thelerner

My favorite super food at the moment: In Traditional Chinese Medicine Avocado is a food with beneficial healing power. Thermically it is cooling. It cools the body. Taste: Sweet Healing Properties: 1. Lubricates the Intestines treats constipation 2. Benefits the Lungs. Moistens the Lungs for Lung dryness 3. Nourishes Blood, it improves blood factors that modern medicine can not even imagine. 4. Nourishes Yin...prevents the organs from drying out from aging. 5. Benefits the stomach...treats ulcers also In accordance with Chinese medicine, the avocado is able to build blood and yin, harmonize the liver, and lubricate the lungs as well as the intestines.

This is more for taste then health, but I'll slick up a lime or lemon thinly, roll it in sugar then bag the slices and put'em in the freezer. Very good in tea, plus I don't like tea very hot, so it cools it down a bit.

Wheat has kept the Western world alive for a millennia, not healthy, but alive. Go back 2,000 years and the person who ate bread each day was a lucky blessed man indeed. Once you settle down the hunting goes to hell, many crops store badly, but wheat can do spectacularly well in storage. It is the food of the West, Rome was built on it, Ancient Egypt ransacked for it. I suspect Drew and ancient Taoists are right. Wheat bad. It becomes an inflammatant in the body. I've just started going wheat & sugar free 3 days of the week and try to cut down on the other days. Still with the Sabbath I'll break bread, bless it and eat it. Sometimes its not what you eat, but how you eat it.

When its cold its time for tea. I had some tea I ordered and never used. 3 vacuum packs of Tieguyan yin wang Amber AA in little 8 gram bags. Yesterday I opened 3 of them and put them into a tea container. I was surprised at how little there was. I used a tea spoon to make some in one of those tea makers that look like a big cup with strainer on the bottom. You put in the tea and hot water and after a few minutes you place it on top of a cup and the tea drains down. The teaspoon full expanded like crazy, revealing large full leaves. I wasn't impressed with the first glass. The second was pretty good. Instead of throwing it out at the end of the day I kept the leaves in the strainer, opened the top and let them air out. When I put hot water into it today the mix was immediately dark green, filled to the top with floating leaves. And the tea, amazing.. Yesterday it was fairly good, but kinda green swampy water. Today, its tea, great tea. I'm on my 2nd glass of the day, 4rth for the leaves. I'm going to air it out again and see how it is tomorrow.

To some extent comparing Buddhism and Christianity is like comparing apples and oranges. But you know what, they're both fruit. There's good, bad, great and ugly in them. There are definitely places where they have commonality. But I would say there aims are different because they have different targets. Cool thing about Buddhism (in my unstudied eye) is that its not a traditional western religion. Its non theistic explanations of the mans motives and being are hard to equal.

I don't know if its I was born inhumanly sensitive, but as a child I was probably more sensitive then most. For better or worse I see the trait in my boys too (not so much in daughter). My emotional state can be overwhelmed at movies or large events, if I don't keep cynical control. An overly developed sense of justice and empathy can lead to problems of melancholy, depression and general unhappiness. For better or worse I've desensitized myself. Mostly through reading the newspaper. Slough through the paper day by day and you can read through murder, rape and starvation without batting an eye. If I stay away from the news for a few weeks, the same paper is incredibly evil tome of heart breaking proportions.

Can't argue with that . I think of myself as an optimist, but maybe at heart I'm a contrarian. Suninmyeyes:"Funnily enough what you say about acting if one wants to cook the rice, well it is not always necessary the case... I used to be on yogic path for many years. I stayed with my teacher one time and it was lunch time and a big group of people is meant to arrive tierd and hungry for food , but food is nowhere near ready due to quantities (liters and liters of vegetable curry) and time. What happened next defies conventional logic. He sat infront of the pot unmovingly still for about 15 minutes and all of the food was cooked on time.(he dosent usually do this type of things easily if ever, there would need to be a good reason to prompt that action)" Hmnnnn..most of the time it doesn't cook the rice. Sounds like a remarkable teacher.

We are not worthy

I find its not all its wrapped up to be.

