weird that money is holding me back....

[Pranaman]

It's practically impossible for me to find a spiritual counselor or teacher that doesn't cost money. money I don't have, taiji is already costing me 80 a month, and i'm not going to be able to afford that much longer probably.... I don't know what to do, I need a teacher, I need to go to a Goenka retreet dhamma.org or something, but I got taijiquan I need to keep up with. I don't know what to do, I guess i'll just save up and try to channel on through the rough patch till I find someone that can help me.

[dao zhen]

Mastery of money and being able to have independence in life due to the acquiring of money is one stage of our training and practice in these modern times.

 

Look at how to gain the money, what work or projects you could do, and take the steps.

 

You may be surprised at who you meet along the way, and what lessons and transformations take place.

 

It took me many years to make a relationship with money, and learn my lessons about it.

 

For me it helped to have a goal.

 

Save the money to support an advanced practice program in the future.

 

Use money as a tool to create independence and freedom from the confines of modern society.

 

Do not let money use you.

[Fire Dragon]

Hello an excelent book on positive thinking and money=Money love by Gillies

[Taiji Bum]

Mastery of money and being able to have independence in life due to the acquiring of money is one stage of our training and practice in these modern times.

 

Ain't that the truth. I am all about stuff like goal stetting and vision boards these days. I think its the Secret of the Golden Flower that starts out that you need a lot of money to start cultivating. True words.

 

There is always the option of just learning the basics like the eight energies, five elements and meditation and then going off into the woods to live for a few years.....

Edited July 12, 2008 by DarinHamel

[mjjbecker]

It's practically impossible for me to find a spiritual counselor or teacher that doesn't cost money. money I don't have, taiji is already costing me 80 a month, and i'm not going to be able to afford that much longer probably.... I don't know what to do, I need a teacher, I need to go to a Goenka retreet dhamma.org or something, but I got taijiquan I need to keep up with. I don't know what to do, I guess i'll just save up and try to channel on through the rough patch till I find someone that can help me.

 

Patience is part of the lesson.

[sheng zhen]

You can just tune in to the divine and make it reveal the teaching to you. No teacher og money required. A lot of people think that is the highest teaching

 

No, seriously, do what it takes to make the things you want happen. If it takes having a crappy job, or two or three crappy jobs at the same time, saving up all the money you can, no sugar, alkohol, sigarets or fanzy restaurats for years... if thats what it takes to get what you really really want, do it!

 

If you are lucky to get more lukurative options than a lot of crappy jobs, then take them

 

Just be shure to allways be open to the opportunities that are given you. Keep your goal clear in your mind and just observe what possibilities are presented to you, and dont hesitate to take them!

 

And there is allways meditations, practices and a lot of stuff that is free, or at least very cheap, that you can use to prepare yourself to the training you really want to do.

 

There is even a lot of people here that are willing to help you when you have questions. So no worries

[orb]

Mastery of money and being able to have independence in life due to the acquiring of money is one stage of our training and practice in these modern times.

 

Look at how to gain the money, what work or projects you could do, and take the steps.

 

You may be surprised at who you meet along the way, and what lessons and transformations take place.

 

It took me many years to make a relationship with money, and learn my lessons about it.

 

For me it helped to have a goal.

 

Save the money to support an advanced practice program in the future.

 

Use money as a tool to create independence and freedom from the confines of modern society.

 

Do not let money use you.

 

Nice post.

 

There are a few different ways to attain your spiritual goal. One way would be to leave everything and everybody behind and enter a monastery - it could be taoist, buddist, sufi etc.....- one doesn't need much money for that that's "the way of the monk". Another way would be to stay in the society in which case you need the money - because its the nature of the beast - you gotta pay your teacher - he needs to eat just like you do - so its a fair trade he's got smth you want, you gotta pay him in return - so YOU HAVE TO MAKE MONEY. Many people however, try to combine the two ways - Stay in the society and not produce any money - which is impossible - but since so many people are trying it, slowly we created a 3rd way - THE WAY OF THE BUM. We don't have the balls to leave everything behind and become monks, we don't want to work hard to make money either - so why don't we do nothing all day long besides our precious meditation and wait until something very tasty is going to fall straight into our bowl because somebody up there just infinitely and completely loves us !

