thelerner

I don't know. I do know if spend weeks, months, years looking for the highest you'll get nowhere..or by the time you find it you'll learn the 'real' secret is total dedicated practice since childhood . I recommend finding something that's just 'good', solid, with a track record, something you resonate with. It could be simple sitting, like zen or vispassana. Energy work systems active or inactive, good yoga, tai chi etc. We have several teachers who are active on the Bums. Santiago runs KAP which is an energy system, its very good w/ live skype classes, its a non tradition but well researched combination of Taoist, Shamanic traditions (+ a few more). I can also vouch for Ya Mu's Stillness Meditation. I took a seminar, he's an excellent teacher, from a solid tradition. His system uses sitting meditations and chi gung forms. Its a healing art as well. What are you looking for? Opening the heart..inner peace?? Strange powers??

The old Lone wolf and cub manga had surprisingly deep insights into this. Particularly the last couple issues. Such mirroring had better be backed with decades of training or it's a mirror ready to be shattered.

I can't help but think all the publicity and hype are bad, very bad. The kid should be left in alone in peace. Not stared at, photographed or worshiped. If at some point he want to teach or preach, fine. Adoration can be an insidious poison to the soul.

Good stuff. I read a lot of financial books. I don't like Kiyosaki. Its not that all his ideas are bad, its that some are devastatingly bad, ie disdain for steady work and slow growing assets, and recommendations for over leveraging.

I've always kinda liked it since long practice periods from my Shotokan Karate days. Not too much structural details, just Lower, Lower & Your only as strong as your Horse. Since then I'll tuck my tail bone when I do it. I walk like a duck so I my feet are a bit angled.

It does sound familiar. Seems like you're handling the cycle correctly. Going with the flow. I'd expect it to even out..a return to normal, hopefully a slightly higher one. Keep up with the walks. my 2 cents.

Inspiring Thread. Real and powerful

Michael Winn has a simple chi gung form on his Fundamental II video. The second (or is it 3rd) movement is called Sun and Moon. The hands go to the right shoulder, you look there. They flow down, to the center, up to the left shoulder, look there.. repeat. You do this very simple slow movement while feeling chi move up the right side, neutral then up and down, almost through the ground, then left side etc. When I do it, it naturally becomes 'nostril' breathing, like the yogic practice except I don't have to press on a nostril side. Doing the right side, only that side breaths, the whole side, especially the sinus cavities feels energized. Simple motions, but big payoff. There may be a youtube of it somewhere. Its a great chi gung form. Minke De Vos of Silent Grounds has a Full Body meditation on her Tao Basic CD. There is a point in it where you fill the fore brain w/ light, then spend some time spreading light on the right side of the brain, 'cleaning out the cobwebs', then the left, then you use the connect them. Then you clean out the back, and wash it down the vertebra, one by one. She actually calls out the Chinese names of vertebrae groupings as you swirl energy downward. Thats a small piece of it. She hits the 5 major centers in similar way, calling out there 'taoist' natures. Again, an excellent peace that works on the hemispheres. I've tried Hemi Sync, it brings relaxation, but in my opinion doesn't go as deep as the other practices.

Its 4:48 in my part of the world. I'll be waiting in Chat for a bit. I encourage others to answer this post then head over. Michael

I was just reading the May issue of Discover magazine. The main article says genetically we're 3% Neanderthal and up to 5% Denisovan (another humanlike species). Its an interesting read, some of the latest findings on human evolution theory. It has an article on new 'earths' being found; a few seem promising, many challenge our present theories of how planets should orbit. I tend to doubt a 38,000 year old skull w/ a bullet hole. It seems to go against Occam's Razor. Still genius's are born in every generation, undoubtedly there were advanced (but small) civilizations that rose and perished unknown to history. Probably not as advanced as some speculate, but you never know. Long term survival often doesn't favor the best, but the most flexible. Being lucky helps too. Michael

I like Dainin's answer. Still, with any kind of extreme retreat you have to have a solid connection and motivation. Two or three days can be faked, but 10 days is a long time for something you don't have an affinity for. It might be better to follow the old saying- If you trulylove someone let them go If they come back (without a venereal disease) then its meant to be.

Dittoes...

