thelerner

I still have no concept of how you deal with compassion. From your first sentence are you considering it a taoist concept like 'Te'? Maybe changing the term; how do you deal with the sufferings of others? Do you ignore it, tell them to ignore it, philosophize it, tell them when they're enlightened it will go away? What about two examples, a 6 year old running past you skins his knee. A ragged man with an empty Starbucks cup asks you for money? What do you do?

okaaaay, yin this, yang that, TTC 3, 7, 9 13, hut hut hike...so what do you think about compassion?? How do you practice it?

What a short perfect answer. also its the weekend and I'm not driving, I'll take a drink every time Dorian says the word 'Clyman'

I agree about Michael Lomax. His teaching are deep and worthwhile especially for those on the healing track, but (I could be wrong, if so please correct me) it tends to come in weekend sized seminars. If you were traveling to the U.S. and had time and money, I'd suggest looking at Michael Winn's Healing Tao Usa programs. Its not that they're necessarily better, but they're longer, you could easily spend a month there learning from top teachers. Time it right and you could still fit in a Ya Mu seminar.

A quote like this is so full of esoteric terms that its almost useless. How many pages and arguments would it take to explain what the Mysterious Mother is? Are we working with the same cultural definition here? Integrate yin and yang within, are we all on the same page as far as what that means (is it short hand for spend 2 decades in a particular spiritual practice?). 'Refining fire within' do we all agree on what that means and how its done? Its kinda like stacking one fuzzy concept onto another. You may know what you mean, but since you're quoting some dead guy from another time and culture, who wrote it in another language, the understanding of the quote is open to many interpretations. I don't think compassion is all that hard to understand. We don't need to put in on a high philosophical pedestal. In my opinion, like many concepts the best way to understand compassion is through stories and parables. And the best way to show it is action.

People calling each other jerks on a the thread about exploring Compasssion.

Maybe. Its undoubtedly good to die in a peaceful state of mind. Still what happens after death is unknown. Feed the brain one chemical and you're happy, another and you're sad. Cut off it's oxygen and you're dead. No afterlife; the brain really was you, and you're dead as any other animal. No mythology for comfort or control. There's no one directing your afterlife, no one putting you on a merry go round. You were a living organism that could think and feel, now being dead, there is a lifeless rotting corpse and the only you is what you've left behind in memories. Its a bit dark, but it should also point out that this life, this day is precious.

Question, Sifu Lamb's DVD Qi Gong for Self Healing I ($45 http://www.easterninternalarts.org/), does she teach her version of Kunlun in it? I've heard she's a great teacher, does anyone have a review of this DVD? Thanks Michael

semantically dissecting compassion has its problems. The question is what can we do to get 'there'. I like the Secret Smile from KAP, a relative of Healing Tao's Inner Smile. You can search for the practice on the bums. In short its running relaxation, confidence, laughter, love, and sexual energy through the microcosmic orbit. It only takes a few minutes. When I'm good I'll do it every washroom break and it lifts the spirit. When I'm bad (most of the time) I'll ignore the practice months at a time. Simple 'karma yoga'. Service to others. Situations pop every day where we can lend others a hand. Or at least sending a smile other peoples way.

Shivasana is corpse pose, right? Lately when I lay down I'll visualize pieces of paper slowly covering my '5' points. Hand, head, hand, foot, foot; repeated around in circles, with the layers getting heavier with each layer. It tends to deepen my state of relaxation. Sometimes I'll end it by 'laying' longer pieces along my center line a few times. Don't know if that's the kind of thing you're looking for, but its something I do laying in the corpse pose. That's more deep relaxation then particularly Taoist. Taoist guided meditation might be working on the micro cosmic orbit, bone breathing (where you slowly light up each bone) or a fusion style where you see the different organs as seasons/colors and have them circle around your chest as if they were the seasons. Minke DeVos has very well done collection of Taoist guided meditations at her web site called silent grounds called Tao Basics.

Great idea. Personally I think writing tends to be less chaotic then audio chat. On the other hand having some of the teachers here lecture would be ideal for audio. We should see how it evolves, whether weekends or week days are better, keeping it open ended or staying with defined subjects. If you're interested in Wednesday (damn meant to write Thursday, Wed is my writing group) 9 eastern time, weigh in on how you'd like things to go.

Read it and was impressed with your dedication. I was wondering..are you practicing from the book or did you take a Max seminar?