Edited July 12, 2008 by orb

[Ryan T.]

It's practically impossible for me to find a spiritual counselor or teacher that doesn't cost money. money I don't have, taiji is already costing me 80 a month, and i'm not going to be able to afford that much longer probably.... I don't know what to do, I need a teacher, I need to go to a Goenka retreet dhamma.org or something, but I got taijiquan I need to keep up with. I don't know what to do, I guess i'll just save up and try to channel on through the rough patch till I find someone that can help me.

 

I know I am going to sound a little preachy here but I do think this is valid from what I have seen thus far...

 

You just recently started your T'ai-Chi practice along with quite a bit of other stuff, from what I have seen on this forum. It seems to me you are experiencing what many have experienced, I know I have and still do at times, which is the desire to collect more and more spiritual practices. I have seen this called "spiritual materialism". We try to collect as much as we can instead of really focusing on what we have and trying to perfect it.

 

I am guilty of this all the time. I have this huge longing to go full throttle into Liu Ho Ba Fa but in reality I have barely scratched the surface of T'ai-Chi. So I try to discipline myself with just my T'ai-Chi practice, a few body resistance exercises and meditation. That is actually quite a lot.

 

Save for what is important to you but analyze why these things are important.

 

Remember mastery is about the journey not the destination!

[Fire Dragon]

I know I am going to sound a little preachy here but I do think this is valid from what I have seen thus far...

 

You just recently started your T'ai-Chi practice along with quite a bit of other stuff, from what I have seen on this forum. It seems to me you are experiencing what many have experienced, I know I have and still do at times, which is the desire to collect more and more spiritual practices. I have seen this called "spiritual materialism". We try to collect as much as we can instead of really focusing on what we have and trying to perfect it.

 

I am guilty of this all the time. I have this huge longing to go full throttle into Liu Ho Ba Fa but in reality I have barely scratched the surface of T'ai-Chi. So I try to discipline myself with just my T'ai-Chi practice, a few body resistance exercises and meditation. That is actually quite a lot.

 

Save for what is important to you but analyze why these things are important.

 

Remember mastery is about the journey not the destination!

 

 

This sounds right

 

I am thinking about my teachers teacher who is a chinese that do zhing shen zhuang. In this system the thunder path I think. This is the first exercises to learn. You then might continue to other practises like breathing and others. But the chinese man that teach my teachers he does the physical qigong two times a day and have done o for perhaps 20 years, without moving on to te next level. And he is realy a master according to my teachers. He have sucheded alot in hes qigong. In this exercises ewerything else developes. So when you have found your form of exercise you realy not need to move on!

 

Interesting this. It is so dificult for us in modern time to hang on to one thing enough long time to have results.

 

F D

[Pranaman]

right now, all I do is tai chi. no meditations of any sort. but I am going to start seeing Eliza Carroll for counseling and healing. I'm sure she can direct me to a good meditation complimentary to my taiji. My taijiquan teacher had signups for an 80 dollar qigong and massage workshop. i wish i could have went. I have a question about taiji... when I am feeling weight hold my arms down or back or whatever, i am feeling chi do these things, yi is a form of chi manipulation? and when I move my foot through the space of weighted chi in my hands, does it at all affect the chakras in my feet?

[doc benway]

It's practically impossible for me to find a spiritual counselor or teacher that doesn't cost money. money I don't have, taiji is already costing me 80 a month, and i'm not going to be able to afford that much longer probably.... I don't know what to do, I need a teacher, I need to go to a Goenka retreet dhamma.org or something, but I got taijiquan I need to keep up with. I don't know what to do, I guess i'll just save up and try to channel on through the rough patch till I find someone that can help me.