Allow me to be contrary. Seems overly New Ageish to me. Nothing wrong with happy thoughts and wishing others well, but..I'll take action over thoughts anytime. If happy thoughts lead to performing good deeds, then I see the power. But it was in the doing, 'thinking' don't cook the rice (as my old sensei would say). If people think happy thoughts by themselves will materialize things, then to me its new age crap. Happy anecdotes are used to sell books, but in reality they can easily be countered with countless examples to the contrary. To me action changes the universe. The thought that we are actually powerful gods who can change the world with our bare thoughts if we 'think' it hard enough is a left over from childhood fantasies. My read of history and what I see in my life and the news doesn't support it. Still I think we do have much greater potential then we know. But its through work, knowledge, cooperation..and some luck. We can do great things.

I've suspected Mr. Ananda was the devil for some time. That picture looks remarkably like Seth except Seth has smaller horns and bigger boobs actually I'm kidding about the boobs part. He probably isn't the devil either. Just another Tao Bummer. Settler forgive us, we can be irreverent, judgmental and foolish, but there are some very knowledgeable people here and when they challenge you it can provide a way to grow. To learn to better express oneself and control ones anger. Everyone gets into a 'flame' war every now and then. Its been a while since one has flared up on the board. So take answering threads for what there worth, the opinion of unknown strangers. Sometimes all you can do is state your truth, clarify it once or twice, then walk away. Sincerely Michael

I accidentally hit Last instead of Next on the discussion timeline and was taken back to the original bums opening page in 2005. Here is something I posted back then: Here is the ultimate short crash course in comparative religion: ;* Taoism: Shit happens. Confucianism: Confucius say, "Shit happens." Buddhism: If shit happens, it isn't really shit. Zen Buddhism: Shit is, and is not. Zen Buddhism #2: What is the sound of shit happening? Hinduism: This shit has happened before. Islam: If shit happens, it is the will of Allah. Catholicism: If shit happens, you deserve it. Protestantism: Let shit happen to someone else. Presbyterian: This shit was bound to happen. Episcopalian: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve the right wine with it. Methodist: It's not so bad if shit happens, as long as you serve grape juice with it. Congregationalist: Shit that happens to one person is just as good as shit that happens to another. Unitarian: Shit that happens to one person is just as bad as shit that happens to another. Lutheran: If shit happens, don't talk about it. Fundamentalism: If shit happens, you will go to hell, unless you are born again. (Amen!) Fundamentalism #2: If shit happens to a televangelist, it's okay. Fundamentalism #3: Shit must be born again. Judaism: Why does this shit always happen to us? Calvinism: Shit happens because you don't work. Seventh Day Adventism: No shit shall happen on Saturday. Creationism: God made all shit. Secular Humanism: Shit evolves. Christian Science: When shit happens, don't call a doctor - pray! Christian Science #2: Shit happening is all in your mind. Unitarianism: Come let us reason together about this shit. Quakers: Let us not fight over this shit. Utopianism: This shit does not stink. Darwinism: This shit was once food. Capitalism: That's MY shit. Communism: It's everybody's shit. Feminism: Men are shit. Chauvinism: We may be shit, but you can't live without us... Commercialism: Let's package this shit. Impressionism: From a distance, shit looks like a garden. Idolism: Let's bronze this shit. Existentialism: Shit doesn't happen; shit IS. Existentialism #2: What is shit, anyway? Stoicism: This shit is good for me. Hedonism: There is nothing like a good shit happening! Mormonism: God sent us this shit. Mormonism #2: This shit is going to happen again. Wiccan: An it harm none, let shit happen. Scientology: If shit happens, see "Dianetics", p.157. Jehovah's Witnesses: >Knock< >Knock< Shit happens. Jehovah's Witnesses #2: May we have a moment of your time to show you some of our shit? Jehovah's Witnesses #3: Shit has been prophesied and is imminent; only the righteous shall survive its happening. Moonies: Only really happy shit happens. Hare Krishna: Shit happens, rama rama. Rastafarianism: Let's smoke this shit! Zoroastrianism: Shit happens half on the time. Church of SubGenius: BoB shits. Practical: Deal with shit one day at a time. Agnostic: Shit might have happened; then again, maybe not. Agnostic #2: Did someone shit? Agnostic #3: What is this shit? Satanism: SNEPPAH TIHS. Atheism: What shit? Atheism #2: I can't believe this shit! Nihilism: No shit. Consumerism: Buy more Shit (from Steve) And of course we must add...Alcoholics Anonymous: Shit happens-one day at a time! Peas Michael

