doc benway

Often, when I'm pushing, I try to open myself to the tactile, visual, and auditory input totally. I try to just be there with that and respond without thought, interruption, plan, or desire. To me that is meditation but I'm not sure that's what you're referring to. Other times, my pushing practice is more goal oriented like working certain footwork patterns, qin na, neutralizations and so forth. Ultimately, I think the meditative mindset is a critical component to being skillful in pushing, much like in the form. The only difference is that in the form you only need to be mindful of yourself. In pushing, you need to be mindful of yourself and your opponent. At a high level of skill, when the posture and timing and other factors like zhan, nian, lian, sui, bu diu and ding are refined, I think you can let go of yourself and just be (with) your opponent without yourself getting in the way.

That video makes me sad. Human cruelty is as boundless as human compassion.

Some random thoughts on hallucinogens... (I'm in a wordy mood, watch out) For the most part, people use drugs in developed countries for recreation and distraction from pain and boredom. Part of this is because much of our social conditioning has unfortunate psychological consequences. At some level, I believe that people recognize the negative effects of our conditioning and, intuitively or accidentally begin to use hallucinogens as a way to experience states of awareness that help transcend the insanity of our social conventions. Once those conventions are seen through, there may be an increased chance of breaking through in a more meaningful and permanent way. This will require abandoning the drugs and bringing the insight into the daily reality. Continued use of the drugs will eventually become an escape and distraction and will be self defeating. The other real concern is the potential for harm related to hallucinogens. There is a group of people who will have very serious side effects, sometimes irreversible. I've seen it in two very close friends. They are probably people prone to psychosis to begin with. The purity, dosages, environment of use, and so forth are very poorly understood and controlled in the vast majority of instances. Participating in an ayahuesca ceremony with an experienced guide is very different from what most Americans, Asians, and Europeans will experience in their experimentation. I have very mixed feelings. I have my own personal experiences and I have the experience of helping my children to navigate the same treacherous waters. I don't advocate the use of hallucinogens due to the inherent risks. I do think they sometimes can help people make limited progress but it's a very slippery slope. Be careful and responsible, please!

Why try to change our thoughts? Why struggle against what we are? We ARE the universe, God, whatever word you like. We are exactly that each and every one. The connection is much more pervasive than anything we could think up. It is me, it is you, it is us. How could we possibly be anything else? Our unique sensory apparatus evokes the whole ball of wax. Without us, it does not exist. Without it, we do not exist. Only we've been deeply conditioned to feel separate. This is what Wu Wei is all about. There are negative feelings and there are positive feelings. They define each other. They come and go - always have and always will. Making an effort to change, suppress, or transform them is going against and is fruitless and will cause frustration. It simply means that what you are and what you feel is not enough. It means there is desire to be something else or feel something else. You will never be without negative feelings. To struggle against them only brings suffering. Suffering is not being in pain or being sad or any of that, suffering is the psychological pain we feel when we fight against those things. Suffering is not being what you are, it is wanting to be something other. Accept the feelings, positive AND negative. Open up to them and welcome them. Feel them as deeply as you are able. Be aware - completely aware of how it feels physically, psychologically, just be with it. Don't worry, it will change soon enough, whether up or down. Growth comes from conflict and pain, not from pleasure and satisfaction. The universe will always provide exactly what each of us needs, whether we recognize it or not. It will not always make us feel good or be what we think we want. The universe is absolutely perfect. It's just that up close, sometimes it seems chaotic and insofar as we are attached to things, the tendency toward change is painful. So I don't try to think in a certain way or imagine things as I want them. I try to be in the world as it is and do what needs to be done and what feels right. Acceptance brings a degree of peace, security, and freedom that otherwise is lacking for me. Sorry to pontificate but this subject is really close to my heart. YMMV of course....

I adore this version of Ave Maria sung by Barbara Bonney, thanks for posting that. A few others that really touch me: Claudio Monteverdi: Chiome d'Oro nm0jieRLYNs Gabriel Faure: Apres un Reve 0_H_tp0m8DQ Leo Delibes: Flower Duet from Lakme BSmog1svxXw

I'm more likely to get a direction if you are the one sticking the tongue out. I find a woman's tongue to be very visually sensual. I don't know about the exercises you describe however.

Exactly - try standing quietly with your arms relaxed. Breath naturally and put your tongue behind the front teeth at the roof of your mouth. When some saliva collects, swallow it, and slowly follow the sensation of that flowing down your esophagus, into your upper abdomen then into the lower abdomen. Guide that awareness to the dan tian area and keep your attention there for a few moments. I feel my dan tian is centered ~3 inches below the navel and ~ 1.5 inches inside (it's a little different for everyone). It is something that will gradually become more and more obvious with practice. I agree that you need to practice and learn from experience rather than learn from heresay or books. Try to find a teacher - that would make all the difference.

Jing 經 is classic Jing 精 is what is referred to in discussions of cultivation and is essence, generative energy, or semen

This is a very good thing. I mention it so much I sound like a broken record. Nevertheless, I don't think it can be emphasized enough. Very glad to hear that you found a practice that is working well for you.

