Empowering our Goals

[thelerner]

Here's a piece that is taken from a discussion in the Lobby. It has to do with empowering our goals, very apt for the new year.

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"I use to use talisman to freeze and attach certain patterns of energy. I draw them in a paper with astrological and geometric symbols and then, I charge them with reiki energy. So far, I've attained very good results, but anyway, and knowing more people in here use them, I'd like to ask about your talisman-making style.

 

Should we start off a new thread on this?

 

Let's suppose we want to attract something with the help of a talisman. How do you make it? First, I design in a paper a previous drawing. Usually I square everything in a big square so the energy can be held inside. Then I write the thing I want to obtain in the center and I surround it by a triangle (so, outside the square, inside the triangle and inside of it the text). I put in the blank space symbols of deities and planets that rule the energy that can give me the wish. After it, I charge myself with energy (MCO) and I summon reiki energy so I pass it to the paper. Then I fold it and I keep close to me (usually in my wallet), charging it everyday with my mere thought.

 

That's my technique. I'd like to hear about other's."

 

Somewhere I have a book on sexual magic. I thought it would contain taoist techniques, it was about using sex and its energy as a magical focus to influencing reality/getting what you want. Never really tried it, but got some nice sex pointers from the book.

 

Michael

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[Spectrum]

I intend.

 

 

So you're using your "mco" for personal goals? Interesting perspective.

[Taomeow]

I intend.

So you're using your "mco" for personal goals? Interesting perspective.

 

You mean it's not "supposed" to be used for personal goals?

 

Anything can be used for anything by a practicing taoist. Buddhists have their accounting of the eightfold right this and right that, Christians have their ten commandments (not that they bother following them but at least all ten are on the books), but taoists (except for the sects heavily inluenced by Buddhism, Confucianism, Maoism, or New Age ) don't really have a prohibitive counterpart. Which may have something to do with their respect for "the mind of tao" whose prohibitions in general have little in common with those concocted by "the human mind" and in particular do not extend to moderately/naturally selfish behaviors. Having personal goals is normal. Every animal en route to a watering hole knows that.

 

The classic wish-giving intend-my-goal taoist tool is the North Pole Star meditation on a desire. It is excruciatingly difficult, but other than that, perfectly kosher.

Edited December 30, 2006 by Taomeow

[Treena]

Hmmm...this is all great food for thought.

 

I've always used intention with Tibetan incense(s) that were created for specific situations to help "key in" my intention to the universe. So, say I want to boost health, wealth, protection, clearing, I use specific incense to help.

 

Only lately am I using an energetic rooting and connection that includes the microcosmic orbit. With this I'll focus my energetic intent by itself for healing or onto sacred geometry symbols for specific purpose or (when I remember) into my food and drink as prayer and connection with the Divine.

 

TaoMeow raises good points. I look at it this way. We are each here to fulfill our destinies, our purpose on this earth. So if we are not using every one of our skills to help with our "personal goals" we may have a hard time fulfilling our purpose on this earth, as well.

[iadnon]

I double up laughing when someone mentions that thing about "personal interest". Maybe we should define, previously, what it means before using the concept so freely.

 

I think everyone should look for some stability in his life before proceeding to other sorts of things. Tao, magick, esoterism, and so need the subject be stable and settled down. The primary needs of humans are shelter, sleep and food. Once that's attained he must cultivate his mind with the help of books, masters or other people.

 

That supposes a conceptual structure of layers, from the innermost, which condition the subject, to the outermost, which forms himself.

 

So, if you need a home, or more money to improve your life's quality, to buy books, to sign up in a course, etc... you can obtain it moving the appropriate energies.

 

Personal interest? I don't think so.

[Spectrum]

Fairly charged responses to my rather benign statement. Please don't assume I am attacking thelerner. Last time I checked a talisman was a talisman, an object of protection; an amulet. The lerners method is an interesting blend. I find it curious because of it's eclectisism, I hope I don't sound critical of your talisman creation.

 

Spectrum

Edited December 31, 2006 by Spectrum

[thelerner]

Actually its not 'my' method, most of the post is a long quote from someone at the lobby. I do find it an interesting subject though. 'Charging' items. Isn't that what all great artists do? Using the MCO to increase charging power.

 

In Aikido there were 2 short staffs that were very old. Years (decades?) of use had sanded and oiled them with human hands. Using them, holding them, really did ramp up a kata. They were somewhat kept away from beginners who couldn't fully appreciate them.

 

Charging water with positive intention was around long before emoto's popular book, its found in many diverse cultures, from kabbalah to taoism.

 

Isn't it common place in the east to believe that a persons wah, piece of spirit, rests within objects that held there love and affection?

