Horus

ok, thanks spotless - i'll incorporate these into the mix. Bless you!

Thanks spotless! I've no time to respond to this fully right now, but will do... in the meantime you may want to look at this too... http://taoistbooks.cf/index.php/topic/34-invisibility/ Cheers!

great silent thunder! "These can hold for some length of time as I don't chase them or fill them, just empty observation." You've clearly developed a great non-attachment. I've recently started practicing zhine' (part of tibetan dream and sleep yoga) - which is expanding this greatly. Yes, darkness practice. Quite by circumstance, I've been doing my meditation practice in the darkness of the morning hours. This came about due to wanting to keep a balance between practice and family/partner. I practice in the morning for 2 hours while my wife, dog and cat sleep in our bedroom. We had to black out the room a few months back because the halogen street light was so full-on and shining right in the window. So, I just go with the flow. The open eye bit I adopted to keep focused as I've been having trouble grounding with neigong work over the last 6 months (ET trouble). Then I get to the next level in my Kriya Yoga practice and am asked to work in a blacked out room, and then I get to my next level in Time Travel training (and dream yoga) and am asked to open eye meditate. So both are fantastic - JAJ states that open-eye meditation can/does cause "agitation", and i've since read that this is one of the first stages/obstacles in the zhine' practice - and a stage that is moved beyond - to the point of cultivating the "calm abiding" mind (which is taking the "empty observation" to the abiding in non-dual presence level, "rigpa". The dark room thing is very interesting. I've seen my wife's spirit come and go, and her hun coming and going, other spirit orbs darting around, i've seen through my bedroom walls with eyes closed a few times too. It all comes down to calm abiding mind, and the development of jing, qi, and shen transformations. But, in all of that I'm not sure what this shimmering silver/white light is. I've heard of a reference to the shimmering light which is the food for the golden fetus - and it resonates with that - but my neigong is only starting...

Thanks GP, great question! "if it works"?: It works. I training in AP with a gnostic master about 10 years ago. It's as real as anything else pretends to be. But in that time frame, while I was projecting daily for about 12 months, I was getting a lot of attack, and my projections were hard to control. Now I know that it requires ones Shen to be well developed and stable so that qi follows shen and the mind can direct a synergistic control of energy through intention (Yi). One also wants to have a well developed energy body, and protective layers of "something" in order to prevent bringing back any attachments from non-desirables. There are different levels of astral plane, some vibrating close to the physical and others in non-local "spaces". "How come not on trip advisor?" Can't make money from it, the travel insurance would be too expensive, and the inflight meals are often you! The two Roberts are a good resource for AP study (Robert Monroe (The Monroe Institute does very comprehensive courses and products in binaural beat induction of AP & Robert Bruce (Astral Dynamics is a good text). But, you need to do the foundation work. But, AP is a distraction unless you use it for a particular purpose - the finer of which is being able to be lucid in Bardo when the time comes. The tibetans say if one is lucid in dream, then one can be lucid in bardo (after death). And if one is lucid in Bardo one can then take the path required for immortality. I don't AP deliberately now days - I'm working on developing astral vision first - bringing it all to you as opposed to going there. That in itself has enough pitfalls to keep you busy and learning to keep safe on the fringe of "other worlds" before jumping into the pool.

ok, so this has been developing for me meditating in near pitch black and eyes open also. and yes, I need to close my eyes briefly first - usually. Its come to a point where I can see it if i'm calm enough. not seen geometrics and colours in it yet though

No, it's not like that. But, actually I've been seeing that aswell at times - the purple light not the mosaic of lines. It's similar (the OP light in question) to a desert mirage - as if I have a sea of light undulating like the ripples of a pond. silver/white.

