forestofclarity
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Everything posted by forestofclarity
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Where do I begin? Newbie? Looking for paths which help to ground mind in body and reality
forestofclarity replied to dindin's topic in Newcomer Corner
I wouldn't do any practice without consulting and working with a qualified teacher. Qigong can be like tossing gas onto the fire. -
Pandemic Panic - Transcending the Fear
forestofclarity replied to Michael Sternbach's topic in General Discussion
Well, if you live in "quiet desperation" then I'd certainly recommend a break from online forums. No need to stress, plus I hear its bad for the jing. I was just questioning whether India is, in fact, "doing well." Science despots? On the Dao Bums? Are you kidding? -
Pandemic Panic - Transcending the Fear
forestofclarity replied to Michael Sternbach's topic in General Discussion
The situation doesn't sound good to me, no matter how one wishes to parse the stats: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-09/second-virus-wave-overwhelms-india-hospitals-as-shots-run-low -
Sinking and the Relaxed Force - Wee Kee Jin
forestofclarity replied to dwai's topic in Daoist Discussion
I haven't watched all of this, but I was following along for a few minutes. Good stuff. Thoughts on using the imagination? The Tai Chi is CMC Yang. I haven't really seen anything like his qi stuff, though. I haven't really seen anything like it, but I recall Buddy accusing him of using Fukien White Crane back in the day. I have not seen anyone fajin like him and G. I thought Damo was anti-weight until one had built the properly bodily structures? -
Pandemic Panic - Transcending the Fear
forestofclarity replied to Michael Sternbach's topic in General Discussion
Well India just broke 100k cases/day so... https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/04/05/984366223/india-breaks-its-single-day-case-record-with-more-than-100-000-new-infections -
Sinking and the Relaxed Force - Wee Kee Jin
forestofclarity replied to dwai's topic in Daoist Discussion
Yes, we were discussing this last month. However, I ended up jumping on the Damo bandwagon. -
Sinking and the Relaxed Force - Wee Kee Jin
forestofclarity replied to dwai's topic in Daoist Discussion
After our discussion last month, I was at a book store and got really excited when I saw a book that said "Taiji Ball Qigong." I immediately grabbed the book and saw this: -
I've haven't seen these videos, but I thought Moeller made some strong arguments for his case based on traditional sources in his Daoism Explained. Even the way the story is translated reflects Western concepts.
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Becoming a Taoist Priest: The correct how to..
forestofclarity replied to Taoist Priest's topic in Welcome
A cursory search suggests this is controlled by the Party. Color me skeptical that the Party would allow any sort of genuine Taoist cultivation as that would represent a threat to their authority. -
Damo Mitchell? tell me what you think
forestofclarity replied to Goku76's topic in General Discussion
Honestly, I think texts are overrated. Damo gives a bit of a thumbnail sketch here if you're interested: http://www.scholarsage.com/7-dan-tian-tribulations/ -
Damo Mitchell? tell me what you think
forestofclarity replied to Goku76's topic in General Discussion
Going into any teaching, there is going to be a lot of ignorance. Part of the reason you go to a teacher is to learn something you do not understand or know yourself. Of course, we often think we are developed enough to speak for the traditions/lineage/God/Tao, etc. but often we are speaking merely from our own opinions, habits, and prejudices. You can certainly write Damo off as a fraud and move on. If you're worried about others, you can review his MCO course and report his errors. -
Damo Mitchell? tell me what you think
forestofclarity replied to Goku76's topic in General Discussion
Damo appears to distinguish fairly clearly between qigong, neigong, and neidan, but whether you agree would depend on your own definitions. At the end of the day, there is no guarantee, and even if the teaching is authentic, it doesn't mean it will work for any given person (usually depending on how capable we are of understanding and following directions). But there are plenty of teachers out there, and there is a fair degree of freedom to make choices. -
Damo Mitchell? tell me what you think
forestofclarity replied to Goku76's topic in General Discussion
You're right, he is a definitely a fraud. Avoid, avoid! -
Well, a lot of mind strength is concentration, or shamatha in Buddhist language. This can be strengthened not only with meditation, but in regular day to day practice. For example, reading or listening. Most people have lost the focus to read even for 20-30 minutes before they need some other stimulation. Heck, I've seen people who lack the capacity to watch a TV show or movie without constantly checking their phones. Other times you can focus on whatever needs to be done, gently bringing the mind back to tasks when it wanders.
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Damo Mitchell Free MCO Course
forestofclarity replied to forestofclarity's topic in Daoist Discussion
I wonder if TB breathing techniques also have a dan tian building function. https://samyeinstitute.org/sciences/wellness/dantian-an-introduction-to-the-field-of-elixir/ -
Damo Mitchell Free MCO Course
forestofclarity replied to forestofclarity's topic in Daoist Discussion
we'll see about that. I am a true dilletante, so who knows how long this will last. In order to incorporate, I've decided to experiment by playing with dedicating nearly all my free, non-family time to practice for a month. We'll see how it goes. I presume that I will find out whether I am a true hedonist, because nothing feels better than a calm, settled mind. I'm going to continue with the MCO unless there is an obvious problem. -
Damo Mitchell Free MCO Course
forestofclarity replied to forestofclarity's topic in Daoist Discussion
It seems to work thus far (i.e. it produces tangible effects), but I could see where it would be difficult for people new to meditation. His explanations, if accurate, go a long way to decoding the secret Taoist language. Despite my misgivings (about my own time for one), I also decided to check out his Academy (although his stuff doesn't seem far off from what I'm already working). We'll see: I'm going to try an experiment in increased practice for a month. -
Damo Mitchell Free MCO Course
forestofclarity replied to forestofclarity's topic in Daoist Discussion
So... did anyone do the course? I've been practicing the preliminaries. -
To be fair there is also a lot of "woo woo" nonsense out there as well, IME.
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It all seems like quaint metaphors and lovely expressions until--- it doesn't. Quite literal. There are certainly levels of skill. On the one hand, there is an element of body alignment, physical mechanics, and physics, such as using the ground for leverage. Some teachers become very skilled at this physical level. But the level where you can distort perceptions or control movements with barely or no contract is another level. It sounds so phony and ridiculous until-- it doesn't.
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You don't like doctors, but will accept medical advice from strangers online?
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I also found this to be helpful: https://www.longrivertaichieng.org/peng-and-jin.html
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Glad it helped, but did you think about going to the doctor? You may have heart issues or sleep apnea. My teachers usually say "First, eliminate medical issues."
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I like his lo-fi, to-the-point approach. One of the early "spiritual" books I bought was Initiation into Hermetics. There was a joke about it online, because it was supposed to be a gradual, step-by-step program. But then you look at it, and it was like "Step 1: Become Perfect at Meditation."