What is it that you are looking for?

Isn't studying taiji enough for now?

How many pots do you want to be tending at one time?

You seem to be jumping around like a cricket on hot asphalt.

I would suggest that you try and settle the fire in your belly just a bit and try to focus your energy on a single practice for a time. Talk to your taiji teacher - have you told him how you feel? This would be a very good start, IMO.

I offer this advice in a spirit of support, concern, and respect.

[Pranaman]

What is it that you are looking for?

Isn't studying taiji enough for now?

How many pots do you want to be tending at one time?

You seem to be jumping around like a cricket on hot asphalt.

I would suggest that you try and settle the fire in your belly just a bit and try to focus your energy on a single practice for a time. Talk to your taiji teacher - have you told him how you feel? This would be a very good start, IMO.

I offer this advice in a spirit of support, concern, and respect.

 

I hope it's enough, I do not see very much happiness in my life anymore and i've been told to wait and see if standing and taiji will balance myself out over the months. So here I go, I still think a counselor would be a good person to talk to, cause the environment I learn taiji in doesn't contain the time to talk about such things. maybe when he knows i'm serious and I start working with the more up to date students.

[Spectrum]

I hope it's enough, I do not see very much happiness in my life anymore and i've been told to wait and see if standing and taiji will balance myself out over the months. So here I go, I still think a counselor would be a good person to talk to, cause the environment I learn taiji in doesn't contain the time to talk about such things. maybe when he knows i'm serious and I start working with the more up to date students.

 

Sometimes what comes out in an hour of practice/classtime can be more valuable than days on end of 'talking it out'. I'm not taking away from the value of working through things, especially when you can talk openly w/ someone you trust, or someone your paying to trust... but honestly, when you can break yourself down to appreication of the basics like food, water and good rest, through something simple like physical training...

 

... it could be as simple as getting a deeper breath than ever before.

 

Keep it up. Taiji is good to practice everyday because it's focus is not on faster/stronger. You can practice everyday, we eat, sleep and move around everday, we can practice everday, feel better everyday. Your learning to ride the natural highs and lows, taiji & chigung work with the bare essentials, starting from nothing.

 

Dave

Edited July 12, 2008 by Spectrum

[Oolong Rabbit]

I know I am going to sound a little preachy here but I do think this is valid from what I have seen thus far...

 

You just recently started your T'ai-Chi practice along with quite a bit of other stuff, from what I have seen on this forum. It seems to me you are experiencing what many have experienced, I know I have and still do at times, which is the desire to collect more and more spiritual practices. I have seen this called "spiritual materialism". We try to collect as much as we can instead of really focusing on what we have and trying to perfect it.

 

I am guilty of this all the time. I have this huge longing to go full throttle into Liu Ho Ba Fa but in reality I have barely scratched the surface of T'ai-Chi. So I try to discipline myself with just my T'ai-Chi practice, a few body resistance exercises and meditation. That is actually quite a lot.

 

Save for what is important to you but analyze why these things are important.

 

Remember mastery is about the journey not the destination!

 

There was a famous master of the internal arts who had mastered several styles/systems. When asked if he would have done anything differently if he had it to do all over again, he said yes. He would have focused on only one style. Less is often more, and you are better off doing 1 thing well than several things half-assed.

 

BTW Hua Na Da,

 

Ironically, I have the exact same issue as when it comes to Tai Chi and Liu He Ba Fa .

[rain]

FireDragons answer really touched me.

you got to change perspective. Look at how the people around you move. there is ALWAYS someone in your environment who move in a particuar way to show you the key to your next level. it may be so simple as to NOT move like they do, but do the opposite.

 

Sometimes it is about slowing down....

we tend to think we need more to get more..haha..but it is the other way around. you bounced offf somehere due to personal translation and fear. I bet you started to compare. I get stuck in it. the blindspot. soo dense. haha.

