thelerner

Admitting we live in a TOUGH World doesn't give us carte blanche to add to suffering indiscriminately. Neither does our place in the food chain. Whether eating or eaten I can make decisions that add to the suffering of another or not. I.E, there are some foods where the animal is given a particularly nasty life and painful death. I can ignore it and eat or not contribute to it. I have that power. Making a moral code creates situations where there will be hypocrisy, but without one its too easy to take the path of convenience and forget about others. Sometimes it as simple as- if I don't have to kill something, I won't. I find that simple & people who bring up the 'save the microbes, & plants have feelings' argument 1> don't believe it themselves, 2>it was debunked a decade ago. I'm not saying people should be vegans. Hell, I'm not. I'm saying to live consciously, you need conscious rules, at least until your pretty far along the Way. Otherwise its an unexamined life. Michael

I can't help but feel lines have to be drawn. We need to consider some form of morality/ethics when it comes to our meals. Its going to be different for everyone, but to give it no thought, to have no rules, killing anything, any way is fine -seems to me to be unthinking/crude. I'm not a vegetarian, but I think the most evolved people follow a simple 'do no unnecessary harm' philosophy Don't go out of your way to spread pain and I think we/I cause a lot of pain, behind the curtain, by our diets. Michael

Thank you SF, another great post thats informative and personal. I think if 'powers' come, fine. If powers don't fine, but to grasp for them is to move away from the path. Michael

When I think of foamy primordial souplike tea, I think of Matcha, the powdered green tea used in the Japanese tea ceremony. Its expensive, a little bitter, more akin to a green drink then what I regard as tea. I collect Yangtze tea pots. I was using them to make tea 'authentically', but I was making 16 ounces at a time to fill the pots, using two teaspoon. I knew I could reuse the tea 2 or 3 times, but didn't feel like having 32 or more ounces a day. Now I just use a tea strainer and make my teas one glass at a time, and reuse the same strained leaves throughout the day. Michael

I'll do some circular chest thumping ala Kaishan Golden Bell. Do abbreviated Kap secret smile in the wash room. When I walk and the suns out, I'll 'swallow' it from my 3rd eye to my dan tien. I'll try to quiet my thoughts throughout the day. Meditate a bit at night w/ just sitting. Some chi gung forms or guided meditations but I switch up on them often. Michael

Yes, yes, I see it now. I've taken classes w/ chia and Winn, I must be brain washed. Those who gain fame or reputation must be stopped, perhaps if you teach more then say 4 people at a time you break the Findley rule. Likewise any payment greater then a cup of coffee also breaks Findley's rule. Do you have a list of Findley approved teachers????? We need your incredible wisdom. Lead us Findley Lead us Findley are you contributing to cult-like behavior by being here?????? Are you secretly after the cultees. Face it, there are many systems of cultivation out there. Just cause you don't like them doesn't make them a cult, rather it makes you a person who greatly exaggerates. my 2 cents Michael 3 cents I get overly critical as it gets late. I apologize for my negative tone. Findley is right to say look closely at what you're going to study, dismiss the wild claims, beware of turning men into gods or gurus.

Adventures of T & B, pt 1. Once there was Taoist monk named T and Buddhist priest called B. One evening they walk into a little bar perched on the head of a pin. As they enter the bartender asks 'How many of you are there?' The Taoist considers and says 5, the Buddhist says 'None'

Good idea, I'll probably do a 5 or 6 day fast once it warms up. In the past I've used Daniel Reid's(Tao of Health, Sex & Longevity) method of drinking distilled water w/ fresh lemon juice, psyllium seed and bentonite, you can also add in a little maple syrup. Michael

Thanks Mal, I joined the tea newsletter you recommended and they're taking preorders for the first spring teas. I've gone through my 3 ounces of Pi Lo Chun green tea, which was good, earthy, short soaking time. I bought it at Teavana, it cost a bit more then I usually spend. The last few days I'm drinking some inexpensive Japanese Genmai Cha, green tea w/ toasted brown rice(HIME brand). About $3.75 bought a large bag of it. The toasted rice makes it sweet and filling. Perfect for chilly mornings. Michael

