doc benway

I think others see it too. No question that Drew is intelligent, insightful, and passionate about his chosen area of focus (as are others here).

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

In high school I cut a class and thought it would cool to throw a snowball at the window of the class I was missing... The snowball was a bit too firm and the window a bit too thin and it shattered.... No more throwing pebbles at windows for me!

I have found it extremely valuable and eye opening to notice my tendency to want others to see things the way I do. I see this so much online. I see it in our political dialogue. I see it in myself. I see it in all (most) of you. I think it is natural and normal but easily distorted and exaggerated. It can undermine relationships and doesn't seem to be of much value to anyone. If someone wants to see your side it takes an active choice to do so on their part. Nothing I say can cause another to be open to my viewpoint. I think the motivation can be multifactorial - - I want to help others to see the truth (as I see it) - compassionate - I want my own view of reality to be correct - fear based There are times when I'm not at all aware that I am doing this. It can be quite subtle and annoyingly obvious. With practice, it becomes easier to notice the tendency and address it. Over time, my intellectual addiction to being correct lessens and my ability to develop and maintain relationships with others and expand my own potential increases. It may seem a bit contradictory at first but it is true - when I let go of my view of the truth, I have the possibility of appreciating and more expansive view of truth. My own son really helped me with this. He pointed out to me once how, when interacting with him and others, I have a tendency to always share my own perspective (not to mention my voracious tendency to debate, question, and correct others in line with that perspective). I replied, what else do I have to share but my perspective? His reply was along the lines of - you could try to see the other's point of view, try to anticipate their needs, ask more questions, try to imagine what it is like for them to experience the issue at hand. I know my son is empathetic and insightful so I was able check my ego, accept his criticism, and really sit with it and look deeply at myself. It was a revelation for me to see the truth in his words and has been helpful to my relationships, especially my marriage. When we tell others that a particular practice is right or wrong, when we criticize and insult things or people they find valuable, when we invalidate or correct their positions, when we yell at them by writing in giant, bold font letters and demand that they read or listen to what WE have to say over and over... we are really demonstrating the narrowness of our own perspective, our insecurity, our lack of openness, our inability to consider that there are alternative realities and truths. There are infinite perspectives and infinite truths. There are truths that are completely contradictory. I apologize if anyone feels that I am calling them out but I am pointing this finger at everyone reading this as we are all prone to this by the nature of our psychology and physiology, myself included. I would challenge everyone here to share rather than preach, to offer our perspective rather than fire it from a cannon, to try to expand our own perspective by being inclusive and collaborative rather than competitive and dismissive. The wider and more open my perspective, the more inclusive and supportive I am of others' perspectives, the closer I am to truth. If I can't open myself to alternative perspectives, I will never know anything more than my personal, limited point of view. To the extent that I can cultivate empathy and the ability to see and feel what others see and feel, my own perspective has infinitely more potential. This site has so much potential but I so often see it undermined by narrow-minded bluster that serves no purpose other than to reinforce our own ego, which is antithesis of the Dao and spirituality in general. With a little introspection and self-observation, this place could be a very supportive community. It's sometimes discouraging to see the bickering. It may not matter to some but it certainly tends to push me away and prevent me from sharing more. Rant off...

I knew that! Agreed

I'll take the acupuncture any day... ... and I'm an MD...

Excellent point rex. No matter how deeply we connect with the inner essence, no matter how skillful we integrate practice and life, we remain human. We have minds, thoughts, and habitual tendencies that are with us until death. Formal sessions are the foundation, the reference point if you will. Many practitioners continue with the "preliminary" practices throughout the course of their lives. Similarly, dzogchen is essentially a practice of no-practice and yet traditional dzogchen practice includes guru yoga, refuge, bodhicitta, and dedication practices as an integral part of every practice session for precisely the reasons you state.

Several right now: Songs of Spiritual Experience compiled by Thupten Jinpa - marvelous collection of songs and poems by spiritual seekers of the Buddhist tradition compiled and translated by a master Chen's Tai Chi Old Frame One and Two by Chen Zhenglei - wonderful introduction describing the path and skill of taijiquan followed by step by step form instruction (a great study aid, although I wouldn't recommend trying to learn solely from a book - any book) by a Grandmaster of the style The Heart of Meditation by the Dalai Lama - succinct and profound exposition on dzogchen theory and practice through the Dalai Lama's teachings on The Three Keys written by the 19th century master Patrul Rinpoche. This is one to read over and over again, always going deeper into the meanings and yourself My Notebook - me For my occasional dabbling in poetry

