Man shoots electricity out from his hand

[DentyDao]

I am done with this thread.

 

Who can blame you; that last post of yours doesn't even merit a response other than to suggest some actual research on your part. It was just you kind of rewording some stuff that I said and then like posting it with a few comments cut and pasted from Randi's Amazing website about how Geller is like a cult leader trying to line his pockets by ripping off innocent people. Geller is a humanitarian who raises millions of dollars for the research of childhood disease. Who are you?

 

Now quick, before you lose face, go back to Amazing Randi's website and cut and paste some more sizzling 'evidence' about what a big fake Geller is. And for what? Oh ya, I forgot, you're protecting the innocent from buying into Uri's cult where they will undoubtably brainwashed into buying his merchendise like a bunch of mindless crack junkies. Give me a fucking break!

 

S

Edited January 19, 2007 by seandenty

[Wayfarer64]

I have know a Grand Master of Hung Gar Shaolin to "rev up" his iron palm and generate a lot of heat from his hand... and also to crush/crumple the metal of a mercedes benz's dash-board with a tap. I have seen other instances of apparent "mind over matter" as it were - as well. I do not discuss any that were not meant as public examples when they were done.

 

I regret adding any support to the usual snake-oil being sold around these matters. I distrust most who make such claims. Trust is seldom warrented in these claims. That some have knowledge of these techniques and can fake the results as if they were abilities is probably pretty common.

 

I should think a rule of thumb is that anyone trying to push these techniques as something that they will show for a price or teach you for a price - should be doubted, if not avoided. A believable teacher has no inclination to get over on the students who come in search of knowledge.

 

The GM I write of would take no money from his students. We were expected to help him as we were able. Painting his house for example...There were demands of time and effort, but not monitary recompence for the transferal of the teaching.

 

Trust should be hard-won when we are also required to bow and kneel to a master as a sign of respect and humility in the awareness of such connections to the powers of which we write here.

[DentyDao]

Here's part of the documentary from Stanford. Perhaps you can make your own judgements, unless of course you don't feel qualified in which case you can always call Randi and get his opinion.

 

Part one:

 

Part two:

 

Part three:

[therion]

..

Edited March 17, 2007 by therion

[thelerner]

SeanD, when people disagree with you, you get dismissive and launch personal attacks. Within 3 or 4 posts they give up and won't have anything to do with you. Its a pattern that seems to happen on every thread you post to.

 

Disagreement is at the heart of good discussion. You need to find a way to disagree with people that doesn't come off as rude and insulting.

 

Yours

 

Michael

[DentyDao]

[DentyDao]

[thelerner]

Silly me, you win again.

 

Michael

[Spectrum]

Krishnamurti had a sweet straight blast, to bad he didn't box.

 

...was allowed to test his teacher as many times as he wanted and test the results by examining every angle repeatedly..... The fakes quickly fall apart when they are more closely examined.

 

Generally living with your teacher for a spell should dispell any non-sense.

[DentyDao]

Silly me, you win again.

 

Michael

 

There you go spoiling all the fun again. Michael, please lighten up a tad. We all just do the best we can.

Edited January 20, 2007 by seandenty

[thelerner]

How's this:

 

 

I've read Krishnamurti

I've seen videos of Krishnamurti

 

You are no Krishnamurti

 

 

Michael

 

 

To repeat our earlier dance piece, the whack on the head, dousing with water, show'er of mirrors is a valid and time honored way of waking people up. But if its done before there is a connection, some sort of mutual respect, then the first party just looks like an asshole the second party. No good learning or transmission has taken place.

 

One mans opinion.

[Wayfarer64]

Mr. Denty,

I thought I made it clear to you before that your narrow-minded opinions are of no interest to me. You are the worst example of the loutish boors who populate cyber-space. That you have any standing anywhere bespeaks only of low standards and/or high levels of tolerance. Please refrain from addressing me any further I have no time for your immature crap.

