lifeforce

We've definitely had our fair share here !

A rather controversial figure in Confucianism is Xunzi, who deduced that human nature from the outset is flawed. Unless humans learn morals, then we are prone to commit evil. http://www.humanistictexts.org/xunzi.htm

Buddhism is now such a multicultural, multi-national behemoth with a wide array of practices to suit basically anyone willing to pursue the path. I have found that I come back to Buddhism when I find that other paths come to a dead-end. My recent return to Christianity was brought to an abrupt end when my questions and doubts had no answer. Online forums are awash with debates and arguments about what is authentic Buddhism and which are it's correct practices. It's all a complete waste of time in my opinion. Buddhism is not a belief system. It requires no blind faith. Practice and the results of that practice are usually stressed. The faith comes from your own experiences and that is backed up when you read the suttas and sutras. There is wisdom abound in all 3 vehicles of Buddhism. Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. I like to use the metaphor of a tree when I talk about Buddhism. The four noble truths and the eightfold path are the foundations, the root. There are many branches, leaves and outgrowths and creatures which live on the tree. These are the many teachings, sects, subsects and traditions. It can be very complicated, confusing and paradoxical at times. But remember, there is no right or wrong Buddhism. Find a teacher or teachers or explore for yourself. Good luck

Well, I've started doing some weight training 3 times a week to supplement my other practices. Nothing too heavy though. Just looking for muscular definition, fat burning and strength rather than bulk. Plenty of daily walks and my Xingyi Neigong. Diet is basically, no grains, low carbs, high in protein and moderate fat. No sugar or sweeteners of any kind. Good quality meat, fish, veg, fruit and nuts. Lots of water, green, oolong and white tea and occasional coffee. Moderate dairy consumption. That's about it really. Once I was a couple of weeks in, I didn't notice any hunger on a morning. Seems to be working fine and I feel so much healthier.

The Bible

I've been having success with intermittent fasting. Basically, the time between last food you consume one day, and the first you consume the next day should be 16 hours. Breakfast is skipped, and all eating is done within an 8 hour window. It gives the digestive system some much needed rest. http://www.leangains.com/

Indeed it is. I've been chasing my tail for years and years until I finally came back to the spirituality and religion of my childhood. Also of my family, ancestors and the local area. It's been here all along. Inside my heart, and permeating everything around me. Christianity has had a bad press for a long time now, and not without reason. Beneath the politics, dogma and ritual of the various factions lies a teaching which is as valid as any other. You just need to open your heart.

Check out this mega-thread: http://thetaobums.com/topic/7466-the-power-of-internal-martial-arts/page__hl__%2Bpower+%2Binternal+%2Barts

Christian Maranatha Mantra :

That's my understanding of the Lord's Prayer also.

Thanks Hundun, your help is very much appreciated. Maybe I'll follow the example of Gabriel Cousens and go back to the tradition of my culture and what I was brought up with. In his case it was Judaism, but with a meditative focus through exposure to Eastern traditions. For me it would have to be Christianity, but with a mystical, meditative slant because of my dabblings with Taoism, Buddhism and Vedanta. My part of the world is saturated with early British Christianity especially Celtic Christianity. The saints are revered here and their are countless pilgrimage sites, some dating back 1400 years. I was brought up with the church and my parents sent me to sunday school every week. At school we gathered in morning assembly every day and said the lord's prayer in unison. Hymns were also a regular part of school life. This is how it was in the 1970's in England for most kids. Up until the age of 13 the church was part of my development as a child. Around that age I became disinterested, as most teenagers do. In my late 20's when the BIG QUESTIONS reared their ugly heads, I investigated the Eastern traditions. I never gave a thought to Christianity, at all. Until recently. I'm now well into my forties and have a lot of spiritual mileage. Unfortunately, this comes with an awful lot of spiritual baggage as well. When I had the experience of shaktipat, thoughts of God came flooding through me, but I thought it was the Eastern, yogic interpretation of God which I wanted to delve into. Hence my attraction to bhakti. An inner voice recently seemed to be urging me to explore my Christian heritage. I've ignored it until now, but something tells me that we should ALWAYS trust our gut feelings, even if our head is telling us otherwise. So, this is what I believe I have to do. Go back to my roots and of my ancestors. I like your 6 jewels of spiritual cultivation. Here's my (updated) version based on it. 1. The Lord's Prayer. 2. Weight training and sprints. Been doing these a while now. 3. Xing Yi Nei Gong, which I've been practicing daily for 10 years + and Five Tibetans, which I've re-started a few weeks ago. I also walk every day in nature, and have done for many years. 4. Full Lotus Mantra Meditation - Maranatha, which means Come,Lord in Aramaic. A practice of the Desert Fathers and now of modern Christian meditators. 5. Giving to the needy and to charities. Part of me which needs some work. 6. Journalling. I actually used to do this, but stopped a couple of years back, thinking it was unnecessary. Need to pick this up again. Thanks for the great advice.

