thelerner

Anger and love of The Drama. Michael

My advice would be forget Best. Find a practice that is good and resonates with you. Marry it, do it faithfully for a year or two. From that vantage point see where your next step lies. From what I've seen here over the years, the sincerity of the practitioner-how they incorporate the system into there whole life- has more to do with results then the particular practice. Yours Michael I'm old and blind enough to say Forget the 'more money equal more tao' thinking. Ultimately we must throw away the books, videos, seminars and other's opinions and just practice, practice, practice. When you get off your computer and commit. You're on your path. Don't know if it will be THE PATH, but even if its just sitting quietly you'll be moving along

Good luck to you. A sincere heart moves mountains. Five hours a day is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there Michael

You're right to be cautious. It is indeed strange stuff. Not to be entered lightly. But if you're well grounded, have the time, chance and inclination; it might not be a bad game to play. As long as you remember its play and not take it to seriously, even when entering its extremes. Michael

Thats what I figured. M

True, but I keep the lights on. I look forward to hitting the dessert at night. Darkness, quietness. Living in the city all my life makes those things rare experiences. I have Glenn Morris's Meditative Mastery Series. Its on cassette (6 I think), which is too bad. Most of it follows his first book. The production quality is so so, but if you're a fan of the book you'd love it. I think it was redone and is out on CD's at the old Hoshin site. There are a number of guided meditations on it. Things like The Cave where you create your own free form world, others based on elemental archetypes. They're open ended to give you space to create and explore within them. Most important is his Secret Smile meditation. Its the same as the book but he reads you through it. Instead of being organ based like Chia's system, it fills the microcosmic orbit up w/ positive emotions, ending w/ sexual charged energy. It really does bring a smile to the face. You're supposed to end it by staying seated in the void (thoughtless), for as long as you can. It also has a couple of breathing exercises, more on dreams, a little on healing and energy transfer, a lecture on the benefits of the sun salutation. As I've moved to digital I haven't kept up w/ it. This winter, I'll reread his books, and digitize the series for my Ipod. Michel

I really enjoyed Morris's work. The West lost one of its most knowledgeable, friendly esoteric pioneers when he died. I have his first 2 books and tape series. I'm just taking steps into increasing quietness and peace. The void can wait a while. Not that I want to avoid it. I hear its a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there Michael

Dittos, I've appreciated your insight and comments. Michael

Couldn't think of a koan so I googled one: Zen master Ummon asked: `The world is such a wide world, why do you answer a bell and don ceremonial robes?'

I wrote a bad koan, an embarassingly bad one 'Why was the Buddha fat?' I think I get a good answer to it though. The answer I get is 'Why does the conditioned mind have the need to attack so much?' Because the original question points to the hostility of the one who asks. My initial answer and Wayfarers to the hanging man koan, wreak of attack. I'd try to kill the asker, he'd try to piss on him! A koan's purpose is to point you toward enlightenment, not anger, cuteness or cleverness. You're screwed and about to die. The asker isn't you and they're not making a flippant remark like 'have a nice trip'. They're a master trying to give you a last chance to settle your mind and see truth. Michael

Grab the stick, bang it twice and answer "This is a short staff". Words are not reality, you can't hold words, but you can hold and bang a short staff. Why is the Buddha fat?

He's a da man, he's the magician man. First rule of Magic; One mans magic is another mans engineering. Thats not to say he's not brilliant and mutlifaceted, but he playing a different game then the top chigung masters. An illusionist has a wide variety of tricks and tools use. He's supposed to fool us, that what we pay magicians for. He's even willing to show us the tricks. Did you see the Houdini style escape from a prison cell. Without him showing how it was done, you'd could be obliged to think he charmed a lock or teleported through a door. Magicians spend 10's of hours, sometimes hundreds of hours on single tricks. But remember-Magic Rule #2 is Remember a trick is a trick Michael

