GrandmasterP

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Everything posted by GrandmasterP

  1. depersonalization

    GrandmasterP replied to sunchild's topic in General Discussion

    Well America is your karma this time around man. Have you thought about doing some voluntary work overseas? Vietnam is as cheap as chips for living costs and there's always voluntary work to be had over there for Americans willing to do it. Nice place too. http://www.volunteervietnam.org/projects/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=volunteervietnam&gclid=CK3KzNKkjb4CFWsTwwodQ30AeQ You're young enough yet to have some fun and adventures whilst maybe doing a bit of good for others less fortunate than yourself. The payback is that you'll begin to feel a lot better about yourself too. All good luck to you whatever you decide.
  2. April 30th. http://nikonrumors.com/2014/04/24/tamron-sp-150-600mm-f5-6-3-di-vc-usd-for-nikon-to-start-shipping-on-april-30.aspx/
  3. Those moats round castles were defensive. Not sure what an 'esoteric building' is. How would a building do that? That Sikh Golden Temple at Amritsar is in a little lake. That's a nice place. Taj Mahal has a ( very polluted) river in its back yard just a couple of metres away from the back wall. Water wise, stored water kept for any length of time is best boiled prior to drinking. Can't see how running it over a pyramid would 'purify' water. Quite the opposite if the pyramid was at all dirty. Good luck with that anyhoo.

  4. What did meditation do to me? Please read...

    GrandmasterP replied to Under's topic in General Discussion

    Belief is a slippery concept and religion has always been popular. Buddha never started a religion. That was the sutra n scriptures guys who came after the lad himself had passed over who began cashing in on Brand Buddhism. The religious guys, who pulled the old switch and pitch game on those four noble truths; changed them from their original cultivation tips into four propositions of fact 'to be believed in'. Each 'truth' simply requires being acted on ( cultivated)... 1: Understand anguish. 2: Let go of its origins. 3: Realise its cessation. 4: Cultivate the paths ( Those 8 'noble' jobs). It's all about cultivation - 'doing'. Buddha wasn't a mystic and his awakening wasn't some shattering insight into Transcendent Truth ( whetever that might be). The lad himself never claimed to have had any experience that granted him privileged, esoteric 'knowledge' of how the universe ticks. All that schtick and mystic woo BS was ( and still is) down to the religious lads who came after Buddha. When the lad told the five ascetics what his awakening meant he just said that he'd discovered complete freedom of heart and mind from the COMPULSIONS of craving. That was it. Job jobbed. Everything else is just marketing and 'dressing up box' nonsense.

  5. Falun Gong/ Falun dafa

    GrandmasterP replied to The Prisoner's topic in General Discussion

    There's a lot of superstition attached to the Falun Dafa. Bit of QiGong, bit of ancestor worship, a seasoning of Buddhism, quite a lot of classical Spiritualism ripped off from classical ( 19 th Century) western Spiritualist works. New religions along those lines are very popular in that part of the world. They have lots in South Korea and some of the newer Buddhist groups are a bit cultish. The Falun Gong simply fell foul of the Chinese Government which brooks no departure from Partynlines. Hence all QiGong teachers in China have to have a Government licence. They getbto wear a numbered green ribbon. Nobody who isn't State licensed can teach QiGong officially in China and anyone caught doing so is in big trouble.

  6. depersonalization

    GrandmasterP replied to sunchild's topic in General Discussion

    Well everybody's gotta have a hobby Sunchild.Seriously dude you need to get over yourself. The world doesn't revolve around how bad you feel and only you can deal with that. Bleating about your woes on here aint gonna mend anything. If self harm is your bag, what's the point in that? It aint exactly healthy is it? I'd say, get professional help but that's not what you're on here to hear is it? Check out ' Narcissism' via Google. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_personality_disorder All good wishes to you on whatever path you choose.

  7. How did you come into the world?

    GrandmasterP replied to Infinity's topic in General Discussion

    You get some really creative anarchists in the army. Guys who put serious thought and effort into dodging, bending or breaking the rules without being caught doing so.

