Bum Grasshopper

Agreed.The church is a powerful political organization. It's generals will protect it if it means war.

My parents raised me a catholic and sent me to catholic school. As a child I had complete faith in the religion. I went to church, prayed, and confessed my sins to a priest. It did nothing for me. After I quit putting faith in the system and started thinking and doing things my way, things improved. I felt more spiritually connected in a forest rather than a church. I did not believe that Jesus performed miracles or even existed. After studying Taoism, I now see Jesus as a great sage that had healing and manifestation powers. He ultimately became immortal, and later ascended when it was his time. A feat that has been said accomplished by many Taoist masters. If Jesus never existed and was not such an extraordinary sage, I doubt that his following would have survived for so long and be so powerful. It was mankind that bastardized his work and turned it into what it is today. Christianity says Jesus was the son of God. Taoism says we are all children of God. And we all have the power to love, heal, and even become immortal.

About a month ago I got hit with a terrible gout attack. It did not surprise me as gout runs in the family (my mother), and as a chef, I love shellfish, red meats and rich sauces. As a home brewer, I also have a penchant for yeasty craft brews. But now I am stricken with an "undeserved" hit. I have cut down or completely eliminated all the bad stuff and drink water like a camel. It still feels like someone dropped a refrigerator on my toe. Some of the home remedies I have run across include: -drinking a glass of water with a half teaspoon of baking soda 3 or 4 times a day Which conflicts with -drinking lemon juice and water -drinking lemon juice and honey -eating cherries and drinking cherry juice or blueberry, strawberry -arnicia ointment -soaking the foot in epsom salt Amongst others. I turn to the taobums for clarification and for a taoist angle. Please help

Don't we create everything in our life?

I honestly believed that my condition was hereditary, or based on diet. I thought that diet changes would "cure" me. It wasn't until I read your post that I thought otherwise because you described my situation to the tee. It was only an after thought that I realized that when I got the money, my symptoms disappeared. I have a new way of thinking of things now.

Last week the unemployment agency corrected their mistake and paid my benefits. Up to that point I was one step above being homeless, having my car repossessed and having to find another home for my dog. I had to accept donations from the food bank as well as charity from my friends and relatives to survive as my money ran completely out. I meditated and put my trust in the Tao. I cultivated for hours everyday. After a couple of months of this, the gout attacked. I did a 3 day juice fast along with psyllium and clay detox. I followed with a vegetarian diet and cut all alcohol consumption. I consumed cherries and cherry juice everyday.This helped considerably but the pain and stiffness in my big toe did not subside completely. I would get repeat attacks causing great pain. Last Friday I received my compensation. The next day I could barely feel any pain! By Monday the pain was completely gone, despite the fact that I went back to eating the "wrong" diet. I feel great! Amazing the healing powers a little money in your pocket has!

All sickness is cured. Nobody dies for a long time. The world over populates, famine and starvation take over. I wish we could just all get along.

I have to admit, I am one of those people. My cultural influence is telling me this is all hocus-pocus nonsense, but I have learned to keep a open mind about matters I don't really understand. Money is tight now a days, I would have to hear of some positive outcomes before I would invest in any such treatment. I am assuming that such positive affirmations would bolster the treatments effectiveness.

The Government tells us the truth about UFO's, nuclear threat, JFK, sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster. Wide spread panic erupts. Riots ensue. I got to go dig a bomb shelter now and stock it with firearms. Thanks. I wish I could cultivate without being celibate for 100 days.

This is one way of "asking". A meditation visualizing what you want and you receiving it. Thank the tao for providing it as if you already received it. A good time to do this is before sleeping so your subconscious can work on it while you sleep. It may not lead to your teacher knocking at your door, but it may send you a "delivery person" who will lead you to your goal. Be on the lookout for these "delivery persons". They can be anyone.

I found this on a brainwave entrainment board. Looks a lot like kunlun, but you activate the energy by shaking your head.

I have not followed Dr. Dyer's system yet, but I have tried The Master Key and Life Creation. Both systems involve a considerable amount of work, similar to a cultivation routine. They state that you manifest everything you get in life-good, or bad, by the way you think. You must eliminate negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. I have had limited success, as I slip back into my old pattern if I don't diligently practice the routine. I have concluded that I have deeper issues I must sort through before my ship comes in. I am going to try The Power of Intention because it has a lot of parallels with Taoism, which I have been working on for a year now.

