CloudHands

Great Make me wanna try !

Hi Earl ! Any video showing your mixture ?

I used to experience back pain. Sitting meditation stretch many muscle/tendons around lower back/pelvic areas so any tension will become obvious and even painful. Bad/Good news ? If you do nothing it's going to be worse. BUT stretching and observing (admitting) how you are set up can probably help/solve your issue. But it depends on what cause the back pain muscular tension ? misalignment ? what kind ? how serious is it? these question require a professional examination to be answered properly.

Sure It's a difficult challenge I don't know you enough... Maybe not you, not many people achieve frugal self contentment (I assume you do). Needs play a major role. Sometimes you want to have money to help someone you cherish. For instance, if you had kid(s) (assuming you have not) you'd think about it differently. Maybe later I'll come back 😈 If you look around people do all kind of stuff for money, name something... it's just a matter of amount to find someone that will do it. What does that mean ?

It is commonly admitted that one can lack of money. Is it possible to earn make (doesn't really fit either) too much money ? If it is what is too much ? Curious about what do you think.

Thanks for sharing. Many accurate points I share. I don't think either money makes people more evil, it acts like a reveler. Where I could disagree is the screwdriver story. A screwdriver is a simple tool. It's not comparable money which is maybe a tool but also a system that by itself influence the society. Just like advertising. I think things would be very different if we were able to deal the cards without both of them. We still play this life game as selfish fighting children and that's what we now are. I understand how one can be "ok" with that. Thanks for that peaceful sensitive discussion.

Much love for you fellows and happy new year by the way !

Not a necessity I agree but more than a illusion. A collective convention is more than an illusion. I remember a guy, really a bad guy, a dangerous dark troubled soul. We discussed about how we feel at this stage of our life. He said he was down because he had no money. Later he completed his thought. Not that he liked money for the value of it but for its potential. Coming from him I understood that money is power. Power to do and also power on others. Is it something you easily accept that someones accumulate so much power over others ? I'm on the same page Luke. Dear Lerner. I think that's the liberal view. The purpose is to make people believe that money is an honest marker of value and that it will go naturally as fair reward for a certain work/service/good sold. I don't think it's true. Most essential works are often underpaid compared to other that doesn't relate to necessity. Farmers, builders, first hand health workers, nursemaid, teachers, cleaners, ... I don't think they are paid fairly compared to let's say a smartphone developer (no disrespect intended), maybe that's just me. Often someone is paid according to the money that will be extracted from the work he has made. But not everything is business related. What is the real price for someone taking care of your Ma or Grand-Ma and doing it the best he/she can ? Washing her, cleaning her with respect and care ? Actually I think there is no price for that.

" (Riddles confusing fools) like Confucian rules (Cause most cats are more squared than Rubik's Cubes) "

This led me there

Maybe I'm retro phasing - was born fire tiger - but trees ranks high in my chart

I usually don't plan that much. I'm more like a tree I keep going with obvious (but vague) vital goals and things happen around me. Most living forms seem to have that receptive idling ability. Possibly the latest's branch DNA will mutate, it did happen before. Truth is I'm confident and happy with things as they are including -what some oddly call- weakness as it turns into (or come from) force on a regular basis. So you said tree goals ? 1 : taking care of root network 2 : search for the light 3 : spread out what is learnt on the way

Yeah... I'm stuck between first and second degree. I even live 3,5 rd(?) floor ^^. Some got one, some got two and sometimes none... but me ? I laugh a lot

ok that was a joke, I just do things that help for real

Ok here there are : If you focus on something particular you're going to experience feelings, more or less deep. It works for any place in the body, these experiences are valuable. There are posture that can damage the body (deep stances, misalignments, twisted articulations like half and full lotuses). It will happen and keep happening if you do something wrong, with these one should be careful.

I fully agree with both previous comments and I want to add 2 points :

Subtle made Bricks of Patience and Work

That is very possible. That or too many people like to brag and I'm not sure about the ratio. More seriously (or less seriously, I don't know....) We're living the golden age of astro and particle physics and handling material of that kind is rather subtle

I don't know you so I can be off but if it can help... the better If you want to comfort your bases you can join find a trusty a local group. Qi gong, tai ji chuan, nei gong, meditation any a these practices share different shape of a common knowledge (gem!) with differently sided benefits, they are complementary to each others. Practiced in a group with a experienced (and humble) teacher any of these it can be an anchoring point. Community practice is important. Then you have the books for qi gong (nei gong) Yang Jwing-ming is dedicated and honest. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/337747.The_Root_of_Chinese_Qigong https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/364659.Qigong_Meditation These are very good books and the second somewhat exhaustive on his subject, many translations of old Chinese texts. On nei dan I can't comment much. It kind of looks like an etheric subject to me like mo pai, some run after it but nobody seems to catch it (from my perspective). Many died ingesting pills... even emperors, and that's a fact. That's interesting anyhow, myth contains elements of truth but I think it is of prime order to not became a plain believer. So better catch what's at hand and safe, then... up to you !

What do you want from these books ?

Hide Rideforever, I haven't read Ling Bao Tong Zhi Neng Nei Gong Shu and I wasn't aware of the existence of such a book. Generally "guide" books are made by scholars or popularizers -with all due respect- people that enter an "exogamic" group or culture or tradition and transmit what they have learned. In the case of Wang I'm very enthusiast because I did not expect the head of a daoist sect to write a "guide" book. No intermediary. That being said I have red half of "Opening the dragon gate" and I was fairly disappointed. Not that it's not interesting or useful and I cannot present myself as a judge of what is possible and what is not but personally I don't give it much credibility in term of factual reality. So I'll most definitely read it because Wang Liping has an incredible background (high expectations ! ) but I'm likely to be disappointed since I'm not very receptive on anything asking me to believe in something (magic especially). I mean, I don't need anyone to make the stars brighter, only a spot nice enough to seat and observe their lights. No book nor speech did really brought me up but it can enhance practices and experiences aside from the reading, as I'm not a daoist scholar I'm sure it will upgrade my picture.