Apech

I too am wondering what I meant.

Bumpety bump bump

Part of the natural development not to do with cultivation.

Going back to the original topic, I think that the jing-qi-shen model is an effective and useful one because it reflects well the nature of our beings. We have, for instance, threefold body structures (as does much if not all of nature) that is abdomen – thorax – head. Even a tree say, has roots, trunk and crown. At a subtle body level this could be understood as three spheres of differing activity – and when applied to the processes of neidan, the three dan tiens. At a deeper level or more primal level, we could be said to be bi-polar (like a magnet not a mental condition!) and beyond that even unitary. But in a practical sense we relate to the universe in a three-fold way, which could be summed up in a simple way as energy/will, feeling and thought/awareness. The conception of our being arises because of the coming together of two. Physically sperm and egg, but energetically that which comes from the male parent and that which comes from the female. The subtle energies form a kind cucoon in which the physical body develops. But there is only development if the polar energies remain in relation – and the dynamic of that relationship induces the third (middle sphere) between the two. So while jing-qi-shen may be a mental construct, or a pattern of understanding we present to ourselves, it is a useful and applicable one – given our real-world existence.

Is the end point a Rhino horn? or a cornucopia?

You won’t

Hi, You've already been to normal doctors so I won't repeat that advice. I think these kinds of things take a long time to recover from and to a certain extent the more tinkering with your energy you do the longer it will take. If you see what I mean. You mention 'armchair' a couple of times - I don't know how literal you are being - but I would suggest long walks everyday, if you can get close to nature (esp trees) that is better - but that depends where you live. Treat yourself and your body gently and try if possible to get off meds if you can - without straining. When you notice things happening in your body (as you have mentioned) they have subtle body causes and there is a tendency to want to consciously interfere to correct but it is usually better to let adjustments occur naturally which means letting go more. You may have some deep seated tensions which need to be allowed to resolve. If you have spiritual beliefs you might think about how a higher process is at work beyond body and subtle energy and pray for assistance. (If you are a Damo follower I doubt this will resonate with you right now). Anyway best wishes to you and I hope you make a full recovery in time. Cheers A.

It depends of course on what practice you are doing - but generally speaking cross legged, half or full lotus is better both for stability and aligning the channels. But as I injured my knee doing Aikido years ago I have sat in a chair and I think that it is perfectly satisfactory if you have a good posture.

Respect to all …. I don't think there really is something separate called the alaya or substrate consciousness … it's just that whatever we call consciousness (and even that is up for debate) has this quality of being able to store form, energy and feeling arising from past experiences. It's an empirical fact that if we close our eyes and just sit for a while all sorts of images, scenes, thoughts, feelings and emotions come bubbling up. So in effect, whether we want it or not, we live partly with the immediately 'real' – what we would call the external environment (or something similar) and also a ghost-world of resonances and reverberations, mood and influence. Why? Why should this be? Does it serve any purpose? I mean, when we learn from other threads on here that a man can train himself to suck milk up his penis – why would a fleeting feeling drifting in the wind matter at all? Does it matter that we dream? Does it matter that we interface with a chaos of form in shamanic trance states? Does anything matter? Why, beyond all, do we find ourselves bumbling along in the substrate? Especially when we are told it is all delusion. If we woke, would we still dream? And then why do we dream of waking anyway? I would that one day I should wake … then why do I sleep at all? An aspiration is a kind of dream. Let us then pray for something perfect. If I were to work at all it would be on this. Immortality. If I were not to work … I would sip wine … by mouth.

If you hid my post, Then like a ghost, I'd haunt the board, Silently, Without a word.

America is huge compared to other continents:

@adept Hi, I have no medical qualifications or spiritual ones either - so whatever I say is just what comes to mind when reading your OP. It is almost as if you have had a physical ailment (the hernia) fixed by physical means - I assume repaired with webbing or the like - but your body has recreated the symptoms of a hernia. So you still have the painful swelling. This suggests to me that your problem is on a more subtle level. I don't know what that problem would be - only you really can find this out - and address it. Given the location though I would naturally say it has something to do with the LDT. Something to do with the formation of the LDT and the way that qi is operating there. You say you have done martial arts and also qigong I think so maybe you are sensitive to qi. You can through meditation examine what is occurring perhaps - or intuit the cause(s)? Some nice deep shamatha breathing might help perhaps?

