tumoessence

1What would be the proper role of Taoism and Taoists in improving the world? 2What is the first step that could be given to anyone that if carried out properly would ensure moving forward to the next step in Taoist cultivation? In other words there is a lot of talk about practices but a lot of the information is about advanced stages and there is a lot of disagreement I think because the context and steps of the beginning are not clear.

Meditations of Ignatious of Layolla. I don't have the spelling correct. I believe the whole order is based on his meditations. They just don't want lay people into mysticism, they would claim it as their domain. The occult doesn't necessarily include channeling. I like the example of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche who is a Bon Dzogchen master as well as a Bonpa shaman, working with the elements in nature and in healing work with humans. Soul retrieval etc. He teaches this alongside his Dzogchen training so its not as if he holds the view that you must be established in the natural state first before doing shamanic work. Trance channeling of "beings" is for those who are lazy and don't want to work on themselves and have said beings do the work or inflate the ego so it thinks something is being done. Bardon's critique of the difference between Magic and sorcery in his Evocation book is a great resource. I agree with witch that its not necessary to loose awareness in working in neighboring realms.

Jonah, I have similar feelings in the prostate area and I get great results in moving this energy and its ecstatic component by using yoga's siddhasana and spinal breathing from Yogani at ayp. Siddhasana is the seated posture where you sit on your heel resting under the perineum while sitting on a soft bed or pad. Yogani calls this posture his premier tantric technique. Bill

Drew, A little change of direction, a short diversion, but since you mention the Pythagorian assymetric tonal scale. Is it possible to tune a piano to this scale? Thanks Bill

Great post. I especially like the you tube videos. I have been looking into this topic for a few years and think its the central issue. Neo cons and liberals alike bow at the feet of the bankers. There is no change until this is addressed. Check out a book recently written by Ellen Brown called The Web of Debt. PS I am not marketing this book for my own profit.

I like everything added until now. I will add three more Energetic Tai Chi Chuan, and Tai Chi Alchemy, both by Larry Johnson. Then there is Taijquanh through the Western Gate by Rick Barrett.

See also Becoming the Lotus by Anton Temple A great little book. It gives a nice routine and safety tips for gettting into the Lotus position.

Thaddeus, Yang and Wu styles do have fajin held latently, and they do have twisting of the limbs. They have nei gong. These are mostly in the medium and small frame forms. I know that the Yang style origins have some alternative versions of the story which elicit very emotional reactions in some places, and I m not qualified to debate, but I do recognize the existence of another story. Very controversial stuff as you can imagine. See the discussions at empty flower forum on Wu tunans research on tai chi history which is extensive. Wu tunan lived to be 105 and his wife to 111. Both yang style practitioners. Also at his websites you can see Earle Montigues' demonstrations of the Yang Luchan forms with jumps and expressed fajin. I have not studied Chen style and probably won't at this stage of my life, but it looks like great training.

I think nei gong is a very inclusive term and I not sure what all the broo ha ha is about when there is room for nei gong to include many meanings. In the taiji school that I play in and I am deep in the mud, nei gong is similar to what Buddy is posting, moving from the inner body as he defines it and like him of the inner body. Our nei gong is integrated into the form practice. Then I think that depending on the practice and dedication the practice itself unfolds deeper possibilities to my body mind. I think there are various steps leading up to that of Nei dan gong. My second Yang style teacher an unknown from hong kong said there was no such term as qi gong before the forties and that it was invented as a watered down version of family style nei gong martial or taoist practice. But I don't agree that Yang style itself is watered down taiji quan.

Buddy, I have a sculpture of Mirtala's which alone boosts the feeling sense of my whole house. She would exhibit at the Nicholas Roerich museum in NYC in the eighties I believe. Thats where I saw her work anyway. She was last in the Sedona area but is she still around? It was certainly a great loss when Bentov died so early. A plane crash I believe. Bill

An authentic taijiquan form would have this built into the form Authentic for me means that it has the correct internal, nei gung principles built into the movement. I think condensing breath is different but also important.

In the practice of kumbhaka you may find the practice of the mudras leading up to and including the yoni mudra as described at ayp to be very interesting, and practical. Look in the main lessons. Drew I am wondering if you can elaborate on the practice of complimentary opposites. Are you referring to points in the small universe for example ming men and dantien, points on the back and front mirroring each other or more basic in the sense of water kidney heart fire interaction? Do you practice an intonation of the twelve note asymetric scale a note for and with a point? I imagine that would be fruitful. I also wanted to know if you have experience in the siddhasana posture. I think you may find it interesting. It is taught at ayp as well.