I look forward to the Phoenix seminar. This site is great for the exchange of ideas, but lets face it. 80% of communication is lost through its no nuance, slow mo, untonal method. Often a 5 minute conversation can work out a months worth of contentious posts. Chris, no matter what the rough spots, you've succeeded in turning many of us on to Kunlun, or at least make us curious to give it a chance. This is a good place for you for other reasons. You have people here with wide experience from all sorts of practices and walks of life. The feedback you get (great,good,bad&ugly) would eventually hit you any way. So you're getting a concentrated dose of what you'll have to handle in the future. See you in Phoenix. Some of us will be hanging out at a pool place across the street from the books store after Max's Friday lecture, it would great if you could join us. Michael

No problem Turbo. I've got a van and I'll be heading back there. Thanks for the suggestion Cam. Michael

I did the same or a very similar Golden Shield QiGong style a few years ago. I enjoyed it. Very yang, a short visualization, rubbing herbal tincture on belly, hitting the belly in a a circular pattern then more tincture rubbing. As time went on you'd go from open hand to fist, hitting increasingly harder as time went on. Breathing out w/ hits ofcourse. The next step was an herbal cured wooden brick to hit your belly with. The advance students hit each other w/ pretty large sticks. I liked it. Relatively simple. Not as masochistic as it sounds. Awakening and toughing the inner organs. Like Kunlun, serious students were expected to do 100 days of celibacy and get a transmission from the 'top man'. I was only in it for a few months so I didnt' do either. I think the group is still around the Chicago area. It didn't meet every week which I didn't particularly like. I did get a great guided meditation from them, a Longevity Meditation that is great. I still do a quickie they taught of tapping from the breast bone out along the floating ribs. Michael

The Max is going to be at Vision Quest bookstore in Scottsdale on Friday the 16th from 7 to 9 pm. I suppose we'll all be there. Lets think about a coffee(?) hook up afterwards. I'll be staying Friday at the Courtyard Mesa if anyone wants to car pool there. Michael

As long as we're playing pattie caking on this post. Why not go to Live Chat. I'll head there now. Michael

Cam, it took 3 minutes for you to reply. I should have said fast posting Get together Friday night? Michael

I'm leaving in a WEEK! Flying to PHx on the 14th, then heading to Sedona for 2 days. Lets get a head count. Why don't we set up a Live Chat w/ attendees within the next couple days, say 10:00 Central Time either Thurs, Fri or Sat. Cam I know you're on a posting fast, but your input and coordination would be great. Michael

(Seems to me Buddha nature gets it either way ) M Someone deeper then I should probably field it.

Anne Wise is a second generation researcher on high level masters and there brain waves. Yogic, Taoist, Christian Healers, she's measured them all and found correllations that are teachable. Name multiple brain waves frequencies going on at the same time instead of just one. Its not exactly a Qigong meter but it gets close. Google her. Her series of guided meditations are very good. A kindergarden version of what she does would be like that biofeedback game Journey to the Wild Divine (WildDivine.com). You hook a simple biofeedback meter to your finger and use your relaxation levels to move through the game. I played it and found it pretty easy. They have a new one out. Michael

An enlightened layman lets go and shouts 'FREEDOM' An enlightened monk lets go and says freedom quietly

My Ipod acts like a small tape recorder. I would like to record my private session w/ Max. With his permission I'd record the whole PHX seminar. For my own record and reference. Michael

The guy under the tree is still an idiot - me or not. When someones life is in danger, don't talk philosphy, get a ladder, rope or mattress. Above all Zen is practical. My answer was in jest and I would like to see a proper answer for it. Still much truth is said jest. "What happens when you realize that the "idiot below asking the question" is you?" Dog, Is this the next Koan? Michael

*Note* Not the official answer. Someone wiser and more serious should answer this. Koan: "A man hangs in a tree by his teeth over a precipice. His hands grasp no branch, his feet rest on no limb, and under the tree another person asks him: `Why did Bodhidharma come from the west?' If the man in the tree does not answer, he fails; and if he does answer, he falls and loses his life. Now what shall he do?" But if I were to answer- I'd shout 'Don't Move' and aim to land on the idiot below asking the question. When push comes to shove I'm more practical then spiritual Michael