thelerner

Today, March 18th, the site is working like a charm, best it's been in months. For me at least. Thank you Stirling and all the mods working toilessly in rooms full of mice on running wheels to bring us this site.

Hopefully not a fluke but using Chrome on a Mac, the site's speed and response is great. Like the old days. Kudos to the mods involved. Fingers crossed it keeps up. One never knows if it's one's browser, computer or the site.

Welcome to the site. The only recommendation I have is pretty generic. ie When things get strange or over heated, slow down or stop any energy based practice you're doing. Similarly when energies get strange.. ground. Just sitting w/ a clear mind is good, or even a slightly distracted mind, ie music or guided meditation. If sitting brings on the problem, walks in a peaceful place are great, particularly if you work on keeping the mind clear. Be a mirror be a camera, walk and be. Getting some exercise, tiring out the body then letting it relax. Find out what is 'grounding' to yourself. I'm making some chili right now. That is grounding, to me.

Out of advice, other then classic warnings. One of which is Never meet your heroes. The hope is that they recognize you as a kindred spirit who they're longing to take in and teach the secret sacred ways. The reality is you're quickly filed under Annoying Westerner and the more you push, the more likely you're thrown out or sent on an eastern snipe hunt. Solution is as old as time. Find a teacher who's better than you are. Not famous, no books, not an exotic art, not even a master, just a person willing to teach who knows more than you. One who's dedicated decades to his art and is willing to share. While studying keep an eye out for an opportunity to study or take a seminar with someone from WLP's lineage.

Meditation: the peaks, valleys and plateaus.

Tonight the site is loading on my Mac in Chrome And Safari. Yay, and thanks to those beating the Machines into compliance.

I've defaulted to Safari on my Mac and last week the site was so slow to open I ended up clicking away. Today I clicked and got an error message. I panicked a little then used Chrome browser and it opened, a bit slower than usual. No complaint but wondering why Safari is acting up with the site. In any case very glad it's still here. Nothing lasts forever but was reminded how much I value the site, its people and its history.

Arguing keeps us young

Kind of surprised this didn't end when you learned about the Greece seminar in 2025. To some extent that is mission accomplished. You found a way to contact him. The very very expensive seminar. If that's out of your price range and you're still obsessive you could go there, not take the seminar, not meet Wang Li Ping but hang out nearby hoping to contact and befriend a seminar taker. With luck, humility and the power of friendship you might get pointers and perhaps develop a relation with them. Even if meeting anyone falls through, you could do worse than a week or two vacationing in Greece.

We had an old thread on astronomical events. Couldn't find it. Here's an interesting one that comes along every 14 years. Wolf eats Mars! ie A total Eclipse of the Mars. Happening today Monday the 13th. Here's a good article on it- https://www.space.com/stargazing/the-full-wolf-moon-eats-mars-on-jan-13-heres-how-to-see-it "...on Monday evening, Jan. 13, when it will cover the planet Mars, now shining as bright as it will get in this new year of 2025. An opportunity to see the moon occult a bright planet at night does not happen too often; for Mars, a specific location on Earth can see it happen (on average) once about every 14 years. So, if you are fortunate to live in the occultation zone and the weather cooperates, this upcoming event is one that really should not be missed. The moon will be mere hours past full phase during the occultation. Traditionally, the January full moon is known as the "Wolf Moon." At the moment it officially turns full  —  5:27 p.m. EST (2227 GMT)  —  it will be diametrically opposite to the sun in the sky. By sheer coincidence, Mars is also opposite to the sun, though its actual moment of "opposition" will not come until late on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Still  —  both objects, the moon and Mars will be near enough to each other so that during Monday evening, the moon will temporarily hide the planet from view, and much of North America has a ringside seat to observe it"

This idea popped into my head. Instead of an open discussion, make a topic for people to ask a question and have one of our onboard teachers answer, if they choose. No discussion beyond a follow up question and no comments or 'advice' from non teachers. <lets see if this matures or not> Dear TB teachers <teacher=teaching students > 1 year>, <even humble Taijiquan'ers> What are 3 simple things we can do to improve our cultivation. Thank you Michael

that seems pretty exciting to me. Today while driving I spat out the window, but it was closed, and the loogie landed high up. It slowly slid down, but it was cold outside and the slime trail started to freeze. I wondered if the main ball would freeze before it got to the bottom. I checked it a few times while I I drove. Then I arrived at the restaurant and forgot about it. now that's Boring.

Sinai, if plan A, part 1- is find a senior student to give you contact information. Out of curiosity, what is your pitch to Master Wang Liping? What do you want from him and what do you offer him?

