Astral Monk

This talk of 'implants' reminds me of Zhi Gang Sha's Divine Healing Hands, which uses something he calls a 'soul download'. To me, that is way out there, and seems ripe for abuse. Best to be avoided. The power of Other power..? 8)

Yeah I often find trees that are interested in me practicing bagua zhang. Generally I think I have a good rapport with the local trees, and I make sure to thank them after communing with them through practice. Sometimes I have felt certain types of trees to have a menacing spirit. Havent tried healing others with tree energy, but I sometimes appeal to my local trees as masters to send me energy to help with with the integrity of my standing posts and qigong. I might do so to try and enhance a Spring Forest Qigong exercise, like 'forming of yin/yang' which uses a visualization of energy moving up and down the body--akin to the work a tree does from bottom to top. Next time you commune with our wooden friends consider that while a tree's lifeforce is well distributed through its form, its 'intelligence' is primarily in the roots; if trees had a seat of consciousness, it would be in the roots. The trunk and limbs are just that--extensions of the body from its root. Hmm, lots of great things to learn from trees! 8)

today working on SFQ forming/moving of yin/yang. This eve some Tristar taiji practice, as well as some sword play with a couple jian. Intended to be taiji, it ends up being a mix of bagua sword and taiji, as usual 8)

This thread is a real education, if not hard to keep up with Thanks to all who are moving the discussion along. One take away I got from this is to be aware of the distiction between processes and methods when refering to textual descriptions of neidan and qigong. Many paths might agree on a process to experience or a gate to pass through, but only a few have tangible methods that bring results. The rest are stuck with poetry, which leads to interpretation, which leads to speculation, which results in deviation. One signpost to help us navigate the complex world of neidan. 8)

In Chun Yi's system the LDT is assumed to be part of the energy system of the body, so it is incorporated into the exercises and visuualizations from the start. Cultivation is based on visualizing energy gathering at the LDT, and this is central to several exercises including the SFQ small universe (MCO). Although given what some suggest about the LDT, it might be that no amount of visualization can do anything other than produce phantasms. However, we can benefit from focussing our intent in the LDT area. It is the storage area of the body--stomach, intestines, etc. Focussing energy here activates this power of the body. Just as in most martial arts--the power flows from the center. 8)

today, started the week off with a nice SFQ meditation followed by 10000 hands exercise. Love the cooling effect the exercise has! 8)

Wuji is at the heart of qigong. At least in Spring Forest Qigong wuji is absolutely key--attaining emptyness is the path to open channels of healing energy. Zhan Zhuang practice is wuji practice. OP, did you try to get in touch with your teachers family? Maybe they could point you in the right direction or makes some of your teachers materials available briefly. Probably the links are somewhere in Asia--might not be anyone else with this practice in North America. 8)

Today--Small Universe meditation. Not trying to force qi around anymore, but rather focussing on opening each area for better energy flow (like third eye, crown, kidneys, etc). Last night I did some work with SFQ cloud hands, so I think I will do bit more later today. Gotta get psyched up for the SFQ seminar in Seattle next weekend! 8) Edit: Looks like we are on day 90 of our challenge! Ramp it up yall!

sounds interesting. maybe something you yourself could teach to preserve the style? I've been thinking a lot recently how attainment of wuji is of crucial importance to qigong and taiji. 8)

morning practice today, focussing on 10000 Hands, an SFQ exercise inspired by Kuan Yin (or rather, the 10000 arm Avolekitsvara). I am finding the gentle rotations bring a cooling sensation to the shoulders. 8)

today tried a sitting version of SFQ. I like this version. Recommend after any sitting session to tap the tailbone and hips and bounce on the heels a while. 8) 40

today SFQ morning practice; some spontaneous taiji sword play in the evening; weapons forms are important in taiji..really, working with them is like doing push hands. 8)

Maybe it'd be appropriate to consult the I-Ching to decide the prize book(s)..!

