Songtsan

It is fairly obvious that TTB is a form of Sangha...one need not be physically present for all the things mentioned to have significance. I think in the world of the internet, the rules relax more, and true mind-selves come out more as well. So online Sanghas can in fact be more intense. I would never act the way I do in real life as I do online, not that I intend it that way. Its just that being freed of a face, and becoming just a brain tends to make one less thoughtful, as we disconnect ourselves slightly from the fact that these online presence are in fact people, and not just voices in the dark. The anonymity of the internet can bring out both the worst and the best in people. In many ways it is more real, and thus the Sangha can be more evolving.

yeah I consider it 'seated savasana' - anything can take you deeper...I just need to learn to get that level of calm while letting my mind stay more awake.

this is all very true. However the ability to turn off the judging apparatus in the mind leads to great ecstasy, an extreme level of focus, which = the ability to maintain constant awareness (AKA superconsciousness) of any object, the ability to concentrate energy, which leads to enhanced abilities in gongfu, or just about anything. Also, with the wisdom eye of awareness open, which essentially means you aren't lost in analysis, you directly perceive the truth of reality without becoming caught in ideas about it. If you only live in the 'map,' you don't get to see the 'territory' as much. To feel more alive than ever before, drop the mind. Here is an example...a friend of mine did some really curvy roads on his motorcycle at like 60-90 mph. It was dangerous and reckless true, but he said he never felt more alive. That is because in moments of hyperconsciousness, the mind must completely focus on the moment by default. If he was busy thinking about what he was going to cook for dinner that night, he probably would have wiped out. He said he never felt more alive in his life. Think skydiving, think wild sex, think first date with a beautiful woman, etc. It's moments that shatter the mind - put it on the back burner and that bring you out into the realest real that are the moments that we remember the most. It's also very chemical. Dopamine rushes peak when life is exciting. Meditation techniques bypass the need for excitement by training the mind how to get that feeling of euphoria in any circumstance. It's all about the zone. It is exactly true that we are one with what is. I am all about the bliss for the most part.

I am in your camp...not that I wouldn't mind being affiliated with a real teacher, but I don't live near any obvious ones. If there are any here they don't advertise.

I think this may be a lot like Vipassana, but I add an element of half-lidded wakefulness in order to calm my extremely agitated emotional/nervous system - its really probably a personal thing. I doubt most people have to deal with the neurosis that I do. If you are of calmer mentality than me, I can think of better things to practice. I don't consider this a full meditation for that reason. Side effect is much like taking a power nap. Sympathetic system gets curtailed, parasympathetic goes up. When I start to move again I feel a little groggy. I didn't fall asleep, yet things definitely shifted on a physiological level. My blood pressure goes down, heart rate slows. The relative stillness of my nervous system is what I am seeking basically. I think it may actually be similar to doing an extended savasana. I let my attention rove around the breathing in the area of the stomach/navel/diaphragm. I keep my hips elevated, back straight, half lotus position. It clears me of the extra energy that is like having had too much coffee. The basis of it is simply extreme muscle & nervous system relaxation with no attempts to influence the breath either by adding impetus or by holding it back. Then I just watch the breathing, while allowing my mind to fall into a half-lidded wakefulness - a sort of not extreme mental focus, but just enough to avoid falling asleep. It is really comforting, but I don't know that it will take one far in terms of attainments. It is probably very much related to western progressive neuromuscular relaxation techniques. I just focus a little bit more on the nervous system relaxing than they would.

Focusing clears the channels....or opens them. When you start pushing more water through a hose, it increases pressure/intensity and starts to wear away the 'gunk' along the walls. In the case of energy channels, it may be psychic gunk, I am not sure. Also the more energy that goes through a channel, the more can flow after a while. I am not a specialist on Taoist techniques, I only do MCO stuff. I think you might want to take this post to the Taoist section and start over - not so many people read posts in the lobby. I wouldn't limit myself to one book or so, see if you can find all that is similar between various authors systems, and you will be sure to have something that is good. The orbit takes different time for different people - also, not everyone feels it as deeply as others at first, but that doesn't mean it isn't flowing well - it is a matter of your own sensitivity and focus strength. Having lots of head energy tends to keep the energy trapped in head. It depends on your YinYang balance. Energy in head that won't go down = stuck Yang I believe.

