meditationexpert & white skeleton & more (a contradi

[sunshine]

O.k. To be honest. I have not yet read through all of the articles on the meditationexpert webside but with time will. But to me there seemingly is a major contradiction in what is said:

 

On the one hand there is criticism of guided meditation like microscosmic orbit (leading you astray and doing damage to yourself), but on the other hand a visualization practice like White Skeleton is offered that (in my humble opinion) is not really different as a "technique"...

 

this White Skeleton practice is not that "sitting down and clear your mind and everything will happen on its own"-attitude usually reflected on that webside, quite contrary & contradictory I feel.

 

Further:

Some of you seem to be familar with Falun Gong. Falun Gong was on my road to coming back to where I am now. I had to retreat from there due to being unable to dissolve certain issues, but in some senses Falun Gong teachings is similar to what is written on the meditationexpert side. But the thing with Karma, praying & merit "bothers" me. You know. In Falun Gong is said that praying might make evil spirits come to serve you and you give away your true essence making you unable to ascend one day. You give for what is given to you. So: praying in order to get material stuff, change bad life situations etc. in Falun Gong DOES NOT do you good.

 

Any thoughts on this?

 

being very interested

 

Harry

[spyrelx]

First -- you are correct. Bodri is somewhat contradictory. If it's all about sitting mind then a bunch of his practices are as irrelevant as running the microcosmic orbit or spinning chi, both things he criticizes.

 

It's important to remember that Bodri neither knows -- or claims to know -- everything. He's pretty much a translator for the teachings of his master. Like any lineage, and any translation situation, and any student-teacher situation, some things are handed down without fitting so nicely into the GRAND EXPLANATION OF EVERTHING that is also given out.

 

There's a lot of what I would call "buddhist superstition" interlaced with Bodri's stuff. Who knows if this stuff is true or not but it undoubtedly has been handed down. So have "active meditation" practices like white skeleton. Neither of these fit so nicely into the pure zen stuff that Bodri (sometimes) claims is the BEST WAY, but they're all part of the package he's learned.

 

My own view is that dogmatic arguments are fun but we shouldn't try to be so dogmatic in our practice. For instance, I believe that empty mind is important, but so is guided meditation. They are just two different ways "in" to the same thing. I see no reason not to use them to complement each other (as many practices do) or to really emphasize the one that seems to work for you.

 

Hope that helps.

[sunshine]

My own view is that dogmatic arguments are fun but we shouldn't try to be so dogmatic in our practice. For instance, I believe that empty mind is important, but so is guided meditation. They are just two different ways "in" to the same thing. I see no reason not to use them to complement each other (as many practices do) or to really emphasize the one that seems to work for you.

 

I am fully of your opinion. The thing that strucks me though is that this contradiction we talk about is so obvious. Could it be really that easy? That it is really just a contradiction? But I wonder if there is an explanation that would make that contradiction appear to be no contradiction at all. Obvious contradictions let the light they appear in not shine as bright...

 

Is Bodri around here to clarify things for me? Would be much appreciated.

 

Harry, a learner on the way

[Max]

[Yoda]

Also, in WSM there's no packing, directing, or concentrating of energy. In visualizing the bones radiating white light, you are allowing a natural redistribution of energy to occur in a very personalized, grounded way.

 

It's a great practice, but Bodri says that it's not for everyone as it can encourage excessive lustiness and jing loss in men. I'd recommend test driving it.

 

-Yoda

[Trunk]

Also, in WSM there's no packing, directing, or concentrating of energy.

Seems to me, that in any healthy manifestation, there is both yin (concentration) and yang (expansion). "Emptiness" meditations that focus only on yang feel good, are often healthy, at first - but risk dispersion over the long term.

 

Part of the trick to this dilemma is the union of concentration and openness, which occurs in the deep-center. It both transcends and supports the individual. That's the trick of Taoism: using Larger Stuff to promote coherence, nurturance, and transcendence of the little stuff.

[sunshine]

Part of the trick to this dilemma is the union of concentration and openness, which occurs in the deep-center.  It both transcends and supports the individual.  That's the trick of Taoism: using Larger Stuff to promote coherence, nurturance, and transcendence of the little stuff.

 

How would that apply to the White Skeleton meditation. I try to get the way you approach the subject, Trunk, that is the reason I ask. What "modification" to that practice would be necessary, in your opinion, in order to make the practice "safe"? Keeping a slight "thought" in the Dan Tien while "dissolving"... or concentrating there afterwards?

 

Harry