Fu_dog

Sifu Terry - Thanks for clarifying the meditative state possible with Flying Phoenix. You described it much better than me. I can say that, yes, after the breathing sequence is finished, especially the non-moving Flying Phoenix exercises can become very meditative. At this point in my practice I have used Flying Phoenix as a vehicle to approach the state of "no mind" or "pure consciousness". This is very cool. Beyond all the benefits to health and energetics already mentioned, the stationary FP exercises have the additional advantage of allowing the practitioner to significantly still the mind (again, after the breath sequence). As one advances in practice, this meditative benefit is available within the system. I find this aspect of FP to be very satisfying. All the best, Fu_dog

Green Tiger and JohnC - Nice updates on your practice...glad it's going well and thanks for posting your progress! I am now on month 27 of Flying Phoenix practice, and I can only encourage you to be consistent and keep yours going because over time there's even more to be had from the system. With continued practice over the months and years the Flying Phoenix energy continues to become more refined, more eloquent, more enjoyable. BTW - After 2+ years of practice it's my experience that Sifu's advice of standing FP meditations in the morning and sitting FP meditations just feels right. The standing meditations in the morning give me the maximum feel of energy from those exercises, and ditto with the seated FP meditations at night. Another observation: For me the seated Flying Phoenix exercises in the evening have become more and more of a meditative experience. By definition, meditation is concentration on a single object. So while you're practicing if you gently focus your mind so that the Flying Phoenix Chi Kung itself becomes your object of concentration (and your *only* object of concentration), the results can be really outstanding. Good practicing! Fu_dog

There's been a number of discussions on the blue aura associated with the practice of Flying Phoenix. I can say at this point in my practice when I finish the FP meditations and open my eyes, the world looks blue. This is very cool. Especially in bright outdoor morning sunlight this blueness is especially pronounced. Everything looks as if it has a blue tint, as if I am seeing the world through light blue sunglasses. It only lasts a few minutes. But while it lasts I marvel at how pleasant and enjoyable this is. Somamech....yes, find one style qigong practice and stay with it. Traverse its full length. And be careful on the bike.

The question for me is How does a belief in an afterlife affect my present life? And if there is an afterlife, in what form does it take? Yes, Christianity teaches one to live this temporary life totally focused on earning a positive eternity in afterlife. But for me I just can't buy into living for some future spiritual possibility. I must live in the now. Don Juan Matus in Castenada's books had a conception of an afterlife in which one's spirit eventually diminished and blended with the cosmos. One's afterlife could be lengthened by right living but even then, eventually everyone's spirit evaporated. This belief seemed to bring an urgency to don Juan's life, and brought a greater value to living every day as well as one could live. I have no idea of afterlife, if there is one and what form it would take, but I do buy into living each day to the fullest.

One thing most posters can agree on: More can be accomplished from meditation than from arguing with Lao Tzu.

I'll start with two quotes from Carlos Castaneda's book, The Wheel of Time, then make a point about them later. Quoting Don Juan: "The recommendation for warriors is not to have any material things on which to focus their power, but to focus it on the spirit, on the true flight into the unknown." "The average man is hooked to his fellow men, while the warrior is hooked only to infinity." One of the things I gleaned in my 2+ years of Flying Phoenix is that for me personally, FP is one of the practices I am following in ultimate pursuit of the warrior’s path to the spirit. FP can be an end in itself, providing the practitioner with the benefits of healing, energy and power, along with the extraordinary experience of the practice itself. Or, it can be a means to an end. Depending on the depth of practice it can help take one along that path to the infinite that Don Juan describes in the quotation above. I thought Sifu Terry’s advice of combining i Ching with FP to be quite valuable, as for me this sounds like an excellent and valuable addition to the practice itself. Thanks for the guidance Sifu. Still, after two years of practice, while I can attest to the benefits of Flying Phoenix, I cannot say I understand what FP energy is, or where it comes from. I can’t say whether we all have some of that particular energy and the FP practice strengthens and refines it, or whether the practice draws that energy to us. I can say with certainty that the FP power is tangible. That said, I have heard scientists say those same things about gravity. A little story: After my 100 days of FP practice, I took a small hiatus of about 3 weeks to learn some pranayama techniques. These techniques were powerful and energetic. That said, after the three weeks, when I re-engaged in Flying Phoenix, even the simple basic seated exercises had me shaking (much like Green Tiger described) and perspiring significantly. This was an indication to me that even in that short period of time my body had lost the cleansing, healing energy that Flying Phoenix provides. The shaking and perspiration were indications that the FP energy was cleansing my system. Note: I had spent a week in Las Vegas during those three weeks, so I suppose some cleansing was in order. This experience was a not so gentle reminder to me that FP should be practice daily. For those practicing FP, please post your progress and experience. Fu_dog

