Recommendations / esoteric exercises

[InfiniteMind]

Greetings to all !

 

I'd appreciate it immensely if you recommend some books dealing mostly with esoteric exercises/practices.

 

I'm currently reading Mouni Sadhou's concentration manual.

Have practised also Rudolf Steiner material and some 'mainstream' exercises on astral projection by Robert Bruce and other authors also.

On meditation (pranayama,insight,mindfulness etc) have also spend time practicing, although if i find something 'hardcore' - more in depth i'd be more than glad.

 

What else is there available that can get me going in this direction of practicing?

 

Thanks in advance !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Seeker of Wisdom]

On meditation (pranayama,insight,mindfulness etc) have also spend time practicing, although if i find something 'hardcore' - more in depth i'd be more than glad.

 

Hardcore, you say?   What you want is 'Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha', by Daniel Ingram. MCTB is freely available online, and the updated version 'MCTB2' should be out in the near future. Very much focused on practice, pragmatisim, states and stages, real attainment. We recently interviewed Ingram: http://thedaobums.com/topic/38892-tdbs-interview-with-daniel-ingram/ 

 

Kenneth Folk's unfinished book is also worth reading, it's the same sort of stuff. http://contemplativefitnessbook.com/

 

 

[InfiniteMind]

Thank you sir, i just got an electronic copy of MCTB - "An unusually hardcore dharma book"

 

I'll start reading my way through.

 

Peace.

[thelerner]

Only comment I might make is- less is more.   If you've got a good book that inspires you; stop looking at other books for a while.  Better to read digest and deeply experience that book; make it a bible for a time, limited and imperfect as it may be, before moving on to other books. 

 

Go deep not wide. 

[Tibetan_Ice]

Infinite Mind,

That is probably the most hard core book I have seen.

 

If one were to master the exercises in it, they would surely be accomplished, beyond nirvikalpa samadhi.

 

Have you tried moving the needle?

 

Have you tried any of the pranayama practices in it?

 

Are you looking for something to read or something to practice?

 

Thanks for the book.

 

For anyone else, here is the link.

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Concentration-A-Guide-Mental-Mastery/dp/0879800232

 

It is also in pdf on the net.

 

For more along the same lines as the book you mentioned, you could try

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanamoli/PathofPurification2011.pdf

 

Edited July 26, 2015 by Tibetan_Ice

[Aeran]

What else is there available that can get me going in this direction of practicing?

 

Which direction of practicing? What do you want? Health & longevity? Martial ability? Energetic/"magical" powers? Expanded consciousness? Spiritual encounters? Out of body experiences?

[InfiniteMind]

Which direction of practicing? What do you want? Health & longevity? Martial ability? Energetic/"magical" powers? Expanded consciousness? Spiritual encounters? Out of body experiences?

 

prolonged(expanded consciousness & spiritual encounters) lets say...

 

But isn't all of the above trees surrounding the path of the mystic ? By walking the path, getting to know and connect with your higher self, you can sit under the cooling shadow and reap the fruits of any tree you want... right ?

[InfiniteMind]

 

10 Day Vipassana Course.

 

(For those that didnt have the chance getting to a retreat, this is as close as it gets)

 

Thank you guys for your great recommendations !

[Aeran]

prolonged(expanded consciousness & spiritual encounters) lets say...

 

But isn't all of the above trees surrounding the path of the mystic ? By walking the path, getting to know and connect with your higher self, you can sit under the cooling shadow and reap the fruits of any tree you want... right ?

 

In theory perhaps - in reality, I've never heard of anyone who has managed a "complete mastery" so to speak, and practices a coherent system which enables all of the above. Just like any other field, I guess once you take it far enough you have to specialize.

[futuredaze]

Alternate nostril breathing has been really helpful.  While I like other pranayama, this one gets me very noticeable results and fast.  I feel like it makes me more harmonious in myself, by balancing the left and right halves of my body and brain.

 

Taoist healing sounds and mantras help a lot since my throat chakra is pretty blocked.  Even if you don't have this problem, I still find them to be very helpful for cultivating peaceful energy.

 

Before sitting meditation, doing some movement meditation can really help me get grounded, too.

[Gerard]

Read less and walk more, that'll bring all the esotericism you are after.

 

Walk around the pit like Conan the Barbarian. Turn grain into fine flour. Leg work, leg work and more leg work. According to the old traditions and especially the Chinese vitality starts from the feet, like a deep tall tree reaching the Heavens and Beyond you need deep and strong roots. Master Cheng Tinghua and Yin Fu used to eat their meals in a seated position without sitting on a chair, this shows how serious leg work must be taken.

 

Best!

[Kubba]

Vipassana is hardcore enought. Finding out what samadhi is. Simply Observing the breath can lead you to interesting inquiry. Kryia yoga, also interesting and not harmfull when do properly and with a teacher.

 

Qui gong, tai chi..

 

Always the teacher that is realised is required. He can give you shaktipat when youre ready. The understanding occures in his presence withouth actually "doing". In zen they say - I touch the dead trees and they come to live. It is it- the touch of the teacher.

I guess forcefull practice of pranayama can bring a lot of suffer. Pranayama occurs spontaneously when kryias opens up.

Any kind of energetic work, instead of simply meditating can bring a lot of pain and unessesary good and healthy results. It is darkness and demonic .

Edited July 30, 2015 by Kubba

[Tibetan_Ice]

Hi IM,

So which recommendations did you follow? Did you have any success?

[InfiniteMind]

Hi IM,

So which recommendations did you follow? Did you have any success?

 

There's no success my friend, only enlightenment.

 

success or failure is in the mind of the fool.

 

And i never follow recommendations nor commandments, i follow balanced ideas.

[Tibetan_Ice]

There's no success my friend, only enlightenment.

 

success or failure is in the mind of the fool.

 

And i never follow recommendations nor commandments, i follow balanced ideas.

Examples of small success in relative reality are:

1) being able to achieve samadhi.

2) being able to view an emotion and not react.

3) being able to focus the mind on one point and keep it there for an hour without distraction or spacing out

4) being able to view a thought without getting dragged into the content of the thought

5) not becoming excited when you find yourself in a totally new plane or reality.

 

Question: if you never follow recommendations why do you ask for them?

[InfiniteMind]

i ask for them for experimentation.

 

'success in relative reality' as you mention, is just YOUR own translation of what 'success' is to be.

you become judgamental polarizing success and failure, there's no success and failure.

 

'success' , i use this word for you to understand, is shape this 'relative reality' so that all sentient beings have a chance to see the 'truth'. e.g in plain English it is more 'successful' to help as many sentient beings as you can in this 'life' and guide them, than sit your ass 5 hours concentrating into the void.

 

from all the 5 examples you give: I I I I I. too much ego my friend there.

 

peace.

[Jeff]

i ask for them for experimentation.

 

'success in relative reality' as you mention, is just YOUR own translation of what 'success' is to be.

you become judgamental polarizing success and failure, there's no success and failure.

 

'success' , i use this word for you to understand, is shape this 'relative reality' so that all sentient beings have a chance to see the 'truth'. e.g in plain English it is more 'successful' to help as many sentient beings as you can in this 'life' and guide them, than sit your ass 5 hours concentrating into the void.

 

from all the 5 examples you give: I I I I I. too much ego my friend there.

 

peace.

 

How do you help sentient beings?

[InfiniteMind]

By:

 

1. changing and shaping my self to achieve balance with the surrounding world.

 

&

 

2.  not hurt them

 

when i say help, i mean physical help.

 

e.g help a poor family giving them some bread is better than sit and pray for them ONLY - (example of physical help)

 

i try to run these little humane errands everyday.