doc benway

For me, the relationship between intention and naturalness (we could speak of ziran, wu wei, and perhaps some other concepts) is a very important and interesting area of focus. In a similar way, the whole nature of thought and naturalness is related to this. I personally do not look at intention or thought as necessarily unnatural. I also don't see wu wei as necessarily being without intent. The distinctions can be very subtle and I am only sharing my perspective, not suggesting that I'm right and others are wrong. In the practices I work with, we begin by calming the mind so that we can break free of the control that the thoughts generally exert over our lives. We strongly identify with "the thinker" at a very deep level. Meditation is the process of seeing through the illusion of this thinker and opening ourselves to a more comprehensive and expansive view of who we are. With that more open view there also comes more potential in our lives. There comes a time when the meditation (whether formal or informal) is strong and skillful enough that we are no longer distracted or controlled by the thinking mind. The thoughts still come and go, emotional states come and go, and we are still able to remain with the more expansive view of who we are. We no longer identify with the thinker. It is seen for what it is, just another train of thought. At this point it can be seen that there is nothing more natural than thought, nothing more natural than intent. It is an important part of what makes us distinctly human. It is only a problem when we over identify with it. It is a very precious gift rather than something unnatural or abnormal. It simply needs to be seen accurately, put in proper context, and made to work for us rather than the other way around. So back to the OP, I don't know your level of experience or your preferred method of meditation but I suspect you are fairly new to the practice. The thinking mind is always looking for something to grab onto. It generally keeps itself very busy acting as if it is the commander, rather than simply thought. When you begin to meditate and the thinking mind is now the object of observation, it is shocking to discover how powerful, stubborn, and resourceful it can be. Today it is the breath control; once you successfully deal with that it will latch on to other things - guaranteed! This is the work - to observe this aspect of yourself carefully, patiently, and with some degree of humor and playfulness, otherwise it can become a chore and quite discouraging. Meditation, in the beginning, is the study of our thinking mind. Eventually we transcend that and find that there is a far deeper, richer, and more supportive level of being that is not currently accessible because it is subtle and drowned out by the thinker. Be patient and compassionate with yourself. If it is difficult to work with the breath, there are other techniques which occupy the mind in different ways and ultimately lead to the same place. If you're interested, I'd be happy to share information about other approaches. Good luck!

Why is it that intent/intention is considered unnatural? Does intent/intention occur naturally in humans? Humans and animals possess a respiratory/nervous system that operates in 2 modes - voluntary and involuntary. This is not accidental, nor is it unnatural IMO. The whole question of what is natural and what is not is worthy of serious consideration. As far as the OP goes: 1. Consciously controlling the breath is not harmful. It is something you are currently experiencing and struggling with but your relationship to your breath will change with time and practice. If you shared with us what type of practice you are engaged in, there may be more specific solutions forthcoming. 2. Not sure focusing in any particular part of the body is the answer but focusing on dan tian certainly can be very ground and stabilizing. One suggestion is to notice the presence of one who is disturbed by being in control of the breath. Just watch that concern, that tendency. Where does it come from? Where does it go? Let go a little bit with respect to being concerned with who or what is controlling the breath. Looking directly at and being with that concern may help to allow it to release. Don't get frustrated or give up. The breath is fine with you in control and equally fine when you let it be.

