Mal Posted December 8, 2007 i had a desire to smoke pot, and i did. i loved it, it opened my mind up and actually i'm pretty sure i got into spirituality because of it, but then there came a point where i realized i gotta let go since i'm not getting anything more out if it, i knew this through experience not through listening to those 'this is your brain on drugs' commercials. you gotta know what it is first before you let go of it  Well said. Personally I'm still getting something out of it & it's all mostly positive  but i assure you it's much easier to just experience experience experience until the very core of your being knows, feels, and understands i simply do not believe in indulging in the hedonistic pleasures of life only to later say i've mastered them. i prefer to master first and then proceed with caution.   Both approaches work, one is not better than the other but suitability & appeal will vary between people. i.e. For me the path chosen by Mantis would be too difficult to stick with and I would fail.  Cool discussion, keep it coming .............. err Happening  p.s. Glad it's the weekend and I didn't run the naked video at work !!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mantis Posted December 8, 2007 (edited) I often wonder as an old man what will I look back on most favourably.Making love to beautiful,passionate women,is going to be right up there with laughter with family and friends,wonderful pets I have known,surfing big waves and eating good food made with love.The only reason any of us are here is because our parents had sex plain and simple.We are the miracle of such lustful behaviour. Â i am in no way down bringing sex; you can have sex without the presence of lust and it is encouraged and necessary on the spiritual path i'm on. Â you don't tell a fat person to eat their heart out so they can overcome overeating, why? because they are addicted and the next day they will resume. they may not want to eat for a little while because they're full at the moment, giving the impression they've conquered their obese ways; it will be the most attractive diet until you gain even more weight. Edited December 8, 2007 by mantis Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
seadog Posted December 9, 2007 i am in no way down bringing sex; you can have sex without the presence of lust and it is encouraged and necessary on the spiritual path i'm on. Â you don't tell a fat person to eat their heart out so they can overcome overeating, why? because they are addicted and the next day they will resume. they may not want to eat for a little while because they're full at the moment, giving the impression they've conquered their obese ways; it will be the most attractive diet until you gain even more weight. Indeed its all about balance. I fully respect and wish you the greatest success in your endevour. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eric23 Posted December 9, 2007 I often wonder as an old man what will I look back on most favourably.Making love to beautiful,passionate women,is going to be right up there with laughter with family and friends,wonderful pets I have known,surfing big waves and eating good food made with love.The only reason any of us are here is because our parents had sex plain and simple.We are the miracle of such lustful behaviour.  Instants  by Jorge Luis Borges   If I could live again my life, In the next - I'll try, - to make more mistakes, I won't try to be so perfect, I'll be more relaxed, I'll be more full - than I am now, In fact, I'll take fewer things seriously, I'll be less hygenic, I'll take more risks, I'll take more trips, I'll watch more sunsets, I'll climb more mountains, I'll swim more rivers, I'll go to more places - I've never been, I'll eat more ice creams and less (lime) beans, I'll have more real problems - and less imaginary ones, I was one of those people who live prudent and prolific lives - each minute of his life, Offcourse that I had moments of joy - but, if I could go back I'll try to have only good moments, If you don't know - thats what life is made of, Don't lose the now! I was one of those who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, without a hot-water bottle, and without an umberella and without a parachute, If I could live again - I will travel light, If I could live again - I'll try to work bare feet at the beginning of spring till the end of autumn, I'll ride more carts, I'll watch more sunrises and play with more children, If I have the life to live - but now I am 85, - and I know that I am dying ...  Someone shared this with me and it struck a chord, thought I'd pass it along Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sean Posted December 9, 2007 I think we are treading into an age old hedonism vs. asceticism debate here. I suggest that conscious indulgence, really even unconscious overindulgence, can lead to a direct perception of unsatisfactoriness which in turn can awaken a very natural renunciation of compulsion. Now the specifics of how this plays out may vary wildly, but I would argue that this indulgence-dissatisfaction-evolution cycle is at the heart of progress even in a monastic setting. I imagine a monk indulging in precious pleasurable developments in meditation over and over and over and over until the unsatisfactoriness is finally seen through and the mind moves on. Seeing human beings as possessing an overall hedonistic temperament is perhaps closer to human nature, and the whole arc of spiritual seeking and evolution can be seen as increased desire for deeper and more sustainable pleasure ultimately climaxing in an unspeakable (non)resolution. Â Sean Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mantis Posted December 9, 2007 humans are animals with intellect, you can choose to do what you wish. i don't think monks "indulge" in anything, they are constantly reminded to not pay attention to physical sensations and they live a very bland life. the animalistic portion of the mind does want to continually feel pleasure and always have climax but that is physically impossible - you will never satisfy the want or need for pleasure; this is why hedonism is blasphemous. Â i'd see my spiritual resolution as going back into the 4th dimension, eden. from my basic understanding humans have been taken off of of auto-evolve and placed on manual, giving you two options. you can de-evolve (welcome to numerous mental ailments that did not exist back when) or evolve into a real man with an awakened consciousness. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sean Posted December 9, 2007 i don't think monks "indulge" in anything, they are constantly reminded to not pay attention to physical sensations and they live a very bland life.I've never heard of a meditative discipline that constantly reminds it's students to not pay attention to physical sensations. Can you give me an example of this? Sean Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mantis Posted December 9, 2007 (edited) paying attention and indulging in them are two very different things. buddhists are mindful, not obsessive. Edited December 9, 2007 by mantis Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sean Posted December 9, 2007 paying attention and indulging in them are two very different things. buddhists are mindful, not obsessive. Mantis you said, quote, "they are constantly reminded to not pay attention to physical sensations and they live a very bland life". Â I think you are also misinterpreting my point. I am simply say, indulgence exists, compulsions occur. These are facts and monks are not automatically free of these attachments simply because they enter a monastery and take a vow. They have to work through them like anyone. I suggest that the process looks very much like indulgence-dissatisfaction-evolution for them as well, the key difference being, as you said, mindfulness. This is what makes Buddhism arguably a faster path then just letting nature take it's course. Regardless, I believe we are all perfected through time eventually, and this is a historically Taoist view. The alcoholic will eventually become wise (or die), even without a mindfulness practice, because the alcohol will eventually prove so deeply unsatisfying, something less painful will be chosen. The wonderful thing about reality is that the truth is less painful and requires less effort than delusion. Â Sean Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mantis Posted December 9, 2007 (edited) it was a play on words, you first said  I imagine a monk indulging in precious pleasurable developments in meditation over and over and over and over until the unsatisfactoriness is finally seen through and the mind moves on.  i said i don't think monks indulge and you replied with  I've never heard of a meditative discipline that constantly reminds it's students to not pay attention to physical sensations. Can you give me an example of this?  in which i said paying attention and indulgence are two different things; you changed your wording and that's where the confusion is stemming from.  you can eventually evolve from being an animal for thousands of years but why do it? alcohol is bad, so why drink? overindulgence is bad, so why indulge? train to free your mind and liberate yourself. i prefer one tough life than a thousand in which i have no mind and progressively destroy myself less and less. i think you have it twisted too, if reality was easy none of us would have an ego.  in the end, however, this argument has no merit. no one is right or wrong as the two paths will eventually get you where you want to go. one takes considerably longer and my personal opinion is that it's for the laggard who is heavily rapped in the physical realm. we are in the age of kali yuga, those who are going to ascend will and the rest will wait thousands of years for their time to rise.  Most interpretations of Hindu scriptures believe that earth is currently in Kali Yuga, though others believe that earth is now at the beginning of Dvapara Yuga. Hindus believe that human civilization degenerates spiritually throughout the Kali Yuga: it is mostly referred to as the Dark Age, mainly because people are the furthest possible from God. The description of Kali Yuga given below is an indication of its interpretive relevance in our current worldly existence.  quote from wikipedia. influx in atheism, sure, i'd say people are distancing themselves from god. Edited December 9, 2007 by mantis Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sean Posted December 9, 2007 Yes, I think we are playing with words mostly, I don't think we fundamentally disagree. Though I think my unconscious slip talking about a monk "indulging in precious pleasurable developments" and yours talking about a monk that should "not pay attention to physical sensations" probably highlights a shadow in each of our practices or at least to how we philosophize about this stuff. Â Sean Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yiqili Posted December 9, 2007 Hey y'all. I've been doing the "100 days". Today would have been day 7 for me. Oops. Oh well. Was going great, mostly refraining. Then the old thought and feelings creepin' in. That's okay, then retaining. But today went a little too long and lost it. Again, no big deal. But my question is this: Â now, after the event, my boys hurt. not so much hurt, but pressure, or rather feel "worked" like after a marathon session with someone new after ejaculating many times in one night. Â overall, uncomfortable. I'm anticipating everything fine tomorrow. Â I try to redirect but don't know if i'm doing it in a healthy way. Â thought, suggestion? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mantis Posted December 10, 2007 today is my 8th day, no problems whatsoever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gendao Posted December 10, 2007 (edited) Edited December 10, 2007 by vortex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mantra68 Posted December 10, 2007 Or maybe I'm too skeptical and he's really not misguidedly exploiting the "spiritual guru" role as a guise for satisfying baser self-interests? The good thing about this forum is it gives people a chance to explain their methods and goals and benefits. So I met this man and I liked him. I did not get a "sleazy" vibe at all. Â He has real ability and is doing good work. Â Also, I understand that he is not teaching Kunlun on his own. He simply shared the practice with some friends. Â Big relief for us as my knee-jerk reaction is to warn folks. Â For those interested in Tantric practices, he can share a lot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gendao Posted December 10, 2007 ^ That's cool then. Â Although he did teach it in a 2-day workshop that he appears to normally charge $285 AUD for. Â But as long as you're cool with it all. Â As you say, until you've actually met someone and know a bit about them, no sense in making snap judgments from a few glimpses... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Uncle Fester Posted December 14, 2007 (edited) . Edited September 19, 2021 by darebak Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
White Turtle Posted December 15, 2007 Hi all, tried doing 100 days celibacy for kunlun but after 5 weeks it didnt feel like any benefits were showing in my practise. That is until i had sex and nearly blew my head off the energy went straight up my back and i cudnt stop laughing! Best thing is my practice since has been getting better, must have got rid of some blockages methinks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mal Posted December 15, 2007 darebak, White Turtle, Thanks for the info. Â Mantis, nice 1. Feel any different? 8 days seems to be my "cycle" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mantis Posted December 15, 2007 well last time i attempted celibacy i had an error 1 day before the 2nd week. i guess i'm improving. Â only thing i've noticed is that i had pretty bad back pain 2 days ago which may or may not have been related to retention. my little sister gladly assisted in that though by standing on my back and moving around, what else are little sisters good for? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mantis Posted December 19, 2007 19 days and i'm still dry, is anyone else doing this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mal Posted December 19, 2007 Yes, sort of, but my number is a lot less than 19. At the moment it's 2 Â Glad we have 6mts ~ 12 mts to get to 100 days Share this post Link to post Share on other sites