 

Where does fluffy wishful thinking end and a possible reshaping of our reality begin? As you travel down the road from meditation to mysticism, Magic keeps popping up. Is the definition of magic reshaping the world based ones will through mystic forces?

 

I was always reluctant to get into anything that refered to magic. It seemed either childish, darkish, or giving reign to selfish desires. I've been reading up on Franz Bardon and his system seems above that. Seeking psychological balance through hard work before looking at the world through elemental eyes.

 

Random thoughts

 

Michael

[Spectrum]

"'Charging' items. Isn't that what all great artists do? Using the MCO to increase charging power."

 

Definately a natural phenom. I've got lots of favorites past and present that are charged charms I'm sure. I was taught that a practitioner circulates in order to refine, that the ability to switch the circuit on and off is the first step prior to circulating. The primary purpose of circulating (at least what has been shared with me) is the refining process. The primary purpose of refining is for the cultivation of the 3 treasures, which in turn have their manifestion through the expressions and experiences of the practitioner.

 

This idea of "charging up" with the MCO isn't foreign to me; just that i've experienced that only as a part of a larger natural process. That is continually impressed on me; the naturalness of Taoist practices. I think this is due to the emphasis on stillness and emptiness, so a lot of positive reflections occur in simple observation of the natural Way all around. I think this actually includes the MCO, in so far as if a practitioner continually observes and pays attention to subtly they eventually discover the times, places and circumstances in which the MCO naturally occurs. With regular silence one (possibly) becomes more in tune with what is occuring in and around them naturally; practice at this point simply amplifies what occurs naturally. What happens naturally is what happens spontaneously.

 

"Great movements are not as efficient as small movements. Small movements are not as efficient as stillness.Stillness is the mother of eternal movement" - Wang Xian Zhai

 

In my own practice if I cling to a thought while circulating I can feel the flow of energy change followed by changes in breath and posture. At this point I am usually reminded that thoughts are things. Particulally conscious thought seems to effect the downward flow through the ren, partically when thoughts are fixed or obsessve. Instead of focusing on associating sensations w/ the mental activity; no thought = smooth flow. The basic prerequisites of Taoist meditation techniques is a mental state called "Sung" which is a psychophysical state associated with non-attachment, emptiness, relaxation & the action potential.

 

"You mean it's not "supposed" to be used for personal goals?"

 

If I was to offer objection to the "method" described it would not be oriented around such things as right and wrong. My observation of non-spontaneous ritual in general, is there is a lot of thought involved. I'm no judge if it works, is right, is dangerous, etc. I can only say my experience with thought, and how it effects own energy circulation while conducting such practices as an MCO, which was mentioned here and my main interest in responding.

 

"Man is a thinking reed but his great works are done when he is not calculating and thinking. "Childlikeness" has to be restored with long years of training in the art of self-forgetfulness. When this is attained, man think yet he does not think. He thinks like the showers coming down from the sky; he thinks like the waves rolling on the ocean; he thinkins like the stars illuminating the nightly heavens; he thinks like the green foliage shooting forth in the relaxing spring breeze. Indeed, he is the showers, the ocean, the stars, the folieage. When a man reaches this stage of "spiritual" development, he is a Zen artist of life. He does not need, like the painter, a canvas, brushes, and paints; nor does he require, like the archer, the bow and arrow and target, and other other paraphernalia. He has his limbs, body, head, and other parts. " D.T. Suzuki (Introduction to "Zen and the Art of Archery" 1953 - Translated from German)

 

"Anything can be used for anything by a practicing taoist."

 

On one hand, statements like this strike me as simply uninformed. On the other, and to the extreme, this sounds like a justification for non-conscientious living, saying that the Way is anything. Yet anything isn't emptiness. Emptiness isnt anything. Traditionally a Taoist follows the Way. A Buddhist works out their Dharma. Although there are not the distinguishing dualist traits of the west, in order for there to be a Way or a Path, there must also be a Lost.

 

"don't really have a prohibitive counterpart. Which may have something to do with their respect for "the mind of tao" whose prohibitions in general have little in common with those concocted by "the human mind" and in particular do not extend to moderately/naturally selfish behaviors."

 

In the practice of the Arts you either hit your mark or you do not. You make a statement that there is no western notion of right or wrong in the practice of esoteric arts (you generalize those arts which is another issue) However there is success and failure, and a growth curve proportional to the associated pressures. On the way to the watering hole selective pressures take their toll.

 

Spectrum

Edited January 1, 2007 by Spectrum

[mike andre]

Hey Spectrum,

 

 

 

May I ask with whom do you study taoist meditation ?

