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How is this practice going for everyone? This seems to be an important step in our process. Quieting the heart with eyes closed first and then open.
Chapter 12 is out? I only see up to 11.
Trevor
Do I understand it right that we are instructed to breath in the third eye down the central channel to the heart and breath out from the third eye again? Do you find this kind of breathing potentially dangerous?
I mean I feel huge potential in this kind of breathing but I want to be sure I do it right.
Hi, Igor.
I found the directions a little ambiguous, but what you’ve written is the way I understood the directions. I’ll go back and listen again, but I thought he included breathing in from the eyes as well as the 3rd eye. I do think this is potentially dangerous if not done gently and gradually. I find the meditations he presents in this group very powerful and valuable. I’ve found two to be very useful: breathing emptiness from chapter 11 and feeling the inner water, chapter 9, I think. I usually listen to the instructions each time before I do these. I’ve made little playlists on my iPod that include some of the Songs of the Tao, the meditation instructions from each chapter, and some water sounds. I see lots of potential, too, and also want to do it right. That’s why I listen to each track every time.
Matthew, do you have the 5 disk set of Ancient Songs of the Tao? Would the Strings of theTao CD be similar?
Hi, Joan.
I don’t have the Strings of the Tao, but I assume it’s Bruce chanting the Taoist liturgies (as he does on the Songs CDs) but with the addition of the violinist improvising/accompanying him. I really like the Songs of the Tao, though I can’t really say definitely that they work in terms of the silent transmission Bruce talks about. That’s more my problem, I think, than a problem with the CDs. I do like the overall vibe of them and like to use them to get settled for meditating.
Did you read my other note about the chanting Bruce did on last months practice CD. I had copied that passage adding strings of silence in between and made a meditation CD. How similar might that be to purchasing the Songs CD?
I’ve done similar things with the Songs tracks, making meditation CDs customized for particular things. On the Songs CDs, Bruce explains what each track is for and then does the chant. It’s useful in many ways. I think you’d probably find it useful, too. When you take a step back and consider the scope of materials Bruce provides its pretty amazing. It allows us to select the things most appropriate for our own particular self at the right time. I’ve found the meditation circle, the Tao Te Ching group, and the breathing CDs to be immensely useful. I’ve used the breathing CDs for years and they were great preparation for the med circle. They really prepared me to do inner dissolving. I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the songs of the tao and think I will use them for many years to come, too, it’s hard for me to say what you might get out of them, but I think you’d find them a good investment.
Matthew,
I did get the CD “Strings of the Tao”. I’m starting to use the meditative chants with my meditation.
Cool. Let me know how it goes.
I use both ‘Strings of the Tao’ and ‘Songs of the Tao’ to great effect in my own practice. I find them particularly helpful in quieting my ‘monkey mind’ and staying focused on a particular practice exercise – especially when there is resonance between the track theme and the theme of my practice.
It’s really good for highlighting where your awareness should be. At the most basic level you can feel that low notes resonate more with your lower body and high ones with your upper body. Low to high would mean raising awareness or energy etc. I imagine that once my awareness opens up more I’ll be able to confirm more subtle aspects of the songs and perhaps more nonphysical aspects. You don’t even need to be aware of these things it seems, but I’ve always gone pretty deep into music so it’s quite interesting to try and work it out.
From my limited experience it generally works best to have a decent idea of what you’re doing and use the songs to make small adjustments.
Matthew, I find the CD with Bruce’s chanting very hard to listen to. Are there any other versions of this type of thing more pleasing to a musician’s ear. Can instruments rather than a human voice produce the lows and highs needed for meditation.
There is the Strings of the Tao that he did with Steve Kindler from the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Much the same but with a violin drone. I wouldn’t say it’s easier to listen to.
I don’t think the point is for it to be pleasing. If it’s stirring up negative emotions then I would say it’s not meant to be pleasing. Much as some people take time to get in tune with atonal music this is probably the same. You kind of have to look deeper for what makes you want to listen to it.
OK I’m totally confused, just signed up, have read chap.1 and haven’t received anything else…so I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about here…where is the rest of the material?
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