  8. Falun Gong/ Falun dafa

    GrandmasterP replied to The Prisoner's topic in General Discussion

    It is very Chinese. They have a few Brit followers in the UK but those are scattered. They don't charge for classes and the books are all free. I tried to read one once but it was poorly translated. The QiGong looks OK and they have had a hard time from the Chinese Government. I can't fathom why anyone not Chinese would be interested in joining Falun Dafa but then again European converts to Tibetan Buddhism puzzle me too. What's that all about? If a path isn't to do with the culture one was born onto then surely it isn't your path. If it was, you'd have been born onto it.

  9. how does one reach enlightenment?

    GrandmasterP replied to MooNiNite's topic in General Discussion

    Those Bom Shankar Shiva lads in India are whacked out of their trees on bhang 24/7. That seems to suit them but as far as them being enlightened goes, I dunno. 'Shamans' in South America seem to be running gap year camps these days. It's a living I suppose.
  10. Rising damp and rats. Clouds of midges all summer. Never, ever buy a converted water mill.

  11. How did you come into the world?

    GrandmasterP replied to Infinity's topic in General Discussion

    Favourite one here ( for philosophy undergrad applicants ) is " What's it like to be a bat?" That gets 'em sweating.

  12. Reality Perpetually on the Brink

    GrandmasterP replied to deci belle's topic in Daoist Discussion

    Nice Deci. Profound.
  13. I'd respect the ones who could magic stuff up. Not the sawing a lady in half stuff Turning people into frogs or making lead into gold and such. Useful tricks like that.

  14. What did meditation do to me? Please read...

    GrandmasterP replied to Under's topic in General Discussion

    Not sure about that 'eliminating a layer of human emotions' belief that you seem to have going there. No way am I implying you are doing this but one danger with positing an 'either/ or' right or wrong type scenario could be dualistic illusion. It's more this way with Buddhism... The Four Noble Truths 1. Life is characterized by impermanence and suffering, or Dukkha (insatiable thirst). 2. The Origin of Dukkha (suffering) is attachment to desire. 3. The Cessation of Dukkha is achieved, not by belief, but by the contemplation, understanding, and elimination of desire and attachment. 4. The Noble Eight-fold Path is the way to achieve the cessation of Dukkha. The Noble Eight-fold Path Right.... Understanding Thought Speech Action Livelihood Effort Mindfulness Concentration With respect, there's quite a bit more 'happening' there than simply 'eliminating a layer of human emotions' .
  15. PS Good work with nature there BTW. All respect. That's some nice stuff you made. Flowers and all. Very pretty. Much obliged. :-)
  16. Cheers God, I'll give that a go.

  17. Thoughts on Ukraine / Russia Debacle?!

    GrandmasterP replied to DalTheJigsaw123's topic in The Rabbit Hole

    I reckon that unless we're either Russian or Ukrainian then it's their business and none of ours.

  18. What is your name?

    GrandmasterP replied to mewtwo's topic in General Discussion

    He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!
  19. 1986 I bought that Remington Travel Alarm Clock. Been all round the world with me it has and spent five tours in India. Always by my bedside, even here at home. Been dropped in the sea. Bashed about, nibbled by a puppy. Never once let me down and always kept good time. Used every single night and never once stopped apart from changing its little battery. It has finally given up the ghost. Decided to set itself off, I go upstairs and push down the off button which promptly collapses in through the case. Totally and utterly knackered. I shall miss it's cheerful tick. 28-years aint bad service from a cheapo, plastic clock. OK no biggie but I thought that it deserved an obituary on here after all that faithful service.
  20. Ya don't ask. Ya don't get. :-)
  21. It's a good way to navigate the ( paid) working day. Body in work going through the motions, mind on vacation.

  22. What did meditation do to me? Please read...

    GrandmasterP replied to Under's topic in General Discussion

    There was a Zumba teacher down at our centre like that once. Used to say to the students... " You are all useless." They were, eventually. She lost all her class one by one and then packed the job in. Last I heard she was working as a traffic warden.

  23. What did meditation do to me? Please read...

    GrandmasterP replied to Under's topic in General Discussion

    Do you get many bookings for those motivational lectures? :-)

  24. depersonalization

    GrandmasterP replied to sunchild's topic in General Discussion

    My call... Narcissist. Sure t'be.
  25. One for God please. Hello God. You being omniscient and all. Any chance of Saturday's winning lottery numbers please? ( Before and in good time for the draw). Thank you in anticipation.