Some Beginner Cultivation Tips

[Tibetan_Ice]

Hi thetaoiseasy

Thanks for your response.

 

Hi TI,

 

...

 

Gut reactions:

 

How accurate are gut reactions? To me, gut reactions are deceiving. When you rely on your gut, you are not assessing, you are merely guessing and relying on feeling. Feeling is unreliable and alterable.

 

If someone tells me they "feel" like they open the MCO, for example, I know they are bullshitting me. Why? Because Qi is hardly in the simple realm of feeling.

 

When an achieved person relies on qi to assess another, to me this is far beyond the realm of relying on the primitive gut feeling, because qi flow paints a concrete and repeatable picture in the user's body. Feelings or gut reactions, in contrast, are liable to change once you have more "intellectual" information about a person.

 

Here's a ridiculous example, but something that happens all the time. When I see a beautiful women, my gut feeling tells me that she is the Goddess of the world and I want to make her my own. That's truly how I feel, as a normal man with a sex drive.

 

What does my qi tell me? Wow, her energetic patterns are distorted. She might be on drugs. If she and I really sat down, we wouldn't have anything to talk about, since our frequencies are so different.

 

Even if I got to know this women, my qi analysis of her--so to speak--does not change! However, my feelings and gut reactions will constantly be in flux, given what she says to me, how horny I am, or how I'm feeling that day.

 

To me, qi doesn't lie. My feelings do. I do not deny that gut reactions can be powerful and useful, but I do hope qi cultivation can let us develop a higher and more concrete level of sensitivity. I can tell you've been at this for awhile, so I'm probably talking to the choir.

 

I see you skipped over the psychic ability idea and went for the gut reaction instead.. That is fine.

You talk about qi like it has the power to see.. I don't quite understand. Is third eye sight using qi?

 

On Level:

 

To speak of "level," let me give you an anecdote, which might clarify my position a bit. As a newbie, my qi was centered at the forehead for the longest time. I could feel slight pulsations at the crown, but that was it. I could circulate qi to the crown, but I had not truly broken through it. So you know where I foolishly thought my teacher's energy was centered? You guessed it. At the forehead, as well. Little did I know until I went further in my cultivation, their qi was centered a few feet ABOVE their head. I just hadn't broken through my crown at that point. I used my own limitations to impose limitations on my teachers. It was a matter of cultivation: my limitation was not theirs, but merely a reflection of my own reality and lack of development.

 

I understand. Humans have a tendency to place limitations on others based on their own capabilities.

 

On Jesus:

 

I do not believe they really saw Jesus. Period. What they saw was their mind's projection as result of their cultural background. When energy sublimates in cultivation, you begin to have many "phenomenon." If you have not emptied your mind, your mind will begin to interpret that energy and give it a cultural slant. The image of Jesus-as a symbol of holiness--was merely the mind's interpretation of the ascending energy.

 

Why do Buddhists see Buddha and never Jesus? Or Christians always see Jesus, and not Buddha? There is no exception. Because both images of Buddha and Jesus are merely sublimated spiritual energy that is interpreted by the mind. For that person who saw Jesus, their mind only knew Jesus, so that's how the spiritual energy presented to him.

 

In most cases, spiritual reality is white and does not have any powerful, exotic narrative attached to it. For a person who has cultivated for awhile, for example, he knows that it makes no difference whether you call out "Jesus!" or "Buddha!" Your spiritual energy will respond to either names, because your mind recognizes that both are mere symbols and projections of holiness.

 

I know you have developed your energy, TI. So let's play this game.

 

Think of the words "jealousy, hate, and distrust." Where does your qi go? Now cry out "Jesus! You are holy!" Now where does the energy go?

 

Now think of the words "jealousy, hate and distrust." Where does your qi go? Now cry out the word "Buddha! You are holy" Where does your energy go?

 

In both cases, the qi flow is exactly the same. When you thought of the negative words, qi sank to the perineum Whether you cried out Jesus or Buddha, the energy ascended to the forehead.

 

Why? Because spiritual energy has no name, and spiritual energy responds whatever you call it. It responds based on the intention of the heart! This is the meaning of: We can cheat man, but we cannot cheat the spirit. When you play with energy, you know the truth. Virtue--whether represented by the symbols Jesus or Buddha or Allah-- is always yang, ascending energy, irrespective of name you give it. Negative emotions always triggers dark descending and gloomy energy.

 

Knowing this, can one who knows energy still play the games of religion and bickering over Gods?