Religion, politics and Illness is fine (though sometimes best started in the Off Topic area). Even insulting whole peoples can be acceptable if that is the topic of conversation. I.E. if the conversation is- Are Americans Too Materialistic; in that case yeah generalities and insults will fly and be acceptable because that's the topic. But, if you have problems with another person here, its a poor move to bring up there nationality and/or religion and insult it. Even if you're that nationality. Its poor form. And being the same nationality and having experienced racism doesn't exempt you from that. add on On 2nd thought, maybe I misinterpreted it. What you meant was more of a We Germans..kind of message and I lost that angle in translation. my bad Michael

I'm sure we're all good well meaning people. Sometimes a ball of negativity gets rolling and its hard to stop. Maybe we shouldn't try; people need to vent and political correctness hurts conversation by covering up truths. Still, in real life you can look the person in the eye, say 'Beer?', head for a pub. We can't on forums. There are nuances of communication lost. Maybe the best we can is walk away once our position is clearly said, and make sure we're supportive of the other person when we think they're right and do our best not to 'troll' them. Something I've been guilty of at times.

He's not a guest(or host), he's a member and your comment on German tourists seems awfully bigoted to me. Don't mean to derail the conversation. This is an awesome site. Last night we had four people in live 'Chat'. It gave people a chance to converse pleasantly in real time. Maybe we miss nuances and take offense too easily when communication is slow and only written, maybe I'm doing it here.

I don't know anything about Kostas, but these quotes make him look like a dick person who is more interested in protecting his financial schemes then a teacher. Matter of fact it would be easy to believe it was written by an anti-Kostas person to discredit him. 1 1/2 cents

Personally there are teachers and people with decades of learning and real world experience and imo they deserve more slack. On a few occasions the bums have chased them away. They get into arguments with armchair theoreticians and end up getting increasingly frustrated, take off and we lose a person with deep expertise. That may sound elitist, one persons guru is another fraud, but still I think more slack and respect is due teachers here.

Its under used but one aspect of the board is Live Chat. If you go there its usually empty, but you can create a new topic saying 'Come to Chat its XX o'clock See you there' and go there and wait. Sometimes no one will show for 5 or 10 minutes, but once people start showing up its a great chance to communicate live. Once you have a few people add to the initial 'Come to Chat' thread that others should join in. You can discuss and learn more in 20 minutes then you could in 2 weeks. Its a great way to learn about your fellow bums. Tonight, Sunday I or someone else can start up a Live Chat. Its been too long since we've had an active one. Again, you need to advertise as a new topic. You can also open up the bums in a 2nd window and let people who are going answering threads know they can go get feedback in Live Chat.

I'll concentrate on a guided meditation each month. This April its Wudangtao's Morning Practice exercise which is 28 minutes and the Evening Practice Wudang exercise which is 31 minutes. One they're very good by themselves, but I also need to build up my discipline and these 2 30 minute programs are a good start. Both begin, sitting you down and doing some seated stretches. Master Chen suggests places hands and legs a certain way if depending on your sex. Strangely my usual default way is feminine ie right over left. They're guided meditations, starting on the deck of beautiful house overlooking water and forest, river to the side. In both the breath is long deep with a light version of reverse breathing; you gently contract the anus breathing in, relax everything as you breath out. You're repeated bringing the early morning sun into the third eye, down the center into the dantien. There's long sequences of contraction/expansion visualization of chi moving tightly in and expanding to all part of the universe. Warming up the dantien, expelling any ill chi. Lots of Nature imagery. In his stilted english he repeats, see and do not see, know and do not know. I like that. He includes bits about sending good will to family, community and world and tuning into happiness and joy. Its seems as Buddhist as Taoist. After I listen I'll sit in silence for a bit, often in Stillness-Movement mode (ala Ya Mu). So thats this months particular practice along with long walks. What practices are you guys up to?? Thanks Michael

Very pretty. In kotodama (sacred sounds) terms it continually returns to long h ahhhs to activate the heart center.

I think we should at least strive for luke warm. The problem may be that the Buddha (& Buddhism) had and taught to two constituents. The dedicated monks who would dedicate there lives seeking enlightenment and lay people. There are quotes, sermons, and sutras for both. Growing up in a non Buddhist culture we see division where there is none. Just different paths.

Sounds like a practice for scaring kids. First creep up behind child. Two Yell Ek! Three... (its Passover, the first 4 glasses of wine were ceremonial the next couple voluntary) Seriously though, I think everyone should have some sort of mantra they make there own, whether sanskrit or one w/ personal or religious meaning. Maybe we need a favorite breathing pattern, and incense too.

good answer. I'd add, write with the end game in mind. Figure out what you'd like from him and see if you could guide the conversation slowly and subtly in that direction. Negative example: So..have you been to a cemetery lately?? or positive- We share many bonds. I'd like to get to know you again

I think they may already have some inklings in that direction p.s. whats ek ong kar?