forestofclarity
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Everything posted by forestofclarity
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Resting mentally can be a challenge since many of us have trained ourselves into a state of constant stimulation. Of course, this can be undone, but it takes some time. There are overt practices you can do, such as resting the mind on an object of meditation, focusing on a book or a podcast, or going for a walk, bike ride, or run WITHOUT listening to anything but the sounds of nature. There are analytical practices you can do also, such as the four mind changers in Buddhism. Over time, simply doing one's practices again and again leads to a sort of natural resting IME.
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Not a hook πͺ Iβd care to bite. π
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Mantra one word vs many words which is better
forestofclarity replied to Living's topic in Buddhist Discussion
You use the mantra suitable to the practice. If you are doing Pureland practice, you use an Amitabha mantra, if Chenrezing, you use Manis, etc. Also, many mantras require you get the mantra from some one who has "activated" it. Also agree with @steve -
Yes, of course. As the Tibetans say: nangwa sem--- appearances are mind. So what you see is a projection of your inner state. Angry people experience and feel a very different world than positive people. We can see this in ourselves--- when upset, tired, and down, the world seems much sharper and full of edges. When in a good mood, everything seems fluid, free, and it is easier to see the good in others. For myself, the world was once quite fixed, solid, and material. You can also see it as people age. When younger, we tend to be more open, less fixed in our opinions, and have more qi. As we age, it appears there is an ossification of body, qi stagnates, and opinions/thoughts/world views become quite fixed. The good news is that this fixity is merely an illusion. Nothing is fixed. Everything is changing, fluid, and interdependent. But this habit of mind/qi can take some time to work with.
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Damo Mitchell says he found that it shifts as you get closer to the equator: http://lotusneigong.com/the-ding-ιΌ-and-the-lu-η/ I'm about as Western as it gets, and I haven't had any particular issues with Taoist or Tibetan energy systems. I had to go through a lengthy period of learning to relax/open (physically/mentally) though. If I had to speculate, Westerners may also be more impatient and try to "make things happen" much as the fable of the Chinese farmer who tried to make the crops grow by pulling on them. Finally, all this constant stimulation with Western devices/media isn't good, plus google and the internet is literally rewiring our brain. Many Westerners strike me as constantly overstimulated.
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Sinking and the Relaxed Force - Wee Kee Jin
forestofclarity replied to dwai's topic in Daoist Discussion
Well, like you describe here--- holding the posture, and settling the mind onto whatever space, and feeling what's there. I should add I'm not necessarily against imagination per se, but I feel that when I imagine something, relying on my own memories and mind, I usually miss what's actually happening. I'm always a bit surprised. -
Sinking and the Relaxed Force - Wee Kee Jin
forestofclarity replied to dwai's topic in Daoist Discussion
I should have said, "Thoughts about doing it without imagination?" For me, the internal arts seem to work better without. -
Pandemic Panic - Transcending the Fear
forestofclarity replied to Michael Sternbach's topic in General Discussion
It brought to mind the famous HDT quote: The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation. From desperate city you go into the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things. -
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
Mental illness, like everything else, arises from causes and conditions. Mental illness is largely seen as a brain/body problem, IME. So when you are in the bardos between lives, for example there is no mental illness. It is a product of the brain/body. I'm not saying mentally ill people cannot meditate. I'm just saying it needs to be done with a teacher (actually, any of this should be done with a teacher). There was a member here who had meditation induced mental illness who used Taoist techniques to overcome them. But she did it with a teacher. There are other people who are mentally ill who meditate as well. -
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.
