Encephalon

WORRY Worry is an addiction That interferes with compassion. Worry is a problem that seems to be rampant. Perhaps it is due to the nature of our overly advanced civilization; perhaps it is a measure of our own spiritual degeneracy. Whatever the source, it is clear that worry is not useful. It is a cancer of the emotions -- concern gone compulsive. It eats away at body and mind. It does no good to say, "Don't think about it." You'll only worry more. It is far better to keep walking your path, changing what you can. The rest must be dissolved in compassion. In this world of infants with immune deficiencies, racial injustice, economic imbalance, personal violence, and international conflict, it is impossible to address everyone's concerns. Taking care of yourself and doing something good for those whom you meet is enough. That is compassion, and we must exercise it even in the face of the overwhelming odds. Whenever you meet a problem, help if it is in your power to do so. After you have acted, withdraw and be unconcerned about it. Walk on without ever mentioning it to anybody. Then there is no worry, because there has been action.

And for those out there who think their 3rd eye is open, what makes you so sure? Can you do anything out of the ordinary that other people can't which you believe is linked to the 3rd eye? That's the question I often ask, and try as I might to fish around in this forum for sensible depictions of Opened Third Eyes, I never get more than nebulous promises of exciting events up ahead. I played a pivotal role in an earlier thread concerning the utility of sarcasm in online posts, and I've had to conclude since then that it truly is worse than useless, even though I have found the use of biting sarcasm absolutely irresistable, especially toward those whom I feel it was justified. I would seriously invite SongsofDistantEarth to clarify his points; they may be very good ones, but I cannot detect the truths beneath the metaphors.

This point is certainly debatable, no question. I reserved Bruce's techniques to my feet only, as they are awfully handy if you're plopped on the couch watching G-rated movies with your family. But I've also read reports from very accomplished Bums that Bruce's techniques were very helpful and entirely safe.

Mentally. I have to assume that deep flexibility must facilitate the process.

I would have to agree. I've acquired the ability to play Pong! inside my head, bouncing the energy ball back and forth between my temples, behind my eyes, around the ears, all directions of the clock. But I'm sure I still have enough psychological baggage to work through before I acquire any earth-shattering powers.

It is interesting, and honestly, it is sometimes counterproductive, and I try to remain mindful of the risks as I move forward. Reid, Chia, Frantzis, Jwing Ming, Ming-Dao, Chunyi Lin, Bruce - I've read them all, and I try not to betray anyone's teaching. As long as I'm not forcing my energy I pretty much use any/all visualization techniques that are out there. If I do nei kung in the morning and SFQ at night, I'm cool.

Roger. BKF does stress relaxed standing postures, as do a few others.

Let me make sure I'm hearing you correctly, because as I understand it, strict adherence to Embrace Horse, and many other standing postures, call for the pelvis tucked in, to bring the 3 dantiens into alignment. Are you suggesting that this practice be abandoned here in order to move energy through the legs?

Exactly. There's a certain amount of muscular effort that goes into breathing deeply that might surprise anyone. It's a totally different experience with toned up intercostals. If you want to make those muscles stronger, get into horse stance and perform a trunk rotation to the degree that you may still breath fully, while holding that static stretch. When you've opened up enough to breath will full and complete inhalations and exhalations, increase the degree of your trunk rotation. Twisting with all the air squeezed out of your lungs doesn't perform the same fuction. Move from Horse stance to a forward lunge when you're ready. Four complete breaths in this twisting lunge position will nourish the kidneys with chi, or so I've read, and it does open up the perineum for lower body energy momement. But the bottom line is it just makes breathing more efficient because you have the strength to make it effortless.

I opened this post on Jan. 12 and 25 days later my leg meridians are opning up. I've been able to devote 2-3 hours a day on this. It's been a combination of BKF dissolving, lying down circulating in bed, and some Robert Bruce techniques for the feet. Dissolving the pelvic gates takes longer, but once I connected the perineum with the top of the thigh the meridians started opening well. Another really handy visualization tool for me is Chia's spiraling energy graphics. Spirals are key.

ADAPTING Heaven embraces the horizon. No matter how jagged the profile, The sky faithfully conforms. Wherever you are, the sky constantly meets the horizon. It conforms absolutely with the earth's surface. Changes in the earth or sky do not affect this perfect adaptation. There might be clouds, it might be night, there might be mountains or trees or even buildings on the horizon, but the relationship remains. No matter what circumstances life may present, we must adapt exactly, whether we think the situation is good or bad. Resistance is useless. Instead, we should concentrate on perceiving whatever circumstances surround us. For example, if one is in a leadership situation, one must adapt one's vision to that of the group; the successful leader articulates and brings consensus to the group. Being flexible and constantly adjusting to the times is one of the secrets of Tao. We often think of the landscape as being in the foreground and the sky as the background. It is because the sky is always in the background that it can meet the outline of the foreground perfectly. If we emulate this feature of being in the background, then we too can find perfect conformity with life. Such adaptation is not passivity, however. It is concordance. It is because the sky is in the background that it is in fact supreme. So too with ourselves. If we know how to adapt, we end up being superior.

