thelerner

Thanks for your reply Riverflow. Would you mind telling us what gathas sayings you use? Also you're the second person who lights incense. What kind do you use? Is it a special ceremony? Thanks Michael

Thank you Green Tiger. I'm hoping for even more depth. Like when you stand in ZZ, what position are you in, hands, depth of stance? Whats practices are on the Jerry Alan Johnson CDs? by the way thats a nice full monty. I started this, but my practice is uninteresting. I think there is a 'magic' period upon waking where the mind is bit more pliable then later on. So when I wake up I'll listen to a guided meditation. Today I listened to Bliss Trip's 30 minute 'Gifts of the Earth'. It walks you through forest, sauna, giving tree, forgetting brook, gem cave, and finally you end up by a fountain where you throw a penny in and make a wish. Being in a half sleepy state the visuals are better. In the washroom I'll do the KAP Secret Smile, and try to do it every time I'm in the Washroom. Santiago who teaches KAP has an indepth post on it in the general discussion area. In short, you remember a time you were very relaxed. I'll remember a hammock in St. Lucia w/ moon rising. Run it through your system. Remember a time of great confidence, run it through your MCO channel once or twice, mix Confidence feeling, w/ relaxation, swallow it down. You go on in a similar vein with Humor, Love & finally orgasmic feelings. The idea behind it is energy runs best through a relaxed happy medium. So the Secret Smile is the primer behind other meditations. If I have time I'll do 25 minutes of meditation. Didn't today. Lately I'll do 25 minutes of meditation App called Insight Timer. It'll give me a wooden ring every 21 seconds and I'll use that to control my breath. It takes about 5 minutes before I sync up. Then I'll do 25 minutes of meditation without it. I'll put my hands touching my dan tien and not pay much attention to breathing. The hands on Dan tien is taught by Michael Lomax. It gives a nice feeling of awareness, more so then IMO the standard Zen mudra or relaxed on lap positioning does. I'll also do the vigorous closing Lomax (Ya Mu) teaches. Much rubbing on the body. I particularly like the extra attention it gives the bottom of the feet. Fast rubbing with the palms. This seems to bring more 'life' to both energy centers. Kind of 'iron man' in flight sensation. One strange body work I do is moving fast. I work out of my house, so I'll move and speed walking as quickly as I can, up stairs, entering and rooms at random, fast turns etc.

Insult Kung Fu.. I ought to.. Wellll... its not like it was reality TV. Despite infomercials to the contrary Carradine isn't a great spokesman for Kung Fu or Taoism. Still the original series and the clips speak for themselves. And they are really good. You have to give credit to excellent writers who were quoting the TTC and showing off martial arts like Capoeiera decades before they were widely known in the West. One of the writers Ed Spielman did a book, I forget the tittle ('The Tao of Martial Arts kinda thing'?). He had trained with some greats including private lessons with Bruce Lee (who'd been up for the part but was dismissed for being too Chinese!?).

Good advice. Back packing helped bring me out of my shell, my comfort zone. Knowing no one I was forced to become more outgoing. I looked forward to doing laundry because it was such a great place to meet people. I took to not wearing so I could ask people for the time. When there not rushed people like helping others with directions and ideas for places to go.

I'd say yes, too. What we do becomes a habit. We tend to reap what we sow. Doing good has its rewards. Even though its not the easier path.

D'Oh

I read Master Chen's blog. I assume its the real thing, there is considerable wisdom there. But it feels a little too modern at times. I also have his Meditation CD's which I enjoy. http://www.wudangtao.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=52&Itemid=163

Let me be a sour puss, here is where philosophy does us wrong. It devolves into how many angels on a pin; then into semantics. By making the Tao everything, everywhere, even in the hamburger, we make it nothing. Tao is trivia. An intellectual play thing. Even as low level philosophical taoists I think we need to focus on Tao as Path; a way of being that is in accordance with nature. We know we're getting close when there is less friction in our lives and minds. my 2 bits.

Thanks for the explanation. It jibes with my experience in Aikido nicely. The founder of Aikido would use yin and yan in his explanations, but sadly few teachers do these days.