 

but money, gee...if you are not afraid to be a materalist..haha..if you laugh of it all..and truly understand the essential meaning of creating, not only clinging to the aspiration of ascending spiritually..you will be blessed with the material means to choose.

[Pranaman]

Sometimes what comes out in an hour of practice/classtime can be more valuable than days on end of 'talking it out'. I'm not taking away from the value of working through things, especially when you can talk openly w/ someone you trust, or someone your paying to trust... but honestly, when you can break yourself down to appreication of the basics like food, water and good rest, through something simple like physical training...

 

... it could be as simple as getting a deeper breath than ever before.

 

Keep it up. Taiji is good to practice everyday because it's focus is not on faster/stronger. You can practice everyday, we eat, sleep and move around everday, we can practice everday, feel better everyday. Your learning to ride the natural highs and lows, taiji & chigung work with the bare essentials, starting from nothing.

 

Dave

 

should I practice the form everyday? right now i'm only doing standing, and conditioning.

[Ryan T.]

should I practice the form everyday? right now i'm only doing standing, and conditioning.

 

Yes, do form every day! Dedicate yourself to doing at least a full round of your form a day(I personally do the Yang 150 posture form circa Master T.T. Liang twice a day) and you will reap great benefits.

 

You can also break your form down into very small pieces. Do it fast, do it slow. Go for smooth, go for detail. There is so much in T'ai-Chi Ch'uan. It is so huge. Once you get into weapons and push-hands and san-shou there will plenty for you to do. Learn your whole form as taught, then teach yourself the mirror of that form. We T'ai-Chi practitioners have a lot on our plates!

[Gerard]

It's practically impossible for me to find a spiritual counselor or teacher that doesn't cost money. money I don't have, taiji is already costing me 80 a month, and i'm not going to be able to afford that much longer probably.... I don't know what to do, I need a teacher, I need to go to a Goenka retreet dhamma.org or something, but I got taijiquan I need to keep up with. I don't know what to do, I guess i'll just save up and try to channel on through the rough patch till I find someone that can help me.

 

Taijiquan is an excellent Qigong. Why don't you practice some sort of quiet sitting meditation to complement it? You can practice alone and if you need guidance come here and we will help you as much as we can. I also know a Yahoo group run by a Mahayanist with over 30 yrs of experience: Jeff Brooks. If you are interested I can send you the link. He will help you as much as time allows him.

 

Have you tried a retreat by yourself? Like buying a tent and going to the wilderness alone for a period of time. One week makes wonders.

 

I prefer lonely retreats as recently I attended a short retreat at a Buddhist monastery in the West which caused me to leave early due to noise (I had to put up with it during my meditations ) and religious matters. I rather ascetic practices without having to resort to deities, celebrations and all that jazz. This is something I am not very fond of the Mahayana tradition.

 

Anyway, good luck.

[mjjbecker]

I hope it's enough, I do not see very much happiness in my life anymore and i've been told to wait and see if standing and taiji will balance myself out over the months. So here I go, I still think a counselor would be a good person to talk to, cause the environment I learn taiji in doesn't contain the time to talk about such things. maybe when he knows i'm serious and I start working with the more up to date students.

 

You see what you choose to see. Your misery is in your head. It is how you choose to see the world.

 

Stop a while and think about the MANY good things in your life.

 

It can be difficult to get out of the kind of mental rut you are in, (I've been there myself).

 

Some things to think about.

 

You were born in the richest country the world has ever seen. You complain about your lack of choices, but at least you have some. Do a google search on Darfur, or child labour, or poverty. Take your pick. The world has no shortage of misery and lacking.

 

You are neither physically or mentally disabled. You have your limbs and your use of them. Think of how your life would be if you didn't. You have your mental faculties. Think about the poor souls who do not.

 

I'm not saying this to shame you in any way, just asking that you take a look at what you have, what most of the world hasn't, and then maybe you will get out of bed every day and thank Heaven for your blessings.