I like where you are going with this, Dream Bliss. Any enquiry to the functionings of mind driven by your own desire to understand will lead to mastery if you stick with it. Though, as we develop more we tend to see where we were "going "wrong"" at the outset. To avoid that my approach is to work with the "highest thing" for all. So substituting desire for "the highest thing" surrenders the personal will of it to the tao of it. ie unless this, or if it fits etc - becomes blah, blah if its the highest thing for the all.... I find that approach saves a lot of time wasting for me...

the best way to answer that is through the emotions and thoughts... what is it you don't want to say? to answer your own question enter stillness and ponder the situation at hand. what emotions arise? what thoughts respond to them? what emotional and mental clearing modality do you have to work with? I once had a mentor that was a very powerful medium - and when she was working with me she would ask me to make a statement to her (about whatever was at hand). I would make the statement and she would feel nuances in my voice "not working" properly - which would divulge the mento-emotional currents unmistakably flowing through the voice. When I worked more on the given issue - the voice became clear, strong and unhindered. The voice/speech is residing with the heart and its root being the tongue, the element fire.

"When moving the physical it may be helpful to helpful to start with the physical. In the three dan tiens we have: shen - light, mind qi - vapor, breath jing - fluid, body This is my modest level of understanding. There are likely leaks and I am curious to see what others share." Really, I'd beg to differ in that. When entering complete stillness and rootedness, the process of Taiji still has the same basis as neigong imo. "They work with gravity somewhat. If you were to remove the jing, the qi would begin to condense into jing and the shen into qi. So we start with the more physical, water-like, jing energy. We move slowly because it moves slowly, and if we rush ahead it's just like splashing the water around, or not moving it at all. As we work with the heaviest level, we begin to refine it into lighter levels. We refine the jing into qi, the qi into shen, and the shen into an emptiness that is the unification of all three. When the body's energy has been mostly refined to shen, one may move the entire body with the speed of mind." I think that's a very beautiful understanding I've taken it to absurdity and gone really slow. I'm doing less taji then neigong and medical qigong now - but when I was training taiji intensively I would do it ultra slow. I'd slow it down to 30 mins per posture. I was never taught that, but was prompted by ..? So, anyway doing that smashed my legs, and made my body feel like it was a tonne of bricks in human form - aches and pain etc But the peace was astounding, the grass blowing in the breeze started "speaking" (not really speaking but I felt it's way, it's voice). All things start to merge back to oneness with utter stillness in movement, and the deeper into that we sung, the more we become one with the fullness of tao. What I didn't realise in doing this was what I discovered when I returned to a "normal slow pace". My form was stronger, more body-intuitive -even adding corrections I didn't know about. And the power, speed, rootedness and fluidity had arrived. So, why do we start slowly - I've loved what everyone else said. But the best answer has to be: Use that question as an entry to doing it - let your practice answer for itself.

Well there are classics (more philosophical allegory) and then there are manuals (the lines may be blurred). So, the classics tend to be a different approach to absorb them. If you want functional understanding of the "cardinal virtues" you can take a look at Jerry Alan Johnson's texts (Medical Qigong + Neigong & Weigong), or Mantak Chia's (Fusion 1)- or other qigong/neigong "manuals". Virtue (De) is the primary basis for higher merging with wuji and tao. One may cultivate all they want but the doors of tao will be closed to those lacking virtue. Different schools work with different virtues, but either way it is best to enter a working relationship with the yin organs (especially) and their elemental attributes and their relationship with the 5 agents (spirits) that correlate therein (which is the inner seat of "cardinal virtue". Classics tend to allude - manuals tend to instruct - individuals must embrace both and allow for the wisdom to bubble up within, thus forming their own intrinsic oneness with it all.

The most functional understanding imo of "grasping' and 'aversion/avoiding" is rooted in non-attachment. The middle path - neither seeking it, nor seeking it not. Just becoming the observer and being one with both and all in between. ok, point taken Paul - my wife always berates me for talking too much

