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Aye, my thoughts too. Besides, it would actually be detrimental to the health of this forum, as history have recorded. All it takes is 2 self-proclaimed MP 'adepts' getting together to rock the boat. And they will.

Have a salt lamp for years now. We were on the market for an ioniser, and happened to hear that salt lamps claim to do the job. Sold to me by a very convincing salesperson who conveyed all the wondrous benefits (besides ionising the air) of having one. None of what was claimed has manifested, other than being a rather unique piece of lighting equipment, since no 2 lamps, in their natural shape, is exactly the same. I think its just a gimmick, although i must say the way the lamp glows lends a very aesthetic feel to the altar where i have finally retired it to. As for indoor plants, i have heard that not all plants will enhance the feng shui of one's living quarters. Its been said that generally, one should avoid plants with pointy leaves and prickly thorns, instead, opt for plants with broad, thick, roundy leaves. Examples of good indoor plants favoured by Chinese households are the money plant http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_plant, aloe veras, Guan-yin bamboo, and most, if not all, must have at least one or more pots of citron, kumquat or kalamansi, which is believed to have powerful protective and fortune-enhancing properties. Another favourite decorative plant among the Chinese is the bonsai. Prosperous SE Asian tycoons value the bonsai, so much so some would pay thousands of dollars when they find a rare specimen. The most expensive bonsai tree, a 100-year old Pine, was sold in Japan for 1.3 million US dollars, while the most ever paid for a bonsai pot (yup, just the pot) is USD $150,000!!!! The one below costs something like USD $90,000.

Anyone who loves rain should consider Ireland as a holiday destination, or move here. Typical summer here would be one fine sunny day, 5 days rain. The only exception was last year, where we had a stretch of almost a month of solid sunshine, with record temps! Cant remember any other summer with that sort of run. The weather people said not to expect a repeat this year. Hmm... Despite the abundance of water, there's gonna be a levy on water usage to be introduced before end of year. Water supply used to be free here. Wont be for much longer. Im wondering, you guys in the US pay for water right? How much does it cost per annum? Is it metered, or do you pay a fixed price?

Mighty job well done, Trunk. Are you taking a breather or stepping down for good? Lets hope your successor continue the excellent work you have consistently put into this community. All the best to the new Admin, Dawei.

It exists because of mental states like yours. As for the rest of the snipped post, again, its off topic. If you want to chase the issue, feel free to open a new thread.

Thats only your perception, based on your individual conditioning.

There are 2 nows. One is perceived, the other is real. Nothing happens in both. Nonetheless, things arise and manifest in dependence of conditions, and transforms into something else when conditions change. There are only infinite overlaps of energetic displays seemingly brought to life by apperceptions. How these movements of energy are apprehended, usually by attaching labels to them, creates a basis for interpretation which exclusively depends on a being's disposition. You see a hungry, crying baby. The baby does not see a hungry baby. It does not care for anything else. The cry is merely a response to an immediate need. All the baby wants is to be satiated. After being fed, there is no more hungry, crying baby. In the interim, your neighbour, hearing the cries, will interpret differently again. He or she, fearing the worst, might even ring the cops. Sometimes, a rope is seen as a snake.

Which is why any third-party claims that it can be done sounds dubious and border on the ridiculous. The focus on attempts to unbend the past is misdirected. The correct focus should be to bring more awareness to what is being thought, being said, and being acted out, now, in this present time. Its been said, if you want to know your past, simply see where you are now, and if you want to know whats in store tomorrow, simply see where you are now. People who claim to be able to correct the past are as delusional as those who claim the past is real. Nothing ever happened in the past.

We cant all be stars, but don't let no one tell you you cant twinkle. (anon)

GLACIER You just want to live your life The best way you know how But they keep on telling you That you are not allowed They say that you are sick That you should hang your head in shame They are pointing fingers And want you to take the blame There are days when people are So nasty and convincing They say things beyond belief That sting and leave you wincing And to boot they say their words Come straight down from above And they really seem to think That what they’re doing counts as love (Chorus) This pain – It is a glacier moving through you And carving out deep valleys And creating spectacular landscapes And nourishing the ground With precious minerals and other stuff So don’t you become paralyzed with fear When things seem particularly rough (Verse) Don’t you pay them fuckers as they say no never mind They don’t give 2 shits about you it’s the blind leading the blind What they want is commonly referred to as theocracy And what that boils down to is referred to as hypocrisy Don’t listen to anyone, get answers on your own Even if it means that sometimes you feel quite alone No one on this planet can tell you what to believe People like to talk a lot and they like to deceive Love this song!!

you have obviously mixed with the wrong crowd who labelled themselves 'Vajrayana'. There are obvious differences between authentic masters and self-proclaimed pseudo-gurus. Just because you had an unpleasant past experience and cant seem to resolve it is no reason to wish that that path as a whole meets a timely demise. Anyway, i digress. Your comment is off topic anyhow.