 

Gee, I had no idea. You sound like me before I met Jesus. Yes, I've heard that manifestations of "God" have a cultural tint to them. I look upon it this way. If you were God and you were going to manifest to some unsuspecting human, wouldn't you try to take the form of the human's ishta (idealized form of God)? I mean, you aren't going to appear to them as George Carlin, are you?

 

I have a story to tell you:

 

"When I was growing up, there was this girl who we termed a "Jesus Freak". She loved the Lord. We all thought that she was a little off. However, she lived a block away from my house and was in my grade at school so I got to know her somewhat, and all her friends..

 

After moving away from my home town I ran into her again years later and she was still "praising the Lord". So, this time I decided to check out what she was into. She was going to the Victory Christian Centre in Edmonton. She invited me to go to church with her and her friends, so I went.

 

After a few Sundays of going to church and to one 'rock concert that praised the Lord', she invited me to go with them on a Wednesday night. They were going to pray in the church and then go downtown and 'minister to the homeless'.. I thought, this should be interesting, so I went.

 

When we got to the church and she told me that I had to make an effort to meet Jesus. There were only 10 or so people in the church and it was mostly empty, dark and quiet. I went and sat alone about 5 benches from the front on the right hand side.

 

Then I decided to make a real effort to contact Jesus. I raised my right hand high into the air and asked Jesus to come and make his presence known.

 

Shortly after, I saw a bright light in my mind's eye, off to the right, high above. I watched it. It got bigger and turned into a face. The face had a beard, long brown hair and it was smiling at me. Gradually the face and the surrounding white light kept coming down until It became the whole body of Jesus, wearing red and white robes. Golden light was streaming out from his aura. He held out his hands towards me and said "You are saved".

 

Well holy crow! I couldn't move. Waves of energy were flowing through me, up and down. I could not feel my body. Tears started streaming down my face. I kept wondering, why me? I don't deserve this, I'm nobody. I don't even believe in the bible. This can't be happening to me..

 

The amount of power I felt from Jesus was unbelievable. I felt like a little pin prick of light compared to his power. I felt that he could create universes in the blink of an eye. I was awe struck! Unbelievable! Wow! What can I say.

 

After about 40 minutes of lala land, my friends came over to me and said that we had to go. I gradually came out of it and could now move my body. I then told them what had happened. They said that they knew what was going on and that they also had been praying for me to meet Jesus..

 

Then, we drove downtown in Edmonton and parked in an alley by this little white old house. We went in through the back door. I asked my friend what we were doing there. She said that they were going to do a healing. As I walked into the back porch, there was a guy sitting on the freezer. I said "Hi" but he ignored me. We went into the little run-down house and sat in the living room. The place was a dump. Then someone brought in a wooden chair and placed it in the middle of the living room. Then, my friend went out and came back into the room with the guy who sitting on the freezer. She introduced him as "Fred". She said that he was deaf and dumb, could not hear or speak since he had an industrial accident five years ago. She sat him on the chair and then everyone in the room started praying for him and holding up their hands towards him or putting their hands on him. I did the same from afar. Then they started praying. This went on for about 20 minutes.

 

Then someone said "Fred, how are you feeling?" and he turned his head and looked at her. Then he said "I feel fine". Then he realized that he had just heard and could speak. Well, I've never seen anyone so happy in life before. Everyone just freaked out. There was jumping up and down, screaming of "Praise the Lord", smiles, laughter, a regular party!

 

Then Fred proceeded to tell us his life's story. How he had been in an accident while working on construction, how he couldn't speak or hear after that, how he had then lost his job, and everything else in his life..

 

The whole thing was so unbelievable to me that my mind just couldn't accept it. I thought that they had planned the whole thing, that it was a setup, an act that they did just to impress me. That's what my mind did. But deep down, I knew that I had just witnessed a miracle..

 

Needless to say, it was quite a Wednesday night, back in 1988.

 

Ever since then, there is allot more that has happened, but any time I say "I ask for love and protection from God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit", I am engulfed in a cloud of tingles and I know that I've been blessed. Since then, anytime I think of Jesus, he is always there, and it seems to be always in the same location in my mind's eye, Northwest.

 

The Holy Spirit is an entirely different thing. I don't think it is kundalini because it is top down, but then what do I know? It is probably the same energy..

 

The following Sunday, after meeting Jesus, I went to church again. When I walked in I could see a white pair of wings in a round star of light up high on the left of the congregation. It was shooting beams of light at people and after the beam landed, the people had wings or mustaches of white light on the tops of their heads. I wondered what was going on. We all sat down and then the sermon started. It was a sermon about the Holy Ghost.

