Kunlun follow up poll

[Guest winpro07]

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Edited April 11, 2009 by winpro07

[mgd]

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Edited April 13, 2009 by mgd

[Guest winpro07]

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Edited April 11, 2009 by winpro07

[mgd]

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Edited April 13, 2009 by mgd

[Guest winpro07]

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Edited April 11, 2009 by winpro07

[Aetherous]

Yeah.

[Taomeow]

A few thoughts if nobody minds...

 

"Forced" vs. "spontaneous" is a false distinction for all practical purposes. Our "spontaneous" is abnormal due to the fact we weren't conceived, carried in the womb, born, raised in any natural spontaneous manner in any natural spontaneous environments. (Taoism has a vast chapter dealing with the proper way to prepare and handle a human being to be whole before he or she is conceived even, and certainly during the mother's pregnancy and labor, and in the early developmental, "imprinting" times -- and it is a far cry from what is done in modern times. A child conceived, carried and born in a mindful natural manner is conscious from the start and remains so. This kind of spontaneity we don't even dream of because we don't know what we're missing. Similar practices existed in all indigenous tribes, only 'civilized' people abandoned them and turned a young developing human being into an unconscious "object of handling," whose spontaneity, as a result, is limited to a fraction of a percent of what it really is for a member of our species -- from the start, and typically till the end.) As a result, what we mistake for "spontaneity" as adults is really a bunch of unconscious knee-jerk responses to all the abnormalities of our developmental history, responses as forced as can be -- but forced below the level of conscious awareness. E.g., the "spontaneous" inability of an adult to voluntarily move his or her intercostal (between the ribs) muscles and the bones of the skull is thought of as "normal" -- medical texts state so! -- but it ain't! So if a practice restores this one normal ability, out of many-many-many we're missing, via methods that "don't feel natural and spontaneous" in our current book, in our current (drastically curtailed) comfort zone -- is it a "forced practice?" or, rather, a "force to use so as to overcome the force that counteracts spontaneity?.."

 

Duh...

 

If we modern urbanites go with only what "feels natural and spontaneous" to us (sic!), we will degenerate into mere appendages of our machines in no time. What DOES "natural" feel like to a baby hooked up to machines and interacting with machines before, during, after birth and for most of the rest of her life?.. What DOES "spontaneous" feel like to a child immobilized for most of her waking life in a crib, in a classroom, in an office?.. What DOES "un-forced" mean to someone who has never forced herself to do the impossible to save a loved one from this mechanical predicament?..

 

What does "forced" mean to someone whose definition of "spontaneous" is "my current comfort zone?" One's current comfort zone is usually so far removed from what "spontaneous" really is that investing into maintaining that is an investment into being a simple machine appendage -- no extra buttons please, I'm happy as it is, spontaneous as can be! Is that all you can be spontaneously, modern urbanite?.. Sheesh!..

 

And... I don't mean harmful forced practices aren't out there and aren't out to get you --

what I mean is, few modern people are equipped to tell the difference between a harmful forced and a beneficial spontaneous... So I guess this is a call to humility... You don't know because you aren't equipped to know. So just don't assume you do out of your current comfort zone --

 

don't assume you do, I mean the generic "you," not anyone personally...

[Taomeow]

oh but I haven't responded to Yoda's actual question...

 

I ran into something stronger recently and had to put kunlun et al on hold, but I'll get back to it, see how it mixes and matches with this one. Before, practices from Max were mixing/matching with my prior practices very well (I particularly liked RP in full lotus). The current thing, however, is too strong to interfere with in any way, I have zero control over its unfolding and it has to be this way for a while. So my response is, with continuing/discontinuing kunlun, "it depends on what you run into while at it." Ironically, "something stronger" and altogether different that I ran into was inspired by kunlun, so whatever you run into might be connected... as well as whatever you run from.

[sahaj]

Has anyone had the experience of Kunlun dampening their sexual urge? I was feeling that it seems to displace the sexual energy at the genitals to the whole body. Not really less sexual but not focused on the genitals as much. Any thoughts?

[joeblast]

No sage words here. I continue to practice

[fiveelementtao]

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Edited October 14, 2009 by fiveelementtao

[宁]

Great post Taomeow

[Yoda]

Ironically, "something stronger" and altogether different that I ran into was inspired by kunlun, so whatever you run into might be connected... as well as whatever you run from.

 

True!

 

Feelings of devotion and otherworldly creepy vibes put me into a vampire flick mindset. At first I found all this to be entertaining but as the months clicked by I found myself running out of cash and strangely didn't really care... things along those lines hinted that I needed a change of pace.

 

Meanwhile a fellow kunlunie encountered some potentially serious problems from it and got fast acting help from Mak Tin Si.

 

I was still happy with the practice but felt that I must have made a wrong turn somewhere and hoped that Mak Tin Si could help me tweak my practice a bit. But in the end I decided it would be best just to drop it.

[seadog]

Yoda if you had added a "too creepy" to your poll I would have definitely ticked that box.All I can say is there is some serious vodoo behind the Kunlun practice and every fibre of my being said don't go there.

[Mal]

[Taomeow]

Thanks, Little1!

 

Yoda if you had added a "too creepy" to your poll I would have definitely ticked that box.All I can say is there is some serious vodoo behind the Kunlun practice and every fibre of my being said don't go there.

 

I've studied vodoo some, not practiced, just studied from books (so I guess the correct way to say it is "I studied 'about' vodoo") and I found no parallels with kunlun. Most vodoo practices, unlike the movie versions thereof, are about inviting spirits and deities (Loa) to possess you. In this, one could say that vodoo, despite its many similarities with shamanism, is the opposite of most shamanic practices (with exceptions like the fierce Yanomamo tribe's tradition that is similar to vodoo in that the spirits are encouraged to 'reside' in your inner dwelling, 'shabono,' permanently) -- in "classical" shamanism, you invite spirits and deities in order to 'possess' them, not vice versa. Same deal with taoist Magical practices -- you do invite spirits and deities, sometimes scores of them, to your ceremony or practice, but the goal is to either venerate them or strike a deal when you need their help, not to let them inhabit and control you (which is why you perform a closing ritual and if you do it right, they will all leave till the next invitation). Is this what you mean by vodoo? -- spirits taking residence in you via kunlun? Or do you mean the zombying practices of vodoo? These are very marginal and rare (unlike in the movies) not only in vodoo but in all other traditions of power, each of which has its methods of zombying (the CIA too... and -- gasp -- buddhism too...), but the fact a tradition has them doesn't mean a practitioner will use them, because karmic repercussions are not mild, and a practitioner of power has to be an exception rather than the rule in order to "go there," regardless of the tradition. What makes you think Max went there?

Edited April 8, 2009 by Taomeow

[Mal]

[mgd]

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Edited April 13, 2009 by mgd

[Taomeow]

[mgd]

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Edited April 13, 2009 by mgd

[Aetherous]

All I can say is there is some serious vodoo behind the Kunlun practice and every fibre of my being said don't go there.

 

It's good to listen to those fibres.

[Guest winpro07]

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Edited April 11, 2009 by winpro07

[Sloppy Zhang]

As someone who hasn't practiced Kunlun, I find it amazing that there are some people that have talked about super positive things they got from it, but there is another group that talks about how freaky it can get

 

I mean it's one thing for people to say a practice isn't for them, but some of this stuff is getting pretty serious

 

It makes me wonder about what coming in the mail for me....

[Guest winpro07]

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Edited April 11, 2009 by winpro07

[mgd]

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Edited April 13, 2009 by mgd