Here is a description of the Namgyalma mantra from Lama Yeshe page: "The Namgyalma Mantra Namgyalma is a deity for long life and purification. Her mantra has infinite benefits. It is said to be so powerful that anybody who hears it will never again be born from the womb. Therefore, if animals hear it, they will never again be reborn in the lower realms. There is a story from the time Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was on earth concerning a deva called Paripu Denpa. Due to karma, when devas start experiencing the signs of death, they spontaneously remember their previous lives and see their future lives; they perceive that they are about to be reborn in the lower realms and so forth. Since their realm has unbelievable enjoyments thousands of times better than those of the richest country on earth, when they realize that they are about to leave a life of such pleasure and be reborn where there is incredible suffering, their minds suffer greatly. Thus, as he was dying, the deva Denpa saw that he was about to be reborn as six types of animal—dog, monkey and so forth. Very worried, he asked King Indra what to do. King Indra suggested that he see the Buddha, which he did. Buddha manifested as the deity Namgyalma and gave him the mantra. Denpa recited it six times daily and in seven days completely changed his karma so that he did not have to be reborn as those six types of animal. The Namgyalma mantra is unbelievably powerful for purification. I have translated its benefits and explained how to recite it for people who have cancer and other diseases. The kind, compassionate Guru Shakyamuni Buddha taught the benefits of reciting the Namgyalma mantra to the Four Guardian Kings. Even if you are in danger of dying because the karma that determines your life-span is running out, if you wash your body, wear clean clothes and, abiding in the eight precepts, recite the Namgyalma mantra one thousand times, you can increase your life-span, purify your obscurations and free yourself from disease. If you recite the Namgyalma mantra into the ear of an animal, you ensure that this is its last animal rebirth. If somebody suffering from a heavy disease that doctors cannot diagnose does the practice Lord Buddha taught to the deva Denpa, he or she will be liberated from that disease, bring to an end all future rebirths in the lower realms, and after death be reborn in a blissful pure land. For humans, the present life will be their last rebirth from the womb. If you recite this mantra twenty-one times, blow upon mustard seeds and throw them onto the bones of even extremely evil beings who have created many heavy negative karmas, those beings will immediately be liberated from the lower realms and be reborn in a higher realm, such as that of a deva. Throwing seeds blessed by the Namgyalma mantra onto the bones or body of a dead being purifies that being’s consciousness, and even though that being may have been reborn in hell or any other lower realm, that being can be reborn in a deva realm. If you put this mantra in a stupa or on a banner inside your house or above the roof, whoever is touched by even the shadow of that stupa or banner will not be reborn in the lower realms. Also, any being touched by a breeze that has first touched a stupa, banner or statue containing this mantra is purified of the karma to be reborn in the lower realms. What need is there to mention, therefore, how great the purification experienced by those who recite this mantra or keep it on their body. Go here to read the mantra."

I appreciate your response and, similarly; if that is how you see it, so be it... peace

Watts was quite knowledgeable about Eastern philosophy and religion; he was also a bit of a womanizer and alcoholic. He never claimed to be anything other than a "spiritual entertainer" which he most certainly was. He also sometimes referred to himself (and others) as "genuine fakes," referring to the fact that we are not who we generally think we are, so in that sense your comment is accurate. Although I don't think that was the intent of your insult. For someone to have "opened the door to non-Western thinking" in the 1960's was quite a radical and an impressive feat. Despite his imperfections, I have a lot of respect for him.

I feel no hatred or anger for you or any of the More Pie people, more like disbelief and sympathy... I suspect one thing that bothers people is your efforts to recruit people to practice a system that is a dead end. That is quite unfair to others not to mention yourself. You know, without question, that you only have access to a very small fraction of the training system and no guidance of an accomplished master to help navigate the subtle and occasionally hazardous paths of energy work. You know there is no possibility of ever receiving intermediate or advanced teachings beyond the 2nd step of 72... Yet you hope somehow these more advanced teachings will magically appear someday, otherwise all of your efforts are for naught, and you say you take nothing on faith. And you want others to buy in to this dead end along with you, eschewing other opportunities to enrich their lives with other methods of training because they don't have a videotape of an ohmmeter registering electricity. Meanwhile many of these other methods have actual scientific research to support their efficacy and you do not. And you call this reasonable, rational, and down to earth? I call it delusional.

Upcoming free teachings of dream yoga on Facebook Live starting June 6th. All talks are recorded so you don't have to be available at the scheduled time.

The fluidity and connectedness of his body movement are hypnotic... Can't wait to meet him!

Watts was a bright light that illuminated quite a few lives.

Lately, I've been thinking of our species as a collective cancer on the skin of our Mother... Perhaps spiritual practice is the only Medicine

Nothing would be healthier for our ecosystem than a decline in human population...

So bye bye for now. I have need of a good rest Badass bees buzz byzzzzzz

I really like working with these folks - http://www.destinationom.com/ They're mainly into malas but check out their site, you may find something you like. I've not seen them work with meterorite but I did have a very nice lava stone wrist mala from them. I also have a beautiful one that is bone and amber.

