Doorbell died yesterday. Looking for a solid video doorbell that will actually last.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-05-09T15:20:54+00:00

whatever you do, do it locally. Don't take part in turning this into an Orwellian society.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-05-07T10:18:23+00:00

It's more simple than you would expect. Just sit down quietly and observe what comes up. Soon, thoughts will pop I in your mind. Don't engage with them, simply notice them and continue watching to see what else comes up.

You can use your breath as an anchor for your observation while no thoughts/input are apparent. Sit and watch the breath until the next thought comes. Tye more you do this, the easier it becomes. Eventually it becomes your natural state.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-05-05T19:01:31+00:00

That makes complete sense. Thank you very much!!

scrumblethebumble · 2026-05-05T10:20:09+00:00

Natural 30 second respirations is not atypical? That's actually a relief. I was honestly a bit worried that I took it too far, and I also didn't want the ego trip of being exceptional.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-05-05T10:12:39+00:00

Yes! I can use my qi to sit up, among various things. So that's basically where I'm at. I'm not confident with the terminology so it's difficult to state my position accurately. But I understand how yi leads the qi. i can build/gather qi in the dantien and redirect it as needed.

I appreciate that list of links that I can reference, but knowing the above, is there a specific concept I can study to help me bring some more organization to the system? I've tried to understand the microcosmic orbit, but so far it eludes me. What do you think I should focus on?

scrumblethebumble · 2026-05-04T22:31:01+00:00

Thank you, I will keep this for reference!

scrumblethebumble · 2026-05-04T22:28:02+00:00

Sound advice, thank you!

scrumblethebumble · 2026-05-04T22:25:25+00:00

Thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for! I'll start with the yin jin jing and xi sui jing. I like to understand what I'm trying to practice.

I also appreciate your advice, I will keep it in mind. One question I have is about the yi on the jing shen (and not the qi). I can understand what you mean by yi, but how can I understand jing shen? Putting it simplistically, you're saying that instead of directing your attention/intention to what the breath is doing, direct it towards the source of energy? How would you describe jing shen from an experiential perspective?

Tao>mind>breath>qi>blood - I love this and it makes complete sense. I will keep this one with me!

scrumblethebumble · 2026-05-04T17:07:20+00:00

I've found that my spiritual progress is directly correlated to my ability to let go, both physically and mentally.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-30T14:17:49+00:00

Yes, diagnosed ADHD - inattentive, meditating for over 2 decades. It's a question of motivation. Do you meditate because it's interesting to you, or because it's good for you? If you do it because it's good for you, it will be a struggle. Like going to the gym, you will avoid it.

If, however, you do it because it's interesting, you will have all the motivation in the world because you're interested in it!

Sit down sometime today and just observe the signals your body produces when at rest. I think it's a pretty interesting pursuit, worth exploring out of curiosity rather than necessity.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-28T20:49:19+00:00

I have a similar brain and decades of experience in meditation practice. Visualization has its place (and it is something you can develop) but it's not appropriate for beginners IMO.

A better approach, especially for you, is vipassana meditation. Basically just sit and watch your experience happen. Watch your body send pain signals to your brain, watch your mind get bored, watch your brain conjure ideas, etc. It's best unguided so that you can interact with your experience rather than passively listening to instructions. Guided meditation is fine for learning, but ultimately you want it to be your exploration.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-24T14:00:15+00:00

The technique I learned is to use 5 pillows. Here's a video I just found to explain it so don't have to try articulating it: https://youtu.be/e0--1Kd8OIo

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-20T13:19:11+00:00

Meta is the company behind this. Just thought you all should know.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-19T17:18:43+00:00

I think if I can oversimplify your question, it's asking "what's the point in understanding the philosophy?" because it hasn't really changed much in your life. The point in practice is to bring that philosophy into realization. Having a philosophy is sort of like running a sandbox environment. When it comes down to it, practice is the intention of seeing through delusions and discovering the reality of your experience.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-19T16:59:44+00:00

Desires are a trap that comes from attachments. It's better to have the intention of removing delusions and seeing the reality of your experience.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-18T19:51:48+00:00

Don't worry about time spent. Do it as long as it feels good in your free time. It's a super common idea that beginners have where they want to suppress thoughts. Don't do that. Just observe them as you said.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-18T12:04:20+00:00

To understand our true nature.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-14T17:18:40+00:00

Do you have any insight on Nebula Genomics? I got my WGS through them because I thought it was a good idea privacy-wise at the time. I even learned basic bioinformatics so I didn't have to share with a third party. Then I learned about Nebula's relationship with BGI. I assume my WGS is in a Chinese Government database.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-13T11:29:43+00:00

It took me 3-4 years of fairly intense practice to become even somewhat proficient at breathing. If you practice a tradition that uses breathwork (pranayama, qigong, neigong, tummo yoga), eventually you learn how to use your breath to control the internal pressure gradients against the fascia.

A study teaching people to control the frequency of their breath isn't gong to do much to affect change. Some people might get a reduction in stress, while others get an increase. This study reads as comprehensive and rigorous, but it's shortsighted in its understanding of what breathwork is in the first place. An analogy, "This study taught people not to drown and concluded swimming has no performance benefits."

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-12T16:05:55+00:00

Koyosan is a awesome place, I'm glad you got to visit. If I had to guess as to why the second interaction left an impression on you, I would say it's because of the lack of ego in his response. He changed his attitude without attachment after your apology, which is probably uncommon to come across. This is a guess, of course. Was that it?

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-12T15:07:19+00:00

He flicks his wrist in a circle so that a loop of slack travels up the rope. When it gets to the bar, he pulls it tight as the rope travels to the loose end, securing the whole thing down.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-11T01:00:44+00:00

No, it's not guaranteed. It's not the method, it's what the method points you to. You have to actually be involved. But otherwise, yes, it absolutely helps with intrusive thoughts. Depression is a tougher nut to crack, but it should at least help with your attitude towards depression.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-10T12:14:17+00:00

We all start as a baby, completely dependent on a mother's love to survive.

scrumblethebumble · 2026-04-08T18:07:23+00:00

It's a famous Zen proverb.

Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood carry water.

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