This morning a sitting SFQ set using breathing of the universe and 10000 hands. 8)

good ol morning SFQ; this evening worked on taiji stepping and other basics, with a burst of spontaneous bagua zhang movement in the middle. 8)

absolutely. And the fat guys on both sides get together after and have a laugh how they played the masses. Again. 8)

Yeah, me too. But as Chunyi says, good, better, best. Dedicating that much time to a practice is really a life shift, like going 'pro'. I guess that means I'm still in the minors. Or maybe the beer league, lol. 8)

today, back to regular morning practice; feel i need to explore the small universe meditation more--guess I'll have to find time. Meanwhile, I'm endeavoring to be mindful about moving and taking taiji steps, using the Sun style stepping. Lots of chances to do this throghout the work day. Thats good but I'm really neglecting stretching. 8)

Bit of a break from formal practice. Still lots of working with the elements tho. Today's practice was a very uplifting session of SFQ small universe meditation. I'm going to stop trying to 'push' energy around so much as open each of the 12 energy centers aligned along the path for the meditation, while using energy breathing for the whole body. Each of the centers is important in its own right and can totally use some vitality and clearing. Innnn, ouuuuut. Centers are lower dantien, bladder, bottom of torso, tailbone, lower back, kidneys, spine, base of the head, crown, upper dantien, throat, heart. 8)

Agree. In the end we all adopt a mixture that is right for us and our path. Some people's paths take them right into formal traditions, and others move through the fringes and forests and waterfalls of spirituality. I think it is in the Lotus Sutra that Buddha says the Buddha Eye sees and knows all those persons, with the suggestion that all those paths can be valid and fruitful. 8)

Another thing. Daoism to me seems like the most natural and organic spirituality of humankind. Other forms of religion, including Buddhism, have a character of being top-down authoritarian moral impositions from some super beings that have arrived to 'teach' us a lesson. Despite the humble roots of Buddhism, the Buddha has become the central leading figure, and although he is not whoreshipped like Jesus et al, the effect is similar. Daoism doesn't have the same preoccupation with leading authority figures. Sure there's Lao Tse, but it is pretty standard that the wisdom of the Dao De Ching is an accumulated wisdom, probably developed by many masters. Buddhism and other religions are centered around single-event enlightenments, from which divine information, teaching, and guidance flows. Either a god speaks to someone and tells em how it is, or they have a special moment where they realize how it is, and then their teaching flows out of that. And though Buddhism is called the middle path, Daoism seems to strive to attain the middle--balance between extremes, or harmony with the ever-changing flow of polarities. Coming from a western philosophy background Buddhism has its intellectual appeal. Daoism however seems to indicate a path that incorporates the whole body and its own special knowledge, which is quite a different perspective than western philosophy has hitherto embodied. Which is why internal arts like qigong and tai chi et al seem to offer a more wholistic path. A person caught a glimpse of some Buddha beads I wear on my wrist and asked me if I was Buddhist. Lol, I get that sometimes, and I want to give some snarky philosophical remark. I like Buddhism and incorporate elements of it into my practice (esp mantras), but I can't call myself 'Buddhist' in any sense, or 'Daoist' either. What are we all, in the end? Are we one thing or another? Or are we just people doing people things? Lol, I usually just say 'no, not in a formal sense' and they rarely follow up to clarify what that means. It's interesting how external trappings can be used to identify beliefs and encourage a whole range of concepts to arise. I think many average Chinese, for example, are somewhere in between Buddhism and Daosim, getting and believing in snippets from both as they have become incorporated into existing cultural norms. 8)

Recently been reading through some of the medicine Buddha sutras. Medicine Buddhas appear as two types--the Lapis Lazuli Buddha of the eastern land and the healer bodhisvattas. The dharani of Lapis Lazuli Buddha is beautiful, esp. as performed thusly: Now, Lapis Lazuli Buddha has his pure land now in this era, while the healing bodhisvatas will become Buddhas in some far distant future. However, the benefits of recitation (of their respective mantras) is very similar. I particularly like that the healing bodhisvattas came to enlightenment throught the sense of taste, and are essentially supreme herbalists. Anyone have experience with these mantras? Insights into medicine Buddhas? 8)

Medicine Buddha, depicted as blue. 8)

I was drawn to zen first, because of ninjas ;p A lot of Buddhism speaks my language, esp. the paramitas. However, I am attracted to the freedom inherent in what I perceive as the Daoist path. I think if you want to aim at the beyond, Buddhism is magnificent. If you want to aim at this life, Daoism is the way to go. 8)

formation of yang and yin...fire rises, water sinks...in the middle--the fusion of taiji...then they pass and separate. 8)