull Limbaugh's, ie find an extreme story that backs up your thinking and declare it to represent the whole picture. Fact is 56 people signed the Declaration of Independence (vs say 204 'founding fathers' by some counts), some of the big names weren't religious, most were. In grade school you learn story book history; mostly sanitized nice stuff. In high school there's more depth and you're surprised to learn about the Mason's and Free Thinkers role in the founding fathers (that may be where Vmarco is). In college and beyond you learn about the world of the founding fathers, their lack of cohesion, their fights and causes. By no means did they share the same religious or irreligious beliefs. The deeper you study, the more diversity you find and how miraculous the pulling off the independence comes. I could put in facts, but it wouldn't make a difference to you. You write first, close your mind second. No, you stereotype first, write 2nd, close your mind third.
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Cancer-killing dandelion tea gets $157K research grant
thelerner replied to Thunder_Gooch's topic in Healthy Bums
I wonder as a rule of thumb if anything green and 'edible' with a long root is packed with unusually healthy properties. <edit.. I wonder if.. instead of beating my wife with a stick no wider then my thumb.. if anything green and 'edible' with a long root is packed with unusually healthy properties -
I'd prefer if this didn't degenerate or turn into a competition. I'd like the names of some great living practitioners. Thanks Michael
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I'm not a Tea Bagger, but as long as Joe isn't here to defend them I may as well take a stab at it. Christianity wise its a mixed bag, I think many founders were free thinkers, exemplified by Masonry and they kept their beliefs quiet and coded. Others were indeed fundamentalists which were the majority of the population. While the majority of Tea Baggers seem to be old middle aged white guys, ultimately its not religious rewriting that gives them power and impact. Its simple math. We spend way more then we bring in, we've been doing it for years, and our economy will end in a train wreck unless we gravely tighten our belts and budget. Thats the message that resonates and is hard to shake. It points to nasty medicine. Still the message has been co-opted by right wing crazies who won't touch the military budget, won't raise taxes (which Clinton & Reagan did successfully) and think in terms of 1950 glory days. Still the main message of tighten our belts because massive borrowing will result in a depression and decline, is one we'd better heed. Its too bad there' s so little will in Congress to compromise. Still I think/hope Obama's policies will make a dent in the deficit while keeping the U.S. safety net functioning. It'd be cool to have single payer universal health care by the end of his 2nd term too (we can dream). Swinging the other way, let me say that the Occupy Wall Street movement gave me new respect for the Tea Party. That's because the Tea Party accomplished things. Not good things, but they got people elected, new legislature written and voted on. The OWS hasn't accomplished much. The thinking ' I'm gonna sleep in the park and march around until some law, somewhere, somehow is rewritten' hasn't and won't' accomplish much. Like it or not, change is gonna come through politics. Votes and new legislature. Get off my lawn hippie, and in the meantime put on a suit, get elected and pass some fair laws.
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Yes, while leery of Nationalism, I can say I'm proud to be a US citizen. Certain the U.S, is and has been far from perfect, but we've had some core principles that have been increasingly picked up by the world that have imo made it a better place. In WW II there was only a handful of democracies, now there are over 90(?) I think. Democracy tend to be progressive and make change possible. Again, its only as good as its leaders, but in democracy you have a chance for change, vs. dictatorship. A free press, checks and balances. I've back packed around Europe and the Middle East. I like Europe and would be proud to live there, but its the way it is because America saved it from Germany, and Russia. For all the wrong we've done, After WW II we won and created the blue print and funded some enlightened democracies in Germany and Japan which lit the flame around the world.
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never mind.
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How many tai chi players does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
thelerner replied to Green Tiger's topic in General Discussion
2, but they have to be real small and it helps if they're male and female -
I collect guided meditation and have a library of healing ones. I give them away and try to collect feedback(z00se I expect some from you). To some extent Twinner is right, its not necessarily advanced to get pain relief while listening at a session and perhaps a little longer. Unfortunately often the pain reoccurs. Hypnotic pain relief and healing meditations are excellent to use, but keep the pain killer handy too. One exception is the back where I think pain often creates a feedback loop, stress causes tightness, tightness causes pain, pain causes stress. In this case the relaxation response can break the cycle. From my experience where pain is direct nerve kinda thing like a toothache, the hypnotic 'trick' is harder long term. Most importantly be aware the power of focusing past pain has a dark side. Decades ago my mother saw a hypnotist for a bad pain in her side. She learned to focus past it, almost to the point of death. It was an misdiagnosed case of pancreatic disease that required surgery. The point is pain may be sending a message, listen and try to understand before we focus past it.
