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XAN QUOTES GANGAJI

"I am asking you to tell me what it is
you truly want for
its own sake.
And if you still imagine that somehow you don't have that,
let me know what you imagine keeps you from it. Let's
examine it and see. Is that obstruction to truth real or is
it part of the webbing, part of the fabric of your
imagination?"
_______________________________________________________

SHANKAR (from I AM list)

Because 'Awareness' exists, 'this one (state)' is not
'sleep', (and)
Because there is 'absence of thoughts', it is not 'even
waking'- Awareness-Existence, Chit-Sat, Vast Form of Shiva
(is this state), Without 'leaving' this 'Chit', 'abide' in
'that'.

Translation of verse 229 in 'Essence of Sadhana' by Sri
Sadhu Om Swamigal.
______________________________________________________________

Dear NDS,

O.H. has sent you a greeting card:

http://www.123greetings.com/view/K30321045841843
___________________________________________________________________

MANCHINE

Everyone, everyone is right. Feel that and understand
that. Listen.
It's only a matter of context. There is unlimited power in
the knowledge of others, no matter it comes from.
_________________________________________________________________

ANDREW MACNAB

Thinking about Gene's and Terry's recent posts about
boundary issues, skin, ego being the skin of the self, I
thought of Lao Tzu where he says;

"The Way produces one; one produces two, two produce three,
three produce all beings...."

In the familiar yin yang symbol, one is seen as the whole
circle, two are the black yin and white yang 'fishes',
three... in commentaries on Lao Tzu, the three are said to
be heaven, earth and humanity...
in the symbol, the white yang section is heaven and the
black yin section is earth, I think the third, 'humanity' is
the line between them, the boundary, skin. In this sense,
there is a skin but its function is to demarcate rather than
to contain, it is (we are) the means by which all beings
(the myriad things) take form.

DAN BERKOW, Ph.D.
A boundary can be understood either as
dividing two different things,
or as the place in which mutual
interdependent definition occurs.
Understood the second way,
the ultimate boundary is
that which unifies the universe
by dividing (defining) the universe.
"I have come not to bring peace,
but a sword," said Jesus.
"In the beginning was the Word".

To know wholeness as distinction,
love as discrimination;
to give all things their natures,
but to have none oneself.
The ultimate boundary is
eternity. Eternity is
our skin, it is the pores
of our skin.
___________________________________________________________________

SKYE CHAMBERS

I've never been able to work out what type i am. Just when
i think i've found slot for me, i discover i'm capable of
the complete opposite too!. Thats why i don't talk about my
personal life very often, i'm as changeable as the
weather...dan knows that ;-)...and i wouldn't have it any
other way :-)

No i take that back, thats not quite correct. Even though i
enjoy all walks of life something never changes and that is
my need to express myself sincerely and spontaneously. So
this list is very difficult for me and a lesson in
discipline. Speech in person is so much faster, so if i am
misunderstood i can clarify immediately. I prefer a gentle
manner of speech and expression, my true self has no desire
to be otherwise, so in person i never experience the hostile
responses i get here and it took me a long time to get use
to - that i could not be so spontaneous here as i no longer
had full bodily expression. What changes are my abilities,
and my ever expanding love of and ability to look into all
facets of life and of course and my beliefs that i have
inability's, i'm always amazed at how much more we are
capable of, how the self is always expanding.
_________________________________________________________________

ROGER ISAACS, MARCIA PAUL, AND XAN

Roger: Is masturbation typically or always a result of
identification? Is identification involved with it? If one
has other compulsive physical habits, might these habits be
an outer sign of inner attachment? Might outward squirming
of the body, for example, be a symptom of a squirming mind?
Are stillness in the body & stillness in the mind related or
is there a dependence? Can one induce the other? Is it
possible to use challenging circumstances to test &
encourage stillness in activity? I have only questions.

Marcia: I have some thoughts on the subject. It seems to me
that there is more than one use of sex energy. One obvious
use is procreation. I suspect there are seven ways. Another
possible use is the creation of a soul.

But whatever the uses are, if the energy is not being used
or spent properly it will be used or spent improperly. It
will leak out in excess movement or overlay other processes
like emotions where something simple like instinctual
distaste becomes revulsion. Masturbation relieves a buildup
of unused sexual energy but it is essentially unsatisfying
because there is no blending and thus no real satisfaction.

Xan: When I was studying Chulaqui-quodoshka - the American
Indian Medicine Ways of sexuality - I learned there are many
ways to develop and direct sexual energy energy with breath
and focus, which can then be used for creating, healing,
consciousness deepening, etc.

It makes no difference if one is self-pleasuring (The word
"masturbation" means self abuse so I quit using it.) or
making love with another, or even if there is a personal
'lover' relationship. The integrity and skill of these
practices is quite amazing and I had many exquisite
experiences while using them.

The most dramatic is Fire Breath, in which one lies on the
back alone, hands at rest, breathing and circulating root
chakra energy up through each chakra until one's head blows
off!
This powerful energy can be directed by intention and
visualization or simply enjoyed.

There are also levels of orgasm that can be developed far
beyond what most people reach, even at the best spontaneous
moments.
__________________________________________________________________

JODYR

There are no absolute rules regarding sex behavior and
spirituality.

If masturbating gets you off, then go for it with gusto.

If it doesn't, then don't.

Realization as a phenomenon lies entirely outside the
purview of sex and all other human behavior.

While there may be some sort of energy phenomena at play
during sex, this will not affect one's realization unless
one decides for it to be so. That is, sex is bad when we
make it bad, or when you hurt someone else with it. It's
all about intention, and not about the act or the energy.

The fact is, way too much time is wasted worrying about the
effects sex has on spiritual practice. It is the worry
itself that is harmful, as well as the repression. Sex is
just sex. It is Shakti's primary manifesting activity.
Whether for pleasure or procreation, there ain't nothing
wrong with sex for sex's sake. So if you wanna do it, do it
for God's sake. Offer your desire and your gratification to
the Lord. Whether once a year or 3 times a day, it makes no
difference whatsoever.
_______________________________________________________________________

DAN BERKOW, Ph.D.

Original Awareness has no position.
An established position is an "imposition",
and the key is "awakening": observation
revealing how appearance of a position comes to be,
and its inherent insubstantiality.
Defending, asserting, ignoring, or attempting
to escape this position simply
perpetuates it.
Trying to move from this position here
to freedom there is futile effort,
as the illusion of a position is maintained.

Only not moving from the no-position of
Original Awareness is living truth.
There is no substitute.
The reason so many substitutes are
in evidence is that once a position
is established, one may seek to
exchange it or maintain it, but
fully giving it up seems like
the ultimate loss.

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