In the tradition I practice, there is a progression. First there are preliminary practices that are meant to break down conditioning, habitual patterns, and self-destructive behavior. This permits us to open to the possibility there is another way to be. Next there is recognition of the meditative state. Then I must develop absolute certainty of that state. Once there is certainty, there is development of stability in that state under optimal circumstances (on the cushion in a quiet place, undisturbed). Then I can begin to enter that state 'off the cushion' and bring it into my life. It's best to begin by bringing it to spiritually positive activities - reciting mantras, doing prostrations, etc... (of course that will vary with your preferred tradition). Then when that is working well, I can bring it to neutral activity (eating, dressing, interacting with friends). Finally, I exercise the ability to bring it to negative situations (stressful environments, work, conflicts,..). Ultimately, if I am able to rest in that meditative space in every waking, dreaming, and sleeping moment, up to the point of death and beyond - there is enlightenment. At least that is one way to define it. Certainly there are other conceptual frameworks for enlightenment. This is an artificial breakdown of the process but it more or less flows in this direction. Ultimately we are in meditation at all times (good luck!). No question that it brings profound healing to our lives - physical, energetic, psychological. It is very important to be careful in psychosis. Psychosis has a very specific definition regarding the ability to distinguish "reality" from impaired interpretation of reality (delusion). Intense fear is not necessarily psychosis but certainly can be a symptom. Intense fear can also be neurosis. No doubt in my mind that skillful meditation will bring about healing but it does not work for everyone and must be used, like Liminal suggests, with utmost caution in those with true psychosis (impaired reality testing). In some cases it can make matters worse like with the young woman who committed suicide after a Goenke bootcamp in Pennsylvania recently.

My guess - it was simultaneous...

You won't find it out there...

If we could live without food, we would have no reason for a digestive system...

I think it becomes less of an issue if you have the view that all is divine... or none. At least that's how I see it.

Me too, I think it's a smart and healthy approach.

It's an interesting coincidence that I recently had a link to this group appear in my Facebook feed - in fact it was the day after I noticed this thread. I asked if they would be so kind as to share the name of their lineage and Dr. Barry's teacher but received no reply...

I have as well - I guess I've got issues... To connect with these subtle and elusive forces, for me at least, requires openness, trust, and a deep personal connection to the lineage. Knowledge, intellect, and the analytical mind, no matter how powerful, are of little value here. I also think some individuals are particularly sensitive and conducive to such visitations.

I'll have the course on relationships for $5100, please! https://energyforsuccess.org/product/relationships-for-the-individual/

No

Thanks for sharing that. Like I said, we all have our different paradigms and experiences. I respect all legitimate traditions and am open to the possibility that there are different yet equally valid approaches to this stuff.

No question whatsoever, in my system and experience, that the cultivation of Yi is more efficient in seated practice and is then applied to moving practices, whether they be neigong, qigong, or martial. My teacher's emphasis was always strongly martial. And I'm open to the fact that it's different and equally effective in other systems. At the end of the day, it is all a mental construct and an approximation/interpretation of what is. I don't buy into the whole energy leakage thing... To think that I am an impervious Qi container does not fit with my personal experience or view of the nature of Qi. For me, the Qi is continuous inside and outside. Certainly there are gradients, concentrations, fluxes, flows, and so forth but the materialistic implications that some views of Qi seem to imply just don't work for me. I recognize that there are those who have this view and respect that we have different approaches. We have practices that involve covering the ears and eyes but it is not related to energy leakage, more related to healing and rejuvenating type thing.

Interesting read - thanks for that. Here is an interesting article on pancreatic embryology that you may find useful as well: https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Endocrine_-_Pancreas_Development#Some_Recent_Findings

The figure in your last post demonstrates my point. The abdominal viscera all receive sympathetic innervation through branches of the splanchnic nerves and the celiac ganglion. The pancreas is no more directly connected to the spine than any other viscus in terms of sympathetic neurologic connection.

You may want to do some independent investigation as to that claim. I'm not sure it is accurate.

I guess it depends on context. In the quote from Wallbridge, he is referring to 身(body - shěn). When discussing the three treasures, we are referring to 神 (spirit - shén) I find it very useful to include Hanzi when discussing Chinese terms as the English transliteration is always ambiguous (unless of course you add the tones which helps limit the ambiguity).

Which character are you referring to as shen? I'm familiar with 神 (spirit) and 身(body). Do you mean 心 (xīn)? Xin leads the yi, yi leads the qi?