 

At one point in the sermon, the parson/preacher/minister made everyone stand up and ask for the Holy Ghosts' blessings. We all held hands. Suddenly, there was a popping sound above and it felt like someone had cracked an egg on the top of my head. Then this liquid honey (not sure what it was but that's what it felt like) slowly drained down from the top of my head on the inside of my head, into my chest. Then this voice sounded out and it said, "you can speak in tongues". So I tried, and yes, this bunch of words and phrases came out of my mouth, but I had no idea what it meant, still don't. After church, my friends asked me what happened and I told them. Then, they said that they had been praying for me to receive tongues..

 

So, if I had to give any advice, I would say that you have to make an effort to contact Jesus. There are so many stories about people who have met Jesus, in their times of need, trying to commit suicide or being alone and silent that I believe that Jesus will appear to anyone who seeks him, and sometimes even when you are not seeking him! I think that sincere effort is the key, and perhaps having friends to pray for you might help too.."

 

So, TTIE, these experiences actually happened to me. They were by far the most memorable experiences in this life.

If there is a universal mind, and we are infinite being, then yes, I agree with you. The mind will manifest in such a way as to paint the picture with a cultural brush..

 

That said, I am not religious, nor do I go to church nowadays. Those events occured over 24 years ago. But Jesus is always there. It is true, everyone can have a personal relationship with Jesus if they so desire.

 

What I was going to ask you is this.

 

A while back I was doing breathing meditation and I managed to merge into the light, into one of the jhanas (I don't know which one). When I came out of it, I found myself looking downwards towards my navel. I could see a long protrusion of light that resembled a horn like the end of a trumpet. It shone and glistened. It extended out from just below the navel for about 8 inches. I was enthralled. I looked at it for a while and then wondered if I could make it move. So I pushed my belly out by breathing in. As I did that, a cloud of fine sparkles was released. The sparkles floated upwards throught the body towards the top of the head. (the body was translucent/transparent). The sparkles produced a feeling of tingles and very pleasureable sensations. I inhaled and the same event happened. I played with this for a while and noticed that if I breathed in normally, with a kind of downward motion of the diaphram, nothing happened. But, if I made an effort to push my belly straight out, perpendicular to the spine, the fine sparkles were released. It was like I was scraping fairy dust off of the horn of light.

 

Since then I have discovered that I can run my fingers through it with a motion as to direct the sparkles up the spine to above the head and I am engulfed with pleasureable tingles. Also, my breath meditations are becoming sessions of waves of ecstatic tingles, whenever I isolate and maintain attention on that horn of light during breath meditation. I can also sweep my hands through the navel area and push the sparkles at other people, who then claim that they feel tingles and pleasurable sensations.

 

So, I wanted to ask you. Do you think that the horn of light is the lower tan tien? Have you any experience with such a phenomenon?

 

Thanks for your time.

 

TI

[thetaoiseasy]

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Edited May 14, 2013 by thetaoiseasy

[thetaoiseasy]

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Edited May 14, 2013 by thetaoiseasy

[RiverSnake]

Interesting taoiseasy. I am curious in your experience what foods are best for balance between Jing and Qi interaction?

 

In my understanding of TCM they say to eat lots of Neutral foods (Grains) because they support the stomach which has a domino effect on producing health in the rest of the organs. Do TCM guidlines also assist in balancing one's energies in the same way you are referring to it?

 

-My 2 cents, Peace

Edited October 22, 2012 by OldGreen

[thetaoiseasy]

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Edited July 8, 2013 by thetaoiseasy

[RiverSnake]

Thanks all for all your great posts. There much appreciated, hope to see you back on the forum some day.

 

-My 2 cents, Peace

[thetaoiseasy]

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Edited December 20, 2012 by thetaoiseasy

[RiverSnake]

A wise man once said "You can't climb up a smooth mountain."

 

I agree 100%, challenges are footholds in disguise...they are your own internal obstructions manifested outwardly so that you have the opportunity to conquer them.

 

-My 2 cents, Peace

[Ish]

Anyhow, thanks for taking interest in this thread. But I'm going to be gone for awhile. Take Care! And keep on cultivating..

 

Take care yourself & Thanks a lot for your awesome posts !!