 

 

thanks

[Spectrum]

No. Not right now. I'll drop hints along the way though. Pun intended.

Edited January 1, 2007 by Spectrum

[三江源]

I like what you said spectrum, and the way that you said it.

[thelerner]

Ditto.

 

Michael

[Taomeow]

Ditto.

 

Michael

 

and I don't, but that's because I'm the one who was misread, not you, Cat and Michael!

 

Spectrum, with all due respect... I didn't make a peep about taoism's stand on the issue of right or wrong, I said taoism has no prohibitive counterpart of the specific Buddhist and Christian thou shalt/shalt not's I mentioned, and I stand by this assertion. If you know of an authentic (sic) taoist text that is either prescriptive or prohibitive in the same way, do enlighten. The ones I am familiar with are open to interpretation. (Especially the oldest, wisest, and most important one in my book -- the I Ching.)

 

I said, further, that "anything can be used for anything by a practicing taoist." Key word "practicing," and if if this opinion of mine strikes you as "uninformed" I surely object, it is quite well informed, just not shared by you nor elaborated on by me. Well, let me elaborate a bit... hmm, let's take a simple example: in taiji I'm told "use qi, not li," and further, "use yi, not qi." Is it a prohibitive or a prescriptive statement? A commandment? Something that has something to do with "right and wrong" in the moral sense? Nope, it is the outcome of a thorough and competent (on the original taoist masters' part) inquiry into what works, what works why, what works how, what doesn't work, and what works better than what else. Only being informed via practice breathes sense into "taoist" statements, of which mine was one -- oh, trust me, blatantly so. Anything can be used for anything by a practicing taoist. Ah but a practicing taoist will know what to use and what not to use, and when, and how, and why. She doesn't need to be admonished to lead a responsible, aware, etc., life, she will find out soon enough, or eventually, via her practices, that there's a "tao-aligned" and a "tao-misaligned" way to do things (or to not do things, as the case may be). Still there's no prhibitions on my using li if my qi is not up to speed yet, or my using qi if my yi is still weak, or anything at all for anything at all. It's just that it's going to be feckless when up against somenone else's practice that is better tao-aligned, or my own for that matter, down the road.

 

I can cultivate extreme yin, e.g., if I so choose, and use it in my martial practice, or in healing, or in pursuit of grounding and stability, or for anything else I choose to use it for. I can abandon it and cultivate extreme yang, by the same token, if I choose to blow the status quo all to hell. I can, furthermore, explore both extremes and choose balance -- I can, while at it, even believe what I currently believe (to wit, that anyone who doesn't know the extremes can't find balance because where would he or she look for it without knowing what it is exactly that is being balanced and where exactly the application of the balancing weight should fall, or whence should it be removed?..) And so on... That's what I meant, roughly. This may constitute an opinion different from yours, but "uninformed..." ...nah, not really.

[Spectrum]

TaoMeow:

"If you know of an authentic (sic) taoist text that is either prescriptive or prohibitive in the same way, do enlighten. The ones I am familiar with are open to interpretation."

 

What immeidately comes to mind is the Medical classic of the Nei Jing? Medicine is prescriptive no? Many major contributions to the medical sciences of chinese were made by practicing Taoist doctors. "Chen's History of Chinese Medicine" accounts all the way back to 4500 b.c!

 

Another one that comes to mind is the Nine Songs from 2nd century A.D. and that is specifically presriptive for the rites of shamans, again not specifically Taoist.

 

"but taoists... don't really have a prohibitive counterpart.... whose prohibitions in general have little in common with those concocted by "the human mind" and in particular do not extend to moderately/naturally selfish behaviors."

 

I think it's like saying "don't think of an orange", so why would they write anything down "not" to do. Might as well practice positive reinforcement if it's going to be recorded at all.

 

"Anything can be used for anything by a practicing taoist. Ah but a practicing taoist will know what to use and what not to use, and when, and how, and why."

 

Thanks for clarifying your perspective.

 

"She doesn't need to be admonished to lead a responsible, aware, etc., life, she will find out soon enough, or eventually, via her practices, that there's a "tao-aligned" and a "tao-misaligned" way to do things (or to not do things, as the case may be)."

 

Again thanks for clarifying. What leads up to your being aligned or misaligned?

 

"Still there's no prhibitions on my using li if my qi is not up to speed yet, or my using qi if my yi is still weak, or anything at all for anything at all."

 

What goes around comes around. Wu Wei. Flow w/ da go.

 

It's just that it's going to be feckless when up against somenone else's practice that is better tao-aligned, or my own for that matter, down the road."

 

There is no opponent.

 

Spectrum

Edited January 5, 2007 by Spectrum