Jeff

Happy to explain more. Did you mean about the heart specifically? Or more the higher stage progression stuff in the TTC verse 28?

Sounds like you have had periods of touching (or opening) your heart. Such opening is critical to higher levels of spiritual development. As the TTC states in the beginning of verse 28... Know the strength of man, But keep a woman's care! Be the stream of the universe! Being the stream of the universe, Ever true and unswerving, Become as a little child once more. ... One can neither know the strength of a man, or a woman's care, without the opening of the heart and the natural compassion that comes with it.

No, I think you may be missing my point. They are not separate Koshas (levels of Atman unfolding) or spiritual development. A Buddha has realized ultimate emptiness. As I stated earlier, the kayas are how sentient beings can interact or perceive the Buddha, depending on their own perceptional capacity. The "visible" form at a manifest level would be the nirmankaya. Only those who have realized the 8th bhumi can directly interact at the sambhogkaya, but all can feel the "effect" of that kaya even though they can't "see" it.

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A perceived name and form is in the eye of the beholder, not necessarily the immortal. Additionally, from the perspective of a true immortal, there is no such thing as being inside or outside of time and space. Such a "boundary" is only an illusion of the mind. In buddhism, this is why a buddha is said to have three kayas/bodies. The Nirmankaya is physically manifest, the Sambhogkaya is in time and space, but unbounded by it, and the Dharmakaya is beyond time and space and resides in emptiness. But, there is only one "thing" from the view of the buddha, it is the sentient beings at different states of development that perceive different bodies.

Interesting theory. Are you somehow differentiating an "immortal" from what you are calling an "immortal spirit"? Or are you saying that an immortal is dualistic (and hence in your view unrealized)?

Ok. Fair enough. I agree many differing views.

I agree that nirvana is not a place or location, but what view do you mean? Buddha is pretty consistent on such things.

The TTC would disagree a little with your point... THIRTY-FIVE Everyone is drawn to those who keep to the one, For there lie rest and happiness and peace. Passersby may stop for music and good food, But it is not possible to describe the Tao. Without substance or flavor, It cannot be seen, it cannot be heard, And yet it cannot be exhausted. The one with its limited and fixed game, is not the same as the Tao...

The bhavachakra ("wheel of life") is held by a guy called "impermanence". Additionally, buddha stands outside of the wheel, pointing to the moon which represents nirvana (which is also outside of the wheel). In pureland buddhism, the entire pureland itself stands outside of the wheel of life.

Not trying to change what you are saying at all. Just disagreeing with the premise that all energy is fixed, or that it needs to be some zero sum game. And specifically stating that it is not the case in either Taoism or Buddhism.

Totally agree. Thank you for the great wisdom in this post.

Forgiveness combines it all...

While I would agree relative to the hindu framework of "Self", this concept is not accurate relative to the "One" in taoism. The one emerges from the Dao and is not limited to (or locked in) like the Self. The One can change residing in the Dao. Additionally, this concept does not map to buddhism as emptiness and the dharmakaya of a buddha has no such limitations. No such thing as fixed energy.

Cannabis has an effect at what you could call the 5th and 6th chakras. So it depends on where you naturally reside relative to the effect. For those with lots of mind activity it will help give more space and quiet the mind. For those at higher levels, it will pull you down into more body level stuff.

The Tao that can be described is sort of like a primordial sea. The "one" emerges from that primordial sea and is probably what you might want to call that which gives basis (or the multiverse). The "two" related to your energy question is polarity or separation that is the perception of what you might want to call energy movement (like transmission and reception). The "three" is that movement of energy that gives form to the "10,000 things", and a body would be one of those 10,000 things. Hence the energy potential of a body is limited as a thing, just like a battery has a limited potential of flow related to its positive and negative polarity capacity (aspect of the two). And that would be jing. With Qi, one has started to open to higher levels and sort of begins to connect to others. Sort of like beginning to tap into multiple 10,000 things. As one openness "grows", the connectivity grows and hence broader energy potential. But, you could also describe it as Qi as energy is jing refined from the individual to higher connectivity with others. The same analogy holds for Shen, but now at a more universal level or you could say that one is now touching the "three" that gives birth to all 10,000 things. Hope that helps.

All things emerge from the Tao. The part of the Tao that can be discussed is the basis for all that exists and even that which has the potential to exist. Qi and Jing are more like refinement levels of energy and not necessarily localized as it can be "transmitted" and "received" from others, but jing is more often described as more physical body energy.

I would agree with what you have said, but I think Stosh also raises some good points. I noticed in your story about the hikers, you also seemed to use trails. And a maps of the trails in the woods can be useful. Personally, I would say that the DDJ trail map goes far deeper into the woods than most maps, so it is a shame when copies of map mistake many natural landmarks. And a much bigger shame when a map mistakenly tells you that you have reached to the top of the mountain hike, when it is really only a first ridge.

Given how a member recently felt insulted, you don't think your implication that some people don't have "thick skin" would not interpreted as continuing to attack by the member? And who do you see as your students that you need to make such comments?

And with a backhand comment (and the "like" associated with it), it all ramps up again...

Certainly possible.

I have been attacked a few times and have also helped defend a few people who were being attacked. Also, I have been inside the shielding/home of a powerful magic user type while his defenses were attacked. All such attacks are the application of energy combined with "intent". What they look like is dependent on the energetic (frequency) range of the attack, but more importantly how the mind of the person being attacked (and someone watching) filter/translate the energy. If one has an issue or fear in the range of the attack, most often the fear will be manifest in the mind in some way. This can be anything from feeling weak to monsters attacking. At an energetic level, it looks like an energy flow or pulse usually hitting somewhere between chakras 2-6.

The meaning of chapter 4 for me... The Tao is an empty primordial sea of motion and void. It is the motion of this nothingness that gives birth to all that exists (10,000 things). The steps to realize the Tao are hidden inside us, but always available. Those steps are... Quiet the lower emotions, Open the heart, Move beyond the glare of the astral, Merge (become one with) all, and be able to differentiate even the smallest partical of dust. No one knows where the Tao come from, but knowing it gives birth to the Gods/Immortals.

To me, that is quite a stretch from the verses that Bindi has posted. The verses basically say that once the identification has been dropped, they are "gone". Specifically... "Detached from the outer and the inner, This supreme Self purifies the impure. (Atma Upanishad. 3)" Hence, the impure (Ego) would be wiped out (purified away).

Oh no.... Not again....