thelerner

That reminds me of a story: Once when I was doing a long series of chi gung routines in the park someone asked me why I did them. Instead of a long drawn out answer (health, meditative, etc) I said 'The birds like it'. While the answer was short and flippant (I was in the middle of a routine) there was an element of truth to it. Maybe its a matter of controlled perception but birds and squirrels would come out in greater number when I did chi gung. I don't know if its a testament to the art or the little critters watched long enough to deem me unthreatening. Being outside, moving slowly, its not just qi (whatever that is) that moves, but greater blood flow, muscles and tendons stretch, the nervous systems relax, the body moves away from society's fight or flight constancy. Michael

ARE YOU CRAZYY???!? LIFFE WIFOUT COFFEEE WOULD IT BE WORTH LIVIGNG?? Taking up smoking helps take the edge off caffeine withdrawal. Kidding kidding. Actually you may want to try Chai style teas. Celestial makes a nice Thai Coconut one. If you make it strong and add some milk its thick spicy and satisfying. Michael

Its a very good plan, but I can't help but think about leaping whales. At Sea World you can see killer whales jump 10 feet out of the water over poles. A trainer was asked how it was possible to train the giant beasts. He replied 'Well, you start with the pole on the bottom of the tank'. Similarly it seems easier to commit to waking up early and enjoying the sunset and breathing just on the weekends for 4 weeks. Instead of seizing every opportunity to do good for others just concentrate of 3 opportunities a day, maybe even 2 etc. my 2 cents

I asked this question to a cow once. It said "MU" Good enough for me.

I'd rather waste my time meditating then waste it watching TV. Luckily I can do both. Same with science, getting into this esoteric stuff doesn't mean I close my mind. Quite the opposite, the good stuff has logic and personal experience behind it. Delusional or totally sane is a hard call, to misquote a famous person 'Are we proud to be considered sane, in an insane world?'. Since its easy to throw delusional around, maybe its better to look at balance. Are we bums balanced?? Are we happy where we are? Are we ok? I think so; most of us, most of the time. Doing strange practices, with esoteric beliefs we still have balance, and that is what matters-to me. Michael

Really? Finally my chance to become a taoist immortal

darn it, missed another one, geez..

Chanting good. A chant can be an audio chi gung, when the vowels & vibrations are right and the meanings are sacred its a transcendental style of practice. Michael

You were always keeping it simple and real.

There's a rule in business, if at first you don't succeed, go over the person's head. You may be dealing w/ a librarian pissant who's had a bad day and is taking it out on you. If its possible go a level higher (there's always a higher authority), in person or on the phone. You know the book was water damaged, he is guessing, you have an excellent case. Start gentle w/ your love and respect for the library, and state your case to a higher authority. My 2 cents Michael

Read it and liked it. Very well done. Can't think of any criticism of it constructive or not Michael

Fighting back just leads to more drama and interconnection. IMO if no real damage has been done, tell her how you feel and if there is no sign she'll let up, leave the gym. my two bits Michael

What things should I keep foremost in my mind? Michael

My short list would be Trunk, Stigweard, Yoda, Mal .. They've all shown they can look at conflict without getting emotionally tangled in it. I think they're all basically lasez faire types who'd only step in when the going gets nasty. When it does it helps that they're a few of them to back each other up. I know some of the boards more 'colorful' members have given Sean a hard time and tested his tolerance beyond the limits.

I've always wanted to go. Just found out it was starting in 4 days. I assumed my wife would object to a sudden departure across country, but to my surprise she said go! So my ticket's waiting in Will Call, I'll start driving the 2000 miles there Sunday and see what the wild desert holds for me Who else has been to one? Any advice for a newbie? Michael

Thanks. I'm too old for the drug and too prudish orgiastic scene though in the past I've enjoyed the nude beachs. I don't know exactly what I'm looking for there. Burning Man is probably the opposite of peace, yet within extreme yan lies yin. I'm generally unprepared, some food, shelter (oh I hate camping) not much in the art department and thats bad. Its about art and the self creation of a one week utopia that you're willing to share with others. Art and sharing. I am no artist. No musician, though I can whistle Beethovens 5th. I was a Nidan in Aikido (as the years go by without practice its not true to say I am one), I could bring dowels and teach people some staff kata's as well as some simple non throwing movement exercises. I have tons of guided meditation but no way to broadcast them. I write..I could put on the bulletin board a story hour or half hour where I read some works. The big hardware stores have semi transparent boards, thin but sturdy, man size. I could buy a dozen of them and some large markers. I could have people stand pressed against them and do outline portraits of unkknown depths. That would be cool, neat to stand them up in the sand or give them away. Artistic for the nudies. Do some sunsets and desert scapes, maybe lock'em together w/ super glue. I have one day to look into it. I'm leaving Sunday. Michael

