amoyaan

Thanks for that recommendation SB and PurpleHeaven...I wasn't aware of the Finland workshop. I'm checking out the prices of flights and stuff right this moment... keeping my fingers crossed I can make it

Hi Surfing Buddha (cool username and avatar! Love it). Thanks for your message and the encouragement, it's appreciated! yup, I definitely think this is the practise for me. It just 'clicks' for me! I have just ordered the Gift of the Tao 1 DVD in the past few days and I believe it's on its way. Looking forward to that. I would love to attend a workshop. I live in the UK, so am limited however. Next time Michael is in the UK, I'll be there in a FLASH

Hi Michael, thank you so much. It's been great to hear from you and that is very helpful. I gather from the next post you answered that cloaking is much the same as creating the shield or bubble, spoken of in the book? I will experiment with this, i've already been using the purple and golden bubble technique as I find I often easily get affected by other people's energies...well I have in the past, I don't know if I do so much now. Thanks again I'll definitely try as you suggested

My thoughts, on what I've been exposed to of UG Krishnamurti: it's possible to be enlightened and still be a jerk. Interesting guy.

Hi, just wanted to stop by and share my experiences with my Stillness Movement qigong and also ask a couple of minor questions. I LOVE Michael's Light Warrior's Guide book, and relate to a lot of it - the Stillness Movement practise instantly appealed to me because of its simplicity. I could actually imagine Lao Tzu teaching such a technique, it totally meshed with my understanding of his teaching: effortless effort, doing without doing. This is unlike the other qigong practises I'd been doing which I was finding a little contrived perhaps...maybe contrived isn't the right word. But like I was trying to make things happen and achieve results? My primary reason for using Stillness Movement (and I've been doing it for about 6-7 weeks now) is to heal myself physically. I'm getting over Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and between S-M and regular acupuncture, I believe it's definitely helping, after 7 years of really being quite badly affected with this. I try to do 2 hours practise a day, and I've been combining it with my meditative practise of attempting to simply rest in pure awareness, which is now my primary spiritual practise. I feel a great deal of heat in my hands and dan'tien, and energy moving up my feet and legs, and more recently I've noticed a sensation of light in my forehead. Previously I had been doing qigong practises outlined by James MacRitchie (global qi project, I think?) but hadn't been feeling all that much...this has felt immensely powerful though, so I'm sticking with it. I think I've found the practise that's right for me. Anyway, sorry if I'm rambling. I have a couple of questions, if perhaps Michael or anyone else could help? 1. My interest in qigong and Taoist practises started when I felt a very strong inner impulse to learn and practise the microcosmic orbit. I didn't even know what it was - the words just popped into my head and upon investigating I felt strongly that I needed to get that flow going. Am I right in thinking that Stillness-Movement qigong automatically starts the MCO, without having to consciously direct it as a separate practise? Intuitively that's what i'm feeling, but I was just wondering if that's the case? I stopped doing all the other qigong practises (MCO, inner smile, inner sounds) as I simply don't have the time to do it all. Am I right in thinking Stillness-Movement is a complete practise in itself that negates the need for these? 2. I was wanting to share the practise with someone else, who has less time than me. If you're practising an hour a day, is it better to do an hour all at once, or would two half hour sessions work? 3. This is almost a bit embarrassing to ask, and you might laugh, but is it possible for Stillness Movement to make you more sexually attractive to others? I only ask because in the past few weeks it's started to get a bit ridiculous, with at least two people seriously wanting to pursue relationships with me and several more coming onto me sexually, including people in committed relationships, a long-standing friend and most randomly a complete stranger from other country (via Facebook, which isn't even a dating site). I've often been told I'm 'cute', but I have a somewhat sannyasi temperament - I'm not into partying and socialising much; I spend more time by myself creatively or pursuing spiritual study or practise. Since my last relationship I haven't sought another and haven't had this issue of people hitting on me until very recently and I'm wondering if it's somehow chi-related? Is it the increasing chi people are after?? I'm not really sure how to handle it. Hope my questions aren't too dumb. I've read through the rest of the thread (and greatly enjoyed doing so) and don't think they've been asked before, apologies if they have.

