CarsonZi

I've been taking hot/cold showers for almost 13 years now. What I do is I take a very hot shower, but several times during the shower, when the blood is very close to the surface skin and I have become quite "red", I switch the water to cold, and keep it there until the body adjusts, and then go back to a hot shower.....do this between 3 and 6 times every time I take a shower. The idea is to start to slowly lower the bodies resting temperature over time. This is supposed to keep the skin from dying if you get to I believe it was 2 degrees colder then regular resting temperature. I have not kept track of whether or not my personal resting temp has dropped over time, although I would be very surprised if it hadn't (I can tolerate cold temperatures much easier now, and I have more difficulty with warmer temps then I used to). Personally I do not do this practice for the body temperature lowering effects though. I do it because it I find it is an incredible kundalini stimulator. It has instant effects on the breathing as well as (for me) instantly causing all the mudras and bandhas to be applied, and I often get warm very quickly with internal energy and the cold water becomes soothing instead of shocking. Anyways, just thought I would share incase anyone wanted to try out this method.....very little risk of a heart attack doing this Love, Carson

Hi MarbleHead.... I guess you could ask yourself these two questions: 1.) Are all mind-concepts ego? 2.) Is the unconscious mind ego-less? It is my understanding that once you get to a certain point of Realization that you stop dreaming (but are instead "awake" while sleeping. I believe the state is called "Turiya". And I am also under the understanding that if you were truly "ego-less" you could not exist as a human being on Earth so-to-speak.....that there could be no physical form if you were truly ego-less. So, if both these two concepts were true that would mean that one could not live in Turiya while in human form...which is not the case. This means that (theoretically) you can relieve the awareness of the ego during dreaming, but not completely during any 3 Dimensional existence. Again this is all theoretically and completely speculative, as I do not have personal experience with living from Turiya all day (I have had glimpses during Deep Meditation, but they have never been lasting). I think that as long as we are still have dreams there is ego/conditioning still involved on some level. An "ego-less mind" will not dream in my opinion. Again, purely speculation....or perhaps an "educated guess" Absolutely. Thanks for the conversation. Love, Carson

Hi Kate and thank you for the really great post.....I hope you don't mind if I jump in where Mr. MarbleHead would not..... Hum indeed! I "think" you are right, but I am still unsure in my heart. I had written a post saying that the ego can be in unconscious aspects of your mind, but in the process of doing so, I realized that I don't actually fully agree with that....this is a great statement that is causing some really deep inquiry here.....thank you. "ego is only the content that you decide it's going to be" Some questions to inquire into: 1.) Can there *be* unconscious mind-content? 2.) Can you honestly be aware of mind-content and decide it *isn't* ego? 3.) Can the ego exist *without* mind-content? I don't know that I have answers to these questions.....I have written and re-written this post about 3 times now, and I still don't know, so I am going to drop these questions into Silence (samyama style) and see what comes up....or doesn't Thank you again for the Inquiry-inducing post Kate! Love, Carson

Perfect.....Analysis is an obstacle to True Understanding/Realization. Gotta get away from letting your mind run the show. Take the essence of what is said and release it into Silence....when it returns to you, you will know the Truth for yourself....whatever that is, as Truth is individual..... For me, humility is the new ego Love, Carson

Hi SereneBlue and All... I know you (SB) said that you weren't going to participate in the main forums anymore, and that's cool, I hope that you will still read this though.... You said above that Ego Inflation is Narcissism....and indeed it is....but the opposite is also true....putting yourself down/feeling sorry for yourself (and all that it implies....ie. false humility, self pity, etc etc) is pure Egotism as well. Feeling that everyone is "more advanced" then you, feeling that you are one of the "little people", etc etc, these are all aspects of ego....And to run from Narcisism into Humility is like running in circles. To break free of Egotism (on either side of the equation) there must be a deep connection to Inner Silence. You can't starve the Ego by feeding it. Love, Carson

