thelerner

I did notice that ticket sales for the day there were 1,102, but the exit rotary only showed 1,098 people had left the exhibit. Peas Michael

To Pietro, Gandhi was quite the wild man in his youth. He'd walk into bars get loaded pick fights w/ strangers and pretty much demolish the place. I'd tell him, relax Gandhi, your too high strung, mellow out man. Wait a second, wich Gandhi do you think I'm referring to? This is the Gandhi who lives on Fourth and Linden Peas Michael

What herbs are we taking these days. I take a tiny 'sandwich' of candied ginger w/ red genseng between it. But I should probably take something to boost immunity before winter hits full force. Lozen, you're an herb person, what do you recommend? Anything interesting in stock? Michael

I have friends who saw the exhibit when it was in Chicago and raved about it. I didn't see it, but can't get over the ghoulish aspect of it. The 'exhibits' were live people, now they're displayed naked and artistically mutilated for our enjoyment. It doesn't feel right to me. What next, snuff films? There's probably some 'educational' value to them as well. To me its one step backwards for civilization. And there's some question as to how he came by some of the bodies, thus problems in many European countries for the artist/embalmer. Call me a wet blanket Michael

I've heard recommendations about not doing meditations when you feel negative. But there are active positive meditations that might get you out of your funk, and watching the disturbed mind is important part of getting whole. On the other hand, when you're really depressed its probably best to move the body. Lift weights, run, burn it out. Let the mind follow the body into exhaustion so that the angry circular thoughts dissippate. And I'd be careful about advice in prison like, 'You ought to become a Buddhist'. There's always a chance they'll say, "Couldn't hear that come a little closer.. still couldn't a little closer please". When you come nearer they wrap there hands around your throat and scream, "Buddha this you asshole". Seen it happen a million time . Unasked for religious advice to people facing long jail terms can provoke strong reactions. Even Gandhi kicked a guard in the nuts once for asking, "Have you found Jesus?" Peas Michael

HI Lozen I'd like to order the Elderberry/honey elixir, the immune/osha potion and the red root extraction. I live in Chicago, please PM me how much the price will be including shipping and where to send the check. This seems to be a nice mixture of immunity and detox. Thanks Michael

There are actually college course based on discussing the Matrix. I saw the 2nd one on TV a few days ago, probably the 3rd time I've seen it. The first 2 times I kind of blanked off during the talk of the director and Neo. But this time I think I understood more of it. So there were several matrixes (Hinduish cycles) before, most blowing out because humans didn't accept them. So they had to introduce the possibility of the matrix's existance to humanity to keep it from blowing out, that lasted longer, but led eventually to Zions and to Neo's. Humanity and Neo was never a threat to the Matrix machine. It was only in accidentally creating a Super duplicating Smith that Neo had any leverage w/ the machine culture. Since Smith had seemingly duplicated most of the world by the end of the movie endangering the machines food/energy supply. Michael

Communism has left a pretty bad taste in humanities collective mouth. What with Stalin killing off maybe 30 million of his own, Mao w/ a death toll in the 10's of millions, and a well deserved reputation for gravest forms of repression. But, but but, you don't really want to picture heaven as Capitalistic. If there's a heaven you kind of hope its more communistic. Israel had some of the most pure communistic experiments in some of its kibbutz's. Some had collectives so 'pure' that even the children were raised communally, separate from there parents. Even w/ a small system of zealots, Kibbutz's have pretty much faded, most relying heavily on almost free labor from visitors. Socialism gets bloated. The U.S. isn't all that socialistic, but we're going to be feeling its pain soon enough. Europe is feeling the pain and its probably going to go from bad to intense in the next two decades. In Illinois we have a long history of utopitarian towns that either went bust or were wiped out by there less then tolerant neighboring villages. The Mormons in Nauvoo being the best example. As I see it the best alternative to capitalism, isn't another economic system, indeed its indepedant of economics and government. Its got to be people, ourselves forming smaller, tighter bonds of sharing. I see the answer as Small Connectedness. There are neighborhoods here that meet regularly, plan events, sponsor things, get together. Thats it, no biggie, If not loving, then caring for your neighbors and neighborhood enough to plan, and know each other, and support each other. Literally. We moved to our current suburb from down town Chicago where we barely knew our neighbors names. We have sponsored and planned the block party each year. Paying for a moon walk and doing the paper work to close down the streets. We invited everyone to our house to our house when two homes were robbed to listen to the invited policeman speak about what we could do about it. I'm not christian, but I'd like to set up some kind of house to house caroling this winter. The good life, or something close to it will only come when we're connected to people. Not through things and certainly not from the government. Simple friendship, knowing, caring, planning is where I think a difference can be made. Michael

Have you looked at Trunks site? His Alchemical site (see his personal info for exact address). Maybe something like you're looking for. Not only does he store and cross link his ideas and essays, but he also has it available as a downloadable self running version. Very neat. If its something close to your idea you should PM him and find out what software he used. Michael

When I was 15 I went to a camp that had lots of snorkling and some scuba. The instructors could easily go down 40, 50 feet and stay there for quite a while. I was eventually able to hold my breath 1 minute and 36 seconds! I'm only good for 40 to 50 seconds these days. Its a mind game really. I saw a show on people training for some world championship that included depth 150+ and length. One training method was holding your breath while lifting weights rapidly. It seemed like a really dangerous and silly sport, ie that corpse over there is the winner by a nose. Michael