Answering my own question reading your book. Thanks. So you call the theosophists the fakes because of their complicity in this Freemasonic destruction of the asymetric harmony of the true Pythagorians. And they continue the technospiritual aims of the Matrix. I think I am seeing the larger picture at least. Have you seen John lash's book on Gnosticism, Not in His Image.?

So where does that put Keplar in all of this? Just trying to get my orientation here.

Hey Drew I am really liking your posts and thanks for the suggestions on reading material. I feel challenged by them in a positive way. I like what you say about the health care system and I think it points out something about the thinking of so many people who want to help out in our society and that is they can't get beyond materialist thinking. So the results of doing good are going to have real contrary results than intended. I think we will have a society that is trying to do great things but ending up creating another kind of materialistic culture bent on controlling those of us who want to think independently and who want to move into formless states of awareness. I think its great that you take this formless state and can see and be creative with both energies and musical/mathematic insights and not just fly off into the different levels of emptiness never to heard from again. Do you know the book The Power of Limits Proportional Harmonies in Nature Art and Architecture By Doczi?

Yes I agree with you here. I may have a preconception here that the scientific method would include measurable results as in brainwave measurement to "explain" inner states. Also that the results should be repeatable in all situations and conditions. On a mountaintop as well as in a lab. Then the issue shifts a bit if I make a claim that I can do such and such in terms of phenomenon. Even here I don't know if a person with "abilities" could be expected to be able to repeat those abilities under all conditions. But it is a shame that there are many who misuse and cheat others with claims to abilities subtle and in the realm of phenomenon.

Scientific method This is a term that doesn't apply in this field of human interest. It becomes mumbo jumbo in this context.

There's a thread of discussion on deeksha over at ayp in their "other paths" pages. There are a few people there who have experience with it. I know its incredibly expensive to do the deeksha thing. I agree with you that its all manifestations of the divine which is you, so I might add whats the harm in having the experience as long as I don't get attached to it. Thats true of the physical level as well. But from what I understand of the astral is that it is a mirror, and the experiences there at first mirror your issues in picture form. As you go through those issues then the astral becomes a clear pond or lake and reveals itself as it is, star like which is the meaning of the world astral. The confusion comes in when a person goes into it thinking it is objective from the start. Steiner for example says that what appears to come toward you in the astral is really coming out of you. I like Yoganis signature the Guru is in you.

Drew, I liked your article that you linked us up to. I look foward to working with the feedback loop. I am a little challenged by the musical theory. Wondering if you or others here have seen and read the book Becoming the Lotus - How to Master the Full Lotus Posture by Anton Temple? I know its a bit different than your point, but he shows how to prepare the body for the lotus posture so as to not ruin the knees. Then a meditation is given for the lotus posture. Bill Then there is this recent writing by Mistele.Bill Mistele

Kathryn, I would bring more of a sense of letting go into the meditation process, let go of the struggle and settle into and accept the uncomfortable feeling. I have had this experience as well but it goes away as all experiences do. Are you doing energy types of meditation or emptiness practice?

Hi, I would check out ayp If the title yoga turns you off put some taiji and baguas on your wall as you practice, because in many ways this approach could just as well be taoist. The lessons are free, and nothing is held back. You can tell from the beginning what practices you could take up as you progress. I would add to that some taiji chuan practice. One suggestion is classical tai chi Bill

I wonder how the chips fall on this issue in regards to who holds what view and has kids and family. I know I have changed a lot in my view of the world having kids that I am responsible for. In the Lao Tzu quote above he says not to delight in killing, not, not to kill when necessary. Not to find weapons beautiful. There is nothing said about not killing where necessary. I don't have a gun or know how to use one, but I wouldn't hesitate to use the sword here if I could grab it in time.

Japhy, I wanted to reply to your post since I have been doing the ayp for about a year and a half. I have had great results and think yogani is very generous on what his is giving. Not only that but I think that the order in which he suggests taking up new practices is very organic. The practices approach cultivation from the angle of ecstatic conductivity through "energy" and "bliss" through inner silence. Over time bliss and ecstatic conductivity unite. His idea is that energy practice without inner silence is useless in the long run. Any way my body loves the inner mudra which is taught step by step. My spirit loves the inner silence. They work off one another sometime I get lots of energy in the inner silence practice. Since it is working for me I am confident in the inner guru and its "transmission.' I like to work meditatively with other senory foci so I add in other meditation practices with visual, tactil and other sensory imagination. That leads me to an inner elemental balance, which may be lacking in the ayp. Thinking of Bardon in this regard. Bill

Hundun, Its probably a fundraiser for the monks at Menri monastery.