konchog uma

the fourth icon over in the second row (the s with the line through it) is strikethrough, which is text with a line through it i don't pay a lot for my personal experience of tibetan buddhism, but i hear you that people can if they are so inclined. Its not so much a strike against tibetan buddhism as it is against western materialist culture. You find that in all the importations of other cultures spirituality.. lol daoists have to pay out the ass for dragon gate sanctuary dvds for example lol

Do you have a teacher, or is there a teacher in your area that you could talk to? I've read about hearing music but i don't remember why it happens or what it means, but i hope someone who can help you does

i recommend reading muktananda's "Play of Consciousness" and lilian silburns "Kundalini - Energy of the Depths" if you really woke your kundalini up, read some of the threads here about it to get some idea of things. I recommend searching for "kundalini awakening" and "shaking practice" personally, but you'll get some ideas as you dig through the conversations here theres been a lot said already, but in short and basic terms, there are some initial difficulties for most people, and some longterm effects that are pretty wonderful, to put it mildly. Best wishes to you

im not sure the matrix is controlled by god it might be, im just not sure that the matrix isn't out of control which daoist book are you working from? and are you doing kundalini yoga as taught by yogi bajan<sp>? or some other kind? welcome to taobums

tathagata-garbha sutra in five words or less: inside everyone is buddharific goodness tathagata's unimaginable state sutra well its unimaginable so i can't really sum it up in 5 words btw the bible has a happy ending, after all the chaos, peace on earth for a long time YAY

scotty i don't have much to offer to that counter-article about the rat study except to ask why these critics aren't involved in their own studies of GMO food? This is the first study in 15 years that hasn't been junk science cooked up by Monsanto, Dow, or any of the offending biotech corporations. Why isn't there grant money for this work? Makes one wonder what they're hiding ...whats he building in there... anyway that article could have been funded by a biotech fund for all we know. I guess there will just have to be more studies, and that they will have to be impeccable! Til the results are in to the satisfaction of the science police, i am (as i have for years) buying only organic food, drinking only spring and purified water, and severely limiting how often i eat at restaurants. Support your local food co-op!

interesting site zerostao

I have some questions about refining qi to shen, since i have been building qi. I would like to continue on with the cultivation towards the source, and having never really properly understood the alchemy of refining qi to shen, i hope someone can point me in the direction of a good book or two. I have questions about these books in particular, if anyone recommends one or the other. I am leaning towards Healing Promise of Qi personally. Thanks for your feedback. Foundations of Internal Alchemy: The Taoist Practice of Neidan by Wang Mu http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984308253/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d0_g14_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0N785PWE66C0DBXC0270&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846 Internal Alchemy by Livia Kohn and Robin Wang http://www.amazon.com/Internal-Alchemy-Kohn/dp/1931483116/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322188099&sr=1-3 The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Promise-Qi-Creating-Extraordinary/dp/0809295288/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322188226&sr=1-10 If anyone has another book in mind, in which is listed some techniques for refining qi to shen, i would appreciate that. Or, if anyone wants to tell me in their own words about what is happening at the MDT level (or elsewhere) when this is done, OR direct me to some good threads from the past, OR anything else helpful, you have my gratitude. Thank you!

https://www.npr.org/2012/09/19/161343395/why-does-china-want-a-mural-in-oregon-destroyed

http://www.carighttoknow.org/tumors?utm_campaign=tumors&recruiter_id=3483&utm_medium=email&utm_source=prop37 An alarming new study released today shows that a variety of corn engineered by Monsanto has been linked to mammary tumors, kidney and liver damage and other serious illnesses in the first ever peer-reviewed, long-term animal study of GMO foods. As a result of the massive breast tumors, liver and kidney damage, it was concluded that around 50% of the males and 70% of the female test subjects died prematurely, compared with only 30% and 20% in the control group. By two years of age, at the end of their lives, the scientists also found that 50 to 80% of female rats had tumors, compared to only 30% of those eating non-GM food.

