forestofclarity

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Posts posted by forestofclarity

  3. Posted

    On 10/29/2025 at 9:55 PM, bdg said:

    I've been practicing medical Qigong for several decades, but new to the sexual energetic side of the practice. 

     

    I read Mantak chia, but it seems some here disagree. 

     

    Can you provide some links regarding what is recommended as a better path?

     

    I will be honest, I have not heard of any sexual practice that either did not require many years of intense preparation or was a complete disaster. Sexual energy is just too hot and caught up with clinging. 

     

    The main issue with Chia is the energy he is using (post-arousal) and the way he conducts his circulation with force and intent. Many people coming through this board over the years have had a lot of issues with his stuff. 

  7. Posted

    I agree with what Luke said, it depends on the relationship between therapist and patient. A lot of traditional teachers have discovered that Western psychological treatments can be helpful to forming a healthy ego which, ironically, is often considered a prerequisite to transcending it. 

     

     A lot of traditional teachings were developed in much different circumstances. 

    • Like 4

  8. Posted

    3 hours ago, Taomeow said:

    I'd start very simple though, with just trying to get some answers to your real life questions and see how helpful (or not) you find what the I Ching tells you. 

     

    That makes sense. That is how I generally started to familiarize myself with the Tarot back in the day. 

    • Like 1

  9. Posted

    17 hours ago, Taomeow said:

    I have a collection of several (translations and explanations), could recommend some of them if you're interested. 

     

    I'd be interested. I'm starting to think that the Yijing is more foundational than the Dao De Jing. Also, how would one approach it? Would it make more sense to familiarize with the foundational hexagrams first? 

    • Thanks 1

  12. Posted

    On 11/8/2025 at 8:04 AM, Forestgreen said:

    I interpret this from the theravada abhidamma theory, which makes it comprehensible and in line with my experience during practice.
    I find this slightly too abstract in it self though.

     

    I'm not sure the Abhidharma covers it. I think the pre-celestial has more in common with Mahayana and especially Chan teachings (the original face before you were born, the one mind of Huangbo, etc.). The way I see it, is if it has form, shape, texture, color, taste, etc., if you can get ahold of it in any way, you're already into the creation side of things and so it should be let go of. I find it useful because the mind seems to find an endless supply of subtler and subtler objects it likes to try to cling to. 

     

    It reminds me of the Chan story:

     

    Huineng: "I have something which has no head or tail. It is nameless and can't be described. It has no back and no front. Do any of you know what this is?"

    Shenhui then said, "It is the source of all things. It is the Buddhanature of Shenhui."
    Huineng responds, "I said it has no name and no description. How can you say it is the source of Buddha Nature?"

     

    But maybe I'm distorting Daoism via a Buddhist lens. TBD. 

  14. Posted

    Quote

    The fundamental nature of prior heaven is empty, primordial qi. In short, it is emptiness, that is all.

     

    Huang Yuanji, from Taoist Internal Alchemy, trans Mattias Daly, p.35

     

    Quote

    Using two traditional Chinese terms, the unconditioned and conditioned domains are respectively defined as precelestial (or prior to Heaven, xiantian, lit. “before Heaven”) and postcelestial (or posterior to Heaven, houtian, lit. “after Heaven”). The postcelestial domain is distinguished by multiplicity and relativity; it is the state that features transitory events and phenomena that succeed one another within space and time. The precelestial domain, in one of the approximations that might be used to describe it, is the constant and omnipresent original state of Oneness, which contains all events and phenomena independently of whether they do or do not occur, and with no distinctions of space and time, here and there, before and after.

     

    Fabrizio Pregadio, Introduction to Awakening to Reality, p.6

     

    Quote

     

    When the alchemical texts use the word “original” (yuan), they refer to the Origin (yuanshi), i.e., to a primordial substance that is not born in the postcelestial state.

