doc benway

Learning to be open Cultivating empathy Practicing generosity

That's precisely the point of sky gazing.

Not barren... pregnant with potential. We look at the same sky and see it not as it is but as we are.

The basic point of sky gazing is to recognize the nature of one's own mind. The effectiveness is based on the similarity of the nature of mind and the clear sky, illuminated by the sun, unobscured by clouds, manifesting natural warmth and radiance.

Ouch Thanks for giving me the opportunity to practice. _/\_

Looking forward to the end of your probation, brother. _/\_

Steve also feels sad for whatever is making you hurt so much that you like to attack people anonymously. Peace

I generally practice this sort of exercise resting in a five point posture, hands in the the mudra of equipoise... after some preparatory practice such as the 9 breathings of purification and tsa lung, and following guru yoga. I then seal the practice through dedication. It can also be done more informally such as here and now as I read and respond to this forum's participants.

In honor of His Holiness Lungtok Tenpai Nyima, 33rd Menri Trizin during the full moon on the 49th day following his passing. How marvelous! Wholeness of Space and Clarity dance a magical display into which I release and dissolve... ཕཏ།

Then it is good to practice the following meditation: From where does ignorance and ugliness arise? Where does it abide? To where does it liberate? ཕཏ།

I'm not so sure of that, to be honest. Understanding can be supportive but can equally, perhaps more frequently, be a distraction. It reinforces the primacy of the one whose transcendence will bring us closer to what you seek.

My opinion and experience is that immortality does not mean 'more life for me in this body' in the Buddhist or Daoist context. If it did, we could all go study and practice with Daoist immortals on this Earth and in this waking life. There would be endless news stories of the 3,000 year old masters with video clips and reality shows... Immortality means to experience a personal and direct connection to that which transcends life and death and to abide in that essence and awareness, allowing it to inform your every thought, word, and action. Skillful meditation can help you get in touch with that, if you haven't yet felt it, far easier than philosophy or thought.

Yes Edited to add - perhaps that is the most important aspect?

The Tibetans use wind (lung) to refer to something very similar to qi but there are some characteristics that are emphasized differently here and there. To be precise, lung is a Tibetan concept related to its shamanic roots and tantric practices. It's not so much a product of Buddhism. Buddhism (other than Bön) originates from India and so it would be more accurate to speak in terms of Buddhism and prana. Very similar but not identical conceptually. Daoists work with the qi in qigong, neigong, taijiquan, xingyiquan, baguazhang, yiquan... Arguably, there is nothing that is not in some way linked to or described by various lung/qi/prana.

The short answer is - yes The long answer starts with throwing away the word - enlightenment. It is so ambiguous as to have little meaning in this discussion. The word can be very specific and meaningful but first everyone in this discussion would have to agree to a definition. That's not going to happen. So let's reframe the question as, is it really desirable to "realize basic Taoist truths," using your definition. I think that's a more manageable question. The next question is, is the following statement a realization of basic Taoist truths? "most dualities and desires are simply meaningless human inventions" To me, there is some Buddhist language in there. Basic truths in Daoism are more related to the nature of taiji (the complimentary nature of yin and yang), wu wei (non-interference), and de (character, virtue, or integrity). It sounds from your post that you are struggling a bit with nihilism. I don't know anything about your background or studies but nihilism tends to be a result of trying but failing to grasp the meaning of the Buddhist concept of emptiness. No question there is a relationship between this and the Daoist concept of wu wei. Both concepts are pointing not to total absence, which is what gives rise to nihilism, but to the absence of something very specific - the commentator that lives in our thoughts and claims the title of "me." That is precisely what is preventing the effortless flow of Dao denoted by wu wei. It is also what Buddhist emptiness is telling us is an illusion that is responsible for all of our problems, fundamental ignorance. The solution to nihilism is either 1) give up the philosophical exploration and live a normal life as you point to 2) work more closely with a credible and experienced guide to help you along the path,whichever path that works for you 3) focus more on skillful meditation practice and less on philosophy The thing about emptiness is that it is not empty. Just like wu wei does not mean to do nothing. It is empty of inherent "selfness" but in that absence of self there is direct connection with all that arises. Similarly, wu wei is to get out of the way so that the Dao can fully flow and manifest. So emptiness is equivalent to fullness or wholeness. Wu wei can be described as doing nothing but leaving nothing undone. Enlightenment, in my definition, involves direct connection with that wholeness, with that unrestricted flow. When that connection is there, everything else that is needed is also there including meaning, creativity, opportunity, and so forth. It doesn't matter if we are talking about Daoism or Buddhism. So enlightenment, for me, is absolutely worth the candle. It can dramatically enrich our lives and that of those around us. And it happens by doing nothing but leaving nothing undone. In other words, getting out of the way and allowing the universe to flow through you. So if there is a feeling of meaninglessness, uncertainty, and nihilism; that is not enlightenment. Nor is it the full realization of basic Taoist truths. It is a partial truth that either needs to be abandoned, as you suggest, or much more deeply realized. Spiritual practice can certainly have ups and downs, some of our realizations can be shocking and painful. Overall, however, if it does not lead you to being better adjusted, more content, and more loving and supportive of others than, in my opinion, it's worthless and better left alone. I hope that helps in some small way.