 

You are looking for information? You have the greatest tool the world has ever seen-the internet. You want guidance? YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE WORLDS GREATEST MINDS AT THE TOUCH OF A FEW BUTTONS.

 

You can access information on all of the worlds religions and philosophies. There are countless hours of reading, of timeless wisdom just waiting for you to investigate.

 

How can you say don't have access to a spiritual counsellor or teacher? Since you are posting here it is clear you can read. Go and do some.

 

You see, by your situation fate is simply putting the onus on YOU to have this time to yourself to do your own study. At the right time teachers DO appear. Don't sit around waiting for someone to lead you by the hand because it is not likely to happen.

 

As others have said, you've found a martial arts teacher. If you SERIOUSLY apply yourself to this then it will keep you plenty busy. If you don't feel you want to or its not the right thing for you, do something else.

 

You have MANY choices. Maybe your problem is you have TOO many. It is the illness of modern man that he has so much leisure time it leads to boredom and apathy.

 

Get reading, get researching, go to libraries, visit second hand bookshops, write a list of all the good things in your life that you take for granted, (health, family, education, nationality, the fact you are alive now and not in the Middle Ages, or during WW2 when you would have been drafted to go off and fight a war), and each night before you go to bed and in the morning when you get up, read that list.

 

Don't tell me what you can't do. Tell me what you can. Everyone here is happy to help you, but you must shoulder the burden of your own responsibility.

 

'Do not wait; the time will never be "just right." Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along'.

Napoleon Hill

 

Believe me when I say those words of advice by Napoleon Hill are some of the best you will every read. To sum it up for the Nike Generation, 'Just Do It!'

 

Best,

 

Mike

[Pranaman]

i've only been practicing taiji for a month and half so I only know about the first minute or two of the full form, this is why I wonder if i should even practice it because I don't want to practice the wrong movement over and over again. But I will do what I know and try to correct myself. Anyway there are many things I am grateful for, i will pay more attention to them. But i am emotionally numb, i'm not very exciting, social, or funny. Social situations just make me uncomfortable and awkward regardless of the situation. this is all my choice, especially since I never used to be like this, but what can I do but do my best and do it right now? That's why the ONLY thing I do is study the mystic world and work at what my teacher has given me to work at.

 

My world model seems little, I don't understand the way I am, and I used to not understand people that are like the way I am now. Karma?

 

The internet has alot of information. I go very far into it's depths. But how does that compare to the vibration of another soul directly helping me out?

[Spectrum]

should I practice the form everyday? right now i'm only doing standing, and conditioning.

 

After standing and conditioning is a great time to practice form, you're essentially 'warmed up' for it at that point and the body will naturally correct many "mistakes" that are really just postural kinks getting worked out... this is also connected to why 'standing' is a foundation exercise, as the basic wuji posture manifests in all the taiji movements. A little bit each day it better than a lot once a week. After standing start S L O W...

 

But i am emotionally numb, i'm not very exciting, social, or funny. Social situations just make me uncomfortable and awkward regardless of the situation. this is all my choice, especially since I never used to be like this, but what can I do but do my best and do it right now? That's why the ONLY thing I do is study the mystic world and work at what my teacher has given me to work at.

 

If you continue in your martial arts training you will get over it. Keep it up. Push Hands. Conditioning. Work on memorizing your form (that is also concentration training that counters monkey mind) Careful w/ "escapism". These worlds are VERY connected, focus on the PHYSICAL benefits of your training and not 'escape' through mystical experience. FEEL what is going on in your body, enjoy the benefits of a healthier lifestyle, you deserve it! As you progress new doorways of experience will naturally open for you.

 

Regards,

 

Dave

[mouse]

Pranaman,

 

I hope you take on board these comments. I started an account to answer your question.

 

Dhamma (the truth) is free.

