Mark Foote

We both get to think about it, as does everyone else on the thread. Yes, the idea is that freedom in the location of consciousness becomes the source of the automatic activity of the body. The magic in that is, willful activity is absent, regardless of where consciousness takes place. Not having experienced kundalini energy, I'm curious how you practice, to what extent your experience guides your practice.

Some traditions take this very seriously, this idea of moving your consciousness around the body. I wouldn’t recommend dedicating your life to it, but as an experiment, I recommend trying it, sitting in this posture and trying to feel what it’s like to let your mind, to let the base of your consciousness, move away from your head. One thing you’ll find, or that I have found, at least, is that you can’t will it to happen, because you’re willing it from your head. To the extent that you can do it, it’s an act of letting go–and a fascinating one. (“No Struggle [Zazen Yojinki, Part 6]”, by Koun Franz, from the “Nyoho Zen” site) Given a presence of mind that can “hold consciousness by itself”, activity in the body begins to coordinate by virtue of the sense of place associated with consciousness. A relationship between the free location of consciousness and activity in the body comes forward, and as that relationship comes forward, “practice occurs”. Through such practice, the placement of consciousness is manifested in the activity of the body. (There can come a moment when)... activity takes place solely by virtue of the free location of consciousness. A relationship between the freedom of consciousness and the automatic activity of the body comes forward, and as that relationship comes forward, practice occurs. Through such practice, the placement of consciousness is manifested as the activity of the body. (“Take the Backward Step”) Again, a (person), putting away ease… enters and abides in the fourth musing (concentration); seated, (one) suffuses (one’s) body with purity by the pureness of (one’s) mind so that there is not one particle of the body that is not pervaded with purity by the pureness of (one’s) mind. … (Gautama the Shakyan; AN 5.28, tr. PTS vol. III p 18-19; parentheticals paraphrase original). Something like that?

"… tell me, what is the most essential place? How is effort applied?" (Yuanwu Keqin, “The Blue Cliff Record”, Case 55, tr. Cleary and Cleary)

They're rioting in Africa. They're starving in Spain. There's hurricanes in Florida and Texas needs rain. The whole world is festering with unhappy souls. The French hate the Germans. The Germans hate the Poles. Italians hate Yugoslavs. South Africans hate the Dutch. And I don't like anybody very much! But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud For man's been endowed with a mushroom shaped cloud. And we know for certain that some lovely day Someone will set the spark off and we will all be blown away. They're rioting in Africa. There's strife in Iran. What nature doesn't do to us will be done by our fellow man. (KIngston Trio; Songwriters: Sheldon M Harnick; The Merry Minuet lyrics © Alley Music Corp., Trio Music Co., Inc.)

Second one cites difficulties, but supports a finding of no difference: Key Findings Key Biomedical Findings Biological data are severely limited, and often methodologically flawed. There is limited evidence regarding the impact of testosterone suppression (through, for example, gender-affirming hormone therapy or surgical gonad removal) on transgender women athletes’ performance. Available evidence indicates trans women who have undergone testosterone suppression have no clear biological advantages over cis women in elite sport. Third link, same folks as the second link, making clear they recommend inclusion until there are facts to suggest unfairness: The authors recommend that all reasonable efforts should be made to make sport inclusive and accessible for transgender individuals. They conclude that there is no firm basis available in evidence to indicate that trans women have a consistent and measurable overall performance benefit after 12 months of testosterone suppression. “This literature review makes it clear that we need more scientific data derived from methodologically sound research focused on trans women athletes to build a foundation of solid evidence and to ultimately guide policy recommendations. The review suggests that sports should support inclusion of trans women in the female category in sport until there is robust and peer-reviewed evidence that it is not safe or fair for other competitors,” said Paul Melia, CCES president and CEO. Not enough evidence to say, and lacking evidence, they recommend inclusion. Ok. Thanks, Maddie.

That first study cites a significant loss of strength in trans women, but: Conclusion: In transwomen, hormone therapy rapidly reduces Hgb to levels seen in cisgender women. In contrast, hormone therapy decreases strength, LBM and muscle area, yet values remain above that observed in cisgender women, even after 36 months. These findings suggest that strength may be well preserved in transwomen during the first 3 years of hormone therapy. I'll read on...

