RiverSnake

As I recall drew practices Spring forest Qi Gong. I think Chun Yi Lin is a much better role model for you to mimic than Drew is, by all accounts he is a experienced master and a great healer. When drew was here he said some interesting things....but often came of as a bit of an extremist....intellectually and philosophically. Personally speaking I did not like the way he constantly and recklessly used excerpts from his experiences with Jim Nance and Chun yi lin, often promoting there "powers" which is not the kind of attention I think they would want. Most importantly I felt his character and words reflected poorly on his teachers and in some ways dragged there names through the dirt as a result. If your interested in getting control of your sexual energy i recommend you practice Qi Gong and learn to stop wakking off. This will empower you in many profound ways. There are many threads on retention in this forum. Here's a link to a basic Spring Forest Qi Gong technique: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gr5MkMLyoeI My 2 cents, Peace

When your a teacher or a representative of a certain system or practice.....then you naturally become a larger target for people to attack and criticize for valid or invalid reasons. If your successful at some thing then you naturally attract detractors.....such is the way of things. My 2 cents, Peace

I think this is actually pretty common. Nothing to get up in arms about. Use it to your advantage in your everyday affairs. I tend to agree that not many people are trustworthy.....you can't trust someone who's ego has a tight grip on their personality.....when push comes to shove they will likely betray you over petty things.....but still don't make a big deal out of this. Endeavor to accept everyone at where they are and at the same time choose your company and close friends wisely. My 2 cents, Peace

Its interesting that i read this post. I just did some trance work this morning to learn how to become more "flowing" on a variety of levels. I ate some nice tasting clouds. Learning how to flow with life and not resist is an important skill. Flow while walking, talking, feeling, listening, practicing....etc. The opposite of robotism is to "flow" unimpeded....well worth cultivating in oneself. My 2 cents, Peace

Officially. Welcome to TTB. My 2 cents, Peace

Been experiencing a bit of this lately. I can see now why Buddhists have devotional prayers in which they dedicate themselves and there practices to the benefit of all sentient beings. It helps avoid lots of traps, gives clarity in ones direction and is quite freeing on a variety of levels. My 2 cents, Peace

A couple more to add: 1. Kung Fu Panda 2. Pocahontas My 2 cents, Peace

Thanks for the additional insights. Cool stuff. My 2 cents, Peace

Yeah.....the only time this experience has bothered me was when I am practicing during the day outside of a formal session (in class, at a meeting....etc) it can make perceiving the particulars of what's occurring around you a bit difficult to grasp. Shifting on the go....can be a bit haphazard I guess. My 2 cents, Peace

I have noticed for awhile that when doing S-M.....even though my awareness will be on my LDT it sometimes feels like there is a Chi Kegger going on in my forehead. The depth of clarity in which you perceive things from the stillness of this state is pretty awesome. But at times it can be a bit disorienting and although I am experiencing things in clarity I can be "zoning out" at the same time if that makes any sense. Was wondering if anyone could give any tips for this? My 2 cents, Peace

IME think this is a flawed way of perceiving this situation. The energies you project or where your vibing at can have powerful influence on your personality and vice versa. The 2 are not separate. My 2 cents, Peace

What are you trying to learn govind? My 2 cents, Peace

A good thread with lists of different systems of internal work. Take your pick. http://thetaobums.com/topic/27757-what-is-the-best-qigong-lineage-to-start-out-with/ My 2 cents, Peace

