Exercises for cultivating the Tao

[Jetsun]

"The Tao is natural. All forced manipulations and concoctions are in vain. Some people guard their minds and settle their ideas and thoughts, some people hold their breath and keep it in the abdomen, some people perform psychosomatic energy-circulation exercises. When these people come to the end of their lives and find everything they did was useless, they will resent the gods, also uselessly."

- Liu I-Ming 'Awakening to the Tao'

 

From my own unenlightened state of mind I feel that these words are true, I have been practising many different forms of exercise for about 8 years now including manipulated breathing and energy exercises many of which bring nice sensations and some health benefits but down the line I don't really feel that I have got anywhere with them. It does seem to me that any exercise which is contrived in any way by the mind is not natural and therefore cannot lead to the Tao, which includes most forms of Qigong and meditation. So the question is what natural unforced methods really exist? I wonder if even a meditation on any sort of object or focus even on something as simple as the breath or dan tien might be a manipulation of the mind in a subtle way and is therefore not natural. Has anyone found a way or method which they consider completely natural and not forced in any sense?

[doc benway]

The one technique that I feel is completely natural and not forced in any sense is awareness.

It can be practiced anywhere, anytime, under any conditions.

One can sit in awareness, stand or walk in awareness, work and play in awareness.

Once awareness is practiced sincerely, all other practices pale in comparison (IME)

 

Krishnamurti was very outspoken about the use of methods in cultivating spirituality.

"The truth is a pathless land."

His writings are essential reading, IMO.

 

On the other hand, I am torn between two points of view when thinking of cultivating Dao and living in accordance with Wu Wei.

1. Our thoughts are an unnatural product of generations of conditioning and must be abandoned to commune with Dao

2. Our thoughts and minds arise from nature as have the generations of conditioning, and therefore should all be embraced

 

I think the resolution to this conundrum is parallel to the Buddhist perspective that nirvana is samsara and samsara is nirvana.

Until this is realized at the deepest levels, one is never liberated.

[Birch]

The one technique that I feel is completely natural and not forced in any sense is awareness.

It can be practiced anywhere, anytime, under any conditions.

One can sit in awareness, stand or walk in awareness, work and play in awareness.

Once awareness is practiced sincerely, all other practices pale in comparison (IME)

 

Krishnamurti was very outspoken about the use of methods in cultivating spirituality.

"The truth is a pathless land."

His writings are essential reading, IMO.

 

On the other hand, I am torn between two points of view when thinking of cultivating Dao and living in accordance with Wu Wei.

1. Our thoughts are an unnatural product of generations of conditioning and must be abandoned to commune with Dao

2. Our thoughts and minds arise from nature as have the generations of conditioning, and therefore should all be embraced

 

I think the resolution to this conundrum is parallel to the Buddhist perspective that nirvana is samsara and samsara is nirvana.

Until this is realized at the deepest levels, one is never liberated.

 

 

Rocking post Steve!

I'd add, our suffering is an unnatural product of generations of conditioning and must be abandoned

[JustARandomPanda]

"The Tao is natural. All forced manipulations and concoctions are in vain. Some people guard their minds and settle their ideas and thoughts, some people hold their breath and keep it in the abdomen, some people perform psychosomatic energy-circulation exercises. When these people come to the end of their lives and find everything they did was useless, they will resent the gods, also uselessly."

- Liu I-Ming 'Awakening to the Tao'

 

From my own unenlightened state of mind I feel that these words are true, I have been practising many different forms of exercise for about 8 years now including manipulated breathing and energy exercises many of which bring nice sensations and some health benefits but down the line I don't really feel that I have got anywhere with them. It does seem to me that any exercise which is contrived in any way by the mind is not natural and therefore cannot lead to the Tao, which includes most forms of Qigong and meditation. So the question is what natural unforced methods really exist? I wonder if even a meditation on any sort of object or focus even on something as simple as the breath or dan tien might be a manipulation of the mind in a subtle way and is therefore not natural. Has anyone found a way or method which they consider completely natural and not forced in any sense?

 

 

Good question. Here's how I see it. I don't think 8 years of assorted practices ever goes to waste. It's doing something to the subtle body and mind even if you haven't achieved the Tao or whatever. I liken these practices to be things to enjoy in the moment in and for themselves. We don't get to see how water drops wear mountains down but nonetheless they do. And it all happens despite evaporation and despite the fact no one ever gets to see obvious changes personally no matter how long lived.