Humility is the new ego Or at least ego in disguise...... Love, Carson

Hi lino.....sorry to hear of your troubles..... Don't know if this will give you any hope, but one of my good friends "developed" schizophrenia after eating some hash at a concert in Thailand and waking up in Thai jail (not knowing what happened). He struggled with it for about 10 years (using it to his advantage a little bit, he is a semi-famous artist now), battling drug addictions on the side, when he discovered kundalini yoga. He now takes no meds (legal or otherwise) and teaches kundalini yoga in Vancouver (as well as making a great living making paintings). Anyways, not saying this is a solution for you (or anyone else) just saying that it can be beat. Hope that gives you a little hope. Love, Carson

Hi Markern.... I usually seem to get around 6-7 hours a night on average, although I do not aim to get any specific amount of sleep. I usually just go to bed when I am sleepy and get up when I awake. Personally I am finding that on the days when I am not sleepy until 2-3am or something, yet I still need to be up at 6 to practice before work at 8, that I still feel well rested. Basically, the amount of sleep I get is always just right, every night. On the other side of that equation, I have sometimes been known to sleep for 10 hours at a time. This is about as rare as me sleeping 3 hours a night or something though. Usually I get 6-7 and am always feeling well rested and ready to go. This is a great change for me by the way. The entire time I was addicted to opiates (legal or illegal) I would need at least 10 -12 hours and I was never well rested. I always had to suppliment with meth, cocaine, or another stimulant in order to make it through the day. I could NEVER get up before noon, and I needed 3 alarm clocks to do that. Now I don't use an alarm clock at all (I fried it anyways ) and am up before the sunrises usually. Personally I wouldn't go back to the way it was for anything. Love, Carson

At one point individuality must be realized as a lie. Sure we have individual experiences, but we are not our experiences. Love, Carson Seperation exists but it is not Reality

There is no such thing as an "individual" essence.....that is ego and it is not Real. Love, Carson

Sorry Eviander.... I shouldn't have posted so quickly and should have properly wrote what I meant before posting. I editted like 5 times to get the wording that more adaquately portrays my point. What I meant was "The thought that suffering is mandatory and death is final is an illusion....a lie." All things are impermanent, so happiness is in a sense an illusion if you define happiness as a static state. But REAL happiness is not static....it is flowing...it is all encompassing Bliss no matter the circumstances. It is our true nature. But yes, happiness is DEFINED individually.....but when experienced it is Universal Love, Carson

What is death? Suffering is individual. What is suffering for one is Bliss for another. Suffering to me is not resting in my True Nature, which is (for me) Pure Bliss Conciousness. Love, Carson The thought that suffering is mandatory and death is final is an illusion....a lie.

The cessation of all suffering....IMO anyways Love, Carson

Hi Ninpo....... Actually, not to be arguementative but, the title of the thread is "WHERE is the strangest place you've had a bit of a revelation"....not that it matters.... I know what you are looking for now...thanks for clarifying. Sounds strange indeed, but I have no doubts that what you say you experienced you did indeed experience. Personally, the revelation that I had while sparring in Jujitsu, had nothing to do with groins, had nothing to do with anything I was doing at the time....the revelation I had was that "there is no me.....what I thought was "me" is actually Divine Love coming THROUGH me". The revelation I had whilst driving was that I was kundalini awakened. The revelation I had while having sex was that my wife is a Goddess and a manifestation of the Divine in every way...even though she herself has no perception of this. I also had a revelation while balling my eyes out in my bedroom once....that revelation was that I no longer was going to conciously choose to be unhappy.....I was going to choose happiness from then on. These revelations are in the reverse order that they happened in. Hope this answers your question for completely. Love, Carson

Hi MH..... Haha....yeah I guess I probably am pretty young to many of you here....I know Ozzie (obviously)....it's just been a long time since I thought about him (especially in a musical and not an effed up sense ). My mind instantly jumped to "Ozzie" as in "Aussie" when I read that. Couldn't figure out the reference in that sense. Well thanks then Eh....to each their own. I can't stand "pop" (as in anything popular). I only seem to enjoy the really out there stuff. Just thought I would throw in a song from a style of music I doubt many "seekers" "yogi's" "buddhists" (whatever you want to define yourself as) can appreciate. Love, Carson

