Correlation between meditation and physical body

[LYACMT]

Hi Starman,

I agree with your statement. You have a deep understanding on this, impressive, and I believe that is why there are so many people become practitioners of practises, cause it made us become able to realize the status of ourselves mentally and may answer the question of How we came to the current status and further be able to control ourselves as to which direction to develop ourselves.

Regards

[LYACMT]

Originally Posted by iamthat

....And some people are drawn to the Chinese system while others are more drawn to the Indian system. And while I do feel a connection to China (presumably from past lives?), I feel a stronger affinity with India....

I would like to present a possible reason for this: The Language.
One of the official languages in India is English, but in China we speak Mandarin. So there are certainly much more people speak English in India which results in the fact that there are so many publications about Yoga, meditation, etc., so it is easy to be much wide spreaded.

On the contrary, the number of people who practise and at the same time speak English is very limited resulting in the fact that there are few publications about the practises and disciplines derives from ancient China, so the audiences of the practise systems of China is limited in the world. That is what I am doing recently trying to convey excellent techniques from China in English, so that people in the world could also be benefited from the techniques from China.

[Starman]

LYACMT, Chinese practices in the U.S., in the past Shoulin Kung Fu was very big here, and right now there are more then 50-U.S. cities that have a district known as “China Town,” with the largest districts in San Francisco, New York City, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Chicago.

I have used lots of Chinese herbs and have also had Chinese doctors for my primary care, Chinese acupuncture is still used a lot by Americans also. I have post the link before on this forum to “The City of Ten Thousand Buddha’s,” which is in Northern California.

It was setup by a Chinese Buddhist Master here back in 1974, and I have been there a few times to participate in their training. They are very strict and disciplined, even with visitors who spend a few days with them as I did.

http://www.cttbusa.org/index.html

My approach to self development techniques is eclectic. I studied western mysticism by way of the Hebrew Kabbalah, and also was introduced to eastern techniques when I followed a satguru from India for about 20-years, that is how I learned about yoga; living a monastic lifestyle in an ashram.

I used to speak 5-different languages, because I lived in different places around the world and would at least pick up on the conversational language of non-English speaking places where I lived. No I have never been to China but I have lived in Japan, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia and Europe.

I agree that most of the techniques around the world, regardless where they may have originated, have the same aim, only different methodologies. My spiritual path is a combination of eastern and western techniques. I also have a traditional college education in both psychology and also medical practices. But I prefer what we here in the U.S. call “alternative medicine.”

This is what has worked for me; now entering age-76 the fruits of starting practices to explore my own being back in the 1970’s have now bought forth tremendous results.

“All paths are the same, they lead nowhere. There are paths going through the bush, or into the bush. In my life I can say that I have traveled, long, long paths, but I am not anywhere. The only question I have is, does this path have a heart?” This is from the teachings of Don Juan, Carlos Castaneda.

[iamthat]

Originally Posted by LYACMT

I would like to present a possible reason for this: The Language. ... That is what I am doing recently trying to convey excellent techniques from China in English, so that people in the world could also be benefited from the techniques from China.

I am sure that the widespread use of the English language is a factor, as well as the fact that India was always more accessible to Westerners than China. But at the same time the teachings and traditions of China are much more available to non-Chinese nowadays than perhaps fifty years ago.

Like Starman, I have an eclectic approach to spiritual learning and I look to many different sources for inspiration and understanding. But when it comes to practice, there is only so much we can do. So I focus on certain practices rather than trying to scatter my energies too widely. And those practices tend to align with the teachings of India.

But I wish you success in conveying the ancient techniques of China in modern English, as there is certainly much of value in these techniques.

Peace

[Guillaume]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesuit_missions_in_China

Interesting article about the cultural exchanges between China and the Western world.

[entenmanns]

Thru the years i have read about meditation the correct way the incorrect way only to find that i cannot meditate the way everyone says it should be done so i did what came natural to me. and because i come from catholic school "early on that is" organized religion i will politely say was not for me, but in my travels i learned about a theory called Morphic Resonance
i did not believe in the faith but found that being in a church or even a hospital has a very powerful presence outside of the mind
it can extend everywhere and if everyone in a church or hospital is of the same mind then you can open a door and i know that prayer is a form of meditation and has worked for me in some instances like repeating a Mantra.

Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist scientist and author of many books called a heretic by many of his colleagues and morphic resonance is his theory but not all check out his work Dean Radin has done experiments with random
number generators for at least 25 or more years placing these devices in many cities around the world collecting data showing positive results indicating that at times we are of the same mind at least by studying the data,
i wont use the word proof there is no such thing any way

[entenmanns]

sorry forgot what the original topic was, i get that way because i can only type with one finger and it takes me so long that i forget what the subject was about , and now that i know i can say with absolute certainty that my physical body is broken beyond repair so in my reality i can meditate focusing on a crack in the ceiling or just in a matter of seconds i can be zoneing out . example i walk out of work walking towards my car spying the state park across the 8 lane busy hwy slowly watching for the usual spring time visitor the bald eagles and all of a sudden there is nothing but a field no noise and no roads from where i was standing to the park it lasted seconds which seems like an eternity and its like a video in my mind

[Starman]

In my opinion every major, or the most populated religions, do some form of meditation; Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, are the most populated religions in the world. When I studied them I went beyond the language they used and found lots of similarities in all of them.

Most people just look at the differences in them but I looked for the similarities, the common techniques that all religions share when practicing spiritual development, and I found lots of them among the major religions. They may use different words and rituals but in my opinion below all of that a lot of the aim and basic practices are similar.

Meditation in Christianity is reserved mostly for the clergy, especially those who live in a monastery. Contemplative meditation is practiced by Catholic clergy and Gregorian chants are a form of mantra meditation. Judaism and Islam also have chants and contemplative meditation techniques.

I learned about the Tattwas in the Hebrew Kabbalah but later also learned about tattwas when I started studying yoga. There is a lot of overlap in my opinion, but I do understand how people are very passionately possessive of their own religion and see it as distinctive from others. So I mean no disrespect by what I’ve said here.

Still, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are Abrahamic religions, Christianity evolved from Judaism, Jesus was a Jew, just like Buddhism is closely related to Hinduism, Siddhartha Gautama came from a Hindu family and became The Buddha. Everything comes from everything else. In my opinion different religions are but branches on the same tree, giving different names to similar spiritual techniques.

[LYACMT]

Well, Starman, you have wonderful experience from your life :) and thanks for sharing. I've actually visited many China Towns too in the word including L.A., London, Paris, Milan, Bangkok, Calcutta, etc. all of them makes me feel good and from which I saw great cultural exchanges between nations.

The eclecticism is valuable which made a great social change in China back in the 1860s and people were benefited.

I also agree that "most of the techniques around the world, regardless where they may have originated, have the same aim, only different methodologies." and I think the "alternative medicine" as you called it and the main stream medicine should be also included.

BTW, welcome to China for at least one time in your life :)

[Redchic12]

STARMAN.

All paths are the same, they lead nowhere. There are paths going through the bush, or into the bush. In my life I can say that I have traveled, long, long paths, but I am not anywhere. The only question I have is, does this path have a heart?” This is from the teachings of Don Juan, Carlos Castaneda.

I LOVE THAT!

I read all his books way back and just loved them.