Interesting! Fascinated about you said about reducing all the experiences to 0...or being in a complete state of equanimity. I often call it zero point - the zero we arose from and the zero we return to. Baseline of existence. I don't know if I could do such a practise though. It'd be an interesting one-off experiment for me, but I wouldn't really want all the porn images impressed into my consciousness/subconscious. Would create a very strong sex/porn vasana(mental habit). It also seems a fairly intense practise, working with powerful energies. I'd be a little cautious experimenting like this on my own. I'm also amazed you don't get bored of porn? I would have thought such extended periods of porn-viewing would render it all a bit tedious? Don't mean to be critical though, I am genuinely fascinated by this stuff and appreciate you sharing

Hey Tao Gweyn, I found this thread interesting and could actually relate to what you're expressing somewhat. It does sound like you've got the 'awakening' part and seen through the absolute hollowness of maya, or the conceptual, mind-driven world 99.99% of people exist in. Once this occurs, it takes a long time for this realisation to assimilate and integrate and there can be periods of imbalance and discomfort. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the Indian concept of the 'gunas', which are basically the three qualities or states of mind we flit between and we can often get stuck in a particular one. Here's a v basic summary: http://tridosha.com/ayurveda/gunas Basically, the tamas state is when we're feeling heavy, our mind/senses are dull, lethargic or lazy. When there's a predominance of rajas, we feel restless, uptight, anxious, materialistic and obsessive. Sattva is the ideal state, because it's a state of harmony and balance of body and mind, and in this state we can more easily meditate, remain mindful and aware of and embodying our true nature. It's worth being aware of the gunas that are at work in us. When you said you were in a blissful state before, that was because you were in a sattvic state and the light of the self/no-self/whatever was reflected in a still and pure mind. Perhaps now you have a slight excess of tamas, creating this sense of boredom, apathy or whatever. Diet can be a big one. You can read up on the diet and gunas online. Generally, 'heavy' foods like red meat, potatoes, etc can create an imbalance of tamas. There's lots of info online about a more sattvic diet. Activities also have a bearing. I think some exercise might help balance the energies and get you feeling more switched on. I know you don't have much money as you said, but finding some activities you find enjoyable. The energy of enjoyment is a really powerful way of shifting our levels of consciousness...you know, finding that joy (following your bliss as J Campbell put it) and hanging out in it as much as you can. Maybe, as someone else suggested, some charity work, if you can find somewhere you resonate and people there you feel comfortable with. Spending time around trees, plants and water is also v helpful and balancing - difficult in a city, I know, unless there are any parks? This is all stuff that has helped me. Oh, and meditation and self-enquiry has been key; self-enquiry as in the form Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta et all prescribed, basically enquiring into the nature of self and 'who am I?', or 'what am I?' as I prefer. You've prob done similar yourself, I imagine. Do what works for you. Hope that helps. It is quite lonely and alienating when you're going through this kind of 'shedding of normality' as I sometimes think of it. It can be a lonely path as so so few in the world have any clue. They're too busy doing losing themselves just about every single waking moment in what they do. Once you've begun to see through that crap, it's impossible to go back again. The red pill has done and is doing its job...

Maybe there is only One mind though. It just takes separate forms and apparently separate identities.

Excellent post. I was gonna write something similar to this, but figured I might be wasting my breath. I'm glad someone did though. Now Fair play to Tulku: I could be wrong but I think he's maybe quite young. He's figured out that maya will not bring lasting happiness and fulfilment, something the vast majority of people never catch onto, least not until they're on their deathbed perhaps. His problem, I believe, judging from his posts is NOT his lust, but his concepts...his concepts about 'God', enlightenment, etc. in short, he still appears to be locked a dualistic mindset; the belief that God and Godhood are something external, something to be acquired and attained. That's still maya at work, it's still the delusions of the ego. The willingness just to drop everything -- everything, including the desire to be 'enlightened' (and there are so many contradictory notions about what that even means) -- reveals that...well, we ARE everything. The seeker is the sought. I think Nisargadatta said something like 'as long as there's a seeker seeking enlightenment, there can never be enlightenment.' I suppose that'll either make sense to you or it won't. I've probably rambled too much anyway...

This is an interesting thread. I wonder if Adam is still here now - wonder how he is now? My feeling is that there may have been something a bit more at work here, not just the sexual exhaustion, but maybe a psychological imbalance or something - just the incredible and instantaneous switch from being in the depths of hell to a kind of rapturous state after chanting a mantra. I sense something must have been out of balance mentally/emotionally. I don't think such rapid relief is very common at all. In my experience it's virtually impossible to instantly leap from a state of abject misery and despair to feeling blissfully amazing in the space of minutes...more often you have to get a shovel and slowly and systematically dig your way out, moment by moment, breath by breath. But then, who knows? We are all different. And I must admit that part of me chuckled when I saw the thread and thought that for Tulku, Christmas must have come early. hehe. Joking, Tulku I'm glad that your advice appears to have been so helpful in this instance

But why?

