zerostao

George Burns famously smoked cigars daily. Lived to 100. Che Guevara famously smoked cigars and didn't make it to 50. So ymwv, I'm no doctor, and am not prescribing or diagnosing here. I doubt it was cigar smoking that finished off Che Guevara. Maybe, stirring up revolutions in South America was the culprit So, a word to those who strive for longevity, don't go and get yourself executed.

We were not talking about other chemicals; we were specifically speaking nicotine. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-leading-edge/202506/the-hidden-healing-power-of-nicotine https://www.vumc.org/ccm/whynicotine

Nicotine? Oh yeah that's what's found in potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and egg plants, used as a defense against insects.

Thank You Taomeow for sharing that. Endeavor to persevere. Resilient rhymes with resistant. No one is accusing me of "sanity" & I ain't everyone's cup of tea either. And a former mod team/admin once labeled me a 'cowboy' Well, the similarities I have in common with Clint likely end somewhere around there This thread is about keeping on keeping on. And doing it well. So dear bums, many of you in your youth, or arriving at some number, that may be messing a little with your mind,, Compare and contrast Dick and Clint. Both are still kicking. This thread gonna run like the Energizer bunny.

I will provide an example that shows the problem does go on in purely technical physical sciences too, and has a long history . Back in the 1960s, during Cold War era, when it seemed there was nothing that good ol American engineering couldn't accomplish; especially with aircraft, Lockheed and Boeing announced they would produce supersonic passenger jets. For them, the sky was not a limit. However, the Concorde and a 😱 Russian TU144 achieved supersonic passenger aircraft before America. And into the 70s, Boeing still hadn't come up with one, science stepped in, warning about "potential" ozone damage. So, corruption and greed, has been around in human nature a long long time, and likely will remain until the end of days

Oh, I forgot this is a poetry thread. The truth is bent for gold, What pure inquiry knew. A noble purpose bought and sold, For what the balance sheet will hold The measured, merchant's due

Initiative

The Genies are out of the bottles and perhaps, rampant

Po has a firm root in the body and the desires of the body: sex, food, comforts, et al, and is the source of emotions. Hun can wander during dreams, meditation, inattentiveness, ,,it can have lofty aspirations. When it becomes a little too detached, there is a lack of grounding and can lead to mental instability. And if I can digress briefly here; this is why proper guidance is important regarding Qigong/energy practices. It's the mental deviations that are a concern. It isn't if you might strain a knee or have something physically go askew. And during the decade plus I've been on TDB, so many have said you need proper guidance for physicality issues! Which sends me into eye rolling exercises Back to narrow Hun & Po, Neidan topic. So the Hun nature and Po natures going their own ways leads to scattering of energies; Sidetracked and distracted mind, emotional turmoil, disease, less than a quality life, shortened life.... Hun (Spiritual energy) disperses and scatters. Po ( physical energy) becomes exhausted. Neidan proposes the solution for this problem by refining, uniting, further refining Hun and Po. The entire process of Neidan is specifically for this purpose.

Hun and Po are two of the aspects of our soul complex. Hun is Yang and associated with Heaven. It is our moral compass, allows access to higher consciousness and creativity, it is our connection to Divine realm and the Dao. As you mentioned, after death, Hun ascends (returns) to Heaven. It enters the physical body at birth. Po is Yin and associated with Earth. It gives us life, awareness, instincts, desires, After death, Po fades with the decay of the physical body In ordinary unrefined folks Hun and Po remain separate and their leanings and tendencies pull the individual in opposite directions. This is a problem. I will continue in a following post. I need to do some chores, chop wood, carry water, etc

That works. That works too as a distinction between Hun and Po. I am going to try and keep my responses in laymen's terms, middle of the road. Not to be mistaken for the Middle School. What I post will be broad strokes and not representing any particular school. I will avoid using terms like 'cinnabar field' 'yellow court' etc I won't go into finer details or specific practice/meditations. You didn't mention other considerations beyond Hun and Po. So, will keep a narrow focus on those. But I will, imo, fully address your OP I am no expert. I am a fellow bum participating in a discussion.

It's a really good question. I will offer some words and also Symbolism that I feel speaks clearer than just words to illustrate the concept. Nedan's idea is to refine and integrate the Hun and Po as a central part of the process to achieve Spiritual Immortality and Physical Well Being. Hun and Po are fundamental components of the framework of the process, as well as goals. If you need more understanding about Hun and Po, I suggest a new thread You can think of Hun as the software and Po as the hardware. As a human being you should functionally integrate both. That's what Neidan does; refines the ntegration. There is much more can be said and I know other bums will chime in. I just wanted to give a brief response to your question. Imo the abstract aspect of it could be addressed more directly in a thread detailing what is Hun and Po.

Imo, one of the most beautiful passages of the bible.

Likewise, I hold respect for you. And find value in your post If my posture, breathing, circulation, immune system, nervous system, and calmness, have benefitted from hallucinations, that is still winning.

It doesn't matter if someone believes or not; if there is functionality. No autopsy will find a mco in a cadaver. The cadaver is dead and no longer an active energy vessel. There are results from running mco. That, idk how many practitioners over the years, spanning generations, generally agree upon. Mco is not a physical structure it is a dynamic energy pathway. Once again, the "scientific" view is exposed by its limitations by disregarding the subjective and only relying on the objective. Edit/ I said it before and it remains true that science itself, is a belief systen

@Antares What is virtue ?

Waving

Waxing Waning

@ChiDragon Over the years here, I have always appreciated your commentary and the topics you've selected to discuss here. You've led me to look at things differently. I don't think any of us have it all worked out yet, but, over the years here combined with practice has yielded some real nuggets along the way I expect that to continue on for a good while longer

I do think some scientists of the deeper thinker category, or any that are open minded beyond pure materialism, are fascinated with these concepts, subjects, that we all discuss here in TDB I think objectifying some of this has been elusive/challenging Do I think mco micro & macro are real? Of course I do I also agree with Gerard about all of this is going on naturally anyways. I think being too rigid in one's opinions holds folks back The Pathways energy travels through a xingyi player are not exactly the same as the taiji player experiences I am open to views that differ with mine. If anyone who has experience with both taiji and xingyi agree or disagree with what I said about energy pathways. I'd like to hear feedback

I like the way you state it. At first I thought it read lost rather than dust; I feel the essence of your meaning is the same either way, yes? I definitely agree 100 with what you bolded Although, I don't mind being out in the wind myself,

I find it interesting that many Hindu consider Jesus an Avatar of Incarnate God. Not reincarnated. However, many other Hindu have a different take on this

I thought this kinda fits the thread And FIPO Tucker is not Fox News and this post is not political in any way