RiverSnake

The intellectual mind is only one small part of our existence....so yes, i would say there is a meaning outside of what are mind creates. Just look at the mind itself....it will give you a hundred different "purposes" for living and for dying in one day. I endeavor to receive and live in harmony with Spirit. My 2 cents, Peace

Putting symbols on your skin is one thing. Better to imprint them in your BEING if they mean that much to you...ie meditation. Best of luck My 2 cents, Peace

Was studying Tarot recently and found this excerpt from Pamela Eakins Tarot of the Spirit and wanted to share. Enjoy "The Earth itself, like the Wind, is the offspring of the elemental universal forces of Fire and Water. The Earth is seen as the daughter of the elemental forces. The Earth is inert form, female and receptive, providing a body for the forces of intellect, emotion, spirit, will and life-force. Earth is the limitless substance of which all things physical are composed. Earth Indicates all physical form. Physical forms are vessels containing life-force. In other words, Earth is the form in which life, the force, is embodied. Mystics say: force is ensouled in form. To ensoul means to endow with a soul. The soul--while it cannot be discerned materially or physically--thinks, wills, and has spiritual and emotional force. The soul is the vital or essential component of life. The ultimate etymology of the word "soul" is uncertain. However, one of the form of the word is "sol". It is interesting to examine the connections between these two concepts (soul and sol) in that, in Latin, the root indicates Sun, Earth and alone. In many languages, Sun indicates "sound," to emit. Earth means "ear," to "hear," "to receive." Symbolically, the spirit--the Light of the Sun--ensouls itself in Earth (the planet and the body) where it manifests through breath and sound. Another form of sun is son, denoting offspring. (Son also is the root form of "sound.") We, as children of the universe, are the sons and daughters of "Sun" and "Earth". As sons, we emit. As daughters, we receive. The meaning of daughter (Dochter, doch) is receptacle or to receive (Greek). Daughter also means milk (dhugh/Sanskrit). We intertwine and reproduce. We nourish the young. Life-force passes from us into our offspring. We pass the wand from generation to generation. This is akin to passing the spirit or the force. Thus, as the sons and daughters of Sun and Earth, we are force ensouled in form. We are form containing force. We are the vessels for new forms which are, in turn, ensouled by force. And while we are the sons and daughters, brothers and sisters of Earth, and therefore inextricably connected, each one of us ultimately journeys the path through incarnation alone. This is the solitary path of the soul. But, the physical world must be experienced, as we shall see, before the homeward journey is begun. Earth is our gift. We find ourselves honored with the exquisitely sensual experiences of living on the planet. It comes as a gift that we experience Her joys and wonders. It is also a gift to experience Her quaking, Her tossing and turning. The cracks that open in Her surface crack open our psyches. She shakes us into seeing. Such physical breakage can become the greatest pathway to the inner self. On the path through Earth, we learn that it is mostly the structures we, ourselves, erect that fall down and hurt us when Earth quakes. We learn to build our foundation upon the most solid and enduring ground" Tarot of the Spirit by Pamela Eakins 1 of Earth: Form http://usgs.typepad.com/.a/6a013485938a51970c017d3cf44c52970c-popup My 2 cents, Peace

My Neigong practice has an emphasis on putting ones awareness on the LDT. However, when i practice it does not seem that Chi flow is limited to that area....i feel chi flow throughout my body from top too bottom saturating me completely. But that's just my experience. My 2 cents, Peace

Are physical environment as well as what substances we put in our body effect our energy. Knowing that truth, we should be aware and act according to our deepest wisdom. My 2 cents, Peace

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Good stuff

I have always found this video quite insightful in regards to relationships. http://thetaobums.com/topic/27102-taoists-and-relationships/ My 2 cents, Peace

When i first started meditating i found i had difficulty sitting for 10 minutes without feeling sore and uncomfortable. However, over time i increased my sitting periods and have continually been increasing my time for awhile now. However, recently i have hit a plateau and cannot sit for longer than 1 hr 45 min without a lot of discomfort and pain. I tried to sit through the pain recently and my knees have been hurting for the last 4-5 days rather than just the usual soreness....i have no desire to injure my knees as i know many meditators do....however i would also like to eventually learn to sit for long periods of time like 8 hrs without moving. Can any experienced meditators give me tips on how to extend my sessions safely?