Hi everyone. Lately I've been reading a little about Srila Prabhupada, mainly from being linked to his works from other websites. It seems as if he was the real deal, coming to the west with nothing but the clothes on his back and a few books. The Krishna Consciousness movement that he started seems to be a revival of a system which has it's roots hundreds of years ago in India. I know it has been looked on as a cult or brainwashing by many people, but I don't think that was the intention of the founder. I've also heard that there is a conspiracy theory that he was poisoned (and subsequently killed) by his own senior followers, and that the organization was infiltrated by undercover government agents. Apparently all of his written works were changed and re-hashed by these undercover agents/devotees, and that his pre 1972 books are the original translations of Vedic scriptures. It's a fascinating story, and one that I've only scratched the surface of. I would like to ask the folks here if anyone has any experience of his works/teachings and if they are a legitimate source of Vedic translations. I'm especially interested in his Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, preferably his pre 1972 editions. Thanks

Today I have just had the most massively intense blissful tingling sensation all over my body. Every hair on my body was standing up for at least 20 minutes non-stop. There seemed to be no source of the energy but I noticed that the sensation was MUCH more pronounced in both of my shoulder blades. I'm not sure what is going on because this was even more stronger than my initial shaktipat nine months ago. I was at work, and it's fortunate that I work in my own area, or my colleagues would have thought I was mad ! I'm not sure which way to turn now. My mind is in turmoil. I have been attracted lately to bhakti-yoga, especially Krsna Conciousness, but their teachings don't have any focus on kundalini or shakti. Any suggestions anyone ?

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Any text, ultimately, is a form of personal opinion/bias. Whether it comes from the mouth of a master or a scholar, it's all opinion. Personal experience has got to be your only answer. Look within. The texts are merely pointers. They can be of great benefit, but if we rely too heavily on the written word and the experiences of others, the answers (if in fact there are any !) to all life's BIG questions will elude us.

Long lasting health and happiness, for body, mind and spirit.

My experience with Shaktipat is documented here : http://thetaobums.co...constant-bliss/. Not sure if you're ready for it though. Mine was probably the result of years of meditation and neigong which prepared me. http://www.gabrielcousens.com/DRCOUSENS/SHAKTIPAT/tabid/99/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Can I change my name back to' lifeforce' please ?

http://chandao.co.uk/documents/Daoist_Immortal.pdf

Just found this wonderful piece. Enjoy Zengetsu, a Chinese master of the T'ang dynasty, wrote the following advice for his pupils: Living in the world yet not forming attachments to the dust of the world is the way of a true Zen student. When witnessing the good action of another encourage yourself to follow his example. Hearing of the mistaken action of another, advise yourself not to emulate it. Even though alone in a dark room, be as if you were facing a noble guest. Express your feelings, but become no more expressive than your true nature. Poverty is your treasure. Never exchange it for an easy life. A person may appear a fool and yet not be one. He may only be guarding his wisdom carefully. Virtues are the fruit of self-discipline and do not drop from heaven of themselves as does rain or snow. Modesty is the foundation of all virtues. Let your neighbors discover you before you make yourself known to them. A noble heart never forces itself forward. Its words are as rare gems, seldom displayed and of great value. To a sincere student, every day is a fortunate day. Time passes but he never lags behind. Neither glory nor shame can move him. Censure yourself, never another. Do not discuss right and wrong. Some things, though right, were considered wrong for generations. Since the value of righteousness may be recognized after centuries, there is no need to crave immediate appreciation. Live with cause and leave results to the great law of the universe. Pass each day in peaceful contemplation.

My link

Belly breathing isn't discussed in the book but I use it in my sitting meditation practice.

Flowery, showboating wushu, without any power. Real tai chi and internal arts is not for the sports hall demonstration. I pay no attention to such competition.

I have had the book AND have been practicing from it daily for 10 years now and I can honestly say that all the opinions and debates are worthless unless you actually practice regularly, over a long period of time. Then, and only then, can any debate begin. I consider myself fortunate that I came into contact with this book, as it changed my whole life. It is my main practice. My physical health and strength and flexibility has improved considerably. Resistance to infections and disease is quite unbelievable. I can't remember the last time I had a cold or cough of any kind. It must be at least 3 years now, even if the other family members are ill. As it says in the book, this set was put together in a unique order. For instance, the first four exercises open up the shoulder joints in every direction. In fact, a recurring theme of the exercises is to allow the fluids of the body (blood, bile, lymph etc.) to move and not to stagnate, which can cause health problems. There is a heck of a lot going on inside the body by doing these exercises than you would normally realize. They do look like basic movements, but they most certainly are not. If there is anyone out there who has practiced this set daily for a considerable amount of time, I would be happy to share views. Otherwise it would be like trying to describe an elephant to a blind man.

This comment really shows your lack of experience in internal martial arts. This guy has incredible power. That's all I have to say.