Perhaps one should use labeling when communicating to others as is needed, but stop such labeling within the mind. This would end the dualistic mind, and increase chances of attaining oneness with what is.

By not being mastered by our emotions, we at least place ourselves on even ground with them. This is better than being owned by them.

Start with everything, from the place you are every day.... You are going to get conflicting advice on this forum. The other animals haven't peeked their heads out of their dens yet is all. This all takes time anyways. NONE technique is easy - don't come. That's the hard part. Taoists use techniques such as nine shallow, one deep (thrusts during intercourse) to stop from coming. There are far more creative ways to have sex than that however - that's all old school stuff. Know your limits - when you reach the 'hot point' back off! Get a feel for the pre-orgasmic rush. See it, note it, stop before its too late. Every two weeks seems fine for most people, but listen to your body. With this system, you need to manually drain your prostate of excess fluid by milking the acini ducts from the inside. See self-prostate massage on the internet. Takes 1-3 minutes a day at most...You don't have to do it every day either, just when you feel that fluid is building. Also, practice kegels - 1000x a day - do 900 quick flexions, 100 firm/deeper/longer ones...penis flexion exercises. Do them while you are on the computer, reading a book, etc. Doesn't take too much time. You will then soon be able to master the urge to splurge. No matter how active you are, you will be in control. After maybe 2 weeks of consistent practice, you will note the easy control you have. I can always expand on any of this stuff if you like. Microcosmic orbit (MCO) starts as an awareness meditation....it is very based in scientific fact. You start at the Dantien, AKA center of gravity, about two finger-tip widths below the navel. It is not necessarily a small spot, so don't get fixated on finding the exact right point, just keep roving around down there with your mind. It's maybe 2-3 inches inwards at most, not counting fat deposits...everyone is a little different. Its a nerve plexus some think. Around the stomach wall, or possibly related to the enteric nervous system (I am thinking this may be possible, but not sure still). The vagus nerve comes down the center of the chest (approximately) in two lines..you can treat them as one for the most part - they call this the Yin channel - has a Chinese name that I can't remember. Whether the dantien is a branch of the vagus nerve or another place I have not yet discovered, due to lack of time to research, but I am pretty sure of the location and that is all that matters for practical purposes. Start here, using the traditional techniques of focus, simply become aware of the area - focus brings energy. Where focus is, energy is. By keeping focus here, the energy can build. When it builds, it feels funny at first if your channels aren't clear...this is the beginning stage...there are energy storage techniques to be aware of too. Circling and what not after you are done meditating. I will leave this to others to discuss with you as I am not certain as to the necessity of this step, and would not want to give you misinformation if I am wrong. I am fairly confident of all the information I have given here, but you should never ever believe anything anyone says, because everyone has a little bit of misinformation brewing in their brains. You must become your own teacher, given the fact that you have none around you. That means you should move slower and take time to research and get lots of second opinions. I am most confident on the NONE technique stuff I spoke of. I have been doing this for around 20 years. There is much more I can say on this, but I will have to come back later. I have experienced full MCOs, but they were a gift of sorts...

Its sad but its what it is...there aren't enough good teachers nowadays for the masses, just lots of cardboard cutouts who take a few seminars, pay their fees, and get authorized to teach a system, as long as they keep paying their dues topwards. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that is this: A teacher need not be physically present to communicate just as effectively. Words can travel thousands of miles in an instant these days. What matters whether a person is standing in front of you or is outside of arms reach? The reach can be great or small, if one cannot touch, then its the same for all. Good thing there are forums like this one where folks can come and get good advice. In the end, we must choose our own path, based on what we think is right for us anyways. You never know who to trust anymore. That is, until you learn to trust yourself!

It all depends on who you believe...you can go western science, eastern philosophy...I enjoy NONE sex...Non-orgasm Non-ejaculation....maybe come every two weeks at most...sex is great....for hours. No probs with this technique except for needing to clear the prostate and ducts out manually...

popping joints is often due to air pockets/gas expansion - if it doesn't hurt, it might be OK.