 

Here's another thing to consider. Do you consider every single person you meet on the street - including thugs and criminals - to be the equivalent of an enlightened sage like Lao Tzu or Shakyamuni Budda? If you do then don't do anything anymore. Go be an ordinary person and forget about doing anything the long traditions from China, India, Tibet or where ever recommend to do to awaken.

 

Having said all of that I like you still struggle with wanting a certain outcome. In my case seeing the Tao or Primordial Awareness or Clear Light of Mind, Enlightenment, etc etc etc. So I certainly understand where you're coming from.

 

One thing I wonder about. Where ever did I get the idea that "forced actions" are somehow also unnatural and in vain? I wasn't born knowing how and being able to walk upright. I had to practice with persistance as a child to do what I do effortlessly, naturally and without thinking now. Why do I think that's what's needed for a child somehow doesn't apply to me as an adult? Forced actions happen all the time in life. Surely that's gotta be saying something about the Tao as well.

[Otis]

Hi Jetsun. Good line of inquiry.

 

About the methods themselves. They might be more useful to be seen as "training wheels", to help one get a taste of balance, Qi, etc., and then extend from there, into a more spontaneous, authentic practice, that goes beyond method. All method, really, is a teaching tool, a way of getting across an ineffable concept, not "the right way to do it".

 

Of course, I think there's also a great deal to be said for not becoming too contaminated by concepts. If the techniques are taught as "truth", instead of as metaphors, then that rigid belief can impede later awareness.

 

Personally, I have no methods or techniques. I stumbled upon awareness of energy moving through me, and I have let that energy be my teacher, not any tradition. When I started, I saw within myself, the tendency to try to pin meaning down, to say "this specific thing works; let's stick with that". But with time, I let those ideas go, as superstition, and I have fewer and fewer concepts attached to my practice.

 

My practice is all spontaneous (once I have brought myself to the environment that allows me to do it). It is based upon stepping into the practice, paying attention to my senses, but not trying to do anything in particular. The more practice I've had, the more my body makes its own choices, dances its own dance, finds its own stretch, juggles the staff or explores the parkour obstacle, with as little interference from "me" as possible. In particular, my practice is all "play", meaning I just have fun allowing my body to explore the unknown, without any goals or yardsticks.

 

Over the ten years that I have been practicing this "authentic movement", I've had pretty amazing results, and many others have commented on how much younger I seem to have gotten. My life-long bad back problem incapacitated me when I was 32, which got me started on this path. But by the time I was 35, I started breakdancing, for the first time in my life. I started parkour at 38, and I've learned to take impact, do stunts, headspins, etc., all without any instruction, and very little trying. A great deal of my syndrome of muscle spasm has retreated, and my capacity, flexibility, awareness, balance, and strength have all increased dramatically. I'm much much more capable and less prone to injury at 42, then when I was 18 (at least during my practice). The reason why I mention all this is just to assert: yes, authentic exploration has been an extremely effective (non-)method for me.

 

From these years of practice, I believe that the body itself knows how to open up, how to liberate Qi, how to find its own full potential. It has been under "my" (i.e. my ego's) control for so long, that it had forgotten authenticity, but when I get out of the way, it is much wiser about its health, than I have ever been. After all, I just have second-hand concepts, whereas my body is following "what is", in each moment.

[Jetsun]

Good question. Here's how I see it. I don't think 8 years of assorted practices ever goes to waste. It's doing something to the subtle body and mind even if you haven't achieved the Tao or whatever. I liken these practices to be things to enjoy in the moment in and for themselves. We don't get to see how water drops wear mountains down but nonetheless they do. And it all happens despite evaporation and despite the fact no one ever gets to see obvious changes personally no matter how long lived.

 

Here's another thing to consider. Do you consider every single person you meet on the street - including thugs and criminals - to be the equivalent of an enlightened sage like Lao Tzu or Shakyamuni Budda? If you do then don't do anything anymore. Go be an ordinary person and forget about doing anything the long traditions from China, India, Tibet or where ever recommend to do to awaken.

 

Having said all of that I like you still struggle with wanting a certain outcome. In my case seeing the Tao or Primordial Awareness or Clear Light of Mind, Enlightenment, etc etc etc. So I certainly understand where you're coming from.

 

One thing I wonder about. Where ever did I get the idea that "forced actions" are somehow also unnatural and in vain? I wasn't born knowing how and being able to walk upright. I had to practice with persistance as a child to do what I do effortlessly, naturally and without thinking now. Why do I think that's what's needed for a child somehow doesn't apply to me as an adult? Forced actions happen all the time in life. Surely that's gotta be saying something about the Tao as well.

