Harmonious Emptiness

Yes, the Heart Sutra is the condensed meaning of the Prajnaparamita, or "Perfection of Wisdom" sutras which would take most people years to read. There are some great books going into each line of the Heart Sutra to help one understand Dependent Origination and Emptiness. There is a book I've seen on shelves called The Kuan Yin Oracle which reads similar to the I Ching, providing advice for daily situations, dating back about 1000 years apparently.

Sorry, I don't really see the point of arguing over such a minor semantic liberty as to say ever-present vs. always true, always the ultimate truth...

Well, I still think their talking about the same thing. As to the last paragraph there, I'm not sure how you got that impression. Another good quote in relation to this was posted in another thread "The Wisdom of Black Elk" "The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us." - Black Elk - Oglala Sioux That sums it up nicely for me, without getting to every specific. Sort of like CT said about the "two truths," semantically and logically and philosphically, I can see how there is an apparent difference, but the ultimate experience of these things, for Black Elk, a Sufi mystic, and a Buddhist in Satori, I think is all the same. As has been said, once you get there, the experience is only known through prajna wisdom, not the senses and intellect, so a few semantic differences in them all I think are not really here nor there... (edited to add "a")

Is everything Empty right now? yes. As long is there is form will it also be empty? yes. so that would be ever present would it not? Unless you want to be nihilistic and say nothing exists at all. Again, I think the difference is that God is being interpreted differently, rather than Dharmakaya is interpreted differently.

Ha. Just read the source texts and you'll see lots and lots of clarifying, from true original masters, of how the simple has been made complicated by so many popular "teachers" of the day. Sit, relax the body and let the mind relax until you just -are-, with a clear mind that is still but not drowsy. Sit in this way for half an hour twice a day. After a while it all makes sense and no teacher can make this happen for you. It just happens. That's how it works. That's why it works. When you get to this point you have a beautiful and rewarding practice for yourself. To learn how to heal other people and various other things, yes, definitely a teacher should be sought. But the personal practice I would say is learned better by reading source texts than getting partial information from teachers who are apt to complicate the simple and embellish the necessity of their presence. That said, if you can find a true master, and you have a good understanding already, like any teacher they might take you leaps and bounds further in their particular art. But, instructions on personal practice is abundant in generously clear writings by the masters of the masters of the masters of the masters, and they didn't write it to confuse people, quite the opposite actually, it's usually written to clarify the teaching and practice so that people can practice correctly with these instructions. Many blessings to Thomas and J.C. Cleary, Eva Wong, and other diligent translators of such texts......

I was watching this McGill U psychology lecture on tv about ADD and ADHD the other day, and they were saying some things about how people with ADD and ADHD are at a higher risk for addiction and the reason was very interesting. Essentially, people with ADHD have difficulty concentrating because dopamine does not stick to their nerve receptors as much as it does for most people. The reason that amphetamines helps some to concentrate is that it keeps the nerve cells occupied so it doesn't become actually painful to stay with the same task. This explains to me why some artists become drug addicts, since many artists tend to enjoy plunging into tasks, but may have to sit and sit and sit while they draw out the muse and thus turn to drugs to keep their nerve endings satisfied. So, A LOT of addiction may be a result of actually having untreated ADD or ADHD. The doctor there said that it is not necessary to treat ADD if it is not having a negative effect on the person's life, but that it could and should be treated if it does have negative effects on their work or personal life. I found this homeopathic tincture (Synaptol) for Adult ADD online which looks really really good as it doesn't have AMPHETAMINES in it. Yay! My link

