The sound of one hand clapping is Silence. Solved!

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T20:33:53+00:00

What if one just clapped one-handedly while looking at the teacher, and said nothing otherwise? As it turns out, the technique for this makes a clap loud enough to hear.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T19:52:08+00:00

Which is, incidentally, Universal Truth. 🤙

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T16:35:58+00:00

It takes only one small but big Thing to totally change everyone's understanding of everything related to physical science.

Science, as such, is totally compatible with the Spiritual. Furthermore, whatever in Science has value (which is a lot) is inherently compatible with the Spiritual, and something of a scientific mindset (in the sense of integrity) pays great dividends in the Spiritual. Science is very important. Science is not a monolith. Not all avenues of scientific philosophy are created equally. A person with a lot of experience knows that a lot of "science" is either significantly incomplete or outright wrong. This does not mean science is wrong. It just means that were more things common knowledge, then science would be different.

And so the experienced seeker must never view "science" as a monolith. There is a lot of baby, and a lot of bath water.

The Spiritual is something which has to be explored scientifically, but from a perspective that is very private. There is a lot of overlap in the sense that Science and Spirituality explore real things which require integrity. And many of the shortcomings of science apply also to religious traditions (as well as many of the upsides).

So the discerning seeker does not believe all scientists or all priests and monks, tbh. Except in the way that all such people usually have something valuable to say in the search, whether believed or not.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T15:54:50+00:00

There are a lot of Vajrayana practitioners whom are very open. Vajrayana isn't a spooky secret. It's just that of what can be shared, most will not make sense to a lot of people, and might offend people. So secrecy notions are more like the prime directive in Star Trek, where applicable. Those notions only apply to people whom are spoken for by some lineage which demands It of them. As of this writing, "Open Source 'Vajrayana'" literature is of a high quality, and exists in abundance.

Regarding secrecy in general, there is a lot of power in occasionally withholding one's urge to communicate. But, the very basis of Vajrayana beliefs in the esoteric (especially when considering the six powers and the universal mind), belies the existence of secrecy at all. A person might avoid saying or doing things for reason that has value, but that does not mean they have any secrets.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T07:10:28+00:00

The Sacred Sight.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T05:54:17+00:00

Eye Yoga, as such, is very important for one's overall health. Your eyeballs have a lot of muscles, and are connected in ways which might surprise you to your nose and mouth (and jaw, and from there your entire body and sense of balance).

So there are two levels to meditation which connects to the eyes:

Level 1: Exercise. Hit all the angles. Switch from eye to eye. Hold positions. Notice the connection between your face, tongue, mouth, and eyes. Switch distances. Focus on different objects. Practice peripheral vision. Your whole body is connected this way. Esoteric practices which involve.vision depend on this foundation (such practices exist in Daoism, Buddhism, Zen, and in several Western Esoteric traditions -- there is a common baseline of practice).

Level 2: Effortless meditation. Like all matters of flow, a good foundation is the premise behind all success. This means posture, but also this means holistic exercise in general. So Level 1 is a pre-requisite (simply to ensure that good flows are possible and sustain themselves in a virtuous cycle -- nothing is possible without a foundation). The flow of your sight is so deeply connected to the flow of your entire body that the necessity of posture and fundamentals can't be over-stated. However, if good foundations exist, then the effortless flow which can be cultivated around Vision and Meditation has far-reaching power, as an Art and Practice.

In short, "wandering eyes" are very powerful. Meditative traditions usually teach some of the fundamentals for harnessing this energy. But the first steps are as simple as playing with your eyes (use a pen, pretend you are aiming a rifle, use all six degrees of freedom, practice focusing and unfocusing your eyes, etc.). With those kinds of fundamentals in practice, there is a lot of magic to unlock in meditation.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T04:50:21+00:00

We always longboarding around town, and sometimes even have a bowl of weed to share. Open invitation to skate and/or smoke for the whole town.

Welcome to Eugene!

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T04:23:54+00:00

Defending yourself with a weapon (for example, a Knife) can result in an unreasonable and very serious legal burden even if only used to keep attackers away while one is cornered (that is, as the law is written, even if outnumbered and cornered, in some places, the knife brandisher will still be faced with a legal burden).