Thanks for such a thorough post spotless. Much appreciated, my practice continues to grow. My 2 cents, Peace

IME sharing is great.....but if what you are sharing does not come from any depth of experience then you're probably doing more harm than good and are likely...unbeknownst to yourself spewing intellectual nonsense. Practice first talk later. My 2 cents, Peace

“The Sufi way is through knowledge and practice, not through intellect and talk.” --Idries Shah, Sufi Thought and Action

In the West people are thirsty for Spirituality....very thirsty....people want to connect. But it can be difficult to connect when much of our Spiritual-Culture has been demolished throughout history and the mainstream religions really have nothing left to feed people but a set of beliefs. I see the New Age movement as something similar to a baby struggling to take its first step....struggling to get up on two feet and gain some level of confidence in spirituality. IMO the difference between genuine spirituality and "false spirituality" is Sincerity and the Intensity of ones thirst. There is a lot of garbage and trash in the New Age arena, and when spirituality hits a consumer based society it is definitely gonna reflect that tint and people are gonna try and profit of off others ignorance. To take a Jain or Buddhist term....the community is divided into Monks, Nuns and the Layperson. Laypersons are thirsty to connect but at the same not enough to take any serious step, they are not ready for the intensity of the Path. They are content at just being in the "presence" of the spiritual which gives them a sense of security and confidence. Naturally when the laypersons get a handle on spiritual teachings without having walked the Path first much of the Depth and Knowledge of esoteric teachings is lost and Spirituality becomes cheap and shallow.....i think this is partly reflected in New Age Movement. That being said i think many genuine Monks and Nuns (Yogis and Sincere Seekers) are going to emerge from the garbage and nonsense of New Age Spirituality and come out of the Path wiser and ready to convey and share genuine Spirit. Just my opinion. My 2 cents, Peace

Depending on a person's energy their "Nature" can be expressed with an enormous variety. My 2 cents, Peace

You may find this post useful: http://thetaobums.com/topic/21974-awaken-kundalini-in-90-days/

A vague quote from my memory. I think i might have read it in Mysteries of the Life Force. Ofcourse with different methods and different levels of dedication it caries. http://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Life-Force-Apprenticeship-Master/dp/1591810558/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1360467924&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Mysteries+of+the+life+force My 2 cents, Peace

My understanding is that is that takes about 3 years to opent the mini orbit and 7 to open the macro orbit (these are generalizations). You should find a teacher whom can tell you how far you have progressed instead of guessing. My 2 cents, Peace

I suppose you could look for alternative approaches in TCM or go find someone whom practices energy healing. My 2 cents, Peace

Cool

"INTENT" is the keyword here. What it is the intent behind your working. Balance and harmony both within and without should always be the focus of one's workings....IMO. My 2 cents, Peace

My understanding based on what others have said (not my personal experience) is that people whom are not effectively grounded become a bit unstable on full moons. For example in psyche wards patients get very agitated on full moons. I wouldn't worry much about it...keep practicing cultivation and self-purification. You will slowly grow in personal power where such things will no longer play chaos with your mind....of-course it will take some time and effort. My 2 cents, Peace

Where awareness goes energy flows. Meditate on your lower dantien or circulate the energy in some other fashion. My 2 cents, Peace

Found this thread awhile back. Its interesting stuff. Never did any deep experimentation with it though. http://thetaobums.com/topic/19477-get-girls-to-check-you-out/ My 2 cents, Peace

I am finding that it's a very simple but rewarding method of exploring the Tree. I noted all of observations and experimentations in my journal. Its still a work in progress. But you may find some of it interesting. My 2 cents, Peace