RiverSnake

Very interesting stories CT. Thanks for sharing. My 2 cents, Peace

May your cunning and skill continue to grow Taomeow. Thanks for the contribution. My 2 cents, Peace

This is very interesting Hundun. I have never heard anyone else talk about this phenomenon of leaving the body at self-realization besides Sadghuru. Very interesting stuff: My 2 cents, Peace

I feel this thread got a bit offtrack with going into the deep metaphysical implications of the ignore feature.....which is cool. But I'd like to bring it back to the practical features of this tool. ------------------------- One of the greatest benefits of the the ignore feature is that it tidies up threads. For example when a thread is derailed (usually by the same group of people) things can easily become a mess. Although you may really enjoy the topic of the thread and a few people may be contributing some of there well earned pearls and gems, because of trolling and derailing.....reading the thread becomes a dreary and conflict-ridden act. You are required to sift through dozens of posts trying to determine the chaff from the wheat or the mudslinging from the sincere posts, as a result the overall quality experience of the forum is decreased. This is something that has always been bothersome for me. The ignore feature is helpful with this because you can basically glide through threads and have all of the mudslinging and senseless posts minimized yet still open for your viewing pleasure/pain if you so choose. So instead, if you look at a page of 20 posts with probably 5 posts that are on topic and healthily contribute to the discussion, you may simply see a much smaller page with more concentrated information that sifts through the garbage effectively. This is a quality of the Ignore post feature that I have found great value in and it has made my experience on TTB much more relaxing and enjoyable. I will be writing more on my experiences, if others would like to share there positive or negative experiences of utilizing the feature I would encourage you to do so. My 2 cents, Peace

Thanks. I actually contacted Santiago. Hoping I can get the opportunity to train with him. My 2 cents, Peace

Thanks nea. My 2 cents, Peace

DP

Can anyone talk about there experiences training in Hoshin Budo? Recently become interested in taking back up a martial arts practice....been awhile but something that I have always enjoyed. My 2 cents, Peace

Welcome to TTB. All kinds of practitioners here, I'm sure you'll have good time. My 2 cents, Peace

It is my understanding that generally it is easier for women to do it the reverse way (up the front channel) while men go up the back channel.....but that is not always the case. It's easier to move my flow in the reverse as well....I attribute to this the fact that I have many feminine tendencies even though I am a dude. My 2 cents, Peace

Hey Kempomaster I was wondering if you could elaborate on the term "good control". Perhaps this is a bit obvious for others but I feel I could use some clarification. Is control related purely to the Physical, Emotional, Mental, Managing Intent/Awareness.....etc....? What areas of control are most important in this regard? My 2 cents, Peace

Welcome to TTB. There's plenty of info on Flying Phoenix on the forum. My 2 cents, Peace

Welcome to TTB. Enjoy your stay. My 2 cents, Peace

I agree with most of what you have said. I am not a fan of lists of moral dogma as that itself can be quite blinding. The decisions we make in our lives should come from the deepest reservoirs of our wisdom.....by listening to the echoes within the void and observing the mirror of the mind. It's not about "right" or "wrong". It's about being true to oneself and knowing what serves you and develops you as a practitioner and what doesn't. In the past although painful as it was I got a lot of learning from dealing with trolls. It helped me develop a thick but porous skin for nonsense, so that such things would not shock and paralyze me in the future. Kinda of like the first time you get punched in the face when sparring, after a couple hits you get used to it. It helped me learn that detachment and neutrality is the best policy......rather than reflexively shooting from the hip and getting into pointless and depleting conversations. Of-course most importantly the best strategy for weathering strife is to have the necessary foresight and self-knowledge to not be in the situation to begin with. It can be compared to hanging out with "low energy" people whom unconsciously drag everyone around them down with negativity (we have all experienced such people before). These are situations that I find no value in forcefully putting myself in once I have been there and understand the underlying dynamics....it is something I find is best handled with detachment and acceptance if it comes within my sphere. You also mention that everyone is fallible, I agree, but there are also varying levels of insight and experience along the path. These varying levels of insight make quite a difference when conversing with others. I come to TTB to share my insights and experiences as well as to receive the insights and experiences of others. Knowledge that uplifts and empowers is of great value. Also I'd say that knowledge of things that drag you down energetically is also of great value....but only so you know how to harmonize such facets within your own sphere and avoid such entanglements so that you may continue moving forward in ones cultivation. As a side-note, I do not appreciate the various assumptions you made regarding my character....ie.....avoiding assholes everywhere I go and being self-righteous and arrogant. I walk my own path and live by experience. My 2 cents, Peace

