thelerner

Aren't New Yorkers paying about 42% in income taxes plus hefty taxation on everything bought? & getting no universal health care. Michael

If you're still thinking of the paint on your floor. Maybe instead of getting it off you could put down a base coat, and paint again ? Michael

The annual meteor shower may be visible tonite. Watch the eastern skies. 40 years ago it particularly lit up the skies with 1000's of streaks a minute, as well as fire balls galore. Michael

Good. Religious. Peaceful. Subjugated. How often do deeply religious peaceable countries/areas lose everything to less peaceful neighbors? I'm particularly thinking of Tibet and Burma. Were the Buddha's (2 generations later) family slaughtered?(which Buddha?don't know). Is the existence of pacifistic people (quakers, Amish, etc.) only assured by being within the boarders of fighters who tolerate them? Sadly, I guess so. Gandhi's success owes as much to the British conscious as his own iron will. Nazi's would of had him for lunch. Same with Martin Luthor King Jr. You need a pretty moral group to use an argument like 'Let he who is without sin, throw the first stone' Michael

I was closest to being a bum when I was backpacking through Israel and Europe. Nothing but time, and an open attitude, letting the roads and circumstances take me where they would. Bum is definately close to the Taoist ideal in my book. Michael

You young ones laugh now, but I'm telling you true. Don't mix taters and orgonite. Remember the taters got eyes. Michael

Good to have you here. You already saw a post we had on Bahai's. Its so important to have people who are involved, who know things beyond a few, possibly biased readings, give us their input. Yours Michael

Raises hand. I've got a Prius and I've replaced most of my bulbs with long life energy savers. I've also recycled millions of pounds of cardboard. For what its worth Michael

I'd be real careful with that orgonite stuff for gardening. I read on the internet about one fella who used it in his potatoe patch. Seems like the taters got a greenish tint to them. They also developed eyes. Then arms and legs. Honest. Pretty soon the vegetables were trying to take over the whole town. They planted a whole lot of people til an out of towner named Quayle come up with a plan to stop them evil taters. I'm not saying you absolutely should not use the orgonite on your vegetable patch. But if you do, keep a some sharp tools by the field and a few more by yur bed, just in case. Michael

Thats good advice Rex. To tell a sick person, everything you know is wrong. Here is a new strange way that is the Truth, study it now or else. Thats going to cause resistance and resentment. Real truths are found in all cultures and traditions. Sometimes they're a little hidden. But all traditions have there mystics who have developed practices to heal and clarify the soul. Rex suggestion she find it in her own religion is an excellent one. If you study it, it might be a trip you can take together. Your knowledge of the tao being a big help. But its her decisions and her trip, but you can be there showing love and patience.' Michael

She must have done an excellent job mothering to have raised such an exceptional daughter. Grin any way you want, Michael

Its an old phenomena. Glenn Morris writes about taking people through Greater Kundalini and having them react like.. everyone is a robot, they walk around so dull and unaware. That phenomena aside, there are fewer connects these days. We have to work to be connected. Damn look at what WE are doing right now. Connecting through a highly impersonal cold computer screen. I think its a serious problem, but not a conspiracy. From what I've heard some asian countries are experiencing it even worse. The solution is joining volunteering, trying new things. Michael

Got a certificate for a $25 visit. It included 2 xrays and follow up visit. As expected 'things' are wrong. I do suffer from some sciatic pain if I drive for long times. The charge is $50 a session. She wants 2 sessions a week for 4 weeks. I did one. More? I don't know. Michael

I am sceptically inclined. But some times its something that has to be fought against. Scepticism protects us, makes us use our minds, but it may also act as filter keeping us from seeing a bit of magic in the world. Michael

Thanks for the advice. I did have it particularly bad in college. Even to the point of seeing a surgeon, who ofcourse recommended surgery (I didn't). Ultimately I found strength and flexibility are the only long term cures. Being about 30 pounds heavier then I was in college is probably stressing a number of systems. I slouch my lower back. I keep it straight when I remember, but that is one of the things that causes eventual long term problems. I'll try a week or two at the chiropractor, look into some of the books mentioned. Its not a bad problem, but I feel I'm at my 100,000 mile check up and should see about the dents and grinds in my system. Michael

Hit the library. There is the classic Squaire Foot Gardening. Which is an interesting somewhat anal retentive approach. There is the "20 Minute Gardener" which I like very much. Both books are for smaller gardens. The 20 minute gardener book has a nice chapter on selecting the best most interesting varieties. Both have good suggestions for garden layout and maximizing soil. Michael Ofcouse I don't garden much. But I have my Sweet 100 tomatoes growing in some pots each year. Michael

Its not neccessarily that different then chia's or any other microcosmic orbit method. What is nice about it is the stress on emptiness meditation, non attachment and steady long progress. I think that for Easterners its a given that a person is accomplished at emptiness meditation before they get into energetic work. I think we need to be reminded of that. Michael For microcosmic work I like Minke's guided meditation routine from her Tao Basics CD. After 'feeling' the points, and moving a pearl up the orbit, it lets go of points and efforts and has the orbit run like a stream. I also like Winns' Fundamental II video chigung sequence.

