BaguaKicksAss

I could swear my TCM Dr. gets it backwards too... some of her concoctions, yuck lol.

That is what the "left hand path" is for . Actually that is what all paths are for, it is just likely you have only happened upon the new age, or watered down for the public (no matter what path it may be) pages.

Thank you very much for the very clear, concise and makes perfect sense post!

On this page http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2014-october-8 if you scroll down, it grabs your IP and lets you know the start and end times of the eclipse in your area. 1-6am Wed morning for me . The full moon will be in Aries btw. A little more about the present eclipse astrologically (and the next solar one coming up on the 23rd too) http://www.cafeastrology.com/lunationseclipses.html My time: 04:04 haha!

What would be an example of a tantric practice which I may have heard about or run into? Also is there a lot of overlap with Dzogchen and Tantra practices?

Everyone go do Tonglen for an hour, then come back and post...

Specifically formal meditation focusing on no thoughts? Not very long . 15 minutes twice per day. I had slacked with my meditation doing it only off and on for a few years, so getting back up to speed. The no thoughts thing comes and goes, it is not like I get an entire 15 or 30 of no thoughts, more like less thoughts, and/or they just dissolve as they come. Like I posted earlier in this thread, even the monk folks still get some thoughts come up during meditation! Though there are minutes without thoughts. Also it ends up that less of those pesky things come up throughout the day. Another good meditation book is actually Bardon. Starting with the whole watching your thoughts, then turning that to 24X7, all the way up to no thoughts. I'm surprised I forgot about his books/methods. Most magicians have worked through his steps at some point, and usually give up around the OK now no thoughts step lol. Awesome stuff though. Initiation into Hermetics is the title. This book also influenced my meditation methods a lot over the years. When I was starting out, and for at least the first decade or so, I did an hour or 2 per day of meditation. Not saying one has to do this much, but I do feel it really helped. This was on top of my regular practice. After that my practice switched more over to magic for my entire practice time. Now it's a mixture, including some qigong, martial arts, magic and meditation . As an aside I find that specific focused practice is very important, no matter what it is. To have a specific practices which have proven to be useful and affective over several generations of practitioners. Practiced daily.

I'm curious now, and since this thread has already run quite off course lol, what is the difference between Dzogchen and Tantra teachings? I have heard both of those words used quite a bit in the few things I have learned.... it's a bit confusing!

A wonderful time to go into the deep depths of oneself and the "darker" aspects we often ignore .

The easiest way to have more lucid dreams is to write every single dream down, in as much detail as possible. Even when you don't dream, just write "I chose not to remember my dreams at this point in time" or something like that. Also some of us found that taking at least 1000mg of GABA creates some very vivid and lucid dreams, that one remembers.

Depends on the dream, some of each. Sometimes the astral, sometimes the subconscious.

I mean meditating as a practice, each day, for at least 15 minutes . This greatly enhances your magical practice, as well as psychic abilities and so forth. Of course it can also help to meditate before each magical working, but that wasn't what I was referring to here...

Trying to think of a good book on it... it's been awhile since I read anything on mediation. Or I mean been awhile which I have read anything on meditation which wasn't from a Dzogchen Buddhist perspective; been having some great success with their meditation methods, but then again, it is mostly in person teachings. OK I remember now, and everyone is going to laugh at me... but go easy on me, I was 18 at the time, and this was about 25 or so years ago lol, but I got a lot out of the Ram Das books . I have no idea if I would recommend them now or not, as I would have to re-read them to see. They were fun back in the day though. But basically, just let those thoughts drift off, gently push them aside.... At first you will be lucky to get a split second of no thoughts, which is fine, it's a pretty awesome second, then as you practice, it gets longer. I thought of one book, but not the type of magic/meditation you are likely thinking of, but works quite well http://www.amazon.com/Enlightened-Courage-Explanation-Seven-Point-Training-ebook/dp/B001W03JBE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412654622&sr=8-2&keywords=dilgo+khyentse

Sometimes it is more about what sort of teacher you bump into, which can share some amazing stuff .

ZOOM so how come Thogal and not Phowa? As an aside, only 1 westerner in Tibet rainbowed, no westerners here under western or non western teachers. 0 folks from just reading books... a few tibetans in tibet (and likely India). So give the numbers...

Dit da jow (sp?) is awesome for any/all injuries! I think JAJ might have some recipes for qi cultivation ones in his martial arts book. Though unfortunately he doesn't give the chinese letters for the herbs for the recipes, so difficult to have the folks in chinatown understand. For qi I just eat those large balls found in the yellow box (also used to put on external injuries, or sometimes come in pill form to take for injuries). Thanks for the reminder about these; they really do speed healing a lot!

Yep meditation is boring, at first. But then after a bit... you will be quite amazed . If you find yourself dropping off to sleep (yeah I get that too), you can try with eyes open, or half open. The more you open your eyes and look straight ahead the more awake and lucid you become. Also focusing on clarity of mind, instead of floating off, tends to help a lot. I know this sounds like it would be counter productive, but no not really. Also there is a secret, even high level monks I have met, still get thoughts! They just get a lot less than the rest of us lol. One trick is to not push or force the thoughts away, but more like just to not follow them, just let them drift away and dissolve. Which specific magic path are you on? Doing some preparatory work before the meditation can help too. I'm going to guess by your post OTO or GD? First Crowley book? Oh good, there is still time/hope! (sorry, I tried, there goes my 1 month lololool) Fortunately you've been at it long enough to take what anyone says with a grain of salt. I personally don't find the visualization type as useful...... but then again more recently some of those Buddhist ones are pretty good! They bring taking on God forms to a whole new level. Visualizing difficult? Surely you jest? Have you never fantasized about someone you wish to have sex with? Never? (blame my teacher, is his example lol) How about daydreaming? Or imagining terrible things happening to that annoying co-worker? Actually, not having read literature is a really good thing, in my opinion. Though many would disagree with me; mostly authors and internet magicians . Find an in person teacher. What is in the books and online is just a very watered down, left most stuff out, just in there to sell books, stuff. Do you really think the stuff that works can be found in a $20 paperback at any bookstore? The carefully handed down, survived being burned alive, and with many vows to not share it, stuff really gets written about? Well also feedback is important. Magicians have a difficult time being able to tell when your own head is planted firmly up our behind, or we are way off the mark... A teacher can also tell our progress, and how to fix anything which goes wrong. Though Agrippa would be one exception to this . The best version is on the esotericarchives site, for free even.

That's quite high prise considering gold is at $1200 per ounce right now! I shouldn't have looked, as a jeweler the fact it is rising again is annoying. Was half that only 8 years ago *sigh*. On a side note, I think I'm doing really well; no disparaging GD/Crowley comments in a full month! (I'm trying to cut back) All the local magicKians here are Thelemites or GDers.... <to anyone else reading who doesn't know me, I wandered off the ceremonial magick path ages back, and now wonder what everyone likes about it so much lol> So what do you think of the middle pillar.... considering your experience with Taoist and other Eastern energy stuff now? Useful? Messes magicians up? Clears stuff out for them?

Lots of forethought and careful what you wish for in there lolololol. Not like every bit works that well, but some do, and yikes! Is something interesting to contemplate though; what you really want with it. Some wise folks say half of manifesting magic is just knowing what you really want (on a deeper level).

Like anyone would beleive it....

Nah, I'm just a cranky westerner who gets annoyed when students even post my name on their facebook lol. I would think, that being attached to something so specific and outward (rainbow body in this case), would be distracting away from the path. Attachment and all that. Yearning for, wanting and desiring said very specific outcome sort of thing. I just hope folks haven't forgotten the whole just cultivate, for the sake of everyone, and not worry about how fancy, how many, how prestigious and etc.

I don't use visualization much in magic; I personally go with physical items instead (herbs, real offerings, real statues and the like). Mediation on the otherhand, well that tends to increase magic oh only about 1000-fold. Really. Basically to do magic at a decent level, one first has to get rid of the "self" or "I". The self and I really are only mediocre at best at magic, in comparison with getting past that and working in that particular state. I mean at least during the actual working (if not 24X7 in a sense). Also if you work with any entities at all and actually want to see or "see" and hear or "hear" them, meditation is necessary for improving psychic ability. Even 1/2 an hour per day can make a vast difference. Yes, daily is very important. Oh hell even 15 minutes will make a difference . Though I do know some magicians who don't meditate at all and still get results; I do feel they could accomplish quite a bit more if they added meditation to their practice. You mentioned meditation is difficult... yes... even more so than starting an exercise program . Though if practiced daily, it only takes a few months to notice some decent differences in your ability to meditate and your magic.

That isn't what I said above at all??? Please re-read. I just said they probably made it further in past lifetimes, so were ready. Though tbh, it is just a guess . Though yes, either slacking, or to busy working day jobs, or different priorities can definitely slow folks down. Also or don't go around telling everyone about it if/when they do reach higher levels. Many folks I have met who have made it somewhere most definitely do not make it public, and make sure their students don't either.

Re is a teacher necessary? http://thetaobums.com/topic/36190-understanding-buddhist-ethics-study-of-jamgon-kongtruls-treasury-of-knowledge/?p=584446 and http://thetaobums.com/topic/36190-understanding-buddhist-ethics-study-of-jamgon-kongtruls-treasury-of-knowledge/?p=584451 Some folks definitely seem to think so (I do too, as I have seen what has happened to many folks who don't have one).

THE BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH A SPIRITUAL TEACHER [VII] This section has two parts: (1) reasonings for the need to work with a teacher, and (2) the benefits of working with a teacher as taught in the scriptures. Reasonings [A] The Victorious One said: ÒBy devoting yourself to a spiritual friend, You will attain the full, accomplished, unique, and perfectly immaculate path to liberation. By trusting me now as your spiritual guide, you will gain freedom from suffering. Consider these reasons! The Victorious One, the compassionate teacher, proclaimed [the need to study with a master] with this advice: By working with a spiritual guide, you will attain the full, accomplished, unique, and immaculate path to liberation.83 Now, by trusting me as your spiritual guide, you will easily gain freedom from the suffering of existence. Consider these reasons and examples! The scriptures state: Ananda, it is like this: Spiritual guides and virtuous companions are the fulfillment of the path to liberation. Letter to a Friend states84: Reliance on a spiritual guide fulfills oneÕs path to liberation, said the Sage. Therefore, devote yourself to a spiritual friend As did the many who attained peace by relying on [the Buddha as] their teacher. The Benefits as Taught in the Scriptures Many other benefits that accrue from studying with a spiritual guide are taught in the scriptures. In addition to the above, many benefits of working with a spiritual guide are mentioned in the discourses and tantras. The Flower Array Scripture,85 for example, states: Bodhisattvas who are under the guidance of spiritual guides will not fall into miserable forms of life. Able to discriminate good from evil, they do not engage in what is unwholesome. They shun all sources of distraction and escape from the ÒcityÓ of cyclic existence. They will not contravene the bodhisattva's training and they stand above all worlds. They will not be easily overcome by emotions and previous actions. Therefore, children of the Universal family, always keep these benefits in mind and follow your spiritual guides! The salient points of the many scriptural references on this subject are summarized in the words of the all-knowing DrimŽ zer (Longchenpa)86: The benefits of devoting yourself to a spiritual master are limitless: You embark upon the perfect path, discern what is authentic, Cultivate merit and enhance pristine awareness, clear away obscurations, dispel hindrances, Attain the stature of a holy person, And swiftly reach the city of freedom. Furthermore, [the scriptures] mention the following benefits: we come closer to enlightenment; the victorious ones are pleased with us; we never lack spiritual guides; we never fall into miserable forms of life; the negative consequences of our past deeds and emotions will not defeat us; our deeds never contradict the bodhisattvasÕ conduct; and we always bear this conduct in mind. Our positive qualities thereby steadily increase, and we achieve all temporal and ultimate objectives. Furthermore, by revering a spiritual guide, the results of past deeds [that would lead to] miserable forms of life are met and exhausted in this life as the experiences of only slight mental or physical affliction, or even just in dreams. So vast is its merit that to venerate a spiritual guide far surpasses other forms of virtue such as making offerings to an infinite number of buddhas. On the other hand, if we relate to the spiritual guide in a wrong way, we may be afflicted by many sicknesses and beset by malevolent influences during this life. In future lives, we may experience countless sufferings in miserable existences. We will not acquire any new qualities, and we will lose the qualities we now have. Because of these destructive consequences, the Vajrapani Initiation Tantra states87: O Lord of Secrets! How should the disciple regard the teacher? You should think of him as you would the Blessed One, the Buddha. Similar statements are found in the collection of Universalist scriptures and the scriptures on discipline. Thus, we should never form an overly critical attitude toward the spiritual guide but should devote ourselves to him or her with even greater respect than for the Buddha. The merits of honoring one's spiritual master are inconceivable. As the Guhyasamaja [Tantra] says88: There is far greater merit in venerating a single pore of the masterÕs body than in worshiping all the buddhas throughout all time and space. The Biography of Shri Sambhava Scripture states89: By pleasing the spiritual guide, one attains the enlightenment of a buddha. In summary, limitless virtues, manifest [in this life] and in the next, are acquired by venerating spiritual teachers. Merit and pristine awareness are enhanced to their fullest extent; all hindrances caused by adverse circumstances subside; fame and prosperity increase; and enlightenment is swiftly attained. Generally, anything we do, wholesome or unwholesome, in relation to significant persons such as a spiritual master, preceptor, teacher, sick person, practitioner of the Buddhist teachings, bodhisattva in his or her final existence, exalted proclaimer, exalted solitary sage, or one's own parents yields extremely powerful results. Vasubandhu's Treasury [of Phenomenology] states90: Helping parents or the sick Even though they may not be exalted And honoring spiritual teachers or bodhisattvas in their final existence Are said to yield inconceivable merits.