What are you reading right now?

[Alchemistgeorge]

Taoist Sexual Meditation: Connecting Love, Energy and Spirit by Bruce Frantzis. I'm at ~ page 50

 

Sex in the Yellow Emperor's Basic Questions by Jessieca Leo

 

This is mostly about theory, history, and the development of ideas in TCM. Am about 150 pages in.

[Birch]

http://www.amazon.com/Kundalini-Yoga-For-The-West/dp/1932018344/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355696796&sr=8-1&keywords=Kundalini+yoga+for+the+west

 

And Crowley's TTC

[konchog uma]

Perfect Clarity: A Tibetan Buddhist Anthology of Mahamudra and Dzogchen

 

i don't have a kindle, but i found a way around Amazon's bullshit DRM, so i am reading it on my sony reader. There's a plug-in for Calibre which allows one to circumvent DRM and convert to .epub format if youre interested. Which increases the value of my reader even moreso...

 

on one hand amazon is completely convenient, and on the other hand they have a reputation for only improving horrible conditions for workers when petitioned and browbeaten to do so. and their DRM policy on kindle material is completely stupid, they would sell a lot more if they were actually concerned with people having access to learning materials, not just their fucking market share

 

thats my vent... there, i feel a lot better now. sorry for the fuck word sometimes i get riled up

 

oh yeah, and while im at it, AbeBooks is completely awesome. check them out before you buy from amazon!

[Birch]

Thanks. Now I feel like an evil sucker.

[konchog uma]

Thanks. Now I feel like an evil sucker.

 

aw sorry

 

i still buy from them im not taking any moral high ground here

 

just venting.. they annoy me sometimes. and admittedly they did improve their warehouse conditions and offer their employees free tuition as a bonus. i dont think theyre evil, i just think they care more about their market share than about literacy.. it comes with size.. there are vested interests and boards of directors and shareholders to consider.. its necessarily kinda screwed up.

 

why i favor the little guy. they dont have those same shackles to deal with

[Birch]

 

 

aw sorry

 

i still buy from them im not taking any moral high ground here

 

just venting.. they annoy me sometimes. and admittedly they did improve their warehouse conditions and offer their employees free tuition as a bonus. i dont think theyre evil, i just think they care more about their market share than about literacy.. it comes with size.. there are vested interests and boards of directors and shareholders to consider.. its necessarily kinda screwed up.

 

why i favor the little guy. they dont have those same shackles to deal with

 

I've done my share of bashing on that company but I've found buying ebooks a lot cheaper (not sure about the pollution) than the paper versions. For things I want to keep paper's still it. Plus the DRM and risk of having your 'library' go up in smoke on an e-reader if you mess up an update.

[Dainin]

Last week I received (from Amazon! ):

 

 

Restoring Your Life Energy: Simple Chi Gung Practices to Reduce Stress and Enhance Well-Being by Waysun Liao

 

and

 

Sufi Talks: Teachings of an American Sufi Sheikh by Robert Frager

[GrandmasterP]

Knees up Mother Earth

Robert Rankin's sequel to

The Witches of Chiswick

 

Hermeticism at its most surreal.

Edited December 17, 2012 by GrandmasterP

[manitou]

Isis Unveiled by Helena Blavatsky. what an incredible mind she has.

[Flolfolil]

Just finished Kunlun System

 

Working my way through "Wanting Enlightenment is a Big Mistake" Teachings of master seung sahn

[manitou]

Just finished Kunlun System

 

Working my way through "Wanting Enlightenment is a Big Mistake" Teachings of master seung sahn

 

Great title. Is it because the ego is the thing that wants to be enlightened? Or a 'be careful what you wish for' sort of thing?

[doc benway]

I'm reading Dudjom Lingpa's Buddhahood without Meditation.

You can get a great deal on the older edition here.

From what I've read, the newer edition has some substantial improvements in the translation.

That said, if you see the truth of what is being described, a few words here and there are probably not that significant...

Edited December 18, 2012 by steve

[doc benway]

There is just something nice about reading a book to me too.

Especially when the subject matter is holy.

When I started reading Buddhahood without Meditation, I found it in a free pdf file.

After reading the first chapter, I decided to buy the book anyway.

This is one I think I will keep and treasure.

Somehow I feel that there is a level of connection or instruction (dare I say transmission) when we hold a book that is lacking with electronic media... especially a book that is published with love and venerance by a small, relatively personal company (Padma Publishing in this case).

[manitou]

Especially when the subject matter is holy.

When I started reading Buddhahood without Meditation, I found it in a free pdf file.

After reading the first chapter, I decided to buy the book anyway.

This is one I think I will keep and treasure.

Somehow I feel that there is a level of connection or instruction (dare I say transmission) when we hold a book that is lacking with electronic media... especially a book that is published with love and venerance by a small, relatively personal company (Padma Publishing in this case).

 

I have a 'library' of old dog-eared metaphysical, shamanic, buddistic, yogi, taoistic books that it will grieve me to leave when I do make my final exit. What to do with such a treasure? When I walk through the hallway where they live you can almost feel the glow. I just can't imagine a Kindle in such a loving way. What an incredible library it would be if all TTB's had their books in the same place. Wow. Steve, if you read this....what does the new avatar mean?

[konchog uma]

I'm reading Dudjom Lingpa's Buddhahood without Meditation.

You can get a great deal on the older edition here.

From what I've read, the newer edition has some substantial improvements in the translation.