I just purchased the actual root from my local TCM herb shop, sliced thin. Pretty expensive, actually, for about 30 slices. I plan on brewing it with my tea for the next month. I'm going the natural route by buying the root now, rather than purchasing the ginseng in any sort of processed form.

Great post Hundun. I think most people have an inherent, natural ability to touch the Divine (by whatever name one calls it). You've done a very good job of describing your personal experience, but there's a message there for everyone. Thanks for posting! Fu dog

Lao Tzu - Sorry but you are simply giving your opinion, and nothing more. You are basically saying "I'm right, others are wrong" and to me that is a tired argument used followers of almost every major religion and/or philosophy. I'm glad you think you have it figured out, because if it works for you then great. Enjoy.

Lao Tzu - So you reached your conclusion from reading? I respect that. But at the same time one could reach a totally opposite conclusion from reading. Zen Buddhism has meditation at the core of its practice....you learn that from reading. Or from being around practicing Zen Buddhists. Read Blofeld's book Toaism, and you'll see interview after interview with Taoist adepts saying meditation is the only way to enlightenment. But that's only reading. An intellectual exercise. Better to learn by practicing, by direct experience. I dare say if you practice meditation for 30 minutes per day for 100 consecutive days (pick any style of meditation you like and practice it diligently) then your opinion would be based on experience. And I expect at the end of the 100 days your opinion would be quite different. That said, if you come back after a 100 day meditation practice and then make some statements you would get my attention. That said, no one who practices meditation that I am aware of would say it's "not a good way". I meditate daily, so I have a frame of reference and I have a very different opinion of your OP, that "meditation is not a good way of practicing." History would also stand powerfully against your opinion. Again, I respect your right to your belief. But I have a very different perspective. Fu PS - Dainin...now that there post of yours was funny and I don't care what anybody says.

I stopped my my Chinese herbalist's shop today and asked her about taking herbal remedies for both kidney yin *and* yang at the same time. She answered rather cautiously that you would only do that if you were diagnosed as being deficient in both kidney yin and yang. Her advice is consistent with Chang's comment above.

Great question Scotty... that's one I was planning on asking my TCM herbologist. I have taken, for example, both 6 flavor tea for kidney yin and golden cabinet tea pills for kidney yang and the combination seemed to work well for me. But I did this on my own recently, so I want to get an opinion from someone who would know. I have a very knowledegable TCM doctor that I am planning to ask. If I see her within the next few weeks I will get the answer and post it here.

Right on Scotty! So when I'm not practicing sexual qigong... From my own experience I classify qigong into two types: (1) "Building Qi" qigong practices and (2) "Circulating Qi" qigong practices A building qi qigong, for example, is lower dan tien breathing. One can feel a tangible building of qi when doing deep abdominal breathing, and one hour of it is very refreshing. A circulating qi gigong, for example, is the "Moving of Yin and Yang" exercise from Spring Forest Qigong. This moves qi along the center line, balancing the yin energy in the huiyin and lower abdomen area and the yang energy in the heart and head area. I have obtained really excellent results from doing at least 30 minutes of "building qi" immediately before doing "circulating qi exercises". Note these classifications are my own, and I am only a practitioner. Also, I will readily admit that these categories are not absolute, because "building qi" exercises also to some degree circulate qi and "circulating qi" exercises will to some degree build qi. But for me these are useful classifications. Also, there are some types of qigong (sexual qigong being one of them) that are powerful to both build and circulate qi. When I get run down, I will focus more on "building qi" for recovery. And when I am recovered and feeling good energy I focus more on "circulating qi" to balance my system. My .02

To build kidney yang the acupuncture doctor at my local Chinese herb store recommends "Golden Cabinet" tea pills. I am taking them and they work as advertised, i.e., I can see a definite improvement in my kidney yang. You can google it for more info, but if you have a TCM herb shop near you I expect you can find them.