Non, the truth is- your problems run deep. They're by no means unique, they're similar to what many of us here have faced but..deeper. We bums aren't the most macho alphas in the pack. But you are an unhappy place with thoughts that circle like buzzards. Find professional help. The right counselor will work wonders. They can turn your life around, track your progress, suggest a new course while listening deeply to your inner being. I've seen a psychologist and it was invaluable. There is no magic bullet, idea or insight, but there is working on yourself. The hard work of discarding garbage thoughts. Find a good counselor, stay with them for a while, turn your life around. my 2 bits

Here is a quote I heard yesterday from a TED video on poverty. I am neither an optimist or a pessimist I am a Possibilist.

Here is a write up of last years Regional Burning Man. One of the shorter smaller ones that try to replicate the spirit of the Big Burn in Nevada. Which is going on right now, Burning Man 2011; themed Rites of Passage. Wish I could be there. Lakes of Fire is a regional burning man event. There are a couple of them (6 or 7) around the country each year. Lakes of Fire (LoF) is the Midwest's one. They're cheap, LoF was only $40 to sign up. It lasted four days 3 nights. There were only about 1,000 or so tickets sold. It could be considered Burning Man (BM) light. I was a bit apprehenscous heading to it. I was going solo this would be my 2nd BM event and I wasn't sure what to expect. It was in Michigan only 3 1/2 hours away from me. Nonetheless my GPS got almost to it, I drove past the small sign 3 or 4 times before I saw the entrance was a dirt road off a minor country highway. I rambled up the road, when I got there it was pretty crowded. I stopped my car at the intro area. I got hugs and a recital of BM rules and spirit, ie radical self sufficiency, gifting economy, total freedom balanced by high respect for others. Good stuff. The camping was based around a large circular road. The lower half I was told was mosquito ridden. I could temporarily park the car at my campsite then had to move it to the general parking lot. Warned of mosquitoes I drove to the upper half. I was evicted from my first camp site, told it was for a group only. I found one nearby, a bit close to another tent but they didn't complain so I took it. I hate camping and set up a relatively large 5 man tent in the hot sticky weather. It was a nice section. The area marked by a naked flying female mannikin/balloon. I made friends with the people nearby. One couple had a little trailor. They were a bit older then I was. Both were performers, the man was a professional stilt walker and had a variety of them he'd brought along. The coolest being the racing stilts, short, but with springs that allowed him to run and jump inhumanly fast. He had cool costumes for each. His wife taught and performed belly dancing. They had a side business selling flavored nicotine for e-cigarettes. There was a younger couple nearby who were very nice. There was a family group nearby. One of the younger people there (20ish) offered me a hashish cookie. I've led a remarkably drug free life. At 45 I've never done drugs (except a puff of some pipe thing in Israel which numbed me and made me throw up). I considered, I was middle aged, in a safe environment, why not? I've never been against drugs per se, but they weren't my thing, the reward/risk never seemed worth it. Also I've seen people hooked and lives crushed. The cookies were delicious, gourmet worthy. I accepted one and got the warned to only eat half. They were white chocolate. Their secret I was told lay in the butter used, how it was clarified and long soaked w/ the weed. I cautiously ate half. Sat down, waited..nothing, ate the other half, felt nothing, thus my drug virginity officially ended in my book, soon I would be a slut. I took a walk around intent to circle the whole festival. Lots of colorful campsites. Some interesting interactive art set up but I didn't want to stop at anything, I wanted to get a feel for the whole area. In the lower half I met 2 guys with at a great location who had a camp fire going. They were WilE (pronounced While E, like the Coyote in the Road Runner cartoon) and Carlos. WilE's arm was covered in new age tattoos, like pentagrams and magic seals. He was spreading clarified butter onto the burning logs. I asked him about it. Part of ritual he said for his camp site. He also burned sage. As we talked, rangers (LoF police) came along and evicted them from there site, saying it was pre-approved for a group. I helped them pull up tent stakes, lift up there tent and moved to it a lesser area. They offered me a swig from a glass jug. It had brown bits on the bottom. I was told it was peyote juice. Peyote is the stuff Carlos Casteneda writes about in his first book. They explained it could give me visions, and I might throw up the first I tried it. I put my lips to it and took a little swig. Awful tasting, but I've had worse. They said I needed to get some of the black stuff into my mouth. Fine, in for a penny, in for a pound, I took a big mouthful. Swallowed. Like the cookies I didn't really feel anything. I certainly didn't throw up. I said my goodbyes and kept walking. (I'd meet them later, plus I'd meet WilE again at this years LoF) My initial impression was nice people, laid back. Much less nudity then BM, almost none. There were a few interestig arts and crafts site. Whereas BM was city of 50,000 incorporating 20 30(?) miles, this was small and manageable, walkable whereas at BM you really needed a bicycle. Other then mosquitoes