Worlds oldest Person died

[thelerner]

Daniel Reid talks about longevity being of the sweetest fruits of Taoist practice. Yet for all the talk of immortals I don't see abnormal life spans amongst various practitioners. Ofcourse only a fool knocks long, healthy and productive.

 

Here is the little bit on the woman who recently died -

 

"Bolden was born Aug. 15, 1890, according to the Gerontology Research Group, a Los Angeles organization that tracks the ages of the world's oldest people.

 

Guinness World Records recognized Bolden as the oldest person in the world in August after the death of Maria Esther de Capovilla of Ecuador, who also was 116.

 

Bolden died at the Mid-South Health and Rehabilitation Center, a nursing home where she had been living for several years, said the center's administrator, Charlotte Pierce. Bolden suffered a stroke in 2004, and her family said she spoke little after that and slept much of the time.

 

Family members said this year that Bolden had 40 grandchildren, 75 great-grandchildren, 150 great-great-grandchildren, 220 great-great-great grandchildren and 75 great-great-great-great grandchildren."

 

Its sad that when you count the generations of relatives, she had no living sons or daughters.

 

Michael

[Wayfarer64]

It seems women do outlast men, for the most part. I wonder if she meditated much, or quieted her mind as a practice... I don't think sleeping counts, but hey, whatever works.

 

This is an astounding human story on several levels. The life-force is amazing in some folks. Still, I can't help but think about how many of our world's most pressing problems stem initially from over-population...

[Yoda]

It's fun to think that many of us will have hundreds of thousands of grandkids in due time.

[spyrelx]

In one of David Shen's writings he made a point of saying that people that practice daosm -- even accomplished masters -- generally don't live any longer than anyone else. I thought this an astounding bit of both candor and sanity from a guy who I suspect has researched this stuff far more extensively -- and obsessively -- than most of us.

 

I am also rememinded of Frank Sinatra, who smoked, drank and whored his way around the world -- and died in his 90's, outliving most "daoist masters".

 

I'd like to think that chi kung, etc makes the quality of your life generally better, even if it doesn't expand your overall life span. At least that's the theory I'm going with these days.

 

It would be a shame though if all these foolish looking exercises I'm doing were all for naught.

 

OK, that's it for now. I'm off to mix a batch of martinis and crank up "My Way".

[林愛偉]

In one of David Shen's writings he made a point of saying that people that practice daosm -- even accomplished masters -- generally don't live any longer than anyone else. I thought this an astounding bit of both candor and sanity from a guy who I suspect has researched this stuff far more extensively -- and obsessively -- than most of us.

 

I am also rememinded of Frank Sinatra, who smoked, drank and whored his way around the world -- and died in his 90's, outliving most "daoist masters".

 

I'd like to think that chi kung, etc makes the quality of your life generally better, even if it doesn't expand your overall life span. At least that's the theory I'm going with these days.

 

It would be a shame though if all these foolish looking exercises I'm doing were all for naught.

 

OK, that's it for now. I'm off to mix a batch of martinis and crank up "My Way".

 

 

Despite one's cultivation, each being has a time their physical body will be of no use. Unless certain cultivation is taken. Sometimes Daoist Masters physically die, at any age, it wouldn't matter, because they would actually be doing so out of cultivation. Death isn't a bad thing..and there is no suffering in death.

Death is not real, neither is living.

 

Cultivation would allow for the balance of energy currents in the body and cultivation of the mind. There are ways inwhich one can live much longer than usual.. that is calm and non attached mind, healthy body(there are different levels of health to look at because each body is dfferent in tolerance) well cultivation, and karma...of course there is the changing of karma as well.. but that is another topic.. and a long discussion

 

 

Peace,

[GrandTrinity]

I heard that the wu dang tao master lived past 130.

 

Some fasting ang qigong (movement and stillness) should easily make one live very long. Those people who are maaad long dont waste their breath bragging about it. I bet there is a number of masters in the mountains or whatnot... idk.... def Karma is something to consider.

[thelerner]

I paged through a book about mountain monks and hermits. It was written by a man who made the long hikes to find them and stay long enough to know them without romanticizing them. They lived very subsistance lives. Some were long time practitioners some were not.

 

On the whole they were not the Shangri La mystics that you might think.

 

Michael

[QiDr]

The Hung Di Nei Jing Su Wen has 120 as the average life span before mankind began being immoderate in diet and personal practicies. The rest of the development of TCM is a response to that lack of moderation.

[Yoda]

Michael,

 

What's up with 116 anyways?? It should be more like 121. Find me some older dead guys!

 

Thanks!

Yoda

[thaddeus]

I want to see someone who is 80 but looks 30. I really want to believe in these longevity practices but they don't seem to be working for the vast majority of people..