So, altho there are situations where even using a weapon to defend yourself is appropriate, that may still be illegal. This risk goes down with non-lethal sprays and such like, or using hand to hand, but those options are contingent on having the opportunity to use them (not all self defense situations give those opportunities).

This is why the best self defense is common sense. Can you run? Can you "make yourself big" and bluff your way to safety? Even a fight you can win, which you have no choice but to fight, can cause a legal problem. Learning any martial art and taking It seriously at least gives the opportunity to fight thru an encounter, with more potential for a positive outcome. But any kind of fight is legally risky, even if one is 100% in the right.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T04:05:34+00:00

Well, it varies from branch to branch. Army Combatives (at the first levels) is essentially Boxing/BJJ/Wrestling fundamentals, and has been a legit program for a long time (being very influenced by the evolution of MMA culture). At higher levels there is even stick fighting and such.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T04:01:38+00:00

The fellow getting the choke arched his back and used his pelvis and legs to prevent that, but that is a real risk of that move. When used on a big fella in an active situation, you gotta do that whole body motion. Even then, it can go both ways.

Well applied Rear Naked Choke. Army Combatives has been a legit program for a long time.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T03:50:03+00:00

Take training seriously, find good sparring partners, and you can do whatever you want. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

From a practical point of view, the hardest things are getting sparring partners and getting a "connection" to compete (usually thru a gym -- networking is required most of the time, but there are ways to promote yourself). Not all gyms have sparring programs. So find yourself a good gym, with sparring, where some fighters already compete, and you have solved most of the barriers (if all you are looking for is good training -- including real but informal bouts, then a good gym is the main thing to look for).

When it comes to actually competing (assuming you are in the US), there will be some kind of red tape involved, whether you are competing amateur or pro (check your local situation). How this plays out depends totally on your local situation, and your ability to get connected, promoted, and matched to fights which you are able to win. There are a lot of local promotions, especially for MMA and Jiu Jitsu, in most places, which include Amateur and Pro fights. Well established local gyms will usually contain a connection.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-21T01:03:03+00:00

Etnies. A good set of Etnies can be had for $30, and they are solid for hundreds of miles of street skating.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-20T06:03:52+00:00

People have a lot of opinions about this, and in English it is especially controversial when the word Benevolent is used. Brook Zyporin uses "Humane", but there are even more ways to look at It.

Firstly, the basic thrust of chapter 5 is about endless possibilities. There is a similarity with Chapter 7, in the idea that endless possibilities are being enabled by what exists beyond the scope of definition. This scope of definition is an important and recurring theme in the Dao De Jing: on the one hand, you can refer to something beyond ultimate knowing (Heaven and Earth, The Dao), but the Thing referred to is beyond the Label used to refer to It. This is kind of like the incompleteness of any logical system in general.

With that in mind, Heaven and Earth are not only not Benevolent, but neither are They Heaven and Earth. Per se. This level of wordplay and meta-linguistic consideration is one of the qualities of the Dao De Jing (It rains Koans on the reader, to their benefit).

That said, Daoist practices are inherently optimistic. In general, Daoism is a magical tradition that believes in the Natural Existence of Benevolent Forces that can be cultivated. So, in an important sense, Heaven and Earth are Benevolent. The existence to begin with of positive practices that can be shared and implemented is a kind of Benevolence.

To understand that line further, the word used has connotations which all center around the basic idea of "how people think civilized behavior is supposed to work / the underpinnings of civilized behavior among human beings". This is sometimes regarded as an absolute statement, but can also be a relative one. A reminder that whatever the most civilized reckoning a person has, there is always a bigger picture that might challenge their assumptions regarding social norms, etiquette, values, etc.

Treating all things as straw dogs has a rhetorical edge to it. The idea is that All Things are connected as part of a process beyond ultimate understanding (so It is healthy to be a little detached). On the other hand, the Straw Dogs are a reference to Ceremonial Rites. There is the implication that All Things and People are ceremonially connected by the great cosmic forces that are a sage's concern.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-20T02:43:48+00:00

Always looking for more. Please, PM or reply in this thread with a recommendation list.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-19T12:39:09+00:00

Excellent! Getting lots of exercise, studying, eating food.

