garuda

A sincere thanks to all who contributed here to my questions. And my respect for those of you who have experienced the challenges (and torture) that I suspect I am about to face in the near future as cultivation unfolds. As a beginner, so many questions arise about proper practice. I will attempt to limit mine to only those with substance. I wish you all well in your practice!! Thanx, garuda

I have a question for Drew or anyone familiar with Chunyi Lin's Spring Forest Qigong. Chunyi suggests not to mix other qigong postures/movements with the SFQ style. I know not to modify the Active Exercises sequence in any way, but..... I like doing the Taiji Chen style 30-posture silk reeling exercises daily to keep the body loose and the mind focused. But will doing the silk reeling practice interfere with the effectiveness of the SPQ Level-One Active Exercises practice if both Silk and SFQ are done multiple times daily, so long as the silk reeling is done at least an hour apart from the start or finish of SFQ practices? Or is it better and more potent to practice more of the SFQ exercises and meditations in place of those times I would like to silk reel?

The thing I hate most about these documentaries on enlightened recluses, is that the filmmakers show us the beautiful mountain scenery, and the happy-go-lucky attitudes of the smiling faces of the enlightened mountain dwellers, but the hermits never allow the cameramen to enter the back rooms of the hermitages to show the droves of women that are required to make these ascetic hermits so smiley and happy! (just kidding!) I'm sure that many here already know this, but I want to say it anyway to stimulate some thought for a few. I am respectfully amused by those like your brother-in-law who likely think the awakened stateless-state is some fabulous, spectacular, euphoric, state of mind. I believe Enlightenment is very ordinary, very simple, very matter of fact where everything is realized to be just as it is -- much like what is depicted in the docu video. And not even does the question about the fact of enlightenment arise. Its nothing special, nothing spectacular, nothing glorious because nobody will be there when it happens. If someone is expecting more, then they will likely be surprised when it happens to them if they are holding an opinion that something marvelous, extraordinary, and magnificent will happen upon enlightenment. I suspect that from an unawakened standpoint, the life of an enlightened one would seem very boring, unattractive, and too uneventful. I believe that attainment will make one smile with astonishment over how incredibly simple, obvious, and easy it is, once it is realized. But until then we all must conduct the necessary search before realizing it was actually unnecessary. Rinzen may have said it well: If you understand, things are just as they are; If you dont understand, things are just as they are. *** P.S. - Excellent video, Drew.

Hi Rainbow, Thanks for the Welcome gesture. If you are referring to dialect, the answer is no. But that's a clever way of asking. If it's not dialect, then I plead ignorance. I'm not too versed in the new acronym abbreviations for text messaging. You on the other hand must be articulate in grammar. I believe you placed the "quotation mark" on the correct side of the "question mark." It took me four years of college to figure out that rule of punctuation, and I sometimes still get it wrong. garuda

Well said!

Hi Tommy, Glad to hear of your progress for Level One. You probably already know this, but just in case, I'll pass along something I picked up when learning to sit zazen years ago. Zen emphasizes the sitting posture on a cushion to elevate the hips above the level of the knees. They claim that this elevation of the butt/hips relieves much of the pressure and weight of the torso on the lower spine -- making it not only more comfortable for the buttocks but also less pressure on the spinal column; and therefore making sitting for longer durations much more comfortable and less painful. I too am getting back in the groove -- transitioning from half to full lotus. Ouuuuch! I recall reading somewhere lately that the full lotus is 4 times more effective in certain aspects of practice than is the half-lotus. But I'm not experienced enough yet to know if this is true. Good luck with your level one!

Ninpo, there have been lots of people out there helping me clean my mirror. I am thankful for them.

As you know, he is known to be one of the best.