T

[Wayfarer64]

It may be the stress of trying to live so long is killing them.

 

Such long-term goals put a lot of pressure on folks. Being happy with who/what you are may work better than trying to be something other than who/what you are.

 

Relaxing, drinking plenty of water and eating a sensible well-rounded diet- some say yogurt should be part of this - seems to be a good start...Laughter may do more to keep us young than anything else...

It seems that not living near toxic waste dump sites may be benificial too.

[DanC]

Its funny she probably ate fried chicken and all the so called wrong foods. I read a quote once in one of

my qigong books and it was something like "the key to longevity is to keep a quiet heart" meaning not too much stress, excitement and negative emotions.

[snowmon]

I got this pic from a taoist site...(sorry dont remember where), that claimed this adept was 127 or something like that..for what it's worth. I mean even if she is only 85 looks like she can still do a pretty mean lotus posture.

Edited December 14, 2006 by snowmon

[Wayfarer64]

When I was in Indonesia way back in 1979 I was taken to meet a woman who was in her 70's and known as a great adept/healer. Her English was good too. We had a wonderful conversation about staying healthy as she brewed us some herbal tea. When it was ready she sprung up over the chair she was seated on and leaped to the kettle in a bounding flight that took me very much by surprise. I thought for a moment -"What a show-off!" and then just gawped as I realized she was in her 70's and moved faster than most in their thirties...She had made her point in a leaping demonstration of agility. Her sense of humor was very good too. She put all of the elements together- diet, climate, excersize and great good-humor...

 

There was an element of her wanting me to stick around and pay he a lot of money to teach me, which my schedule wouldn't allow, but I was tempted to study with her... I'd have to dig up my diary from that trip to remember her name...I'll also email my buddy Chris who was also there to see what he remembers of her...

 

Namaste

[Treena]

When it was ready she sprung up over the chair she was seated on and leaped to the kettle in a bounding flight that took me very much by surprise. I thought for a moment -"What a show-off!" and then just gawped as I realized she was in her 70's and moved faster than most in their thirties...She had made her point in a leaping demonstration of agility. Her sense of humor was very good too. She put all of the elements together- diet, climate, excersize and great good-humor...

 

I can just see that. And it brings me to something I've been thinking a lot about lately and I'm going really basic, nothing profound here--physical movements in combination with the energy work. You can physically move and that will help your body a lot, reducing the effects of aging (scientifically proven you know ) and then there's the specific internal energy exercises where you get the energetic stagnation out so you have lots of room for good juicy chi.

 

How many stuck stagnant people do y'all know? I know lots. I actually puzzle over why people start off like a spinning top, always moving, then eventually move less and less until the top falls over, kerplat. Dead person. But try to get someone moving and you'll get a pretty angry couch potato.

 

I also range in and out of this stuckness myself as I'm more or less focused. I've been that angry couch potato and I've been the faithful qigong practitioner.

 

Nowadays, I'm always constantly amazed when I learn and do new qigong or internal martial arts practices. Wow, that bagua really got things moving. Who knew all that crap was stuck in there? Well I guess I did, but man, still?

 

I think aging like that woman in her 70s means keeping it all moving, every single cell. No stagnation. Lots of energy building. Juicy joints and muscles.

 

I'm not interested in living forever. However, I don't want to do grade school and high school all over again, so...

[OpenSecret2012]

There is something everyone, the media, and even most posters on this site MISS!!!

 

It's the oldest K N O W N person in the world who died.

 

There are plenty of people OLDER who are still alive. For many various reasons, they have no wish to be known, famous, or to contact the media.

 

Here is a great example...

 

- Plenty of people can whup the current Boxing Heavyweight Champion "of the world".

- Plenty of people can whup the winner of those strongman tournaments in which they fight in cages, grapple, etc..

- African runners have existed for thousands of years. Only recently in the past 10 years or so have they "suddently" dominated the world track and running scene. Change African to Russian women, Mexican runners, etc.. etc....

- And why the heck is the American Baseball championship still called the "WORLD" series?!?

 

The point is... far bigger, stronger, better, people simply have no intrest, no means, or whatever, to be in the media limelight. Sooo... it is the oldest KNOWN person who died. It is the most recently KNOWN man who went to the north pole, south pole, orbited earth, went to the moon, etc... etc....

[OpenSecret2012]

Ahhh yesss!

 

Something else I almost forgot about. No matter how powerful the teacher, student, practicioner,

no matter how leearned they are, no matter how advanced they are.... it comes to this first over all else.

 

Here it is !!! Print it out, and read through it every day heheh!!

 

Basically, it's a dissection of Karma. Karma dissected.

It's why someone like George Burnes can smoke a big fat cigar for decades and live to old age ... and still

be vital and strong, and walk! And why many of the world's biggest health nuts die almost instantly all of

a sudden dropping dead at a relativly young age.