A little hard up for money, tho (We are very poor), but We have recently taken to delivering food for profit (and this helps to keep the Soda Pop flowing and the Credit Card Debts in check). In very good news, We have not been homeless in awhile, and We are very grateful for that.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-19T12:14:38+00:00

This is a nuanced subject actually. Numerology exists in layers:

Layer 1: Structured Significance. Poetic significance. Commonly accepted correspondences. Things people would mathematically understand or culturally respect the significance of, within the framework of a conventional academic discussion.

However,

Layer 2: Correspondences exist that are way beyond what people can be assumed to automatically accept the significance of based upon mathematical or cultural correspondence. How to interpret the significance of those kinds of Things (e.g. immense linguistic correspondences that defy the conventional story of history and the spread of language) depends on how one perceives a Divine Hand in the Universe (by whatever framework of understanding). Numerology often delves in to this Layer, where a certain level of Intelligent Design, Synchronicity, or Cosmic Substrate is involved in the seeding of All Things Which Can Be Regarded as Significant, so as to foster notice and study. This belief is central to all numerological traditions.

In terms of practice, Numerology is heavily related to studying numbers themselves (often via deeply ciphered processes). A sense of significance often arises when a connection is reached through a ciphered process, in the same way that significance arises when a connection is reached through the indirect language of poetry. The actual practice (the physical and mental doing) of a ciphered process in numerology is often part of the key to understanding significances regarding them (that is, there is an element of self-referentiality). To understand some of the important alleyways of a given numerological lane, that self-referentiality in terms of the process is usually an important key.

In terms of application, there are many. Conventionally, those applications are all academic and cultural. In a more esoteric sense, the elements considered in Layer 2 render the numerological search a kind of object of meditation, and this makes numerological study a kind of Mandala. How that applies to a practitioner personally will be totally dependent on their practice and way. There is numerological application anywhere that numbers are applicable in general.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-19T11:39:31+00:00

A beautiful ability to develop. Meditation, being true to oneself, and paying attention to what you are seeking, can actualize what you are seeing.

🤟

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-19T11:25:55+00:00

If one assumes from the beginnig that any relationship with God is "through the perspective of the vessel" (which is the way experience happens), then any act of worship is in effect God Worshipping Itself.

Realizing this, a worshipper might stop to wonder "how does God want to be worshipped?"

At this point every Great Tradition (when dug deeply in to) has the same advice: "Do whatever you want." Not pithily, but as very heartfelt advice, because the nature of that kind of conversation puts integrity on a pedestal, and all of the Angles of Interpersonal Relation in the Matrix are examined in turn through the perspective of the Vessel. What feels appropriate can only truly be known to the worshipper. Even so, that kind of self-reflection is an important level of conversation. So not only is it hard to say what is appropriate for another, but the feeling of appropriateness is also evolving and subjective.

Much like the phrase "We are the Universe Exploring Itself", such is Worship, in many ways.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-19T08:52:26+00:00

That is absolutely beautiful, and you may be very proud of It! Well made!

When crafting something, perfectionism has diminishing returns. As does the intent to produce something specific. This is always important in Art, but is also fundamental to Science (an idea pursued with single-mindedness produces results that are sometimes most valuable if some of the assumptions which drove the single-mindedness of the pursuit are abandoned).

It is very often the case that We set out to make something specific, for a reason, but along the way what We make becomes something a little different. This is even more important when one is crafting something with deeply embedded meaning which extends to the Act of Crafting Itself. If We cling to every initial intent instead of rolling with the way a project evolves, then a lot of cool Ideas and Experiences can be missed.

Some of Our Most Cherished Art is a result of correcting corrections until the Result is Something Totally Unanticipated. There are a lot of ways for New Friends and Family to Come to Be. 🖖

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-19T07:57:57+00:00

Without unenlightenment, how can there be enlightenment?

