forestofclarity

Taoist Meditation. It starts simple and eventually leads to dissolving. It was released every few days, so it is not meant to be watched all the way through at once, or quickly.

I was afraid it would sound jerky. I was just saying that because it was a point of confusion for me previously. Do I block thoughts? Do I let go? Depends. My problem, and it might just be me, was trying to integrate across practice traditions. In other words, I was stuck on the unity and ignoring the diversity. Sort of an overall issue for me.

I have heard some Dzogchen teachers report that non-doing practices, by themselves, will cause deep releases of bodily and energetic blockages. However, I not found that to be the case in my practice. I find myself thinking of the old dichotomy that we go to Buddhism for help with the mind, and Taoism for help with the body (with the case being that Buddhism starts with the mind, but eventually encompasses the body, and vice versa). Have you found your resting/relaxing/non-doing type practices sufficient in themselves to deal with "conventional" problems such as bodily problems, mood problems, etc.? I assume CT based on your post, that you jsut let these things come. However, I know Steve has a past history with Taoist practices, and may be practicing trul khor. Personally, I have found the need to alternate resting practices (i.e. Mahamudra) with intentional practices (qigong, tai chi, etc.). I have further found that the Taoist practices are healing my body and enhancing my mood in a way that Buddhist practices were not able. I wanted to get your thoughts (and the thoughts of anyone else) if you're willing to share.

It depends on the point of view. In some traditions, it does appear that thought is an enemy because it obscures or covers up the truth. In Samkhya for example, stilling the mind may be considered to be quite important. In other traditions, the issue is not the thought, but the confusion and attachment that attends thought. One seldom becomes fixated on the digestion, but we often become fixated on our thoughts. I think that is the case from for Bon Dzogchen teaching, but not necessarily all Dzogchen nor all Mahamudra or non-Tibetan traditions. Not to nit-pick, but if people are receiving differing instructions, it may be important to know so they do not try conflicting directions.

That's not entirely the case. Buddhism does have training precepts, but the goal is to align one's behavior to meet skillful ends-- in this case, the end of suffering. In other words, if you don't want to suffer, you can follow the precepts and the eight fold path. There are segments within Buddhism that would advocate a combination of cultivated and naturally arising virtue-- you will find this in Mahamudra for example.

Re: trance and clarity--- I had a similar experience when I was practicing zazen. I was able to cultivate a very tranquil, dark, peaceful inner state. I later stumbled on a Tibetan text that described the state perfectly--- as a state of ignorance! Cultivating such states were said to be the key to rebirth as an animal. I think it is not unlike the Taoist criticism of "ghost Zen." I think my teacher was not up to the task of recognizing and guiding me in the proper direction. Having said that, I think zazen is a very advanced practice, even if most are not really capable of it. What I do depends on what is going on in life. Sometimes, meditation is just a matter of "checking in" if I'm busy and things are flowing quickly. Other times, it may be more about deepening when I get sick of the red dust of the world. Some days it may be more analytic, others less so. One thing I've learned is that meditation is best without expectations, especially expectations of gain. There is a saying that for some people, realization comes all at once, like a sudden thunderstorm. For others, it is like walking into a fog and slowly getting wet. Either way, you end up soaked.

The one doesn't necessarily exclude the other. If you tap into a living lineage, you have a tradition that has been experientially verified by hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of practitioners that have come before you. Newer programs simply haven't been widely tested or verified. But at the end of the day, no program has a very high success rate. If they did, we'd have news reports of people skating off into the noosphere is mass numbers.

Roger, don't worry about it. As you say, things pop up when they need to. Speaking of which, I've been listening to Swami on Mandukya Upanishad. Does Vedanta have any specific dream/deep sleep induction techniques? Or is it just a matter of increasing daytime awareness which naturally leads to dream/sleep awareness?

I don't know you, and you don't know me, so this is just presumption to think you can "help" me by posting a bulleted list on an internet forum with bald, unsupported conclusions when I'm asking for specific information. I mean, c'mon, this is the internet. Why should I listen to you? This comment below sounds more like some made up pish-posh quasi-Western occultism, a poor imitation of Bill Bodri, or at worst, an attempt to sound like a Star Wars Sith Lord. It is like I'm standing in the rain and you're telling me I'm dry. I don't need some one else to confirm my direct experience when I'm wet. I know Swami Sarvapriyanda is telling the truth because what he teaches can be confirmed in one's immediate experience right now. In philosophical terms, it is knowledge that is epistemologically incorrigible --- it cannot be doubted. Once you've had a taste of the strong scotch, then siddhis and supernatural powers just seem like a bunch of watered down Busch lite banquet beers. Plenty of people develop crazy powers and end up sad and miserable. The point is to get out of the jail cell, not decorate it and make it pretty. If you want to party with your Busch lite, go for it, but don't think everyone else wants to.

I know the channel and the podcasts, I would more interested in the specific videos you were recommending since you have been pretty on point at picking the best ones out. No issue, though, I can comb as I always have.

Odd thing to say from some one attempting to troll an Advaita thread in the Hindu forum.

You won't catch this fish with that hook, bud.

Dwai, Your Swami Sarvapriyananda videos are stating that they are unavailable. Do you have a good link? To others, I think a lot of people just don't vibe with Jnani Yoga. It sounds intellectual, which turns off non-intellectuals, but it is actually very experiential, which turns off modern Western -type intellectuals.