Going back to the original format, I don't practice this style but find the body movement interesting. Hulei Jia Taijiquan, Thunder Style. It can be traced back to Li Jinyan, student of Chen Qingping, 7th generation Chen master This is Grandmaster Zhang Suisheng

Yes, I don't know much about his program but I do believe that's the form he teaches.

When you identify your own basic entity yourself and directly ascertain its meaning continuously and forever in meditative equipoise, then even though acting in the world, you are enlightened. ~ His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama ~

I have a good friend who teaches Chinese martial arts in Luton. He is a superb martial artist and a great person. His specialty is shuai jiao but his taiji skills are top notch as well. If you end up north of London, look him up. Rob Simpson - http://www.icma.kuoshu.co.uk/Zheng Yi Guan.html

In that case... I never practiced Guang Ping but I highly recommend Master Kuo's book Tai Chi Boxing Chronicle which is how I learned about the style. I'm going to leave the video up because it's superb. I do still practice Chen Panling's 99 most days. A very nice example of what I'm currently studying... performed by my teacher's teacher's nephew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJOcx0rWfM8

Here is the best version of 99 Forms of Chen Panling I've come across (this video credits the form to Wang Shujin but most sources credit CPL). Chen Panling created this form while working with the Central Guoshu Committee which he chaired prior to WW2. The committee was charged with creating standardized national kuo shu materials and this form incorporates Yang, Wu, Chen, and Sun elements.

It's not quite accurate to say that silk reeling is the Chen equivalent of cloud hands. The silk reeling movement is present in cloud hands, and essentially every other movement throughout taijiquan in one way or another. Cloud hands is simply one expression. Silk reeling exercise provides many benefits - when first starting you'll notice the horse stance and sore shoulders more than anything. Once the legs and arms are conditioned, many things will open up. Others can certainly speak more about this topic than me but it works whole body coordination, mind-body integration, opening of the channels, flexibility of the kua, all of which cultivate the spiral energy and internal power.

[Removed out of respect]

Exactly, in cloud hands there is the combined translation and rotation movements - all of it is rooted in the feet, generated by the legs, guided by the hips, expressed in the hands. There is no movement in the arms that is not connected to the kua. This is cultivated in Chen style with silk reeling practice Here is a great example from Zhu Xianghua, son of Grandmaster Zhu Tiancai, watch the interplay of hard and soft. The explosive power is dependent on both. If you are on the East Coast of the US, Grandmaster Zhu will be visiting Washington DC for a workshop in late August. My first taijiquan teacher was very traditional - he would demonstrate something 3 times then leave. You got it or you didn't... It took me several years but I eventually realized that the secret to learning from him (at least for me), was to watch his feet and waist (by waist I really mean kua). If I got that right, the arms and hands would naturally follow and would be easy to refine.

I'd love to hear anything you'd like to share. I've played with some solid Guang Ping folks but never studied it. I do read Master Kuo's book [...not did, mind you - I never stop learning from this book!] I've heard some criticism of it's provenance but I think it is brilliant. Do you know anything about it?

I'll lead off with a lesser known form which I feel is worth knowing about: Guang Ping Yang taijiquan Guang Ping Yang style form is said to be the original form adapted by Yang Luchan from his training in Chen village. Yang Luchan --> Yang Panhou --> Wang Jiaoyu --> Kuo Lienying (who brought it to San Francisco) Master Kuo was the author of The Tai Chi Boxing Chronicle As for the person demonstrating, it is the late Grandmaster Chiang Yunchung: http://slantedflying.com/tai-chi-master-y-c-chiang-passes-away/

I thought it worth sharing that the workshop Liminal Luke was referring to is here: http://www.glidewing.com/twr/dreamyoga_home.html Unlike the Facebook Live teachings, this workshop has a fee as it is hosted by Glidewing, an independent entity. It's a great workshop. I've spent 2 weeks in retreat with him on these practices, done the workshop, and read the book. I can confidently say that the workshop has everything you need to establish a solid dream practice. Jox, I think Silent Thunder is referring to this book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199519.The_Tibetan_Yogas_Of_Dream_And_Sleep Great resource for dream and sleep yoga with the emphasis on dream yoga. The supporting practices discussed for dream yoga are also used for the sleep practice. If anyone is working with these practices and has questions, I can help with the basics.