doc benway

For those who may not take the time to check out your link, I thought I'd take the liberty of posting a different excerpt. A bit off topic but I find it worthy of sharing: "My Qigong teachers in China talked with me one time about a perspective on the 三寶 San Bao or three treasures. They explained that there were several, perhaps uncountable, lists of things that were San Bao. They said the San Bao of philosophy are Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. The San Bao of existence are 地人天 Earth, man and Heaven. They then explained that the San Bao of the self were 精氣神 Jing Qi Shen/essence qi and spirit. They drew a diagram with each of the first of the lists at the bottom rising through the others to the top, like this: 佛 天 神 孔 人 氣 道 地 精 They said Daoism relates most to the Earth and its practices are the most focussed on essence. Confucianism is focussed on the world of men and their relationships and so is the most focussed on the cultivation of the Qi between things. Finally Buddhism looks to Heaven and so is most concerned with cultivation of the spirit. They explained that each practice has its place and purpose. They are like the roots trunk and leaves of a tree, none is better or more useful than the other. That being said they then smiled and explained to me, “Still it is the study of Dao in the natural world which is the basis of all of our practice (not everyone’s practice, the practice that they were teaching me at that time), so first you must cultivate the Jing and never leave it behind for pursuits of the mind. Always carry it forward to provide an earthly grounding upon which your practice stands.” I received this lesson at Clear Sound Pavilion 情音閣 on 峨眉山 Emei Mountain in 1991. I’m not saying its any kind of standard or truth in Daoist practices, it is simply a lesson I was taught over a cup of tea."

his blog Yes, I agree it is a critical and foundational point that the Yi is not the same as visualization, imagination, intellect, or analytical mind. One of the greatest benefits of a personal teacher is to help us get these experiential aspects of practice that transcend the conceptual. This is what is referred to as transmission. As far as Kevin Wallbridge's quotation goes, I would be a little careful about translating 心 as heart and 意 as mind. As I have no doubt you are aware that 心 implies heart/mind as the Chinese do not make the same distinction that we do in the West between heart and mind. Furthermore 意 does not imply mind in its totality but rather a very specific aspect of mind that is related to intention. My teacher always translates it specifically as mind of intent. So I would tend to translate - xin ling yi, yi ling qi, qi ling shen - more along the lines of heart/mind leads the mind of intent (or simply intent), intent leads the qi, qi leads the body. Not as fluid but perhaps a bit more specific. [edit] PS - I just looked at the blog you refer to and I like how he uses both intent and attent as being related to Yi, the key for me from a practical point of view is the mind/body connection achieved through awareness

It was daunting at first but the approach I take is that I am eating, breathing, and living, the days and years are passing, so I may as well be practicing. If I die before I finish, so be it... The heart mantras and prayers all went fairly quickly. I'm nearly there with the 100 syllable mantra and about halfway with the prostrations. The mandala offerings are going to take a while yet... One of the benefits (and intentions?) of such a large number I've experienced is that it forces me to focus more on the process than the goal and it also helps me to lighten up and have some fun with it rather than take it too seriously. Life the Alan Watts video I posted recently about music and life, this approach is very helpful in Buddhist practice, IMO.

PS - I just looked at this animation and it is nothing like the MCO practice in my tradition. I'd like to add that there are traditional schools of Daoism (I'm not referring to Mantak Chia or any other school that has printed English resources I am aware of) that do emphasize dedicated practice of the microcosmic orbit in seated meditation as a foundation. Intermediate and advanced practices are only added once the teacher sees appropriate signs in the student. The MCO can be the primary practice for years before advancing. One primary and critical function of such practices is to cultivate very powerful mind of intent - 意 (Yi). While this is an integral part of Qigong and Taijiquan practice, it's my personal experience that concentrating solely on cultivating the Yi to guide the Qi while seated and still is extremely effective. The absence of body movement allows one to focus with far more precision and depth. My teacher used to say that the only way to reach higher levels of skill in the internal martial arts is through practicing such meditation [edit - here I am not referring solely to the MCO but to more advanced practices, all of which use the MCO as their foundation]. It was certainly my experience that it took my martial practice and ability to another level. I'm not saying that it is the right way or the only way but I thought it worthwhile to add a different perspective as most of the comments above seem to denigrate the value of dedicated MCO practice. It is a very concentrated and powerful practice, hence my recommendation earlier to practice with a credible master. I suspect much of the negative attitude towards the practice comes from the fact that many in the West adopt it from books and videos and do not have the benefit of direct instruction. I've never read or studied Chia's methods so I won't comment on them. I would invite people to have an open mind and consider the possibility that there are alternative ways to accomplish Daoist cultivation to their own preferred methods. After all there are many schools and most have little or no representation in the West or in the English language. The more perspectives we are exposed to, the more comprehensive is our understanding and appreciation of these arts that we all love and value.

