thelerner

I suspect growing tea is hard. I've wanted to get into growing exotic mushrooms though. I think you just buy an impregnated 'log' and keep it moist and in the dark for harvests of fresh shrooms. Michael

I've been growing tomato plants all summer and using there fruit to make wonderful gaspacho. Fresh healthy gaspacho, pitcher after pitcher full, glass after daily glass. I can't stand the look or smell of it anymore. I still find guacamole deeply satisfying, until I start growing avocado trees that is. Michael

I haven't learned any secrets of the universe from this topic, but its reinforced my admiration for Lin's breadth of knowledge and state of cultivation. Michael

Is he telling the truth? No. Some men on Crete are liars. Michael I've been to Crete, fun island.

One of my guilty pleasures is anime. Naruto often has a nice eastern jive to it. The Avatar is even better. For Manga its hard to top the old black and white series, Lone Wolf and Cub. It was made into a movie too, quite a long time ago. I think they've finished shooting the graphic novel 'Watchmen'. It was an amazing book. Michael

Being able to drop things is an important part of maturity and sanity. The problem is letting go of a bad memory instead of letting it chase its own tail and burrowing deeply. One yogic exercise (very NLP) for letting go is remembering the conversation and all the ire it produced, then consciously stop thinking of it. Repeat it several times, until it starts loosing its emotional edge. After it loses its emotional power you may consider running it through your head with both sides talking in cartoon voices. This seriously helps put conflict into its true perspective. Michael

Its hard to argue against the philosophy of 'Before Enlightenment carry wood and water, After enlightenment Carry wood and water. To quiet the mind and go deeper into the moment is indeed one of the greatest challenges. But there are others. There are esoterisms to be considered and explored. I've got to credit Ron Jeremy for this saying that struck me, 'How will your practice help you once you're dead?' One one hand who knows what happens when you die. On the other, there are practices, dream control, phowa, astral travel etc. that give tantalizing clues and skills. To chase after those 'powers' early is probably a waste. Without a long strong developed practice you're climbing the limb of an undeveloped tree. But I think after the Dao of the tic toc world there are others to explore. Maybe after this Dao, That Dao. maybe. Michael

I like the essay. I thought Lao-zi (Lao tsu right) the 'old man' is widely considered semi mythological and that his writings, which simply and deeply lay out the basis of much Taoist philosophy are an evolved collection. Michael

I used to collect wooden swords (bokken). For a good staff look for a hickory dowel. Hickory has a wonder combination of strength and flexibility that, in my mind, makes it way superior to most woods, exotic and otherwise. If you want superior quality and don't mind paying for it here is Bu Jin Design. I have a bokken and Jo (short staff) from them. Nice stuff. http://www.bujindesign.com/index.php?cPath=32_80 Michael

Sometimes I self wish hoping to improve myself Sometimes I'm selfish wanting to get things Sometimes I'm Self less things don't matter.

I've heard very good things about plain old highly diluted hydrogen peroxide as a superior antibiotic. I bought a capsule maker and tumeric. For pennies a pill I'm taking it w/ ginger tablets a supposedly superior antioxidant w/ adaptogen. Things that taste good and have superior antimicrobial properties. Honey alone or w/ royal jelly(and another bee ingredient I forget is wonderful, especially for sore throats. Wine has many healthful aspects, so does yogurt. A little apple cider vinegar in water can be flavorful. Michael

edited I'm being way to negative. When someone states their beliefs you can agree or not. Making fun of them, trying to be 'clever', etc. is in poor taste. Michael

There's a time to learn, listen and discuss. Very important. Just as important is sabatical. No learning, no distractions or discussions. Live in the belly and let your feet point the way. Yet I also think until your feet are firmly set on the path of tao, discipline is needed. Michael

One very practical lesson I learned in Aikido was resist doing 'the one last thing'. Whether you won or lost a fight, don't gloat, don't moralize, don't make one last comment, leave and walk away. In so many cases of people being suspended here, its they say they understand, they get it, then make one last stupid over the top post. Michael

Whether randomness or fate, in the end it doesn't matter. What does is how you take advantage of what life puts on your plate. In this case you should have gotten a phone number . Michael

Child, martyr, saint. Sinner, sailor, can of paint just todays colors

Its not about keeping your eyes open, its about where you look. In my life things have been much worse then they are now. In my youth huge tracts of forrests were destroyed by acid rain. Great Lakes like Lake Erie were so polluted they caught fire. There were wars where 10's of thousands died each day. Famines that killed millions, periods where nuclear war was considered probable and the nuclear powers were in an active though cold war. Fascism, do you know what it was like in the 1930's. If you think its worse now then it was then, we live in different worlds with different history books and our elders have consistantly lied to one of us. You do understand in those times you'd be rounded up and killed for stating any subversive thoughts about the goverment. Its been a hell'uva lot worse then it is now. If you don't realize that, you don't know your history. There have always been people preaching the end of the world. If thats what you believe, fine. I'm just saying don't burn your bridges. Prepare, but don't do anything that so drastic you'ill be hurt if the world doesn't collapse. I'm bowing out of this conversation. But out of curiosity. How long do we have left? Just so I can write HA HA, later. Or perhaps meet you in the smoldering ruins of civilization and, when you say, you were right, I can ask for a hard copy of this conversation. Michael

If you buy in to an end of the world movement, be careful. The leaders tend to become increasingly fundamentalist because they're dealing in absolutes. The guy in charge goes from leader to messiah. There's a clinging to every bad thing happening, a subtle bit of cheering because it compliments their dark world view. To those with an end of the world view, give consideration to the possiblity you may be wrong (at least in your lifetime) and don't burn bridges with people or financially cause humankind is remarkably resilient. So far end of the world cults -4,365 (this century) World keeps rolling on for better or worse +1 Michael

Here it is at the healingtaousa articles site. Healing Tao becomes Breatharian http://www.healingtaousa.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl One catch, you have to be a member to access it. But membership is free and worthwhile, there are many good articles there. Michael

The healing tao usa had a good article on going breatharian. I think if you're pretty advanced and it comes naturally its a wonderful and powerful practice if it comes naturally. At its best its not asceticism. When you're hungry you eat, its just you don't need to. In the book Masters of the Way, a woman interviewed spoke about often not eating for days. Not out of trying to be breatharian, but because she was following her own nature. Michael

Life's complexity apparent to the novice the master sees none

Stigweard wasn't trying to be funny, you're asking the wrong question. On the practical side a very good, very traditional teacher who posts here is Lin. Look through his posts and send him a PM private message. Michael P.S. Letting him know you are the Genuine Article and that you want to learn Everything about Buddhism and Taoism is probably not the best way to approach a teacher of either tradition.

Rawn Clark criticized Robert Bruce's system for being too fast. His way using Franz Bardon's Hermetic system took years of training much of it in understanding and controling your shadow self. Michael

One does the best one can. Keeps an eye on the future and one on his community. There's usually a place to go, a solution that can be found. Working with others you can multiply your strengths many fold. Course sometimes when the shit hits the fan, you pull out the barbie and the beer and say what the hell. Partay Michael

IMHO The commonest form of insanity is seeing the physical world and believing that is all there is. I also think that believing what you see around you doesn't truly exist is also missing the mark. and the fastest path to unhappiness is wanting others to believe the same that you do. Michael Now if you can all agree with that I can be happy.