Oh, cool, thanks for this. I will check this out, I could do with a little boost of healing energy.

Oh I'm a complete animal Actually I am not indulging in sex, though. I am conserving my energy. I endeavour to master my sexual energies rather than be mastered by them, but that doesn't mean repressing...I tried that once, I had a little mini-ascentic phase in my early 20s and it didn't take me long to realise what I was doing to myself was not healthy. It created kind of neuroses and complexes. I am happy to explore my energy now, to allow it to be what it is, observing and witnessing and enjoying it, just trying not to allow myself to slip into unconsciousness and be taken over by it completely. I think that is the key.

I'm not really sure if I get the concept of 'merit'. Does it mean you're kind of accruing points, like if you reach a certain number you become enlightened? I'm really sure if it's a numbers game as such. Is merit just another term for good karma, I wonder? Like others have said, I believe that anything done from the heart and with positive intent to help and heal creates good energy/karma.

Wow. What can I say except good luck in your...um...genocide? Personally if I were you I'd probably work on my anger issues first of all. But whatever floats your boat... What's interesting is that most spiritual and particularly monastic traditions emphasise overcoming desire, lust, sex impulses NOT because there is anything inherently wrong with them - because there's not, they're just part of the functioning of consciousness as it operates through these bodies. It's simply to allow for a more tranquil, undisturbed mind, to enable one to direct one's attention to meditative self-enquiry, etc; turning away from the objective world and sustaining focus on the Self/no-self/whatever... The danger is, as appears to be the case here, when you overly fixate on them and end up with a far more conflicted, restless and disturbed mind than ever before. My Vedanta teachers makes it clear the problem is not the body or anything else. The problem is simply lack of self-knowledge and our tendency to identify ourselves with our bodies and minds - essentially what-we-are getting lost in what-we-are-not. If we truly knew what we are, as limitless consciousness/awareness, there wouldn't be a problem. No striving, no trying to change the body and mind and no striving to 'evolve' into anything other than what we are and always have been. But that's just my experience.

Maybe your life is all about war perhaps, which is quite sad. Life is about love, not war. The more we fight something, the more we strengthen it - resistance creates counter-resistance and inner tension. Also this 'inner civil war' mentality creates huge issues out of things that needn't be issues. It's the ego that does this...our true nature isn't at war with anything, how could it be? It is everything, the totality. It grasps at nothing, struggles at nothing - it just IS... I also don't believe you can 'fight' or 'destroy' your lust. If your lust has become a harmful obstruction, you simply drain it of its power by focussing your energies and attentions elsewhere and creating new, healthier vasanas. It can be done, and although it requires persistence and concerted effort, it needn't be a struggle.

It was Just reading over stuff, this is a little like learning a new language or something, it's just taking a while for it to sink it. Sometimes I guess I need to hear something a couple of times before the penny drops. Ahh that clears up a lot. Thanks for all the support guys, I appreciate it.

Ah, OK! It's finally twigged - alchemical Taoist yoga is quite different to qigong? From what I've gathered, the alchemical process (including MCO) is focused on cultivating the energy necessary for immortality, whereas qigong practises are more about physical healing? I'm really grateful for the clarification. I would probably have figured it out after much study, but I have kind of limited time online and wasn't really sure where to start. You guys are awesome, I've learnt so much from your posts. I've even been taking notes. Seriously, I actually have been! Wow - thank you Jox, I really appreciate the links! The PDF looks amazing and should be extremely helpful, as well as the audio. I'm really fascinated, and look forward to studying this in detail. I have relaxed the initial MCO practise a bit, as I may have been trying to run before I could walk...or even crawl. Even so, the energy has been building up. There's a sensation of energy around the base of my spine at the mo, just kind of sitting there, until I initiate the orbit and transfer it to the dan tien, which seems to balance it out for a while. I see now how powerful this work is, I've heard of kundalini scare stories, so I'll slow it right down and make sure I am working in a safe way.