"... mit herzen, mit schmerzen, gar nichts!"

whose bones turned to dust, I think I know; his house is in the village, though (apologies to Robert Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Night")

Did I miss something? Seems like the topic you put to ChatGPT was the relationship between qing and xing. Did the conversation with ChatGPT contribute something to your exploration of that relationship? Did I miss that, too?

Happy New Year, all best wishes for 2025!

Sometimes we even patch: which melts another two popsicles on the floor licked clean by the dog licked clean by the dog sprinkles-smeared pane, revealing winter at standstill winter at standstill hearkens for barks ambitious, passes only meows passes only meows the cardboard box of kittens licked clean by the dog Licked clean by the dog Plate on the floor, now empty Full belly, big smile (whew!)

How wonderful, that you could share a language about these things with your mother, and work on them together. I definitely have correlates, for the lower dan-t'ien and the middle. I've come to view them as key elements in the openness of the nerve exits between the vertebrae of the sacrum and the spine. That's why it's all taken me so long, to arrive at practice as I now experience it--an ability to feel throughout the body has to develop, right to the surface of the skin, and a consistent way to return to that abillity and advance it. Gautama's description of the second jhana, that I believe corresponds with the development of that lower dan-t'ien: … imagine a pool with a spring, but no water-inlet on the east side or the west side or on the north or on the south, and suppose the (rain-) deva supply not proper rains from time to time–cool waters would still well up from that pool, and that pool would be steeped, drenched, filled and suffused with the cold water so that not a drop but would be pervaded by the cold water; in just the same way… (one) steeps (their) body with zest and ease… (AN III Book of Fives, The Fivefold, The Five-Limbed, tr. Pali Text Society Vol. III p 18-19) Some quotes I thought were related: Rinzai teacher Omori Sogen wrote: … It may be the least trouble to say as a general precaution that strength should be allowed to come to fullness naturally as one becomes proficient in sitting. We should sit so that our energy increases of itself and brims over… (“An Introduction to Zen Training: A Translation of Sanzen Nyumon”, Omori Sogen, tr. Dogen Hosokawa and Roy Yoshimoto, Tuttle Publishing, p 59) Omori quoted one Hida Haramitsu: We should balance the power of the hara (area below the navel) and the koshi (area at the rear of the pelvis) and maintain equilibrium of the seated body by bringing the center of the body’s weight in line with the center of the triangular base of the seated body. (Hida Haramitsu, “Nikon no Shimei” [“Mission of Japan”], parentheticals added; publisher and date unknown) Gautama's description of the third corporeal jhana, that corresponds for me with the middle dan-t'ien: … free from the fervor of zest, (one) enters and abides in the third musing; (one) steeps and drenches and fills and suffuses this body with a zestless ease so that there is not one particle of the body that is not pervaded by this zestless ease. … just as in a pond of blue, white, and red water-lilies, the plants are born in water, grow in water, come not out of the water, but, sunk in the depths, find nourishment, and from tip to root are steeped, drenched, filled and suffused with cold water so that not a part of them is not pervaded by cold water; even so, (one) steeps (one’s) body in zestless ease. (AN III Book of Fives, The Fivefold, The Five-Limbed, tr. Pali Text Society Vol. III p 18-19) My comment: The water-lilies I believe represent the influence of the legs, the arms, and the head on activity in the abdominals, and consequently on stretch in the ligaments of the spine. The feeling of a combined influence of the extremities in the abdomen could be said to be like lilies of three colors floating under the surface of some body of water. The exact influence of each extremity remains unclear (zest ceases), yet with a sense of gravity and a stretch in particular ligaments, I can arrive at an ease. Gautama declared that the sages abide in the third concentration. I remind myself that the activity of the body in inhalation and exhalation tends toward coordination by the free placement of consciousness, and look for ease. That last is my key to advancing my ability to feel, especially if I can turn it around to experience the activity of the body solely by virtue of the free location of consciousness. Dermatomes, areas on the surface of the skin and their related vertebral exits:

Said the former, past-life Egyptian.

Google AI says: The phrase "nothing important happened today" comes from a supposed diary entry by King George III on July 4, 1776, the day the United States declared independence from Great Britain. However, the British Library's curator, Arnold Hunt, says that King George III did not keep a diary. I think a congressional inquiry is called for--surely that will no longer qualify for the "Totally Boring News" thread!