RiverSnake

Indeed, much of the ancient traditions have been lost. However, according to my studies and from my own experiences i have found that there is no lock and bolt on esoteric knowledge...you can intuit and pull anything you need from the source, everything that was and is can be found if you are open to it. IMO there is no "original tradition", it all comes from the source, nor does anyone own an individual tradition but are merely "care-takers" for sacred knowledge and are there to protect and make sure that it retains its original purpose and fundamental integrity. -My 2 cents, Peace

Hmm....I wish fivelementao was still on the forum. He is a high level practitioner whom is doing a lot of work to recover ancient Teutonic Shamanic Traditions. Defintely worth checking out. Here's his site: http://www.thunderwizard.com/ He also has podcasts.

Wow i don't practice Bagua and have only practiced a little bit of Tai Chi and i was very impressed by this video . This was some deep shit: "Anyway, regardless of whether you are doing tuishou (push hands) or sahnshou (free sparring) you should let all the force the opponent projects at you fall upon you as falling upon a sphere. The Rolling of your sphere allows you to avoid the opponents attacking power. Then go with the rolling of the sphere and present another surface to him." Guo Shifu Gonna give this some deep contemplation and see how it integrates into my Bokken practice. -My 2 cents, Peace

One of my favorite videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY50vvMjX_o

Chi-Kung

Step 1: Contemplate and discover precisely what it is you want to do with your life? Step 2: Find a path that you resonate with and you know will take you in that direction. Step 3: Put your whole heart and life into that direction. "To practice Zen or the Martial Arts, you must live intensely, wholeheartedly, without reserve - as if you might die in the next instant" - Taisen Des -My 2 cents, Peace

Methods are important...but i tend to think that people get too caught up in them. Ultimately the goal of cultivation is to bring a human being to his or her Peak Expression, i believe there are many ways of doing this...like anything there are many paths to the same apple tree. IMO, what matters most is one's readiness to give himself completely to the path. Also i disagree with More Pie Guy: i believe are merits and abilities do follow us into our next life, that's what we call Karma. If your heart is sincere and willing then Day or Night, Kali Yuga or Saty Yuga the the path will appear before you...however i think one must be ready to give himself to it unconditionally. -My 2 cents, Peace

Wow CT thanks for the inspirational story that's some "Heart-breaking Sadhana". This is one of my favorite videos: -My 2 cents, Peace

Returning back to the pure, the unconditioned, the playful...like a child free of all fetters. One of my favorite cards

Indeed lerner. I think its partially semantical but also an important distinction...whatever words i type in response i think will fall short.... my knowledge on this topic is still expanding and evolving. Also i have no desire to derail the thread. -My 2 cents, Peace

Indeed being in Emptiness 24 hrs a day is Idyllic...after all we are ultimately looking to become the Void. -My 2 cents, Peace

Summary of 100 years of Taoist Discussion: http://everydayhealthtcm.blogspot.com/2009/11/at-age-of-100-xing-yi-master-wang-ji-wu.html Its a great article i go back and read it regularly for inspiration. -My 2 cents, Peace

Hmm....interesting perspective Vmarco...all i can say is that personally i have benefited enormously from emptiness meditation. Because of it everyday i live an easy and more graceful life with very little suffering and find joy and serenity in the simplest of things...yet i am able to be focused and stay in clarity in all that i do....but that's just me, perhaps others do not find such benefits. My 2 cents, Peace

Alternate Nostril breathing supposedly performs this function.

Indeed, my experiences of "It" mimic all of your point except your last statement. Saying emptiness has form and substance in the traditonal view of the words is not wrong but i don't thinks it absolutely right either. I would just say it is a kind of formless form. -My 2 cents, Peace

Look forward to see how long this hiatus lasts.... ------------------------------------ Edit: In addition i would like to add that many people on the forum seem to have the i am right your wrong, i am enlightened your not, my teacher is better than your teacher syndrome. Such people whether highly cultivated or not obviously lack maturity. I feel that the only solution to those people is unconditional love, compassion....and the ignore post function: one of the most underused tools on the forum. -My 2 cents, Peace

If that's the case then that makes them even more accessible. -My 2 cents, Peace

1. Emptiness Meditation

Good shit

Glad to see you back Manitou. Moving into the void is sometimes difficult for me. How are your practices going?