 

It may not be time wasted I guess it all depends whether it leads somewhere which bares fruit, then it has all been incredibly valuable.

 

I do try to view people as just like me in wanting to be happy and avoid suffering and they all have the heart of a Buddha within them, but also I'm more often than not thinking things like "is this person a threat to me" "could I take on this person in an argument or a fight" etc, so I have a long way to go I think.

 

It is interesting what you say about forced actions as a child, perhaps the difference with force when you are a child is that there is no violence involved while often with the adult mind the focus of the mind involves a sort of violence in a sense when it is contrived and unnatural.

[RiverSnake]

Perhaps looking into some Spontaneous or natural practices may benefit you. Also i agree with steve about awareness being one of the best practices.

Edited July 1, 2011 by OldGreen

[Jetsun]

Hi Jetsun. Good line of inquiry.

 

About the methods themselves. They might be more useful to be seen as "training wheels", to help one get a taste of balance, Qi, etc., and then extend from there, into a more spontaneous, authentic practice, that goes beyond method. All method, really, is a teaching tool, a way of getting across an ineffable concept, not "the right way to do it".

 

Of course, I think there's also a great deal to be said for not becoming too contaminated by concepts. If the techniques are taught as "truth", instead of as metaphors, then that rigid belief can impede later awareness.

 

Personally, I have no methods or techniques. I stumbled upon awareness of energy moving through me, and I have let that energy be my teacher, not any tradition. When I started, I saw within myself, the tendency to try to pin meaning down, to say "this specific thing works; let's stick with that". But with time, I let those ideas go, as superstition, and I have fewer and fewer concepts attached to my practice.

 

My practice is all spontaneous (once I have brought myself to the environment that allows me to do it). It is based upon stepping into the practice, paying attention to my senses, but not trying to do anything in particular. The more practice I've had, the more my body makes its own choices, dances its own dance, finds its own stretch, juggles the staff or explores the parkour obstacle, with as little interference from "me" as possible. In particular, my practice is all "play", meaning I just have fun allowing my body to explore the unknown, without any goals or yardsticks.

 

Over the ten years that I have been practicing this "authentic movement", I've had pretty amazing results, and many others have commented on how much younger I seem to have gotten. My life-long bad back problem incapacitated me when I was 32, which got me started on this path. But by the time I was 35, I started breakdancing, for the first time in my life. I started parkour at 38, and I've learned to take impact, do stunts, headspins, etc., all without any instruction, and very little trying. A great deal of my syndrome of muscle spasm has retreated, and my capacity, flexibility, awareness, balance, and strength have all increased dramatically. I'm much much more capable and less prone to injury at 42, then when I was 18 (at least during my practice). The reason why I mention all this is just to assert: yes, authentic exploration has been an extremely effective (non-)method for me.

 

From these years of practice, I believe that the body itself knows how to open up, how to liberate Qi, how to find its own full potential. It has been under "my" (i.e. my ego's) control for so long, that it had forgotten authenticity, but when I get out of the way, it is much wiser about its health, than I have ever been. After all, I just have second-hand concepts, whereas my body is following "what is", in each moment.

 

That is pretty inspiring Otis, after watching one of your vids I thought you must be in your 20's : , to regain my naturalness is my aim to, regain my spontaneity, so it is very encouraging to hear how people have done that at any stage in their life, it shows that your natural essence is never destroyed rather it is a matter of letting go of whatever covers it up.

Edited July 1, 2011 by Jetsun

[C T]

This clip (the whole series is pretty good imo) may hold some pointers with regards to your enquiry Jetsun...

 

Rudolf Steiner's Philosophy of Freedom -

[Birch]

That is pretty inspiring Otis, after watching one of your vids I thought you must be in your 20's : , to regain my naturalness is my aim to, regain my spontaneity, so it is very encouraging to hear how people have done that at any stage in their life, it shows that your natural essence is never destroyed rather it is a matter of letting go of whatever covers it up.

 

"your natural essence is never destroyed rather it is a matter of letting go of whatever covers it up. "

[Jetsun]

I second K in rejoicing in your words, Jetsun.

 

May you uncover your natural essence in this lifetime.

 

Thanks to both of you, I hope that all people can recover the essence of who they are, I suspect the world would be a very different place.