Interesting stuff. I am slowly getting a grasp on astrology (it's complicated) and have been studying the Tree of Life for awhile. Yet to really dabble in the understanding of planetary Magick, but seems very interesting, gonna look for some good books on the topic. Learning the Tarot kinda tricks you into learning about numerology. My 2 cents, Peqce

Always felt a pretty strong vibe for R.J Stewarts work. He seems like one of this old school adepts that never really got as well known as other authors. His book Living Magical Arts seems like it has some depth to it: http://www.amazon.com/Living-Magical-Arts-R-J-Stewart/dp/1870450612 My 2 cents, Peace

You make many valid points 9th, especially about attraction and aversion not becoming a blinder. I must admit I do not like trolls. They soil the pool in which we all swim. However, at the same time there is nothing you can really do about such people.....as to engage them in dialogue only plays into their hands and causes further flame wars. The act of ignoring is an act of detachment (non-doing) and a surrendering to the fact that there is not much constructive conversation that can occur when approaching a "full cup", but perhaps at a later time it can. We can only remain neutral and in a state of equanimity while going about our buisiness as a Bum. Doing our best to not becoming sucked into unhealthy conversations on forums and at the same time route out pearls and gems of wisdoms where they may lie. My 2 cents, Peace

You make many valid and powerful points 9th. I see that this discussion could get quite subtle and lose value quickly in esoteric jargon. So I'll use an example that many practitioners if not all have experienced: Say you have an old friend whom you used to get along with great. But you've been cultivating for awhile and coming and meeting this friend again you find that you on a personal level have changed completely. Things you had in common with said friend no longer appeal to you and jokes he said before that you both laughed at now sound rude and arrogant. You find that there is no commonality and camaraderie left in the relationship. Yet despite this the pain of letting go of such a close knit relationship is not pleasant. It's difficult despite a sense of mutual lack of interest that has naturally grown between both of you. IMO, one should look past this pain and drop the relationship as it no longer has a foundation or any kind of reciprocity for each individual, there is no spark of resonance left. Many would argue that you should try and force the relationship to work, I disagree. The point being water finds its own level in any arena. Another point being that words, emotions, friendships and a healthy exchange of ideas and knowledge is powerful and can in many circumstances influence the quality of ones life. Additionally we tend to pick up the character traits of those whose company we keep. IMO, this relates in many ways to the topic of this post, if we feel no resonance with the contributions off others, if we feel other individuals are a "full cup" and beyond reason and if their words are inflammatory, offensive, rude, hurtful and tempt you towards anger and rage should we continue a dialogue with such individual due to idealistic tendencies? IMO, the answer is NO. I'd also add that it is difficult to restrain oneself from getting into arguments with trolls if one does not have a intense sense of discipline and self-awareness. Thus once we identify someone as a Troll we can choose to ignore there inflammatory remarks or choose to read them at our own discretion. Been a Bum for awhile now and have seen many highly cultivated teachers with decades of experience fall prey to idiots with keyboards. The only solution I have seen to handle a Troll is Non-Doing and Detachment. Yes, reality is messy, and others limitations can be quite frustrating.....no.....extremely frustrating. I have been working in a non-profit organization for about 3 years now. Working for free and learning to deal with the personal flaws and limitations of others (not saying I am perfect by any means) has developed a sense of humility and patience within me unlike anything else I have ever experienced. Still, one needs to have a space for oneself and the ability to consciously choose ones battles and what we spend our time and focus on. My 2 cents, Peace

DP

You may find Path Notes of and American Ninja Master by Glenn Morris a good and enjoyable book: http://www.amazon.com/Path-Notes-American-Ninja-Master/dp/1556431570/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383601966&sr=1-1&keywords=path+notes+of+an+american+ninja+master My 2 cents, Peace

Nice!

Ahhhh!! Made myself wide open to that one. My 2 cents, Peace

I try to practice daily, but some days are better than others or I will feel I should do more sitting than movement on some days. It all depends, that is how much I usually practice, but as Rv and Brian said you can do less or you can do more depending on how you feel. If you do the motions correctly you can easily get a good charge from 20 minutes....though I usually do more. My 2 cents, Peace

When I practice GOT I usually do about 1hr. My 2 cents, Peace