DISCORD When birds fly too high, They sing out of tune. There are times when we feel out of harmony with our surroundings, matters do not go our way, and we feel confused and disoriented. Sometimes these moments will last a day, sometimes they may last for weeks. When we feel like this, we are not integrated with the Tao, or as it is sometimes metaphorically said, Tao has flowed elsewhere. Being constantly in touch with Tao is an ideal. There will be times of misfortune and discord from external sources. We can also fall out of synchronization with Tao through our own follies, as when we act without complete consideration. Whenever this happens, we are like the birds singing out of tune: We are mired in discord. If we keep our patience, we can usually ride out these times. We should take action and break the stagnation if an opportunity presents itself. Whether it is waiting or acting, we should always try to bring a situation back into balance so that we can rejoin Tao. Whenever we find ourselves linked again, we will feel relieved. We are back on track, back on target. But we should learn from each time that we lose Tao. Sometimes this is enough to prevent reoccurrences, and sometimes it is enough to buoy our hopes through future lean times. Once we know the Tao, we will recognize it again and again. We will not lose faith, even in times of discord.

VANTAGE Distant ridges, far away clouds All events come from a distance. With a high vantage point, Foretelling the future is elementary. It is often superstitiously said that one who follows Tao knows magic. This is nonsense. Superiority is simply a matter of using the best of one's abilities and being in the right position. For example, a wise person who lives high in the mountains and who is not blinded by wine, sensuality, intellectuality, poor health, or greed will be better able to see events in the distance that one who lives in a closed room, eyes on some obscure project. A storm does not happen abruptly; it takes hours, sometimes days, to develop. Travelers do not arrive suddenly; they can be seen in the distance. Knowing things in advance is possible with a high vantage point. For this reason, the follower of Tao appears to know magic.

UTILIZATION Kites harness the force of the wind. They express our intent, But they cannot change the wind. A person with a kite can make it dip, turn, and flutter at will. An expert can even use a fighting kite and engage another's until one is cut loose. It's fun flying a kite, feeling the gigantic tug on the end of your line. Sometimes the wind is so strong that it will nearly lift you off the ground. When you harness the forces of nature, you harness something quite powerful. This is an example of the proper utilization of Tao. It is taking advantage of natural forces. It means accepting the way they work, and then finding a way to borrow their power. It does not mean trying to change or circumscribe things. If the wind is not blowing our kite the way we want, we cannot change it. We can only borrow its energy. When initiative and natural forces are combined, there is true harmony.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/fight-science/4323/Overview#tab-Videos/07717_00 This is an awfully interesting clip of the next episode, a series I've never seen, as I am not a tv consumer.

ENGAGEMENT Prey passes the tiger who Sometimes merely looks, Sometimes pounces without hesitation, But never fails to act. Life is a constant series of opportunities. If we don't reach out for things, if we don't take advantage of what comes our way, then we cannot be in harmony with the essential nature of life. The tiger is the same way. He conforms to every situation that comes. If he spots prey and is not ready to hunt, he will let it go. But he has not failed to act. He has knowingly let the prey escape, and this is much different from someone who loses a situation through slow reflexes or inability. When the tiger wants his prey, he pounces upon it without any thought or hesitation. There are no morals, no guilt, no psychological problems, no ideologies to interfere with the purity of his action. This undiminished grace in action is called nonaction. This is engagement. Whatever comes to you, you must engage it somehow. You receive it, you may alter the circumstance and let it go, you may interject something of your own into it, or you may knowingly let it pass. Whatever you do, there is no need to be apathetic toward life. Instead, full participation in all things is the surest way to happiness, vitality, success, and a deep knowledge of Tao. Deng Ming-Dao "365 Tao"

10-4. This is a cut&paste exercise, but I'll make the correction.

DEFENSE Demons who enter your circle Must be pushed out. No matter what world you walk in -- office, school, temple, prison, or the streets -- there is an underworld populated with demons. These are people who are avaricious, aggressive, sadistic, and cynical. They not only take advantage of others without compunction, they delight in it. They find pleasure in seeing others suffer. The why of it cannot be answered. There is only the fact, with no metaphysical meaning or other ramifications. It is not karma, it is not fate. If these people decide to attack you, it is circumstance. You must fight or be mowed down. Compassion and humility may be among the most treasured of human virtues, but they are not useful in conflict. A beautiful gold statue of your most adored god is a treasure, but you would not use it as a weapon. Virtue is to be value in the proper context; only a sword will do in battle. Whether an attack is physical -- assault, rape, murder -- or whether it is mental -- business intrigues, emotional abuse -- you must be prepared. It is best to prepare for conflict by learning as much self-defense as possible. You will not become a bully or a monster, but instead, you will learn that you can respond to any situation. If you are never attacked, that will be wonderful. Training will still help you work out your fears, inhibitions, and anxieties. In the case of conflict, no one, not even a veteran, is ever sure that they will come out alive from a confrontation. But they resolve to go in there and give themselves a fighting chance. This in itself is a triumph over evil.

