manitou

Going back to what the Yaqui sorcerer taught to Carlos Castaneda - Don Juan also had Carlos do a lengthy recapitulation of his life, wherein he had to examine his motives, thank those that needed thanked, apologized to those he had harmed. This created the condition to get the ego out of the way, to restore humility. At some point, as Don Juan says, life becomes the teacher. This method is similar to the 4th, 5th, and 8th(?) steps of AA recovery,wherein one looks for ones one's faults and makes amends to those we have harmed. It may be an absolute requirement for clarity, to tame ego.

Hi Andy - nice to have you here -

Matt- nice to have you here

Hi BeyondMaster - nice to have you here!

Nice to have you here, Sundragon -

Enlightenment really is a physical thing. It's the momentary ability to merge with all things physical and non by the body entering into an immediate vessel state. Perhaps degree of enlightenment means how often during the day one can remember to get into the totally receptive state. The physical aspects of enlightenment entail the very subtle bodily things necessary to release all tension, lose control, and go with the flow. A state of no judgments. A state where you Know you are one with everyone and everything,even the worst derelict on the street. Or the richest person in the world. Or the worst criminal, or the most delicate of victims. There is compassion for all. An enlightened person is never alone. That person will sense the awareness of a chair, or a spoon. Or a bird or horse. An enlightened one understands exactly who he or she is. Is. In the end run, the enlightened one knows there is nothing outside of self to pray to. It's all One.

I say enlightenment is knowing Who we Really Are.

Hi Jaclynrose, Nice to have you here-

Hi Chaos, nice to have you here!

It seems to me that if the Tao is all there is, then WE are it. We always have been, will always be. Perhaps there is nothing outside to pray to at all.

I watched the beginning moments of the film - but don't particularly want to sit through an hour and a half. What is the ultimate message of it? Why the Antichrist Conspiracy? Who's conspiring to do what? I'm interested in the antichrist idea only because hopefully it'll be the pin that breaks the bubble of the arrogant Christianity that is running rampant. (I happen to live in the bible belt, for some ungodly reason).

Has anyone had a similar experience where they wake up in the mornings (when you're in that half-awake twilight state) where ancient scrolls are being displayed in front of your eyes? This has happened 3or 4 times now. The scrolls are being unfurled and Ican see that they're written in English; however, I do not for some reason assimilate the words consciously - I can see that they're arranged in sentences, but I cannot put together what it says. Like for instance, I remember seeing the word 'care' but don'e remember the context of the sentence. There is a sense that the scrolls are being 'downloaded' into my soul, rather than assimilated by consciousness. I'd be delighted if anyone else can shed some light on this.

UTI - you apparently are an acquaintance of Carlos and don Juan's? Yes, it is a lucid dream - is this a situation where I could could focus on something in particular? Better yet, I suppose, to try and withhold that moment of recognition of the form. It's so nice to know you're here. Manitou

You've hit it right on the head. (Love your little dance, by the way!) I too have a sense that the information is being chewed up and assimilated by the subconscious. And I do think the knowledge is there for the asking and pops up when needed. At least that's the sense I get. Very odd phenomena.

Hi Reader - really nice to have you here. Enjoy!

Nice to have you here, KK.

Best wishes to you; lots for you to chew on here.

This is really interesting, because I think in my case the auto accident came after a long period of study of the Tao te Ching - but also combined with a conscious walking of the 12 steps of recovery. I'd been reading the Tao, every morning, for 20 years at the time of the accident - several different translations. I have meditated regularly forever and I practice yoga moderately (nothing specifically oriented to rising K). All in all, I think it came in a balanced alignment, and phenomenally, the same is true of my husband. At the time of the car accident, he had 17 years of walking the AA walk,and he was years along the Castaneda path. Perhaps in some way the inner work required to catalyze the internal alchemy required for the kundalini experience is actually reflected in the working of the 12 steps. As mundane as this must certainly sound to those with exotic practices, the simple fact is that doing a fearless and thorough moral inventory (step 4), giving the results of that inventory to another human being (step 5) and then doing the step that requires that you make amends to every person you've ever harmed in your life (I can't remember which one that is) really kicks inner ass. If there is any shred of ego left, it's on the floor. Where we are standing right now seems to be a room where all paths meet...

This is really unlike me to throw such a question out, but here it is: My husband and I are in our mid-60's. We've been together for 27 years. We both became kundalini active after an auto accident several years ago. Lately (the last couple months) our sex has become tantric. That's all I can say. It is indescribable. However, he has been unable to ejaculate for the corresponding time. What's up with this? I hear mention of retention exercises on this forum, but what of the guys who get it and don't ask for it? Not that we're complaining - I have a feeling that if he ever does ejaculate again, that'll be the end of the tantric ride. Has anyone else had similar experiences?

I am thoroughly boggled. I am going back to the bedroom now. See you later.

I actually see Mr. Obama as being an enlightened man. He is Doing Nothing on many situations (|I'm sure Mr. Limbaugh would agree, LOL) - but he is doing the Do Nothing we are familiar with here. I think we have many reasons to be optimistic. This man is capable of seeing way in the distance. Please recall that the first visitors he had to the white house were the Pres. of S. Korea and also the emperor of Japan. Is there any doubt that they would be discussing North Korea and a 'what if' scenario? Sure enough, it played out just months later. And the result is that Kim Jung Il threw a tantrum and nobody got in a twitter when he sent the missiles off. No doubt S. Korea and Japan were in on the plan. Had Kim Jung Il transgressed some invisible border that had been pre-determined, he may have been obliterated. But the tantrum was handled, and Kim lost face. I think one of the biggest reasons Mr. Obama got the peace prize is because of the ramifications of not placing defense shield missilry in Poland. It most likely went a long way in making peace with the Russians after the long cold war. That act alone changed the dynamics immeasurably. We have an enlightened man in office. Most of the world won't see it - it takes 'eyes' to see eyes. I see his movements in Afghanistan as being a necessary evil; perhaps the worst would be to immediately withdraw and leave a void. I think he's doing his best to get us out of there but with some modicum of grace, along with some sort of Afghani structure in place. I think Mr. Obama is the type of leader that it speaks of in the Tao....the one that no one knows is there. I think he is not quick to take credit for the good things that he causes to happen, such as the two instances above. But it is my thought that the Nobel committee may have people with eyes to see. As high profile as the president now is, with the 24 hour news cycles, I think this fellow will do most of the good work behind closed doors and out of the public eye. I believe he is the right man for the times, an awakened, intelligent man who has the unfortunate job of riding this monster into the next phase, whatever that is. We will be better off for having had him.

Thank you, thank you. That was quite printable.

I really appreciate the input. At least I'm realizing that this phenomena isn't unheard of. Actually, we're not really looking to fix anything, as it's really wonderful. It's just different. Really different. The odd thing is that spirit doesn't seem to care what path we take. His arthritis would prohibit him from doing full lotus postures, even if he desired to. The man's more of a shamanic nature.

I noticed something last night during a sexual encounter with my husband of 27 years. If the female is capable of getting out of her own way (stilling the mind completely, relaxing all muscles from the outside to the innermost self), the kundalini energy is greatly kicked up. I'd never noticed this before. It was like consciously going to an instantaneous 'Be Here Now" mindset which seemed to open the channels of Kundalini energy even more magnificently. For what it's worth.

It occurred to me during last night during the sex act that I was the Yin, my husband was the Yang. I visualized being the earth that he was digging into. The sacred female.