 

Taiji can be used for the path to liberation by keeping mindfulness on the body as well as letting go. Concept of 'Song' in taiji is not really looseness in its direct translation. Mandarin has many conoctations for every word depending on situation and context.

 

'Song' actually means letting go. Thoughts are energy, physical tension is energy locked up/muscle tension. Throughout your form, if taught correctly, there should be a rising of energy up one leg and down the other; what we would call rooting. normally in the rear foot. The issue or 'fa jing' happens when the energy is received (Yield). sent to the ground (Neutralised), then sent under the opponent cutting off their energetic root to the ground. (Issue/Fajing)

 

The whole process requires 'song' or active relaxation in order for the kinetic energy to flow down into the ground and under and past your opponent. This process can be utilised for training of mindfulness of body as well as letting go.

 

The practice is a paradox in a sense. We practice because of attachment to liberation. The difference is that this attachment leads to the end of attachment. Other practices that train the storing of energy are in my opinion not worth pursuing.

 

The only thing worth storing is Light.

 

Storing energy is unhealthy and magnifies emotions leading to unstable states. Energy is all around you and can be manipulated without storing.

 

Will not be easy finding genuine Taiji teachers to teach without a fee unless you are a disciple.

 

I would suggest

Heaven Man Earth Taiji for reference for proper Taiji.

 

However, meditation is free, the guidance of a genuine teacher is hard to come by and depends on your karma. If your intentions are in the right place, one will manifest for you.

 

Having said that, simple instruction for meditation is very simple. I will point you in the direction of this website as it is the best resource online for Dhamma.

 

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/lee/startsmall.html

 

Proper instruction for meditation becomes important at the higher stages where your concentration reaches higher Jhanic states.

 

Everyone has their preference but if you would like to seek out a forest monastry, it is a step in the right direction. I have not much experience in other practices but if I am not wrong, the "quan2 zhen1" or "complete reality" sect for Taoism and the Mahamudra for Vajrayana Buddhism are all based on the same concepts only in different clothing.

 

I wish you well in your practice.

[Mal]

[mjjbecker]

[mjjbecker]

Pranaman,

 

I hope you take on board these comments. I started an account to answer your question.

 

Other practices that train the storing of energy are in my opinion not worth pursuing.

 

The only thing worth storing is Light.

 

Storing energy is unhealthy and magnifies emotions leading to unstable states. Energy is all around you and can be manipulated without storing.

 

Will not be easy finding genuine Taiji teachers to teach without a fee unless you are a disciple.

 

 

 

Modest fellow aren't you...

 

Your comments on taiji and energy storing are wrong. That is unless you know more than Chen Xiao Wang and the late Wang Peisheng on this matter?

 

The storing of energy in the dantien is a fundamental part of taijiquan, according to the esteemed Grandmasters of the art I cite above. Chen is the head of the Chen family art and Wang was the head of the Beijing Wu family art.

 

I know people who have studied under these lineages and masters, so I am not quoting 'Inside Kung Fu' here.

 

How about I cite one of Beijing's most revered Bagua masters as well?

 

"Without Neigong all Bagua techniques are good for nothing and there is no use to practice them."

 

http://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/bagua/machuanxu.html

 

What would he know? He is only president of the Beijing Baguazhang Research Association.

 

To become the disciple of Chinese martial arts masters it is common practise to pay a large sum of money. Yes, I know this from experience and on more than one occasion. It is part of the culture. Given your eagerness to explain to us ignorant sorts your knowledge of the Chinese language and culture, I would have thought you would know that.

 

So, let me see. I've been accepted into three separate esoteric traditions, all of which contained neigong. The combined knowledge of those schools exceeds three thousand years. The teachers I've met can back up what they say with demonstrations.

 

I live in China also.

 

Do feel free to site you sources to back up your claims. If they can trump mine I will be more than happy to acknowledge it. Can you do better than two taijiquan grandmasters and a bagua master?

 

Best,

 

Mike