Wow...thank you Vortex, I really appreciate the detailed info. That does clarify certain things. It's clearly a vast and very deep subject, and it will take time to assimilate this all. I'll take it easy and not rush practise, it's clearly better to have a clear understanding first. Someone recommended Spring Forest Qigong...I'm thinking about ordering the fundamentals course. Not living in or near a city, there are no teachers within a feasible distance of where I am. Would their material be suitable as a kind of 'surrogate teacher'?

Thanks Hope I didn't sound terse, it's just it's been a real pain in the ass to deal with.But I'm getting there. It's led me here! onwards and upwards.

THIS! Exactly. This tallies with my understanding and experience with what might be called non-abiding non-dual awareness. When the ego is shed, your suffering is my suffering. Just as I must tend to my own body if it's injured, there's a spontaneous and effortless urge to help the 'other'. Everything the self-realised being does is for the functioning of the whole, for there is no longer an ego that must be satiated and satisfied. It doesn't mean the self-realised man/woman necessarily becomes an activist, but what can be done or offered is freely given, there's no holding back, no need to hold back.

I'd probably pick: The Tao Te Ching. Natch! I Am That: the collected talks of Nisargadatta and Pointers from Nisargadatta by Ramesh Balsekar. Those are the most powerful books I've ever read and have helped steer me back to what I am. They're excellent to dip into in order stay there

Thanks Creation Ahaha - totally! There have already been elements of that. It's little wonder I've been filled with so many questions. My mind is air fucked at the best of times these days... Yeah, I initially assumed they would be the same, with just minor differences. I learnt from pursuing my spiritual path that gathering bits and pieces from different traditions is maybe ok for initial 'reconnaissance work', but ultimately it's necessary to find one path and stick with that and follow it diligently, so long as you have the necessary faith and confidence it'll get you where you need to go. Otherwise it's like digging lots of different small holes, which doesn't really get you anywhere, because you need to focus all your efforts on digging the one big hole that'll get you to...well, wherever it is you're digging to I guess. Lots of food for thought here. I'm glad I asked for advice here. It's been v helpful.

Oh how I wish this was the case. Cases of 'chronic fatigue' that can be cured by exercise regimens are not and should not have been diagnosed as CFS or ME, which has a very specific diagnosis protocol, but which is often misdiagnosed. If exercise is a sufficient cure, then the individual did not have CFS, they were either simply out of condition or had depression-related symptoms. I learned the painful way that hard exercise greatly worsens CFS symptoms, and can leave you bed bound for days, weeks or even months afterward and in a great deal of pain. A specialist I saw last year explained - advanced blood testing reveals the mitochondrial function is severely impaired, often resembling the levels of a chemotherapy patient, for example. When the cells are not getting sufficient energy or given they extended time they need to recover and convert ADP/ATP, lasting tissue damage can be caused. So telling someone who actually had CFS/ME to exercise rigorously is dangerously ignorant. No offence...it's just a greatly misunderstood condition, by many doctors and sufferers. I've found the safest and best exercise for this condition is yoga and qigong, because that replenishes the body's energy without causing the cycle of depletion, pain and relapsing. More excellent info and suggestions, thank you HE. This helps clarify things and gives me something else to try. Appreciate you taking the time out to share that

Wow, thanks for all the responses and the advice, there's a wealth of info there and it's very helpful in clarifying. Thanks for the detailed and informative response Scotty! This is interesting - I can relate to this. Having meditated since I was about 16, I've had experience of both the 'voidness' that lies beneath mind, thoughts, emotions and all components of what we deem to be our self and I've also often experienced it as a kind of golden light at times - shining, sourceless, a kind of self dependant and self-luminous light. Ah ok, that's an important distinction, which I hadn't made. Thanks for clarifying. There's so much to learn and I'm only at the beginning stages, but I have a voracious appetite to learn more. Yup I'm starting to see the need for a good teacher, although living in a small town and having limited funds or resources with which to travel is a prohibiting factor right now. That's why I was hoping I might get what I needed from books and/or online support. I will check out Spring Forest Qi gong - this is not the first time I've heard it recommended. Excellent! Thanks so much for that, I'm going to write that down and give it a try. I've tried so many different approaches to limited success, yet I'm still always really eager to try new things that could help. I instinctively feel the Taoist approach could be key. Cheers Ish, I will check those out right now. From what I'd read I'd come to the assumption that the MCO was kind of a basic tool for healing, yet it seems I should be cautious and try a specific healing approach beforehand.