doc benway

I enjoy the rain. I’m also appreciative for your ravings about misogyny, homophobia, and antichrists as they inform me regarding the lucidity of your contributions here. Some here talk about the truth, others indulge in flights of fantasy. It’s all good - ཀུན་ཏུ་བཟང་པོ།

When you've lived through Trump and Obama presidencies and conclude that Obama hates women and is the antichrist. I think you'd do better concentrating on the "highest form of culture in the world" rather than the lowest form of negative speech.

Is it possible that some of these traditions aren’t overly stuck in the conventional concept of time? Just because our ancestors are not presently incarnate in a form we recognize, there is much we have access to and can connect with from when they were occupying familiar forms. This connection is very real and alive for us even in their absence, whether we imagine them as occupying a heaven, a hell, another human form, or any of a number of other possibilities. All of these possibilities exist for us in our conceptual mind while our ancestors are actually far more concrete than that - they live in our DNA, our patterns of behavior, our possessions and preferences, our memories and families, our legacies and opportunities, as well as our challenges and obstacles. Practicing and communing with our ancestors can be profoundly liberating and empowering.

hypnotic escape then return to this moment in vibrant presence

Even if we're not aware of the inner child, we can still see her effects in our actions, patterns, feelings, and so forth. Why would people engage? Perhaps to feel better, to adjust better, to know themselves better, to heal old trauma. How? Lots of ways. In my approach mainly through being open and quiet. When he is ready, he shows up and I sit next to him in openness, clarity, and warmth.

It’s the other way ‘round from what I’ve read. Cherokee tell the story of the Pleiades and pine as being children of the Cherokee, they say Ani'tsutsa - The Boys https://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/OriginOfThePleiadesAndThePine-Cherokee.html In the Māori creation story the Pleiades are the eyes of Tāwhirimātea, one of first children of Mother Earth and Father Sky. https://www.thetereomaoriclassroom.co.nz/2019/07/the-maori-creation-story/

Perhaps you are using the wrong pronouns?

Shih Kien, actor from Enter the Dragon

My own take is that there are two things here, personal power and seeking. In terms of growth there is a need for seeking and for personal power when we experience indecisiveness and lack. There must be some fuel and strength of ego to recognize and engage in the process of transformation, and a lot of dedication to see it through. And at some point what is sought is found and the seeker can rest in certainty and confidence. At this point the idea of personal power is moot as the true source of power is experienced and is not limited by persona. For many focusing on personal power can become a major obstacle, feeding the factors that cut us off from the source and objective. This is where a teacher, wisdom teachings, and a community of practitioners can be invaluable.

Ho’oponopono

The full moon is considered an auspicious time to engage in spiritual practice in Bön and Tibetan Buddhism. I've also heard some say that the merits of practice are amplified on those days, also new moon days. I can't say I feel more energetic per se but perhaps more sensitive and alert, empathetic.

I agree it is good for many and I think there is still a fitting of symptoms into theories, even in TCM and all other conceptual models. The only exception is resting in non-conceptual awareness which is, in my teacher's words, the true source of healing. I have a foot in each of two worlds - Eastern and Western - when it comes to medicine and healing. I feel there is great potential to do good in both and I do what I can to integrate the two in my practice.

I would look also to your heart, be open and patient. Sit with the thoughts and feelings of what medicine and healing bring up for you and stay with it, quiet inside and alert. So many different directions one can go. Being motivated and skillful at helping people is a great blessing, the connections that are made as well as the merit and wisdom you gain over time - priceless. Also possible to succumb to the pressures in any number of ways. Only you can know if it's worth it.

I saw many practitioners who spent many years in the [Dzogchen] Community, and succeeded in learning to avoid an honest look at themselves. And I'm convinced, even now that I wrote these lines, many of you have already read them and say to yourself: ′"This is not me, he is talking about another." Here is a good awareness practice to follow: once in the mind will arise a critical assessment of another person, switch up immediately and try on this judgment on yourself. Then, instead of developing your negative judgements, you can really succeed in the development of your awareness. This is one of the meanings of the symbol 'mirror'. Chögyal Namkhai Norbu

If you want more on Bön dream yoga, this is a good book- https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Tibetan_Yogas_of_Dream_and_Sleep.html?id=yjAtDQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&gboemv=1#v=onepage&q&f=false Here is a good series of free online teachings - https://cybersangha.net/dream-yoga-deepening-your-awareness-night-and-day-teaching-series/ And a great paid course - https://www.glidewing.com/twr/dreamyoga_home.html

I've had the occasional lucid dream since childhood. I then began practicing in an organized and devloted way after getting exposed to dream and sleep teachings from Yungdrung Bön. I follow the Bön teachings on dream and sleep from the Mother Tantra. I practiced dream yoga in a dedicated way for about 3 years and then sleep yoga for another 2 years after that. I haven't been practicing either recently but will go back to them periodically. It varies quite a bit depending on the circumstances I find myself in. I enjoy flying very much. I seek teachings from masters. I meditate. I experiment with traveling. I play around with mirrors. I do the exercises we are taught to develop stability and control of the dream environment. I try to resolve violent and frightening dreams into peaceful ones. I try to dissolve the dreams to access the clear light of sleep. Endless possibilities. Abstain from drugs and alcohol, marijuana in particular. Create a sacred, electronics-free sleeping environment. Wind down slowly at the day's end, eating a light dinner, and disconnecting from all electronics for at least a few hours, do some supportive and mentally cleansing practices before bed, approach sleep as a sacred and precious activity. Make your daytime practice every bit as important as the sleep-time practice itself. Approach the lucid dream as sacred - it is fine to treat lucid dreams as entertainment if that is your only objective but I feel the dream world opens more fully to a more reverential approach, much as one would do for example with something like ayahuasca. Consistency, persistence, and patience are key for me. It took me a long time to begin having regular and somewhat predictable lucid dreams, nearly 2 years of regular practice. If you can afford to do it in the setting of a prolonged retreat under the guidance of a master it will come much faster. It's challenging to develop the skills and supportive environment on your own, living in the busy, over-stimulated Western world. It is highly dependent on your emotional, physical, and psychological condition. It is very beneficial to spend time clearing obstacles from your life before engaging with dream and sleep practices.

Sorry to hear that, he did have some deep insights. I got a lot out of a few of his books, When the Shoe Fits in particular. The documentary about him on Netflix was quite eye-opening for me and well done.

I think they generally realize it early and move on

abaft

Not specifically but I think it's an excellent idea. I've tagged @Trunk, @ilumairen, @dwai, and @zerostao and would be happy to create something like that if the admin/mod team approve. My thought would be to put it as a subforum in General Discussion or Healing Circle. We could make it a standard public forum or consider making it limited access by request only so that it is not searchable, similar to Current Events and gender specific forums, that way anyone not following the guidelines could be excluded without being otherwise penalized. I'll defer to the current management team but happy to help in any way on this.

So??? Don't keep us hanging... which is it?