I liked that comment orb, because it raises an important question. There has been a lot of doubt surrounding such displays - with the notion that it looks real because the students are influenced or "brain washed" by the teacher. So, it's a "justified" rationalisation. But rationalisation will only take you so far in correct perception. Once one's Shen has sufficiently developed and stabilised - correct perception makes itself hummingly clearer. That is what I was talking about in the previous post where I mentioned the tranquility/serenity/peacefulness that was issuing from this guy in the video. It is all around the stage, wrapping over everyone, and issues in bursts when the students direct force onto his posture. He has connected and rooted with the earth yin - and it is holding his form not strength resistance. So, the earth yin simply counters (or, where there is yang - yin will be) and the students lack of groundedness/rootedness - becasue their channels are not fully opened and they have not rooted into the yin, let go of attachment and entered compassion sufficient enough to allow the sturdiness of yin yang balance). But that is always the case - he who attacks first loses is a precept of japanese swordsmanship. You can't leave balance (which you have to do to "attack") and attack balance and win. That is unless you are so developed and you can do whatever you want. But all that is easier to comprehend if you experience it first hand. I don't have this guys level of development - but when I am very rooted and centered it works the same (just less) for me. One night (more yin in the night) my wife pushed me, when doing a rooting exercise - and I was so still and rooted that she pushed and was flung back about half a metre. So, yes, there is merit to the notion that the students just believe - but you have to believe to do it (to a degree). So, they are not about to bow to a sceptics uneducated opinion and not bounce away. By going with the energy they come closer to consorting with it. Brainwashed or not We're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy

Has anyone got some experience with Vitamin B shots? Receiving them, giving them?

hydroxocobalamin was the B-12 in my case.

and so is the nature of all things

Well, it wasn't what I was saying - but that is the case. I read Mantak Chia's Iron Shirt 1 (inside out, and re-transcribed the whole thing), then I read about Michael Winn's experiences, then I watched videos (youtube.com etc) of masters doing iron shirt - until I had a functional understanding of what it was about. [interested in "Qigong, The Secret of Youth: Da Mo's Muscle/Tendon Changing and Marrow/Brain Washing Classics" now also, thanks Jox for that post ] I then started to apply the principles and exercises in "baby step" process... (without a "teacher"). I'm not close to a teacher, but have not got one. So, I talk with my guides and other resources, read, read, meditate and what I call "seed trial" methods and then expand on them. I worked with a chair sitting meditation to come into stillness (feet locked/rooted) and "asked" the earth yin to show me what this is. And it did. Ever so subtle coolness ascended with my ultra slight "allowance" and felt it purge me. I imagined being pushed while feeling that energy - and it "showed" me what it was about. So, all of that only happened after about 6 months of embracing the tree and yiquan - what I chose to be a foundation. Learned how to release pressure when it pools at the heart/diaphragm was the biggest risk mediator. And actually a great technique to release/ease tensions in the higher work when I reached it eg lesser k&l initial meds etc So, too a lesser degree I can do mental rooting also now - but it's still much stronger if I ask my wife to push me around

Thanks ChiDragon When I fist watched those kinds of demonstrations I was sure it would require a teacher to reach that level. After having done the baby steps of IronShirt for about 2 years now I understand that the practices are the teacher (embrace the tree, packing process breathing, rooting, advanced postures). I can now feel the preliminary developments of the same power, and i'm humbled to realise its the simplicity of a return to resonance with nature that delivers it. I recognise it immediately in the "serenity" issuing from this master - its the same serenity that a tree sits with, that my dog sits in all day - oneness with her (Earth). So many questions are answered by the relinquishment of desire for advancement and a wholehearted yielding to practice.

Great, thanks Jox. You know I love a good book!

He has a chart breaking down the pre & postnatal wujing shen (5 esence spirits). So, those are the "primary virtues" - but in the chart he expands as...Hun Manifesting as Healing Virtues of the Prenatal Wujingshen: Eyes - Benevolence, Love, Compassion Ears - Wisdom, Clear Perception, Self-Confidence Nose - Integrity, Righteousness, Dignity & Generosity Mouth - Truthfulness, Trust, Faith, Honesty, Openness & Acceptance Tongue - Inner Peace, Tranquility & Healthy Boundary Setting Skin - Great Joy & Happiness, Unconditional Love, Gratitude & Privilege If you are interested in more in-depth discussions on this work it will be happening over time here - http://www.jedischool.cf

Thanks, Trunk!

ok, thanks GP