it was way more livable then BM's harsh desert. I was less of a mooch then at BM, but nonetheless didn't have much cooking gear and lived off the 'land'. Taking meals and snacks where I could find them. One guy had kegs of homebrew beer that were excellent. There was a camp site called the Tick Bar that had a large bar, and nice groove to it. I stayed there a bit. Walking around there was a Java tent, that advertised coffee in the morning. As night fell, I ate, drank had 2 more Hashish cookies and went to bed. End Day 1. The regional BM went on for 4 days. It was relatively easy to find things to do. Every morning I'd start out at the Coffee Hut. A generous camper had gallons of the stuff and pastries each morning. One group had an art tent. For a few hours a day they had supplies and a model and you'd draw. There was a Raiku furnace set up. Some very generous people brought hundreds of unfinished tea cups, Oxides, and heavy outdoor furnace to BM. You could coat the cup in various metal oxides and that night they'd bake it. I made 2 beautiful shiny metalic cups. Sadly both have a little bit of odor to them that makes them useless for tea, but they are pretty. There were lectures going on. I caught some on psychedelics with WilE and Carlos. There was a photographer that took your picture in dual mode. You could find it later on line and if you printed it out and held it close you'd get a 3d effect. I spent quite a bit of time at the great Tick Bar. Nice people, great bar. I found a guy who played Frisbee and we'd spend hours tossing it. Drugs, shmugs, frisbee is my passion from childhood. Tossing the frisbee, good conversation, laying around drinking beer. That is my heaven. There was some music. Most of it Techno stuff that I don't get into. (This year I was way to close to the Techno drome). Campfires nightly, lots of sharing. Each night the fire spinners came out, dancing with flaming hula hoops, bolos, swords etc. Still it had some of the same overload as BM. The 2 couples near me I'd befriended both left early. There was a small 3 story light house that burnt beautifully on the last night. Though it was just a match compared to the blazes that happen on real BM playa. I was close to the girls tent, yet another tent of guys friendly to them moved inbetween us, thus making for some loud, somewhat annoying nights. Like 4 a.m. seeing a hunched shadow, listening to guttural gasping, seeing a wet stain slowly roll down the outside of your tent, ah the smell. That a kind thing. Annoying, but goes with the territory. Likewise there was some theft, cars broken into. I left mine open and change was removed. No biggie, others had speakers stolen. I can't help think where there's drugs, there's crime (or more of it). It was swampy and the mosquitoes were fierce. I'd cover up and put on spray, but my ankles below the pants were massacred. There was very little nudity, until the last night. There was a big blow out at the Fire Bar. Finally a DJ played decent music. The dancers started stripping then they'd go into the crowd drag others into the circle and start undressing them. It was innocent fun. Just dancing. I stayed for a bit, drank and watched. Then left. I don't know if I was afraid I'd be disrobed, or afraid I wouldn't. This year the Regional was at a much better place, fewer mosquitoes and a beautiful swimming lake.. Thus much more nudity. The Fire Bar had early parties, at one you'd get a strip of bacon for every piece of clothes you took off. I stopped at 3. WiLE was there and conducted a big spiritual circle. He had props of ash and flowers, also a print out of a long Hindu chant. We collected made a mandala and chanted. A Buddha looking man over the thing impassively. Memories. There was some fabulous, some what X rated talk shows going on that were hilarious to listen to. There was a floating island. Two guys were pushing it into the water, it had two attractive topless young ladies on it. I joined in and helped push it across the lake. Good exercise and something totally different. People were generous with food. I met some I'd known before, the guy who ran Videogasm film site who apparently hits several Burning Man events each year. Another nice burn. I only spent 2 days, 1 night there. I'm hoping to go to the 2011 Decompression Party, they just announced the date. I hit last years; I had my own bar stocked w/ Playa beer from Trader Joes (it was rewarding to finally give more then I got) Its a fun 13 hour bash held in a warehouse in down town Chicago, pretty mild by burning man standards. Here is the info. If you're near Chicago you should consider it. "DECOMPRESSION 2011: The Voyage Home Saturday, October 15th, 2011 2:00 P.M. - 3:00 A.M. The Bridgeport Arts Center 1200 W. 35th Street @ 35th & Racine Chicago, IL $15 suggested pre-sale contributions - http://www.boldurban.org/donate $20 suggested contribution at Decompression, if you're in voyager or playa-gear $25 suggested contribution at Decompression, if you're in street clothes Participants 12 and under will not be asked for a contribution You're so very welcome to join your friends in Chicago's Burning Man Community for Decompression 2011: The Voyage Home. Every year, this B.U.R.N. NFP-sponsored community event brings the loving, creative spirit, and the full-throttled energy of the Burning Man Project to beautiful Chicago, Illinois for thirteen hours." Regionals and Decompression parties happen all across the U.S. There are also other similar events happening. Its a great way to meet other strange people, experience strange things, kick back and try to create your own little piece of paradise.