Sexual corresponds to all 5 fingers.

Seth - thanks for the update on WBBM. He's one of my favorite posters. Hope he's back soon. Mantis - my wife is a Chinese born in Bangkok, raised in a traditional Taoist home. Cantonese, actually. Her older brother in Bangkok is very knowledgeable in Toaist customs and beliefs, as well as Buddhism which is the native religion. I was fortunate to visit Bangkok about 18 months ago and asked him lots of questions. He's only too happy to answer them, so it was a great opportunity for me to learn. I learned about Gumans (and saw some) and also visited the Pra Prom. There are also other spirits in Thailand that are very interesting, but I haven't discussed them here. There are also a number of Taoist temples in Bangkok, some with things I didn't understand but didn't have time to ask about. I found the Thai to be very knowledgeable with respect to spirits and the spirit world. My trip was eye opening and I learned a lot. I'm planning to go back to Bangkok again in 2012....with yet more questions.

Very interesting indeed! Mantis - the black magic you mention may be the case in some parts of Thailand. That said, the use of black magic is not very common in Bangkok which is predominantly Hinayana Buddhist, with a smattering of Taoism sprinkled in as the city has a large Chinese population. WBBM - Since you asked the original question, what's your comment?

Settler - I understand your context, but in this case it does not happen to be correct. Remember the part about Gumans being spirits that are playful and are usually found in Buddhist temples? You (I believe) acknowledeged that there is such a thing as a beneficial spirit. The Guman's are just that. There is no bargaining done with a Guman or Gumanri. There is no offer of something in return for something. The Gumans are beneficial and they attract good energy. There is no guarantee of good luck if someone brings a Guman into their home, but the good energy they bring often brings about good luck. That's very different than a bargaining spirit, which is what you alluded to in your quote about the temptation of Jesus. You extracted from an example of Satan tempting Jesus, and I think we would all agree that barganing with Satan is not a good idea. That said, that example simply doesn't fit the Guman. There is a spirit very famous inside of Thailand, located in Bangkok called the Pra Prom (you can google it) that people sometimes bargain with. Most do not bargain with it, but do pay it a tremendous amount of respect, bringing flowers, etc. While the Pra Prom is considered a "good" spirit it is *not* wise to bargain with it. In Bangkok you can hear story after story of those that did bargain with the Pra Prom and offered up more from their side of the bargain than they could deliver. In other words, there are many cases where the Pra Prom delivered, but the person making the bargain did not. Since they didn't deliver their side of the bargain, then well, let's just say they realized some non-desireable results. Still, no one calls the Pra Prom a bad spirit. It's very powerful, yes. The majority of people who visit the Pra Prom bring gifts of flowers, burn incense to honor it, etc. But at the same time, no one recommends bargaining with it. At the end of the day, I agree with you that no one should bargain with spirits. But I can't agree to categorically consider all spirits bad. That's simply not the case.

It's not uncommon in Thailand to have a Buddhist priest bring a child spirit called a Guman into a home. The Guman (male) or Gumanri (female) child spirit brings good luck. Note a Guman is *not* a ghost, as it never was in human form. It's a playful spirit. While they bring good luck, they are also notoriously mischevious. I have a friend who had a priest bring one into his home, and it did bring him good luck. After a few years though, he asked the priest to come take the Guman back, because he had had his run of good luck as his business had prospered, but the Guman was very mischevious, especially with visitors to the home. Also, the Guman does need to be attended to daily, much like a child. So, not sure what kind of spirit you are considering, but the Guman is at least one instance of a type of spirit that's pretty innocuous, albeit a bit like a naughty child.

I have read Gandhi's translation and interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita four times. I have also read Swami Satchidananda's interpretation, also excellent. The Gita is the most powerful spiritual book I have read, period. I have purchased Easwaran's Upanishads, but haven't yet read it.

Baguakid... yup.

