Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Wondrous Odors and more on Esoteric Acupuncture
Today, I went forth into the world to take a walk (that may not sound like too much for many of you, but for some reason I have been reluctant to travel much in the outside world lately.)
The days was perfect--mild and sunny. I found myself standing at a lookout point, just above the singing surf, enjoying the marvelous view, when--suddenly--I realized that I was smelling sweet perfume, as of flowers (jasmine?) I looked around. No flowers or shrubs or trees anywhere nearby--just sand and rock. And then I remembered the time a few months ago when I had smelled the lovely odors of the garden near an ashram--and how this lovely scent had followed me into town, no matter how far I walked from the original source.
And--today--I also had a second "deja vu" ("deja smell"?) experience, as I did the first time. A few days after I had visited the ashram garden, I went there again, and this time smelled--something goood to eat (I was hungry at the time.) So today, the scent of flowers was replaced (briefly) with the odor of a really tempting hamburger--I happened to be looking at a diner across the way, and I am sure the notion came into my subconsciousness from that sight--it filtered in as an actual "scent". But I didn't try to go over to the diner as a customer--this is high tourist season, and it was packed out. I wasn't willing to wait for an hour, even for a hamburger. (I might add that I eat a hamburger quite rarely--maybe once every two or three months.)
Now --MORE ON ESOTERIC ACUPUNCTURE
My friend Beth who is herself an acupuncturist tells me that she has often felt that for certain clients (those highly energy sensitive) it might not be necessary to use needles or even to touch them.
Here is her comment:
And your account of your experiments with Esoteric Acupuncture was both inspiring &
interesting ... resonates with questions that I too have had, about acupuncture in general,
and EA in particular. For many years, I've held the belief that needles really are not
necessary: that to the extent that a practitioner (or a client themselves) is able to generate
& be stable with a "needle-point" intention, that that is sufficient ... I would say that still I
believe that if ones mind is clear, and the channels of communication between the mental
body (which forms images of, say, geometric patterns) and the etheric & physical bodies,
are open ~ to this extent practices such as the ones you describe will indeed be effective.
But for those whose mental focus/clarity or stability are not that developed, the needles,
providing continuous stimulation (i.e. drawing the attention) to specific points, can be very
useful. Mikio Sankey also is of the belief that the needles themselves have a "qi" which ~
along with the qi of the practitioner ~ is a valuable ingredient to the alchemy of a
successful treatment. He also believes that acupressure works primarily on the physical,
as opposed to the etheric, body ... though your experience would seem to be contrary to
this conclusion. So ... I don't know!? It's all quite fascinating, though ....
And another friend, Patty, had this to say:
There is a book, Opening the Dragon Gate: the Making of a Taoist Wizard in translation by Thomas Cleary (I think that a fair recall of the title). It's a biography in which 3 Taoist Immortal (?)- at least masters, are training a little fellow who is now a Taoist Master, Master Wang Li Ping. One of the Immortals (an enlightened Taoist is called immortal or normal human being) was a master of "needle-less accupuncture." And they're not talking accupressure... it was subtler than that.
It's truly fascinating that with present communication techniques, one can hear from others about one's own "esoteric" experiences, and get them in clearer context.
(And if anyone else has comments on this, don't hesitate to write.)
The days was perfect--mild and sunny. I found myself standing at a lookout point, just above the singing surf, enjoying the marvelous view, when--suddenly--I realized that I was smelling sweet perfume, as of flowers (jasmine?) I looked around. No flowers or shrubs or trees anywhere nearby--just sand and rock. And then I remembered the time a few months ago when I had smelled the lovely odors of the garden near an ashram--and how this lovely scent had followed me into town, no matter how far I walked from the original source.
And--today--I also had a second "deja vu" ("deja smell"?) experience, as I did the first time. A few days after I had visited the ashram garden, I went there again, and this time smelled--something goood to eat (I was hungry at the time.) So today, the scent of flowers was replaced (briefly) with the odor of a really tempting hamburger--I happened to be looking at a diner across the way, and I am sure the notion came into my subconsciousness from that sight--it filtered in as an actual "scent". But I didn't try to go over to the diner as a customer--this is high tourist season, and it was packed out. I wasn't willing to wait for an hour, even for a hamburger. (I might add that I eat a hamburger quite rarely--maybe once every two or three months.)
Now --MORE ON ESOTERIC ACUPUNCTURE
My friend Beth who is herself an acupuncturist tells me that she has often felt that for certain clients (those highly energy sensitive) it might not be necessary to use needles or even to touch them.
Here is her comment:
And your account of your experiments with Esoteric Acupuncture was both inspiring &
interesting ... resonates with questions that I too have had, about acupuncture in general,
and EA in particular. For many years, I've held the belief that needles really are not
necessary: that to the extent that a practitioner (or a client themselves) is able to generate
& be stable with a "needle-point" intention, that that is sufficient ... I would say that still I
believe that if ones mind is clear, and the channels of communication between the mental
body (which forms images of, say, geometric patterns) and the etheric & physical bodies,
are open ~ to this extent practices such as the ones you describe will indeed be effective.
But for those whose mental focus/clarity or stability are not that developed, the needles,
providing continuous stimulation (i.e. drawing the attention) to specific points, can be very
useful. Mikio Sankey also is of the belief that the needles themselves have a "qi" which ~
along with the qi of the practitioner ~ is a valuable ingredient to the alchemy of a
successful treatment. He also believes that acupressure works primarily on the physical,
as opposed to the etheric, body ... though your experience would seem to be contrary to
this conclusion. So ... I don't know!? It's all quite fascinating, though ....
And another friend, Patty, had this to say:
There is a book, Opening the Dragon Gate: the Making of a Taoist Wizard in translation by Thomas Cleary (I think that a fair recall of the title). It's a biography in which 3 Taoist Immortal (?)- at least masters, are training a little fellow who is now a Taoist Master, Master Wang Li Ping. One of the Immortals (an enlightened Taoist is called immortal or normal human being) was a master of "needle-less accupuncture." And they're not talking accupressure... it was subtler than that.
It's truly fascinating that with present communication techniques, one can hear from others about one's own "esoteric" experiences, and get them in clearer context.
(And if anyone else has comments on this, don't hesitate to write.)