 

And yes, it applies to cultivation students, teachers, masters, all. So, Jane Pitman may have had far more wisdom and merit than JD Rockerfeller. The lady mentioned in the first post in this thread may have had more wisdom and MERIT than many cultivation masters, thus she outlived them. Many cultivation students, and masters may simply not live super-long because they do not have enough wisdom and MERIT ... in this life/carnation go around.

[Yoda]

On an amazon review of "Miracle of Fasting" by Bragg one reviewer claims that he checked the death certificate of Paul Bragg and it was 82 or something along those lines and not as impressive as dying on his surfboard at 95.

 

Good point about sudden death... does seem to be the way of chi and health folks. Maybe so they won't have time to debate this stuff.

 

Imo, people who do lots of physical and/or energetic cultivation tend to have extreme emotional and energetic swings, so dying suddenly fits the breed.

[Treena]

Another angle. I've often heard that we're here until we accomplish what we're here on this earth to do. You know, our purpose, our big task in this lifetime. So, maybe those people who are really old are just big procrastinators. And the ones who died young, in out, job done....?

[TwoTrees]

Known, of course - according to Guinness Book of World records

[agharta]

Most mammals live to about 10-14 times the age of puberty. Dogs commonly live to age 14, and smaller dogs to age 20. Some have lived to age 30, and dogs hit puberty around age 6 months to 1 year. Cats live even longer. Cows hit puberty around age 2, and can live to be 20 or older. Gorillas and chimps are similar, except that gorillas usually die of blood diseases before they reach old age.

 

Humans are alone in their short years. The ancient Taoists used ot say "120 is dying young".

 

Dr. Francis Pottenger noted that cats eating cooked food were much sicker and died young than cats eatintg a raw diet. check out www.price-pottenger.org.

 

I personally believe that it's the overcooking and overprocessing of food that is the biggest cause of humans dying of aging-related diseases before reaching 120. I eat about 95% raw, and I feel a lot better when I eat this way.

[TwoTrees]

Absolutely!

[Protector]

[Junbao]

It's an interesting subject for sure!

My wife and I dance a few nights a week at a local Inn. We have been hanging out and getting to know all the old timers. Many are in there mid 80's and they have no problem dancing and laughing and talking all night. Not to long ago there was a man celebrating his 93 birthday and he danced and moved like he was middle aged.

They all are just normal folks living normal lives. I think it's the joy they are able to express that brings out their youthful nature.

I work at an awards shop where we do trophies and plaques and engraving. Someone came in the other month to get an award for a gentleman to commemorate his service in the military. He was 105.

None of these people are cultivators that I know of. Except Thelma. She is in her 80's and as we were talking one night I found that she does Tai Chi. We had fun talking about it and comparing forms and stances. She is a spry southern woman who I never really expected to be into Tai Chi but there you go. :-)

Anyway, I agree that is seems most (not all) Qi cultivators do not live longer than average. I don't know the reason but it seems like an accurate observation.

I cultivate to increase the quality of my life. I'm not so worried about the length of it. I know I can help though by eating right and getting exercise and smoothing out my mind and my Qi. But when it's time for me to shed my body and release my spirit...well won't that be an awesome adventure as well?

I'm 39 this year on 12/12...next year I am turning 40 on 12/12/12. Freaky....haha...

I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn. I've decided to live to 100 and then go for my next goal from there.

Ultimately for me it's about how my time is spent while I am here. To me cultivating my body and mind are the tools to enjoy life and see things in an exciting and fun way. It shouldn't be seen as a duty or commitment to fullfill.

Have any of you seen this guy do his qigong sets???

He is loosening up his whole body and mind and having the most fun!!!

 

Peace!

Edited November 29, 2011 by Junbao

[NeiChuan]

There is something everyone, the media, and even most posters on this site MISS!!!

 

It's the oldest K N O W N person in the world who died.

 

There are plenty of people OLDER who are still alive. For many various reasons, they have no wish to be known, famous, or to contact the media.

 

Here is a great example...

 

- Plenty of people can whup the current Boxing Heavyweight Champion "of the world".

- Plenty of people can whup the winner of those strongman tournaments in which they fight in cages, grapple, etc..

- African runners have existed for thousands of years. Only recently in the past 10 years or so have they "suddently" dominated the world track and running scene. Change African to Russian women, Mexican runners, etc.. etc....

- And why the heck is the American Baseball championship still called the "WORLD" series?!?

 

The point is... far bigger, stronger, better, people simply have no intrest, no means, or whatever, to be in the media limelight. Sooo... it is the oldest KNOWN person who died. It is the most recently KNOWN man who went to the north pole, south pole, orbited earth, went to the moon, etc... etc....

 

This/Society