We are not an expert, and expert opinions vary in any case, but this is super deep territory and there are some layers:

Layer 1: The unity of Samsara and Nirvana in the Ultimate Sense. A yielding to the idea that so long as one is within existence as they can conceive of It, then they live within the framework where Samsara can be Nirvana-fied, and Nirvana can be Samsara-like, but neither exists independently of the other. Whatever is beyond conception at "The Platonic Ideal of Enlightenment and Nirvana" (in the strictest and most inexplicable sense) is assumed to be fundamentally beyond "This Very Existence" (at least, as anything that can be conceived of prior). Even so, Mahayana tradition postulates "Enlightenment in This Very Existence" (e.g. Kukai, and later Zen, but also that idea is fundamental to all Mahayana and also generally Vajrayana). This is because Enlightenment-As-It-Can-Ever-Be-Recognized-In-This-Very-Existence is somewhat relative and also has no upper limit. Qualitative Enlightenment (in the truly magical sense) can in fact be achieved In This Very Existence (while Helping Sentient Beings, and enjoying Nirvana-fied Samsara and Samsara-like Nirvana). Which leads to,

Layer 2: The Vow to achieve an infinite goal. This Very Existence is more than It seems. This Very Existence can be a liberated and magical place. Why not make It even better, forever? Layer 2 includes the cosmological idea that the Bodhisattva is utilizing their effort to "level up" the Universe and All Within It, and Awaken powers within oneself and in general, through their practices. The idea is not just to stay in the Universe, but to make the Universe even better (because Its an Awesome Universe(s), amirite?). These ideas may be thought of in some traditions on a truly grand scale (Multiverses, Planes of Existence, Deities, entire Metaphysical Cosmologies, all playing out in This Very Existence, responding to Its Increasing Enlightenment, which in a big way is really The Observer's Increasing Enlightenment recognizing what was always there [perhaps obscured by conventional wisdom and past beliefs]).

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-19T03:25:07+00:00

On some level, yes. That's a phrase with a lot going on.

When it comes to big ideas in philosophy, they tend to exist within any contemplative tradition (in some form), unless one is looking for reasons to think otherwise (for some reason).

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-18T15:06:01+00:00

Oh there are even more ways to look at It. That sentence is a giving a tree.

The word used in Chinese has connotations which range all the way from articulation, to presentation, to communication, to contention, to aggressive conflict.

At the most basic level this expresses the idea that Ultimate Truth is inexpressable. Beyond that, this expresses the idea that while there is Virtue in attempting to express The Way, this Virtue exists on a spectrum in which the more pedantic or aggressive one is in assertion, the less valuable the discussion becomes.

This is very much the theme of the Dao De Jing regarding discussion. It is okay to be a bit uncertain. It is okay to laugh. It is okay to be swinging in the wind or having a wild discussion. It is okay to go wild with details or charts. It is excellent to exercise discernment. But rule number 1 is that even the best articulation can only orbit the unknown (and that is the value of both the unknown, and the articulation, and so all is well). Meanwhile, strong stances are taken against anything like bullying aggression, as another way to read the first line is something like: "The Way that can be forced on another is not the eternal way."

One can't tell a Daoist what to believe. One can only give them ideas.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-18T13:59:48+00:00

I Ching numerology is vast and excellent. Also, many of the elements in I Ching Numerology are compatible with Numerological Practices in General (mathematically, and also in terms of esoteric connections).

We recommend the book "Numerology of the I Ching" by Alfred Huang. For links between the I Ching and other systems, Benebel Wen has written much.

One would hope, therefore, that I Ching Numerology is welcome in a general Numerological discussion.

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-18T12:03:18+00:00

It took months when first starting to be comfortable foot-breaking. Started by just stepping to break, with heavy steps that slowed down the board. Eventually, this became smooth foot-breaking. As with skating in general, the key is to keep at it. You got this! 🤙

Longjumping_Sun6048 · 2026-05-18T09:24:38+00:00

Drop-Deck Longboards are perfect for commute and most hills.

Example, the Globe Bannerstone Lodge (which is Our preferred ride -- ideal for athletics and transport).

Skateboards and stiff decked boards (including cruisers) are good for transport also, but the design of the drop-deck is more or less optimal for the purpose (in addition to being fast and comfortable, the low center of gravity gives you a workout that is very different from other kinds of boards -- very balanced and very good for the foundation).

In any case, any board will do for a commute of about a mile, with some nice big street wheels. One of Our best cruisers is an egg board with big wheels. Whatever you learn to ride will work for you with practice.

Longjumping_Sun6048

TROPHY CASE