You guys have searching 20 minutes for an old book. Here it is Daniel Reid's "The Tao of Health sex & Longevity'. Alone w/ Mantak Chia, he is one of the authors that got many old timers interested in the Tao, and because he doesn't actively teach, he's much less controversial. Page 135 has his 7 day fst and colon cleansing Program. Its been a decade but I did this yearly for a couple years. I'll skip the colonics he recommends daily (personally only had 1) and go straight to his fasting method. One heaping tablespoon of Intestinal Cleanser -powder made from special grade of psyllium seed (I used metamucill) one table spoon of bentonite clay add 10 ounces of water - I used distilled a bit of fuit of vegtable juice for flavor. I squeezed in half an organic lemon. Drink it 5 x a day. I guess I'd been combining it w/ some sort of lemonade diet plan. After 3 or 4 days I'd add in a table spoon of maple syrup. I also remember using less bentonite, that stuff tastes real real real bad. The first days are the worst, by day 4 it would be a natural high. I wouldn't do the diet when its cold or hot out, or if I had any special commitments. You will feel weak and should probably have some sort of supervision while doing it. He says obese and chronically ill people shouldn't attempt the 7 day fast. He says you can try a less difficult path by just doing the drink once in the morning and once at night. That'll also get clean you out real good. Just a few days of it will have you pooping like a champion w/ toilet paper optional. Michael

I've found many of your earlier posts to be overly friendly, too optimistic, too damn happy and agreeable. I'm glad you're finally moving toward balance. Live long & Prosper

For me there is a cycle of read learn apply and forget. I probably need to spend more time on the apply side . I don't think you can skip the read/classes/learn part. There are people who've gone before (sensei's) who've mapped out good paths. We can learn much from them, in modern times there are synthesizers who take the best from many traditions, thats good too, but without discipline we go nowhere. And without some warning we can go over a cliff. Beyond the learning and discipline is the being/forgetting, which has secret ingredient X, I call surrender. Michael

I'd love to see a permanent thread with this tittle. Too often we get philosophical and theoretical. Instead of super powered immortals and high enlightenment its nice to see the little things people do that make a difference in there life. Michael

'But what if your attacked by a woman?' you'd be powerless I bought the target focused training a few years ago. Its good, like the name says, focus on a target-like the neck, don't think about anything else, don't worry about getting hit, get the target, then focus on the likely reaction/vulnerability caused by the hit and only that. Its interesting. Its certainly the opposite of technique oriented. Which I consider a strength. Michael

I don't know about that. They tend to hop away once things start heating up.

I understand why you say this, but often we get some deep views from posts that on the face of it aren't particularly taoist. It helps if the following posts put answers in a taoist or philosophical light. Its Our responsibility to make 'it' a philosophical question. -Implying someone is a troll for asking is opening the door for trolldom The post on abortion did have answers that had a much food for thought, instead of being dogmatic they framed things in a universal light, others put in moving personal experience. Abortion is an issue that polarizing by its nature yet it provoked serious but sensitive discussion here. The 'Why should people pay for this' has issues beyond the link that inspired it. Many practices have various pay to play rules, including many Eastern ones. Why do people use them? Is it possible to buy divine intervention? For me the easy answer is no. But how do we react when people do and it works?? Michael

Thats pretty bad. Certainly not main stream and hopefully frowned on by most Kabbalists. There's always those taking things to the illogical extreme. I notice he had a section on fighting off bad magic and voodoo. Thats a top money maker for a whole spectrum of charlatans. Yet the bigger question is- what if it works? Through the placebo effect or some personal or spiritual power of the person? When Mak Ti Sin(a taoist master) was active on this board we were faced with this. I still wouldn't touch it. If you think prayer works, pray yourself. If you admire someones spiritual power find a way to work with them, not hire them to do things for you. It cheapens the practice and person making the offer. Michael

Well if you look at it that way, then 2012 is a good thing! It gives us 2 1/2 years to live it up. Those things can happen next week, they were probably more likely to happen last year. Economics is rightly called the Dismal science. Three economists will generally point in 4 directions. I think the government is more freaked out about the hysterical reaction to their health care plan. If you were to get freaked out about Pakistan you'd have been in a constant freak for the past 3+ years. For better or worse when craziness becomes the norm its taken in stride, madness and all. Which brings me to my next point: Our modern economic structure has always been based on illusion. Money is worth whatever we agree it is, stocks just paper and ink; monopoly game money is at least limited and countable, but most S&P companies have 10's of billions of shares outstanding giving people fake ownership measured in the billionth . Strangely it works. There's even an efficiency to it that creates prosperity. There are expansions and crashes always will be. I find what looks like change is really just the Pendulum of Fashions swinging back and forth. Michael