rex

I'm into enlightened self interest and look to benefit self and other. How can you benefit self and other if you're not sorted in the first place?

Thanks Spectrum, much clearer and appreciated. Best, Rex

Really interesting with much to ponder Spectrum - thanks. I couldn't quite fathom the following sentence - what does it mean?

You're very fortunate Matt that you can see him. Lacking purity, awareness and merit I can't even percieve his image.

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." Bruce Lee

Sogyal Rinpoche has this to say on the value of keeping the eyes open: "In Dzogchen, it is very important to have your eyes open. It is said that the wisdom channel is connected from the eyes to the heart, and that when the eyes are shut, this connection is cut."

This puzzle game exercises the grey matter. To get to the next page you have to type the URL in from the clues given on the page you're on. http://www.weffriddles.com/level1.html I'm on page three.

I wish! No, self monitoring processes flagged that the post went against sub directives dealing with misinterpretation and acting with a twist.

System Error 1537 Sub-Process(7) Msg Del

Thanks Pero! Though not adverse to a bit of 'product placement' I don't want to be a Buddha Botherer now, do I? i.e. a Buddhist version of one of these

This is real tie-your-mind-in knots-stuff so the mind is of no utility here. Well my mind anyway. No, but it can be alluded to. Creating a view automatically creates a perceiver, an act of perception and a subject of perception. As you say Sean, it's an act of dualism. No problem though - if non-duality can't be expressed without getting into paradox, or if you're less charitable, contradiction, maybe it's something experienced beyond the ordinary conceptual mind. Now lacking a zealous missionary streak I hesitate to plug Buddhism but as it's said in the Prajnaparamita teachings: "Beyond words, beyond thought, beyond description, Prajnaparamita Unborn, unceasing, the very Essence of Space Yet it can be experienced as the wisdom of our own Rigpa .."

The Holy Ground ceremony sounds wonderful Lozen! I remember hearing of a lama in the US who allowed a bona fide medicine man conduct a traditional Native American ceremony at this teaching retreat - it was one of those spur of the moment things and his students must have needed it As you may have found out by now dutsi comes in liquid and pill form and is regarded as a spiritual medicine. The ingredients vary from the simple to the complex. High lamas may use crushed gems, holy relics (crushed bone, hair etc.) precious metals and earth from sacred sites during extended retreat or ritual. Ordinary tantric practitioners can use blessed water coloured with mustard or sesame seeds which is then empowered with their mantra practice. Some dutsi is said to be made from substances gathered from different realms of existance and hidden by Padmasambava in the tenth century. I've found the files, not quite dutsi recipes I'm afraid, but they give the general idea: Rilbu Pill Ingredients Fortune Vase

I've got a listing of the contents of some dutsi somewhere and will dig it out for you. This Holy Ground ceremony sounds good - what does it involve?

I agree! Claims to supernatural powers, especially if used as part of some sort of marketing plan, should be demonstratable - otherwise it is a matter for the faithful. For the most part abilities stubbornly refuse to be tested- wasn't there that guy though who could project images onto photographic film? When it comes to spiritual belief systems testing powers may be undesirable and difficult for a number of reasons: * The use of abilities may be proscribed to specfic circumstances and may operate at levels not demonstrable to scientific instruments or ordinary human faculties. * The whole idea of demonstrating may be inherently distasteful. * Abilities may be viewed as a sidetrack and unimportant. * People with abilities may be wary of princes and kings. The field is left open to charlatans and the predatory. Charles Tart talks about state dependent science in that phenomena may be repeatable if the participants share the same mental state and faculties. So yoga may be a repeatable state dependent science. Aderents of spiritual disciplines say that anyone can experience for themselves their claims but what mechanistic scientist or enquiring sceptic would have the willingness to put the years of training and disciplne in?

This looks a good one: Tibetan Sound Healing The intro is available here and an mp3 sample here. It's about five warrior syllables practice. Anyone done this?