My family is working through this free course on the Science of Well Being: https://www.businessinsider.com/coursera-yale-science-of-wellbeing-free-course-review-overview

Of course, the common shadow side of that equation is people tend to prematurely quit formal practice too quickly. According to some teachers, sitting or meditating is itself an expression of enlightenment.

The discussion on the presence/absence of thought occurs in the jhana sections, not the vipassana sections. The second jhana arises when the factors of applied thought and sustained thought drop off. One of the arguments in the Theravada community is how deep the jhana state needs to be. Teachers who support the Visudhamagga interpretation would certainly disagree with you, as according to them attaining jhana typically means the obliteration of any sense of body and mental talk. There are also people in the Tibetan tradition that follow the same trajectory (i.e. B. Allan Wallace). I learned a lot about this at Bhavana Society actually, and Bhante G was my preceptor into Buddhism. It has been some time, but by applying their teachings, many of us at their retreats were able to slow the mental process down to the point where you could watch a single thought arise and pass away. Of course, the issue as I stated is taking such things into daily life. I doubt it is possible to attain deep states of concentration outside of a retreat, which is why I tend to prefer the more open approach.

This is an interesting statement, and points to a fissure in meditation systems. While I agree with the caveat "at least not on the tantric and dzogchen paths," there are some Buddhist paths in which it is taught. The elimination of thought paradigm does have some basis in Theravada teachings, and also in Samkhya. If you look at some classic Theravada Abhidhamma based teachings, you will find references to eliminating thoughts as thoughts are karmic arisings triggered by craving/aversion/ignorance. In the modern day, Gary Weber has made a big deal about achieving a literal no-thought state. One of the earliest Buddhist blogs I found described a Thai technique in which monks basically tried to reach a thought free state, then attempt to extend it. In Theravada contexts, I have heard it taught both ways. Of course, there is another debate in the Theravada context as to what level of concentration is necessary to reach enlightenment (i.e. the Visudhamagga jhanas vs. Sutta jhanas). One thing that struck me about the Theravada/Samkhya type of meditation is that they are typically practiced by renunciants practicing very intense forms of formless samadhi. Most of that, in my personal opinion, is as applicable to the modern lay person. I think for most lay people, the more open, relaxed paths are the way to go.

What are you time a management secrets? I find I can only practice a few things, and I have little time for online posting. Do you have a job and a family?

If anyone is interested, I did end up taking the course at the center. I'm still taking courses there about 6-7 months later. Bruce will start teaching next week, so I cannot speak about classes with him personally. But the classes with his instructors have been exactly what I was looking for. The instructors and long-term students are all fairly nice and down to earth which can be unusual in my experience. The teachings have been pretty open. Unlike other classes I have taken, they explain fairly well what you are supposed to be doing. In fact, the teachers will go out of their way to demonstrate exactly how the body should move. The mechanics of Tao Chi are starting to make sense to me physically, including the phrase "each part is connected to every other part." Dragon-Tiger did not strike me as a great set of exercises initially, but over time I have found that it generates a lot of qi sensation, calms the mind, and promotes energy. I can also clearly see how 99% of Western tai chi and qigong is just arm waving. The emphasis appears to be on meditation and healing rather than martial ability. It sounds like this is based on a conscious choice on Bruce's part. This may be a turn off for many, but not for me. I have been in two fights in my entire life, both as a teenager. I have gotten more pain and bruising from full-contact sparring than any actual in life violence. However, mental distraction and physical age-based deterioration are always ongoing problems, so this seems suited for those. This is probably the first time I have been to such a class where everything was explained in a way that is easy to understand, and the arts still strike me as having unknown depths yet to be uncovered. It also reminds me of how much I miss the the organic, fluid, relaxing, intuitive "feel" of Chinese based arts/philosophy/Ch'an. I will say I am genuinely surprised at how positive the experience has been, especially in relation to how turned off I was by his general website/advertising.

To get back to OP, I've heard Buddhist teachers say that if God exists, then God is empty. I don't think that Buddhists (at least not all Buddhists) necessarily deny God, but rather the existence of nonexistence of God has no bearing on whether you suffer.

It is fairly common knowledge in Vajrayana, and can be found in most beginner books and is often mentioned in live teachings. A simple Google search will produce a variety of sources, from Khenchen Thrangu to Tsongkahpha.

You can practice it, but I imagine being a sutra method, the Vajrayana view would be that such practices would take three countless eons.

The traditional explanation I have heard in Shaivite and Buddhist tantra is that one must receive the mantra in person from some one who has successfully “activated” the mantra—- i.e practiced it to fruition.

Have you tried non-qigong techniques? Such as: limiting/eliminating caffeine; shutting down all electronics at least an hour before bed; adjusting the temperature of the room; meditating before bed, wearing an eye mask; etc.?

For me, what distinguishes Daoism from other spiritual philosophies is the focus on the embodied aspect of the teachings. Understanding wu wei is one thing, but having a felt sense of wu wei in the body is another. The kicker is that wu wei is actually the only way to really go. Considering the cosmos as a vast and interconnected set of relationships, there is no way to resist that--- it is like a fly trying to hold back a Tsunami. Even more so, all the thoughts and impulses we have, including the thoughts and impulses to resist, spontaneously pop up on their own. We don't sit at a work bench and mold them like an artist might mold clay cups and vases.