Glenn Morris is into that too. But when I try it sitting cross legged my tucked foot goes to sleep pretty quickly. Michael

You hear about the wonders of holding your breath from a number of sources. From Bodri's 9 bottle breathing to Japans modern Edison, who gets his best ideas from while swimming under water til he's 'almost' about to die. Michael

I just put the 'LINKS' on the bottom of Pietros post onto my permanent favorites list. He has some awesome crossreferences there that cover and link to dozens of subjects that the HT sites have discussed, chewed on, and are too often lost to time. Very impressive link site from someone who must really know there way around cyber space and the tao. Thanks Pietro Michael

Yoda, I've been suspecting what you're saying. None ejaculatory 'excitement' releases hormones and revs up and increases the energy ciruits. Wouldn't we say thats a bad thing to do at night and a good thing to start in the morning. I guess you can say the body IS doing that to us at night as we get nocturnal hard ons as we sleep. But its done in such a somnabulistic state that we don't get a full blast. Hmnn partially jerking off at morning being the ultimate yang tonic? Michael

Ofcourse being discovered a Tulku did happen after a large $$$$$$ donation to the sect. Ofcourse isn't that just what a reincarnated lama would do? Peas Michael

Speaking of links, the link on this site to Silent Ground does not go to Silent Ground. It seems Minke has awakened and is making her CD's available. Her web site is Silentground.com Michael

To Tumo I bought Glenns Meditative Mastery series 8 or 9 years ago unfortunately on cassette. I really like it, he's probably updated it since them. Much of it follows his original Pathnotes books. Like the book he's all over the place from Kundalini to Yoga Sun Salutation to healing techniques to guided meditations. If you like him and his books, the series would be worthwhile. Michael

Sean / Yoda is Yogani's work more aimed at non sexual retention. Trying to lessen sexual desire? I've always thought that a less energetic and more 'enlightened?' aim. Michael

Amongst my various breathing CD's there is one particularly interesting but dangerous one. Called The Healing Art of Conscious Breathing by Sadhana Concepts. Its a tape on rebirthing. Specifically its has you follow its very rapid, near hyperventillating breath pattern for an hour. I've heard it can bring on near LSD type emotional situations. I bought it a while back, but found it very hard to sustain so I forgot abou it. I just loaded it onto my Ipod, one of these days I'll have to get back into it. Michael

Sorry Cam, its can be a hot button issue. Your writing and character speak for themselves. Now lets move onto less tangled topics, should partial birth abortion be allowed? and if so should we be allowed to eat the fetus? Controversial subject yes, but the article I've written for Bon Appetite magazine looks at both sides fairly. There are probably a thousand or two subjects you agree w/ Lozen on and there's a good chance you're mostly in agreement about this one. You guys shouldn't sweat it. In the words of an unknown meditator, making a glass of tea, I stop the war. Peas Michael

Uh, actually I think you're wrong about Steven Seagal, but I appreiciate the sentiment. Michael I had an awesome tape of Steven Seagal teaching Aikido. I don't think he teaches much any more but it was great, I lent it to my sensei and we had a few weeks of Seagalesque Above the Lawdo.

Some see the Matrix and see a good or bad example of New Ageism. Others see the main use of Jewish archetype or Christian. If your Hindu you may see the fable as Arjuna trying to be awakened by Krishna. Heck, I see an update to Tron. Good stories are almost always have a basis in some mythological tradition. I think people mistake the use of Jewish archetype for earlier Black Christian Revival. The Zion and images are from the black songs of Zion as freedom, certainly most of the people in Zion were black. No religious jew would ever name a ship after Nebuchanezzar, it would be like calling a ship, the Hitler. On a more serious note. Defending against charges that Jews(or our Elite) secretly rule the world is insulting and makes us question the intelligence of the asker. Its simply too easy to find a single jew anywhere and create evil Cabals out of thin air. When I do go on the taobum page I see there links and stories on jewish conspiracies. Things like Abu Nidal is really jewish. Yes, he was considered an arab terrorist but he's really a jew. Since Saddam shielded him, Saddam a jew too. Didn't like Winston Churchill then he's a jew. Don't like Bush, well ofcourse he's jewish too etc. etc. Its such crap, but obviously has morons who believe. In every case there are some jews, amongst a field of dozens, hundreds, or thousands, and because of their very presence an evil conspiracy is discovered. Its bullshit. The need to find a scape goat, to find out why things suck, to blame, goes on. And small minds instead of thinking for themselves will always turn to a minority and cry wolf, or worse subhuman evil. Peas Michael

Cams line of questioning is very good. Instead of being generic, they take account the Teacher, his specialties and interests. Michael

Zen Master: The ripple does not move, it is your mind that is moving. S&G, I threw a pebble in a brook and watched the ripples run away and they never made a sound and the leaves that were green turn to brown Michael simon & garfunkle

This post probably belongs in suggestions for the site. These 2 sites Matt mentions, particularly the Kundalini Support probably would be worth while to have in our LINKS section. Just a thought Michael