Old cartoon, vaguely political enough that I had second thoughts. Happy New Year everyone. I predict, it will be.. interesting.

I'm working on- God is what's left when you remove all the noise.

Hmm, has the age of Wang Liping seminars passed? Too bad, I heard good things about them, but they were also very expensive. Sinai, I bet if you keep on the hunt, you'll find a senior student eventually. Check their credentials, which might be difficult. In the meantime keep practicing and keep an eye out for credible esoteric Taoist practices. Even if they're not on LiPing's level they might still have much to teach.

What about most downvoted Topic? I have this historic one-

No, that's silly, but I'm selling a course in True Spiritual Cultivation ™ , it's 100% guaranteed and has the approval of all spiritual masters alive And ascended. I'm offering those on the bums an exclusive special offer, 95% discount bringing the price to $888 a month. My Guarantee: Within one month you'll be more spiritual than 50% of all people. Within 3 months more spiritual than 70% At 6 months you'll lose points and drop down to 40% but at a year, you'll raise into the mid 80's.

Don't know Iron Mountain Qigong, but years ago, one of my assistant instructors in Aikido used Ssst as her Kiai. She was very talented and the only who used it.

Seems like everything I like is immoral, illegal, fattening or bad for my chi. Long time ago I went to a Kunlun weekend done by Max Christensen. It encompasses a couple of practices but mostly a still form that leads to spontaneous chi gong. I don't practice it much but I'm glad I have it in my tool box. When up late at night, hitting the position which after a few minutes triggers at times spastic motions that later calm is good. I agree with Sahara's comment above, and his caveat.

Isleworth Mona Lisa Year Early sixteenth-century Medium Oil on canvas Subject Lisa Gherardini Dimensions 84.5 cm × 64.5 cm (33.3 in × 25.4 in) Location Private collection, Switzerland The Isleworth Mona Lisa is an early 16th-century oil on canvas painting depicting the same subject as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, though with the subject (Lisa del Giocondo) depicted as being a younger age.[1] The painting is thought to have been brought from Italy to England in the 1780s,[1] and came into public view in 1913 when the English connoisseur Hugh Blaker acquired it from a manor house in Somerset, where it was thought to have been hanging for over a century.[2] The painting would eventually adopt its unofficial name of Isleworth Mona Lisa from Blaker's studio being in Isleworth, West London.[3] Since the 1910s, experts in various fields, as well as the collectors who have acquired ownership of the painting, have asserted that the major elements of the painting are the work of Leonardo himself, as an earlier version of the Mona Lisa.[4] Me> Some believe it to be a genuine DaVinci, but its controversial. Dating from the early 1500s and DaVinci died in 1519, and had made sketches of his Mona Lisa. This painting shows much talent and is certainly the same model, often described as younger and perhaps happier than his original. edit> An interesting point of the original Mona Lisa is the background is a river that DaVinci built a notable bridge over. The Isleworth ML the background is.. strange, I have no idea what the black blochy, rorschach image on her left shoulder is. To me it makes it less likely to be original. Artists have been making sketches and copies of the Mona Lisa since it was made, even in DaVinci's time.

Aren't I a wallflower. At almost 60 I've been romantically linked to 6 woman(ignore the tabloids), 3 long term. Seemed like guys around me were getting more, but I never had the moves or the motive. I was happy with my longer term relations. Never a player, never wanted to be. Happy wining dining, B&Bing, occasional parties and watching DVDs on the couch. Marriage, kids was always my goal. I tell my kids you have to engineer your life or at least try to. Life curves, rarely going in straight lines but you still have to put in effort to go in a direction. (not that I do these days) Felt like life was way too sexual in the 70s, 80s, 90s.. or maybe that's my perception from my teens, 20s & 30s. Culturally and economically kids these days seemingly aren't hooking up as much as they used to. The 'meat market' bar scenes from the past may still exist but aren't the norm like they used to be. Sex and marriage I think are more delayed. Not necessarily a bad thing. Though its best when its your decision, following your path and not cultural mores. https://youtu.be/xGytDsqkQY8?si=YMolH2MbfUnFVAW7

bump long thread worth a read through.

In Western culture, public smiling has evolved a little bit like the handshake has. To show we aren't (armed or) dangerous.

Similarly I think there's benefit to doing chi gong.. in your mind. Sitting I'll imagine myself going through the motions. Often large motions turn into tiny ones as I sit. It's not an exact substitute for the real thing but I believe there are benefits to it. A chance to feel the energetics of the form. It's so nice doing the forms and meditating outside that it's worth the stares.