I took fusion with him a long time ago and really enjoyed it. The course has probably changed over the years. There were many techniques thrown at you during the course so I find its best to concentrate on a few rather then chase them all. Winn is a very open knowledgeable teacher, take advantage of that, don't be afraid to ask questions. Often the other students are very experienced themselves so try to get in some late night bull sessions. If Minke DeVos CD's are offered at the shop get them. They're a great value, her Tao Basics is extremely well done and she has Fusion I and II recreated as guided meditations, well worth the $25 or so. Yours Michael

I've always thought-at first meditation is hard, so do with the least amount of distractions ie sitting. As we become better we keep the meditation with us throughout our activities. IMO standing meditation (Zhan Zang) works more on the body. Strengthening it, giving more energy. my 2 bits Michael

Thank you Eric.

Nice well thought out perspective DiscipleofScience. Michael

It does. More like the 'half eye' style I've seen in some Japanese meditation traditions, though with them the relaxed stare was a few feet ahead and down. Thanks

An interesting part in '100 days' was the time spent staring at the tip of your nose. I've seen it mentioned in one or two other places (Glenn Morris discussed cross eyed portraits as representing enlightenment). But at one point when it was discussed here a Chinese practitioner said it was a wrong, a misreading of the Classics. I'd be interested to know the definitive truth on cross eyed nose gazing. A real practice or Western misunderstanding or maybe both . Thanks Michael

Hurry Mal, Hurry...stop Erdweir before he posts again. He can't help himself. He's an admitted postaholic. Give us a break (by not answering this ) quit the drama and don't look, don't post, just... like... that... simple...

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Push ups start as a strength exercise and when done faithfully become an endurance one. There is probably no upper body exercise that can be done as conveniently that hits so much of the muscular system. Gymnasts love them and that says a lot. I think it develops 'usable' muscular strength better then weights, particularly if you take convenience into the picture. Michael

For years most of my meditation was going into a quiet trance state, sometimes through counting breaths or some other method. For the past year or two I've been 'fighting' the trace state, staying in normal consciousness with a quieted mind. Sitting w/ an everyday mind, which is often harder and much more boring. I think it is worth while though. Honing my consciousness..because this is the state I use everyday, not the relaxed somnambulism of past meditations. In both cases my thoughts are lessened. Michael

Jonah, thank you, for the great post. That's exactly the kind of knowledgeable insight I was looking for. Michael

We have our moments

This is my fear for my son who went vegetarian at 9 1/2. He's a great kid, but its been 2 years and judging by his diet he's not getting the healthy fats and sadly vegetables (other then lots of carrots & apples) that he should. We lay out lots of choices for him, but he's pretty stubborn. I'm hoping time and modeling good behavior will help. One of Daniel Reid's book has a case of a man in his early 20's who was dysfunction and depressed. Once his diet was cleaned up the change was night and day. Sometimes its amazing what a change in diet can do. Michael P.S. I was a teenage nerd, phew I said it. Nerdy and gawky in my 20's too. A nice guy and had friends who were the same. We had the same problems as Non, (though not so extreme) and we came through. Things change, they change faster if you have a goal and take actions that move you in there direction. We have bad days, sometimes bad decades, but things get better, we become more comfortable in our skins.

, or yes, but it will take 50 years to perfect Still, I like a technique where you begin meditation w/ a series of negations. My version is like this: I am not my body I am that which inhabits it I am not my thoughts they come and go like clouds in a clear sky I am not my emotions I honor them and let them flow like ripples on a pond I am not my past it is old patterns I can choose to let go of I am not my future that is projections and fears I am not my family I am not my possessions I am breath and awareness . . . . until I lose my breath..and awareness.. and I

my 2 cents. Not only is there no original sin, there was no Adam or Eve, IMHO. They are at best sacred stories, at worst another cultures mythology. I talked to an orthodox rabbi who surprisingly said it (bible before Abraham) could be taken as parable (or not). That being said, like Dreamingawake, I'd also eat the fruit. Lolling around a garden is nice(particularly if you're a plant), but the challenges of a real world, with all its drama seems to me, much much better. Heaven can wait.. Michael