Does cultivation ever stop?

[White Turtle]

First a confession..... I haven't done serious training for 6 months or more!

 

This has made me very sad in a way but has also caused a realisation of sorts. Even tho I have done no training my chi still seems to be building. I can feel energy centres in my stomach and chest (lower and middle dan tien?), hightened reactions and clarity of thought etc that I didnt have before.

 

This has prompted the question - does cultivation ever stop once you start?

 

I have heard arguements for both sides, yes and no, but thought i'd throw the question out there to see others perspective, ideas or experiences.

[NeiChuan]

First a confession..... I haven't done serious training for 6 months or more!

 

This has made me very sad in a way but has also caused a realisation of sorts. Even tho I have done no training my chi still seems to be building. I can feel energy centres in my stomach and chest (lower and middle dan tien?), hightened reactions and clarity of thought etc that I didnt have before.

 

This has prompted the question - does cultivation ever stop once you start?

 

I have heard arguements for both sides, yes and no, but thought i'd throw the question out there to see others perspective, ideas or experiences.

 

Just because you stop active energy cultivation does not mean you can't cultivate your mind/self to become a more better person.

 

So it never stops. If ofcourse your bettering yourself

[goldisheavy]

First a confession..... I haven't done serious training for 6 months or more!

 

This has made me very sad in a way but has also caused a realisation of sorts. Even tho I have done no training my chi still seems to be building. I can feel energy centres in my stomach and chest (lower and middle dan tien?), hightened reactions and clarity of thought etc that I didnt have before.

 

This has prompted the question - does cultivation ever stop once you start?

 

I have heard arguements for both sides, yes and no, but thought i'd throw the question out there to see others perspective, ideas or experiences.

 

I agree with NeiChuan -- it doesn't stop. It's possible to relax or take a break for a while, but I don't think this is the same as stopping cultivation. When you go to sleep, do you stop everything you are doing? In my view, not exactly. Because even as you go to sleep, you intend to continue as soon as you wake up, thus the intent is maintained even in sleep. Intent remains unbroken during rest.

 

I don't think it's possible to lose interest in cultivation in a permanent way. I don't believe any condition is permanent.

[White Turtle]

I agree with NeiChuan -- it doesn't stop. It's possible to relax or take a break for a while, but I don't think this is the same as stopping cultivation. When you go to sleep, do you stop everything you are doing? In my view, not exactly. Because even as you go to sleep, you intend to continue as soon as you wake up, thus the intent is maintained even in sleep. Intent remains unbroken during rest.

 

I don't think it's possible to lose interest in cultivation in a permanent way. I don't believe any condition is permanent.

 

It's interesting thatt you should mention intent. I personally believe that when you decide to cultivate that the intention stems from this decision. In a way its like a step that cant be taken back!

 

However, I have read many times that cultivation must be continuous to both move forward and maintain gains. If this is so the question of my current benefits remain.

 

Could it be that after a period of exercising daily my system needed a breather? Kind of stablalising before moving on again.

[Birch]

No, I don't think it does either.

Once you get to a certain point and realise that you'd been "cultivating" all the time without knowing it - it starts to make sense to pursue it with knowing it, and then it seems it just does. But I think it's possible to fall back asleep at the wheel.

[Mal]

It's interesting thatt you should mention intent. I personally believe that when you decide to cultivate that the intention stems from this decision. In a way its like a step that cant be taken back!

 

However, I have read many times that cultivation must be continuous to both move forward and maintain gains.

 

I think the goal is to integrated it into your life, over time, so that it's not just something you stop to go and "do" (e.g. going to church once a week without applying those teaching into the rest of your daily life and actions) into something that happens naturally during your everyday life....... well that's my goal

[Marblehead]

... well that's my goal

 

Honorable goal Mal!

 

Peace & Love!

[3bob]

does change ever stop... only for that which remains unchanged.

 

does the process of taking in energy ever completely reverse... only for those who have attained to completely giving out energy.

 

(out of no-thing)

[island]

It reminds me of a 90's Pringles Ad - 'Once you pop, you can't stop'

[Dharmandy]

Heya,

 

from the point of view of Buddhism, which I though might be of interest to you, there are traditionally three disciplines to work in: morality, concentration and wisdom.

 

Morality is said to be the one you start with, and the one to finish with, since aparently there is not and end to the degree of skill you can bring to your life.

 

The other two have, to quote Daniel Ingram from his book, their own agendas, practices, gold standards and can be mastered, that is, you can learn how to access all the concentration states at will etc. and you can get enlightenment, provided you put enough effort into it.

 

So, at least in Buddhism, and in terms of fundamental wisdom and the training of concentration - which to most of us is the 'cool stuff', me included - you can, and meny people do, finish. It's only in the training of morality that you can always do something a little bit better.

 

Hope it is interesting for you

 

Cheers,

Andy

[RiverSnake]

I've heard from a Kundalini practitioner that once you start the process it is impossible to completely stop, even if you turn your back on Kundalini it will always be sturring within you.

 

-I feel this way about my own personal practices, there is always something inside that pulls me towards my destiny, like Island said, once you pop u can't stop.

Edited September 26, 2010 by Tao Apprentice