Encephalon

It's a ubiquitous quality, absolutely toxic, sometimes even deadly, especially on Alaskan fish-processing vessels. Is this something you notice in the Real World, or online? I could hazard a couple explanations for online sourness.

That deadly sarcasm rears its ugly head. Addicting, isn't it?

Please include vegetarian crockpot recipes!

Yet another trenchant observation by DangerMouse! Thank you!

I can't move my liver, and I can't move my onions, but I can move my liver away from my onions.

I've heard that criticism before regarding the cannibalizing of original works for the purpose of selling books. I don't believe he's alone. I understand what you're saying about meridian work. It would not be practical for me at my age to busy myself with critical distinctions between the nervous system pathways and classic meridians. I can make point to point contact between my lower tantien and the torso or limbs, but I'm working on smoothness, openness, and in some cases, speed of transmission. That's all I can reasonably expect as a 50 yr-old. Thanks again for you feedback.

Well I dare say that this last report makes me wanna work even harder... seriously. God, I wish I still lived up in San Fran, I'd be taking classes from this guy all the time. Thanks for all the good inspiring reports.

I can only attribute my fledgling success to 3 years of consistent zhan zhuang, or more specifically, Chu nei kung, which really stokes the coals of energy movement. I just found Frantzis' materials helpful in dissolving gates, which allowed me to play dot-to-dot along the meridians. I can't how I could be successful without the ZZ, but I guess I'll never know. I ain't no chiflow master, that's fer sure. I've had consistency and 2,3,4 hours of practice time on my side.

Pretty impressive, Devoid. That quality of corroboration is inspiring. Just one question; I'm awaiting a library book that has exquisite illustrations of the meridians. Did you use a meridian map or have you memorized them? I'd be lost without some of the illustrations I've purchased or culled from the Net. In a perfect world, we'd all be practicing our zhan zhuang in front of a life-sized skeleton with meridians included. Edit: I'm going to start with the liver next, since it is so prominently out front. And, I haven't had much luck with color coordination either, as I typically take Robert Bruce's advice and use a white or hot pink energy ball for dissolving problem areas.

Man, that's some mighty fine thinkin'! Nice writing, too! With regard to standing meditation - the subtle adjustment of tucking in the pelvis can be grasped by standing with your back against the wall and asking someone to put their hand in between your lumbar region and the wall so you can sense that space. Now, tucking the pelvis in will flatten out the curvature of your lumbar region, leaving no room for someone to insert their hand. I've read some esoteric attempts to explain why this is critical in standing meditation; some have said that this is to align the dantiens, and elsewhere it has been suggested that this postural correction will automatically start you on a proper abdominal breathing practice. I love sitting meditation more now than my standing, but I owe it to standing, so hopefully you'll be able to at least enjoy the fruits of that practice if sitting remains problematic.

It has also been known to happen by regular ol' country folk.

whoah.... One lesson that Taoism makes clear is that we are all involved in a vast process, a cycle between being and non-being, and that we are obliged to consider how our behavior can effect the behavior of others. Since this is a forum that deals in the currency of written communication, we are limited to the legitimate criticism of each other's ideas, not our personhood. In a culture where most people live in their heads and cannot distinguish between their thoughts and their selves, making this distinction can be difficult. I'm on record as someone who has no qualms about leveling fierce attacks on poorly constructed ideas, and of course I get defensive when my ideas are treated in kind, but personal attacks are usually a sign of an empty quiver. We are responsible for the quality of our ideas and our ability to express them clearly in writing and must accept due criticism when we fail to uphold this simple standard. Barring that, the best defense is a strong offense; good reading and writing habits will make you a stronger thinker.

The looping method seems so natural to me that I cannot conceive of other visualizations that could be nearly as effective. I read somewhere that the "fractal" metaphor is applicable, and Robert Bruce's use of expanding and contracting energy balls is really effective if I'm feeling some resistence in my shoulders or pelvic girdle (yes, I'm sexy in my pelvic girdle). Say what you will about Chia's work, but his "maps" and illustrations of energy movement are mighty helpful, and the section on "Points of the MCO" in his "Awaken the Healing Light of Tao" is terrific, especially if your anatomy isn't up to speed.