     

    Therefore the Shihan ji (Records from a Stone Casket), attributed to Xu Jingyang (also known as Xu Xun, trad. 239–374), says: 元陽即元精，發生於玄玄之際。元精無形，寓於元炁之中。若受 外感而動，與元炁分判，則成凡精。 Original Yang is the same as Original Essence, sent forth from the bourns of the Mystery beyond the Mystery. Original Essence has no form, and resides within Original Breath. If it receives an external stimulus, then it moves: it separates from Original Breath, and becomes the common essence.

     

     

    Wang Mu, foundations of Internal Alchemy, trans. Fabrizio Pregadio, p.45-46

     

    This last one is interesting because it distinguishes the term as used in medical texts, such as saliva.

     

    • Like 2

  15. Posted

    17 hours ago, Lairg said:

     

    Fortunately I test energies for quality and intent before entering.

     

    Occasionally I am fooled but a bit of time reversal has always solved that so far

     

    This sounds like a self-perpetuating feedback loop, which is common in my experience in unhealthy mental states (anxiety, addiction, etc.). In other words, the mind (the habitual, egoic mind) says X and we believe it because the mind says so. 

     

    Spiritual practice, in my experience, involves disempowering and becoming free from these loops with external feedback from realized teachers and the teachings that contain the experiences of many practitioners. 

    • Like 2

  17. Posted

    Mod Note: Discussion with Lairg moved here. Sorry, I botched the title, so it has the same title but I moved it to General. Please remember this is the Daoist section: 

    A focus on Daoist teachings and practices as expressed through such as Taiji, Qigong, Bagua, Neigong, Zuowang with sub-forums to cover textual studies.

     

     

     

    • Thanks 1

  21. Posted

    On 10/31/2025 at 5:51 AM, Forestgreen said:

    Schools of neidan that mixes methods aimed at different leveks of xian, schools of neidan that mixes those methods with thunder rites. A certain buddhist tradition ( mine) that mixes alchemical methods with what was first schamanistic methods for affecting life but then devolved into methods of how to hurt people (poison hands).

    Stuff like that.

     

    Your school sounds really awesome!

    This is not unlike Tantra. In Tantra, traditionally one starts with the highest methods, but there is a whole structure of other methods for different types of people depending on their particular circumstances and capacities. In other words, methods aimed at providing health and wealth are not there necessarily for hedonistic pleasure, but to bring one along to the ultimate way. It is difficult to practice if you're sick, hungry, or worried. And some of these also lead one to increase certain inner qualities by providing services to others.

     

    And to get one's health and magical practices to work, arguably one needs to begin to align with the ultimate in some way. 

     

     

     

     

  22. Posted

    On 10/28/2025 at 11:01 AM, Forestgreen said:

    It's a lived experience. If it is outside of ones lived experience, for all practical purposes it is as if it doesn't exist.

     

    I might suggest that this is a bit more foundational. Maybe it is dangerous of me to say without textual support, but I'd say that without the Dao, or whatever, there'd be no structure, movement, or awareness. 

     

    On 10/28/2025 at 11:08 AM, Forestgreen said:

    What if that is not true? What if, for example, methods based on other goals have been interwoven in the tradition for a millenia? Then this is just one possible goal, and perhaps not the goal ones teacher is aiming for.

     

    I'm cool if whatever concepts bubbling through my mind are shown to be wrong. From a certain point of view, they are all limited and don't really hold up. 

     

    I'm curious though on what you mean though about "based on other goals interwoven in the tradition?" What would be an example? 

  23. Posted

    On 10/26/2025 at 5:47 AM, Kati said:

    For some reason i feel my middle dantien stronger than my lower dantien. 

     

    It sounds like you're really resonating with the Spring Forest Qigong!

     

    If you're doing a lot of love, feeling more of the MDT would make sense. I don't think most people feel their LDT unless they do some sort of work like internal martial arts, Zen, qigong, neigong, etc. Some people naturally feel centered there also. 

     

    There are a lot of experiences that arise in spiritual practice. My personal view is to enjoy them while they arise, but to let them go. Some people spend their whole lives trying to recreate a spiritual high. But it also shows what is possible, which is valuable as well.  I wasn't aware of their focus on unconditional love/compassion, that's a very interesting approach. 

     

     

    • Like 3