Here is the U.S Midwest the Moon will be rising at 4:33pm. The sun is setting at 4:19. It might make for a very colorful and energetic sight. To the Chinese it is the Bitter Moon. To the Cherokee the Snow Moon To the Celtics the Cold Moon To Neo Pagans the Long Night Moon

I write a bit. I have some stories in my Personal Discussion site here. I have a couple of Threads there, its the Misc Stories one. On Meetup.com I found a local writers group that meets up every week to review and write short stories based on prompts. Its a lot of fun, much like doing improve. She's not on the bums much anymore but one old member, Yael has become a professional writer. Making a living writing is quite a challenge. I know a few people who have had there books published and unless you're a star in the field, there's not much money in it. So to some extent you have to do it for the love of it. I recommend An Artists Way by Julia Cameron. She sees writing as almost a religious calling.

After a decade or so in the martial arts I worry about my knees too. One site I like Marks Daily Apple said walking is anti inflammatory for the whole body and heartily recommended it for weightlifters. He may be right, walking doesn't burn many calories but long walkers tend to be a healthier bunch. In his book "Pathnotes of a Ninaja Grandmaster" (bad tittle, good book) Glenn Morris discusses different styles of walking. Some styles he liked were gorilla walk, same hand and foot moving together as well as keeping the 'stepping' foot weightless until the body weight shifts forward. Lots of walking meditation styles too like simple slow awareness to one breath every 32 steps. When its safe I'll walk with my eyes closed and only open them in a quick blink every 30 or so steps. After seated meditation Ya Mu (Michael Lomax) has a long rub down routine. One thing is vigorously circling and rubbing the knee area. Its good. I find saunas loosen up the knees nicely too. It seems most people gain a huge degree of temporary flexibility in the sauna, making them an ideal place to sit in meditation.

I enjoy doing ZZ to Rawn Clarks Archaeous series. They're about 15 minutes long and are based on putting the elements stacked within the body. Legs feet to waist being Earth. Stomach region water. Chest region air..etc. They're free downloadable at abardoncompanion.com. I find the first 2 or 3 lessons to be great for doing ZZ to, although they weren't made for it. They make the 15 minutes go by quickly.

It was posted here a year or two ago. The poster was a woman who'd been at a Taoist conference in China. She brought up the question innocently and was practically escorted out of the room. The post had a link to her blog. I don't think she's currently active. I wonder if Stigweard would remember? He also went to some Chinese Taoist conferences. I remember he wrote about it and there was a heckling person who wrote back about the annoying 'whites' who'd showed up.

Hmmnnn.. Guess G-d is only resurrecting Buddhist monks these days..

Anything by legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki. Spirited Away, Howls Moving Castle, Ponyo, Princess Monomoke, Castle in the Sky. He creates beautiful worlds, great story lines with an eastern sensibility. His heroes show more eastern virtues, conquering through kindness and subservience(?) rather then out right fighting.

One of the Tao Bums publicly doubted Lao Tzu's existence during a Taoist conference in China and got a very very cold reception. The lesson: Beware of who you're 'open minded' to.

I thought I remembered Michael Winn the Healing Tao teacher writing about something like that. Here is a link: www.healingtaousa.com/pdf/dao_inner_alchemy.pdf

Looks great, I find adding some peanut butter(!) to pumpkin and sweet potato soups puts them over the top and adds some down home Jamaican swing to them. I just made a batch of Ramen. Noodles from the Japanese supermarket, shitake shrooms, bok choy from my neighbors garden(yes she harvested in Dec! Global warming indeed), bean sprouts, chives. Cheap and delicious. Sadly my kids who were raised on the 10 for a $1 stuff turned up there noses at the real thing .

In seated meditation keeping my hands on my tantien (as taught by Ya Mu's Stillness-Movement chigung) gives me a deeper sense of downward flow then keeping them more traditionally a few inches infront.

Funny, it seems like a pond would be the safest place for a toad if there was an earth quake. I mean.. what are they doing.. Hopping into buildings? And another thing. 'Abandoned a pond'?? Toads can't swim(frogs can). Before I say 'Run for your lives. The toads are on the move.' I'd want some back up info.