In our tradition the ngöndro has 9 accumulations of 100,000 each - Guru yoga prayer Bodhicitta prayer Refuge prayer Prostrations 100 syllable mantra (different than the Vajrasattva mantra) Mandala offering 3 Heart mantras - A Om Hung Ah A Kar Sa Le Ö A Yang Om Du (essence of Dharmakaya) Om Ma Tri Mu Ye Sa Le Du (essence of Sambhogakaya) A Kar A Me Du Tri Su Nag Po Zhi Zhi Mal Mal So Ha (essence of Nirmanakaya) For a total of 900,000 It does take a significant commitment, especially for those of us with full time jobs and families and such... No less of a commitment for monks but at least they can dedicate themselves 100% to the practice. Traditionally some complete the 900,000 in as little as 3 months in retreat. That means 1,000 of each per day! I don't know how they do it.

For me, prostrations exercise body, speech, and mind. The physical movement works with the body, the prayers or mantras we recite during the practice works with speech, and whatever visualization we practice works with the mind. While I try to avoid mixing paradigms, there is no question that it has a positive effect on Qi flow. In the unimpeded state, Qi flows naturally without interruption. During our lives we develop blockages or obstructions related to the physical and energetic body as well as the mind. To the extent that prostrations assist us in removing such obstructions, the Qi flow will be improved. In a related way, as we are able to remove obstacles to resting in the nature of mind we can practice prostrations in that space. It is a wonderful way to exercise and cultivate our ability to rest in the nature of mind (if that is your practice) while engaging in physical activity. From a physical point of view, prostrations can be great exercise, especially for the legs. You can also do them in such a way as to get some degree of pushup like work for the arms. If I do 300 in one session at a consistent and brisk pace, I get a superb cardio workout. I've noted changes in the flexibility of my ankles and improved strength in my legs. There isn't much core exercise in prostrations but I do think it could help some with losing the gut, along with some planks and push ups, or yoga.

Continuing in the a cappella vein:

I still have all my old LP's and my turntable just bit the dust... Thinking of picking up a new turntable - music is an important part of my life in all of its forms.

My main practice, dzogchen, is also the practice of no-practice. While it sounds sort of ambiguous and nebulous, it is quite precise and challenging. Consequently, the Tibetans have codified it within a framework of preliminary and support practices to improve one's chances of success. If one is able to get it, all of the preliminary and support practices are unnecessary.

I'm in the 1% obviously, but it doesn't mean I agree with you! Thanks for the response.

Care to elaborate?

I cannot provide you with an overview. There are legitimate practices associated with the MCO. My feeling is that they are highly effective and valuable when received directly from a lineage master and in the context of a comprehensive system. Far less worthwhile when obtained through less reliable methods (books, video, forums) and out of context.

Hi Cedar Tree, My practices are Yungdrung Bön and internal Chinese martial arts. Yungdrung Bön originated as the indigenous, shamanic tradition of Tibet. It includes a wide variety of practices referred to as the Nine Ways of Bön. These include the ancient shamanic practices, sutric practices, tantric practices, and dzogchen, often referred to as the great perfection. My primary practice is dzogchen with some supporting practices from the tantras, primarily yogas of dream and sleep. Internal Chinese martial arts include taijiquan, xingyiquan, and baguazhang. I have studied all three but my primary focus is taijiquan. The distinctive characteristic of internal Chinese martial arts is the emphasis on cultivating internal power through mind-body integration. This is accomplished, in part, by standing meditation which is unique to each art: taijiquan, xingyiquan, and baguazhang. There are other internal arts such as yiquan and liuhebafa. Yiquan grew out of xingyiquan. It's founder, Wang Xiangzhai, felt that martial excellence could be achieved through almost exclusive practice of standing meditation.