 

Frankly you come across as an infantile character just looking for negative attention. You have just recieved some more. Congratulations.

[DentyDao]

Edited January 20, 2007 by seandenty

[SheepishLord]

c'mon, you know we're going to ask who..

?

btw, any thoughts on what some of the better kickboxing gyms were? I was coincidentally considering it at the same time you made that post.

 

 

http://www.yinyang-institute.com/qigong/

 

I know the best gym in Soho--all K1 champs and a friend trains there. Have to look up the name.

[thelerner]

As always sorry for my part in putting any gas on the fire. I just had a great Live Chat conversation with Matthew Qi, Plato, Xenolith. Just shooting the breeze on subjects like woman, sex, celibacy and other consequences of marriage.

 

Its very humanizing to Live Chat. Not as good as good as real life, but close. SeanD I wish you'd join us sometime. Beyond whatever philosophical differences we have, (and I have plenty w/ Plato) we're all basically good guys with interesting stuff to say to each other.

 

Why these discussions get so heated I'll never know.

 

Yours

 

Michael P. Donahue

[Cameron]

 

 

Why these discussions get so heated I'll never know.

 

Yours

 

Michael P. Donahue

 

From what I can gather, most conflicts arise from lack of basic respect, or maybe not respect but acknowledging the views of the other. Almost all conflict seems to arise when MY views and MY way of thinking is challeneged or disagreed with. It seems Sean D is coming from the persective that basically most people on this board don't know too much about Taoism or whatever, so right off the bat people are going to be offended.

 

I sort of agree with Sean D, I don't think it's that big a deal, we can disagree without resorting to calling each other names or just having bad manners. I think it's the rudeness that sort of puts people off. And of course once one person is rude it sort of spreads like a fire and everyone becomes rude. To sort of step back when someone is percieved as being rude-even if that is not their intention- and still treat the person with courtesy is I think a hallmark of a really enlightened person(though they might just go off too).

 

Adyashanti says in one of his talks how it's sort of easy to love someone you like. Can you still love and have compassion for someone you don't like? I don't think Buddhas or Bodhisattvas are saying I don't like that person, he is rude and can go to hell. If you deal with someone you deal with them. Otherwise I think it's better just to leave them alone. Really, I have to think if your going to live a real Buddhist lifestyle which says to do no harm or whatever, then if you arent going to contribute to another's happiness it's best to just leave them alone.(easier said then done of course)

 

We all have a kind of gut knowing about other poeple, but it's easy to turn away from that and get into this egoic my way of thinking is better than your way of thinking crap.

 

It's such a huge problem in the world. And so basic. I do it myself. But hopefully can improve a little day by day. Ime not interested in adding to the conflicts, we have enough of that already.

 

Cam

 

 

edit-Ime also intrigued by the view of some Advietists that the so called 'controler' aspect of much of lives is pretty limited, or is an illusion, and everyhting more or less just happens if that's how it works, if everything more or less just happens the way it happens then how can thier be any problem with anyone or any thing? I am not completely sold on it. I like to think there is room for some free will. But maybe that's how it really works. Even if you think your imagined self grew up and learned all this stuff and has something valuable to offer or not that's all just the way things happened. Good or bad. And same for others. This seems to open up this tremendous space of acceptance.

 

Also, people will probably be more open to your views if you apprach them with some degree of respect. If you don't care how people feel or what they think than its a mute point. Be as rude as you like of course.

[Wayfarer64]

Cam,

Thank you for your input. Philosophy is about questions and sharing ideas. Once narrow-minded and dogmatic insistance on one's own views enters the arena of discourse it is no longer philosophy, it is argument on a much lower level. That you suppose someone can dictate what they believe as teaching worries me.

Knowledge is not wisdom. Sharing what one knows is blowin' in the wind. Extending the meaning and usages of what one knows to help people live is teaching.