Are you a skinny guy? Tall? Loose connective tissue? Super flexible? Hard to gain muscle?

I am not so fond of in-ejaculation techniques...it doesn't conserve jing in my opinion...it's not the loss of sperm that creates loss of libido/life essence in my opinion, but orgasm itself. I am a fan of Karezza. It's in regards to brain chemistry. The tubes should be cleared through the practice of self-prostate massage, and sexual techniques which avoid orgasm and avoid stagnation of sperm/fluid in the epididymis, prostate, and vas deferens. Some others may have different opinions here. I am part western science, part eastern spiritualist. Overdoing training can lead to increased sympathetic tone, increased cortisol, loss of sleep, increased stress levels, etc. Know the overtraining signs & symptoms and you should be fine. Cross-train, make sure to get good sleep, have rest days..listen to your body. Spend excess energy and store the rest. Excess/rapid thinking, delusional thoughts, megalomania, inability to relax, inability to sleep, lack of appetite, feelings of heat in the head, decrease in the bodily sensations below the head, feeling like you had too much caffeine, fidgeting, decreased ability to concentrate, restless legs/hands (due to increased peripheral nervous system activation), and more... It didn't translate well to English in the earlier books for starters... Good idea - glad you are so committed - it will take you far...I have some ideas of things to track to if you want...

Which joints pop? I see you are a runner - you don't run on concrete do you?

I like the pronunciation Gun in the ganapataye mantra...I used to have this tape with anuradha paudwal on it that had the beej mantra sung by this guy and I cant seem to find that one anywhere...

I suppose - it'd be nice...but what i really want is something amazing to happen, something almost fantastical, reality changing - something not just about me and removing stress and all that fun stuff - but a thing which would reshape me forever in ways I have never heard/read about. Honestly I would like to find God or something maybe, but I don't think there is one outside of the combined collective energy that is oneness. Perhaps that is it, in a roundabout way. I don't know. Its confusing...I'll keep trucking. I guess it is simply related to wanting ecstasy, because if I found that great revelation, I would become ecstatic. Perhaps I merely indirectly seek great bliss and removal from great suffering, and no matter what/where/etc. I do/go/etc. it is always at root based on this. Even desire for enlightenment is about escaping stress. Desire for a better rebirth. Why does everything have to be about that? Why can't there be a greater purpose than seeking bliss and avoiding stress? Doing great things for others maybe...but then, that is seeking to give them bliss, and in doing so complete an urge in oneself that is still pain/pleasure bound. Do aliens on other planets have these same issues? They must.

What I am finding is that I don't really seek anything exactly like what all the major paths seek. I am not concerned with most perception attainments, siddhis, etc. Nirvana sounds nice, but strangely my motivation for it is weak. What I seek is simply to find out what it is I truly want, what is really important for me, which I have not yet identified yet. I know that I want to know how everything works, like a kid asking 'why is this?' 'why is that?' I have been asking 'what if?' questions forever - my whole life. I still do, and this tendency is strangely a big part of my path. It has morphed into trying out all kinds of ways, altering traditions, experimenting, conjecturing, etc. I always get told to pursue a normal path, but I am not attached to most attainments. I simply seek to know - not know what a perception attainment is like from the inside, but what it all means from a scientific level, or maybe even metaphysics (but not new age style). One thing I have noticed is that my base belief around reincarnation/karma influences my goals. As I don't believe in individual karma, only group karma, I don't fear not completing some perfectionist goal in this lifetime, because I think that my energy joins with the cosmos and becomes part of everyone. I do want to leave some mark behind, in the way of service for humanity. I think I am looking for a goal that is so enticing, so all-consuming that it will drive me to it with a passion. I search for a goal is basically it. Something that I believe will make a difference one way or another. I don't know that there is any specific Sangha for me. A Sangha for those who haven't found their goal yet?

Provides much comfort Those bubbly fizzy zingers Electrified pops!