 

I did do a few weeks of Stillness Movement not too long ago, I do consider it one of the most natural non violent methods I have tried as in essence it is about doing nothing, but the powerful energetics involved by this doing nothing brought out a resistant part of me after a session of strong spontaneous movement and I started to doubt I was approaching things in the right way for the particular state of mind I'm in. Working without a teacher in person who can evaluate my system to see if things are on the right track is a bit of a problem.

[Aetherous]

So the question is what natural unforced methods really exist?

 

I truly think that any "method" will be a deviation from what is "natural". So if you try to do nothing, you're already kinda failing due to the trying. It comes when you finally just give up and experience life.

 

I wonder if even a meditation on any sort of object or focus even on something as simple as the breath or dan tien might be a manipulation of the mind in a subtle way and is therefore not natural.

 

These practices are a manipulation of the mind, and they do require effort...but I think if they are good, then they lead one towards what is natural. For instance, they will awaken your internal energy and clear pathways in the body, which will make you more prone towards living in the moment and having less habitual emotion/thought.

 

I also like to practice a few really intentional methods, since they're very useful and interesting...but that constant effort and assumption that something is missing is not my natural state.

[Stigweard]

Hi Jetsun. Good line of inquiry.

 

About the methods themselves. They might be more useful to be seen as "training wheels", to help one get a taste of balance, Qi, etc., and then extend from there, into a more spontaneous, authentic practice, that goes beyond method. All method, really, is a teaching tool, a way of getting across an ineffable concept, not "the right way to do it".

 

Of course, I think there's also a great deal to be said for not becoming too contaminated by concepts. If the techniques are taught as "truth", instead of as metaphors, then that rigid belief can impede later awareness.

 

Personally, I have no methods or techniques. I stumbled upon awareness of energy moving through me, and I have let that energy be my teacher, not any tradition. When I started, I saw within myself, the tendency to try to pin meaning down, to say "this specific thing works; let's stick with that". But with time, I let those ideas go, as superstition, and I have fewer and fewer concepts attached to my practice.

 

My practice is all spontaneous (once I have brought myself to the environment that allows me to do it). It is based upon stepping into the practice, paying attention to my senses, but not trying to do anything in particular. The more practice I've had, the more my body makes its own choices, dances its own dance, finds its own stretch, juggles the staff or explores the parkour obstacle, with as little interference from "me" as possible. In particular, my practice is all "play", meaning I just have fun allowing my body to explore the unknown, without any goals or yardsticks.

 

Over the ten years that I have been practicing this "authentic movement", I've had pretty amazing results, and many others have commented on how much younger I seem to have gotten. My life-long bad back problem incapacitated me when I was 32, which got me started on this path. But by the time I was 35, I started breakdancing, for the first time in my life. I started parkour at 38, and I've learned to take impact, do stunts, headspins, etc., all without any instruction, and very little trying. A great deal of my syndrome of muscle spasm has retreated, and my capacity, flexibility, awareness, balance, and strength have all increased dramatically. I'm much much more capable and less prone to injury at 42, then when I was 18 (at least during my practice). The reason why I mention all this is just to assert: yes, authentic exploration has been an extremely effective (non-)method for me.

 

From these years of practice, I believe that the body itself knows how to open up, how to liberate Qi, how to find its own full potential. It has been under "my" (i.e. my ego's) control for so long, that it had forgotten authenticity, but when I get out of the way, it is much wiser about its health, than I have ever been. After all, I just have second-hand concepts, whereas my body is following "what is", in each moment.

Huzzah!!!

 

[Otis]

That is pretty inspiring Otis, after watching one of your vids I thought you must be in your 20's : , to regain my naturalness is my aim to, regain my spontaneity, so it is very encouraging to hear how people have done that at any stage in their life, it shows that your natural essence is never destroyed rather it is a matter of letting go of whatever covers it up.

Thanks Jetsun, and thanks to everyone for the props.

 

Yes, very much agreed that the "natural essence is never destroyed". I feel like my practice has been calling me towards awakening that essence in a continual cycle of yin and yang approaches. Yin: as you say, letting go of what covers it up. Surrendering the habits that I have, which prevent that essence from its natural freedom. And yang: enervating my system through exercise, through full engagement of my faculties in whichever direction I am called.

 

I see the two as cyclical, flowing into each other, like exhalation and inhalation. The surrender allows me to do the activity, activating and engaging, and going to exhaustion. Which then evokes the resistance of my body, in the form of soreness and fatigue. Which then demands my surrender of taking offense at the pain. Which then leads to full engagement in stretch and more activity. Etc.