The law of attraction. Dissolve the ego mind. Get in harmony with the Tao, an inexhaustible source of everything. Then learn how to manifest whatever you want. There are a lot of books on the subject. Wayne Dyer's the power of intention is the latest one, and relates well with taoism. Wayne Dyer on Youtube Power of Intention

Of course I am referring to level one only. The differences I see is that it activates by shaking the head instead of bouncing the heels and you concentrate on the brain stem. Kunlun is a more powerful practice looking to boost potential. The brain vibration thing is just dealing with the "side effects" of health improvement and having a happy child like mind. What differences do you see?

Looks like a good beginning to your path. Things will evolve over time. Relax and enjoy your journey.

The world is coming to an end! We're doomed!

Sorry. I thought "Dual Cultivation" was cultivating with a partner Anyway, your practice seems sound except that you left out cultivating te or virtue. Try to add some kind of volunteer work or charity in your life. Anything that helps mankind or nature without expecting anything in return will do. Good luck on your path!

[quote name='karen' date='Feb 20 2009, 03:20 PM' post='1060 The thing is, we're never trapped and helpless in reality, as adults. But often the unresolved issues from childhood, or past lives which are simply replayed in this life, keep us relating to the world from that place of helplessness because we didn't get to resolve it. First the feelings need to be experienced, and connected to the earlier pattern, and then you could have a dialog between your higher self and the one that experienced that victimization. You find out what that victimized self needs *emotionally* in order to feel safe. Not a job or anything like that, but emotionally. Your higher self knows that there is no longer any victimization, and that you have choices, and you can "teach" that frightened self that he will really be taken care of well, this time. There is no need to react from past hurts anymore. This can take considerable exploration, and time to work through the many layers to get in touch with the core levels of fear and what they're really about. Fear of not having a job isn't the core. Being sick often is what the ego self uses to try to stay safe. So we have to look at what the payoff is. What purpose does being ill serve for this part of you that is feeling like a victim. This is usually really hard to face, because we don't want to look at how we chose this situation. We're used to feeling like a victim, so "this isn't my fault" is the usual sense. It's never a question of fault, but responsibility. We created this reality, and it has an important meaning for us. The problem as it manifests is like Hansel and Gretel's breadcrumbs to help us find our way home. We need the message in the form of symptoms until we can find our way home ourselves. For anyone working with illness consciously, it's a journey through the labyrinth, and can be a beautiful and terrible one, with the greatest rewards. Blessings, Karen PS. Also it helps to have a really good guide through the labyrinth. Very rare to find a therapist who is healthy enough to go there, but I know a couple. Once again Karen, You are spot on. I have had abusive parents as a child and often had feelings of despair, resentment and rage. I grew up in constant fear. I was once diagnosed with post traumatic stress syndrome by a therapist, but he did not tell me how to work through it because the insurance ran out. I am hopeful that when I get though this, good things will manifest in my life.

Thank you Karen. When I originally posted, I meant "undeserved" as that I had made the adjustments in diet and followed the precautionary measures but I still took a hit. But after reading your post I realize it may be a subliminal message. I have been with out a job the past 3 months and have not been able to find another one, making me feel trapped and helpless. The unemployment agency has been jacking me around giving me feelings of resentment and rage. The lack of income has definitly given me feelings scarcity and poverty.This is quite possibly the reason I am being stricken with this malady at this point in my life. Any ideas on how I can deal with these feelings short of finding a job? I have turned my life to the Tao, trusting that it will provide me with what I need, when I need it.

I wish someone would have had the balls to turn my abusive parents in to the police or protective services. My best friend's parents almost did once. All that that amounted to was that I could not have my best friend over any more. Be on the lookout for signs of abuse in the children you come in contact with and do not hesitate to make a call. It is a lot easier now a days. You just might be that person who did do the most important thing in a child's life.

I bought an oriental bamboo flute last year that had a similar effect. With no musical training at all and no apparent instructors available, my enthusiasm dropped off. Reading this post gives me some incentive to pick the thing up and belt out a few notes again!

Change Your Thought, Change Your Life by Wayne Dyer. Got me into Taoism.

Wow, these people should learn to meditate! Here's a taoist way of dealing with telemarketers Don't get mad, use your head

When you die you return to the source, where you came from. Taoists do not pretend to know where this is, trusting the tao to do what is necessary to keep the universe running smoothly as it always has.

Did he say "good morning this is Mal speaking" lmao my gut hurts