But.. even standing still aren't the most dynamic positions those where the weight is unevenly balanced? At 50/50 isn't speed/motion slowed?

IMHO the original series did a very good job of being Toa-istic, particularly the many flashbacks. Most of it was TTC. Remarkable for the period. Some of the time (ok most) he'd win, sometimes he'd lose. Sometimes he's save people, other times they'd die. He was at times shot, beaten up, and at a loss, but his philosophy and lessons kept him strong. For example one of his companions for a few episodes was a cold blooded bush whacker but Caine treated him with respect thus slowly changing him. His reactions were hard to predict because he wasn't cookie cutter hero. They redid the series w/ Carradine about 15 years later. I thought it was atrocious, turning him into a super man who always won. Very little tao or quality in it.

I don't have any use for this thread either. Yet startlingly I have use for this forum. I think its iffy at best to draw conclusions from biblical sources. Your going further then that with Lilith who in Judiasm is more of folk story character. You can say there's traces of her much deeper, but then you may be going for generic demoness figures and putting her name on them. I'm sure every religion has versions of male and female boogie men. I don't think the Lilith myth is an ideal point of reference for looking into the whole male/female yin/yang continuum. But hey, its your cup of mixed metaphor. I wouldn't even comment if you didn't jump to negativity so quickly.

Just like I've gone from rare monkey picked teas(slightly exaggerating) to Lipton and back, I've also been hitting the low road of coffee lately and loving it. I put a few ounces of milk into my glass, then boiling water. One heaping teaspoon of Trader Joe's instant coffee, topping it with whipped cream. Then sprinkle on a little more instant coffee, cinnamon, & nutmeg (freshly ground). Its quick, tasty, cheap. I'll probably cycle to something else in the future, but right now, I'm Keeping It Simple & Satisfying.

edited for negativity light good. turns off computer goes to walk in some

In the dynamic world its not always balance we need, its harmony. As the world tilts this way and that, being balanced (50/50) rolls you over. Harmony acknowledges the changing of the world and adapts. I think suffering and desire happen. Our role is to deal with it skillfully. Is the ideal man always calm and happy? I think a part of him is (us too, but its smaller and easily dwarfed). I don't think trivialities affect him much. But being human the big things do.

yup. I might also say maps and words are not the tao.

I've heard 'bone' soup could help. Its old school, loaded w/ nutrients. For example its a large natural dose of the gelatin like the chiropractor suggested. In winter I'll make long slow cooked with meaty bones in it. Here is a link: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cooking-with-bones/ Marks daily apple has quite a bit of good advice in it.

Yeah. I suppose if you're a religious Taoist its part and parcel of the religion to acknowledge and celebrate the immortals. I believe there's truth to the legends, if not they make for colorful archetypes. There seems to be a couple of categories of Immortals mentioned in the texts. Just keeping your souls and consciousness intact gives you a low rung on the immortality scale. Though not necessarily a happy one. Still thats the low lying fruit. Kan & Li practices, mastery of dream practices seem to be outlets for attaining it..maybe.

Spend more time inbetween to relax. If on top, sit back while staying connected(a strategic pillow can help). Allow some soft massage. Wet your thumbs and give a gentle clitoral massage. Take your time, but don't soften. Keep the minimal motion to stay hard. Learn to enjoy that middle connection time. Go back to thrusting at your leisure. You may last even longer if you switch positions to underneath for the second volley.