 

The willingness to face pain has been key for me, because avoidance of pain has been every bit as confounding a habit, as belief in "the right way" to do something. Thankfully, as I've learned to make friends with pain, it has also become much friendlier with me: becoming a teacher, rather than a tormentor. And that has helped fuel my belief that all of the ingredients for growth are already in here, just some I've ignored or misunderstood.

 

Edit to add: of course, by exercise, I do not mean "working out", but rather: playing out.

Edited July 1, 2011 by Otis

[thelerner]

I wonder if those who look back with the most sense of regret are the ones who sought Siddhi's and powers? Do this and you'll be enlightened, Do that and you'll have this power, finally do that other thing, and nothing will ever hurt you.

 

But things do hurt, misfortune happens, spiritual cravings can be as empty as material ones.

 

Cravings stop and peace begins when we realize, Its enough, just sit and be thankful.

On the other hand its a long life, nothing wrong with trying new things and being open to new practices, but the goal should be the practice itself, not a future target.

[Birch]

"But things do hurt, misfortune happens, spiritual cravings can be as empty as material ones."

 

 

All of it!

[forestofclarity]

I agree completely.

 

However, when we are still overly fascinated with objects, it is difficult to get much out of this practice.

 

The one technique that I feel is completely natural and not forced in any sense is awareness.

It can be practiced anywhere, anytime, under any conditions.

One can sit in awareness, stand or walk in awareness, work and play in awareness.

Once awareness is practiced sincerely, all other practices pale in comparison (IME)

[doc benway]

I agree completely.

The one technique that I feel is completely natural and not forced in any sense is awareness.

It can be practiced anywhere, anytime, under any conditions.

One can sit in awareness, stand or walk in awareness, work and play in awareness.

Once awareness is practiced sincerely, all other practices pale in comparison (IME)

 

 

 

However, when we are still overly fascinated with objects, it is difficult to get much out of this practice.

I'm not sure what you mean, please elaborate...

[Medhavi]

The problem with this line of inquiry is that our history is clouded. We simply cannot immediately know what is natural and what is not. What we are "meant" to do and what not. If there are foreign forces that interfere with our learning process, or not.

 

I can see how New Age interpreters can find such quotes, as stated by the OP, appealing.

But for me, there are too many esoteric and lesser known schools around to not take notice of the pattern that most of them warn of many "accidental" processes going on in our daily mechanical behaviour that do not help us at all, but might benefit "others".

I speak in indirect terms but let me just bring up another line of thought: Has it occured to you that, by nature of the "ages"(if you believe in Yuga theory), it might be a problem for you if you find yourself in the last one; which, by nature, is confused and clouded, meaning that nothing could be taken at face value and nearly everything is, quite naturally, a lie to be seen through, if you want to advance.

 

If there exist Yugas or not, is actually not even necessary for this line of thought because, if you care to take a look around, "natural" modes of behaviour and thinking are highly subjective and usually defined by someone else. Further than that, we can't even define "natural" by what is pleasant or what seems to lead us down a certain road, because we always lack enough foresight to clearly see where such a road is heading.

 

If you have investigated fragments of yogic systems, you may notice that all of them work so hard on manipulating your consciousness until...objective knowledge is attained?

If this is the case, I can only fathom based on my experiential and conceptual understanding so far but it is clear that nobody would undertake the rigors of yogic training or the alchemical route(from the western perspective) if it wasn't for something wrong to begin with. Which is the state that you find yourself in when you come to this world. Most traditionally defined as eventual suffering or lack of understanding of why suffering takes place.

 

No matter what, it is clear that we lack so much knowledge that is quite hard, if not impossible, to define what "natural" is. And that is why I would be careful if you want to go down this line of inquiry.

[Otis]

The problem with this line of inquiry is that our history is clouded. We simply cannot immediately know what is natural and what is not. What we are "meant" to do and what not. If there are foreign forces that interfere with our learning process, or not.

 

I can see how New Age interpreters can find such quotes, as stated by the OP, appealing.

But for me, there are too many esoteric and lesser known schools around to not take notice of the pattern that most of them warn of many "accidental" processes going on in our daily mechanical behaviour that do not help us at all, but might benefit "others".

I speak in indirect terms but let me just bring up another line of thought: Has it occured to you that, by nature of the "ages"(if you believe in Yuga theory), it might be a problem for you if you find yourself in the last one; which, by nature, is confused and clouded, meaning that nothing could be taken at face value and nearly everything is, quite naturally, a lie to be seen through, if you want to advance.