My perspective - In the waking dream, perception is related to stimulation of the sense organs which in turn results in activation of the associated regions of the brain which is where the experience "exists." In the sleeping dream, the sense organs are bypassed but the associated brain regions are similarly active. In terms of what is real, it is all a matter of perspective. During the non-lucid, sleeping dream the experience is considered to be real. When we awaken from sleep, the dream experience is reframed as an illusion. During the waking dream, the experience is similarly considered to be real. When we awaken from life (whether into a higher level of consciousness during this life or into the bardo and beyond), the waking dream experience is similarly reframed as illusion. All of these things, and more, are in the purview of dream and sleep practices. One of the methods is to constantly remind oneself throughout the day that "this is a dream" at a very deep level. Over time the distinction between sleeping and waking dreams becomes less rigid. Marvelous practices with enormous benefits!

Quoted for emphasis. It's so much more valuable to observe ourselves than others. "Being aware of a single shortcoming within yourself is far more useful than being aware of a thousand in someone else." His Holiness the Dalai Lama

No doubt about that. I sincerely hope you will think a bit about the feelings of others. You are deserving of that blessing, as are they. Warm regards

You may want to educate yourself a bit about the psychology of harassment and abuse, Wells. There is a lot of good information out there. It is far more subtle and insidious a problem than you seem to understand. Here's a good, simple starting point - https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_the_science_of_power_can_tell_us_about_sexual_harassment?utm_source=Greater+Good+Science+Center&utm_campaign=e2a1bb19a4-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_10_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5ae73e326e-e2a1bb19a4-51521023 Verbally abusing victims is not becoming, Wells. Tibetan Buddhism is complex and exotic and there are practices that involve sexual acts. Being naive and malleable in the hands of a predator in a position of authority does not make the victims morons. People sometimes do foolish things with good intentions. You yourself are guilty of that, as are we all. All authority and power is in the mind of those subjected to it. There is no authority more powerful than spiritual authority to one who seeks spiritual guidance. Tradition and lineage are very valuable to many people and for good reason. The fact is that tantric sexual practice is highly secretive. Very little is written about it other than in texts that are not available to the public and not available in English. These women had no way of knowing what real tantric practice is versus what Sogyal was telling them. Furthermore, the dynamics of sexual harassment make it very difficult for the victim to challenge the abuser. He may not even have made it about enlightenment, harassment and abuse is all about the power differential. I hope you will try to look at victims of sexual abuse as human beings with feelings who were taken advantage of rather than morons who asked for it. You may have no frame of reference for empathizing with them but if you have any interest in spiritual growth, this is what it is all about. No one is deserving of such treatment. One way to try and see this is to contemplate one of the victims as being your daughter. Imagine your daughter, or another woman you deeply love, being taken in by a wily charlatan and predator, not necessarily spiritual - maybe in the workplace or academic setting. It is pervasive in our society. They are no less human or worthy of our compassion because they were duped.