Yes, right, this throws up a load of issues, especially for us moderns. If you suppress emotions like anger you can actually do yourself harm, psychological damage etc. But of course also letting it all out could be violent and destructive - so what do you do? What is the aim? In terms of Lo Jong itself - and I am not really qualified to talk on this properly - but it is a path and not a therapy (if I can put it that way). So it is based on a vow - the bodhisattva vow - and is about the development of a skill/mastery. I haven't specifically checked this but I am fairly sure that the 'Jong' word is etymologically the same as 'Gong' or 'Kung' in martial arts. As in Qi Gong, Kung Fu etc. So it is really a way of developing a mastery technique in a particular field - in this case the mind. So for instance one gives oneself the task of not harming others. So when angry thoughts arise you deliberately don't lash out because you have vowed not to harm the other (as in cherish the other). It is not that you pretend to yourself you are not angry or egotistical and so on - its just that you decide not to let it operate. This is why it says give victory to the other and take loss and defeat onto yourself. Sounds like being a doormat - until you realise the warrior struggle that's going on inside. Reflecting afterwards about the nature and cause of anger is clearly the right thing to do but I think the confusion may arise sometimes between the modern psycho-analytical goal of one's own benefit and ego-strength - and the Buddhist goal of loosening attachment to self. This is the best book on Lo Jong if you are interested : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Path-Awakening-Buddhisms-Enlightenment-Happiness-ebook/dp/B00HZ9Q91S/ref=sr_1_fkmr3_1?crid=25TJ21QDVUBLH&keywords=the+path+to+awareness+shamar&sprefix=the+path+to+awareness+shamar%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1-fkmr3

https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/geshe-langri-thangpa/eight-verses-training-mind

Very interesting talk:

Fair enough ....

The point has already been made in the thread in General Discussion that the idea of an 'unbroken' Hermetic lineage is a false one. And in the sense of a recorded line of authentic teacher to pupil transmission I think this must be the case as, as far as I am aware no such thing exists. For a long time the Hermetic Texts themselves were viewed as a kind of neo-Platonic invention, whereby the ancient writers had falsely planted Ancient Egyptian origins on top of Neo-Platonist (therefore Greek thought) and so any tradition which suggested that hermeticism did indeed have its origin in Egypt and Sumer was an invention. However more recent academic examination of the Corpus and the discovery of Hermetic texts at Nag Hammadi has shown that there was a third strand of thought alongside early Christianity and Gnosticism attributed to Hermes Trismegistus and having recognisable and different world view. In fact even the early Church Fathers cited these texts as evidence that the ancients knew of the trinity before the Xtian church was founded. The person of Hermes Trismegistus is now viewed as not necessarily a single author and indeed not even a 'human' source at all. Rather as in vajrayana Buddhism the origin of teachings is often quoted as a spiritual entity of some kind, so H.T. can be viewed. He is though also viewed as an ancient sage/magician with ante-diluvian wisdom passed down through he ages. The tradition of the Corpus was preserved through the Middle Ages largely by Arabic scholars and rediscovered along with science and philosophy in the Renaissance. As a third stand of thought it is often overlooked ... although in those days there was less of a gap between say alchemy and chemistry ... a true difference did not emerge until the 18 century ... so the likes of Newton also studied astrology and so on ... Two strands in Hermeticism were also separated geographically. In Italy a version more akin to Neo-Platonism was studied, based largely on the translations by Ficino while north of the Alps a more practical alchemical style based largely on the Emerald Tablet was developed. The ideas pervaded western thought and culture in a way which contrasted but complemented the growth of Rationalism and the orthodoxy of the Church. Poets and artists particularly drew on it for inspiration .... everything from Shakespeare to the Magic Flute show influences which come directly from Hermeticism.

Nungali ... I know it's Sweatman but just give it a chance ... ok?