Found this article on another site and thought it was interesting and worth sharing: "A while ago Jack had a great post about some of the reactions people have had about certain magical practices and how they might be dangerous, lead one into insanity, away from Holiness, etc.. I liked the post, because when I was younger, I got a lot of the same kinds of looks from some people. I went plunging into the Tunnels of Set with nothing but Falorioss images on photo paper and a beat up copy of Nightside of Eden. I held a Typhonian Portal open in my bedroom for a week straight until my neighbors could feel something terrible going on. I created Servitors with no expiration date that are still roaming the city of Philadelphia 17 years later. I took three types of psychedelics at once (LSD, Mishrooms, and Datura) and became a Buddhist. I formed a cabal of the CAOTO to have all night trip explorations on psychedelics most people have never even heard of. I summoned demons for frivolous reasons and paid the price. I played games with the weather, and other people paid the price. I did a public performance of the Mass of the Phoenix in front of 30 people at a Unitarian Church and yes I bled all over. I integrated BDSM into sex magic rituals just because. I nearly wound up hospitalized for a few days because of the effects of an un-grounded Chaos Sphere. I charged half cocked into an exorcism that I clearly could not handle. I charged half cocked into another one soon after, that I did handle but would not have been able to unless I failed the first time. In short I learned by getting my hands dirty and playing the game. I have only met Jack once, and we never did not come up together, but I think we have some similar experiences in this regard. We both survived, and we both have friends that did not. So what all this brings me around to is magical timing. We talk a lot of about time according to planetary days and hours. We plan according to eclipses and according to lunar phases. We sometimes even plan out according to season, but I wonder how many of you give thought to when in your life you are going to do something. A lot of the things I did then, I would NEVER do now in a house with my wife and kids. Honestly some magic I would never even do once I got a job I cared about. Some of this is the type of stuff I list above the gung ho excursions of a magical youth but others are not so simple. Take the HGA for instance. I had friends deeply worried about me when I was doing Samekh every day. There were times that I was absolutely close to coming unhinged. Some people treat it as this thing that is the pinnacle of magic and should only be undertaken once you have accomplished years of work I think it should be done very early on in ones career because the upheavals that can be brought up in the work can be enough to tear a family apart. Crossing the Abyss is another one. Unless you are doing it through meditation (which is more effecient and smoother than any more active magical method) it might be best accomplished before one is settled, or after one is retired. Than again, different people lead different lives. Lots of Tibetan Buddhists get asked to do Ngondro, which usually requires 100,000 full prostrations. Some Lamas brag (or get bragged about) that they did it two or three times! When they dont mention is that they did it when they were 12. Doing 100,000 prostrations is a great way to keep a 12 year old monk occupied. Its a challenging task for someone in their early 20′s. It can be downright harmful to overweight western suburbanites in their 30′s and 40′s, and every year at least a few people blow out their knees doing it. Good practice wrong stage of life Not that long ago a friend of mine that is my age was talking about engaging in a long series of Ayahuaska based magical experiments and wanted to know what I thought. I basically told him that ship has sailed. He has two kids at home a few years older than my kids. I asked him how would you feel if you got an emergency call that your child is in the hospital, and you still have 5 hours of tripping your balls off to get through? Everything from ritual equipment you keep out, to things you invoke in the house, to ways that you alter your mind state, have serious impact in real life. Doing something when you are in college may not be a good idea when you are raising toddlers. Than again revisiting that in later life, might be ideal. In fact, it is the last phase of life that many cultures consider the most spiritually productive. Many people who ask to become Sadhus get told to wait until they have a family and career first, than become a Sanyassi after they retire. I wonder if any of the people that were criticizing Jacks practices were simply at a place in life where the kind of psychic or circumstantial upheaval that could be caused was unthinkable to them, yet very easy for Jack to handle. I know that is how it was with me, and I need to remind myself when I talk to some people, that is how it is with them now. How has your stage of life effected your practice? Have to put anything away for the kiddies? Any good stories of youthful psychic shinanigans? Got anything planned for the empty nest?" by Jason Miller Link to original article: http://www.inominandum.com/blog/timing-of-magic-over-lifetime/ My 2 cents, Peace

Really enjoyed the 2013 Crucible Panels. The panels were on "What Magicians Do" and "The Use of Curses". The Curse one was actually pretty hilarious. Good stuff. Very interesting to hear how people approach this stuff philosophically speaking and how they view cause and effect, karma, how it effects your life vector, personality....etc. http://deeper-down-the-rabbit-hole.com/2013/11/episode-112-crucible-2013-panel-magicians/ http://deeper-down-the-rabbit-hole.com/2013/12/episode-115-crucible-convention-2013-panel-curses/ My 2 cents, Peace

Clarity….more clarity and balance needed. My 2 cents, Peace

DP

People's sensitivity to Chi varies widely. Generally speaking the more you practice working with Chi the stronger you feel it. I recommend a daily Chi Kung practice. My 2 cents, Peace

A useful thread on the topic: http://thetaobums.com/topic/24876-a-few-questions-about-important-questions-about-ejaculation-control-and-sexual-energy/?hl=%2Btantric+%2Bkeys#entry360583 My 2 cents, Peace

You can't change others. It's hard enough to change yourself. Seems like your just feeling the growing pains of development....keep practicing you'll adapt and be fine.....by cultivating and bringing light into our jobs/careers were are in fact making the world a little bit better everyday. Welcome to TTB. My 2 cents, Peace

Bump again. Good stuff. I understand a lot more of what is written here coming back a couple years later. My 2 cents, Peace

One of the center goals of my practice is "power".....but not in the negative sense that most people use such as power over others. With cultivation comes power over oneself and the ability to consciously choose rather than be pulled back and forth by past and present influences/karma.....etc. However, power is used in a negative sense in the options so I refrained from clicking that one. My 2 cents, Peace

Yikes, another yoga scandal! Why can't these dudes just get laid the natural way.....go to a bar meet and some cute chicks that are looking for a hot night. That way everyone's happy. My 2 cents, Peace

Discipline and self-awareness i think is the most important part of this. I often feel the desire to attack those whom insult and splurge slander....however I often also have to remind myself that such a reaction is never helpful on the Internet and in real life. I am actually dancing to the opponents tune when I let them control my mind, emotions and energy. Ignoring/blocking is often the best way to go when your meeting someone whom consistently mudsings and contributes little of value to the forum. My 2 cents, Peace