tumoessence

I find that when I sit in siddhasana, heal under the perineum and do spinal breathing as in AYP or other yoga pranayama creating "ecstatic conductivity" with those conditions in place already, that the tongue going back towards the soft plate and the uvula that I get a strong erection and whole body arousal. Bill

I always enjoyed his posts, and find his relating dream practice and sexual practice to be interesting and would always like to hear more of what he is up to. Bill

I just want to put in here that with all the sht that is thrown Drew's way over a long time here, he has never lashed back and has held his cool. That alone earns him credit and shows he has gone a ways down his path with positive fruits. Bill

Even in Tibetan tradition magic and shamanism is relied upon. For example in looking for Tulkus mediiums are often used. Then there is the dzogchen teacher Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche who teaches prayer flag magic and magic with the five elements for healing. Thinley Norbus book on the five elements as well. There are long life practices and sadhanas for easing karma. What is important is holding the correct view in relation to the practices. I think Bardon's methods are closer to Tibetan magic that is generally thought. But still Bardon's system is a valid path towards enlightenment. For example while many may be enchanted with the idea of clairvoyance for use to one's advantage, from what I am gathering it is first a way to check out and see the psychic and soul contents that are still hidden in the depths of one own being so that they can be further worked on. Only after they are made transparent does real objective "seeing" take place. I asked Rawn Clark once about "powers" and he said something like just because you develop these abilities doesn't mean you have to "use" them. It is more that in working though all of Bardon's steps you are transformed in the process and your whole perspective on life is transformed. I would also encourage everyone who is downloading his works to consider buying the books when possible because it helps ensure that his works continue into the future, and I believe his family is still beneficiary of sales. It is also a way of honoring the tradition of hermetics that Bardon has opened up to us and saying thank you to his spirit in making this material public. Bill

I will let the vajrayana specialists answer you here but I would think doing preliminary practices and getting the pointing out intsructions are necessary before working with deities and serves in the place of balancing the elements.

Working with the elements is much better because it is about refining your own energies and not having magical effects caused by other beings. You don't progress just through that kind of contact. Not only that but those beings can only mirror back to you what configurations you have in your psyche, and in the case of trickster type beings will play on the weakness in your elemental imbalances. In working with your own elemental make up you then can learn to see objectively. and develop your own power and creativity. Ritual contacts give you the feeling you are developing your own abilities but it is an illusion if done too early in training. Also, check out the Emil Stejnar interviews linked in the Books, articles section, and in a recent thread on Bardon.

Great post thuscomeone, and great work for eight month's! I have a naive question here. When did and where did "Actual existents must be constants" become a standard for saying and measuring whether something is real or not? For example if a plant grows dies, yet reappears next spring over and over and then over time the plant changes its form as adaptation to a changing environment does that mean it doesn't exist? Even if its environment were to disappear has that plant fully disappeard? And for something to "exist" does it only exist if it is separate? I often hear something is not real because it has no separate existence. Of course things don't have separate existence. Everything is embedded in an environment of things that "appear" to be separate. Does that mean those elements don't exist? Does rhythm exist? Does energy exist? Is rhythm constant? Sorry if I go a little off topic here.

I just finished reading "The White Dominican" a novel by Gustav Meyrink written in the 1920's inspired by taoist alchemy. Great stuff. He talks about reversing the water wheel, the true breath, and other things that are artistically great expressions of the path. A bit old fashioned in tone, but is still worth the read.

A_20Perspective_20on_20Franz_20Bardon.pdf Here is access to the article from yahoo groups promised above.

Yes, it depends on what your goal is but I think ritual magic based systems and Bardon go mostly in different directions. Bill

something else for your reading pleasure http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FranzBardonM...nz%20Bardon.pdf Dang it looks like you need to be a member to get to that one.!

Serene Blue I really like the Bardon approach. I think difficulties come up if someone does not take his advice to continue the emptiiness of mind meditation from step one into all of the other steps. This is the only practice that is done in every other step. That alone makes his path unique for western esotericism. I agree that Rawon Clark's works are essential and Mistele's are also good. I would also recommend Emil Stejnar's interviews. He has practiced Bardon since the late fifties. They are at hermetic texts click on the Emil Stejnar page.

I second this one. Great stuff there. Especially, all that is collected into one place. Clears up a lot of questions about yoga and qigong, and really brings it into the physical practice then moving into the energetics. I like that tibetan yoga is brought into the pic ture as well. disclaimer, I am not paid for this endorsement.

Yogani has free lessons on his website where he teaches this in the context of ectatic conductivity and its development. It is also great for the abdominals and corrective to lower back pain. Tao semko has a dvd resourse as well which is very good. He's at ummatantra.com

Serene Blue, At which level of KAP are you learning Kan and Li?

www.archivhermetischertexte.at There are now three interviews about Franz Bardon with Emil Stejnar translated to English. Click on his web page and the interviews are listed. Bill It took me a long time to notice the error of my post. Bill

Yes! and because we can't find a self as an object or a subject forgetting that we are what is looking,we say it doesn't exist. Its like a dog chasing its tail. But if I read Nargajuna correctly and that could be "a big if," all statements about extremes are to be avoided. Existence and non existence, self and no self. I think the point is make no judgements, ie philosophical absolutes from the level of normal cognition. Whatever the case may be at this point, my true being's essence is awareness. "I" can to choose to be mindful, or I can be in the habit of being more asleep. Bill

Is this from personal experience? Or are you passing on what you have read and heard? I think the idea of no self is just another dogma. Sounds like more fundamentalist non dualism. Bill

I think they are readily available. She has a website and her books are on amazon at reasonable prices. I think she is a high powered consultant in the international business scene. At least that is her Schtick. But I like her books. Some down to earth advice. Bill

You can read all about it in Chin-ning Chu's books

Thank you Xenolith for sharing your process. I look foward to more of your posts. Bill

I know I am not a computer whizz. I used to do this here trying to insert a hyper link to a you tube thing. But now I just get and error message when I hit the insert hyperlink option that says I need to insert a URL and a title. Has the system changed/ Anyway copy and paste the url into the browser and enjoy. Bill http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jedd2FiZTqM

Blasto, I am interested in your nei gong program. How long do you practice everyday? I guess you learned from videos? After twenty months I would learn a tai chi form, maybe a medium to small frame form. Let's you cool down and creates balance. Also I would do some stillness meditation. Bill

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche a Dzogchen bonpo lama is teaching a tummo course in the CA Bay area. He just had the third in a four weekend teaching that spans over two years. He seems to be very open with his teachings and fast tracking people into Dzogchen practice, and the whole system. He has some tsa lung practice in books and offers trul khor teachings to anyone interested also. He is young and understands and speaks English very well. Maybe Santiago has some experience with him. I have not had a chance to meet him in person. Bill

Much better is Daniel Ingram's book and similar generation and attitude.