Because it happens so often, I'd like to see a separate post where we can dump threads that dissolve into Buddhist rants. This happens too often. Nothing to do with the subject, just the same characters arguing over esoteric points of Buddhism. There should a point where these discussions circles on there tail enough and are thrown into a separate place where the characters can continually rehash the same semantic arguments over and over or just link to there discussion of last week or last month. I'm not saying a discussions on Buddhism belong there, just these devolved discussions of tit for tat that stray far the root. We have people who are hungry to argue with each other, often. Give'em a separate space to do just that. my 2 cents. Michael

You've been and probably are at a higher level then most of us here; certainly myself, so its hard to give advice. Still, that hasn't stopped me in the past, so why should it now? Ummn, all I could say is, when you get integrated, and it will happen, even if you do nothing, its just a matter of time until you find your middle ground. When you do, you'll have the best of both worlds. Michael

Great post. The reason I wrote the post wasn't so much a call for moderators to do anything, rather to let people know they are causing another 'Here we go again' moment as they rehash long arguments that break down along the same lines. They begin to seem more like personal attacks then philosophical discussions.

I'd also add, beware of taking little pieces of a religion to heart without a wider understanding of it. If we take things hodge podge we often miss the subtleties, conditions and nuances that come with them. Buddhism has many life affirming qualities and philosophies within it, that can lead to happiness and fulfillment. If told a Buddhist leader about it you're concerns you'd probably get a more balanced view then the heavy dogma that hit you. The same goes for any religion, focus on only one point and you overlook 95% of the main teachings. Professor Erasmus who teaches Buddhism talks about this split between nihilism and happiness in his book "The Gods Drink Whiskey". A great read, travel adventure and philosophy. One thing I like about it is he never has 'Buddha says ..' without giving the sutra it comes from.

Very cool video. I wonder if they'd be even more successful if they kept to the shallows? Perhaps part of their initial success isn't that they're touching the bottom, but that in shallower water there is a compression effect, where deeper water 'just gives'?? Give those guys some well designed mini fins and they'd probably make it quite a distance.

I bid 30 Ba-jillion dollars!!! And that is to keep the formula secret! I don't want it to get out and bother the poor little blood suckers.

I like the guided meditations at Wudang.com done by Master Chen. He has very good Morning/Night CD. He also has one on healing emotional pain. I've used it and its good. For some things only taking real action helps, even if its writing a venomous letter and not sending it. Here is a link to site: http://www.wudangtao.com/content/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=6&Itemid=57&vmcchk=1&Itemid=57 Reading from the Masters Blog there is also relaxing. Reading Eckhardt Tolle often calms me down. There is a free mp3 of an Eckhardt reading done with biaurals in the background that nice to listen when upset. You can probably google for it. Its also on one of the Zencast podcasts (free) through Itunes. Being in the Now is very relaxing, still ultimately Now becomes Later and things have to be dealt with .

This is simple. At a Ya Mu seminar he had us holding our hands against our lower belly when we sat in meditation. I sit in half lotus so it meant moving my hands a few inches from where they'd rest on my lap/knee to against my dantien. I've grown to like it. It gives me a better feeling for my center. My hand position has changed over time. In my early years I'd keep a formal Zen hand position. I've dropped that (mostly) for a relaxed, more natural hands gently crossed on my 'lap'. Now I keep them relaxed and against my dan tien.

Seems like we're 'emptying the barrel' on this dubious question. So I'll add: Quickest Way: Give up on the concept of Enlightenment and practice extreme kindness to others and onesself.

nice youtube. Good vibration and use of timed silence. As someone who collects meditative pieces, kotodama (sacred sounds) and guided meditations, I think they are a tool that can relax or focus the mind, which is valuable, but ultimately they're a crutch that has to be dropped.

My 2nd fear for BoL is that he'd have the chance to apprentice himself to a high master in Tibet, find out, (to his horror) the guy couldn't fly, or teleport, and walk away from the chance to study with a real master and head out to a remote mountain where he'll die quickly from the elements. Michael

Let me be contrarian. The problem with being peaceful and loving is in the back of your mind you feel wronged and it'll haunt you. No matter what you (one aspect anyway) want, the memory is like a cut that'll leave scar tissue. Sometimes its better to state your truth unemotionally and simply to the person who wronged you, let them have there say, then walk away. It may be ugly but it brings things to the surface and then when you strive for peace and love its being truer to yourself. my 2 cents Michael