Lots of useful information on this topic here now, so I'm glad to see the conversation flowing in a grounded ( ) manner (npi). Thanks for the efforts (not that they were made solely for my own benefit...). I'll say again, too, that my view here is more in seeing The One Spirit through a lens of Buddhism, rather than the other way around. I still get the feeling that the Satori experience, something known through prajna rather than intellect, is the same for Buddhist and, say, Sufi mystics. Even though the intellectual levels are different, I still feel that the experience is all the same. Perhaps the difference being that Buddhists continue on and on until they see that 10 million kalpas later there is the ever-present Emptiness. Nonetheless, as Roshi Taisen Deshimaru said (to paraphrase) "when completely let go of your ego, the universe and everything in it becomes your ego." Keep in mind (... mind mind mind) Deshimaru received the Soto mind to mind transmission. Here is another quote from Deshimaru: My link "The Modern Fukanzazengi by Taisen Deshimaru Roshi If we practice zazen, the true ego penetrates into every part of the cosmos and the individual ego can relate to cosmic truth. It can follow the cosmic order, unconsciously, naturally, automatically, without any effort of the personal will. Then everything becomes a source of pleasure and accords with our will. And though we follow, there is never any obstacle. Things go forward as they should, happily. Fear, anxiety, worry and doubt disappear. From the bottom of our minds, great confidence arises, the conviction and the faith that we are part of God or Buddha. Then, our deep unthinking thought draws near to God or Buddha, grows deeper and ever deeper. The shadow of the pine is dark according as the moon is bright. Reverence for God or Buddha is born and we become modest, humble. The mind becomes gentle, compassionate, honest. We learn humility. The vocation begins to work in us without any act of will. Life, then, can become full of value and dignity. The vocation that is born is the highest. It moves us to harmonize, unconsciously, naturally, automatically, with all existences. We can begin to create greater and greater respect for the symphony of the world and more and more infinite beauty."

Human hibernation. I guess bears probably know how to recirculate energy too..

Well, it's also very high in Magnesium (very calming), and zinc (for male potency), so this may have worked with its detoxing effects to create a sort of "beginners high" from the tryptophan. I think I vaguely remember having a similar experience. Also, with all those minerals in it, they might have activated other nutrients and a slight glandular response or feeling of well-being... I wouldn't totally rule it out, especially if your diet has been lacking recently, your channels were open, mind open and receptive...

I think if someone is tuned in, they can find answers anywhere if they know how to look. Like throwing runes or reading the I Ching, some people just have a light that goes on and connects the message to their situation. Even then, I would say projection is involved, but if the mind is in a state of calm and desirelessness (not with grasping expectations) then the projections can reveal solutions that the conscious mind was unable to process in it's way of analysis. It may be possible that guardian spirits have something to do with this, but I think they like to remain backstage, so I'm comfortable not really knowing for sure if there is a supernormal dimension involved and thank them either way! People imply things with undertone or emotion or various non-verbal ways all the time too.. Just saying "Hi" can imply 100 different things!

btw, some very trained and effective Shamans you may be able to get in contact with via the WWW are Ken Cohen, and Lewis Mehl Madrona. Ken Cohen is also a Qi Gong master. Reading "Honoring the Medicine" (possibly in libraries too) is recommended if you're not highly familiar with etiquettes and expectations in Native American traditions.

I think that approaching health issues from a variety of directions is the surest way to get the right effects. Diet does often have a huge influence on the ability to cope with mental issues to the degree that they basically disappear sometimes. Psychotherapy uses similar methods to Eastern wisdom, so it is not really in conflict with the spiritual approach of clearing impurities and illusions about ourselves and the world. If you were to have enough time to be mentored by a master, they would surely talk with you quite a bit about the way you view the world and yourself to remove erroneous views. Keep in mind that psychotherapists don't prescribe psych-meds so they will not conflict with your more self-determined approach. For diet, I highly suggest, to insure your glands are getting the right mineral balances, to eat lots of cabbage and sunflower seeds, in fact a coleslaw with sunflower seeds and an Asian dressing is like candy it's so good and good for you. So, yes a Qi Gong master can be a great expedient to get you miles ahead, but its best to work on the issue from a variety of angles to finish the job. This is also a very Taoist approach: physical, mental, energetic.. diet, qi gong, philosophy/psychology (Taoist philosophy is very scientifically psychological)

Tell him "Taoists say 'calm spaciousness is the house of spiritual light', so I'm calming and purifying myself so that I can allow God's healing to manifest, since I do need healing." That might help. - I dunno.

Keep in mind that zen abbots also talk to people between meditation sessions, to give them some keys to get a bit further in the meditation, to see obstacles that they may not have realized were hindering them, etc.. So not all written or spoken words about meditation are pointless (pun intended...), though of course if one does not follow through on what they learn then it will not do much..

