lifeforce

I was out running today and happened to bump into The Lord of Death himself. Not a pleasant guy. Told me he's going to enter the dreams of people on the Dao Bums forum and kick their non-asian asses. I kept on running.

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Xingyi + Sufism + Daoism. My Sufi sheikh encourages us not to read any books/websites on Sufism. Just practice the meditation, every day.

The Tao is no longer understood. There is an endless number of side doors and twisted byways, constituting a few basic groups. There are those who are fixated on voidness and those who are attached to forms, and those who do psychoso­matic exercises. There are seventy-two schools of material alchemy, and three thousand six hundred aberrant practices. Since the blind lead the blind, they lose the right road; they block students and lead them into a pen. -Liu I Ming

Funnily enough, when I used to practice meditation at a Thai Forest monastery, the monks looked gaunt and weak. I decided soon after that this wasn't a path I wished to pursue.

Thanks for posting your thoughts Edward. There is much of value to be found in parts of the Bible. Personally I'm not comfortable with the concept of heaven and hell, and of a judgement at one's physical death. If you look hard enough though, as you obviously have, there are lots of nondual references in the Bible.

Ephesians 6:12 King James Version (KJV) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The Dao Bums has been a wonderful place in all the years I've been here. The stuff that I've learned through the sharing of knowledge and wisdom is incomparable. Lately though, the energy of this place seems to have changed. Or maybe I have changed, but I see a lot of aggressive posts, people not being courteous and polite, and downright abusive. The need to be right, instead of valuing a different perspective, is rearing it's ugly head. A lot of members have left, or have been banned. Members that were the spine of the place. Sad really.

Time for a break from all online activity and re-connect with the natural world in a more meaningful manner.

Xing Yi Nei Gong, as in my profile pic. I've practiced this set exclusively for sixteen years. I've tried a few others but they haven't resonated with me.

'Escaping from reality' can be seen two ways. 1. Nihilism 2. Hedonism Teachings such as found in the Eastern traditions often point to a 'middle way'. Not escaping from reality, but seeing reality for what it really is and not our usual versions of it

To 'escape from reality' is definitely not my reason. In fact it is quite the opposite. This is a rather nihilistic view.

"Let your mind be unattached, clinging to nothing" - The famous line from the Diamond Sutra which caused The Sixth Patriarch Huineng to awaken, could just as well have come from the mouth of Zhuangzi. In it I see no difference between Daoism and Buddhism. Maybe your current level of wisdom doesn't allow for an understanding of the Diamond Sutra. That's perfectly fine. We all find paths and teachings suited to us.

Greetings from the Kingdom of Northumbria.

Not exactly a course, but this series of videos is free on YouTube.

Crooked Cucumber by David Chadwick. The story of Zen master Shunryu Suzuki. Bones of the Master by George Crane. Ch'an master Tsung Tsai's incredible journey. Empty Cloud. The Autobiography of Ch'an master Xuyun.

This is it.

It's in Rocky Lionmouth's post above: "Never mind your eyes or tilting the head or that fancy stuff. Sit, close those lids, breathe and stay relaxed. Dont think, dont form words, dont imagine no light going anywhere, like Awaken says dont focus on the sensation of qi, leave that to do its own thing".

I mentioned something along these lines a few years back and got slated from a few folks here. It was as if WLP was beyond any criticism. I'm so glad someone else has posted this.

It's not desire that's the problem, it's the ATTACHMENT to desire.

https://www.writeups.org/raiden-mortal-kombat/ Maybe this guy.

Fukanzazengi The true way is universal so why is training and enlightenment differentiated? The supreme teaching is free so why study the means to it? Even truth as a whole is clearly apart from to dust. Why adhere to the means of "wiping away"? The truth is not apart from here, so the means of training are useless. But if there is even the slightest gap between, the separation is as heaven and earth. If the opposites arise, you lose the Buddha Mind. Even though you are proud of your understanding and have enough enlightenment, even though you gain some wisdom and supernatural power and find the way all illuminate your mind, even though you have power to touch the heavens, and even though you enter into the area of enlightenment - you have almost lost the living way to salvation. Look at the Buddha: though born with great wisdom, he had to sit for six years. Look at Bodhidharma, who transmitted the Buddha Mind: we can still hear the echoes of his nine-year wall gazing. The old sages were very diligent. There is no reason why modern man cannot understand. Just quit following words and letters. Just withdraw and reflect on yourself. If you can cast off body and mind naturally, the Buddha Mind emerges. If you wish to gain quickly, you must start quickly. In meditating you should have a quiet room. Eat and drink in moderation. Forsake myriad relations-abstain from everything. Do not think of good and evil. Do not think of right and wrong. Stop the function of mind, of will, of conscious ness. Keep from meaning memory, perception, and insight. Do not strive to become the Buddha. Do not cling to sitting or lying down. In the sitting place, spread a thick square cushion and on top of it put a round cushion. Some meditate in Paryanka (full cross-legged sitting) and others in half Paryanka. Prepare by wearing your robe and belt loosely. Then rest your right hand on your left foot, your left hand in your right palm. Press your thumbs together. Sit upright. Do not lean to the left or right, forward or backward. Place your ears in the same plane as your shoulders, your nose in line with your navel. Keep your tongue against the palate and close your lips and teeth firmly. Keep your eyes open. Inhale quietly. Settle your body comfortably. Exhale sharply. Move your body to the left and right. Then sit cross-legged steadily. Think the unthinkable. How do you think the unthinkable? Think beyond thinking and unthinking. This is the important aspect of sitting. This cross-legged sitting is not step by step meditation. It is merely comfortable teaching. It is the training and enlightenment of thorough wisdom. The Koan will appear in daily life. You are completely free - like the dragon that has water or the tiger that depends on the mountain. You must realize that the Right Law naturally appears, and your mind will be free from sinking and distraction. When you stand from zazen, shake your body and arise calmly. Do not move violently. That which transcends the commoner and the sage - dying while sitting and standing is obtained through the help of this power: this I have seen. Also the supreme function (lifting the finger, using the needle, hitting the wooden gong) and enlightenment signs (raising the hossu, striking with the fist; hitting with the staff; shouting): are not understood- by discrimination. You cannot understand training and enlightenment well by supernatural power. It is a condition (sitting, standing, sleeping) beyond voice and visible things. It is the true beyond discriminatory views. So don't argue about the wise and foolish. If you can only train hard, this is true enlightenment. Training and enlightenment are by nature undefiled. Living by Zen is not separated from daily life. Buddhas in this world and in that, and the patriarchs in India and China equally preserved the Buddha seal and spread the true style of Zen. All actions and things are penetrated with pure zazen. The means of training are various, but do pure zazen. Don't travel futilely to other dusty lands, forsaking your own sitting place. If you mistake the first step, you will stumble immediately. You have already obtained the vital functions of man's body. Don't waste time in vain. You can hold the essence of Buddhism. Is it good to enjoy the fleeting world? The body is transient like dew on the grass-life is swift like a flash of lightning. The body passes quickly, and life is gone in a moment. Earnest trainees, do not be amazed by the true dragon. And do not spend so much time rubbing only a part of the elephant. Press on in the way that points directly to the Mind. Respect those who have reached the ultimate point. Join your-self to the wisdom of the Buddhas and transmit the meditation of the patriarchs. If you do this for some time, you will be thus. Then the, treasure house will open naturally, and you will enjoy it to the full.