Driving, having sex, and whilst sparring with a friend at Jujitsu class. Love, Carson

Hey MH..... No worries, not looking for approval....just sharing what kind of music I enjoy. Opened for this band many years ago. Don't understand the Ozzie reference, sorry. Love, Carson

This song is track 1 off of one of my favorite albums of all time: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/fu-191329074..._snakes_actors/ Not so much for the lyrics but just cause the music kicks ass....the video is live so the sound is kinda crappy, but the recorded version makes me move uncontrollably ....turn it up! "Carry your flags, march into that fictional cause and show off that medal Just don't reach for that gun Reach for that gun Carry that banner, build that heart out of stone Just don't reach for that gun You scaled the high horse and I felt the change I know the difference between you and me You cleaned the outside of your chalice but it's filled with robbery And self indulgence...Just like the rest of us You wear that cross like a crown. You wear that cross like a dagger Come down from that tower, Nothing will be the outcome. Nothing is the outcome " Love, Carson

Vajra..... I wish you the very best, but I, for one, am done conversing with you as there is no "conversation" when one person thinks they know everything (that's you by the way....just in case you were thinking I was talking about me ). Good luck with your Path. Love Always, Carson

Vajra Yes, you are wrong. This is not what I believe. Again, the arrogance is almost astounding....that you would actually write that you think you know what my "beliefs" are.....you really have no clue man. *said in the nicest of possible ways* No. Everything just Is. That is my experience...I don't even believe this. I KNOW this. We are One Vajrahridaya....I used to be, am and will always be, You. Again, how you are intuiting what my beliefs are is very curious to me. Not experiences with....AM Divine Love. There is no God, hence no Godhead to merge with. I do not think I am merging with the Godhead. Please do not continue to put words in my mouth....that is not nice It'd be nice if you went back to that state of hardly talking much and just giving Love silently...that would be MUCH more effective then the approach you are taking now. You are reaching noone, clarifying nothing talking as you are. I mean this in the most respectful way possible. Love ya. Love, Carson P.S> I have to go home now. So....peace out

Vajra buddy..... What you posted (the ramble on "Endless, sourceless causation") was in response to the question "what are your beliefs in 500wrds or less" or whatever. You need to be a little more consistant to be "believable" :lol: "us"? You speak for the whole of Buddhism/Buddhists? (not to mention the entire of spiritual mankind since you know what everyone else calls "liberation" ) I know you admit to being arrogant but really And also in no way what I call "enlightenment" so I'm not sure why you wrote this to me. I can play your game all day long....I used to be you....I used to argue for the sake of arguing. I used to DEFINE my Path as the Path of Dialectic Conversation....then I found Silence....and subsequently Peace....and then Happiness....then Bliss......now Equanimity and Outpouring Divine Love. I suggest you spend a little more time in Silence and a little less time arguing that you are "right" Love ya man. Love, Carson

Beliefs, beliefs and more beliefs .....they all gotta be tossed before you can truly KNOW. Love, Carson

Ok....So you don't "believe" dependent origination exists, but instead you are just expressing that you comprehend that dependent origination exists? To me that is one and the same. To transcend belief you have to have personal experience. Not comprehension. Comprehension means you "understand", you "comprehend"..... so until you have personal experience with, for example, dependent origination, you are only talking from the perspective of "you believing in" dependent origination. And I think it would be pretty arrogant of you to openly say that you have experience with dependent origination. Love, Carson

Vajra..... Does it ever get exhausting trying so hard to be "right" all the time? Byron Katie asks people to ask themselves whether they would rather be right or be free. It seems obvious to me that you would choose being "right" over being "free". You seem very imprisoned by your "beliefs". Probably just me projecting Love, Carson P.S> Guess I'm not as realized as Santiago.....I too still get sucked into pointless threads like this occasionally :lol: Love, Carson

I agree with mYTHmAKER and Marblehead..... NOT knowing is best. Beginners Mind is a blessing. All those who think they know, are lost. I think it was Adyashanti who said something like: "I know what I know when I need to know it....other then that I know nothing". Somthing along those lines anyways. I hope you continue to post.....I find you refreshing. Love, Carson