RyanO

I'm particularly looking forward to a Bacon Egg and Cheese Mcgriddle. Anyone here think that's a bad idea? I normally eat healthy, but I think not being too fanatic about it is a good idea. I was originally gonna post this in the normal forum, as it could spark a discussion about nutrition, but figured it's a little off the wall so I'll throw it here.

That's hilarious. If that's true...wow. Good for that kid. If not, it still has a point.

My teachers always used to tell me that no question is a dumb question. They deceived me! How many kittens have I killed?!!!

Wow that's really interesting about Fusion. I'm a moderate drinker so I'm curious to see how that affects that. I've been on strict diets where when I ate junk food and it was gross/too sweet because my taste buds adjusted, but when I when back to eating normally it tasted good again. I wonder if simple adjustment is the reason for the change or something more along the lines of the purification you speak of. I try not too drink heavily, not because I wouldn't like it at the time, but because I know it will make me hungover/affect my practice. I wonder if it's the same for food.

I agree. Fantastic post. It should be noted also that to be discerning and civil simultaneously is extremely difficult given the anonymous, distant nature of the internet. See: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GIFT I love this site because it is so eclectic and free. And I think it does a great job of accomplishing a critical yet civil environment, considering the limitations of internet forums. Obviously it's not perfect, but some of the other forums I visit pale in comparison to the civility and respect I experience here, and this especially noteworthy considering that religion and spirituality are very emotionally volatile topics. Just something to think about.

Frost light in deep space Something wonderful begins A void that births bliss

Hash browns and a Coke, thanks!

Neat stuff. Some of that breathing sounds a little advanced/difficult however. Maybe not, I'll give it a try. I'm assuming running can still be beneficial for qigong without focus on the breath? Could anyone talk more about specific benefits running has for qigong/cultivation? I know its good for circulation, etc. It seems with all that blood circulating it would be fantastic for getting things moving.

Yeah I understand your point. I just don't think anyone in this thread has demonstrated that serious of an attachment to the type of clock one uses. Obviously it's not a necessity, but it might help.

Attachment? Taking it a little far, dontcha think? It's just a pretty clock! I have trouble waking up myself, or to reframe that positively, I love sleep! Also, I loooove lucid dreams and sleeping in makes those easier. I was thinking about getting one of those clocks but some of the reviews on Amazon mentioned they bust easily. Any problems with yours Mal?

This is better than a soap opera!

Some very good advice here. As everyone says, emotions are a sign that we are making progress, and experiencing the journey of life. As markern suggests, the Inner Smile is a great way to deal with negative emotions. Embracing and loving powerfully scary emotions (which inevitably will come up in spiritual work) with the Inner Smile is a fantastic way to transform them. We have a tendency to run away from, hate, and be afraid of negative emotions. But they want and need love much like children do. Here is M. Winn's version of the Inner Smile, which you can also get from his website: http://www.scribd.com/doc/25141317/Winn-M-The-Way-of-the-Inner-Smile The meditation here is longer and a more active approach. Another way to do the technique is to simply smile (ie send unconditional love to) any negative emotion that pops up, making sure to feel the emotion first and not try to suppress it. Transformation, not destruction.

Check out 'Freedom From The Known'. Blew My Mind! Though I think a lot of the same material is in 'The First and Last Freedom'. I also read 'This Light in Oneself' and agree it is awesome.

Also, just piggybacking off of what others have said since there has been some great advice here, the term 'lust' isn't really a part of my worldview. Inherent in the term is a negative judgment of our sexual instincts. Our sexual desires become problematic when we fuel them with our monkey mind. Feeling desire for women is natural, not evil, and one great way to deal with this desire is simply to get in the body and feel what is happening. Our sexual instinct can be painful since it carries with it many feelings of separation and incompletion. Judging this instinct just makes the problem worse. What our sexual instinct (an entity that is a part of us but not the whole) wants even more so than physical expression is total love and acceptance from all aspects of ourselves. I have found the Inner Smile to be a wonderful way of accomplishing this.

Deep topic! You may find disagreement because these can be polarizing questions, and the answers vary depending on the religious context. My own views can be found here: http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/13809-long-term-hedonism-and-religion/page__hl__hedonism So I'm not a Buddhist nor a religious Taoist, more of a philosophical one, so maybe I'm not the best person to answer your question. I am agnostic regarding existence after death, which makes the selfishness-selflessness ethic a little more difficult. Like Athanor, I don't really believe in pure altruism. But at the same time, I think some Buddhists do. I think seeing the Bodhisattva vow as the best thing someone can do for themselves takes away some of its meaning. In fact, the vow may be harmful to one's own person. But again, it all depends on religious context. Regarding your first question, I think it is good to lessen attachment to the 'ten thousand things', but that doesn't mean you can't play with them.