anapanasati sutta Focused and Fearless by Shaila Catherine both about breathing practice, the latter focusing on absorption and joy/bliss i just got a Sony Reader for ebooks, and was delighted to find shaila catherine's book for less than 8 bucks, which means that for the price of a used paper copy plus shipping (at a cheap price too) i can actually support the author, meaning that some of that money goes towards her directly. Thats awesome. those e-ink screens are awesome too.. its just like reading a book except i can adjust the font size and do a ton of other stuff.. its great, i recommend it for anyone who loves to read more than they know what to do with all those books when they're done with them <cough cough>

this thread is a circus thank you taomeow for pointing out that ayahuasca is not a drug. Will you all please quit calling it one? It is a plant, and a very wise and powerful one at that. No deaths have ever been reported to my knowledge from the plant alone, but there are contraindications that may result in death when the plant is improperly combined with something else. In this case the onus is on the person taking the drug to know whether they should take it or not. The cause of death in this story wasn't even conclusive, he might have just died cause it was his time. Taking ayahuasca in an unsafe way is like fooling around with a chainsaw or riding a motorcycle without a helmet, but taking it in a safe way has never killed anyone to my knowledge. Newspapers sensationalize everything, they don't draw the line at drugs.. if the story comes from MSN its skewed and untrue by degrees. Same with every major media outlet, they are all owned by the same people, and those people, unlike ayahuasca, don't want anyone to wake up to their true potential. Sloppy shamanism is something that big media swarms around like hungry dogs around a raw steak, i have seen this sort of "drug" (lol) reporting so many times it doesn't even phase me anymore. Stop reading the major media outlets if you want to learn the truth about anything. Just don't expect it there. and stop calling ayahuasca a drug

Hi TI, thanks for your insights! I don't think in the way i was taught that the gaps are the satori, but they give rise to satori... like lack of thought isn't mahamudra itself, but gives rise to it. i like that idea of joy and happiness stilling the mind, i will work with that. I have been guilty of trying to will the mind to stillness even tho i know better. Nice reminder my weekend was amazing, we walked through 2 forests of 400+ year old trees. It was like the forest that time forgot. Words would fail to describe it, so i won't go on about it. One of the best little adventures i have been on. Our cabin was lovely too, and so was the milky way! (wow you country people are lucky, as a city dweller i had forgotten the majesty of the night sky) anyway, thank you TI, i will continue to work with those teachings, and i will probably pick up a copy of Fearless and Focused soon too

I'm going to spend the weekend in a cabin in the old growth forest, so i wont be taobumming til monday i see alan wallace talks about vipashyana in light of the 3 teachings of padmasambhava, which i may skip ahead to, that looks interesting.. but for now im going to enjoy some very tall trees! have a great weekend ttys

yeah he doesnt talk about retention have you read hsi lai's sexual teachigns of the jade dragon? and allow me to once again tout the benefits of owning a copy of daniel reid's tao of health sex and longevity best wishes to you!

its happened, but usually from mixing ayahuasca with milk or cheese, or with MAOI inhibitors i dont have a number but i have been to retreats and not been allowed to take ayahuasca because of what i ate earlier that day. It can result in brain hemorrage and death, and i assume that they know this because it has actually happened.

i read foundations of alchemy, and healing promise of qi i liked foundations a lot but yes its advanced. its full of good insights into the metaphoric language of the classics tho. I recommend it. Healing promise.. not my cuppa. I recommend Dr Yang Jwing Ming's Root of Chinese ChiKung if you haven't already read it. It gives a good beginning analysis of shen and how to begin working with it. Unfortunately i didnt find what i needed in regard to qi-shen conversion in a book. So maybe its in the second book, the one i didn't read, but i had to ask my teacher and get a practice from him. I can't sit underwater or walk on fire yet, but when i can i'll come back here and teach the technique