Indeed, so many traditions have been lost...yet at the same metaphysically and theoretically speaking nothing is ever lost. Many mystics would argue that everything in history is recorded and if you really have a strong desire to revive a traditions all you need to do is pull it from the "source". Its always an interesting thought to entertain. -My 2 cents, Peace

Indeed Much like Yin and Yang theory it is my understanding that there is no such thing as pure Yang or pure Yin practice...each quality has the opposite within itself. However, there are practices that lean more heavily to one side than the other. Based on your description of Kundalini Yoga it sound like it leans toward the fiery side. Ideally we want balance. How to classify Chi-Gung in all this i think is a bit tricky and one would have to have a deep and intimate knowledge of the individual system to make such a weighted judgement...perhaps ask Chunyi Lin. However, one point i would like to add is that in ones practice their will inevitably be times when we feel like we are not making "progress" because we are not feeling any "fireworks". Every practitioner myself included whom has put a suspended period of time into a practice has felt this. My understanding of this is that as we grow energetically we are opening up our channels to increased Chi flow. Because are channels are closed at the beginning we often feel the difference immediately when we first begin a practice and get to feel some initial "fireworks". However, as our channels become more open we often feel we are not getting anywhere because are body and channels have adjusted to the increased chi flow....changes are always happening in the body when we practice but often because we are not used to dealing with the subtle we can not feel them. Practice IME is always filled with peaks and plateaus...however IMO we should not be attached to either but simply remain dedicated to our practice. Often this is why it is good to have a teacher. He can tell you whether you are making progress or not and give you advice on how to approach the situation. In regards to how much you should practice...i say use your best judgement. Feel what is best for you at this time. You must adjust your practice to you as an individual... were all at different levels. What is appropriate amount of practice for others may seem to much or too little for you. I wish you the best in your endeavors. -My 2 cents, Peace

"I don't see nothing wrong with a little bump and grind." R. Kelly Go get laid tulku. My 2 cents. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83j4ICes2i4

The following is a conversation between a Christian student and his professor. I found it on the net and thought it was interesting. Professor : You are a Christian, aren’t you, son ? Student : Yes, sir. Professor: So, you believe in GOD ? Student : Absolutely, sir. Professor : Is GOD good ? Student : Sure. Professor: Is GOD all powerful ? Student : Yes. Professor: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Hmm? (Student was silent.) Professor: You can’t answer, can you ? Let’s start again, young fella. Is GOD good? Student : Yes. Professor: Is satan good ? Student : No. Professor: Where does satan come from ? Student : From … GOD … Professor: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world? Student : Yes. Professor: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct? Student : Yes. Professor: So who created evil ? (Student did not answer.) Professor: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they? Student : Yes, sir. Professor: So, who created them ? (Student had no answer.) Professor: Science says you have 5 Senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son, have you ever seen GOD? Student : No, sir. Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD? Student : No , sir. Professor: Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD, smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter? Student : No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t. Professor: Yet you still believe in Him? Student : Yes. Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son? Student : Nothing. I only have my faith. Professor: Yes, faith. And that is the problem Science has. Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat? Professor: Yes. Student : And is there such a thing as cold? Professor: Yes. Student : No, sir. There isn’t. (The lecture theater became very quiet with this turn of events.) Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it. (There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theater.) Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness? Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness? Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, well you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you? Professor: So what is the point you are making, young man ? Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed. Professor: Flawed ? Can you explain how? Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey? Professor: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do. Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir? (The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.) Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor. Are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class was in uproar.) Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain? (The class broke out into laughter. ) Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir? (The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable.) Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son. Student : That is it sir … Exactly ! The link between man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving. P.S. By the way, that student was EINSTEIN.

Glad you enjoyed it CT