 

I have imployed the "ignore user" function on this site for Mr. Denty and expect a much more reasonable experience here from now on. Many thanks to Sean O. for this function's availability here at The Tao Bums.

[Spectrum]

People treat the internet like they do cars, they do things behind a keyboard (or a wheel) that they would not do in a grocery line less they get ktfo.

 

Spectrum

[Smile]

I don't know why some people joing spiritual cultivation discussions but then doubt any ideas of "super-power". If you spend enough time training, a few years would be anough to either have wisdom to "see" things clearer or develop something on your own.

 

The main reason most people don't get SPs is because they don't practice enough.

M

[DentyDao]

For Pat G.,

 

I have to say, it takes a lot of creativity to blow something this irrelevant so far out of proportion. I think we need to give each other the benefit of the doubt when we are reading something written on the internet; people's subjective perceptions can color even the most benign statements and turn them in to insults and personal attacks. On the whole, my statements aren't really meant pejoratively. I'm sorry if they are perceived that way, but I can't really control how people take what I say. I do find Pat’s remarks about me completely unfair and I think it’s a simple case of unconscious issues that he has built up. I don’t know the guy personally, but it sounds like he needs to get out a little more often and stop taking himself so seriously. I honestly wish him the best. The poor guy is making himself miserable. Anyway, I’m glad he ‘blocked me’ or whatever; perhaps if he had just done that in the first place, he could have saved himself a lot of grief.

 

For what it's worth, I'll try to be a little more sensitive in posts in the future. I wouldn't want someone who is truly unbalanced to cause harm to their self or others over something I say.

 

Sincerely, Sean

 

I don't know why some people joing spiritual cultivation discussions but then doubt any ideas of "super-power". If you spend enough time training, a few years would be anough to either have wisdom to "see" things clearer or develop something on your own.

 

The main reason most people don't get SPs is because they don't practice enough.

M

 

Sound advice as usual. I hope that contributions like this will lead more people to begin to accept and explore the 'forgotten side of ourselves' and start believing in the magic and wonder again.

 

S

Edited January 20, 2007 by seandenty

[SheepishLord]

I don't know why some people joing spiritual cultivation discussions but then doubt any ideas of "super-power". If you spend enough time training, a few years would be anough to either have wisdom to "see" things clearer or develop something on your own.

 

The main reason most people don't get SPs is because they don't practice enough.

M

 

Agreed. It also amazes me that people could be on a board like this and then be so set at proving that super-powers are crap. Mind you, I don't care much for superpowers and I don't practice for them at all, but if I doubted them (assuming I had never seen any) then I would be doubting the sutras and then I would be lost.

 

This is because there is not one single lie in the Buddhist sutras. For example, the Buddha says that if you copy the Filial Piety Sutra out by hand not only will your parents get mega merit, but you will get to see a Buddha. Yet besides myself, has anyone copied a sutra by hand here? I would bet nobody has. Does anybody here feed hungry ghosts besides Bill and myself? Probably not. I am not saying because I am saying I am better then others, I am saying this to say that I understand the gravity of the human situation better then others.

 

Stop chasing super-powers and immortality and acknowledge your vulnerability. When you realize how fucked you are, you will adopt the right attitude in your practice.

 

If you read the Diamond Sutra by Master Nan, you will see that the highest teachers weren't charging 10G to teach you to walk through walls, they were often going and working their asses off so their students could afford to practice without obstructions! Just look at the quality of their understanding of the human situation.

Edited January 20, 2007 by SheepishLord

[DaoWaDiddy]

I've been in a musical mood recently so - somehow - much of this thread reminds me of a song.

[thelerner]

I don't think you can throw out the baby with the bath water, but a large percentage of 'powers' and claims are scam or misunderstood like our TV repairman. To me it looks like he's reinvented an old carnie trick. Thats far different then seeing chi gung masters who have an electric touch.

 

You've got to keep your mind open and eyes sharp.

 

Michael

[DentyDao]

[spyrelx]