I attended the Maharishi International University back in 1995. I was intrigued with their curricula design and the scientific data on TM, and wanted to live amongst hundreds of other meditators. It was the most dysfunctional community I've ever been in and I only lasted six months. They are quite creepy, although harmless for the most part, if you consider exploiting the members harmless. The "Movement" provides a home for those committed to Maharishi's teachings and who are willing to live a very modest lifestyle amidst the cornfields of Iowa. They really blew it big time with the scientific community when they refused to share their research with other scientists. And the money issue was obscene; they rationalized it as the need to become so rich and powerful that they could sway corporations and even entire nations into behaving in a more "enlightened" manner. I won't even go into their conception of "enlightenment." TM-EX is the loose association of ex-TMrs. The assigned mantra was a meaningless sound that the mind could not attach meaning to. Mine was beautiful. I later learned that all the mantras were the names of Hindu deities and that kind of killed it for me. All mantras were published in the NY Times decades ago. I'll take Buddhist, Soto zen, Vipassana, or Taoist meditation over TM any day for dozens of reasons, but TM did get me started on meditation over twenty years ago, and I'm grateful for that.

UBIQUITY Tao is everywhere. It cannot be kept from the sincere. Tao originated in China and was an expression of that culture. It was intimately tied to a poetically agrarian view of the world, and it forged mysticism and pragmatism together. But now, most of us, even those in China, do not understand ancient words. Our farming is mechanized. Our poetry is written on computers. Does this make Tao invalid? No, it does not. Tao is still here, and if we are to follow Tao, we must rely not on old standards but on direct experience. Contemporary minds need contemporary concepts to interest them. If following Tao is as great as the masters claim, then it ought to be applicable to any situation and any race. Neither time, nor place, nor culture should be a barrier to the sincere seeker. Tao surrounds us; we need only guidance and understanding in order to connect with it. Tao is not something esoteric. It is right here. The masters allude to this all the time. For them, anything -- from reading scriptures to attending the theater, from meditating to sweeping dung from the ground -- is Tao. They understand the ubiquitous nature of Tao and act accordingly. If masters still know Tao in this world of jet planes and electronic communication, then we can also absorb the essential message of Tao. Those who succeed might never talk of it, and yet everything they do will be spontaneously in tandem with Tao.

ORIENTATION Planets orbit the sun. Forms orbit the mind. Most of us embody disparate aspects in our personalities; these are our forms, the way we take shape. If we aren't careful, we can become confused by such complexity. We should not deny any part of ourselves. We should arrange them. All elements are valid -- they must simply be placed in the right context. Those who follow Tao understand that a diverse personality is problematic only if some aspects dominate to the exclusion of the others. This is unbalanced. If there is constant alteration between all aspects, then equilibrium is possible. Like the planets, feelings, instincts, and emotions must be kept in a constantly rotating order. Then all things have their place and the problems of excess are avoided. Just as the sun is at the center of our solar system, so too must the mind of wisdom be the center of our diverse personalities. If our minds are strong, then the various parts of our lives will be held firmly to their proper courses, and there will be no chance of deviation.

del.

LOVEMAKING Nocturnal downpour Wakes the lovers, Floods the valley. Making love is natural. Why be ashamed of it? That seems simple, but it is actually a great challenge in these complex times. Too many other layers of meaning have been imposed upon sex. Religions straitjacket it, ascetics deny it, romantics glorify it, intellectuals theorize about it, obsessives pervert it. These actions have nothing to do with lovemaking. They come from fanaticism and compulsive behavior. Can we actually master the challenge of having lovemaking be open and healthy? Sex should not be used as leverage, manipulation, selfishness, or abuse. It should not be a ground for our personal compulsions and delusions. Sexuality is an honest reflection of our innermost personalities, and we should ensure that its expression is healthy. Making love is something mysterious, sacred, and often the most profound interaction between people. Whether what is created is a relationship or pregnancy, the legacy of both partners will be inherent in their creation. What we put into love determines what we get out of it.

The adjective "lovely" is a perfectly sound choice for this usage.

Psychic powers, pregnant men, masturbation and cranio-rectal fusion, distant orgasms at 11:11pm, instant power, and what's wrong with women...