You are most welcome, for all the help you have been to me, i am honored to return the favor. In short, the answer to your question is "watching the breath". There is no real secret to shamatha, you just let the mind rest in the breath and train it to stay there. When i say "significant gaps" i mean to distinguish "insignificant gaps", like the natural space between two thoughts which is short lived, from those gaps which are sustained and profound and lead to states of mind beyond discursive activity, and to spontaneous insights. Those insights are like non-verbal "intuitions" but they are beyond just intuitions, they are realizations or knowings, in a direct way. These insights are what vipassana practitioners are stalking. Again, my practice and perspective is drikung kagyu tibetan vajrayana, and it should be noted that there are a lot of ways of practicing vipassana depending on who you learn from... some teach it as body awareness, some teach it as a series of questions about something that arises in the mind, like "from whence did this arise" "where is it going" "wtf" lol and so forth: the buddhist logic which gives rise to realization about the nature of phenomenon... some other teachers, like mine, teach that the insight that is generated arises from non-discursive mind being sustained for long enough that direct realization happens. Like a lightning bolt of apprehension illuminating the nighttime landscape, it just happens spontaneously. i happen to completely agree, and regardless of what else i find myself working with, i always practice shamatha. I think the nice thing about practicing shamatha is that if done correctly (from the point of view i explained above) it just becomes shamatha vipassana. Or if ones focus is kundalini, when the mind quiets, the energy just rises and goes where its supposed to go. In the subtle realms, thought is so powerful.. so when we can quiet our minds we can give rise to whatever energetic phenomenon is needing to happen right then. But when we are constantly in a state of internal dialogue, labelling and judging ceaselessly, it can block our energetic processes from happening. I have taken great inspiration and a boost to my practice from Ajahn Brahm's book, not just because it has brought me to the edge of absorption, but also because it encourages the joy and happiness to arise with the meditative breath! That was a huge awakening for me, as i had become somewhat dispassionate and methodical about my practice until being reminded of that. Its like there was this divide between ordinary reality and the "great bliss wisdom" i have listed in my interests... but really there is no division, i was just blocked subconsciously from the happiness and joy of my own tranquility. Feeling that happiness arise just minutes into my sitting is such a refreshing wellspring to experience! whew like getting it right after a long time of experimenting and going astray! with blessings!

it doesn't mix with dairy or a host of psychotropic medications (maoi inhibitors) can cause hemorrhages and such but burying the body of an 18 year old tourist?? holy crap... "you might be doing too many hallucinogens if ______ seems like a good idea" interesting idquest, thanks

believe it or not petitions actually effect change, so i will post this here. thanks for dealing with it, i don't usually pass these on publicly, but i don't have a facebook or myspace or twitter so i wanted to do this here Tell Congress: Amend "Anti-Protest Bill" to Ensure First Amendment Protections Imagine an America in which the government can deny protest in any public space it deems fit. Where wearing a dissenting shirt around an elected official could be construed as a felony. Where First-Amendment protections become privileges subjectively doled out by the state. Sadly, that America is pretty much here. In March, Congress passed HR 347, a bill that limits Americans' ability to protest in public and on government grounds. Mainstream media didn't raise peep, but now there's finally some anger building. The bill, passed almost unanimously, makes it a federal offense punishable by up to ten years in prison to "knowingly" protest in the vicinity of the Secret Service--that is anywhere the Secret Service "is or will be temporarily visiting." It also makes many public events impervious to lawful protest. Any "National Security Special Event" (NSSE) requires Secret Service protection. NSSE-designated events have proliferated since 9/11 to include Super Bowls, concerts, campaign events, and now any public event that Very Important People want protest-free. Most dangerously, it criminalizes protest. Under the bill, "disorderly or disruptive conduct" or activities that "impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions" could warrant felony charges. What constitutes such "disruptive conduct" rests in the eye of the beholder--or the eye of Eric Holder. To put it plainly: the government can decide where and when free speech is allowed and severely prosecute any "disruptive" activity, while we're confined to "free speech zones." We can help fix it, however! Join our petition below to protect our speech rights! PETITION TO CONGRESS: We treasure our first amendment rights of free speech and public assembly! HR 347 limits valid arenas of peaceful public protest, and broadens the government's ability to curtail civil liberties. We demand that Congress amend the bill to provide clearer language as to what constitutes "disruptions"; to allow for reasonable, peaceful protest at NSSEs and around Secret Service; and to ensure that no peaceful protest can ever be deemed a felony. Please, click here to sign now!

yeah same with the history channel, aka the hitlery channel its only funny to them cause they haven't been reborn in a slaughterhouse yet

i get emails from petitions i have signed on a pretty regular basis saying "thank you we won!" or "this changed thanks to your support" et cetera so i don't know if i have statistics (or damned lies, or even lies ) to back it up lol but i get a lot of thanks from people who are grateful for my support of causes