That said, if you see the truth of what is being described, a few words here and there are probably not that significant...

 

looks awesome steve but 12$ shipping for a 6$ book is ridiculous.. i send 1lb books via media mail within the US for less than 3$ all the time (cause im part of paperbackswap.com)

 

so i think i'll pass, being somewhat poor right now. thanks for bringing the book to my attention tho

[RiverSnake]

Magical Knowledge I by Josephine McCarthy is a phenomenal book. Working my way through it right now and its only 5$ on Kindle .

 

http://www.amazon.com/Magical-Knowledge-Book-Foundations-Practitioner/dp/1906958440/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355870080&sr=8-1&keywords=Magical+Knowledge

 

-My 2 cents, Peace

[Gemstone]

Magical Knowledge I by Josephine McCarthy is a phenomenal book. Working my way through it right now and its only 5$ on Kindle .

 

http://www.amazon.co...gical Knowledge

 

-My 2 cents, Peace

I would be very interested in your work with this system.

I had such initial success with the foundational exercises in the book that I had to ask The I-Ching if I should devote myself seriously to it. I got the most positive reading of my life. Every single aspect of the hexagram, both changing and fixed, indicated good fortune.

But... I´m raising small children, and don´t have a separate room in my apartment, so working with the realm of spirits is maybe not right at this time.

I only consult The Oracle in matters of real importance, maybe once a year, and allways get excellent and clear answer. So I´m hesitant to go against it´s advice.

You can se I´m torn here.

Does the work affect the atmosphere of your house in any way? The ones close to you?

Any input is welcome, either here or as private message.

[RiverSnake]

I would be very interested in your work with this system.

I had such initial success with the foundational exercises in the book that I had to ask The I-Ching if I should devote myself seriously to it. I got the most positive reading of my life. Every single aspect of the hexagram, both changing and fixed, indicated good fortune.

But... I´m raising small children, and don´t have a separate room in my apartment, so working with the realm of spirits is maybe not right at this time.

I only consult The Oracle in matters of real importance, maybe once a year, and allways get excellent and clear answer. So I´m hesitant to go against it´s advice.

You can se I´m torn here.

Does the work affect the atmosphere of your house in any way? The ones close to you?

Any input is welcome, either here or as private message.

 

I am still reading the 1st half of the book and have yet to get to the the practical (exercises) aspects of the book. Will let you know what results i get if i start to practice her methods.

 

-My 2 cents, Peace

Edited December 19, 2012 by OldGreen

[Gemstone]

Thanks!

I hope you will enjoy the exercises. I suggest you read the visions in a semifocused way, letting the imagination create the enviroment as you read. Then you will have a taste of what they will feel like when fully engaged.

Good luck!

[konchog uma]

so with my christmas money, i have bought some books! surprise

 

Tibetan Arts of Love by Gedun Chopel, transl. by Jeffrey Hopkins

Natural Perfection: Longchenpa's Radical Dzogchen by Longchenpa, transl. by Keith Dowman

and on their way to me...

Heart Drops of Dharmakaya: Dzogchen Practice of the Bon Tradition by Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen

and Dzogchen: The Self-Perfected State by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

[GrandmasterP]

The Sprouts of Wrath

Third book in Robert Rankin's Brentford Trilogy

Good so far, the first two were excellent.

It was excellent.

Read Retromancer by him after it.... Not his best, very similar to the Brightonomicon, 12 almost independent short yarns with a linking theme.

Then..

Japanese Devil Fish Girl which is superb, India Jones meets War of the Worlds...

Last one of this series today

The Mechanical Messiah...

I can heartily recommend Robert Rankin's work to TTB minded folk.

I've read sixteen of the thirty books to date and all but Retromancer have delighted, amused and intrigued.

That's some record for any author.

Many of Rankin's books can be had for pennies via Amazon partners too.

Edited December 31, 2012 by GrandmasterP

[Aetherous]

Economix by Michael Goodwin

 

Edit: About done with it now...such essential and potentially empowering information.

Edited December 27, 2012 by turtle shell

[joeblast]

Just unwrapped BK's taoist sexual meditation book yesterday. Looks pretty interesting

[konchog uma]

just finished Heart Drops Of Dharmakaya today, and ordered:

Realizing Emptiness: Madhymaka Insight Meditations by Gen Lamrimpa and B Alan Wallace

and Center of the Sunlit Sky: Madhyamaka in the Kagyu Tradition by Karl Brunnholz

[Taomeow]

"Hot Tips" by Frances Patiky Stein. Written in 1981 (and saddled with an unfortunate trite title that was probably chosen by the editor), this book is a work of genius... yes, turns out there's geniuses in every area of human knowledge. A style book, not of trends but of fundamental principles, 95% timeless and 95% brilliant. Not because it's good writing -- it isn't... it's not witty, it's not entertaining, above all it's not theoretical -- it's practice practice practice... and it's revolutionizing my wardrobe as I go, in unexpected compliance with the taoist-ish "seek daily decrease," "embrace simplicity," etc., maxims -- but applied smartly and flexibly, not rigidly and mechanically. When I'm done (and this may take months of study and practice), I'll have donated 3/4 of the clothes I own, maybe added a few items that are missing instead... and the outcome is likely to be as precise as alchemy, as creative as taiji applications, and as effortless as riding a bicycle downhill. I've met a Teacher! Yes, they can be found in the most unlikely places!