This raises an interesting question - is the physical body a shell that contains the energy body or is it a condensation of an all pervasive energy field?

This clip demonstrates a few on-on going taobum themes: outdoor activity; innovative practices; intimate relationships and sexual energy as a reflection and celebration of wider universal forces: Warning: not for the prudish! Strutter: Clucking

It's a two way thing. Internet service providers can block access to sites based on country and individual internet address. Individual websites can block access to their web site by country and unique address. For copyright/licensing reasons I'd imagine the UK MTV site has only allowed access to their goodies from the UK.

Despite my natural leeriness of material that cites Crowley and Spare as influences I got hold of a copy of 'Visual Magick: manual of freestyle shamanism'. As well as having some decent exercises on awareness and the senses there's also an intriguing section on animal spirit possession. There seems to be a number of chi kung forms out there that are tantilisingly marketed as having 'shamanic origins' but what better way of learning about energy forms and the value of what the animals have to teach then going directly to the source, that is, the animals themselves? From the way Jan Fries presents the method it certainly isn't for the naive and unwary and not without danger. It also presupposes, so it seems, a life time commitment and relationship that is not entered into lightly. My card carrying buddhist friends weren't impressed with the idea and there were suggestions of dire karmic consequences like rebirth in the animal realm or worse. I'm half convinced by these warnings though I think a lot depends on motivation and ethical fibre and the resultant contact, if any, that's attracted. I also note that the Shaolin monks have animal forms and wondered if they used shamanic methods and animal spirits are used in Silat fighting forms. Since the taobums are an eclectic bunch has anyone considered using shamanic techniques to make their animal forms truely shamanic? Has anyone been taught spontanteous chi kung that involves letting the form take over completely and they become the animal?

Sorry, lame joke

Connection & viewing hassles? Bah! Might be worth using a UK Public Proxy Server. The latest version of vlc player for the mac might work - it's free!

Hi Cat, Yes the book suggests conscious whole body breathing, or at least some sort of sense of it, all the time whenever practicable. But beyond awareness of breath and its relation to subjective physiological/emotional states any similarity to taoist methods ends. As Ryan mentions Systema breathing doesn't adhere to taoist energy maps of the body or to the concept of chi but simply to experiencing the physiological reality of the breath and how breathing patterns affects our capacity to respond. Funny you mention about breathing in a supplementary way. The book also describes very simply Eastern Orthodox methods of prayer using breath retention. Perhaps not quite what you meant but there do seem to be some hints on the methods of the Eastern Orthodox monks and their capacity for physical austerity. If Amazon hasn't got it try here: http://www.cuttingedgeshop.com/acatalog/SYSTEMA_.html Ryan personally I think that Systema breathing and Chi Kung are different sides of the same mountain and see no inherent incompatibility. Both acknowledge the interdependence and symbiosis existing between breath, awareness and spirit but have different explanations of the mechanics, one physiological the other esoteric. However Systema Masters also have a deep Eastern Orthodox faith which informs their art as well ...

Amazingly enough Cat we not only breathe with our lungs but also through our skin at the same time. This was brought home tragically by a mardi gras performer who suffocated in their sleep after going to bed still covered from head to toe in body paint. Now performers leave a small patch of skin at the base of the spine to allow the body to breathe completely. I also believe they had to do this for the Bond girl in Goldfinger when she was covered in gold paint. Whole body breathing is recommended all the time to get an experiential appreciation of breathing as a profund physiological process affecting all bodily systems. Being relaxed and aware of tension and expelling it through the pores is seen as the first step of gaining control of the autonomic system. Progressive exercises of breathing utilizing tension and physiological duress aim to get the practitioner to operate optimally under extreme external stress.

Found this on the web: The book's a good read with progressive exercises for breathing under increasingly strenuous activity and advocates whole body breathing in and out through the skin pores for physical and mental well being.