Hi TI meditation bench sounds great, maybe when i get old (lol!) i will check that out, but for now i can sit burmese almost indefinitely, siddhasana for about 2 hours, half lotus for about an hour, and full lotus for about half an hour... so i can get some good meditations in with those postures and have never felt the need to use a bench. I appreciate the recommendation and since i do have a lot of metal in my legs i will keep it in mind for the future! I sit about 1-3 hours per day but i haven't had a problem with knees or posture, just with prostrations! just hits my weak points i guess youd say the way i learned it is that the two techniques eventually merge when you get them both down seperately.. at that point its what my teacher called shamatha-vipassana. So yes its like starting with shamatha and then generating significant gaps in the thoughtstream which allow direct perception of more subtle things, and insight into concepts which ordinarily confound the mind, like anatta for example. One can follow a particular line of perception as deep as they can, and then eventually they will need to come back and just stabilize in the breath, or any other object of shamatha, resting there and letting the insight take root in the mind and become wisdom. Then as the next perception or insight is created, that gets investigated (or experienced, for lack of better words) Thats a nutshell version of the shamatha-vipassana that i learned and practice. Its drikung kagyu teachers that taught the union of the two into one thing which kind of oscillates between each to form its pulse. most of that discussion, i would wager, is by westerners who think that vipassana is a "more advanced" technique, or are attracted to the concept of insight as opposed to the seeming "doing nothing" of shamatha. Like i said, in drikung kagyu as i have learned it, they are taught side by side and the goal is to unify them into one practice. Sometimes at the meditation hall we will get newbies and say "theres shamatha instruction provided if you'd like" only to be responded to something like "oh no! i sit vipassana!" it cracks me up like people can't be bothered to watch the breath they have to generate insight dammit lol just my take on things tho, not labeling anyone who prefers vipassana as deluded, but those people are out there. holy crap that sounds great... i have never seen it and i don't think i ever will hahaha

i wondered about that to

yeah and that vajrasattva mantra is 100 syllables long... ngondro is quite an undertaking but it really conditions ones mind and softens one's heart. Khenpo is offering for us just weekend intensives focusing on the mantra, on prostrations, and on mandala offering (the three 100,000 repetition aspects of ngondro) just to give an idea of like "oh you did 350 mantras in a whole weekend, now imagine having to do 100,000! and then from there we can continue to practice on our own. So its not monastic ngondro, its lay ngondro, which makes it something a lot of practitioners of a lot of differing age groups and levels of investment in buddhism can do to establish a foundation for their practice. So as a non-monastic i am not obligated to do 100,000 of anything! whew! lets see at 108 repetitions, which takes about an hour, one mala round per day would mean that if i spent an hour per day for two and half years, i would achieve 100,000 repetitions of mantra. So for lay people with busy lives ngondro in the traditional sense is almost unachievable. Who wants to do 108 prostrations per day for 2.5 years? urk I can't do the prostrations because of leg injuries... i got to 300 during a recent refuge retreat and my knee swelled up and really screamed at me. Nothing a little turmeric and a massage didn't fix but Khenpo was like "oh okay you can just sit and say the prayer, no prostrations for you sorry" ...so i just sit seiza and touch my head and hands to the ground without getting up and down... doing many prostrations is hard! doing 100,000 is beyond my comprehension to be honest. I think thats the point. actually the vajrasattva mantra is the next stage of my ngondro so i just a week ago wrote it and its translation down in my journal for memorization purposes... i have gotten strong "dharma buzz" just saying it ten or fifteen times, its really great. don't know anything about the diamond way buddhists but sorry to hear you had a bad experience... happens too often I will look into the relationship between shamatha and anapanasati more deeply... its obvious from the anapanasati sutra that that practice is the buddha's teaching itself. I have heard from teachers that the buddha taught shamatha but never vipassana, which came later. I need to do some research. If anyone can clarify where these practices connect in their relationship to each other, i would appreciate it! blessings i'm going to listen to alan wallace in order, so i have 94 podcasts to listen to and im only on #2 lol better get crackin on that i was listening, if my memory serves me correctly, to Deepen Your Practice 07 "The Guru and Shaktipat" part 1 of 2. He was talking about dhyana as deep trance states resulting from correct shamatha practice, and the wikipedia article on dhyana confirms that its the same as the pali "jhana", so i guess that sort of answers my question. At this point, having converted all the hardlight youtube videos to mp3, subscribed to DYP for 7 months, ripped all his free stuff from hardlight.org, and purchased a bunch of his talks from the hardlight store, i have over 70 mark griffin MP3s. I actually listen to him every day, in the car, or walking in the woods, or wherever. :wub: