Another White Skeleton Infomercial

[Guest]

I've been a serious practitioner before back in my Dharma days, but these days I've been practicing 1+ hours a day. I really want to do more than that and have been searching for practices that really light me up and take me to the 2-4 hours a day zone. I'm hoping that White Skeleton is it--I'm over 2 hours a day on it after only one week. Its jing boost even wakes me up in the middle of the night to pratice then too!

 

Just got a 33" inch medical quality skeleton for only $30 to help teach me the visualization.

 

Mrs. Yoda just read this so far and said to add that I'm more jingy too. She is definitely not turned on by my new skeleton friend, and she wonders why it is that I seem to be...

 

I think primordial chikung has the strong following that it absolutely deserves, but I think White Skeleton is underrepresented around here. This endorsement comes from a totally non-Buddhist perspective too. Bodri suggests that it is not a good practice for anyone attempting to cool down sexual energy, but aside from that it rocks! If you are in the market get it!

 

Have a Great Thanksgiving! Don't forget to bring up something gnarly in front of the folks!

 

-Yoda

[BobD]

Hi Yoda

 

Following your good comments about WSM, I ordered the booklet and I have started adding it to my list of meditations I try to do every day (but like sean I find it hard to stick to any practice routine )

 

I have a question abot WSM that I was hoping you could answer. When "giving up your flesh" do you do so in any order (eg start with feet and keep going upwards), or do you just imagine it all going at once? Do you tear it off, or have it fall off?

[Yoda]

Bodri says not to make too much of a big deal of this phase of the practice. It's just a way to practice extreme Buddhist generosity, and giving the flesh to hungry ghosts, animals, etc. It can be done in a flash. I just imagine that my flesh magically disapears and goes to the benefit of all sentient beings. I'll pretend that the ghosts, spirits, and the animals feast on it somewhere else. I do this b/c I was once a very serious Buddhist practitioner. While I'm not anymore, these sort of reflexes are just built into me now and if I'm doing a Buddhist practice, I naturally follow the basic form of it. From my Kagyu/Tibetan school of thought, making the definite, serious intention to give to offer oneself to others was more important than the actual details of the visualization or what the exact action was. I'm sort of doing the same thing for the dissolving to emptiness at the end. It's my interpretation that you don't have to spend a lot of time on this phase unless you are drawn to.

 

All Kagyu practices follow the same form: arouse Bodhicitta/extreme generousity, do the practice, dissolve to emptiness, dedicate the merit to the enlightenment of all sentient beings. I haven't seen this last phase in Bodri's work, but I would guess that it is there too.

 

Keep me posted how you like the practice.

 

Thanks!

-Yoda

[Yoda]

Also, if you don't have time for formal practice you might try WSM focusing on just the feet while in bed, driving, etc. Or mix and match with Trunk's Fab 4. The basic principles show up in all those bone breathing/iron shirt stuff. The brilliance here is making those bone practices into a stillness practice too--double the benefits! I think that WSM is brilliant and I'm quickly up to 2 hours a day on it, but Bodri says that it's not for everyone and maybe in others it might be good but in moderation. Even in moderation, it would have a nice grounding effect superior (imo) to the other popular bone practices.

 

-Yoda

[BobD]

Thanks Yoda

 

I have been trying different things with the WSM since I got it. So far I seem to find that I prefer (mentally) and get better results with (from a physical and sensations) point of view giving away my flesh bit by bit.

 

Following on from a comment in the booklet, I have found that giving away a piece of flesh which is currently giving me pain does seem to help alleviate that pain.

 

So, when I currently practice WSM thats the approach I take. It seems to lead me better to the skeleton part if I visualize it appearing bone by bone as I have the flesh/skin/organs etc strip away.

 

I have sensations of chi moving around my body, or certainly in specific parts of it, as I strip the flesh and also as I visualize the whiteness of the bones.

 

The only issue I have, and am still playing with, is if I should stick to some order in the giving away.

 

I think I will probably end up with giving away those parts of my flesh that ache, then probably my stomach (its just too big to give away in one go!), and then have all the rest just fall off at once.

 

When I have the bones dissolve, they all go at once and get blown away, which does work for me.

 

Overall, WSM seems to be the easiest method I have come across so far for "getting into the body" as Eckhart Tolle would call it (have you come across him?), and for leading me into other meditations (eg MO/Inner Smile).

 

When you are done with WSM, do you imagine all the bones and flesh etc coming back? I have read one version on the web that suggests imagining that the flesh you give away is "bad" or "diseased", and that at the end you reclothe yourself in healthy flesh. The first part would take away from the offering part of WSM (why give away bad flesh as an offering) but the second part would seem to make sense from a health practice point of view. Bodri's version does not mention this, so I guess I should just leave the meditation as emptyness.

 

try WSM focusing on just the feet while in bed, driving, etc

 

Interesting. I'll try that. I often do the Sounds whilst driving, or WSM in total, but I had not considered doing just parts of the body.

 

I notice from HT that you do zhang zhuang, which is another practice of mine (from Lam Kam Chuen). I have been suffering from a badminton induced leg injury recently, so have been skipping ZZ (though I should really do the seated "15 min a day" seated version - no excuse for that). Have you tried combining ZZ and WSM? I know that Master Lam says do nothing with standing but it seems to me to be a good combination, though of course I'll know better once I've actually tried it!

 

Cheers

[Yoda]

WSM combines the easy accessibility of visualization practices with the depths of stillness practices like ZZ/zazen/etc, so it's a much easier gear for me. For me, doing WSM sitting is less powerful than ZZ but much less glitchy and very surefire. I can count on good success with every session. Often, I'd be revved from ZZ but easily pissed off. I've recently tried to do a grabbag of practices with ZZ only 30 minutes a day, but I prefer just dogging one practice to death with supplemental practices here and there.

 

Interesting thoughts about combining the defleshing with the bone igniting.

 

-Yoda

[Yoda]

I like your suggestion to jazz up the de-fleshing part. I'm ripping off my face like the spies do with their latex masks in the movies with that same sassy "this-is-what-I-really-am-deal-with-it" attitude. I then proceed to tear off the rest of my flesh in the same manner. I'm throwing everything into a bowl and allowing the cast from Bambi to have at it.

 

-Yoda

[BobD]

I'm ripping off my face like the spies do with their latex masks in the movies with that same sassy "this-is-what-I-really-am-deal-with-it" attitude

Great way of expressing it! That describes the way I've come to do it very well! I grab a whole chunk of flesh and rip it off, which then shows the bones underneath. With some parts (especially eg chest) the flesh I remove then exposes all the gunk inside (organs, blood etc) which then flop to the ground with the flesh.

 

'm throwing everything into a bowl and allowing the cast from Bambi to have at it.

Nice image also. I might start to incorporate the image of a bowl or large offering dish on a stand.

 

I have to repeat that I'm loving WSM! Since you were spot on with that recommendation, I may try Primordial next. Did you buy it through HT or http://www.taichi-enlightenment.com/?

[BobD]

A few more points I have noticed after today's practice:

 

If I start defleshing at the top of the head, and continue to the toes, then this part of the WSM seems to be very like Bruce Kumar Frantzis dissolving method. Another benefit to the practice.

 

I find that it is quite easy to imagine my skeleton skull to be grinning, which acts as a reminder to do the Inner Smile during this meditation and after.

 

It is also easy to imagine my spine straightening and lengthening as it is revealed.

 

I have also started trying to visualize parts of my body as bones during the day, so that, for instance, whenever I see my arm I try to see it as the bones. This will (hopefully) help me when I come to do the full WSM by improving my imagery, and also help settle my mind during the day.

 

You just gotta love this stuff!

[Yoda]

Awesome! I'm glad you are enjoying it! Seeing bones is addictive. I love the fact that a skull has that sassy in-your-face smile going.

 

Philosophically, I think that when we are in the non-physical realm that is what our personalities are--very bright, happy, outrageous, fearless and tons of fun. I see kids coming into the world with that attitude and then we lose track of it-- so tearing off my flesh is like Jim Carey in The Mask getting back to that level of high spirits.

 

If cash is plentiful, get one of those skeleton models Bodri mentions. I got a Mr Thrifty 4th quality for only $30 and am loving it. If I continue to really hit this practice, I'll get a full sizer and it's own meditation cushion so I'll have a sangha.

 

Also, I think a part of the horniness that I reported earlier came from taking Nattokinase before going to bed. That's another Bodri gold nugget, BTW. WSM definitely increases sexual desire but it doesn't actually wake me up in the middle of the night when done by itself. Have you noticed any side effects along these lines?

 

I got Primordial from the taichi-enlightenment but it's the same either way. It's a great subpractice--about minutes a day, and adds "depth" and continuity to other practices and life in general. My copy is floating around but it'll be a bit b/c it's on tour if you'd like to borrow it. Let me know, and I'll keep your place in line.

 

-Yoda

[Guest]

a skull has that sassy in-your-face smile going.

 

Yup, that definately adds to the fun aspect of WSM I think. Now that I have started defleshing from top down, the screen image that often pops into my head when I rip off the flesh around the skull is "Here's Johnny" (Jack Nicholson from The Shining). Its a kind of "OK, thats got rid of all the crud, now you can see the real me, and the real me can see you" feeling.

 

I've been looking around shops for a skeleton model when I have been forced to be out. As it is coming up to Christmas everywhere round here is just too madly busy to go actively looking (I hate shopping when it is really busy, and I hate the forced cheerfulness of Christmas). Being in the UK would add extra shipping cost if I bought on-line, so I would have to think about that for a while.

 

I have found some good images on the web, which I have printed out for reference (one particularly good grinning one!)

 

Have you noticed any side effects along these lines?

 

Only once, which was when driving (very awkward!) No general effect on a day to day basis, but I am not up to the same length of time a day as you.

 

My copy is floating around but it'll be a bit b/c it's on tour if you'd like to borrow it. Let me know, and I'll keep your place in line.

Thanks for the offer! I've been reading the library thread and it does sound like a good idea. I'm a bit of a keeper and hoarder, and I tend to need to keep going back to the source even after I have "learnt" it, so buying my own copy is probably best. Especially since it has good reviews from you and other on HT. I have two of MW's tapes/videos so I know that he produces good stuff (except for some of the sound problems)

 

I'm really enjoying the discussions here. I know that most of you are more practiced than me, with greater understanding and experience, which means that I can learn a lot from just reading your posts. It all seems much more, er, stable than the HT discussions. Here every post is worth reading.

 

Thanks

[BobD]

Whoops, forgot to log in for that last one !

[Yoda]

Cool Shining image! A sassy skeleton poster geared for rebellious teens might be even better than a model and cheaper. I'll search the internet for one.

 

I have the highest pontification to actual insight ratio of everyone on this board, but stirring it up is half the battle.

 

-Yoda

[Guest]

I'll search the internet for one.

 

Cool. Let me know if you find a good one.

 

I have the highest pontification to actual insight ratio of everyone on this board, but stirring it up is half the battle.

 

 

Stir and pontficate away!

[BobD]

Arrrggghhhh. Keep forgetting to log in, and the tick to login automatically just doesn't seem to want to work for me. At work it does, but not at home. Hum, must investigate that.

[BobD]

Hi Yoda

 

Bill has just sent out an email called "How to Practice the White Skeleton Meditation and become a Meditation Expert". It may be that everyone here is on his mailing list anyway, and so will have got this, but if not is it worth (and would it be ok to) post the text of the email here? It's only a shortened version of the WSM text, but still useful. If he is sending it out free then it the same copyright issues may not apply.

[Yoda]

It would probably be okay to post it here, but it would definitely be okay to email it to me 8) Even if it's worded slightly differently, I'd love to see it. I'm at [email protected]

 

Thanks,

Yoda

 

PS, I thought I had signed up to his email list but I'll sign up now.

[sean]

If he is sending it out free then it the same copyright issues may not apply.

They'd still apply because it's still his work and it's used as an incentive to sign up for his mailing list.

 

What I believe is ok though is to describe in your own words the White Skeleton Meditation. I'm pretty sure it's legal to describe the gist of a book you've read as long as the concepts themselves are not trademarked.

 

Sean.

[BobD]

I sent an email to Bill saying how much I have been enjoying WSM, and giving some details of the imagery I have been using (as posted in this thread) and (part of) his reply says:

 

to add the inner smile to the WSM is the smartest thing I've heard of all year....an excellent way to help peple realize they should be HAPPY, not sad, during this technique so as to activate the hormones and let go of the body to slide into/match the first dhyana. As that US TV commercial goes, "Brilliant!"

 

I wasn't too sure what he would think of the methods I have come to use when defleshing, or indeed of the whole thing of adding to this stage of the WSM (I'm never sure how much to do a practice exactly as described and how much it makes sense to play around with it - though this thread has been great for playing around value (thanks Yoda!)). His reply although not explicitly mentioning my imagery (except for the use of the Inner Smile) did at least not say don't do it .

 

He also then reiterated the importance of imagining the bones to be a very bright WHITE (his capitals).

 

What I believe is ok though is to describe in your own words the White Skeleton Meditation.

 

Thats good, as thats more or less what I've been doing in this thread so far . I wasn't too sure at the start how much of the practice I could quote but I figured a reworded version must be ok, else no-one would ever be able to discuss it.

 

Next on my list is to try Sean's variation and then move onto the emptyness phase a bit more.

[Yoda]

Good work!! It sort of makes the inner smile an official part of the practice to get the blessing of Bodri. 8) Very high praise, too!

 

If it's daytime I go outside/to a window for a few seconds to charge up on solar energy to better shine my bones. In general, sunning creates brighter bone practice.

 

-Yoda

[Yoda]

BobD-

 

Since you are a fellow Bodri fan you should check into some of his other innovations. Like Nattokinase. If you haven't tried it, put it on the list. You have to take it for a few days to really feel it. Just one bottle has long term benefits, so it's not a long term expense. Same thing with Nature's Whole Body program that's sitting on my shelf. Right now, I'm halting them until my practice finds some stability. Bill strongly endorses both products as meditation and health boosters.

 

-Yoda 8)

[BobD]

It sort of makes the inner smile an official part of the practice to get the blessing of Bodri.

 

Yup, thats what I thought! It does seems to be a meditation open to combining with all sorts of other ones.

 

I should try more outdoor practices. I used to do ZZ outdoors but found it hard to keep up (for one thing it meant that I had to keep the garden tidy , my garden does not get much sun and I found it harder to motivate myself to get up and outside each morning) I really must make more effort on some of these things to get more out of it. I'm sure that sungazing, or just being in the sun, has so many benefits, so when the weather improves again I really will make some effort.

 

What benefits have you noticed from Nattokinase and Nature's Pure Body? Are they easy to get from local health stores (I'm in the UK so your answer may not apply anyway) or do you buy over the web?

[Yoda]

iherb.com and pbiv.com

 

Nattokinase--between what Bodri says, this forum's reviews, and my limited experience of it--it's awesome. It feels a bit like gentle niacin. Give some to your girlfriend/wife an hour or so before going to bed. (Bodri doesn't mention that trick--that's a taoist application!)

 

Nature's Pure Body--Cameron says it's good, Bodri says it's good...I'm assuming it's good, but it hasn't gotten rave reviews from the Bodriites around here that Natto has and I haven't really tried it yet.

 

I haven't been doing the "nine bottle breathing" pranayama but that's another one. I think Plato cut and pasted the practice somewhere. The essence is to breath in deeply and hold it as long as you can while in a relaxed state and repeat a total of 9 times. 1xday.

 

In my mind, the above with WSM are the "Basic Bodris" that even non-Buddhists can groove on.

 

-Yoda 8)

[sean]

I found a pretty good deal on life size human skeletons.

 

It's on e-bay here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ssPageName=WDVW

 

But the same company sells them for around the same price here:

http://www.graveyardgoodies.com/skeletons.htm

 

I think I'm going to buy one after Christmas and sit him on an extra Zafu in front of me when I do the WSM.

 

 

Sean.

[Yoda]

I'm stoked you like the practice! It's a gear that I've never experienced before.

 

Those are great prices too--my little 4th quality 33" Mr Thrifty is decent quality--nice bones, the floating ribs are a bit tweaked but it's okay.

 

I'd love to hear your reviews on WSM.

 

-Yoda