Baguakid - As stated in the FP thread, I practiced at the same kung fu school as you did (I'm wondering if we weren't there at the same time?), and had exactly the same feelings as you did regarding the "secret" material that was withheld. Like you, I invested my time, my money, my energy, and certainly had the intelligence, physical tools and keen desire to learn the things which were withheld, and I always had a level of frustration/disappointment knowing that these things were not going to be taught, no matter what. I also read the daughter's article. I also read where she said she thought she would continue that same policy. I like her personally, but I can't agree. That simply is what it is, I suppose. Too bad, because there were a lot of students that were committed to learning all that was taught, but there were certain techniques and practices that simply weren't going to be. Fortunately, we are starting to see some emerging masters like Sifu Garry that *will* teach all that a student is capable of learning.

Anamatva - one should practice Flying Phoenix a minimum of 30 minutes per day, though you want to do more than the minimum if possible. One hour per day is preferred. Include both standing and seated meditations into your daily routine. Sifu Terry discussed this earlier in this thread. Practice on a schedule like that consistently and you will experience very good results quickly. Baguakid - yah, I know that Kung fu master on Goldenrod very well...practiced at the Temple there in the early to mid 1990's. I maintain great respect for him and what he's accomplished. And, I still see him on Chinese New Year as his school does their Lion Dance. I like your story of the guy who put his kung fu/qigong first, work second (someone immediately comes to mind who lives in Orlando) and achieved pretty spectacular results. That said, for me unfortunately that wasn't an option though I have a great respect for those that follow this path. But to your point: Jou, Tsung Hwa's books are inspiring because he's one that morphed for a work first person to a Tai Chi/Qigong first person later in his life, with really outstanding results. All the best, Fu dog

Fellow Tao Bums - This month makes the two year mark in my practice of Flying Phoenix Qigong. I would like to provide my thoughts at this point in my practice. For some background, I am a businessman, mid-50's, work too many hours per week, travel often and so I write this as a practitioner only. First, know that I am on day 72 of a 100 consecutive day practice of Flying Phoenix. This 100 day practice is a challenge considering my schedule, however, at this point I have built Flying Phoenix into my daily schedule and it has become part of my routine. This does take planning and sacrifice, and you have to go through this proving to yourself that you can do it. There are things that must be given up in order to reach the 100 days of practice successfully. For me, the 100 day practice is equally an exercise in discipline as it is in Flying Phoenix. If you’ve never tried a 100 day practice, I recommend you give it a go. You will learn a lot about yourself, and as Sifu Garry says, “slow and steady wins the race.” About FP FP manipulates and refines a subtle form of qi. It is dynamic in that practicing FP allows the practitioner to feel both its gentleness and its power at the same time. Each exercise-meditation begins with a breath control sequence followed by a series of smooth, gentle movements, although some of the basic FP meditations are static without movements. After the initial breath sequence, one can forget about breath and simply do movements. In other words, movements are not tied to breath. The gentleness of the movements and the fact that no single movement is repeated in a sequence (though sequences are repeated) in a single exercise makes this style of qigong more meditative than other forms of qigong which marry movements to breath. In fact, FP is what I would consider true “moving meditation”. The mind will naturally wander during the practice of a FP meditation, however, when this happens if the practitioner gently brings the mind back to the movements, so that your only focus is the movements, then the practice can become a meditation. Benefits and Observations Regarding Flying Phoenix Qigong Below are my observations as a result of the practice: - Increased energy and vitality (libido) - Improved condition of the skin (looks more healthy, smoother, younger) - Fewer colds and respiratory illnesses with short duration - Reduced stress levels - Better sleep - Better concentration - Gray hair returns to original color with some of the meditations (not all in my case since I started with quite a bit of gray, but a tangible amount did return to the original color) - Increased spiritual development - While doing the meditations, slower is better...as slow as “a shifting sand dune” - Often while doing the meditations, the hair on my arm feels as if its standing on end - The results are indeed cumulative, in about every way conceivable - There are other benefits as well, however, the above are enough to list at this point Final Observations Flying Phoenix is a subtle, yet power form of qigong that has strong, tangible benefits. It is a significant component of my overall development towards physical, energetic and spiritual well being. I have incorporated the practice in my daily routine with great benefits, and to my mind, FP is a qigong for life. For those on the path, wishing you good luck and good practice. Fu dog