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Labeling anything as a 'thing' assumes it has fixed form, unchanging, or a beginning/middle/end, i.e. a strict demarcation. Energy/matter is always moving, fluxing, shifting, being juxtaposed. The definition of illusion is 'impermanence.' There are no boundaries between 'objects,' hence no 'objects' in the first place. Just one giant sea of energy, with denser spots of localized energy rising up like nodes. These give the illusions of separate objects. I view the universe as an ever-evolving fractal pattern, each part dependent on all others. Any small change in one part of the web will alter the shape of the entire. If Pluto suddenly disappeared, it would eventually mess up the paths of all the objects in the solar system. Astronomers have discussed this. It is just like a biosystem. Take out mosquitoes for example and a rip in the web of life would dramatically alter things for a while, until a new balance would be found. The sea of energy is like this in every aspect. Everything co-dependent, nothing self-originating - no beginning/middle/end. "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the Spaniards."

you should! I never suggested not to trust them...just that I was speaking as to the validity of the Buddhist 'All is Mind' school. I do not believe the world is an illusion however - never would i say that. That chair is real and will exist when you are dead (likely...unless someone really heavy sits on it and breaks it). All I was saying is that the perception you have on it is cause dependent.

It almost sounds like we are on the same page now...While some may consider that an optical illusion. I consider it a perception illusion. The photons coming in aren't changing, neither is the electricity going into the optical nerve, it is the brain, and the way it processes the information that changes. This shows the mutability of perception, and also the fact that perception never matches reality 100%. My whole point was that perception is only a simulacrum of reality, a best fit model. It is not, nor can it ever be 100% accurate or direct, unless perhaps one is merged with Taomind, etc. It is delivered to us via messenger service. There will always be something lost in translation. Agreed That's all I was ever saying - that the brain is responsible for colors. The molecules/electrons on the outside simply absorb certain wavelengths of light, and reflect others. There is no pink or green in these things, just levels of vibration. If there was no awareness in the world, there would exist no green or pink as we know it. If one takes a hit of LSD, one can experience their whole visual reality changing. In dreams, where there is no incoming data (unless you count data incoming from memories as the incoming data), especially lucid dreams, we get a chance to see how reality is manufactured in our brain. Dogs see in black and white, bees see in ultraviolet, cats see in infrared. The sensory-perception apparatus makes the reality as much as the incoming information does. It is what the brain does with the incoming information that creates our experience. There was once a man who had a brain injury. It messed up his whole reality. He thought his wife was a coat hanger. He would come home and try to hang his coat on her. This is a true story. Belief is a neurochemical process. You think that the reality you see is something set in stone - it is while your own chemistry stays true, but as soon as your own architecture is altered, reality (perception of) becomes altered. Reality is more perception based than sensory based in some people. In most people, their perceptions match their sensations pretty closely, in some, especially those with brain injuries, mental illness, or those who use psychedelics, the translation is skewed, and thus perception is much farther from reality. All I merely am suggesting is that perceptions are mutable, and not fixed in stone. They are the end-result of the awareness process. Any screw up in perception leads to a reality that is more false than normal. All perceptions are somewhat false. Even if it is only by 0.01%. When one merges with Taomind, the perception is the truest, when one is far removed and lives in ego-mind, the tendency is for perception to be far removed as well from reality. If I could magically replace your sensory-perception apparatus with something different, you would see/hear/taste/etc. differently. You are as much reality as the information coming in. Your reality is shaped by what you are. If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is around, does it make a sound? NO! A sound is a relationship process. It would create a shock-wave of vibration through the air, but that is it. The creation of noise requires a person to hear it - an ear to receive the waves, which goes through that process of transduction I mentioned, which turns those waves into electrical signals, which end up being processed somewhere in the temporal lobes, and this eventually creates what we perceive as noise. The noise part is created in the brain. Outside of the ears, the stimulus was actually just air molecules vibrating to a certain frequency. All sound, just like all color, is a perception manifestation. Dependent on outside stimulus to some degree (but not as well, as people can have audio hallucinations), yet separate via chained reactions from the senses themselves. Pitch, tone, volume, etc. these are created in the mind from the incoming information/stimulus. These did not exist in that form until the brain shaped that electrical signal.

I think this depends - if you are too Yin - strength training will add Yang...If you are already Yang overbalanced, it could add more Yang (depends)

Just don't eat lots of soy protein...phytoestrogens...

I noticed that when I was pure vegetarian - I felt a lot more peaceful...