[thetaoiseasy]

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Edited December 20, 2012 by thetaoiseasy

[RiverSnake]

It seems like every spiritual tradition is always saying that the alphabet we have is a gift from God and is the True Language....aramaic, sanskrit....etc

 

It must be fun when you get a certain level of sensitivity to these types of things to experiment. and toy with different mantras and runes and see what kind of effect they have on the body. Something to look forward to i suppose...one day....

 

-My 2 cents, Peace

[thetaoiseasy]

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Edited December 20, 2012 by thetaoiseasy

[Celestial]

Thanks for that post.

 

Do the '8 Strands of Brocade' count as movement practice?

 

And do you suggest any special type of clothing (100% cotton shoes/pants, etc) while sitting on the earth meditating?

Edited November 18, 2012 by Celestial

[GrandmasterP]

Yes 8 strands does.

There's a standing form of it too.

Free resources via this link..

 

http://jsqg.sport.org.cn/en/index.html

 

HTH

[thetaoiseasy]

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Edited May 14, 2013 by thetaoiseasy

[Celestial]

Cool, because 8 strands is the warmup practice before Zhan Zhuang.

 

I don't know why, but I was always under the impression that if you were moving you were using Chi not generating it.

Edited November 18, 2012 by Celestial

[thetaoiseasy]

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Edited May 14, 2013 by thetaoiseasy

[Celestial]

"sit [my] ass up" at midnight? if i wake every morning at 5 am to cultivate, i intend to be sound asleep at midnight!

 

Lol!

 

You don't have to get up at midnight, that's only if you want to cultivate the utmost Yin energy. Follow the diagrams below for the most effective times to gather Ch'i:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring: The time of new growth / Increasing Yang

 

Summer: The time of greatest heat / Highest Yang

 

Autumn: As the year cools / Increasing Yin

 

Winter: The coldest time / Highest Yin

Edited November 22, 2012 by Celestial

[thetaoiseasy]

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Edited May 14, 2013 by thetaoiseasy

[thetaoiseasy]

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Edited May 14, 2013 by thetaoiseasy

[theurgy]

Most religions teach you worship a deity like Buddha as an all wise and omniscient being. This is okay. If you are sincere enough, you can take an external projection and internalize it. That is, your internal spirits will probe your mind of the external projection and react just the same. That's why I'm not against religion.

 

This is a critical point for all spiritual seekers to understand. So much time,energy and merit is wasted condemning religion when it provides a path to awakening for those who have need of it. Devotion is the Lightning Path. Many seekers today are too devoted to their own egos and do not understand the very basics of inner transformation. It all begins and ends with Virtue.

 

Thank you Taoiseasy. Your wisdom sparkles with the radiance of the midnight sun. You honor us with your clear and direct Teaching. You speak as one who knows through direct experience.

Edited November 23, 2012 by theurgy

[eye_of_the_storm]

thetaoiseasy

 

Yang Water, affects the upper part of the body:

1. All Spring water

2. Coconut Water

3. Smart Water (the brand..)

4. Flouridinated tap water.

 

Yin Water, energetically affects the lower portion of the body:

1. Reverse Osmosis

2. Distilled Water

 

///

 

Fluoride is a toxic waste product please look into it, one of the most alarming effects is the calcifying of the pineal gland.

 

Distilled water has no heavy metals which destroy the body / distilled water is "empty water" and is the most effective in purifying the blood and body.

 

Impurities are positively charged / distilled water and healthy human tissue is negatively charged.

 

So negatively charged water will collect the positively charged / inorganic materials.

 

In terms of acidic ... generally the PH is more or less neutral, even if slightly acidic it has a similar effects as lemons... which are "acidic" though alkalise in the body

 

I agree that water is powerful in terms of healthy mind body + awareness / cultivation etc

[thetaoiseasy]

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Edited November 3, 2013 by thetaoiseasy

[thetaoiseasy]

Thanks for reading!

 

This is a critical point for all spiritual seekers to understand. So much time,energy and merit is wasted condemning religion when it provides a path to awakening for those who have need of it. Devotion is the Lightning Path. Many seekers today are too devoted to their own egos and do not understand the very basics of inner transformation. It all begins and ends with Virtue.

 

Thank you Taoiseasy. Your wisdom sparkles with the radiance of the midnight sun. You honor us with your clear and direct Teaching. You speak as one who knows through direct experience.

[chi 2012]

How TheTaoisEasy....have another question

 

I notice some Qigong systems have questions about weather the teacher had permission or whatever to bring these teachings to the public. So lets say the teacher did some sketchy stuff - but the Qigong works good. Is the energy effected by the teachers sin? Or, is as someone said recently "Qigong is Qigong"....How does this work?