I was going to put this in the non daoist topic, maybe in the Stay Away section. I wrote a story with some hallucinogetics in it. Also there's been some discussion here on it. So I've been doing some googling on them. I am very interested in them. But I've lead a very drug free life. In my 42 years I've only used illegal drug once. Matter of fact in college I wrote a paper on why marijuana should not be legalized. (I can see it being decriminalized, stupid to lock small users up). So there is a level of hypocracy. A level of not being true to myself. An argument that if I want my kids to stay away from this stuff I shouldn't use it. Whether we choose to recognize it or not, there can be a blood onus attached to many illegal drugs out there, ie corruption, Scarface kinds of stuff. Theres the matter of keeping a poison in a house with kids in it and the matter of the illegality of purchasing the stuff. Just as powerful is the fact that I might like it. I might really like it. It could give me the bliss and feeling of satori that I've read about and yearn for. That in itself is a trap. First it articial, second I'd recommend it to others and be linked karmically to what happens to them based on my recommendation. I've been steadily stealing candy from my kids halloween bags. What happens when the goodies become more powerful? But I am 42. A known danger is less of a danger. I am a responsible person, 89 1/2% of the time. I've found two good sites. I'm interested in the Amana mushroom. They also have some interesting dream tea's and some other, many other classes of illicits, none for human conception, all available for anthropological interests As in the Matrix, my decsion is already made. I have to figure out the why and how. Michael

Thank you Li Jiong. It is very gracious of you to share it with us. I know that much work and heart has gone into it. Michael Because there is so much meaning in each sentence, I wish it were broken down into smaller paragraphs with space between them.

First advice, beware free advice from strangers. Second advice, counting. Count your in and out breaths. Not during meditation, but through out the day, well start with say an hour or during breakfast. one through ten, then back. Count inhales and exhales separately. This is one of those simple but hard exercises that is ideal for focusing and controlling the mind. Michael

What ? You dissing the official drink of Fuji? Me and my Fujian buddies ought to... I heard it makes for vivid dreams. Its legal, cheap, thought I'd try it. Seriously, thanks for your input. Hopefully I'll have a different experience. I'm hoping it might be a nice gentle herbal nightcap every now and then. I was surprised to find out that you're not supposed to make it into a hot tea, and you're suppose to strain it before drinking. Michael

One of my regrets is not having any type of body work done while at Tao Mountain. The staff is filled with esoteric energy workers, it would have been an ideal opportunity either time. Michael

Thanks Craig (& others) for the solid advice. Especially from one with experience and a life situation closer to my own In my perusing I ordered some kava kava. I had bought some years ago and was disappointed, tasted awful, no discernable effects. It turns out (from one website) that heat destroys the properties. The site recommended putting an ounce or two into a blender w/ 8 ounces of water, blending 4 minutes, then straining it out. Or the old fashion tea bag, squeezing in and out til it feels less oily. In both cases you strain before drinking. In either case you use cool water then mix for better taste. Michael

Forget Geller (I like my spoons straight), we can learn soo much from the Magicians mentioned. People like Chris Angel, David Blaine, the Great Randi and dozen or so others are incredible examples of people who've trained in incredible stunts in mind body through hard long practice. The ability to come up with a near impossible stunt. Like Blaine holding his breath 6 to 8 minutes. While showing his training saying how easy 3 or 4 is. Chris Angel lifting up car, no tricks (that I could see) just cold training mind and body. It goes back to Houdini and ofcourse way further then that. The ability to work extremely hard at a stunt, accomplish it and move on. So much of our practices are for long term steady progress. They take on a near impossible task, strategize, obsess and get it done. I wonder how much we could accomplish with such incredible focus. My hats are off to these people. I have David Blaine's book. I'd love to see a comparison on the magic greats done as how to guide for how they train for there extreme feats. Michael

The thought 'I want to be peaceful and happy' is a common answer to the wrong question. Life is about change. Crap will happen. Non peace will happen. In the midst of it you won't and shouldn't be happy. But you can be centered. You can know that what ever happens now, everything will be alright (its just gonna take a while). So treat yourself as you would a good friend. Stay a little ahead of schedule in most things and take time for your passions. Michael