It boils down to the fact that taijiquan, like qigong and neigong, is experiential. Three things are needed - a dedicated student, a skillful guide, and a credible lineage. If these things are in place, we come to understand as a result of direct knowing through experience. If we continue on and have the opportunity to teach, it takes the experience to a whole other level because we now need to recognize flaws in others (as well as ourselves) and use our knowledge of the basic principles to find solutions. When I first started teaching, I would constantly run things by my teacher. I'll never forget the time he basically cut me off, saying quite emphatically - no more questions, it's your turn now, you need to figure it out! So it is not that you are awful at noticing things, morning dew, I suspect it is more a matter of not having put in enough years of practice yet. As you feel it in your own body and develop confidence in that knowledge and experience, you will be better able to see it in others. This really hit home with me when I began reading a marvelous book called The T'ai Chi Boxing Chronicle by Kuo-Lien Ying. I started it when I was about a year into my taiji training. I could understand the first few chapters but beyond that I just didn't get it. After about 6 months I revisited the book and found that more of it made sense. I repeated this over the course of the next few years and eventually the entire book not only made sense but helped me gain deeper understanding. It was necessary to feel things in my body and mind and then the words and concepts made sense and could help guide me further. I've had very similar experience in practicing and reading about meditation and spirituality. I agree with Taomeow regarding the first video. A few clues are to look at are the shoulders and the continuity (or lack of) of movement when comparing the two videos. I suspect the practitioner in the first video is primarily an external practitioner, at least that's how his body movement and posture look to me. I don't know who he is and I reserve the right to be wrong, as always. External and internal practitioners often take different approaches to qigong forms. When I learned the shiba luohan qigong, I was taught two approaches - external and internal. Each is valid and valuable and they cultivate different benefits.

I think this area of inquiry is very valuable, especially if we maintain an open mind about the meaning of symbols (words/concepts) like "knowing, believing, and faith." Knowing sometimes transforms into belief. We know something to be true until we find out it is false, then we can see in retrospect that it was a belief - not knowledge. Examples include every major scientific breakthrough and paradigm shift in history. Another example is the experience of spiritual awakening, what once was knowledge of the way things are is no longer accurate. A deeper, more pervasive, and (arguably) more accurate explanation unfolds and turns what was once knowledge into delusion. The whole concept of knowing and proof is quite interesting and elusive and can be explored on two levels - the intellectual and the spiritual. Belief is acceptance or conviction that an explanation or definition is true in the absence of direct, personal knowledge or experience. It is a useful tool but can be easily corrupted or misused. As a word, it is often used interchangeably with faith. I tend to avoid that equivalence as will be discussed further below. Faith for me conjures up more of a sense of confidence and trust without necessarily implying the acceptance of a specific explanation or body of information. No question that there is a relationship and overlap between faith and belief but there are also important differences. It's all about how each of us understands and uses the symbols. Knowing and belief tend to be more related to the intellect. Faith tends to be more related to the heart. Knowing and belief often refer to information whereas faith often relates to people. I like how Alan Watts discusses the relationship between belief and faith: "We must here make a clear distinction between belief and faith, because, in general practice, belief has come to mean a state of mind which is almost the opposite of faith. Belief, as I use the word here, is the insistence that the truth is what one would “lief” or wish it to be. The believer will open his mind to the truth on the condition that it fits in with his preconceived ideas and wishes. Faith, on the other hand, is an unreserved opening of the mind to the truth, whatever it may turn out to be. Faith has no preconceptions; it is a plunge into the unknown. Belief clings, but faith lets go. In this sense of the word, faith is the essential virtue of science, and likewise of any religion that is not self-deception."

Interesting comment given that Apech and I are mostly in disagreement in this thread.

Thank you for emphasizing that important point, Rene, which supports both Apech's position and my own. Men appear to be far more prone to violent behavior than women, but it remains a small percentage of all men who are engaged in violence.