In Search of the Bull (aimless searching, only the sound of cicadas) Discovery of the Footprints (a path to follow) Perceiving the Bull (but only its rear, not its head) Catching the Bull (a great struggle, the bull repeatedly escapes, discipline required) Taming the Bull (less straying, less discipline, bull becomes gentle and obedient) Riding the Bull Home (great joy) The Bull Transcended (once home, the bull is forgotten, discipline's whip is idle; stillness) Both Bull and Self Transcended (all forgotten and empty) Reaching the Source (unconcerned with or without; the sound of cicadas) Return to Society (crowded marketplace; spreading enlightenment by mingling with humankind) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Bulls

This is very interesting, in that most of what I have read of Quan Zhen, Complete Reality, teaching, of which Longmen Pai is a branch, and other early Taoist alchemy, the teachings focus on letting go, relaxing the body so the mind can relax, and not much about "build energy here then move it to here." Also they speak much more about spirit, whereas most of what people talk about is vitality or jing. What I noticed at this link, is how this meditation starts with shen which refines in qi which then refines into jing. So if you start this way, you will be building jing in the long run. Since most young people have jing, this seems to make lots of sense to begin with, as they will develop the spirit first off, and also have more jing as they advanced more in age. I think a lot of the complicated methods are a detriment in some ways, in this regard, though certainly useful for some... m2c..

quartz crystal necklace, or obsidian mirror necklace, under the shirt. I prefer the quartz.

I think a proper warm up to release stagnant blocks while calming the mind are essential. bouncing up and down (just bending the knees, also kick your feet, shake your ankles) and shaking all the joints is a good start, then twist at the torso side to side and let your hands slap your sides. Also, doing more than one movement, and returning to hold the dan tien between movements, you might feel the dan tien more after the first or second movements. Keep in mind that energy will radiate from the palms so it's good to have them facing where you are intending the energy and try to feel it as you do so. "Do it with a feeling" like they say in the blues, but don't tense up very much at all, if at all, so the channels stay open. Follow the feeling in your body, that is the best guide to how fast or slow to move your hands, imo. As you develop this awareness, the chi will follow where the energy of awareness is, imo & experience...

I'm just wondering, if anyone knows and wouldn't mind answering: How is the connection made for distance healing? Is a phone conversations needed? Birthdate? Depends on the patient? I understand if these methods are private or better to remain secret too. Thanks in advance H.E.

Taooneusa, Lao_Tzu, and myself are there if anyone's about..

might help if we know what circumstances set the anger off also, how is your diet? do you eat a lot of meat? variety? do you consume much sugar? legal or other drugs?

Qi Learning, , I just hit reply as a fast way to sign in and reply, and then didn't delete the quote. As some more support of my suggestion, here is a quote from the website of Wang Liping, noted as probably the most authentic known Taoist Alchemist in China today. meditation Notice that this method cultivates shen first! Most of the other methods that start with jing were popular because older men realized their rooster wouldn't crow and so they got started when their jing was not as full. So, those methods are powerful, but not necessarily the be all and end all for those who have enough jing in their bodies to begin with. Few people can work with simplicity, these days especially. They want scientific methods to show them what is happening in a way they can prove to someone else maybe..

I will say quietly, for the few people that will read this, way too much of the Neidan methods people talk about here lack the key fundamentals of mentally letting go. Everyone wants to rev up their circuits, but I have rarely if ever heard people here talk about the writings of the original Daoist Alchemy masters who spoke very much about correcting perceptions and attitudes first. With corrected attitudes, we can probably get more out of a nap than most are getting with the razzle dazzle. It's good to know some of these methods so that they are recognized when hinted at, but there is enough that can be corrected, energetically, by proper attitudes that much will happen on its own by allowing, following, and responding; having emotional harmony and mental equipoise. The main purposes of Neidan are mental balance and fortitude, and longevity and health. There are simple secrets that centenarians follow, which are really not secrets, and they are more consistent in allowing for long healthy lives if combined with gentle exercise, gentle hearts, and gentle minds. Add "Vitality, Energy, and Spirit" (Cleary) to your reading list if you're interested. That will start you in the right direction....

As they say: "don't try to talk about winter to a mayfly." I'm not trying to discuss the philosophical or scientific reasons for why the Indescribable Unnameable exists. I already know what I know as a result of doing what I do, so I'm just trying to see why these two once seemingly contradictory things both make sense, as the more I ignore what's been said previously and look into it for myself, I see many reasons that they do co-exist with very minimal contradiction. Be careful of being too attached to your own views about Undivided Light -- it can make the truth very slippery. "Mystery Tolerance Threshold" is something worth developing.