Knowing is one thing, being undistracted in that knowing is a different thing. Knowing, one can still get caught in the drama. Being undistracted, the drama still happens, but there is no residual stickiness to contend with. Lots of people know their fundamental nature, but find they get sidetracked due to various factors... seeking comfort in familiar habits, lack of faith garnered from genuine experience and gnosis, over-indulging in analysis, fear, self-doubt, and a host of other crippling reasons. Pain, hunger, disease, death is not suffering. Superimposing layers of thoughts over these conditions is the main cause of suffering. Young children seems to handle pain and terminal illnesses better than adults. Their natural ability to be present, without being led astray by imaginings, mostly is what helps them to cope better. Adults who learn this also learn to improve their coping mechanism, and this in turn helps to lessen imaginings. Its imaginings that get people in trouble most of the time. This is what is meant by superimposition of thoughts on reality, creating a kind of perversion to what is. Out of this perversion, all sorts of troubling scenarios arise, self created, to match one's desires. The spiritual quest to return to resting undistracted as light (enlightenment) is basically a journey one takes in reverse gear. Vajrayana is very good for this purpose, because all the perversions are assigned nanny deities, allowing practitioners to work directly with their neuroses under the guidance of respective tutelary yidams and protectors. When the wrathful aspects of one's inner energies are not recognised, these then manifest as demons and other frightful images; when recognised, the duality collapses -- what remains is basically pure, untainted energies. In essence, primordial energies are neither good or bad, simply potential to be harnessed to further clarify/reveal one's innate, pure nature (which is light). i think some other traditions employ similar approaches. Suffering is not real, like karma is not real. Demons and entities are not real. Not real does not mean they do not exist -- It means they arise (and cease) in tandem with our individual tendencies. The Buddha said, and i have found to be true... "With our thoughts, we create the world."

But the approach in relation to this topic has nought to do with Taoism.

It wont work because its not a being's real nature. As an analogy, most People think they are the film reel, when in fact they are the light behind the projector. So there is confusion. Caught up in confusion and not being able to see their own nature, they think the movie on the screen is their real life. This is where all the dramas unfold and where karma is thought to accumulate on a basically empty piece of cloth. Phantastical stories of ghosts and demons, dark, hidden recesses where the past lurks, deep, unrequited desires fuel hidden emotions, and anything, good or bad, can happen on screen, bringing to birth a plethora of phobias and neurotic tendencies. Its no wonder people turn to healers and exorcists, to create contrast and add layers to an otherwise dream-like existence, mistaking it for reality.

Any client-satisfaction report/endorsements similar to the one put up by the OP? Im kinda bewildered not because Sifu JL requests those amounts for services, but that people actually succumb to them. Not saying it has to be free (although i know of a few who do not ask for payment but will take donations after the issue is resolved), but those amounts really are quite exorbitant.

Do people actually pay that kind of money to have entities removed and karma realigned? Wow. Im flabbergasted.

It appears the UK nursing fraternity are not a happy lot, according to this report. They may be well trained, but that does nothing to stem the hazards associated with this demanding profession. http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/9/5/374.full

There is actually no need to identify mental fetters in the process of eliminating them. The Buddha said to create, (in this present moment, now) the causes for happiness and the end of suffering. No analysis is necessary. The way to practice creating causes for happiness is to understand what the Paramitas are, and applying them mindfully in life. Doing so, repeatedly, with a joyful disposition, the fetters will fade gradually, falling away naturally in time, like an old scab. What are the Paramitas? http://www.naljorprisondharmaservice.org/pdf/SixParamitas.htm

Thanks, Hundun. We have chatted, All is well. And yes, Don Vedo is a beautiful guy...

I was asking in sincerity. Not sure the reason for the touchiness. You offered up a rather vague premise , dont you think its ok for readers to want to get clarification? There is no need to over-react, especially when its based off an assumption.

Oh, forgot to mention.... I have found that Styrian pumpkin seeds and oil are an excellent supplement for your desired goal. http://www.barleans.com/omega_man.asp?ref=CHEFTETON

A lot of Chinese men are quite fascinated with retaining their virility, and will swear by the consumption of double-boiled fresh ox balls, and sadly, dried tiger's penis. They also believe drinking snake's blood and eating snake's bile offer great boosts to their libido as well as prolonging life energies. Basically, any 'heaty' foods will up a man's libido. In Malaysia, the less extreme things to eat for this purpose would be mutton, durians, ginseng, various types of old ginger, many types of spices, for example, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and cassia bark, sea delicacies such as abalone, blood clams, sea cucumber and oysters are supposed to be very good for building sperm quality, and, though not easily found, the meat of the wild boar is believed to be highly nutritious for men as well. In Europe, from a chef's viewpoint, i think the Mediterranean diet is good at promoting men's sexual health, with diet emphasis being put on eating lots of seafood, nuts, oils, olives and quality wines. Personally, i find a daily supplement of flax, sesame, olive and borage oils, coupled with blackstrap molasses plus plenty of supergreens (wheat grass, kale, broccoli, coriander, parsley, celery) and berries (blueberries, black/redcurrant, raspberries, mulberries, cherries) do a fine job in helping me to boost libido and general vigour. My preferred method is to simply blend everything (whatever's there at the market) together and drink the stuff. At 54, pleased to say im still performing like in my mid 20s. Of course, meditative and tantric practices play a part too. Best of luck with your experiments!

What is it, dear friend, that 'we' all want? And, where is that 'there' you alluded to that is the desirable destination people need to arrive at?

The implications of abstinence extend beyond conservation of jing. Celibacy implies a withdrawal of the senses in a wider scope, a natural process that besets every single being. Basically, we don't really have a choice. As the body ages, things have to be let go off. If this is embraced gratefully, there is no suffering. That natural embracement of 'going with the flow', with grateful surrendering, is a form of celibacy, a practice of letting go and letting be. Due to habitual conditionings, resistance arise like an auto-response to this change, and suffering is the result. Contemplative practices gives light and space to this struggle, resulting in understanding. Understanding correctly results in the cessation of conflict, and so on. Observing deeply the links that bind and unbind simultaneously is factored in thru correct contemplation and reflection.