Hey cool thanks for the links Trunk. I used to take NO-Xplode before I lifted weights and it gave one heck of a boost! I never really considered the benefits of NO for cultivation practice. This stuff looks great.

Nice! He's sssmokin!!!

Synchronicity city! I was going to write a post about running as well. Might have something to do with beautiful springtime weather. I'm not a huge runner but am planning on starting a routine. Would anyone like to share benefits they've experienced from a regular running practice, and how it related to their qigong practice? Downsides to running? mantis, what kind of routine are you doing?

I think E Prime is unnecessary as well as too difficult for practical purposes but also that it is interesting. With that in mind, I respectfully decline your challenge. My post might have been better if I simply stated that I thought your post seemed insensitive and that you might not have grasped the spirit of why others are into it.

Hi buscon, glad too! For one thing, my previous post may clarify some things. As I said, the movement Winn teaches is called Deep Earth Pulsing. It is on his Sexual Vitality DVD, which I don't have, and he teaches it at his workshops, which is where I learned it. You can see a part of it from the link I gave. What I do is slightly different than the way he teaches it. I don't focus on anything too complex energetically, and my movements are slower and smaller than on the video. As far as the movement itself, it is deceptively simple but a little hard to describe in detail. I recommend at least getting the DVD. Basically, assume a standard wuji standing posture. Have your palms face the Earth. Begin to slowly shift your weight from the right to left and repeat. As you shift onto your right foot, you push down with your right palm and breathe down into the Earth. Your other heel can come up slightly, and its corresponding hand will be coming up but not past heart level. Your arms will be moving in a circular fashion with the top coming towards you. Down/out, up/in. Your ankle, knee, and hip joints of your weighted foot will bend. This pumping action of the joints serves like a kind of oil drill than pumps energy from the Earth. But as I said from my previous post, I wouldn't focus on 'getting' Earth energy, nor on if I was doing the movement correctly. When I get really deep into it, my mind becomes clear and time slows down. My movements become very subtle and slow. I actually feel like a tree swaying in the wind. It is very therapeutic, especially for someone like me who tends to be very cerebral. Like most qigong, it is best to do this outside in nature, but not necessary. I like to do it barefoot. But watch out for anthills! Hope this helps

Thank you all for your responses. I’m glad you liked the post. I thought about this more today, and would like to bring up a few extra points. First, the movement of course does not require the intention of sexual communion. Those who are sexually attracted to men, for instance, might enjoy seeing the practice as a way to connect with the Mother aspect of the Earth. I think the form supports this well, since the gentle swaying back and forth is reminiscent of cradle rocking. This brings up my other point, which is the importance of surrender. IME, this aspect is both extremely important for qigong and not talked about enough. There is a temptation with qigong to want to scoop up and hoard energy, as if we were some separate power station. We are more like a conduit which energy passes through. Releasing and letting go of energy is just as important if not more so than gathering it. Fear is a cause of a lot of the anxiety of letting go. Fear of weakness , death, and destruction. I think this is a deep-seated reason why some men fear women. IME, this form allows one to connect with the feminine principle, sexually or otherwise. I think our body is just as holy as our spirit. Many religions take issue with embodiment, often extremely so. This practice kind of reverses that approach. Take gravity for instance. I used to feel that gravity was a limitation. I’ve wanted very badly, and still do in many ways, to be able to fly. I love flying in my dreams. But I’ve come to see gravity differently in my practice. For me, gravity is an embodiment of the metaphysical principle of love. They are forces that connect, unify, and embrace. So I no longer feel ‘stuck’ on the Earth, but grateful that She loves me so much as to constantly pull me towards Her. Before doing this practice, I wasn’t aware of the force and importance of gravity. But it’s what makes our bones strong and bodies vital. In my practice, I don’t force energy down to the Earth, I simply allow it to happen. Gravity does all the hard work Rather, I focus on love and gratitude. I trust the Earth. I sink into Her. I allow Her access to the totality of my life force, my whole being. In surrendering myself in this manner, I conquer fear. I become like a tree swaying in the wind, deeply rooted and free of concern. Time slows down. An Inner Smile blossoms spontaneously like leaves on a tree. Of course, I honor balance in all things, and recognize the importance of masculine or heavenly yang energies. I honor my masculinity and manhood. Yang practices and communion with heavenly energies are just as important, but this is another topic altogether. I prefer to talk about the yin side of things since that is what I see as most neglected and necessary. It is also what makes Taoism so special.

While I agree that doing away with all forms of "to be" is futile, I think you're missing the point here. The E Prime experiment, as it pertains to this board, focuses on watching our statements about absolutes in order to cultivate a more friendly atmosphere. Here, you infer that people interested in or are doing this experiment lack common sense and a small amount of education. Writing this as an "is" makes your statement appear even more offensive.

Well that's synchronistic, I just wrote a post about a technique that might be of benefit: http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/13922-making-love-with-the-earth/

Haha nope never have, sounds fun!