Since the only things we can really know about each other are the written expressions we share, you've succeeded once again in making my point.

You've got to be kidding. For months now you've contributed nothing of any substance to the subjects at hand, save for the endless stream of quotations, however inspiring, that could only be characterized as tenously related to Taoism. When you do see fit to contribute your own thoughts, they are shrouded in an impenetrable fog of fuzzy thinking, sloppy writing, and flat out silliness. Now a newcomer shows up who is, by obvious criteria, unschooled in this subject matter, perhaps deeply so, but hungry for knowledge nevertheless, and you've suddenly become a member of the warrior class, the forum's new voice of discernment? Give it a rest, why don't you.

As long as the biosphere doesn't become toxic out of a biological or nuclear holocaust, opportunities for low-tech engineering will remain. If you are referring to the forum Doomers.us, I believe the consensus is that 1850s-era technology will prevail, which is great because just about anybody at that time could fix just about anything they owned. Re-acquiring those skills now is another thing altogether, but that's what the Doomers are doing as we speak. Appropriate technology will also have it's place; active and passive solar power, micro-hydroelectic generation, wind generators, but these will all be small scale, just like everything else. http://www.transitionus.org/

I suppose you might be finding the absence of feedback a little disconcerting. It's not entirely surprising, given the sobering news. As you may already know, prospects for the bulk of humanity are not good - there is absolutely no reason for optimism - but most authorities in the earth sciences hold that remnants of humanity will be able to hit the Restart button and live to see the 22nd century, barring an all-out nuclear holocaust that would poison the entire globe. Even then, life in some form would endure long after the radiation levels returned to normal. It's normal, and human, to be distressed by the challenges of the 21st century, but there is way to harness gratitude for life and some measure of hope within the context of a ceaselessly changing world. Actually, Deng Ming-Dao says it better than anyone - HEALING Fire cools. Water seeks its own level. No matter how extreme a situation is, it will change. It cannot continue forever. Thus, a great forest fire is always destined to burn itself out; a turbulent sea will become calmer. Natural events balance themselves out by seeking their opposites, and this process of balance is at the heart of all healing. This process takes time. If an event is not great, the balancing required is slight. If it is momentous, then it may take days, years, even lifetimes for things to return to an even keel. Actually, without these slight imbalances, there could be no movement in life. It is being off balance that keeps life changing. Total centering, total balance would only be stasis. All life is continual destruction and healing, over and over again. That is why, even in the midst of an extreme situation, the wise are patient. Whether the situation is illness, calamity, or their own anger, they know that healing will follow upheaval. All the best.

The Dalai Lama is on record as saying that we should evaluate the texture of our meditation practice every decade. From this I would infer that we must commit a significant chunk of time to our practice before we can start to make meaningful comparisons between different regimens. The very robust dialogue we had in here not too long ago revealed some consensus that the MCO is a technique that can approached from a number of angles, but the important work of generating internal energy movement comes from a consistent practice of zhan zhuang and meditation. The spontaneous energy waves I experience now are vastly stronger and more pleasant than my MCO, but I have the opportunity, during this economic downturn, to practice 3 to 4 hours a day. All the best.

I noticed it with greater frequency when my father brought home our first digital clock.

Some of you know that the founder of Netflix makes an effort to stream as many programs as possible that support a contemplative/meditative personal practice. Do you folks (Americans, at least) use this service, and what are your favorite programs, Instantwatch or otherwise? Thanks in advance for your input.

I just watched "Merton: A Film Biography" - five stars. I think it's important to look at the lives of western mystics who travelled to the East to meet with Thic Nhat Hanh, H.H. Dalai Lama and others. I'm really grateful for this resource because I simply don't have the time to read everything I'd like.

I suspect the practice of interpreting everything through the narrow lens of partisan politics has it shortcomings.

I'm not working out right now (bunionectomy post-op) but I did choose to replace TTB time with zhan zhuang, nei kung and dissolving. I've been averaging 3-4 hours a day for the last ten days; nei kung practice in the am followed by 45 min. of dissolving, another 45 before dinner, and another before bed. No point in attempting a written account of the results; we all know what happens.