MCO - Microcosmic Orbit - The most basic exercise taught in many schools of Daoist cultivation. A very important exercise that sets the foundation for more advanced training. If you train with a qualified teacher you will find that there are differences between techniques described in books and those passed down in oral tradition. It is very important to study with a teacher if you are serious, IMO. LDT - Lower Dan Tian - One of three "reservoirs" or "fields" where "energy" is stored or experienced. LDT is (in my training) ~ 3 inches below the navel and ~ 1.5 inches inside in the average standing individual. It's different when sitting. The middle dan tian is more or less in the region of the heart and upper dan tian in the center of the head (all very approximate). The important thing to remember here is that energetic anatomy does not really correspond to physical anatomy. This is why different people and traditions describe the locations differently. It is something you come to "feel" with practice and it therefore differs slightly from person to person (as does physical anatomy for that matter). Jing is semen. It also means the generative or creative force or energy contained within semen or that we associate with it. Nearly all Daoist texts available in the West refer to male techniques for cultivation. The first stage of Daoist cultivation is to use the MCO to convert Jing to Qi. Subsequent stages of cultivation involve the conversion of Qi to Shen and then returning Shen to Void.

If you define the taoist path as living your life in accordance with reality and nature, then do so. You won't need books or methods. If you define the taoist path as practicing a specific school of Daoist cultivation, then you will need to find a qualified teacher. Learning and practicing from books and internet advice will not work. The majority of folks who write books about cultivation and offer advice on the internet have limited knowledge and experience. You will waste a great deal of time. Sorry to be a downer but that is the truth as I see it. Good luck

I think that caves are more just a practical matter. When you are in deep meditation, it is very unpleasant and possibly harmful to be suddenly disturbed. It would not be safe or advisable to meditate out in the open at higher levels. It is better to be in a protected, quiet, and stable environment. A cave is perfect. With respect to documents and scrolls, where better to hide them from the elements, prying eyes, and so forth? I don't read any significance into caves beyond their practical value but that's solely my opinion.

+1 Dr. Benway himself would be proud!

Ralphe Armstrong! Fantastic! Not only with Ponty but he was the bassist with Mahavishnu Orchestra from ~ '74 - '76. Brilliant! Here's a brief interview with him worth reading - beat Jaco Pastorius out for the job with Mahavishnu! http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/mclaughlin/art/blazer.html

I'm not aware of too many but then again I haven't looked very hard. Alan Watts has a number of mp3's and podcasts. Most of his talks cross a variety of traditions but certainly express Daoist sensibilities as do Anthony Demello's (also easy to find on youtube). Here is a brief Watts excerpt that I love with visuals by those wacky South Park guys.... I've posted this before but never get tired of it. ERbvKrH-GC4

I don't know of any written works like you describe. My teacher has talked to me a bit about the topic based on some of my experiences. As the mind grows quiet over time with deeper states of meditation, strong and surprising emotions may surface. They can be unexpected, frightening, and make no sense. They are mostly a consequence of emotional suppression. It's a healthy and important side effect of cultivation. It's best to watch what's happening without too much analysis or indulgence and let it pass naturally. In their wake will be a more peaceful and content state. Feel free to PM if you have any interest in more detailed conversation. I think it's a very important aspect of cultivation and one that is not addressed enough.

Go get 'em Darin! Given your early association with the Catholic Church, have you ever studied the work of Anthony Demello?

WOW - very powerful stuff! And I love the tango. Glad I stumbled onto this.

My school is one of those - we generally require a student to be practicing Taijiquan and standing for a year or more before offering instruction in seated meditation. And we will teach a simplified technique for the MCO to practice while standing early on.

We're really proud of you Stig!!! I hope you're having a great time.

Cool thread... I played bass quite a bit as a kid then got into cello and guitar. After getting into Qigong, Taijiquan, and meditation practices I've found that I've been strongly drawn to rhythmic and native musics (Andean, Tuvan, R&B, Samba, Funk) and so on. This is after years of playing and listening to classical music nearly exclusively. Also, I've found that I'm drawn back to playing the bass and whereas I used to love complex stuff and solos, now I like the simple rhythmic grooves. Is it related to my energetic work? Who knows, but I'm enjoying myself more with it. As mentioned above, my teacher always says that Dao meditation practice improves creativity.

Exactly my experience Also - if you're working with a teacher, once you get into more advanced exercises you will need to sit so that you can devote all of your 'attention' to the practice.

Taijiquan is a perfect Qigong exercise that benefits from extremely slow practice. I like to practice the Shiba Luohan Gong very slowly thought there are a couple of movements that need to be done with more speed. Good answer

Muscle twitches are often a sign of fatigue, sometimes dehydration or mineral imbalance. They can be related to your posture while sitting - I would take a look at that. In very rare instances they can be a sign of neurologic illness. Generally a twitch has little to do with the brain but is a reflex arc through the spinal cord or firing of the muscle due to local changes in things like Magnesium, Phosphate, pH, Calcium, Potassium levels and so forth. I know more about the Western paradigm explanations than the Eastern... I experience them periodically and ignore them and they generally come and go as they please.

If you are interested in converting jing -> qi -> shen -> void, I would highly recommend finding a qualified teacher. I practice but would never try to teach by correspondence. Once you have a basic foundation, it is possible to practice with occasional long distance correspondence with your teacher but I don't know how safe and effective that is in the early stages. Just retaining in and of itself is probably completely safe. There are many healthy celibates to attest to that. Trying to take that to higher levels of transformation requires following a very specific and complex formula. Most descriptions and formulas that can be found on the web and in books are lacking either by being incomplete or misinterpreted, IME. Good luck.