 

If there exist Yugas or not, is actually not even necessary for this line of thought because, if you care to take a look around, "natural" modes of behaviour and thinking are highly subjective and usually defined by someone else. Further than that, we can't even define "natural" by what is pleasant or what seems to lead us down a certain road, because we always lack enough foresight to clearly see where such a road is heading.

 

If you have investigated fragments of yogic systems, you may notice that all of them work so hard on manipulating your consciousness until...objective knowledge is attained?

If this is the case, I can only fathom based on my experiential and conceptual understanding so far but it is clear that nobody would undertake the rigors of yogic training or the alchemical route(from the western perspective) if it wasn't for something wrong to begin with. Which is the state that you find yourself in when you come to this world. Most traditionally defined as eventual suffering or lack of understanding of why suffering takes place.

 

No matter what, it is clear that we lack so much knowledge that is quite hard, if not impossible, to define what "natural" is. And that is why I would be careful if you want to go down this line of inquiry.

I think this is only a problem, if we insist on knowing where we're going, or having some solid landmark.

 

"Natural" is not defined by "what seems to lead us down a certain road". "Natural" is not a thing to be known at all. It is something only to be felt. So we cannot "know" natural, but we can follow it.

 

If I listen to the path that makes the most sense for me, the one without internal struggle, the one that seems to lead me into joy, then I will find the most "natural" path, for me, at that moment. That doesn't mean that I can't find something more natural, with time and practice; of course I can. But the practice is always about what's available, right now, rather than some ideal. As long as it's an ideal, it's not natural.

 

Get rid of the need for yardsticks, ideals, and landmarks, and "natural" becomes a very easy thing to recognize.

[Master Sio]

>> So the question is what natural unforced methods really exist? <<

[Master Sio]

>> "So the question is what natural unforced methods really exist?" <<

 

I am a Hawaiian Kahuna Healer and Qi Gong Master. My most potent and useful acquisition was not from active personal instruction or texts but from living in TOTAL SILENCE in caves and lava tubes in Hawaii for 7 months with powerful native kahuna (healers).

 

Prior to their accepting me as a potential disciple, I asked for manuals or books so I could bone up prior to living with them. There were none, I was told. In the beginning it was excruciating to not talk or be spoken to, but within a couple of weeks I found I could understand what their intentions were and that they knew automatically what mine were. It was extraordinary to be with the silent men, four of them altogether.

 

In time, I found I could converse mentally with them and receive knowledge just by being in their presence. Not one word was ever uttered, yet I gained new knowledge daily. This type of knowledge has been with the Polynesians (including the Hawaiians) for many thousands of years. No doubt it has been present and cultivated in some modified form in other cultures elsewhere as well.

 

Some of this esoteric knowledge survived, but much has been destroyed through invasion and other violence.

 

By research, I've discovered that there really is just one Source of Energy - chi, prana, life force, God, Krishna, Gaia, Universal Mind, Higher Self, etc.

 

After my months of imposed silence, and I had performed several healings to the kahunas' satisfaction, they told me I learned by being in their "vibrations."

 

Today, I live in Los Angeles, and help people heal by releasing the high vibrations I acquired from the kahunas. It's been an extraordinary journey.

 

www.siothehealer.com

 

We just have different ways of accessing it. In the silence of meditation, there is also an immense potential to develop.

[manitou]

I think the outer things we practice are symbolic for what we are practicing inside us. It reflects our state of mind. If we are attracted to stillness movement, it may be because we've been able to achieve some degree of stillness in our minds. I don't think a person whose thoughts are running amok would be attracted to stillness movement for very long.

 

I don't think what we're looking for can be achieved without getting to actually know ourselves to the bone; to take responsibility for our mistakes, our prejudices, our judgments, our selfish actions. It is in doing this that the real human bean will emerge.

[Otis]

I think the outer things we practice are symbolic for what we are practicing inside us. It reflects our state of mind. If we are attracted to stillness movement, it may be because we've been able to achieve some degree of stillness in our minds. I don't think a person whose thoughts are running amok would be attracted to stillness movement for very long.

 

I don't think what we're looking for can be achieved without getting to actually know ourselves to the bone; to take responsibility for our mistakes, our prejudices, our judgments, our selfish actions. It is in doing this that the real human bean will emerge.

That's a great point, Barb.

 

The most "natural" method for me, may not be the most natural for you.