One of my favorite Bulerias:

Petra Hayden reimagining a few of my favorite tunes:

Where Everything Is Music by Jelaluddin Rumi Don’t worry about saving these songs! And if one of our instruments breaks, it doesn’t matter. We have fallen into the place where everything is music. The strumming and the flute notes rise into the atmosphere, and even if the whole world’s harp should burn up, there will still be hidden instruments playing. So the candle flickers and goes out. We have a piece of flint, and a spark. This singing art is sea foam. The graceful movements come from a pearl somewhere on the ocean floor. Poems reach up like spindrift and the edge of driftwood along the beach, wanting! They derive from a slow and powerful root that we can’t see. Stop the words now. Open the window in the center of your chest, and let the spirit fly in and out.

I think Watts made a cogent and salient point in that excerpt. If you don't get it or don't agree with it, that's fine. I agree, let's let that go and get back to the point.

... I got it out of my system...

The crows show up outside my window around 7am most mornings while I'm sitting. <3

Did I? I may have commented on the subjectivity of time, but "only motion is real"? Doesn't sound like something I would say, please show me where. I'm a musician as well. What precisely are you referring to as bullshit?

All existence is vibration. The fast cycles of matter, the middle cycles of our days and lives, and the slow cycles of the yugas. "They all sing their lives" - magnificent! We were meant to be dancing all along...

I haven't seen the Game of Thrones but it gave me a chuckle anyway!

I think it is important to look carefully at what is meant by the word acceptance. There are wonderful and terrible things in our world. Despite tens of thousands of years of human evolution we remain selfish, greedy, and ignorant as to who and what we are and our relationship with each other and our environment. Technology and sophistication have permitted us to become more and more distanced and estranged from the natural world and continue to twist and distort our hearts and minds. This is fact. We can accept these facts or we can punish ourselves because the world is not what we think it should be. What we think it should be is a reflection of who we are: our expectations, desires, and preferences - our conditioning. These expectations do not exist in the world, they only exist in us as individuals and collectively as a society. This is what one meaning of chapter 5 of the DDJ when it speaks of the Dao and straw dogs. To me, acceptance is the realization that things are as they are, not necessarily as I would prefer them to be. Acceptance is to avoid over-identification with the thoughts and conditioning that would prefer things to be different. Those thoughts and feelings are natural and normal but we create problems when we over-identify with the judge. Acceptance does not mean forced inaction or approval. I accept that things are a certain way and I am always free to take action and attempt to change things as I see fit. If I am unsuccessful in my efforts, then I once again have the option to accept that as the fact that it is, or to punish myself with worry, anger, and frustration because things are not the way my conditioning tells me they should be. Acceptance is deeply related to wu wei. Just as wu wei does not mean inaction, neither does acceptance. That very drive to change something is the Dao working through me as its agent, just as the actions of every living creature is the Dao working with their particular characteristics as its tool. We are not here to do nothing with our precious lives. It is important, however, to know where our drive and actions are coming from. If they are coming from a lifetime of conditioning and ignorance, anger and selfishness, they are more likely to add to the mess. If they are coming from the openness of a deep connection to our innermost awareness and to a connection and respect for the natural world around us, they are more likely to be of benefit and in accordance with the Way. Depending on one's conditioning, acceptance can also be seen as a form of trust. Trust is also related to wu wei. We trust that the Way of things is as it is and that we are an integral part of that Way. When we act with that sort of trust and we are able to get our personal baggage out of the way, we are no longer interfering with the natural flow and yet we can be fully engaged and active in the process.

He mentions multiple, arduous journeys to the most remote place you can possibly imagine at the top of a mountain in China... And then shows a photo of a modern toilet to illustrate one of the "demeaning, dehumanizing, disgusting, disheartening" tasks he was forced to endure. Hmmm... my BS meter is peaking. Grandmasters of traditions that are thousands of years old generally honor the precious system and the lineage of masters that have come before them rather than focus the attention on themselves. I'm always wary of people who claim to be masters and treat their teachers and tradition as a big secret. If it's a secret, he shouldn't be selling the practices. If he can sell the practices, he can share the name and lineage... Just my $.02. Please let us know what your experience is like.

It is a portrait and a landscape... For one who recognizes her true self, it is a portrait. For one who remains tied to their separation from the land, it is a landscape. Either way, I find it wonderful and inspiring. Here is a beautiful painting from the APY lands called Ngayuku Ngura Kuuti Uwankara (My Country's Energy and Spirit is everywhere) The artist is Rosalind Tjanyari For anyone living in the US, there is a wonderful museum that is entirely dedicated to Aboriginal art and is a part of the University of Virginia. It is the Kluge-Ruhe museum in Charlottesville, Virginia. I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area.